Public transportation increasingly important in county

Those who drive a vehicle to work, for pleasure or to run errands probably give minimal consideration to transportation other than the cost of purchasing a vehicle or when filling up at the gas station. For the most part, it's a cost we are willing to pay for the luxury of driving where we want, when we want.

This is not the case for everyone.

Cape Girardeau is not a major metro area like St. Louis of Kansas City. But it does offer a public transportation Monday through Saturday through the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority. The system has fixed bus routes in Cape Girardeau that help connect riders with major shopping and medical stops.

A recent story in the Southeast Missourian by reporter Samantha Rinehart looked at recent numbers for the transit system. Tom Mogelnicki, executive director of the transit authority, told the Southeast Missourian that the he believes the vehicles will hit 200,000 rides this year. That would be a first for the program, he said.

The city of Cape Girardeau is the only one in the county with the fixed-route service. To pay for the service, the city allocates $100,000 to its annual budget. This is part of the CTA's $2.5 million budget. Some of the other revenue sources include the city of Jackson, Cape Girardeau County, state and federal government funds.

Passengers pay $2 upon taking the bus. Senior citizens and those with disabilities pay $1. There also are monthly and daily passes available.

For those who cannot afford their own vehicle, who choose not to use one or have a disability, the CTA is an important option for transportation.

Congratulations to the authority for the increased ridership.