TRANSIT AUTHORITY WOULD NEED CLOUT TO GET COOPERATION TO MEET COUNTY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS

Cape Girardeau County is likely to have a transit authority in a few weeks. A committee appointed by the county commission last fall has recommended such a move. This follows several years of studies and planning reports by various agencies, all of which have listed all the transportation services available in the county while lamenting the lack of coordination to better serve those who need rides.

At first blush, it looks like a transit authority would be a funding conduit for existing services. That's not what's needed. What the county needs is someone with clout to get all those agencies together and look for ways to make their vehicles more accessible. Unless the transit authority is given that power, it's not likely to make a real dent in the need for public transportation.