CLAREMORE —
The voice of the people was heard, as citizen requests prompted increased Pelivan hours of service.
The Claremore City Council approved the necessary funding Monday as part of the 2012-13 budget.
“We always welcome our citizens to take an active role in the services we provide. We don’t always know what the needs are if they are not brought to us by the people. This is a great example of how public involvement in local government ends in results that benefit the citizens,” said Cassie Woods, Executive Officer. “The city administration welcomes public comment and hopes this serves as a reminder that your council is there to serve you,”
This change comes after several citizens have expressed interest to the council or city staff for extended hours.
After hearing their concerns and requests, the council requested more information on the service.
In addition to the approximately 40,000 passenger trips the Pelivan operates each year, the number of pickups for elderly and disabled riders has steadily increased each year for the past five years.
This suggested to the council that there is a great need for citizens who are unable to drive.
One citizen, Janice Cowan, spoke during the council meeting, stating that she depends on the Pelivan to take her everywhere.
She expressed the desire for non-drivers to be able to have a personal life after hours and reminded the council that everyone will some day reach an age where they depend on services like the Pelivan.
“We will appreciate the extra time,” Cowan said.
Cowan uses a motorized vehicle and the transportation options Pelivan offers are critical to her.
She led the group of Pelivan riders at an earlier meeting when they explained to the council the hours would improve the “quality of life” they could have.
The new contract will allow for weekend evening service for those dependent on the public transit system.
Pelivan Transit and Northeast Tribal Transit Consortium is owned and operated by Grand Gateway Economic Development Association. Pelivan provides transportation in six cities and counties in northeast Oklahoma, including Claremore.
The City of Claremore operation currently runs Monday through Saturday from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. They take their final calls for pickup around 3:30 to give the drivers time to perform their administrative responsibilities after finishing their routes. At Monday night’s special meeting, the City Council voted to increase funding to extend the hours on Friday and Saturday nights. With the new hours, Pelivan service will run until 8:30 pm with final calls for pickup at 8:00 pm. This will add five and a half hours of mobility for Pelivan users on those two nights.
With the new hours, the total cost for the Pelivan operation in our area is $664,655. That total reflects a $24,521 increase for the added hours. Of that increase, Grand Gateway secured Federal Grant Funding in the amount of $16,269, leaving the additional cost to the City of Claremore at $8,252. The total local match request for Claremore operations is $91,791.
In addition to the increased funding, Grand Gateway is currently working to purchase a CNG vehicle for Pelivan operations that will save almost $7,000 each year in fuel costs. The total purchase price for that vehicle is $60,739. Grand Gateway believes it can secure grant funding of $50,413 to go towards that amount. The local match would then be $10,325.
“Quality of Life is, and always will be, a priority of the Council. Seeing the numbers on how many disabled and elderly people depend on the Pelivan service is confirmation that this is an investment that helps improve the quality of life for those citizens that our other services might not reach. We are just as responsible for providing means of transportation to the elderly as we are for providing parks where children can play. We hope that these extended hours will give those dependent on public transportation more opportunities to engage in the community,” Woods said.
The extended hours will take effect in October in conjunction with Grand Gateway’s fiscal year, however, Grand Gateway officials and City of Claremore officials have committed to working together to try to get the extended operation up and running before the summer is over.
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