Lexington’s mass transit system will join other municipal bus services across the country Thursday for the first “Get on Board Day.” Lextran Assistant General Manager Jill Barnett says frequent riders and first-timers are both urged to try a bus ride.
Barnett says the federal authorization bill for mass transit expires in 2020. “Any time we can demonstrate to the nation and to our legislators the value and importance of public transit, both economically and environmentally, we want to do that,” said Barnett.
Barnett says ridership figures at Lextran have been, quote, “holding pretty steady.” She says some mass transit organizations in other parts of the country have seen declines with the onset of network ride-sharing companies, like Uber or Lyft. The Lexington mass transit official says passengers have expectations when it comes to scheduling. “We live in the world of place an order for coffee on your app and it’s ready when you get there. Those things are what I mean about the expectation. We have to do more to try and keep up with the market versus making people wait for a very long time. We’re always trying to be mindful of that,” noted Barnett.
Barnett says the one dollar fare in Lexington hasn’t changed in two decades.
Here is more of Weku's Stu Johnson's conversation with Lextran Assistant GM Jill Barnett
