If you live in Huntley and are considering a public, regional transportation option, it is available to you if any of the Metra trains has a scheduled stop at your destination. Trains are the extent of the regional, public transportation options.
If your destination is just a short distance or a few miles away, the options include a friendly neighbor, a family member or a commercial taxi. That’s it.
But, if you prefer not to pursue those options, help is on the way. At least that‘s what recent newspaper reports tell us…kind of…sort of. The McHenry County Director of the McRide program and Clerk of the Village of Huntley filled in some of the missing blanks about a much needed local transportation program coming our way.
It’s the recently announced McRide transportation program, scheduled to begin about February 2015. It will function under the auspices of the County of McHenry’s Department of Transportation. The McRide program will service to and from curb to curb riders residing in participating McHenry communities that, financially, choose to participate in that program.
Please note that McRide is a McHenry County project.
Now the plot thickens. Grafton Township, which is located within McHenry County, at one time and through the kindness of its heart, extended its transportation service to all Sun City residents, including those living in Grafton and Rutland Townships.
That service is no longer available to residents living in Rutland Township, although it currently continues for Grafton Township residents only. A portion of Sun City is located in Grafton Township, allowing those residents to qualify for the service.
But the Village of Huntley, through the kindness of its heart and your tax dollars, will participate in the McHenry County McRide program thereby allowing all Village of Huntley residents, including those living in the Kane County portion of the Village, to utilize the McRide service. Got it? It’s simple.
When the McRide program begins and you live anywhere in Huntley, get on board. No DNA necessary.
Preliminary analysis projects that the Village of Huntley’s annual contribution to the program will be about $40,000.
Sun City was invited to make a financial contribution to the program but opted not to as a not-for-profit, private entity and being the only not-for-profit that was approached.
McRide will not be a free plan, although the rider fees will be minimal.
Good news for all! Come February 2015, we won’t have to make as many calls for a ride to our families, neighbors and taxi cab companies.
Jim Darow
Neighborhood 5
