Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: Where can I buy a bus pass?
A: Monthly passes and 10-ride punch tickets can be purchased at the City of Lawrence utility billing office on the second floor of City Hall, 6 East 6th Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays. Cash, Check only. Also available at the Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Day passes are purchased directly from the bus driver.
Q: Why does Lawrence need a bus system?
A: Public transit improves people’s mobility, increases their quality of life, maintains their independence, and helps support economic growth in our community. Some people need to rely on others to transport them places due to their age, disability, or financial hardship.
Q: Who rides the T?
A: Recent passenger surveys indicate that the majority of T riders are between the ages of 18 to 34, earn annual incomes of less than $25,000, and mainly travel to employment. The majority of riders indicate they do not have access to an automobile. Passengers rate the system highly. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the highest score), the transit system had an overall passenger satisfaction rating of 4.19 in 2007.
Q: How were T routes picked?
A: When transit service was launched, a decision was made to provide access to as many places within the community as possible. With a limited budget, the City has two options to improve the frequency of service to make it more convenient. The City can either reduce the service area, not traveling to as many places in a growing community, or more resources can be dedicated to add buses to existing routes. Routes are routinely evaluated to find a balance between the area of coverage and frequency of service.
Q: Should the T make money?
A: Public transit is not meant to be a for-profit operation. Just like other city services (police, fire and emergency medical), public transit is an important resource for the community available to all who need it. Transit fares collected are used to help support the cost of operating the service.
Q: Where does public transit funding come from?
A: Public transit funds to operate service are comprised of federal, state, and local dollars. Service is subsidized through these sources, so that fare prices are affordable for riders. One-way fares on the T remained at 50 cents and $1 on T Lift from the time the service began in 2000 through June 2007. Fares were raised for the first time in July 2007 so that farebox revenue generated could be used to help keep pace with the growing expenses of operating transit service. Public transit funds for capital expenses, such as bus acquisition, utilize available federal funds that can cover up to 83% of eligible costs requiring a local funding match of 17%. The transit system also uses funding from the State of Kansas to cover capital costs.
Q: Why does it seem like the T sometimes drives empty buses around town?
A: Routes and schedules are routinely evaluated to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of transit service. Depending on the time of day, some routes are more heavily used than others. If the T has just dropped off a group of passengers — for example, at places of employment in the East Hills Business Park — it could appear that a bus is empty on its way back to downtown, even though it just transported people.
Q: Why does the T operate such big buses?
A: Lawrence Transit System wants to ensure that it has the capacity to meet existing and growing demands for service. The preference is for each passenger to have a seat on the bus, rather than standing. When buses are acquired, they are expected to be in service for 10 to 12 years. T buses are all ADA accessible and durable to withstand being operated 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. Smaller buses are not designed for heavy duty use and require more frequent maintenance and replacement. The transit system wants to avoid excessive downtime for repairs that can impact the reliability of service.
