By: Diane Benjamin
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Even though the meeting was cancelled, the packet is available they would have used: https://connect-transit.com/file/3833/2025%2009%2023_Board%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf
Financial information is finally available for the year that ended on June 30th. I think they expect celebrations because they lost less than what was budgeted:
Budget: <$20,054,326>
Actual: <$19,357,702>
How many taxis or Ubers would $19,357,702 buy? Keep in mind bus stops and transfer stations wouldn’t be needed either.
Overall ridership for the year was down 2.72%.
Big bus ridership was down for the year 3.49%.
Small Bus (Mobility) was up 2.35%.
Van service (Flex) was up 9.91%
From the Connect Transit Federal lobbyist:
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Has Normal’s underpass grant been cancelled? Has it expired since construction was supposed to start long before now?
Connect’s Illinois lobbyist is still trying to get the $3 million grant from the downtown transfer station released. See PDF page 18. This grant was awarded years ago. The moral to this story is turning into: Just because government promises money, it doesn’t mean you are getting it.
On the same page:
Interpretation: The Board has been taught what to say. How about just stating truth when asked a question? Too difficult?
PDF page 20 has the talking points:
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The Market Street parking garage being torn down had parking for over 200 vehicles. Connect Transit isn’t building a garage to replace those spaces. Bloomington will need to replace those themselves. Can anyone admit locating the transfer station on that site was really get the old parking garage torn down?
See other details starting on PDF page 18. Yes, more grant money expected since costs have increased.
If you thought the annual operating loss above is ridiculous, start reading on PDF page 21 to see what other spending you are paying for. 🤦♀️
“Just because government promises money, it doesn’t mean you are getting it.”
Just wait until this logic gets applied to old age welfare programs…
Since the old Elks lodge, Front & Center building, and Market Street parking garage are being torn down, can’t the city strike a deal with IWU and the demolition company to dismantle the long abandoned, unsellable property @ Chestnut and Main. BTW, any idea if the Park Plaza parking garage will be repaired or torn down.
Diane. The chairman just died. Maybe have a heart and ease up on the headline snark for once.
No announcement on the website. Did you see the cancellation notice? Expect mind readers?
Maybe this would be a good time to learn a lesson of not assuming everyone is out to get you. WWJD?
Yep, chairmen die everyday
Actually, yes. People, and chairmen, die every day. And families and friends mourn and meetings get cancelled because of it. Not to folks you know of course. But doubling down instead of updating certainly is a choice.
Maybe this: talk to your pastor about this post and exchange. See what they say.
Name another one where no public announcement was made
There was a FB cancellation post on Monday and they put an announcement on their meetings web page.You don’t need to read minds, just read and have a heart.