CyRide Sound Off: Residents Speak Up About Cutbacks

 users who attended a Thursday meeting on proposed cost savings were mostly unwilling to support cuts in service, with one group asking for free rides for students.

Staff members with the Ames public bus service received a range of comments in response to their ideas for saving $250,000 in the current budget year.

Sheri Kyras, CyRide Transit Director, said staff recommended and making a cut to at least one route.

The option staff suggested would raise fares by 25 percent and also add a new reduced fare pass for people on Medicare and Medicaid.

Employees also recommended either eliminating the pink route that goes northeast, cutting the aqua route that takes people from City Hall to the , cutting the Sunday evening silver route that also goes to the east side of town or eliminating all services on Memorial Day, Labor Day and July 4.

Those options, coupled with internal savings of $80,000, would save a total of $205,000 in six months, less than the full amount desired.

Diane Birt came with a group of high school-age students who asked the board to think about offering students free transportation on CyRide so they would be able to work and save money for college.

“We implore you to explore allowing Ames middle and high school students to ride free with their IDs . … What we have is an affordable solution to a very expensive problem when you consider the human capital,” Birt said.

A young woman named Latoya, who held a toddler on her hip, said without the pink route she wouldn’t be able to make it to a child care center she uses.

Doug Hill, who lives near Dayton Avenue and 16^th Street, said, “CyRide is a pretty good service, it really truly is. … When you talk about taking away the pink route, I would be walking all the way here.”

Adam Guenther, a member of Iowa State's Government of the Student Body, suggested cutting moonlight routes and reducing green, pink and yellow routes and said the orange route was usually overcrowded.

What do you say?

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