Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk-Line: Reagan Mass Transit District Executive Director Greg Gates

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Talk-Line: Reagan Mass Transit District Executive Director Greg Gates · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: We are a quarter past the hour. This is Monday,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: It's September the twenty second, and the year is twenty
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: twenty five. It's time for another informational edition of Talkline
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  Speaker 1: here at WIXENT Radio. Good morning, I'm Steve Marco. It
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: is time to touch base with our good friends from
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  Speaker 1: Reagan Mass Transit District transportation information that we deliver monthly,
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: and the executive director of Reagan Mass Transit is live
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  Speaker 1: with us in the studio this morning to deliver the
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  Speaker 1: goods today. Our good friend Greg Gates joins us in
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  Speaker 1: this eight o'clock hour. Good mornings.
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  Speaker 2: Great to be here, Steve, Thank you for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: Appreciate your visit. Greg. We've got some very interesting topics,
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  Speaker 1: including an update of some transportation developments through Reagan Mass
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  Speaker 1: Transit that Greg is going to talk about, along with
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  Speaker 1: a special day coming up this Friday that Greg is
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  Speaker 1: also going to point out. But we're going to start
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  Speaker 1: our talk line today with results from a recent survey.
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  Speaker 1: And we've been talking about this survey for the last
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  Speaker 1: couple of months. This I believe through Northern Illinois University.
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  Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, Coroberation there and now the results
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  Speaker 1: are in. Is that correct?
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  Speaker 2: Now, let me preface it by saying, this is the
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  Speaker 2: Lee County portion. We're doing two counties, obviously, Lee and
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  Speaker 2: Ogel and some of the most recent i will say
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  Speaker 2: tentative or initial results are in for that survey portion
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  Speaker 2: for Lee County, and I'm actually going to get a
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  Speaker 2: report out that'll give me a little more detailed tomorrow.
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  Speaker 2: But overall, some of the pieces that we've learned so
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  Speaker 2: far at a high level organization is seventy five percent
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  Speaker 2: of those who actually responded and we had I think
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  Speaker 2: a little over one hundred respondents. We're aware of the
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  Speaker 2: services RUGA Mass Transit District provides, so it shows that
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  Speaker 2: obviously the penetration is getting out there in terms of
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  Speaker 2: what we offer and how people can take advantage of it. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: there's a little room still to make some improvements with
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  Speaker 2: getting the message even further out there through community events
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  Speaker 2: and you know some of the messaging. Obviously this talk
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  Speaker 2: show does a wonderful job in terms of spreading that
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  Speaker 2: word as well about our MTD. Some of the other
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  Speaker 2: pieces associated with those findings were sixty four percent rated
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  Speaker 2: our service as either excellent or good. So we have
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  Speaker 2: obviously something to hang our hats on with regard to that.
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  Speaker 2: The other thirty six percent were fair or poor, and
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  Speaker 2: I think some of the comments that were associated with
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  Speaker 2: why the lower ratings were there, And obviously we still
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  Speaker 2: have a ways to go just as well with the
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  Speaker 2: penetration with making more people aware about our services. I
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  Speaker 2: think it's probably just because we're getting more people on
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  Speaker 2: buses on vans. One of the concerns was obviously we
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: have a lot of people that were delivering, so it's
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  Speaker 2: not always something that we can actually get to for
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  Speaker 2: a ride at a moment's notice, and I think obviously
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  Speaker 2: calling a day in advance. Some people also had conversations about,
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  Speaker 2: you know, obviously construction and that also being some port
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  Speaker 2: of a you know, a misnomer or not so much
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  Speaker 2: immense misnomer, it's just more of an aggravation. But yeah, overall,
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  Speaker 2: I was pleased with what we've heard so far about
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  Speaker 2: that survey, and I think obviously, as I've said in
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  Speaker 2: the past, the more that we learn about things of
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  Speaker 2: that nature and areas that we need to be improving upon,
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  Speaker 2: that's always a good feedback, whether it's positive or negative
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  Speaker 2: in terms of learning of how well we're doing in
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  Speaker 2: public transportation here in northern Illinois, and so I think
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  Speaker 2: I'm very excited to see what the over counting results
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  Speaker 2: are also going to show. But initially I was very
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  Speaker 2: happy with what we've learned through that survey and hope
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  Speaker 2: we can actually learn more as we dig into that
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  Speaker 2: data from NIU.
