The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and CityLink are hosting virtual community workshops as part of the planning process to expand and improve central Illinois public transit.
The Grey Area Mobility Enhancement and Expansion Study will outline service expansion needs, and work out a funding analysis to prioritize the limited transit operations funding available to reach into communities like Washington, Germantown Hills, Morton, Creve Coeur, Dunlap, and Chillicothe.
Currently, the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District covers or contracts with only a handful of area municipalities, including Peoria, Pekin, and East Peoria.
Hannah Martin, transportation planner for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, said there is a large segment of the community underserved by public transit, compared to more urbanized areas.
"We actually have close to 87,000 people who don't have a dedicated public transportation service to take them from where they live and what the Census considers to be an urban area, and take them into another urban area," Martin said.
She said many people cope with a lack of independence exacerbated by transportation disparities.
"Just the ability that you can go where you need to go, and do so independently," she said. "I think everybody having a sense of independence and control over their life is important, and definitely something harder to do as you get older."
Martin said the best way to find a proper solution to the issue is through community involvement and discussion.
"I think as we move forward, we're looking now to figure out what those solutions are to provide mobility," she said. "We want people to be part of a solution."
The public virtual workshops are at noon and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Both lunchtime and evening presentations will be recorded and posted to the TCRPC's website.
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