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Council delays final CityLink contract, agrees to extend current service and pay quarter
Summary
Pekin council asked for more financial and operational detail from the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (CityLink) and voted to keep the existing holdover arrangement in place while making the upcoming quarterly payment; the matter will return to council on Oct. 26, 2026.
Pekin’s City Council on July 27 paused approval of a new intergovernmental transit agreement with the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (CityLink), asking staff and the transit provider for more detail on costs, ridership accounting and bus-stop responsibilities.
CityLink officials told the council the agency counts ridership by trips and provided a draft cost breakdown showing total operating costs for Pekin service of roughly $744,000, of which Pekin’s billed share would be about $210,000. “Ridership is determined by the trip,” CityLink general manager Kofi Kise said during the presentation, describing on-off boardings and the agency’s APC counters as the basis for the figure. Ken Bodie, CityLink director of operations, explained how ADA paratransit and connector-mile billing are handled and said bus-stop shelters and advertisement-based shelter programs are possible revenue sources.
Council members pressed for more detail on per-mile connector costs, the location and maintenance responsibilities for bus stops and whether smaller buses or different scheduling could improve efficiency. Staff noted some CityLink fleet items are older and that the district is pursuing grants and state funds to help offset operating subsidies. Councilmember Rick Hills suggested a short extension to allow staff and CityLink to negotiate and report back; the council voted to table final contract approval and extend the holdover arrangement while making the quarter payment, setting the matter to return at the Oct. 26, 2026 meeting (motion passed 7–0).
The decision preserves current service while giving the council three months to review detailed cost breakdowns and potential operational adjustments, including targeted bus shelters, revised routes, and options for right-sizing vehicle types on low-demand runs. CityLink officials said they will provide a written memo and cost spreadsheets to council staff prior to the next meeting.
