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Transit update: Jonesboro to add route as ridership grows; resident raises pedestrian-safety concerns on Gladiola corridor
Summary
Public Services reported expanding transit service and ridership gains; a resident urged early planning for crosswalks or alternate routes near the Gladiola/Walmart area after MAPC denied a storage facility citing access concerns and collision history.
Lee, a Public Services/Transit presenter, told the council the department is shifting from service renewal to growth after a year of fleet upgrades and marketing outreach that increased revenue and ridership.
“Last year we did increase our revenue by 12% and also our ridership by 19%,” Lee said, and the department plans to expand from four to five routes in February and start new trolley routes. Lee said the department is pursuing partnerships and new routes and expects the recent fleet upgrades and software changes to support expanded service.
During public comment, Patty Lack of 4108 Forest Hill Road urged the council and Public Services to plan now for pedestrian safety near the Gladiola/Walmart corridor. She said the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission recently denied a proposed large storage facility adjacent to that site and cited a changed site plan and limited access.
Lack cited a police report, saying there were 60 crashes in a two-year period near Elmhurst by the gas station next to Walmart and Gladiola. She said residents of the Gladiola Apartments must cross four lanes of traffic and a center-turn lane to reach a bus stop and recommended early planning for safer crossings, including applying for a grant similar to the HAWK signal on Johnson.
“...we have to start looking at that now instead of waiting until it's done,” Lack said, urging bus-route changes or crossing improvements so apartment residents would not face dangerous crossings after planned widening for the corridor currently scheduled for mid-2026.
Lee acknowledged the concern and said staff had discussed rerouting options in the past but said the department and council should begin work now to avoid last-minute fixes. No specific funding or schedule for a crossing improvement was announced during the meeting.
