Rural Knox County residents could soon have access to on-demand public transit under a proposed partnership between the county and the city of Galesburg.
The city council will vote Monday on an intergovernmental agreement that would formalize the partnership, which will allow residents of rural areas and small towns in the community to request rides to medical appointments, retail hubs, community events, and social services.
The county board will vote on the agreement at its regular meeting on July 29.
Knox County Board Chair Jared Hawkinson called it a “win-win” for access to transportation and for regional cooperation.
“For too long, living in the more rural areas of Knox County has meant having fewer transportation choices," Hawkinson said in a release. “This expanded partnership bridges that gap by delivering a reliable, county-wide transit solution.”
Here’s how it will work:
- The city will administer state and federal transit grants and manage daily operations, including scheduling, dispatch, and customer service.
- Rural residents will be able to request curb-to-curb, on-demand rides through a centralized city dispatch center, with fares based on location and rides subject to vehicle availability.
- The county will then provide its share of required local matching funds for the transit grants to the city.
The expansion comes after the city received a Technical Services Grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2023. That allowed the city to conduct a comprehensive analysis of transit operations, which revealed a need for more options in rural areas.
The county subsequently formed a transportation task force.
"Rural residents often face longer distances and fewer transportation choices," said Kraig Boynton, city of Galesburg transit manager, in the release. "This program aims to offer a safe, effective, and efficient form of transportation for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity.”
There would be no cost to the city to extend transit into the county, and the partnership would not affect existing transit and paratransit services in Galesburg.
With approval from both the city council and the county board this month, there will be a soft rollout of the rural transit program in late summer. The service would then be fully up and running by October.
The initial agreement would run through June 30, 2027, with the option to renew annually.
