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Riders warn council proposed cuts to Plateau and Highway 45 bus routes would sever lifelines
Summary
A transit rider told the council that proposed changes could cut essential service on the Plateau and Highway 45 routes, affecting seniors, people with disabilities, students and working residents; council members said no final decision had been made while city staff vet bids.
A regular transit rider told the Mobile City Council on Aug. 5 that proposed changes to local bus routes could remove service on the Plateau and Highway 45 lines — routes he said act as “lifelines” for seniors, people with disabilities, students and working families. The commenter said daily ridership figures for the routes were small in absolute numbers but high-need in impact.
Robert Clompton told the council the Plateau route serves about 28 riders on a typical day and the Highway 45 route about 105 riders on average, with higher counts at the start of the month. He warned that cutting those lines would lead to missed medical appointments, lost wages and deeper isolation for older residents.
Council members said they had not approved cuts. Councilman Penn and Councilman Woods both told Clompton they had not received formal proposals to remove the routes. Councilman Woods and Vice President Gregory indicated the city was in a short-term contracting period while officials evaluated responses to recent requests for proposals. A staff member identified only as Mr. Snowden told the council the city was still vetting new contractor bids and that service decisions could be revisited later in the year.
Why it matters: Speakers stressed that low-ridership routes can nonetheless be essential for people with few transportation options. Council members said they will not support cuts without additional review and public input.
Next steps: Council members suggested a public-services committee meeting may be scheduled once procurement reviews are complete. No formal motion or vote on route cuts was recorded during the meeting.
Quotes: “These two routes may not look like much on a map, but to the people who ride them every day, they are lifelines, not luxuries,” Robert Clompton told the council.
The council did not enact service changes at the Aug. 5 meeting; staff will continue vetting bids and the council indicated it would seek additional public input before approving permanent changes.
