A countywide transportation plan will continue next year under its current format, commissioners decided Tuesday.
A week ago, representatives of Thrive Allen County asked them to consider expanding to round-the-clock coverage in order to help many local residents get to their jobs. Three local industries agreed to contribute $5,000 each, reducing the county’s potential cost from $99,640 to $84,640.
On Tuesday, commissioners agreed to pay $19,767 to continue the program as it currently operates instead of the expansion.
Chairman Bruce Symes said he wanted to stick with the current program, and continue to collect data to better understand its value to the community.
The program is “still in its infancy,” Symes said. “Hopefully we’ll see the usage grow even in these baby steps we are taking.”
The program began in June and will be renewed for a year, starting in July 2022, assuming grant funding is approved.
The program is funded by a combination of three state and federal grants, in addition to the county’s responsibility. One grant is due soon, sparking Thrive officials to ask commissioners if they would consider expanding it.
Currently, transportation is available from 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday, and is mostly used to take people to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store and other essential services.
The county also offers a similar transportation program for seniors and the disabled.
Thrive CEO Lisse Regher estimated the program provides about 350 rides each month to about 75 people. Between 2,000 to 3,000 miles are accumulated each month for the trips.
Commissioner David Lee said he reviewed the statistics and found about 35 people take the majority of rides, using the service multiple times each week. He voted against continuing the program, citing low participation. He said he thought the program doesn’t pay for itself, even if it charged a $1 fee as Thrive also proposed.
“I think this is a safety net service for people who need it,” Regher said.
Symes said he considers the transportation program an essential service, and noted its value for the elderly and disabled.
“It’s very much appreciated by the people who use it and we deem that a service worthy of supplementing for the reasons of providing for the safety and health of Allen County residents,” he said.
However, he said he was “still wrestling with the idea of public funds being used to get people to work on a large scale. That’s more of a leap than just providing an essential service to the public.”
THREE health agencies also agreed to pay $2,500 each for a total of $7,500 to offset costs of whatever transportation plan commissioners chose. They are the Allen County Regional Hospital, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center.
