JeffTran works to reverse decline in ridership

Jefferson City officials are working to reduce the decline in public use of the JeffTran bus system.

Tuesday, the Public Transit Advisory Committee motioned to recommend two ways to expand the buss pass options to the public works committee and city council.

If approved, JeffTran would add the option of single-ride bus passes for $1 and unlimited-ride day passes for $3.

JeffTran gives about 315,000 total rides per year, but that number is decreasing.

“We’ve been slowly declining and we’re hoping that the addition of these bus passes will provide some impetus in the opposite direction,” JeffTran Director Mark Mehmert said.

United Way of Central Missouri President Ann Bax said the proposed options would make it easier for non-profit organizations like the Salvation Army to provide rides for those in need.

“Not only those clients that are living in the shelter, but also individuals that might need some assistance just to a doctor’s appointment or to a interview,” Bax said. “And so they can give that one dollar pass and those individuals can find transportation and much needed transportation to again, work toward self-sufficiency.”

Bax said it could also be useful to hospitals when providing rides home for patients that do not have transportation.

Mehmert said the proposed additions are ultimately about improving efficiency rather than off-setting costs.

The options will be heard next by the public works committee and then the city council before any final decision is made.