Columbia public works | 98.3 The Dove

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.

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 city council briefed on GoCOMO bus driver shortage

May 16, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia Public Works officials say staff is currently in discussions with Moberly Area Community College (MACC) in efforts to alleviate the bus driver shortage.

Public Works delivered a three-page report to the council at Monday night’s meeting, saying GoCOMO’s bus system continues to have a shortage of 11 full-time drivers. They plan to combine the current six fixed bus routes to three, due to the staffing shortage.

The discussions with MACC involve a class offering for potential drivers to earn a CDL and necessary licensing endorsements for driving a bus.

GoCOMo also says Columbia spokeswoman Sydney Olsen has developed a communications plan about the combined routes, which will start in August. The communications plan includes signage inside the buses, fliers and releases to the news media.

Columbia Police investigating weekend death at downtown’s tallest parking garage

May 15, 2023 By Brian Hauswirth

Columbia Police are investigating a weekend falling death at the Fifth and Walnut parking garage downtown. It’s unclear if the man jumped or fell to his death early Saturday afternoon.

A 939 the Eagle News reporter saw the young man standing outside the fence on the top floor, on a ledge facing the post office. Police officers on-scene told us he was on the roof for more than 90 minutes. 939 the Eagle saw at least two CPD crisis negotiators on the rooftop speaking to the man. The man looked down at the ground numerous times and also looked straight up at the sky once. Paramedics were stationed nearby and immediately performed CPR on the man on the street.

The Fifth and Walnut garage is downtown’s largest garage. It has seen at least nine suicides since it opened in 2011.

The city has spent $831,000 on suicide prevention measures since it opened: they finished a $489,000 project to install fencing on the garage’s top level and they also spent $342,000 to install 150 steel window coverings on floors five through eight. It’s unclear how the man got over the fence and onto the ledge, facing the post office downtown.