JeffTran riders may soon have to learn new bus stops.
The Jefferson City Public Transit Advisory Committee heard city staff's proposals to change all six of JeffTran's fixed routes Tuesday. Transit Division Director Mark Mehmert said he hopes the route changes will help increase ridership, shorten trips and make trips more convenient.
"If you can add more places that you go to and more places you can pick up, that will bring more people into the system that would consider JeffTran an option, especially if it's convenient, easy and reasonably priced," he said. "We think we're all of those things at this point, but expanding the destinations we have and getting there in a more timely fashion will make a difference."
Southwest
The Southwest route's current stops include Lincoln University, Capital Region Medical Center, Jefferson City Medical Group, Schnucks, The Linc, and Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City. The route's ridership for the 2017 fiscal year was 21,099, according to city staff. This was the lowest ridership among routes, and the Southwest route needed the most improvements out of all of the fixed routes, Mehmert said.
Under the proposed changes, the Southwest route would add stops at multi-family units near Rolling Hills Road and Capital City High School. St. Mary's Hospital and The Salvation Army Thrift Store were also reassigned to this route.
City staff proposed removing the current section of the route that runs along West Stadium Boulevard from West Edgewood Drive to Edgewood Drive, where there is currently one unused bus stop.
Staff also proposed reassigning parts of the Southwest route, including moving portions of the route along St. Mary's Boulevard to Missouri Boulevard. Southwest Boulevard to Stadium Boulevard also would be reassigned to East High Street.
The changes would add more frequent service to Missouri Boulevard at St. Mary's Hospital, while anticipating services for the Capital City High School when it opens.
High Street East
City staff proposed several changes to the High Street East route, which currently stops at destinations like Lincoln University, Missouri Department of Social Services, Immaculate Conception School, Moreau Heights Elementary School and Firley YMCA.
The proposed changes includes adding portions of El Dorado Drive, Southwest Boulevard and Christy Drive. Specific destinations that also would be included are the Community Health Center of Central Missouri, Capital Region Center for Mental Health and Whaley's Pharmacy.
Destinations that would be removed includes a stop on East Elm Street, a stop on Bald Hill Road and two stops along Stadium Boulevard. Destinations that would be reassigned include Tanner Bridge Road, which would see a reverse of route directions. Portions of Eastland Drive would still be covered by the Business 50 East route.
While the walk to Sonic on East Elm Street would be longer if the changes were implemented, Mehmert said, the changes would add coverage to the Community Health Center of Central Missouri and remove portions of the route that are not heavily used but are within "reasonable walking distance" of the other bus stops.
The High Street East route's ridership for the 2017 fiscal year was 25,534.
High Street West
Current destinations along the High Street West route include Lincoln University, Simonsen 9th Grade Center, Jefferson City Hall, the Cole County Health Department, Cathedral of St. Joseph School and Gerbes West.
Mehmert proposed adding destinations at Continental Commercial Products, Pathways Community Behavioral, Memorial Park Aquatics Center and the Department of Corrections.
The route changes also include removing two stops along a portion of West Main Street and one stop along a portion of Jaycee Drive. Mehmert said there was only one ride a day for these stops.
An advantage to the changes would be adding more coverage to Industrial Drive, but there would be less bi-directionality on West Main Street.
The route's ridership for fiscal year 2017 was 32,695.
Missouri Boulevard
The Missouri Boulevard route stops at locations including Lincoln University, Central Dairy, Schnucks, Walmart West and The Salvation Army Family Store.
While city staff is not proposing removing destinations along the route, Mehmert suggested adding portions of St. Mary's Boulevard to the route. He also suggested reassigning two stops at Kansas Street to Delaware Street to the Southwest Route.
Some advantages to the changes include bi-direction characteristics and retaining coverage of St. Mary's Boulevard. However, reassigning part of the route would mean The Salvation Army Family Store is a longer within walking distance of the nearest bus stop.
The route's ridership for FY2017 was 81,650.
Capital Mall
The Capital Mall route saw few proposed changes, with the main suggestions being adding coverage to Old Lohman Road and Leandra Lane. The changes also would add coverage area closer to the Westview Heights area.
The St. Mary's Hospital stop would be reassigned to the Southwest route, which would "enable Capital Mall (route) to provide better on-time service," Mehmert said.
Some destinations the Capital Mall route stops at are Walmart West, Jefferson City Medical Group, St. Mary's Health Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine, Missouri Department of Health, Missouri Department of Social Services, Capital Mall and Gerbes West.
There were 27,353 riders on the Capital Mall route in FY2017.
Business 50 East
There was only one proposed change to the Business 50 East route - removing the St. Louis Road on-call route.
There were six stops along the route, but there was less than one ride per month.
Business 50 East goes to locations like Lincoln University, the Missouri State Penitentiary, the federal courthouse, Missouri River Regional Library, Lewis and Clark Middle School, Walmart and Gerbes East, and Scholastic National Service Organization.
Ridership for Business 50 East was 40,656 in FY2017.
There will be a couple of public hearings within the next month regarding the changes, but those dates have not been set, Mehmert said.
The Jefferson City Council also must approve the changes before they are implemented.