Corridor communities look toward new public transit opportunities

Communities across the Corridor are looking at expanding public transportation options.

Iowa City looks to continue its fare-free program for buses. Horizons, a nonprofit in Cedar Rapids, is providing service during times when other local public transportation is not available. And stakeholders in the Greater Iowa City area are continuing conversations about the possibility of launching a battery-powered train along the CRANDIC line in Johnson County.

Representatives from each entity spoke Thursday during The Gazette’s annual Iowa Ideas virtual conference. The conference, which is free to join by registering at iowaideas.com, continues Friday.

‘Transportation option of choice’

Since Iowa City removed bus fares, ridership is up 43 percent — or 450,000 additional rides. The Iowa City Council has indicated it’d like to extend the program beyond its two-year pilot.

“Just removing that fare and make it easy for people to hop on board has made a big impact on transit ridership in Iowa City,” Darian Nagle-Gamm, the Iowa City director of transportation services, said during the panel discussion. “It's made a big impact on our ability to reduce carbon emissions — has made a big impact on our ability to provide an equitable, equitable and sustainable, transportation source to the community.”

Nagle-Gamm said that establishing a more regional transit agency between Coralville and the University of Iowa is an ongoing discussion. Coralville has its own bus service, which does charge a fare, and the UI provides Cambus, also a fare-free service.

“We're really looking for all the ways that we can make the transit system more attractive and transportation option of choice for the community,” said Nagle-Gamm.

In Iowa City specifically, the next step is to look toward adding bus stop amenities. This could include adding more lights or benches and improving shelters.

Filling the gaps in public transportation service

The Neighborhood Transportation Service, a part of nonprofit Horizons, offers $3 curb-to-curb service for anyone in the Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha city limits.

NTS offers services specifically for people going to work, school or job training on an opposite schedule from Cedar Rapids Transit.

Currently, NTS offers rides that can be scheduled over its phone app, from 2 to 6:30 a.m. weekdays; from 5 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 11:59 p.m. Saturdays; and from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Sundays.

“Most of the folks that use NTS for an employment ride do so because they don't have another affordable way to get to work,” said Mike Barnhart, the chief executive officer of Horizons.

Potential for battery powered trains

In August, about two dozen civic leaders and elected officials from the area traveled to Rock Hill Furnace, Pa. — about an hour south of State College — to view battery-powered passenger trains from Pop-Up Metro.

The rail cars would run on an 8.2-mile segment of the existing CRANDIC light rail connecting Penn Street in North Liberty to Dubuque Street in Iowa City.

The cars would be part of a three-year lease from Pop-Up metro and act as a “live study” for the communities to collect ridership data and poll community interest.

Nate Asplund, executive vice president for Railroad Development Corporation — a railway investment and management company whose holdings include Pop-Up Metro — said that typically the amount of money involved in developing a passenger rail transit system is a barrier for smaller communities.

“ … Because we lease it, we've already put all the money into the cars, all the development it doesn't have (the same level) of risk,” Asplund said at the Iowa Ideas session.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County is expected to continue conversations surrounding Pop-Up Metro’s feasibility on the CRANDIC line in mid-November.

The budget for the leasing period, and a decision if the communities want to move forward with the trains, has not been finalized.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com