Tuesday, July 29, 2014

SMTD board eyes two new south-side routes

The Springfield Mass Transit District board of trustees voted to move forward with plans to add two new bus routes on the city’s south side with unanimous approval during its regular meeting Monday.

Frank Squires, SMTD’s managing director, said the district this week will apply for an Illinois Department of Transportation grant that would fund the expansion. If the district is awarded the grant, it’ll run the proposed routes.

SMTD grants and procurement manager Shoun Reese said during the meeting that both routes would connect the University of Illinois Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College, the South Sixth Street Walmart and White Oaks Mall. She said UIS would serve as the transfer point for the routes, one of which would run every 30 minutes and the other every hour.

Squires said the proposed routes have been on the district’s wish list for “quite a few years.” He said a more detailed route plan and schedule will be made if the district is awarded the grant.

The story was reported by The State Journal-Register on July 29, 2014.

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