Hop on the bus, North Liberty!
That was my first thought when I saw recent survey results that showed most North Libertarians who responded said they would use public transit if they had the chance.
Eighty-eight of the 106 people who bothered to take the survey said they’d ride the bus if they could. They listed preferred destinations such as downtown Iowa City, the Coral Ridge Mall and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
The problem is, only a tiny fraction of North Liberty residents bothered to fill out the survey, though the city tried its best to promote it — sending out news releases, hosting the survey on their Web site and leaving copies at places around town. They even sent a reminder in the city water bill.
“I do think that the lack of response tells us right now that while there are some folks who are very interested in transit, there are a lot who aren’t thinking about it,” North Liberty City Administrator Ryan Heiar told me this week.
They should.
Right now, the only fixed-route option from North Liberty is a weekday Coralville Transit bus that runs between the community center and downtown Iowa City.
Heiar told me that bus carries 30 to 50 people from North Liberty in the morning, and brings around half as many home after 5 p.m.
With the number of cars on the road, there ought to be more people who could ride the bus — saving energy, freeing up a little road room.
Sure, there are other ride-share options — like demand response services. And nothing is stopping commuters now from arranging their own car pools.
But it wouldn’t be difficult to add another bus connecting North Liberty with neighboring cities. The thing is, it only makes sense if there is enough demand.
That’s hard to determine when fewer than one percent of North Liberty residents fill out the survey.
Next month, city councilors are expected to discuss what to do next, or if they even want to pursue the idea.
Adding another Coralville route to North Liberty would cost the city somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000. The money’s going to have to come from somewhere, so that means councilors need a better idea about potential use before they start talking about next year’s budget this fall.
“Is it feasible? Yes,” Heiar said. “Is it affordable? I think that’s a question of opinion.”
So speak up, you would-be bus riders. This is your stop.
