A sustainability report shows more people are taking advantage of Wichita's public transportation.
Wichita Transit has been implementing a Transit Sustainability Plan that includes $4 million in funding from the city's sale of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Wichita.
Community input was collected, programs added and changes were made, including to bus routes. Scott Wadle, interim director for Wichita Transit, says initially there was a drop in ridership, which he says was expected.
"When you go and you change a system like we did, it takes some time for folks to get used to it...different routes, you’ve got different locations that the bus is coming to, different times, things to work out," Wadle says. "The good news though is ridership is up more than 20 percent compared to 2016."
Ridership is also up with the Q-line, the free Wichita trolley. Wadle says in July and August last year, the numbers increased from 1100 riders each month to nearly 11,000.
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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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