http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jun/12/buses-trails-offer-alternative/
By Andrew Denney
Columbia Daily Tribune
Sunday, June 12, 2011
For those who do not get around with their own automobiles, Columbia is not a bad place to be. The city features an increasingly popular bus system, as well as amenities for those who would rather travel by bike or by shoe leather.
GET ON THE BUS
Columbia Transit services
Columbia Transit, the public bus system, has routes that run to most corners of the city. The bus system has been steadily increasing its ridership, and in December 2010, it had reported an 18 percent increase in riders from a few months before.
Last year was full of improvements for the city’s bus system, said Jill Stedem, a spokeswoman for the Public Works Department. The system extended its service to the north, east and west portions of Columbia while rerouting its southbound service in an effort to improve efficiency.
Columbia Transit’s Para-Transit system, which serves riders in need of ADA-compliant services, offers curbside service for qualified riders. With the help of millions in federal grants, Columbia Transit will be able to purchase nine new buses and four new vans for the Para-Transit system over the next two years. Since 2009, more than 4 million riders have taken advantage of the services Columbia Transit offers. “These numbers indicate a growing support for public transportation,” Stedem said.
For more information about the services of Columbia Transit, as well as maps and schedules, visit www.gocolumbiamo.com/PublicWorks/Transportation.
WALK AND WHEEL
GetAbout Columbia projects
The city also has received national recognition for its support of non-motorized transit. Travelers who seek to lose a pound, save a buck or help the planet will find no shortage of ways to get around town without the help of an internal combustion engine.
Throughout the city, streets are marked with lanes drawn specifically for bikes. In addition, a bicycle boulevard has been designated on Windsor and East Ash streets just east of downtown, where bikes and automobiles share the road. The boulevard comes complete with a median in the center of the traffic-heavy College Avenue to help cyclists move safely between the two sections of the boulevard.
Cyclists and pedestrians who want to take the scenic route — or just avoid traffic — between central and west Columbia can use the MKT Trail, which runs from Flat Branch Park downtown to west of Scott Boulevard on the city’s western edge.
The MKT connects to the Katy Trail — the country’s longest rail-trail — and an ambitious cyclist or jogger could take it almost across the state. But for those who would like to get to Missouri’s largest cities — or just their international airports — in a bit quicker order, Columbia has a Greyhound station, a Megabus stop with service to St. Louis, Kansas City and Chicago, and the MO-X shuttle that provides service to Kansas City International and Lambert-St. Louis International airports.
Reach Andrew Denney at 573-815-1719 or e-mail akdenney@columbiatribune.com.