ICTC ridership up despite feared budget woes; students suggest bus circulation later at night

Ridership for the Isabella County Transportation Commission has continued to rise despite looming financial uncertainties.

About 185,690 riders jumped on public transportation vehicles during the 2008-2009 academic year — a 22.5 percent hike from the more than 155,700 riders the year before.

Dennis Adams, ICTC director of marketing and public relations, said the record numbers had no indication of dropping anytime soon.

“We certainly have seen no decrease in (ridership) yet,” he said. “We provide more than half a million rides, which is significant for the Isabella County population.”

But as ridership increases, ICTC could face a decrease in its largest source of funding — local taxes — because of the state’s unstable economy.

Adams said the ICTC is always looking at ways to increase business while remaining on budget.

“We have not cut back any service at this point,” he said. “This fiscal year, we are in good shape. There are no plans at this time to make any reductions in services or raise any fares.”

About 90 percent of the service’s fleet, which includes 45 buses, runs on a daily basis.

Dearborn sophomore Mario Mora is one of many Central Michigan University students who use ICTC’s campus shuttle services to get to class. He uses public transportation as a money-saving alternative.

Buses make rounds from campus to several apartment complexes in Mount Pleasant every half hour Monday through Thursday. The shuttles run from 6:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., with a final return to all apartment complexes at 10:30 p.m.

Student concerns

The service hours of the ICTC, however, are the reason Taylor Newman avoids ICTC.

The Royal Oak junior said he lives in a house on Broomfield, and the hours ICTC operates are not flexible enough for his needs.

“It’s more convenient for me to have my own car,” Newman said.

Mora agrees the schedule does hold him up sometimes and offered a suggestion — circulating buses a bit later to accommodate students’ busy schedules.

“A lot of my study groups are at night,” he said, “so perhaps that third bus could run a little later.”

Despite minimal student concerns, Adams said ICTC has no immediate plans to change or cut service from current operations.

The ICTC runs buses from three different manufacturers, and continuously seeks to acquire new equipment. Adams said a new, hybid bus should come in this spring.