QUINCY, ILL. -- The City of Quincy operates several public transportation bus routes throughout the city on a daily basis.
Over the course of the last year, ridership has seen an increase.
Ans the city is hoping a new addition to their fleet will help make the service even easier to use for riders.
As folks wait to catch their bus at the main bus stop on Jersey Street behind city hall, the newest addition to the transportation fleet rounds the corner ready to take passengers to their stops all the way across town.
It's a Gillig bus and Quincy mayor John Spring says the bus was built with specs given to the company as to what exactly the city wanted. And with a price tag of over $300,000, how much of that came from the city coffers?
"Federal dollars was used to buy the bus, there were no local dollars and this is such a great addition to the fleet of buses," said Spring.
The bus is 35 feet long and can hold 32 passengers. The color scheme matches the rest of the fleet. Mayor Spring says other buses in the city bus fleet have been replaced over the last few years, but this new bus is designed to take on the wear and tear of operating seven days a week - 12 hours a day. And what does the city bus driver think of his new ride? Kevin Crider has been driving a bus for eight years and likes the newest bus to come on line. "It's a nice smooth riding bus. I like it and it's a great think to drive." said Crider.
It cost 50 cents to ride the bus one way and it's just $18 a month for a monthly pass and for students, they can get a pass for just 10 bucks a month