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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 105%;">CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI<br />P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<h2 style="font-size: 200%;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h2>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">October 7, 2016</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 75px; font-size: 120%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Drew Brooks
<br />Parking and Transportation Manager
<br />573-874-2489
<br />drew.brooks@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:200%;"><h3 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 170%;">Community visioning session scheduled for Oct. 11</h3>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display:inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Help refine the vision for bus service in Columbia</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City of Columbia invites the public to attend a Visioning Session on Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the </span><a href="http://www.como.gov/ParksandRec/Parks/driving.php?loc=ARC%20-%20Activity%20and%20Recreation%20Center%20,%20West%20Ash%20Street%20,%20Columbia%20,%20MO"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Activity Recreation Center</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (ARC), 1701 W. Ash St., as part of the </span><a href="https://www.comoconnect.org/get-involved/public-transit-consultants/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COMO Bus Service Evaluation Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Anyone with an interest in the city's bus system is encouraged to attend. All bus rides will be free all day and additional transportation will be provided after the event. American Sign Language interpreters will be present.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Online commenting is currently available via online survey at comobus.digicate.com (English) and autobus.digicate.com (Spanish) through Dec. 17. The survey can be translated into other languages via Google Translate and is Screen Reader accessible. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Visioning Session will begin with a short presentation. Then participants will be asked to help the COMO Bus Service Evaluation Team refine the vision for improved transit in the city, determine priority community transit needs and desires and identify goals for improved bus service. The Team will combine the feedback gathered during the meeting and via the online survey with technical analysis. The Team will leverage both to create recommendations for a series of transportation improvement alternatives. Some of the alternatives will be long-, medium-, and short-term, but all will address costs and financial resources. The Team will share them with the public near the end of the bus evaluation process. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The City is developing the </span><a href="https://www.comoconnect.org/get-involved/public-transit-consultants/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COMO Bus Service Evaluation Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to ensure that the bus system provides efficient service and meets the needs of community members. The evaluation began during the winter of 2016 and will continue through the spring of 2017. During the process, the evaluation team will study the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the 2014 COMO Connect Project. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The current COMO Connect system is designed as a networked transportation system, relying on two core connector routes with high frequency service and buses traveling in both directions. It also offers nine smaller neighborhood routes with lower frequency and a bus traveling in only one direction. The City is coordinating the Oct. 11 Visioning Session, online commenting tools, and social media, so stakeholders may share thoughts, questions or concerns about bus service in Columbia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more information about the </span><a href="https://www.comoconnect.org/get-involved/public-transit-consultants/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COMO Bus Service Evaluation Project</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, contact Drew Brooks, Transit and Parking Manager, City of Columbia, at </span><a href="mailto:drew.brooks@como.gov"><span style="font-weight: 400;">drew.brooks@CoMo.gov</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">or 573-874-2489</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You may also visit the </span><a href="https://www.comoconnect.org/get-involved/public-transit-consultants/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Get Involved</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> page of </span><a href="https://www.comoconnect.org/get-involved/public-transit-consultants/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COMOConnect.org</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Follow the project on Twitter
</span><a href="https://twitter.com/COMOConnect"><span style="font-weight: 400;">@COMOConnect</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/COMO-Bus-Service-Evaluation-1523732664307371/?fref=ts">COMO Bus Service Evaluation</a> and use our hashtag: COMOConnect.</span></p></div>
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