Oskaloosa Rides Is Free Until Labor Day
Oskaloosa Rides fixed route bus service. (file photo)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The program to provide a fixed bus route in Oskaloosa is looking to grow its ridership over the summer months, and one way to help introduce the program to even more people is to offer them a free ride over the summer.
In 2015 the fixed bus route served approximately 33 riders a day, with the numbers dipping to 16 riders per day in 2016.
For parents wanting to ride with their kids to the pool, or other activities, waiving the normal $1.00 fee per-way will make it even more economical, and in turn help riders become accustomed to the service. Kids under the age of 18 have always ridden free.
“We’re trying it out for the summer if that does spike demand a little bit,” says Amy Meyer, Director of Mahaska County United Way of the effort to bring more attention and eventual ridership to the fixed bus route.
The bus runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and those who do and would utilize the service say that 5 days a week would better serve needs and develop that base of users, according to a survey completed of those who do and would use the bus. “At the demand level we’re at, it just really isn’t feasible for us right now,” says Meyer.
Comments made by users in the survey included, “I don’t know what I’d do without it,” “I need it for my doctor’s appointments,” and “I need it to be able to get to the grocery store.”
“I think that people have really come to depend on it [bus]”, says Meyer of the three-year-old program.
Meyer added that “public transportation is never a great money-making endeavor.”
“We really did start it as seeing a need that we wanted to meet, as far as people who didn’t have access to transportation. We wanted to make sure they could get where they needed to go,” added Meyer.
Conversations dating from 2012 and earlier highlighted the fact that the struggle of getting people to necessary services was becoming tougher. Fewer volunteers being available to transport individuals was but one of the many obstacles faced.
After working toward a bus solution, it looked like things had once again stalled in late 2013 when Ottumwa Transit and 10-15 separated in an effort to remain below 50 employees because of regulations in the Affordable Care Act.
Things started to look positive for the program once again in March of 2014 and by June 23, 2014, the bus started to make its route in Oskaloosa.
The hope from the start was that demand would continue to rise and to help organizers feel confident that the service was delivering to those in need.
“We need to think, what’s the most efficient way of doing it? If it is 15 riders a day, the best way to get 15 riders somewhere is not to have a fixed route,” added Meyer.
In that case, that more efficient way may be to utilize the normal 10-15 service, which is a door-to-door service.
10-15 requires a 24-hour notice from those seeking a ride, and will transport an individual to anywhere in the county for $2.00 each way.
“It’s always been an experiment. It’s always been known that it was not a sure thing,” said Meyer of the fixed bus route, which is funded through June of 2018.
With that, organizers hope that the free summer rides will help people become more aware of the service, and maybe help develop ridership.
Besides the free rides, organizers have been delivering direct marketing of the service to members of the community, which includes flyers and hand-delivered materials.
“I don’t want to strike up fear, but I think it’s fair to say that it’s [fixed bus route] always in jeopardy year after year because there isn’t stable funding. If people ride it who want to see it continue or even see it grow, the best thing they can do is to continue to ride it and to encourage others to ride it as well,” added Meyer.
There is a fixed route, and designated bus stops, but you can also “flag down” the bus for a ride. If you have an hour, take advantage of the free ride and explore the opportunities the route may have to offer you.
Oskaloosa Rides Bus Route – Click for larger view.
