Chadron City Transit marks the end of its week-long celebration of Nebraska Transit Week with an Open House today at its offices in the Marketplace on West 2nd Street that includes free hamburgers from 11-1:00.
City Transit Director Julie Lawrence took over a year ago and has led the program through a major expansion of services and the adoption of a dollar a ride fee after several years of not charging, only asking for donations.
Lawrence says there were a lot of skeptics about people paying to use the bus, but the past year has shown that they were wrong and riders are fine with paying.
Lawrence says ridership is averaging almost double what it was before the fee.
Lawrence admits she’s a little surprised more riders aren’t using the $20 pass system, which costs a dollar for each roundtrip instead of for each segment of a trip.
Lawrence has also expanded hours to allow the City Transit bus to be used to get to and from work or school or to go to the airport.
Rides are also now available by arrangement to Rapid City and a pilot program for monthly trips to the Prairie Wind Casino will make its first run on May 2nd with a reservation deadline of April 26.