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  Speaker 1: Will this be a tool Greg that you'll be moving
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  Speaker 1: forward with, you know, as far as any kind of
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  Speaker 1: planning or anything like that goes. I mean, you know
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  Speaker 1: that NIU was heavily involved in, you know, participating in
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  Speaker 1: helping out creating this and and so I mean, is
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  Speaker 1: there anything off of the survey that may you know,
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  Speaker 1: you know, lead you to move in directions here in
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  Speaker 1: our area with TRY I.
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  Speaker 2: Think it's probably safe to say that we always look
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  Speaker 2: at that data and if it's gonna tell us something
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  Speaker 2: that we definitely need to make an adjustment on or pursue.
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  Speaker 2: I think obviously that with throwing out there within the
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  Speaker 2: past couple of years the findings from the other survey
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  Speaker 2: about fixed route and the potential management or development here
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  Speaker 2: in Dixon as well as Rochelle, that's obviously something that
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  Speaker 2: is critical I think to helping out with the on
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  Speaker 2: demand response portion of our system. And so yeah, absolutely,
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  Speaker 2: I think we're going to look at that data. We're
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  Speaker 2: gonna take it seriously. We're going to show it to
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  Speaker 2: our board and see what their findings or their thoughts
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  Speaker 2: are and see what we can make improvements on. I
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  Speaker 2: don't like standing stat with you just accepting the status quo,
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  Speaker 2: if you will. I like making sure that we are
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  Speaker 2: truly helping people move forward and getting into those community
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  Speaker 2: resources so that they can actually have a better quality
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  Speaker 2: of life from that perspective, So I think, yes, we
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  Speaker 2: will take that seriously. And actually one of the pieces
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  Speaker 2: that contractually, I think what I do likes to see
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  Speaker 2: with us as well as other operators in the state
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  Speaker 2: is obviously to have a regular cycle where we're asking
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  Speaker 2: for feedback from the writers and those that we work
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  Speaker 2: with on a regular basis. So I think there's always
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  Speaker 2: some nuggets of information, sometimes maybe a little more surprising
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  Speaker 2: at times, about what people think of our services. So
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  Speaker 2: I think we need to take a critical look at
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  Speaker 2: that and make sure that we're doing the best job
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  Speaker 2: that we can.
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  Speaker 1: All right, and more coming to our way then from
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  Speaker 1: Ogle County, do you expect those shortly? Then?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, just a quick synopsis, Ogle County is gonna mimic
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  Speaker 2: everything we've done here in Lee County. So we're gonna
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  Speaker 2: have key stakeholder interviews, We're gonna have focus groups, and
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  Speaker 2: we're also gonna have the survey with Ogle County representatives.
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  Speaker 2: So from that perspective, by the end we should have
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  Speaker 2: a nice report from NIU Center for Governmental Studies as
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  Speaker 2: to what the overall picture is and specifically looking at
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  Speaker 2: transit deserts. That is still obviously the focus of this study,
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  Speaker 2: making sure that we get to those areas where there's
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  Speaker 2: the greatest need.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, Well, and I don't think a lot of people
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  Speaker 1: realize just how large an area we're talking about. Even
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  Speaker 1: just with Lee and Ogle County, you're talking about a
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  Speaker 1: pretty large area of service, you know. You know, Lee
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  Speaker 1: County is not a small you know, you know area
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  Speaker 1: by any means, it's a it's why to wide you
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  Speaker 1: know area, and Ogle County is the same, you know,
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  Speaker 1: as far as you know circumference is concerned. So we
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  Speaker 1: got a lot of territory.
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  Speaker 2: We do, and I think people and I don't always
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  Speaker 2: think about this on a daily basis, but the data
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  Speaker 2: comes back to my brain, right now as you make
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  Speaker 2: that point, Steve, it's fourteen and ninety two square miles
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  Speaker 2: and we could sit, you know, miles away from Ogle County,
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  Speaker 2: but Ogle County will stretch just south of Freeport, which
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  Speaker 2: people oftentimes I think take for granted that you know, Baileyville,
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  Speaker 2: which is always my example, because it's out there on
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  Speaker 2: the western edge and sits just south of Freeport. It's
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  Speaker 2: closer to Freeport than it probably is the city of Dixon,
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  Speaker 2: or the city of Rochelle or the city of Oregon.
