Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan

GoCOMO bus fares to remain free in Columbia for at least another year

September 19, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia’s city council has voted to suspend transportation fares for GoCOMO bus riders for the fourth straight year.

GoCOMO has been operating fare-free since the March 2020 COVID emergency declaration. Columbia Public Works officials say current transportation sales tax (TST) funding and a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) operating grant can keep the bus system fare-free for at least another year.

Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that the Columbia transit budget is $7.4 million, and that budget includes expected GoCOMO expenditures on fixed routes, Paratransit and the Tiger Line. Mr. Ogan notes Columbia transit receives its funding from state and federal grants, the transportation sales tax and also from Mizzou. The University of Missouri pays the city of Columbia about $839,000 for the operation of the Tiger Line shuttle service for students.

Mr. Ogan notes GoCOMo also receives about $2.5 million in federal grants, about $245,000 in state grants and about $2.5 million in transportation sales tax money.

Columbia used federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money and federal CARES Act funding for the past two years to remain fare-free, but those monies have run out. President Joe Biden (D) signed ARPA into law, and former President Donald Trump (R) signed the federal CARES Act into law.

GoCOMO has been a priority for city manager De’Carlon Seewood, who’s encouraged residents to ride the buses.

Saturday’s Mizzou-Kansas State game is a sellout; GoCOMO providing free shuttles for fans

September 15, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Traffic is expected to be heavy across Columbia tomorrow morning for Mizzou football’s home game at Faurot Field against 15^th-ranked Kansas State. Both teams are 2-0.

The game is a sellout, which means there will be almost 63,000 fans (62,621 to be specific) at Memorial Stadium. This series dates back to 1909, and it’s the 99th all-time meeting between the Tigers and Wildcats.

Columbia’s bus system GoCOMO will provide free shuttles tomorrow morning and afternoon. Tomorrow morning’s kickoff is at 11:01, and GoCOMO will begin shuttle service in downtown Columbia at 8:30 and will run on a ten-minute cycle. You can catch the free shuttles at locations like Harpo’s, Flat Branch, Shiloh and the Armory parking lot. Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that boarding for return trips from Faurot back to downtown will start at the end of the third quarter at the roundabout of Tiger Avenue and Hospital drive. The final departure will be 30 minutes after the game’s end.

The Mizzou game will be televised live on the SEC Network, with Taylor Zarzour, former Georgia All-American Matt Stinchcomb and sideline reporter Alyssa Lang on the call.

Columbia’s bus system needs 23 more drivers to be fully-staffed

September 8, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia Public Works says its GoCOMO bus system is a dozen to two dozen operators short.

Public Works spokesman John Ogan says GoCOMO currently has 22 full-time operators and three part-time operators on-staff. Operators are bus drivers. Mr. Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that they’d like to have a total of 36 operators to eliminate the need for required overtime and keep overtime on a voluntary basis. Ogan adds that they would consider 45 employees to be the definition of fully-staffed, saying that number would represent every position being filled, in each area of GoCOMO.

The bus system says they’re actively conducting interviews for both bus and paratransit van operator positions as they receive applications. Mr. Ogan says GoCOMO is currently requiring operators to work four hours per week in overtime, adding this is down from the 12 hours of overtime per week drivers were previously required to work.

Rock bluff work near completion on east Columbia project near Holiday Inn Express and Suites

August 23, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Officials from Columbia Public Works says a slope safety project on east Columbia’s Maguire Boulevard will be done by September.

Public Works spokesman John Ogan says the $220,000 Maguire Boulevard slope stabilization project involves removing rock to make sure rock and debris doesn’t fall on sidewalks below. Mr. Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that the project includes removing rock to essentially reshape the existing sideslopes.

The project is happening between the bridges over Grindstone Creek’s north and south fork bridges. It will also involve the reconstruction of sidewalks along both sides of Maguire Boulevard between the two bridges.

Fulton-based Steve and Associates is the city’s contractor for this project.

Columbia’s bus driver shortage impacting Monday routes

June 11, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia’s continued staffing shortages involving bus drivers has led to GoCOMO transit’s decision to combine bus service routes for Monday.

Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan tells 939 the Eagle that there’s currently a shortage of 13 full-time bus drivers. GoCOMO’s bus operators are working a mandatory 12-hour overtime schedule, according to a report that was presented to the city council in May.

While normal weekday bus service will resume Tuesday morning, GoCOMO plans to combine the current six fixed bus routes to three in August, due to the staffing shortage. The city has been having discussions with Moberly Area Community College (MACC) regarding a class offering for potential drivers to earn a CDL and necessary license endorsements for driving a bus.

Members of Laborers’ Local 955 demonstrated outside of city hall during city manager De’Carlon Seewood’s recent state of the city address. Union spokesman Andrew Hutchinson told 939 the Eagle that day that the reason bus routes are being cut is because the city can’t properly recruit and retain staff.

You can read specifics about Monday’s Columbia bus routes here.