A new partnership with a nationally known environmental non-profit is bringing changes to Columbia’s bus system. To protect funding for paratransit services in the city…City Council members recently voted to reduce regular routes for the short term. But the City’s plan for the long term is expected to bring significant savings and improvements to public transit for its users.
The State of Missouri doesn’t subsidize public transportation. Changes at the federal level have placed additional pressure on local transportation systems too.
Now…the Center for Transportation and the Environment is partnering with the City. CTE is a non-profit dedicated to developing energy efficient transportation systems. CTE’s staff will come to Columbia soon and evaluate the bus system…including its existing routes. Grant funding is in place to cover the costs of the organization’s services.
The grant will also cover the costs of replacing three diesel buses in the City’s fleet which have been in service since 2001.
Columbia Communications Director Steve Sapp says the City can expect potential savings and improvements from the new partnership that citizens want.
“I think they want us to continue to look for clean technologies…efficient technologies…to use not only in our bus system but across our entire fleet.”
Columbia’s Department of Public Works has estimated that keeping a diesel bus in service costs over 100 dollars a day. By replacing an outdated diesel bus with an electric bus…that cost is reduced to about 5 dollars a day. These savings could eventually be returned to the system through increased hours and additional routes…as well as other improvements.
Under the current contract…CTE’s work with the Department of Public Works will include a final report with recommendations to the community. The report and project details will be shared at a public hearing soon.