Let’s Go KC

A recent letter from Johnson County Transit to its riders illustrates the surge in people turning to transit lately.  Many buses are at capacity or standing room only.  And the number of new transit users prompted The JO to try educating folks about good bus riding etiquette.

Unfortunately, it would be very difficult for them to add more service.  Unlike KCMO, none of the suburbs have a dedicated transit funding source.  If you’d like to see better transit in Johnson (or the Missouri suburbs), then write to your mayor and city council.  They are folks that have to be convinced that transit is something worthy of public investment.

ROUTE

K-10, B, C, L, N, S

DATE

June 4, 2008

OVERCROWDED ROUTES

As the price of gas continues to climb, so does JO ridership.  We are so happy to have new riders, but it is creating issues with our buses being near – and sometimes over – seating capacity.  Johnson County Transit is aware of these routes being overcrowded and we are working on a solution.  Please be aware that buses may change according to ridership.  The largest buses we have in our fleet are older buses and they seat a total of 43 riders.

The simple solution may be to add more runs, but currently we are out of vehicles and there are no additional funds in the budget to add service.

Tips:

• As ridership continues to grow, please be aware that there may be people standing on buses.

• Please do not put your personal items in a seat, hold them on your lap so others can sit.

• Please be courteous to those that may have a disability.  Remember, not all disabilities are visible, so if someone asks you to move, they are probably disabled.  The seats behind the driver are reserved for those that are elderly or disabled.

• If you can wait an additional 15 minutes for the next bus, please do so.  Not all routes have this flexibility, but it can help spread out our ridership, making everyone more comfortable during their ride.

Thanks for your patience and cooperation.  For further information, questions, or comments, please feel free to contact us at (913) 782-2210 or by visiting www.thejo.com.