The Sangamon Mass Transit District Board of Trustees moved closer to adding new service and re-designing its route system at their regular monthly meeting. The new service would be a trial downtown circulator designed to encourage movement around the core of downtown Springfield during weekdays and would start after the first of the year.
“Our Operations Department has been implementing policies to increase efficiency, and the labor hours saved are being used for added service in the form of a weekday downtown shuttle,” said Melissa Ashford, SMTD’s superintendent of transportation. “After some really tough years of having to streamline and make reductions, we’re excited to be able to put some long-anticipated new service out there for the community.”
The shuttle service is planned to start at Bus Stop A on 5th Street, and run a circular route on both sides of the 3rd Street railroad underpass on Capitol Avenue every 20 minutes, with 10 minute service between 11:30am and 1:30pm. The hours gained from new efficiencies in operations will be used for the service. So there is no added cost to SMTD.
“Downtown service is a key component for an urban lifestyle that has been missing from Springfield,” added Steve Schoeffel, SMTD’s service planning & marketing specialist. “This new downtown shuttle is something we’ve wanted to do for a while but could not get started due to budget issues. We’re excited to get the service marketed, get it going, and see how it does.”
Also at the board meeting, trustees approved staff taking the anticipated system re-design to the public comment phase. Major route changes require a period of public comment before implementation, and SMTD plans to go beyond the requirements to educate the public and prepare passengers for the change.
“SMTD currently operates a system that has been built up, layer-by-layer, over the course of five decades,” Schoeffel explained. “A long-overdue system overhaul seems a fitting way to celebrate our 50-year anniversary (February 2018), and we believe the public will like the changes we’re proposing. Nearly universal 30-minute service on weekdays, many new destinations, and a system much simpler to navigate are some of the highlights we look forward to presenting to the public.”
Schoeffel said SMTD’s pending transfer center move is the impetus behind the re-designed route system. More information will be released in the coming weeks about the new circulator and dates, times and locations for open house-type events coming in 2018.