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  Speaker 2: So do we have have we met our goal? No,
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  Speaker 2: by no means have we met our goal. And our
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  Speaker 2: goal is to, you know, make sure that we're doing
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  Speaker 2: a comprehensive job of actually making sure those who have
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  Speaker 2: the need are at least being offered that option, and
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  Speaker 2: if they are not, then we're getting to them on
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  Speaker 2: a regular basis to make sure that we can fulfill
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  Speaker 2: Because we still know that there's a substantial number of
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  Speaker 2: households here in the two county area that have either
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  Speaker 2: one or zero vehicles available to their household to get
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  Speaker 2: around to community resources. If I was living in one
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  Speaker 2: of those houses, I probably would like to know a
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  Speaker 2: better perspective from my public transportation provider as to how
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  Speaker 2: they're going to get to my house. So I think
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  Speaker 2: it's being a little more proactive, not reactive, and proactive
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  Speaker 2: in meeting those needs as much as we can. At
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  Speaker 2: the same time having conversations with our federal and state
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  Speaker 2: lawmakers here in Illinois and also in Washington, d C.
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  Speaker 2: About the value might think oftentimes, and I think this
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  Speaker 2: gets underscored, not probably nearly enough. But obviously rides are
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  Speaker 2: being provided more in the urban area, but the rides
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  Speaker 2: that we're providing here in rural Illinois and rural America,
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  Speaker 2: our buses are traveling far greater distances and providing those rides,
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  Speaker 2: and I think at times that just gets lost in
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  Speaker 2: the minutia of the conversation, and that's something that we
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  Speaker 2: can't necessarily underscore enough to the key stakeholder.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely again, because we are serving a wide territory, not
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  Speaker 1: just in le and Ogle County, but now we expand out.
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  Speaker 1: We've expanded out, and we've talked about that of course
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  Speaker 1: Winnebago County, so again a very large expansion area that
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  Speaker 1: the Reagan Mass Transit covered. Good Gates is our guest today,
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  Speaker 1: the executive director of Reagan Mass Transit with us on
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  Speaker 1: the talk line for this Monday morning. Greg wanted to
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  Speaker 1: talk about grant news this morning. You have some information
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  Speaker 1: on that to share with us today.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. I think we might have talked about this previously,
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  Speaker 2: but there was an opportunity for us to seek some
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  Speaker 2: funding through National Our TAP and just the acronym is
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: out there, but it's basically Rural Transit Association and it's
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  Speaker 2: a great resource for rural providers of public transportation. They
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  Speaker 2: were offering some funding to Rural Transit fifty three to
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  Speaker 2: eleven recipients, which we are, and the key focus was,
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: or at least one of the focuses, was how can
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  Speaker 2: you better meet the needs that are not currently being met?
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  Speaker 2: And I think one of the resounding pieces that we've
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  Speaker 2: talked historically about is how do you get somebody home from, say,
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  Speaker 2: for instance, a second shift at eleven o'clock at night,
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  Speaker 2: or to the start of a third shift at approximately
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  Speaker 2: the same time frame ten thirty eleven o'clock at night.
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  Speaker 2: If you look at all the other time frames for
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  Speaker 2: a business that's running three shifts, we can meet those needs.
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  Speaker 2: Those two others are anomalies and not something that we've
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  Speaker 2: been able to tackle. So what we proposed in our
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  Speaker 2: application to National Art Tap to their Community Rides grant
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  Speaker 2: program was we want to partner with local entities. We
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: identify Cress Foods. They were willing to partner with us
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  Speaker 2: on this, but we'll also probably pull others into the
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  Speaker 2: mix if we get the funding. But effectively that's going
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  Speaker 2: to be the focus is what are those pieces that
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  Speaker 2: we're missing during that time set, say from six o'clock
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  Speaker 2: in the morning until four o'clock in the morning or
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: six o'clock in the evenings to four o'clock in the morning.
