JEFFTRAN likely to undergo system-wide assessment

The Jefferson City Council is set to vote on approving a $75,000 contract to study the city’s transit division later this month.

JEFFTRAN has not been assessed for a decade.

If approved, a consultant will evaluate JEFFTRAN’s existing service and management, compare it to similar communities and collect input.

“It’s time to look at it and see how the routes might be reconfigured potentially, or how we might improve our service overall,” JEFFTRAN Division Director Mark Mehmert said.

In 2015, JEFFTRAN provided nearly 314,000 rides, which was lower than the previous year.

“We’re hoping to do better, although I think we probably are going to be down a little bit for 2016,” Mehmert said. “But I think probably the rate has slowed. So we’re still not headed in the direction we want to be, but we are getting better.”

The study is expected to last about six to nine months and will include two public meetings to learn more about the community’s needs.

Upon completion, the consultant will give the city two recommendations of alternative service plans with a two year implementation timeframe.

The goal is to get more people to take advantage of the transit system and make it more efficient, according to Mehmert.

“The question is, is should we contract a little bit and do something in some sort of a way that might make the trip a little shorter for folks, or should we continue making sure that we’re focused on coverage,” Mehmert said.

If the council approves the contract, the city will only have to pay $11,250 for the study. The remaining 80 percent will be funded through a grant from the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

Aside from the assessment, Mehmert said JEFFTRAN may also soon get an automatic vehicle location system comparable to COMO Connect in Columbia. The system will allow riders to track buses with their phones, access more accurate estimated arrival times and plan trips.