Bloomfield Transit receives national recognition

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The Bloomfield Public Transit recently received national-level recognition at a Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) banquet.

The Federal Transit Administration's acknowledgement of several Missouri transit providers in both the rural and urban areas of the state. The City of Bloomfield was recognized for posting a 12.71 percent increase in ridership for 2010. In that year the city had a total of 3,187 trips in the transit bus.

City Transit Director Penny Shepard was on hand to accept the plaque.

"This award shows that we are doing our very best to promote and make the best of the Bloomfield Public Transportation System as we possibly can," Shepard said. "We have worked hard to help "anyone" who wants to ride become and stay independent or self-sufficient. We have riders who are weeks old to one gentleman who is 101."

The increase in ridership could be due to many different factors, but Shepard believes the economy has played a major role.

"It may be also showing the savings that the citizens are acquiring due to the economy in the way that they are saving money on gas, vehicles, insurance, license, and maintenance so that they can afford other things that they need," she said. "It takes a great staff of personnel to make this happen and I am so proud of the staff we have here."

While using the transit may be a sign of the ailing economy, people using the service could be giving the local economy a needed shot in the arm.

"The more people we take to town the more money is spent in our town," Shepard said. "This means we take in more taxes and the City of Bloomfield can do more with this money."

The transit offers low-cost rides to anyone in town throughout the week. Anyone interested in a transit ride should call Bloomfield City Hall at 568-3464.

Also among the rural recipients of the awards were Southeast Missouri State University with a 20.23 percent ridership increase and the Scott County Transportation System with a 17.73 percent increase.

MPTA President, Mark Huffer, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, remarked that "The demand for reliable, affordable transportation service continues to grow in Missouri. This is an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and leadership of those who continue to work to meet this demand and to improve public transportation to assure personal mobility and independence for all who visit or live in our State."

The Missouri Public Transit Association was founded in 1980 to represent the interests, policies, requirement and purposes of public transportation in Missouri and values personal mobility as a basic quality of life.