By Joe Ragusa
NORMAL – Connect Transit is taking a look at possible changes to its bus routes. Boris Palchik, senior associate with transit consulting firm Nelson/Nygaard, presented two possible changes during a public listening session Thursday at Heartland Community College.
“This is only a starting point,” Palchik said. “The system that we’ve presented today is kind of a best-case scenario. This is a scenario where we can provide very effective, very efficient service. Provide higher service frequency and make it very appealing to a large percentage of the population.”
One of Nelson/Nygaard’s proposals would establish Sunday service for the first time while the other aims to maximize service on the weekdays.
Reginald Davis of Normal said he didn’t like either.
“This proposal that they’re talking about is just insane,” Davis said.
Davis said the proposals would ignore some low-income areas like where he lives west of Main Street in Normal.
Connect Transit general manager Andrew Johnson said they aren’t committed to any changes yet and any possible changes won’t happen until next summer, at the earliest.
Palchik said Nelson-Nygaard is going to craft another proposal for Connect Transit to consider with the input the firm has received from the public during listening sessions this week.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].
