#letusbreathe activist: Make #publictransit #farefree for Chicago Public School students

Chicago Reader: "Still, Ware argues that this issue could be avoided if the CTA just gave free fare to CPS students. The cost of transit can be significant for these students, Ware says. Even the reduced CPS fare can total a few hundred dollars a school year, and it's not uncommon for students to ask him to tap his Ventra card to get them into the system, he says."

Poor and sick suffer most in US #autosprawl meltdown

Delays in Payments From the State of Illinois Cause Transit Shutdowns: "Illinois Public Transportation Association Executive Director Laura Calderon said, “The public transportation systems across the state provide critical services to some of the state’s most vulnerable populations. Downstate particularly, the bulk of the riders are elderly, persons with disabilities and the low income population, who are relying on public transportation to get them to work, medical appointments and other critical services. The impact service reductions and shutdowns will have on the economy in Illinois is significant. A large part of the state’s workforce relies on transit to get to and from their jobs. Illinois cannot afford for transit systems to be shut down.”"

More pain for the poor and sick as #autosprawl dream crumbles

State funding backlog hits public transportation systems: ""Public transportation is the biggest component to keeping our community well-rounded and mobile, and if steps are not taken, it could be detrimental to folks that rely on it, and that is a very scary thing," she said.

Whether they use the service to take them to dialysis treatment three times a week or commute to work or school, cutting services or shutting down would have an immensely adverse impact to passengers, she said."

StarTran offering free bus rides through November

dailynebraskan.com: "Because the bus services are already free for UNL students with bus passes, the free rides don’t affect students as much as non-students. Prauner said he hopes the free rides can help encourage more non-students to ride buses.

Students who were aware of the free bus rides noticed an increase in passengers."

Sprawled-out America finding transportation to be a problem

omaha.com: "“There is general support for public transportation,” she said. “People want it to be accessible, they want it to meet the needs of employers, they want connectivity to major activity areas, they want it affordable and they want it convenient.”

Donahue made her observations while presenting a progress report on a $125,000 study that is being financed by the Nebraska Department of Roads, Sarpy County and all five of the county’s cities.

The study is being conducted by Olsson Associates in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency."

Freeport Mayor's View: Pretzel City Area Transit expanding its reach

Freeport Mayor's View: Pretzel City Area Transit expanding its reach: "Recently, Pretzel City has taken on a new dimension – providing transportation to and from work on a contract basis. For three months now, United Way has had a service contract with the city and senior center to provide transportation to and from Berner Food & Beverage through a partnership known as the E.A.R.N Initiative, or Employment Access Ridership Network. This partnership rose out of Berner’s need for a reliable transportation alternative for employees in order to help reduce absenteeism and lost productivity at the Alfokey plant. This issue was of special importance given Berner’s $70 million expansion, which would add up to another 200 workers. We tend to think that everyone has an automobile in Freeport, but the truth is otherwise. A growing number of residents either walk, bicycle or use public transportation to get where needed. E.A.R.N. provides a reliable means to get to work and back."