By Eric Stock
NORMAL – The buses will continue to run to some of the outlying areas in the Twin Cities – just on a more limited basis. WJBC’s Eric Stock reports.
After some areas in southwest Bloomington and north Normal were left out of Connect Transit’s new route structure to make its routes more efficient, some residents pleaded for some type of service
“People in town that use public transit are very passionate about it,” Connect Transit marketing manager Melissa Chrisman said.
Connect Transit’s solution, which its Board of Trustees approved on Tuesday, is to offer service during peak hours in the morning and afternoon to start August 15 as a pilot project.
“We’ll run it for those six months, really keep an eye on the ridership. We’ll keep gathering feedback from the folks that use it and the people that live in those areas,” Chrisman said. “Then we can modify, adjust or take off the table from there.”
The public can also weigh in on Connect Transit proposed fare structure. The price of a monthly pass is going up to $36. A public hearing is set for 5 p.m. at the McLean County Government Center in Bloomington. A second hearing is scheduled for July 13 at 5 p.m. at Uptown Station, Normal.
Chrisman said the pilot project will cost just short of $40,000.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
