Ridership was up for Lyon County Area Transportation (LCAT) in 2011, and over the year, the transportation system increased its coverage area by a radius of five miles, according to an update given to Lyon County commissioners by Doug Stueve, director of the Lyon County Department on Aging. Stueve also appeared at Thursday’s action session to request documents necessary for the department to apply for federal grants to keep the operation going.
“We thought we had a pretty good year last year, from most standpoints,” Stueve told commissioners. “We hope we provided some services that were needed.”
The department saw some increases in operating expenses, largely due to rising fuel prices and increased maintenance costs. While costs increased over the course of the year, so did ridership.
“It improved over 44,000 this year,” Stueve said. “We had a lot more people in general that were riding it.”
LCAT provided transportation primarily to three main areas in Emporia. The main destinations were shopping areas, places of employment and destinations relating to health care.
The commissioners agreed to allow the department to submit the grant application.
In other business, commissioners:
approved the Road and Bridge Department sending out a request for proposals for UNISTRUT Intersection sign materials for rural addressing.
approved road and bridge sending out a request for proposals for steel U-channel sign posts.
approved sending out a request for proposals for complete signs, electro-cut film and high-intensity prismatic roll sheeting for sign shop supplies.
approved painting the hallway of the administrative area and repairing insulation to mechanical piping at the sheriff’s office.