PRINTRiding the route
Columbia Transit rolls toward progress as seats fill up
Stephanie Hinkle
Bus driver Will Chilton stops to pick up a passenger on the Green Line route down Worley Street. Chilton says he changes routes day to day but still gets to know the passengers on each route.
March 27, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
It’s a catch-22 for many cities similar in size to Columbia — people don’t ride the buses because they take too long, and the city won’t improve the system because nobody rides the buses. Compared to other cities, however, Columbia Transit is on par or even better. The buses are attracting a considerable number of riders, with an increase of 18 percent last year alone. In February, the overall average daily ridership was 2,748 people. Despite the numbers, there is a common misconception that Columbia buses are underused. “There might be times that the buses look empty,” says Bob Cundiff, Columbia transportation supervisor, “but during peak hours, most buses are full.”
Catching the Bus is Catching On
One of the biggest complaints about CT is that service stops at 6 p.m. Dial-A-Ride is a service anticipated to start early this summer that will provide after-hours transportation for employment, non-emergency medical, educational and airport transportation needs. Dial-A-Ride will complement the Para-Transit service, which transports ADA-eligible citizens who are certified as unable to ride the fixed-route bus system. Do not mistake this for a $3 taxi home from the bar on a Thursday night. Although short notice or unscheduled call-ins will be permitted, making reservations at least 24 hours ahead of time is recommended.
Dial-A-Ride hours of operation:
Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 p.m. - 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.
Saturday: 4 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sunday: 2 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fare: $3 per trip (exact change required)
No Shows: A $7 fee will be collected prior to the next ride
--Jessica Becher
Empty buses don’t mean the system isn’t used; ridership varies depending on the day, route and time. “CT is well-received,” says Ken Koopmans, CT transportation manager. “The city wants it and wants more of it.” CT is affordable, with fares steady since the ’80s at 50 cents a ride. That’s low compared to other cities of Columbia’s size: In Iowa City, Iowa, a bus fare is 75 cents, and a ride in Boulder, Colo., costs $1.75. CT also offers a number of discounts, including FAST passes, which allow students an unlimited number of rides for $2.50 a week.
Another perk to CT is the coded system that makes the buses accessible. Some bus systems use entertaining route names. Boulder, for example, calls its lines HOP, SKIP, BOLT, JUMP, DASH, STAMPEDE and BOUND. CT uses colored maps and numbered routes so riders can easily find their route on the left side of the map and then read across to find a departure and arrival time.
Manhattan, Kan., doesn’t even have a bus system to improve. The city is not entitled to federal funding for a transit system because of its small population. “Good or bad, the public has done without a transit system,” says Eric Cattell, director for planning in Manhattan, Kan. “At some point the city is going to have to do something about it.”
The Bus Stops Here
Even though CT provides safe and affordable busing, it lacks the connectivity and convenience necessary to attract people who drive. “If you want to get people out of their cars, you have to provide a really convenient alternative,” says Martha Roskowski, manager of the Go Boulder program. “Providing 10-minute service frequencies has been really important. People don’t have to check schedules; they just go to a bus stop and know a bus will be there soon.”
The 40-minute routes CT runs are a major drawback for the system. “Our goal is to cut headway in half,” says Koopmans. “But in order to do that, we need twice as many buses and operators — financially that is inconceivable right now.”
Columbia’s master transit plan, established in 2007, outlines a cost-neutral change within the current budget to achieve shorter headway times, improved equipment and better transit service overall. “The problem with the master plan is that it can take a pause at any given moment due to financial restraints,” Koopmans says. Boulder’s transit improvements aren’t happening easily, either. “While we’ve been heading in this same direction, and there has been strong community support, we argue over everything,” Roskowski says.
Improvements Down the Line
CT soon plans to hire an information specialist to field all transportation calls throughout Boone County and assist residents in finding the best provider available to handle their specific transportation needs. It also hopes to install park-and-ride facilities in two to six years and increase the number of routes from 16 to 28 within 10 years.
One of the major problems in public transportation is that the systems in the U.S. have been gutted. “In Europe, the public transportation systems have grown,” says Barbara Morck, Iowa City Transit acting manager. “They didn’t disappear or pour their funds into roads and infrastructure that are now falling apart.” Many cities face financial roadblocks but look to reallocate funds and supply a more attractive bus service.
“Anything we’ve done of significance has been controversial within the community,” says Roskowski. “Often we end up in a compromise, and steps get scaled back or tweaked. In general, we’ve been making progress consistently. It’s all fighting a good fight.”
