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Residents urge restoration of bus service, criticize IRIS paratransit at Independence City Council
Summary
At the May 19 Independence City Council meeting, multiple residents criticized the IRIS paratransit service as unreliable and urged the council to restore fixed-route bus service with fares as a more dependable option.
At the May 19 Independence City Council meeting, residents told the council that the city’s current paratransit contractor, IRIS, is unreliable and petitioned for restoration of fixed-route bus service and a fare structure to improve reliability and coverage.
The comments came during the public comment period after the council voted to allow nonresident speakers. Mary Tackett, a longtime Independence resident, said public transportation connects workers to jobs and that IRIS “doesn’t listen.” She told the council that users often must call a day in advance and that vehicles arrive late or not at all. “Public transportation can help and connect workers to jobs,” Tackett said.
Renee Roby, who identified herself as a resident, said she had been unable to schedule a ride with IRIS and described the app and phone system as unusable for people with limited vision. “I have yet to be able to schedule a ride with IRIS,” Roby said. Lisa Ewell said she uses IRIS only when necessary because it is “not reliable” and urged the council to reinstate buses even with a fare. “I don’t mind paying a fare for the bus,” Ewell said.
Speakers criticized both service quality and coverage. Roby said IRIS reported serving 573 people in a city she said has more than 20,000 residents, a figure she used to argue the contractor is not meeting local need. Several speakers said reactivating buses would be more reliable and cheaper than repeated ride-hailing trips for riders who cannot use IRIS effectively.
The speakers framed their requests around access to medical appointments, work, and other essential trips. Council members did not take action during the public-comment portion; the remarks were recorded for council consideration. Earlier in the meeting the council voted 7-0 to allow nonresidents to speak, enabling these comments.
The council did not vote on immediate changes to transit service at the May 19 meeting. Several speakers said they would follow up with council offices after their three-minute remarks. The transcript does not show any staff presentation or a council directive arising directly from these comments.
