St. Clair County Sets Transportation Rates, Honors Service

By Michael Mee/The Leeds News

The St. Clair County Public Transportation Office announced the fees for riding county buses last week.

The cost will be $2 per rider for a trip from one zone to another. If a rider should want to then travel to another location from a drop-off zone, they would be charged another $2. The total cost for traveling around the county from zone to zone and ending at the original location would be $8 according to Terry Rowe, the county’s transportation manager.

Rowe explained the flat rate at a public hearing Tuesday. He said that when he came on board last year, there were two rates for riders: $1.50 for an “in town” trip and $3 for traveling “outside of town.” He said that that “complex and complicated” structure was reviewed for several days before it became evident that asking people who wanted a discounted rate for disabled travelers or seniors if they were indeed disabled or a senior citizen was illegal under current law.

He said that the flat rate would “make it simple, easy, affordable and attractive” for riders. “Our intent and our plans are set out so as new buses come out, they would be interlocked at the next zone,” Rowe said. “We’ve done it for the sake of simplification and affordability so that everyone can ride for the amount of $2.”

A 50-50 match from the federal government offsets the transportation costs for services to the county and its residents.

Rowe said that he encourages “anyone, even if for a pleasure trip, to take advantage of the system. Two dollars if easy to count out. It’s easy for us to keep up with.

Everything I see about it is positive.

Also at last week’s meeting, the commission honored Floyd A. Goodgame for his 30 years of service to the New London Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Authority. In a declaration, the commission noted that Goodgame “has been characterized by excellent, constructive contributions to the Authority and to his community” and “is a well respected, hard-working man with Christian values who has earned the admiration and affection of New London and St. Clair County communities.”

A plaque was presented to Mr. Goodgame at Tuesday’s meeting to Mr. Goodgame to show the county’s appreciation for his efforts over the years.

Commissioner Paul Manning, who now helps to oversee the Coosa Valley Water Authority as it begins to grow in its mission to further the hydration needs of the county said to Mr. Goodgame, “You really stood up and represented your community well. Mr. Floyd has always been for the betterment if the system.”

Commission Chairman Stan Batemon, who got his start on the commission while residing in the New London area, echoed Manning’s sentiments and expressed the best wishes on behalf of the county to Mr. Good game.

Other items approved at the meeting included:

* Committing a 20-percent match for a $50,000 recreational trails grant for Canoe Creek Park on Neely Henry Lake.

* Approving a change order that would result in a $40,041 invoice for the Ashville Courthouse renovations

* Approving to move the Margaret election-polling site from Margaret City Hall to the North Valley Church

* Approving to allow the county to enter into third-party agreements with various agencies (Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Appalachian Regional Commission) to provide public transportation services, an option the county wanted to further serve citizens and their transportation needs.

* Approve to take over maintenance of Mountain Springs Road in District 1 and to provide a right-of-way, something that residents and the county have been working on for 15 years. Commissioner Jeff Brown thanked the county engineer Dan Dahlke for his hard work. “This has been a long and drawn out thing. These people need a road,” Commissioner Brown said.

* Approve a request of an employee in the probate office to ask for emergency sick leave donation and for Family Medical Leave Act benefits. County employees wishing to donate time to the employee should contact the probate office for more information.

Text Only