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Council considers free transit rides for food pantry patrons through year-end
Summary
Mayor Olstead asked the council to approve offering free transit rides to patrons visiting food shelves through the end of the year; staff said food shelves are on existing routes, estimated a couple hundred rides at most, and noted bus drivers will be notified about extra grocery bags.
Mayor Mark Olstead brought forward a proposal on Nov. 10 to offer free City Area Transit rides to food pantry patrons through the end of the year, mirroring a similar offer from Grand Forks.
Olstead said the city was asked whether East Grand Forks would match the neighboring city’s offer. Staff told council that all food shelves are on existing routes so offering free rides would not require route deviations, and that the city expects at most a couple hundred additional rides. "We would expect a couple hundred at the most that we would be providing free rides for," Olstead said.
Council asked how drop-off and wait times at food shelves would work; staff said riders would need to wait for the next scheduled bus because drivers must maintain route schedules, and drivers have been notified to make space for groceries and boxes.
Council did not take an immediate formal vote during the work session; staff will pursue implementation logistics if council moves forward.
