New agreement met to continue public transit routes in Cabarrus County
The City of Kannapolis and the City of Concord have announced an agreement that will maintain the current CK Rider routes and stops over the next year.
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The agreement comes following months of negotiations between city leaders. CK Rider is the public transportation system serving the two cities and operates multiple fixed bus routes.
“Rider Transit isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for thousands of our residents who rely on it every day to get to work, school, church, to their doctor’s offices, the grocery store and other essential places,” said Concord City Manager Lloyd Payne in a statement. “We heard from so many in our community over the last several months who rely on the transportation services provided by Rider Transit, and we are thrilled our partners in Kannapolis have agreed to fully fund transit operations.”
Earlier this year, Kannapolis officials announced plans to cut around its annual spending for the CK Rider bus system from $1.4 million to just over $730,000. The change would’ve eliminated around 40% of the Kannapolis routes and weekend service in the city, according to reporting from the Salisbury Post.
The public transportation system currently operates eight routes in Concord and Kannapolis. The service operates seven days per week and has an annual ridership of around 400,000 residents, according to a news release.
The new agreement will now preserve these services as Concord and Kannapolis officials deliberate ways to reach a more financially sustainable system.
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As part of the agreement city officials are considering a system-wide fare increase. An increase has not been formally agreed upon and is still under evaluation, officials said. If an increase is approved it would be the first fare increase for the public transit system since 2012.
“We are experiencing the rising costs of every item needed for the Rider Transit service,” said Kannapolis City Manager Wilmer Melton in a statement. “We must work together to find the best way to manage rising costs while still offering the most effective public transit system for Kannapolis residents and everyone else who needs the bus for transportation.”
Melton said the city’s challenges are not unique, but officials are seeking input from transit experts from around the country.
“City officials across North Carolina and the United States are studying public transit because of rising costs and inefficiencies,” Melton said. “We are committed to working to find the best long-term solution for our community.”
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