By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/10/01/unit-5-and-their-5-electric-buses/ The Town of Normal is notorious for funding wants with grants. They can’t afford the underpass or all the trails, so they get other taxpayers to fund things for them. Grants aren’t free money, it was either stolen from other taxpayers or printed money that created the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when Unit 5 bought electric buses? They didn’t notice Connect Transit dumped theirs? https://blnnews.com/2024/11/22/unit-5-bought-5-electric-buses/ A reader sent me this link – NY City is dumping electric buses now because they aren’t reliable and require too much maintenance and electricity: NYC-turns-back-gas-buses-finding-hard-way-electric-versions-big-problems I sent a FOIA to Unit 5. I’m still waiting for […]
By: Diane Benjamin FYI: I won’t always be writing early in the morning because of garden work that I want to do early – before it gets hot. I wrote about this gravel lot here: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/02/connect-transit-gravel lot Connect needed a place to park all the buses that don’t run. Most, if not all, are electric. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-02-25/home-sweet-home-proposes-50-cabin-village-to-serve-homeless-near-downtown-bloomington Home Sweet Home wants to build tiny houses south of downtown on land Connect Transit owns and abandoned 15 years ago and now leased to the City of Bloomington. Why wasn’t the Transfer station built there? Here Is a faster idea for downtown housing: Tow all of Connect […]
By: Diane Benjamin I FOIA’d Connect Transit for the status of the electric buses. I received the below. Keep in mind each one of these was around $1 million tax dollars. I also have emails that I can’t read because of my eye problems, stay tuned. See costs in this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/03/23/celebrate-electric-buses/
By: Diane Benjamin How do I know that? From their website: https://connect-transit.com/about/our-fleet . Now see this story: https://readlion.com/biden-harris-admin-recalls-hundreds-of-electric-buses-amid-fire-concerns/ Excerpt: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a warning Wednesday about 483 electric transit buses being recalled over safety defects, according to a safety advisory. Phoenix Motorcars is voluntarily recalling Proterra 800V catalyst vehicles from 2020 to […]
By: Diane Benjamin A whopping 30 people attended the EV Townhall! If that isn’t funny enough, read WGLT’s article about the event: https://tinyurl.com/EV-Townhall 10 people were on the panel for the 30 attendees. Of course claims were made about EV’s and Climate Change. Facts are immaterial. Get some: https://climateataglance.com/climate-at-a-glance-natural-vs-human-contributions-to-greenhouse-gases-and-global-average-temperatures/ The article got really funny with […]
By: Diane Benjamin I mentioned in this story a reader told me he/she witnessed an electric Connect Transit bus being towed: https://blnnews.com/2024/03/04/two-things-i-wish-i-had-pics-of/ It turns out it wasn’t an electric bus. Obtained by FOIA: Connect Transit is forced to use OLD buses because the new electric fleet is junk. In case you can’t read that email, […]
By: Diane Benjamin I get tips frequently, mostly people forget to take pictures or aren’t able because they are driving. If you can stop and get a picture, please do! Visual is always better. 1) With the severe winds over the weekend I hear the tent city in downtown Bloomington had garbage blowing everywhere. A […]
By: Diane Benjamin All previous electric bus stories: https://blnnews.com/2024/01/30/3-more-shocking-emails-electric-buses/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/30/foia-emails-from-rivian-to-connect-transit/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/24/connect-transit-random-finds/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/23/one-more-connect-transit-for-now/ https://blnnews.com/2024/01/23/proterra-is-solyndra/ From this story: How much of your money has been wasted on Proterra buses? Since ADHD is both a blessing and a curse, I could have missed some payments. Note, Proterra filed for bankruptcy in August of 2023. The oldest electric buses are two […]
By: Diane Benjamin 3 more Connect transit emails I received via FOIA: 1) This one is from Proterra, the writer appears to be joking that a new bus made it to 900 miles. 2) Proof the electric buses are a joke – a many millions of dollars joke. The problems existed long before Proterra filed for bankruptcy. 3) I […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Council met yesterday afternoon after canceling Monday night’s meeting due to ice. It was short even with 3 Public Comments. Just hit play below to hear the first two. The new hockey owners made a brief presentation with slides that aren’t on video. The person who films at night usually switches the view so people […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Connect Transit Board met last night. The only mention of their electric buses was in connection to a new propaganda campaign that will be launching. (They call it marketing) Goal: You will proud of your local bus system! Part of the campaign will be wrapping all the buses – except electric ones. Only one is running so why […]
