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Friday, August 04, 2006 By JEFF AMY Staff Reporter Eastern Shore commuters could ride the bus to downtown Mobile as early as this fall, according to plans unveiled Thursday. Speaking at a regional transit summit sponsored by Envision Coastal Alabama, Taylor Rider, director of the Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System, said the Baldwin bus system plans to add a route that will carry people downtown at least twice a morning and bring them back to the Eastern Shore in the evening. Rider said the bus system is looking into a park-and-ride service, in which commuters would park their cars and catch a bus to the GM&O Transportation Center, where most of Mobile's Wave Transit System buses converge once an hour. Rider said BRATS wants to have one park-and-ride lot in Daphne or Spanish Fort and might consider another pickup point in Fairhope. Getting bus riders from Mobile to Baldwin might also be part of the BRATS plan, helping employers on the Eastern Shore. "If the timing works out, and they need to get back to Baldwin County on one of our buses, they could get onboard," Rider said. It's unclear how much such a service would cost. Right now, the Wave charges $1.25 for a one-way trip, while BRATS charges on a sliding scale based on distance. For example, a 10-mile trip on BRATS costs $1.50 one-way. Beyond that, the Wave is looking into the possibility of serving some or all of Baldwin County at different times of the day. Daphne Mayor Fred Small was among the Baldwin leaders pushing for service tailored to bring Mobile residents to work on the eastern side of the bay. "I want to get them from over here in Mobile County to us," Small said after the summit, which was held at the Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile. Rider said the new service will start after the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission completes a regional transit study, which could clarify the demand for buses. Bob Williams, the Wave's general manager, said depending on what the survey says, the two systems could go back and forth as frequently as once an hour. Both system leaders said whether service continues over the long term and how frequently it operates depends on whether riders fill the buses. Baldwin County leaders are also considering implementing traditional fixed-route bus service on the Eastern Shore and in the south Baldwin cities of Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. At least in South Baldwin, the cities could turn to another agency besides BRATS or to a private contractor. Right now, BRATS is a demand-response system, meaning riders have to make reservations in advance. Mobile's paratransit vans for handicapped riders work the same way. Any increases in service would take more money, both Williams and Rider said. Right now the Wave depends on the city of Mobile for a subsidy, while BRATS depends on the Baldwin County Commission. The federal government contributes substantial amounts toward the operation of both services, and expanded service could bring in more federal funds. The Mobile City Council is currently debating whether to give an additional $650,000 to the Wave in order to clear up an accumulated deficit. Some council members, noting that the bus system serves Prichard and parts of Mobile County outside the Mobile city limits, have suggested cutting service unless Prichard and the County Commission help subsidize the Wave. Thursday's event was designed to encourage government leaders to support transit systems, even the possibility of a combined transit system for Mobile and Baldwin counties. Some discussions focused on moving beyond the two-county area, with possible service to Washington County or to the Northrop Grumman shipyard in Pascagoula. © 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved. |
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