City bus service on the rebound

High gas prices may push people to trolley; will Greentown, Russiaville get service?

Mark Twain would be proud. The City of Kokomo’s transit service has decided that reports of its demise were greatly exaggerated. At least more people have opted for public transportation over the past two months, which is a welcome change from 2021.

Kokomo-Howard County Governmental Coordinating Council (KHCGCC) executive director Tammy Corn reported to the council on March 10 that rider numbers are up this year.

“They are starting to tick up a bit, which is encouraging,” said Corn. “We are doing pretty well. Our daily averages are still low. We’re still working on it. It’s tough all the way around.”

That trend, likely fueled by the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with rising fuel prices, may mean a resurgence in public transportation usage that members of the KHCGCC didn’t see at their January meeting.