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  Speaker 2: How can we better meet that? And I know that
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  Speaker 2: people will get awfully excited about that potential. We're very
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  Speaker 2: excited about that potential. It is not something that we
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: would take lightly because it would be a pilot project.
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  Speaker 2: And I think what that presses us to do is
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  Speaker 2: to have more conversations at the state level at the
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  Speaker 2: federal level about funding and making something like that more permanent,
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  Speaker 2: because we know at the same time funding is going
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  Speaker 2: to be you know, that barrier that potentially could halt
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  Speaker 2: that pilot project on the backside, So we don't want
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: to turn something on that's necessarily something that is obviously
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: vital to certain entities, but also certain people in getting
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  Speaker 2: to work or getting to you know, class potentially or
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: other community resources that work after what I would say
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: is our normal service hours. So again, it's taking one
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  Speaker 2: of those pieces of those areas that are looked at
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  Speaker 2: as a barrier. Currently, we're excited about the potential of that,
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: and we will keep pushing for similar funding to see
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  Speaker 2: if we can't iron out a solution. But again, it's
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  Speaker 2: not just Reggae mass Transit District. I fully believe it's
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  Speaker 2: going to be community partners that will help us push
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  Speaker 2: that across the line, and ultimately I'm hoping that it
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  Speaker 2: becomes more of a resolution that's not only just here
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  Speaker 2: locally and Lee and Ogle in Winnebego Counties, but something
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  Speaker 2: that's a little more grand in scope, where I think,
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  Speaker 2: again we come back to funding and making sure that
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  Speaker 2: you know, rural transit public transit is getting as much
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  Speaker 2: attention as our big brothers in the urbans and the
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  Speaker 2: major cities are receiving. Because we are traveling a lot
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  Speaker 2: of miles to fulfill those riots. We're not just having
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  Speaker 2: somebody walk necessarily to a corner right now and jumping
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: on a regular fixed route. Hopefully that model will also
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: come our way in the near term, but it's something
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  Speaker 2: that I'm excited about the pilot project, keeping my fingers
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: crossed that that funding will come.
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  Speaker 1: Across well obviously, you know, extra funding, you know, I mean,
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: moneys are needed. If you expect to do this, you
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: just can't do it, you know, off of a off
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: of an idea and take it to the next step.
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  Speaker 1: It's gonna you know, it's going.
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  Speaker 2: To cost so and I think that's one of the
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  Speaker 2: reasons that we've also been trying to educate our lawmakers here,
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  Speaker 2: especially in Springfield about you know, look at the formula
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: of how we're funding transit. If I don't want to
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: dive too far into the weeds in this conversation, but
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: we hear about the fiscal cliff in Chicago on a
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: regular basis, and yes, there's a substantial need. There is
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  Speaker 2: there also some need for some you know, efficiencies built
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: into that operation or operations probably, But I also want
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  Speaker 2: my lawmakers in Springfield to critically look at the formula
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: for the funding of all transit because I believe there
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: is a need to make an improvement to the formula
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: that is funding us currently and making sure that you know,
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  Speaker 2: the constituents out here in rural America have a need,
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: let's meet it and let's make something that's a little
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: more valuable formula wise. Then maybe we're working probably up
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: a formula that's twenty plus years old. Let's look a
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: little more critically at that while we're looking at the
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: entire world transit scope, not just the big boys who
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: are with the loudest mouth pieces right now.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: So Morticam, Morticam, We'll wait and see just how this
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: grant submission works out, and hopefully results will be coming
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: our way on that as Greg keeps us up to
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: day here at wy ACCENT. Got some other developments that
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: you wanted to talk about today as far as transportation, Yeah, I.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: Just wanted to remind people that obviously we're going to
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: be out in the community and some of the pieces
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: coming up is our involvement with the Scarecrow Fast down
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: here in Dixon. But we're also going to be walking
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: in the Autumne Parade Parade coming up in the very
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: near what next couple weeks. So as much as possible,
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: we love being involved, we love getting out. One of
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  Speaker 2: the partners that we had a chance to do something
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: with with Day of Caring United Way here in Leon
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: Ogle Counties had a chance to tag team with them
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: on some things, not only for their Day of Caring
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: but also helping with some of the food distribution that
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: they do during the summer months. So I guess more
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: of an awareness that we're doing those things, but we're
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: trying to get out there a little more actively and
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: do more within the community, not just here in Dixon,
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: but also in Lee as well as Ogle County and Winnebego.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: So if somebody does have a community event that they
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: need some assistance with, please don't hesitate to reach out
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: to us. We love partnering and helping you know, the
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: cause even get greater than what it potentially could be.
