VIDEO: A Public Transit System Could Be On Its Way To Tupelo

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- Tupelo City leaders are discussing details of an 18 month pilot program that’ll cost roughly $215,000 for a new transit system.

“There’s a need. The studies reveal or show that there’s a need,” said Don Lewis, Chief Operations Officer.

Lewis said bringing a transportation system to Tupelo is something that’s been in the works for several years now.

“We’re the 8th largest city, and we’re the only one with our size that doesn’t have have some type of public transit system” Lewis said.

He believes a transit system would greatly benefit the city. That’s why he’s excited about the potential to implement the pilot program

“There is a large youth population here, and there is an older population, plus a larger population that is under the poverty line,” said Dr. James Conigilo, head of Task Force.

“You can see kind of where we don’t have sidewalks. The path along the side of the road where there’s foot traffic, people have a hard time getting to work, getting to get medical care, getting to get groceries so we need to provide an option to assist our citizens,” said Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton.

The transit system would run on a fixed route but also have an on-demand option where people can call-in for pick up service.

On the fixed route, the buses would run routes on through the city’s busiest streets.

In east and west Tupelo it would run from the ICC campus all the way to Ballard Park. In north and south Tupelo, it would run from the Barnes Crossing Mall up to the Hospital.

“Places like Walmart, Kroger, the hospital, and the shopping center area, they’re going to be major stops,” said Dr. Conigilo

“We have looked at some ideas on what size buses we would try to utilize,” said Nettie Davis, Ward 4 councilwoman. “We will try to make this work and then we would have to work and sell the program to the people in the community so that we can make this a reality for a long time.”

City leaders said they’re confident about getting the project to come to Tupelo.

The next step in the process is for RFP’s to be sent out to see which companies would be interested in bringing their services to the city.

“The mayor and the council have worked long and hard on this,” Lewis explained.  “They’ve studied it, they’ve asked for proposals, they’ve looked at it again, and they looked at it again. The next step either is to stop studying it or to make decision and give it a try.”

The city is partnering with Climb Up to help bring in the project.

Conigilo said the buses passes will cost about $2, and they’re looking at having the buses run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.