County Transit Authority scraps proposal for free bus rides

A proposal to provide free bus rides to all passengers in the city of Cape Girardeau has been scrapped.

Cape County Transit Authority executive director Tom Mogelnicki withdrew his request to the city for an additional $15,000 subsidy, which would have allowed the transit system to receive additional federal funds to cover its costs.

Mogelnicki withdrew the request after the city staff, at the direction of city council members, asked him to provide more detailed financial information about operation of the transit authority, also known as CTA.

Mogelnicki proposed free rides at a city council study session in late September.

Several council members, including Mayor Harry Rediger, said they favored such a move, which would raise the city’s annual contribution from $110,000 to $125,000.

“It will get more people using the system that really need to use it,” Rediger said at the time. “I think it will make more people more mobile.”

CTA, which has 61 bus stops in the city, operates two fixed routes. The plan to allow passengers to ride free of charge applied only to the bus system and not the CTA’s on-demand service.

The fixed-route system operates solely in the city of Cape Girardeau.

Some council members said they wanted to see more data from the CTA on its finances and operations before making a decision. The council asked the city staff to review the proposal.

Council members did not discuss the request publicly at subsequent study sessions or regular meetings, nor did city staff.

On Oct. 27, deputy city manager Molly Hood emailed Mogelnicki requesting additional data.

“The City Council expressed interest in your proposal, but also requested much more information before making a final decision,” Hood wrote in her email.

She requested information on the total cost to operate the CTA annually, including the fixed-route bus system and on-demand service, broken down by such categories as personnel, fuel and vehicle maintenance.

Hood also asked for information on bus fares and the CTA’s plan for replacement of vehicles and whether the buses are operating at capacity.

Mogelnicki replied to Hood by email several hours later.

He said he was withdrawing the request because his agency was busy providing required reports to the federal government, which provides some of its funding.

Mogelnicki said Friday the CTA routinely has provided reports to the city on its operations.

“That information they are wanting, they already had,” he said.

But Hood said city officials had every reason to ask for detailed information as the CTA was requesting additional funding.

“It is taxpayer money. You have to be diligent,” she said.

Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen said in September the transit system should focus on serving low-income residents who rely on the buses rather than providing transportation for those who have other means of travel.

Bowen also questioned the long-term viability of the transit system in terms of securing sufficient funding to replace its vehicles as they wear out.

Last week, Bowen said the CTA has not provided the additional data requested.

The councilman said he would be open to working with the local chamber of commerce or the Cape Girardeau Ministerial

Alliance about transportation for those who need it.

But other council members have expressed support for the free-rides proposal.

Ward 4 Councilman Robbie Guard said, “I was in favor of it.”

Guard said the added funding was a relatively small amount in relation to the total city budget.

“We are talking $15,000 on a multimillion-dollar budget,” he said.

Still, he said the council and city staff have every right to request more information from the CTA.

Guard, who believes there is solid council support for the plan, said he was not aware Mogelnicki had withdrawn his proposal.

Mogelnicki said he still favors the proposal.

“I think it is a good idea,” he said.

He has argued the bus rides, which are subsidized by tax dollars, should be provided free to all passengers.

“We are taking people to make money or spend money. That is definitely good for the economy,” he said in September. “I don’t see any disadvantage to making it free.”

Despite withdrawing his request, Mogelnicki said the proposal may not be permanently dead.

“I probably will bring it back up again,” he said. But he added he has “no immediate plans” to take the proposal back to the council.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641