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Bus transit system to make parish travel easier in 2008

A transit bus system that will help assist the elderly and those who live in the parish but work in downtown New Orleans is one step closer to completion.

The buses will be able to hold up to 18 passengers and will deliver residents in both St. Charles and St. John Parishes for a one-way fee of $2. Brett Petite, transit authority board president says plans should be finalized in January.

“We’re looking at getting things started in St. Charles and St. John and providing connection bus services through St. James and Jefferson,” he said. “From Jefferson Parish people can connect to go to Orleans.”

Petite says the route in Jefferson will go from Kenner to Williams Boulevard.

“We anticipate more local trips, especially from St. Charles to St. John and maybe parts of Jefferson,” he said. “But there may be some people who need to ride to New Orleans and that’s when the connection trips come in.”

Petite says curbside service will be available and rides are just a cell phone call away.

“We’ll come and pick you up right at your front door,” he said. “Drivers will have cell phones and residents can call and say, for example ‘I live in Hahnville but I need a ride to Wal-Mart in Boutte.'”

Petite says the driver will look at the route and tell the resident when a bus will be in that area and then pick them up in front of their home.

“Once they complete their shopping or whatever type of appointment it is, they will need to call the driver back, let him know that they’re ready to be picked up and the bus will let them know, according to the route, what time they’ll be back in the area to bring them home,” Petite said. “A person can also call and schedule appointments ahead of time.”

Petite says that if someone has a regular doctor’s appointment at the same time every month, the bus will pick them up according to that schedule.

According to documentation obtained from Southern Central Planning and Development Commission in Gray, potential riders are expected to exceed 62 per day.

“We’ve already got the necessary money we need to complete this project,” Petite said. “We will be purchasing about seven buses, hiring six drivers and one mechanic.”

Petite says that both St. Charles and St. John Parishes have committed $130,000 to the project and, along with federal grant money and funds provided through the Department of Transportation and Development, the project is nearly done.

“The money is there and we’re just waiting on presenting our final proposal and that will be sometime in January,” Petite said.

Plans for fares have not been confirmed yet, but a preliminary documentation shows fares will be $2 for a one way trip, $4 daily passes or $60 for a monthly pass. There will also be half-fare for seniors and disabled residents during off-peak (midday) hours.

“We’ve been planning this a long time, so hopefully we’ll be ready to ride next year,” Petite said.

Both parishes will be split into zones with a certain bus assigned to patrol each zone. Connecting routes between zones would allow someone from the furthest point of St. Charles to reach the furthest point of St. John in about two hours.