CONSULTANT FOR TRANSIT BOARD GETS COUNTY OK

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority will get a consultant to help develop a plan for county transportation services.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission agreed Monday to hire a transit consultant for six months at a cost of about $7,500. The contract could be extended for another six months, if necessary, commissioners said.

Commissioner Larry Bock said the consultant would work to find additional funding for transportation services.

Doug Richards, who chairs the Transit Authority, said the authority hopes to have a consultant on board by the first week of January.

The authority has a person in mind for the task.

"We are waiting now for the county to come up with a contractual agreement," he said.

"This is a major step in the right direction for us," said Richards, who said the five-member authority and its eight-member advisory committee don't have time to delve into transit issues on their own.

"We just don't have the time to go out and do the legwork," Richards said. "We have got to have some help." The authority and the advisory committee began meeting in late summer.

Once a consultant is on board, the Transit Authority wants to review existing funding for transportation services.

Richards said the authority and the advisory committee, along with the consultant, plan to look at three main transit needs: Door-to-door services for the elderly and others, the potential of a fixed-route shuttle system for the county and transporting people to and from work.

Ultimately, Richards hopes state and federal money could be found to finance transit services, so the burden won't be on local taxpayers.