Public Transit
The Lawrence/Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Office works in several ways to facilitate the coordination and development of public transportation in Lawrence and Douglas County. One method of coordination involves Kaw Regional Transit, the governing council for the Coordinated Transit District for Douglas County, which oversees public transportation issues in the region. Coordinated Transit Districts are required under state law. The LDCMPO has a seat on the Kaw Regional Transit board and aids in decisions made concerning regional transportation planning.
The City of Lawrence Public Transit Department in association with the Lawrence/Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Office is also working to develop a Long-Range Plan for Public Transit in the Lawrence Community. The development of this plan is in association with the development of Transportation 2025, the Long-Range Transportation Plan. This involves the facilitation of the Public Transit Advisory Committee for the City of Lawrence.
Issues
Planning for the future of the Lawrence Transit System raises interesting issues concerning
the level-of-service, coordination with the KU On Wheels System, and what the focus of
service delivery should be - coverage-based or productivity-based. Coverage-based
systems are based on providing service in as broad an area as possible to carry as many
people as possible. Productivity-based systems are based on trying to target destination
spots - work centers, commercial centers and social service destinations - in a timely
manner. This method stresses efficiency and usually involves quicker routes, to the
detriment of how far and wide a route covers.
Transportation Providers
City of Lawrence
The City of Lawrence provides fixed-route service on eight routes
throughout the City. The Lawrence Transit System, the T, has been in operation since
December 2000 and covers most major thoroughfares, employment centers and commercial
centers in Lawrence. A matching paratransit service, the T Lift, provides on-demand,
curb-to-curb service for those eligible citizens in the Lawrence community.
For more information, please call Cliff Galante, Public Transit Administrator at 832-3465 or go online to Lawrence Transit System.
Download the Route Map and Guide to Ride Below:
"T" Maps
Other Transportation Providers
KU On Wheels
The University of Kansas Student Senate operates KU On Wheels, a non-for-profit, commuter-based transportation system for KU students, staff and faculty. It provides an average of 13,000 rides per day during the fall and spring semesters. It services the main campus, outlying neighborhoods and major student living centers. KU On Wheels also provides Safe Ride, a free service to KU students late at night to get safely back to their residence.
For more information, call 864-4644 or visit www.ku.edu/~kuwheels.
Social Service Providers
Several social service providers, including Douglas County Senior Services, Independence, Inc., and Cottonwood, Inc. also provide paratransit transportation service for their clients and eligible individuals. These groups have been providing some form of public transportation for more than 20 years, and provide service in areas of Douglas County where the City cannot.
Regional Transit
Regional Bus Service, via Greyhound Bus Services, is available at Wood Oil, near 6th & Rockledge Road.
To find a Greyhound schedule, or to find out more information, please visit www.greyhound.com.
Announcements
- BAC meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Fire Station #5 (5:30pm)
