Football shuttle buses OK to continue service
The Big Red Express lives on.
The city buses that carry Husker football fans to Memorial Stadium have the green light to roll again this year.
Their future was up in the air up until this week, due to federal regulations that now require cities to offer such shuttle services up to the private sector.
Under the new rules, which went into effect April 30, transit agencies cannot offer such shuttles if a private company is willing to do the job.
Lincoln officials were required by the feds to offer the gig up to charter companies nationwide, and the deadline for them to express interest was Tuesday.
Nobody applied for the job, so that means the city StarTran buses can continue business as usual. However, each year, the city will have to go through the same rigmarole.
“We have to do the same thing every damn year,” said StarTran head Larry Worth. “You just hold your breath. We made it this year.”
If a charter company had been interested in the job, the city would have either had to let them do it or charge the regular bus fares of $1.25, rather than premium rates. The city makes about $60,000 by charging higher fares, and would lose money if it charged regular fares — which could have jeopardized the service.
Last year the city charged $4 each way for adults. This year’s price is being figured out.
StarTran’s popular annual holiday light tours, however, are now banned under the federal regulations. Public buses are no longer allowed to give sightseeing tours.
“It’s too bad,” Worth said. “A lot of people really enjoyed the light tours. We’ve had sellouts every year.”
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
The city buses that carry Husker football fans to Memorial Stadium have the green light to roll again this year.
Their future was up in the air up until this week, due to federal regulations that now require cities to offer such shuttle services up to the private sector.
Under the new rules, which went into effect April 30, transit agencies cannot offer such shuttles if a private company is willing to do the job.
Lincoln officials were required by the feds to offer the gig up to charter companies nationwide, and the deadline for them to express interest was Tuesday.
Nobody applied for the job, so that means the city StarTran buses can continue business as usual. However, each year, the city will have to go through the same rigmarole.
“We have to do the same thing every damn year,” said StarTran head Larry Worth. “You just hold your breath. We made it this year.”
If a charter company had been interested in the job, the city would have either had to let them do it or charge the regular bus fares of $1.25, rather than premium rates. The city makes about $60,000 by charging higher fares, and would lose money if it charged regular fares — which could have jeopardized the service.
Last year the city charged $4 each way for adults. This year’s price is being figured out.
StarTran’s popular annual holiday light tours, however, are now banned under the federal regulations. Public buses are no longer allowed to give sightseeing tours.
“It’s too bad,” Worth said. “A lot of people really enjoyed the light tours. We’ve had sellouts every year.”
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
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