¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý

MARION, Ill. (WSIL)-- The Rides Mass Transit District announces service and pricing changes district-wide. That includes ending its weekly route to St. Louis in August. 

The Rides Mass Transit District provides nearly 600,000 trips yearly to riders like Jodi Pinkard who depend on the bus to get where they are going.  

“All transportation because we don't have a car at all so we depend on the bus for doctors appointments, and things like that,� Pinkard said.

The RMTD says they are making changes to its pricing starting July 1st.  So now it's 40 cents more for the demand response rides for adults in the county. It's also $215 for a 180-day local transit pass.

Ana DeUnamuno with RMTD says the new pricing structure will also make it easier for riders to know how much it costs to ride inside and outside the county.

“It's not a huge price increase, but it is something that we have not done since 2018,� DeUamuno says. “To keep up with inflation costs and everything like increasing gas. But also it's meant to streamline the process for our riders.�

Pinkard says the fare changes make a difference.

“Right now it's two dollars, and if it goes up I don't have the money right now to take the bus for as much as I usually would,� Pinkard said. 

Pinkard used the Wildcat fixed route to go grocery shopping and then walked the rest of the way home.

The RMTD now asks for its riders to call 24 hours in advance for rides they need that are door-to-door.  DeUnamuno says the main reason for the changes is lower staffing levels.

“If they call at least 24 hours in advance, it kind of just ensures for them that they will have access at whatever particular times that they are needing,� DeUnamuno says. “Versus having to call the same day and not know.�

DeUnamuno says people use those rides to go to school, work, or the bank.  Pinkard says they have used the RMTD to get to a food pantry.

“We have to wait a day in advance before we can get that emergency food that we need and then there’s the medical appointments,� Pinkard said.

Another rider Keshia Krasselt says for people who are homeless it makes a difference in helping them get where they need to go.

“I usually go to Take Action, here, or the library. Places I can go where I can get help,� Krasselt said.

The RMTD also announced it would stop weekly services to St. Louis.

“So we did have coverage for things like medical appointments, and if people needed to connect to their local Amtrak station or the airport,� DeUnamuno said.

For Pinkard, she says it's more important for her to get across the counties.

“Because I have to go to Prairie Heart over in Carbondale. And the bus can take us and that's like an hour ride,� Pinkard said.

The RMTD is also ending its partnership with SIU and the Saluki Express in August and that will be a part of Jackson County’s Mass transit services. DeUnamuno says most of the ridership for that service is SIU students.

“But we do still have some availability and this is where calling in advance, 24 hours will ensure to the rider that if they need access into Carbondale,� DeUnamuno said.

The RMTD also has a fixed route that runs from Marion to Carbondale. They say riders who may have questions should contact them.