By: Diane Benjamin I have not finished reading everything I received. There is likely more to report. Make sure you read to the bottom. Connect’s General Manager doesn’t want you to know any of this. Refer back to the HUGE November loss: https://blnnews.com/2024/01/23/connect-loses-more-than-the-coliseum/ Salaries were almost twice normal. I thought Connect had a hiring spree of drivers and were no longer […]
By: Diane Benjamin We know Connect Transit bought electric buses from Proterra – they PAID for them: https://blnnews.com/2023/08/25/did-connect-transit-throw-away-9-million/ Those buses were paid for in 2022 and 2023. Maybe staff didn’t have time in the last 2 years to update the website, but under Connect Transit Fleet no electric buses are listed: https://connect-transit.com/about/our-fleet There are 39 diesel buses and […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is the official talking points the Connect Transit General Manager posted on Facebook: I received a tip that had NOTHING to do with a parts shortage, I filed a FOIA request on January 8th. It was due last Monday but Connect extended the request until the end of business next Monday. (1/22/24) The […]
By: Diane Benjamin At this week’s meeting it was mentioned that Champaign is trying hydrogen buses. It was mentioned Connect Transit might go that direction when they need more buses. Of course that would require different infrastructure. It would have been a lot easier to keep diesel buses and a lot faster to refuel them. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect transit is tired of people noticing the empty or close to empty buses roaming Bloomington-Normal so they fixed the problem. Check out of the new electric buses. h/t a reader They’ve gone from darkened windows to covering them completely. We still know the bus is mostly empty. CT didn’t have a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit October report, much more is available in the packet: Deficit: $1,189,796 Fixed Route Ridership was down 3.23% over September Mobility Ridership was up 2.88% over September PDF page 32-33 PDF page 36-37 PDF page 45:
By: Diane Benjamin Guess what this is: That is a picture from a new ELECTRIC Connect Transit bus. It holds 5 gallons, enough for 1 day. When the batteries can’t supply enough heat the buses will be keeping passengers warm with fossil fuels! Now see this story, h/t a reader: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/hybrids-evs/how-temperature-affects-electric-vehicle-range-a4873569949/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_FB How Temperature Affects Electric […]
By: Diane Benjamin See what CT spent on solar panels in June: $654,088.77 Year end numbers for 6/30/2022: Look at the amount of local dollars you are forced to pay for the privilege of having empty buses wreck the roads. $760,000 + $423,333 = $1,183,333. All of those other numbers are taxes too. Those numbers […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit Board meeting yesterday: https://www.connect-transit.com/file/556/03%2022%202022_Board%20of%20Trustees%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf Payment: $2,490,777 Add that to the $1,589,156 from this story: https://blnnews.com/2022/02/21/connect-transit-pays-proterra-for-electric-buses/ The total cost of 4 buses is $4,390,913. They still have $310,980 to go (unless that was sent as a deposit and I missed it) Next add $1,715,000 for solar panels. https://blnnews.com/2021/03/04/pulling-the-plug-on-electric-buses/ All this so […]
By: Diane Benjamin Don’t forget – there is no penalty for stupid government! Participants just move on to being stupid elsewhere 2019 Story: https://blnnews.com/2019/11/16/connect-transit-empty-buses-and-brains/ BEB is Battery Electric Buses March 4, 2021 story: https://blnnews.com/2021/03/04/pulling-the-plug-on-electric-buses/ Minneapolis abandoned electric buses for biodiesel Today: https://www.westernjournal.com/california-city-bought-electric-bus-company-promoted-white-house-now-considering-scrapping-expensive-fleet-nonstop-disasters/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=conservativetribune&utm_content=2021-07-23&utm_campaign=manualpost&fbclid=IwAR2w9iJr0t2OuY09oA-K4uRCSbifA1V7dKuZ2gLx4Y2JMY0kg8IsypGYh_A Another story from today: https://djhjmedia.com/steven/california-agency-looking-to-scrap-electric-buses-because-they-melt-catch-on-fire-and-costs-a-fortune-to-repair/ Quote: One Southern California city’s test run of […]
