Credit the Jefferson City public transit panel with advancing two proposals designed to boost convenience and, by extension, ridership.
Readers familiar with public transit are aware of the proverbial "Catch-22" - lack of ridership limits expansion of scheduled routes and times, and limited routes and times dampen ridership.
City Transit Division Director Mark Mehmert this week presented two proposals to the Public Transit Advisory Committee, a group created last year to explore improvements to municipal bus service, which includes JeffTran and HandiWheels.
One proposal would create a single-ride pass, an option suggested by some local organizations, including St. Mary's Hospital and the Rape and Abuse Crisis Service.
Gerry Stegeman, transit operations supervisor, said organization and churches have requested the option as an alternative to the existing 20-ride pass, which is more expensive and unnecessary for people who need only a single ride.
The option, he said, "would benefit a lot of people" while boosting ridership and introducing the service to new riders.
A second proposal would create a day pass, allowing unlimited bus rides for one day at a cost of $3. The one-day fee would help riders who consolidate multiple trips for job searches, shopping or other tasks.
Both proposals were approved unanimously by the advisory board and advanced to the city's Public Works and Planning Committee.
Public transit is a municipal service not used by everyone, but necessary for some residents.
These proposals deserve support for their potential to increase ridership, which, ultimately, demonstrates the value of the service and becomes a factor in initiatives to expand routes and times.