Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell put the spotlight on Transit at an April 30 media briefing, highlighting an urgent need for the entire community.
“Transit is at the top of our list right now because the need is so urgent, and not just for the transit-dependent, for the entire community,” said Longwell. “We need the community to become engaged around this issue, learn more about its impact, and start a dialogue. That way solutions will be in line with our residents’ desires.”
What is driving the urgency is a $2 million shortfall in the 2016 budget for Transit. The Mayor mentioned watching other cities lose out on major event and convention business because transit wasn’t robust enough to handle the needs.
“Recognizing that we are going to host the NCAA in downtown Wichita in 2017, we can’t prop transit up just for that,” said Longwell. “The things that need to be in place to have a successful event, need to be in place for the long term for this community to be successful.”
The Wichita Transit Department is conducting a performance analysis to determine what works, what doesn’t, and where improvements might be made. Recommendations will be shared with the City Manager, City Council, and the public for feedback.
Some improvements are already having a positive impact.
- Transit carries 2 million people annually, and ridership has been up in each of the last nine months.
- Ridership is up 3.5-percent in the first quarter this year compared to the same period in 2014.
- Westside service improvements have seen numbers increase 11-percent. These include route expansions designed to carry people to and from New Market Square, as well as neighborhood feeder service.
- Park-and-Rides, Vanpools, and other service improvements are being considered, as well as outreach to surrounding cities and major employers, who would also be key stakeholders in public transportation.
