Continued Upgrades for Riders
The goal of St. Joseph Transit, The Ride, is to accommodate all customers riding the bus. During the pandemic, the buses never stopped running and continued to get those needing service from point A to point B. St. Joseph Transit is continuing to provide services throughout the city and strives to make sure customers are safe and accommodated. Extra safety precautions have been taken, including additional cleaning and mask availability on the buses.
In the last few years, The Ride has worked to improve the infrastructure. The biggest change has been the update of the bus fleet as 24 new buses have been purchased from Gillig over the previous two years. The new buses come with fewer breakdowns and continuity of service for our passengers.
Some may have noticed new blue bus shelters are replacing the old, outdated ones previously used. The new shelters are not only a bright blue new color, but also have many upgrades to make better accommodations for customers throughout the city. The new shelters also include a built-in bench and solar lights for safety and convenience. The shelters have been replaced in 13 locations and bring a big improvement to previous infrastructure which was old and worn out. The new shelters are meant to withstand weather better and last longer. They are in key locations like outside the Wesley Tower and on Frederick near 22nd Street as these locations really needed the improvement for customers.
The bus shelters were paid for with grant funding and has been part of a series of updates to better accommodate customers. In the last few years, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) bus stop updates have been made to free-standing poles which were previously in place. Those stops also come equipped with solar lights for when waiting for a bus in the morning or evening which increases visibility and enables the drivers to see passengers in the twilight and darkness. They also include a new bench which can withstand weather events. The stops are equipped with concrete pads which makes it easier for persons with disabilities to board the bus. There are currently 38 of these stops located throughout the city, with plans to add more with future funding.
Also, coming soon, St. Joseph Transit is in development with Route Match to provide a real time app for all our passengers. This app will enable passenger to tell where their bus is with an approximate arrival time at their location. The app should be available to the public later this spring. St. Joseph Transit uses Route Match as the software Transit dispatchers use to schedule deviations for the passengers and communicate to the drivers onboard the buses. The relationship with Route Match has lasted for many years and the app will provided continued service for many years to come.
