by Anna Herod
Kyle City Council unanimously approved on March 1 a resolution allowing Kyle/Buda Taxi to operate a pilot program providing public transportation services to residents.
The resolution funds the program with an amount not to exceed $50,000 and directs the city manager to bring forward a budget amendment to appropriate funds in the same amount from the General Fund balance.
The public transportation service will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Under the resolution, Kyle/Buda Taxi will provide one trip to the Capital Metro Local Connection Center at South Park Meadows in Austin and one trip to a location in San Marcos where riders can access San Marcos public transportation.
The shuttles for out of city service will leave Kyle at 8 a.m. and pick riders up at 4:30 p.m.
Riders will be required to provide advance notice to the taxi service in order to reserve a seat on the shuttle.
Shuttle riders will be required to pay $6 each per trip on the shuttle service. The city will reimburse Kyle/Buda Taxi for the shuttle service at $25 an hour.
For in city service, Kyle/Buda Taxi will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. within city limits. Only Kyle residents are eligible to use the public transportation and all riders must pay $3 per trip.
Each month, Kyle/Buda Taxi will provide a monthly report detailing all riders and destinations to the city of Kyle. The report will include the names and addresses of riders, destinations, mileage for each rider, pickup and drop off time for each rider, overall time of operation and fees collected from each rider.
Kyle resident Madonna Hayes said she is happy that the city decided to fund a public transportation pilot program. However, she wishes the service days could be on Wednesdays and Fridays instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“I’m disappointed on the days and I’m disappointed that I have to pay more,” Hayes said.
When the city still used the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) demand-response service, Kyle residents only had to pay $2 per trip.
But the city’s contract with CARTS for demand-response service ended on Dec. 31, 2015.
Hayes has spoken at the last several council meetings pleading with the city’s leaders to bring public transportation back to Kyle. She lives in senior apartments and does not have her own car.
“I have a doctor in San Marcos that I haven’t been able to see in over three months and I want to be able to go to see him,” Hayes said. “I want to commend Council Member (Diane) Hervol and Daphne (Tenorio) for their hard work because the others won’t do anything for me.”
