Springfield, IL – The Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD), as it prepares to take public comment on Friday, Nov. 4th, at Lincoln Public Library in Springfield, is adding a public comment meeting on the campus of the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS).
Public Comment Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 16th
4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Public Affairs Center
Room H
UIS
The meeting is intended to facilitate comment by UIS students, who make up a large percentage of SMTD passengers. However, the meeting is open to the public as well.
Public comment is being accepted on proposed reductions in service due to delayed state payments and uncertainty in future state funding. Proposed reductions are as follows:
- Elimination of Saturday Night Service - Saturday Night Service is a new service which began less than two months ago. While passengers who have begun to use the service will be inconvenienced, this service requires extra maintenance, dispatch and paratransit staff in addition to the operators required on the routes.
- Elimination of Night Service Route 904 - Night Service Route 904 runs opposite the 903 along the same route on the west side. Route 904 passengers may be inconvenienced, but route 903 ensures night service will remain in one direction along that route. The proposed change will reduce overall night service by 20% while still leaving passengers another clear option.
- Reduction of all Night Service Monday through Friday by two hours - The proposed elimination of the last two current trips of weeknight service reduces all aspects of SMTD operational costs by ten hours per week. Similar to Saturday service, this service requires extra maintenance, dispatch and paratransit staff in addition to the operators required to run the routes. Night service after the change would consist of one-hour trips at 6:45, 7:45, and 8:45 on the current routes 901, 902, 903 and 905.
- Impact on Access Springfield paratransit service - Reductions in SMTD regular service hours will impact Access passengers as well. Access paratransit service runs the same hours as SMTD mainline service. So, any reduction in service hours at the end of that day on weekdays and on Saturdays will reduce paratransit service hours by an equal amount.
Passengers and other interested Springfield area residents not able to attend one of the public meetings can also provide comment by filling out the online form here.