Earmarks are back! Earmarks are out of control spending for petty projects locals should pay for themselves instead of asking the feds to print money for them. Democrats resurrected them when they took control of the House. https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/tom-kacich-congress-brings-back-earmarks-one-illinois-rep-isnt-on-board/article_449a248d-57e6-5943-9d76-1cea915585df.html A Champaign columnist printed the facts. Excerpts: Among those representing central Illinois, Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, has […]
By: Diane Benjamin Every dollar Connect Transit spends is grant money. Where does that GRANT money come form? Tax dollars – YOU. They spent $1,715,000 on solar panels and charging infrastructure in preparation for electric buses. https://blnnews.com/2020/12/01/more-connect-transit/ Last month Connect ordered their first 4 electric buses: PDF page 26 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yp2A-6qp7zjhmjc2XVjk9RPUrY9-yDxx/view That brings the total that […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-SgGF0uzhIlXeWqdYlJ0blXEhDPLrrfh/view PDF page 49: Mark Peterson recommended keeping Executive Session Minutes a secret. The law requires a review twice a year. Bloomington is still hiding them from decades ago. See PDF pages 53 and 54: Connect is participating again this year with Stuff-The-Bus in support of Children’s Home and Aid. See the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The CT Board held a meeting on 7/28/2020. No financial information was included in the packet because June was the end of their fiscal year. That doesn’t mean other information wasn’t included in the packet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13_-iBZ8DuPQ_3Or2S90fgHrWo9JhJ1Wf/view PDF page 3 shows customers were down 13.6% for the year July 1, 2019 – June […]
By: Diane Benjamin After NOT posting the Agenda for today’s meeting 48 hours in advance as required by the Open Meetings Act (LAW!), yesterday Connect moved the meeting and thought people would magically know: https://www.connect-transit.com/about/trustees/cttf_working_group/agendas.asp No surprise, they didn’t have enough people for a quorum, some members of the public went to the wrong […]
By: Diane Benjamin In Indianapolis their electric buses started losing the charge when the temperature got below 50 degrees! See this story: https://www.theindychannel.com//indygo-electric-buses-having-battery-problems-cant-handle-the-cold Excerpts from TODAY’s story: INDIANAPOLIS — The IndyGo electric buses are already showing signs of trouble as the temperatures plunge. It’s a problem Call 6 Investigates first exposed in March, and now it’s happening. […]
By: Diane Benjamin This will be the final story documenting the Normal council meeting held on 10/7/2019 See the other parts here – they all tie together: https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-1/ https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-2/ https://blnnews.com/2019/10/08/the-normal-circus-last-night-part-3/ The Connect Transit problem is now clear. The Board, appointed by both mayors, has a mission that doesn’t align with what taxpayers expect a transit […]
By: Diane Benjamin Chris Koos’ bike shop sells electric bikes. https://www.vitessecycle.com/product-list/bikes-1000/ebikes-electric-bikes-1038/ These bikes can reach speeds of 30 MPH, but they are not banned on Constitution Trail. Signs on the trail say “No Motorized Vehicles”, so why are electric allowed? Safety doesn’t matter? Aren’t some bikers on the trail already a hazard? How is “electric” […]
Connect Transit is the best example of a government agency throwing away tax dollars. In the near future they will want more of your money to throw away. Marc Tiritilli posted the below to Facebook. Keep in mind he requested an appointment to the Connect Transit Board to fill the year long empty seat representing […]
By: Diane Benjamin News Flash: The working group is a joke. Connect Transit has no intention of serving the people who MUST ride the bus because the board is appointed by 2 mayors who think Bloomington-Normal is Chicago. Don’t forget Connect hired a firm for more than $50,000 to facilitate – they expect you to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are screen shots from Connect Transit reports for what they paid Corn Belt for electricity. https://www.connect-transit.com/about/trustees/packet.asp Note: Connect Transit does not posts report as “searchable”. If the Illinois Policy Institute was still giving transparency grades, they would flunk. Obviously they are paying between $3,900 and $4,300 a month. At $4,300 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Even though many of the Council people questioned Isaac Thorne of Connect Transit about the empty buses, he continued to claim at times they have 60+ boardings per hour on many routes. Below is when Mboka asked about it – just hit play. Thorne’s presentation and discussion starts at 11:15 if you […]