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: So I guess that from that perspective, yeah, let's be
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: a community psolutely.
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. You know again can continue you You've proved that
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: in the past. Greg. I mean even with this new
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: service Winnebago County, you had to go the extra mile,
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: you know, to get the word out in those organizational
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: areas of Winnebago County, you know, to get the word
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: out about that new service.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: So yeah, we're trying to partner with a food bank
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: up there. We're trying to do other community events. We
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: were there at the National Night Out a few weeks
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: back in August. So as much as possible, if there's
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: an interest or you just want to you know, ratle
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: our chain about coming out and just bringing our buses
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: for greater awareness, we'll gladly you know, have that conversation.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: So as much as possible. Yeah, that's what we're here for,
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: is being a community partner in a community resources.
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: A couple of things little that I had on my burner.
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: I guess that you know, we we probably should bring
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: you know as we continue our yearly or I should
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: say monthly updates. You know, is the Oga County facility
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: Any word on that yet, you know, as far as
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: you know movement there.
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: I will say that it's in the hands of I
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: DOT right now, okay, and that I'm hoping that the
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: final paperwork will allow us to go out for a
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: general contractor very soon.
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: Okay. All right, And you know you mentioned it in
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: your previous statements, Greg during this portion of our talk
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: line today, and that's the fixed roots. You know, Any
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: any progress there.
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: There is that's worth just a little more, probably bus
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: nuts and bolts than people want to know about. Sure,
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: But we have a statewide conference next week and we're
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: going to have a chance to actually talk with I
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: DOT officials, and so what we've been doing internally is
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: actually having conversations about, you know, putting in that structure,
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: putting a little more plan to that structure of a
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: fixed route here in Dixon and in Rochelle to paper,
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: so that we can have kindversations because as much as
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: we would like to roll that out tomorrow, obviously it
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: does come back to a couple of funding pieces, and
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: that's not only to operate it, but also the buses
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: to actually operate on that on both of those routes.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: So we have actively started looking at both of those
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: as near term opportunities for us to take advantage of.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: And I think one of the pieces, and I think
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: you alluded to it early obviously, is the interplay between
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: the fixed routes and the on demand system. How's that
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: going to work out? And I know that here in Dixon,
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: with the city's comprehensive plan, the fixed route discussion became
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: a little more front and center as part of that
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: comprehensive plan because I think that will obviously serve the
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: city well and the resident base very nicely with the
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: moving resources around, people around to different community resources and
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: generating tax dollars absolutely in the process.
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: Absolutely so again yeah, a good good again, good new
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: scenario there again and we'll keep up to date with that.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: This Friday, special Friday for reaking mass Transfer.
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: If you've not tried our service, Fair Free Fourth Friday
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: is this Friday, the twenty sixth, and it's just as
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: it says. There is no free fee charged for somebody
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: to ride on one of our buses or midivans on
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: this Friday, the twenty sixth as part of Fair Free
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: Fourth Friday, And if you'd like to make a donation,
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: obviously we will make that happen if you would like.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: But again, if you want to test drive absolutely the system. Yeah,
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: there's you go, that's your opportunity.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: Exactly, there's your opportunity that Friday, this Friday the twenty sixth,
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: ride for free on the Raising Mass Transit motor coach
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: and again find out you know what their services are
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: all about, you know, make your plans, and you can
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: do that by calling and making an appointment right for
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: a pickup.
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: A one five two eight eight two one one seven.
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: Call that number and a schedule pickup and h Reagan
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: Mass Transit will oblige and especially you know during this
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: free Friday again coming up on September the twenty sixth.
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: All was a pleasure having you on board. Lots of
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: information to share with Greg Gates today. Appreciate you stopping
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: by and telling us all about the good things going on.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: Thank you, Steve.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: Greg Gates is our executive director of the Reagan Mass
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Transit District. Our guest today on the talk line Let's
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: Go to Press Next with Charlie Miilama