The Lexington council has given preliminary approval to a $27 million budget for the city’s mass transit system. Lextran has been offering bus rides through this type of service since 1973.
Lextran General Manager Carrie Butler says there are no reductions in service planned for the year ahead, but no increases either. The fleet of 65 vehicles is responsible for making one thousand bus stops with most riders going to work or school. Council Member Angela Evans put in a pitch for more art focused bus shelters. “It is very disheartening to go to one area of the city and see a shelter with beautiful artwork and go to another area and see nothing,” said Evans.
Council Member James Brown asked Butler if buses using compressed natural gas result in cost savings or was it more about environmental benefits. “While diesel has stayed relatively low, so has the compressed natural gas, so it hasn’t necessarily been a huge money saver, but it has allowed us to keep things at a steady state because of that stability with C-N-G,” noted Buler.
Butler says an aging bus fleet is concerning with 40% beyond the 12-year mark. She hopes federal funding will allow for purchasing at least one compressed natural gas bus yearly. As far as high points, Butler says ridership along Nicholasville Road picked up 5% over the last year and there was a 6% reduction in preventable accidents.
