New report estimates costs, ridership for Cedar Rapids-Iowa City bus service

New cost and ridership estimates look to be reasonable for an intercity bus service between Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Coralville and Iowa City - at least, compared to an alternative of light rail - according to a recently released transportation study.

For years, officials have sought transportation solutions to better connect a growing but diffusely populated region and expand the labor pool. Some rail advocates still clamor for a light rail network, but the recently-completed Iowa Commuter Transportation Study reached a similar conclusion to a 2006 report: light rail is too expensive, with unpredictable long-term demand.

The cost and operation of an intercity bus, on the other hand, is much more palatable and would attract hundreds of riders a day, the commuter study found. It was identified as the top recommendation of the study, which was finalized, submitted to the Iowa Legislature and released to the public this month.

'I find the study to be well done and realistic in the amount of commuters and its cost estimates,” said Brandon Whyte, multimodal transportation planner for the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization. 'Not only do I find it realistic, I am encouraged that implementation is reasonable. Will it happen? I don't know, but it is certainly a reasonable and worthwhile thing to consider.”

The Iowa Department of Transportation, which commissioned the study, had previously revealed intercity bus service would be a main recommendation. However, cost estimates hadn't been finalized until the study was released.

Other recommendations included public van and car pools bolstered by rideshare technology, as well as subscription bus service that's tailored to a specific location, a group of large employers, or a single employer.

For the intercity bus service, the cost estimates include low to high ranges that depend on whether it's publicly or privately run and whether new or used buses are purchased.

The study claims that the most feasible of four options is a two-way system with 30 minute departures during peak morning and evening hours.

A one-time startup cost for six buses could be as low as $990,000 or as high as $2.8 million, and annual operations would cost $676,000 up to $1 million, according to the study. However, ridership - projected at 563 people paying a $7 round-trip fare per day - could cover the bulk of ongoing costs, according to the study.

Costs for vehicle storage or facilities, such as establishing park and rides, aren't factored in. If those costs must be covered, it could add $3.1 million to starting costs, according to the report.

The completed study will be turned over to an implementation committee made up of agencies and service providers from within the study area. That includes the counties of Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Washington, Benton, Jones, and Iowa.

Whyte served on the study's advisory board, and anticipates he will serve on the implementation team. He said identifying funding source will likely be the biggest hurdle for the committee.

Brad Neumann, assistant transportation planner for the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County, also served on the advisory committee. He said it could be a struggle to convince city councils to take on more bills.

'It's a lot of money in addition to what they are already doing,” Neumann said. 'We may have to look more at grant funding.”

State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, was part of a group of lawmakers that requested the study. He said the projected costs look reasonable enough to enact some of the solutions.

He said it would likely require state and local subsidies, in addition to a reasonable bus fare.

'It's worth public investment to create a transit option between the those communities, reduce congestion on 380 to make it safer and provide a lower cost option for folks who work at employers where they spend a huge part of their paycheck on transportation,” he said.

Brent Paulsen, a research manager at the Iowa DOT, said the study assessed whether demand for alternative services is real or perceived. The study found that it is legitimate.

'There's definitely support for it,” Paulsen said.