Transit study shows four year plan recommendation
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The Goodman Corp. presented its transit study results for Matagorda County.
The survey showed most were not aware the county has public transportation through Friends of Elder Citizens.
The highest demand for transportation is in Bay City and Palacios the study results show.
Those surveyed said they would take public transportation on a daily basis, and would use it mostly for work, shopping or to visit the doctor.
The Friends of Elder Citizens group provided 25,000 transit trips in 2009, which met half of the transit demand for the county.
The transit plan shows an additional 26,000 transit trips would be made if the resources were in available.
The plan recommended filling the transit gap through a mix of services including the already used Friends of Elder Citizens, a voucher program that will use private providers like taxi companies, and a fixed or flex route.
Other alternatives include car pooling and van pools in partnerships with industrial employers, said Susan Maclay, project manager for the Goodman Corporation..
Services would be introduced over four years, she said.
In year one, adding demand response capacity and connector services between Bay City and Palacios would be done. The promotion of car-pooling and an option for low or no cost commuter options would also be introduced to the public.
In year two, the voucher service would be introduced.
Year three, the fixed and flex route would be introduced in Bay City during peak period hours.
A van pool, commuter option would be added in year four, she said.
The next step in this transit study is to make it possible for local financial commitment, Maclay said.
Local officials, agencies and stakeholders have a role to play to advance the implementation of services recommended for this county, she said.
The transit study was completed in early July and results and recommendations for the county were provided in a public meeting at the Bay City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.
The study was done with the help of the Texas Department of Transportation and the Houston-Galveston Area Council, who provided the funds for the study.
The study was started in February with an advisory council that guided the Goodman Corp. with what the county needed in terms of transportation.
The transit group used existing services in the area, public involvement, transit gaps and employer services as part of the elements for the study.
General public transportation currently exists through the Friends of Elder Citizens; a non-profit organization that operates a demand response service, a curb-to-curb service that is used in low density areas.
Many people may not recognize the need for public transportation because they have personal cars, they can get to their jobs, the grocery store and the doctor, Maclay said.
But for those without cars, these tasks are impossible for them, she said.
Public surveys were done online and through paper survey during public meetings conducted from March through April. A total of 157 people from the county participated.