August 14, 2008 10:24 pm
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By Greg Grisolano
ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com
Expanding citywide services, deviated routes, and fare increases for the city’s Sunshine Lamp Trolley and Metro Area Publictransit System were questions on the minds of residents who attended Joplin transportation meetings on Thursday.
About 20 residents attended a 1:30 p.m. meeting in the basement conference room at City Hall, and five attended a second session at 6 p.m.
Robert Lolley, director of the trolley operation, opened the earlier meeting with a presentation that outlined proposed expanded routes for the Sunshine Lamp Trolley, which he said now operates on a route that takes residents from downtown to Range Line Road.
The city is expected to add two new routes to serve the west and south sides of town beginning Jan. 2. Those routes, along with the current one that loops Main Street and Range Line Road from 15th Street north, would intersect so trolley users could go about anywhere in the city by changing trolleys. The trolleys would make 52 stops on the new routes, up from 11 stops on the current configuration.
In addition to stops along the designated routes, the new system would allow passengers to request pickup or drop-off at their home or another location within three-quarters of a mile of the trolley route.
Samantha Thompson asked whether the city planned to do away with MAPS, which provides scheduled, door-to-door transportation primarily for elderly and disabled residents, in favor of the expanded trolley route.
“I feel like there’s a definite coercion tactic, trying to get people to ride the trolley,” she said. “But the physically disabled are never going to be able to use that as a primary option.”
Lolley said he believes the city’s plan will allow MAPS to serve more riders per day.
“We will continue to operate MAPS vans,” he said. “This is an opportunity to provide a lot more rides with those vehicles.”
Mary Wilson, a resident of the Frisco Station Apartments in downtown Joplin, said she has been riding the trolley for more than a year, and she wanted to know if she would be eligible for a discounted rate under the new fee schedule.
“If I’m eligible for the half-fare (MAPS) card, can I get the monthly (trolley) passes at half price?” she asked.
“For the transit cards, we’ll have you come in and show us a photo ID as an age certification,” Lolley said. “If you have a disability, we will have a form that will need to be filled out and taken to your doctor.”
Lolley said people may obtain a $15 monthly pass, which is good for going from one stop to another on the trolley. Deviated stops off the route will cost riders a flat fee of $2.
Rides on the regular routes of the trolley system will continue to be $1.
MAPS fares are expected to increase to $4 per ride, or $2 for seniors and the disabled. Lolley said this is the first increase in fares since the city became involved in the program in 1998.
Lolley previously told the City Council that the trolley system could be expanded with no extra allocation of city money for vehicles because he could use money currently allocated for the replacement of MAPS vans to buy the two vehicles needed to expand the trolley routes. He recommended buying large, van-type vehicles rather than buses like the one that runs the existing trolley route.
Anthony Wilson, a resident of the Northpark Apartments, said he would like to see the trolley adopt a “stop request” system that would allow riders to get out anywhere along the trolley route.
“As far as being able to stop anywhere along the route, that runs into safety issues,” Lolley said.
Lavon Cogbill, 2946 McClelland Blvd., asked: If she requested a deviated route pickup, would she have to ride the trolley interchanges to get back home, or could she get point-to-point pickup?
“Would I have to ride all that back to come back home, or could I call MAPS like I do now and have them bring me back home, as long as it’s in one of those trolley designations?” she said.
Lolley said the city would try to coordinate with MAPS and the trolleys to pick up residents who requested a deviated route.
“If we deviate to pick you up, we’re going to try and schedule that return trip for you,” he said. “We’ll ask you how long do you want to be there. It’s going to have to be in one-hour increments.”
Trolley rides
The Sunshine Lamp Trolley currently provides about 1,500 rides per month, according to Robert Lolley, director of the system.
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