Cape, Jackson split into taxi zones

~ The price of a ride will depend on whether zone lines are crossed.

Need a ride from downtown Cape Girardeau to the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson? That will be $12 each way.

How about a ride from the Red Star neighborhood to Wal-Mart on Siemers Drive? That will be $7 during the day, and $8.50 at night, each way.

Those examples show the rates for on-demand services that will be provided by the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority when it takes over taxi services July 1.

The authority has divided Jackson and Cape Girardeau into rate zones, with the price for rides in each town depending on whether zone lines are crossed. Rates for trips between the two towns are based on where the ride starts and ends.

The zone lines in Cape Girardeau, as well as the rates, are identical to those used by Kelley Transportation Co. Inc., the private taxi company that provided taxpayer-subsidized public transportation through a coupon program.

The transit authority is paying Kelley Transportation $360,000 for its business. A bus route will replace the coupon program, leaving people who live far from the route wondering how they will get from place to place.

After hearing a description of the rates, Nathan Cromwell said he's worried that it will be too expensive. Cromwell, who has attention deficit disorder, high blood pressure and bad knees, said the bus route is too far to walk.

Cromwell lives with his wife, Sara, and 10-week-old daughter Savannah on North Spanish Street in the Red Star neighborhood.

"People who are disabled and elderly cannot afford it," Cromwell said. "I don't know how they expect people to get around paying $7 during the day and $8.50 at night."

Cromwell has been using the coupon program since 1998. And while it wasn't perfect -- users were allowed only 14 rides per month at the subsidized rate -- the low cost made it attractive, he said.

"Now, for anyone who wants to go anywhere it will cost 12 bucks minimum for a round trip," Cromwell said. "We are not taking the transit system unless they lower their prices."

The taxi rates will have one key difference compared to Kelley's charges, said Jeff Brune, authority director. Anyone calling for a ride 24 hours in advance will pay half the regular fare. And a second passenger picked up at the same location can ride for $1 extra.

On-demand taxi service will be the most expensive part of the new range of transit options provided by the authority. The most expensive ride, at a cost of $14, would bring a passenger from the west side of Jackson to central Cape Girardeau.

There will be lower-cost options, Brune said. A shuttle service running between Jackson and Cape Girardeau three times a day will continue to cost just $2.

And senior citizens in Jackson will be able to call on the transit authority for discounted rides. Because of funding from the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, on-demand rides for seniors in Jackson will carry a suggested donation of $3, with a $2 donation for riders who call 24 hours ahead.

Medicaid patients needing transportation to nonemergency medical treatment will continue to ride at no cost under a state contract, Brune said.

Adjustments to the bus route could alleviate the concerns of people in a situation like Cromwell. A paratransit system for the disabled goes along with the bus system. Disabled people who live within three-quarters of a mile of the bus route will be able to ride to their destinations for $3 if they call for service at least 24 hours in advance.

Extending the bus route, or adding a second route, will be top priorities for the transit authority's board, said Doug Richards, board chairman.

"The Red Star district is something we are looking at right now," Richards said. "Our board is trying to work out an adjustment there."

The bus route that will begin operation July 10 was designed by consultants hired by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The route was drawn to reach the maximum number of people who currently use the city coupon program, Brune said.

"We know we are not going to get all the coupon buyers," Brune said. "We wanted to make sure we started the system trying to reach the most amount of people."

Changes in the bus route probably won't occur right away, Brune said. "We want to go into this with baby steps."

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126