Service continues in Grafton but enters evaluation phase through January
HUNTLEY – Sun City residents in both Grafton and Rutland Townships saw changes in the Grafton Township senior bus service on Nov. 30.
For Rutland riders, service ended that day. Rutland Township residents of Sun City rode the bus for years – at their peak representing over half of the bus’s ridership, according to Grafton Township Supervisor Jim Kearns. But Rutland Township did not contribute any money to the bus’s operating costs, and this year, Kearns maintained that Rutland would have to pay its share or see service end.
After months of discussion and meetings, ideas proposed by Rutland Township Supervisor Margaret Sanders on pitching in for the Grafton bus or making the Township a sponsor of the Ride in Kane service were denied a vote by Rutland trustees.
Rutland trustee Fred Buhlman said he and the other trustees ran on a pledge to reduce or maintain tax levies. New busing costs would conflict with those efforts.
“To launch into a brand new entitlement program, if you will, under those circumstances didn’t seem appropriate,” he said.
Buhlman maintained that Rutland is a rural township significantly smaller than Grafton, and he did not feel it was right to charge all of Rutland for a service only a portion of the township would use.
Sanders is a resident of Sun City and said she has heard from many neighbors disappointed in the service ending.
“Whenever I go out, I always run into someone who has a comment about it, that it’s unfortunate that we’re not able to do something,” she said.
Buhlman is also a Sun City resident but said he has heard both from disappointed riders as well as neighbors thankful for the township’s cost-saving measures.
“I think the whole issue received full airing and full discussion; we had vocal people on both sides of the issue from residents that were heard at the township,” he said.
Now, Sanders is looking into the possibility of starting a Special Service Area within Sun City to serve those left without consistent transportation. Sanders said she has contacted the Village of Huntley and Kane County about setting up a Special Service Area through them and is waiting on answers from both.
For now, Sanders said Rutland residents can contact local agencies (like those listed below) about finding rides but expressed concern over their limited capacity to help the wheelchair-bound.
Bus service continues for about 200 Grafton Township riders, but the program is now entering an evaluation stage. From Nov. 30 through Jan. 31, 2014, five-day service will continue with shopping days being made available five days per week. Fees will remain at $1 per ride.
During the evaluation, Grafton will review how many riders used the bus each day and to which locations they rode. With that data, the township will make a decision on whether to keep five-day service or cut down to three-day service.
The decision was first made to enter three-day service once Rutland rides ended on Nov. 30, but Kearns admitted it was a hasty decision. He credits a Rutland rider in making him reconsider.
“I felt it was a little premature to cut us immediately to three day service without studying the effects,” Kearns said.
Kearns said the Township is aware it will lose money on the bus, but it can still try to maintain efficiency. The bus is funded by Grafton taxpayers and a $33,750 grant for 2014 from McHenry County.
“There’s no reason we can’t be efficient on it and still provide the best service to our riders,” he said.
Grafton residents in Sun City were notified of the changes by a letter sent from Kearns on Nov. 20.
To find a ride:
Senior Services Associates:
Volunteer transportation program
Elgin, Kane County: 847-741-0404
Crystal Lake, McHenry County: 815-356-7457
Neighborhood Angels:
Volunteer network in Sun City
Contact Judy Abrams: 847-669-3760 or Kathy Ryan: 847-630-9345
Senior Care Volunteer Network (formerly Faith in Action):
Crystal Lake
815-455-3120
