Optimism rises about JeffTran

City transit on the move

The JeffTran Handi Wheels bus is stopped outside Dulle Hamilton Towers to drop off and pick up riders.
The JeffTran Handi Wheels bus is stopped outside Dulle Hamilton Towers to drop off and pick up riders.

They started meeting in February amid the feeling Jefferson City's transit needs weren't being addressed, but as the year draws to an end, there seems to be more optimism about where the system is headed.

Members of the Public Transit Committee on Tuesday heard a 2015 highlights report from Transit Director Mark Mehmert.

A key highlight was the success of the system's first Ride the Bus Free Day on Oct. 12. During that day, 1,449 riders rode the fixed-route service.

Mehmert said the report also celebrated some of the improvements to transit in the last year, including adding five new bus shelters and incorporating Sam's Club and other Stoneridge Village businesses into two existing routes.

The decision to hold the "free day" Oct. 12 was made because it was Columbus Day, an observed state holiday but not a city holiday, Mehmert said, adding that way state workers could try out the city's transit system on their day off.

"One thing we did learn was that more people just need to learn how to ride the bus. And by that I mean learn what times the buses pick up, how to get transfers and how they work," Mehmert said. "We definitely will do this again next year."

Another highlight was the announcement of three new Handiwheel buses coming online soon, thanks to a new federal grant funding stream. The buses beings replaced will be sold, and Mehmert said the money from those sales could be used to improve the GPS system to help track where people get on and off buses.

Mehmert also pointed out turnover of transit employees has decreased, going from 24 percent last year to 4 percent as of the start of this month.

"We did a survey and found that 85 percent of the employees felt more positive about how the system was going," he said. "I think that's due to us asking our employees what they feel is needed to improve conditions so I think they feel more appreciated."

One area the group will examine next year is the possibility of day passes.

The regular daily fare is $1 and the only passes offered are half-fare passes as well as a full-fare pass for $20 for 20 rides.

Other similarly-sized communities in Missouri, such as St. Joseph and Joplin, offer monthly passes ranging from $30 to $55.

Mehmert said a major hurdle to making a pass system viable is doing something other than the current punch-card system. He said they need to make sure they have a technologically-advanced, easy-to-use and quick system so the buses can keep their schedules.

The committee plans to meet again in January; extending operating hours is among the topics considered for discussion then. JeffTran operates 6:40 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, and transit supporters have long requested those hours be increased.

Mehmert said it could cost $1 million to $1.5 million to extend transit into the evening hours, and it's unlikely the City Council would be willing to cover that amount.