Residents encouraged to use public transit Thursday with free bus rides
By Chris Fortune
Bus drivers in St. Joseph will see some new faces when they buckle up for the job on Thursday.
National Dump the Pump Day falls on the third Thursday of June each year, and it encourages people to try public transportation and leave their cars at home. St. Joseph Transit is celebrating the occasion by providing free fares for riders as many times as they would like on all routes on June 20.
“A lot of people are unfamiliar with it,” General Manager Michelle Schultz said. “It just gives a chance (for residents) to go out and try it without costing them any money and see that ‘Hey, this is not a bad deal.’”
Between 1,100 and 1,200 people are riding St. Joseph Transit every day. One rider said St. Joseph Transit provides a cheap way to get around town while also providing a social service. The fare costs $0.50 for an adult and $0.25 for seniors aged 60 and over.
“It’s very important because people need to get to places to go,” Stewy Stewart said. “A lot of people who are handicapped and have disabilities need a system that can pick them up at their front door and be able to get them to their doctor’s appointment, their work, or wherever they need to go.”
Another rider agreed, saying everybody has places they need to go, and the bus provides reliable transportation.
“All the drivers do a good job here in St. Joe by protecting everybody’s safety,” Alia Tapia said.
Ridership took a dip at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has steadily increased over the past few years.
“Not huge jumps, but just slowly increasing as people get more comfortable going back out and in public,” she said.
In 2023, about 1,400 people rode the bus on Dump the Pump Day. Shultz encourages residents to give St. Jospeh Transit a try and said people might be surprised to see what public transportation offers.
“It is an alternative to getting your car out every day, and saves a little money and a little fuel,” she said.
St. Joseph Transit routes and schedules can be found at https://www.stjosephmo.gov/312/Routes-Time-Tables.
