Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Lawrence City Commission approved a fare increase of the Lawrence Public Transportation System and changes in the “T-Lift” regulation Tuesday at the city commission meeting.
Bus fare, currently 50 cents, will cost 75 cents per trip starting July 1st. This price will increase to $1 in 2008.
Cliff Galante, Lawrence’s public transit administrator, said the cost increases are not meant to create revenue for “the T” but to generate enough money to maintain the city’s transportation services until next year.
Community members said they understood the need for the price increases.
“We have to do whatever it takes to keep the buses running and to increase hours, not cut hours,” Jeff Eudanks, Lawrence resident, who spoke in front of the city commission, “I am willing to pay more money to keep this service because we can not afford to be without it.”
Sue Hack, Lawrence Mayor, said fare increases were “necessary.”
The city commission also approved changes to “T-lift,” a service from the transportation system that caters to people with disabilities.
T-lift will now require a physician’s signature to certify a person has a disability rather that using the honor system as it previously did. It will also take note of users who only need the service during certain time. For example, if a person has a disability that only affects them during the winter, they would have to use the regular transportation system during other seasons.
Hack said that the changes would make the transportation services “more efficient” for users.
Anthony Duran, T-lift driver, said that the service is very important to all its users.
“If you have to rely on this service, you need this bus service to run as effectively for the person who needs it the most, which is the public not just the people who go to KU,” Duran said.
The city commission will discuss the age restriction on bus users, a controversial subject, later.
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