Public survey shows what changes Springfieldians would like to see in city bus system

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Springfield’s City Utilities is trying to improve the city’s bus system. And while the company is still in the midst of a comprehensive study to determine what changes people would like to see, CU recently presented to the city council the results of an online survey.

That public input showed that a little over a third of respondents (38 percent) were satisfied with the city’s bus system, about a third (33 percent) were dissatisfied and the rest (29 percent) were neutral.

But the changes people wanted to see centered around having more buses going for longer hours and more routes because of the city’s growth.

“Sometimes the closest you can get is still a 15-20 minute walk to where you’re trying to get to,” said Springfield city bus rider Shawana Pomeroy. “By the time you get there you’re freezing to death. If we had more stops and more busses, it would eliminate people out there freezing for so long.”

While one of the goals of City Utilities is to attract new riders, a majority of those who responded in the survey said the bus system’s main priority should be helping those it already serves who don’t have cars and need help getting to jobs or support services..

“It was a little surprising that the numbers were that high,” said CU Director of Transit Matt Crawford. “About 63 percent agreed that we need to continue serving the part of the community that relies on us the most.”

“I’m homeless and I don’t always have a place to charge my phone,” said bus rider Mike Spence when asked what importance he placed on the transit system. “So I rely on the bus to charge my phone. And when it’s not working it’s a big inconvenience.”

Only 24 percent of those who took the survey listed eliminating or reducing fares as a priority. A number of people as well as members of the city council have brought up the possibility of free fares as currently a bus ride costs $1.25 (or less with a monthly pass.) Fares account for about seven percent of the bus system’s $13.8 million operating budget and eliminating those fares draws differing reactions.

“It would make a huge difference,” said bus rider Jamie Barke. “What I pay for myself and my daughter to ride every day could pay my phone bill or help buy food.”

“I think a lot more people would ride the bus if it didn’t cost anything,” added Pomeroy.

“It sounds good in theory but I think we need to keep fares,” countered bus rider Gary Horchem. “In fact I think we need to give the fares at least a slight boost so more of that money can cover the extensions they want. If they want an extension, who’s going to pay for it?”

Horchem has a unique perspective because he’s served on a Transit Advisory Committee and been a rider on Springfield’s bus system for 15 years.

“It’s nice that we have smart cards and more electronic options,” he said. “I’d like to see them do away with the paper passes because they get jammed. I feel safe on the bus but I do think there are certain types of people who need to understand that if you’re going to ride the bus you need to be a civilized adult like everyone else. Being able to ride the bus is a chance to make your life better. It can enable you to get a job and find housing. You can’t just be down here at the terminal bumming for cigarettes and money. The northside routes need adjusting. They need to consider moving the bus stop at Kearney and Glenstone because it’s become a hot spot for issues like drugs and things of that nature. But most of all, for a city this size, we have a pretty good bus system.”

Another goal prominently mentioned in the survey is to take away the confusion and trepidation of people who may want to ride the bus but not understand how the transit system works.

“Learning how to ride a bus system in any community is difficult,” Crawford said. “That is something we have to work on to make it easier for people to understand. We can take strides in our technology, maps and in our routing to make it easier for passengers. We can also educate people on how to ride the system. Once you learn how to navigate it things become easier.”

The comprehensive study is not over yet.

“I believe we’ll have the whole study by December of 2023,” Crawford said. “We’re going to have opportunities for public input one more time sometime in February. Then we’ll see some short-and-long term goals come out in the June-July timeframe and we should start seeing some planning towards that by the end of the year as well.”

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