By:  Diane Benjamin

I filed Freedom of Information requests with ISU, Heartland, and Connect Transit based on the previous post:  http://blnnews.com/2015/11/12/connect-transit-requires-photo-id/

I appreciate ISU responding in ONE day, Heartland and Connect Transit took the 5 days permitted to respond.

See the current ISU contract with Connect Transit here:  ISU-Connect Transit FY16

• ISU is paying Connect Transit $519,750.00 under the current contract
• Students, faculty, staff, and U High students are eligible to ride with the ISU issued pass

See the current Heartland contract with Connect Transit here:  Heartland – Connect Transit 2015

• The contract estimates ridership at 200,000
• Heartland paid Connect Transit $128,310.60 for the most recent fiscal year.
• Heartland 2015 advertising contract with Connect Transit, $1,540 for 7 mths :  Heartland Advertising
• Heartland 2014 advertising, $4,200 for 12 mths:  Heartland 2014 advertising

See the current Lincoln College contract here:  2015 Lincoln College

• The contract estimates ridership at 28,000
• Lincoln is paying $16,100/.575 per ride

The State Farm information comes from the Connect Transit email I received in response to my FOIA request:

Connect Transit and State Farm do not have a written agreement for services.  State Farm pays the full fare each month per ride, so their payments to Connect Transit vary per month, but average around $5,000 per month.  From July of 2014 to June of 2015, (the most recent fiscal year, per your request) State Farm paid a total of $62,515 to Connect Transit.

According to the Connect Transit website (http://connect-transit.com/fares/fares.asp), fares are $1.

• Round trip rides would be $2
• $5000/2 = $2,500 (total for all round trips rides)
• $2,500 divided by the number of days per month worked-estimated at 20 (5 days * 4 weeks), means 125 State Farm employees ride the bus

A reader commented that Country Companies has the same plan as State Farm.  This site lists partners, Country is listed here:  http://connect-transit.com/business/communitpartner.asp

In the previous post I listed all the free and reduced fare rides available.  My FOIA asked for the number of people approved in each category, here’s the response:

• Number of BEAM Pass holders – (formerly Circuit Breaker) – 937
• Number of Disabled Half Fare Pass holders – 1269
• Number of Senior Free Pass holders – 1487
• Number of State Farm Pass holders – N/A

I previous reported:  http://blnnews.com/2015/10/27/hows-connect-transit-ridership/

Revenue was almost $1.4 Million in 2013 and 2014.  In 2015, it was $1.55 million.

ISU   $518,750

Heartland  $128,310

Lincoln  $16,100

State Farm  $62,515

_______________

Total   $725,675 – around half of all revenue received.