Cedar County Transit system is expanding

HARTINGTON — The Cedar County Transit System has been expanding.
Cedar County Commissioners were recently given an update on the Transit System.  
Rides being provided for Cedar County residents have increased by a large number during the last year, according to Nikki Pinkelman, System Administrator.
In July 2016, there were approximately 225 passenger boards on the transit vans compared to the 476 passenger boardings in November 2017.
“This is the number of times a passenger boards the van. The average boards per trip are three times for each passenger,” Pinkelman said.
The number of transit vans for Cedar County has increased from two vans and a bus in 2016 to five vans in 2017.
The county transit system will grow from five vans to six later this spring. Many of the vehicles are handicap accessible vans with a wheelchair lift for those in need.
The amount of fares paid by the riders have doubled from July 2016 to November 2017, going from $607 to a little over $1,200 for the month.
The Cedar County Transit is available for anyone who lives in Cedar County. All ages are welcome to ride although those who are 13 years of age or younger, have to have an adult accompany them.  
There has been a misconception on the transit bus, Pinkelman said.
“It had been referred to as a bus for the handicapped or the elderly in the past and that is not what it is. We provide rides to all of the residents in the county,” Pinkelman said.   
The vans will travel on gravel roads as long as the drivers deem the roads to be travelable, according to Pinkelman.
Residents in every town and the rural areas in Cedar County can use the transit van.
“We have transported people from South Yankton and Brookey Bottom. We have a lot more people from the south part of the county that have started calling for rides,” Pinkelman said.
Rides are available Monday through Friday. Riders pay a small fee for transportation:
Drivers for the county transit system include Carol Bruning, Claudette Wege, Jerry Uhing, Karen Lammers and Nancy Becker, along with Deb Harms, who is a new driver.
Pinkelman talked to County Commissioners about the 2018-19 budget for the Cedar County Transit System. The State of Nebraska along with federal funds provide approximately 80 percent of the operating expenses and the county pays 20 percent of those costs.
The new operating budget will be increasing by approximately 50 percent when compared with the previous budget, according to Pinkelman.
The increase is due to plans which include the addition of two new vans and the number of drivers, which has recently increased from five to six.
The county’s cost for two vans would be $4,600, which is 10 percent of the total cost. The remaining funds will come from federal funds and the State.  
Pinkelman, with the approval of Commissioners,  will be submitting an application before March 1 to the State of Nebraska for the purchase of two vans for the Transit System. One of the older vans will be sold.
Commissioner Dave McGregor told Pinkelman she needed to be complimented on the work she has been doing.
“The service provided by the transit system has really increased,” McGregor said. “You have been doing an excellent job.”
Pinkelman talked to board members about the number of hours she puts in each week and asked to be paid as a full-time employee.
 “I have been working close to and many times over 40 hours per week,” Pinkelman said.
Board members agreed to review the salary increase when next year’s budget is discussed in May or June. The 2018-19 budget was published Feb. 21 in the Cedar County newspapers.
To schedule a ride with the transit system, calls can be made Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The number to call is 402-640-6147.