Дептранс Джефферсон-Сити застрял в порочном круге нехватки водителей и финансирования

Jefferson City's public transit system is caught in a vicious cycle: It needs more drivers to provide more service, but the city needs more money to hire those drivers. Public Works Director Kyle Bruemmer provided information about the city's public transit division budget during a Budget Committee meeting on Monday. The Budget Committee, made up of all 10 City Council members, is reviewing the mayor's proposed 2027 budget through presentations from city department directors during regular committee meetings. The City Council will have to vote on the 2027 budget before Nov. 1, when the city's fiscal year resets. Jefferson City's public transit agency, JEFFTRAN, maintains 12 full-size buses and 10 paratransit buses and operates from 6:40 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays. City Administrator Brian Crane said JEFFTRAN's fares are not enough to cover the cost of the service. JEFFTRAN charges $1.50 per ride, with a reduced fare of 75 cents for individuals with a disability, those 60 or older and people with a Medicare card. "It's a $3.2 million budget, we generate $200,000 in revenue from riders. There's been an unwillingness to raise that," he said. The city reduced JEFFTRAN service and consolidated four routes into two because of staffing shortages. The city is short at least five drivers, according to JEFFTRAN Director Gerry Stegeman. The proposed budget also includes $90,000 for overtime in the transit division for drivers who are working extra hours. Bruemmer said the city also raised the minimum hourly wage for drivers from around $17 an hour to $21 an hour. The proposed transit budget includes an increase in salaries from $853,171 in 2026 to $1.1 million in 2027. "Unfortunately, it hasn't been real successful here. ... We are looking at ideas other than pay," Bruemmer said. The transit division budget projects $3.2 million in revenue. The Finance Department is projecting about $205,000 in charges for service, including bus fares, for the transit division. The largest source of revenue is a $963,000 federal grant. Bruemmer said the amount of the grant depends on ridership and the number of miles driven on a route. "Obviously, if we don't have drivers to do the hours and the miles, we struggle when it comes to to that grant," Bruemmer said. The proposed 2027 budget also indicates the city may receive about $30,000 in state funding, depending on the governor's budget. Because transit revenue is significantly lower than expenses, the proposed 2027 budget includes a transfer of almost $470,000 from the city's fund balance. The City Council approved a $124,884 contract with Olsson Inc. to conduct a study of the city's public transit system. The study will evaluate JEFFTRAN operations, including its Handi-Wheels paratransit service, and identify options to improve driver retention and overall transit performance. Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Allen said she hopes the study will provide ideas for the city. She said the city can't raise fares without justifying an increase in service. But the city can't increase service without hiring more drivers. The city can't hire more drivers without increasing base pay, and it can't increase base pay without more money, which would come from higher fares. "It's sort of a chicken versus the egg thing," Allen said. Editor's note: this article was edited to correct the number of full-size buses in JEFFTRAN's fleet.