January 06, 2025

As usual, digging into a county issue has broadened the scope of my initial intentions for this column.  

I will attempt to be as succinct as possible on Johnson County Transit’s woeful failure after spending over $358 million since 2002.

Earlier this year the Board of County Commissioners hired a consultant to “reimagine” our transit system.  

Cost: a little over $376,000.  

Not to worry, the lions share was from federal funds.

AND in the opinion of county government status quo, federal dollars do not count as real money.

According to Chairman Kelly, if we don’t use the federal funds, someone else will.  

Hmmmm, I thought that we teach our kids not to follow the crowd when making decisions.  What I preach to thee does not pertain to me attitude?

Back to the transit study costing the taxpayers over $376,000 to “reimagine” our transit system.  

On December 12th the BOCC approved an additional $31 plus million ($5.04 million for fixed route buses and $26.58 million for contract services for point-to-point services) before receiving the consultant’s report.  That’s right, hire a firm to “reimagine” a program and go forward with spending on the existing failure of a system before receiving their report, which is due early spring 2025.

According to Commissioner Ashcraft’s analysis at the December 12th meeting on the purchase of 8 new buses, we are providing services for approximately 750 people (assuming return trips) per day on the 260 days of service we provide.  An average of 750 people per day? Staff was silent on Commissioner Ashcraft’s analysis.

Buckle up, because this is breathtaking!!!

Dividing the 2024 Transit budget of over $24 million by the 750 individuals per day (assuming most are repeat customers) that cost is over $32,000 per person… I see why we need to reimagine our transit system. We could be buying houses for every homeless person in Johnson County instead of driving empty buses around.

To be fair, approximately half goes to point-to-point service, so at least that is one person per car rather than 2 people per 30-foot bus.

So, business as usual in Johnson County government, hire a consultant to “reimagine” a program and go forward expending money as though nothing will change.  Unfortunately, the study appears to be nothing more than a repeating of the abysmal failures of our 43-year transit history.  Expect to see more empty buses running around Johnson County pretending to be a transit system.  A tradition since 1982.

P.S.  The 2025 transit budget over 2024:  22.46% increase ($5.346 million) to $29.152 million.

Total transit expenditures since 2002:  $358.835 million.  

Cost of Courthouse:  $182 million.