Last night, Manhattan area residents were able to attend a forum to learn about a pending mass transit plan for the city. TransSystems and HDR Inc., an engineering consulting firm, the companies that have partnered with the city of Manhattan, held the forum. The goal was to help the public learn and ask questions about the mass transit plan for Manhattan.
"The plan is really an update to the existing transit plan that was made in 2001," said Karen Davis, director of community development.

In 2001, the city partnered with the transit companies that researched the feasibility of a public transportation system. However, the population of the city failed to reach 50,000, the number needed to earn federal funding for transportation.

Ted Rieck, senior transit planner for HDR, presented the case for a transit system in Manhattan. He identified four groups that a transit system would benefit most: people without vehicles, senior citizens, people with disabilities and students.

Surveys were conducted in 2001 when the city was planning on creating a transit system.
"The responses that we got were that 64 percent of people were likely to use it," Rieck said. "That's a good indication of the general public."

However, since there was a lack of funding the plan was put aside. For a transit system, Manhattan has to reach the required 50,000 population mark to secure funding. The next census results will come in 2010.

Because of this, the city is preparing a transit plan for when the funding becomes available. Rieck said there is a growing interest in a transit system and that the community had changed since 2001.

"Fort Riley has expanded and K-State has become a center for research," he said.
Rieck said another reason for the renewed interest in a transit plan is due to Anne Smith, a member of the steering committee and who also runs the Riley County Area Transportation Agency Bus, a service currently catering to Manhattan.

ATA Bus is a demand-response service, Smith said. With this type of service, riders request a ride a day in advance.

"Demand-response has outlived its use for us," she said.

Smith said their ridership has increased by 65 percent over the past two years.

"Transit rarely pays for itself," Rieck said. "The willingness of the general public to pay additional taxes is a very important factor."

At the current time, the companies do not have an estimate on the amount of tax increase or a funding breakdown of the project.

In the 2001 plan, $61,000 of the funding would have came from the public.

Several students attended the meeting along with the general community.

"I think it was a good opportunity to look back on the 2001 plan and take a brief look ahead at 2009 and see where some areas might look a little different," said Student Body President Dalton Henry, senior in agricultural economics, agricultural communications and journalism, about the meeting.

Rieck said that in February, the companies hope to have the data available from their research. He said the target date for a completed proposal is July.