By Fox23.com News Staff
MCALESTER, Okla. — The City of McAlester has released the survey results on public transportation options for residents to consider.
The survey was conducted to understand whether a public bus or transit service could help the community.
According to the results, 59.5% of respondents to the survey have access to a personal vehicle. 27.3% said they would use a public bus if available a few times a week, while 21.1% said they would use it daily.
When filling out multiple uses for the bus, 53.6% said they would use it for essential trips and errands, 53.2% would use it for medical appointments, and 51.8% would use it for grocery shopping.
Asked about what time in the day they would use a bus, 48.6% said they would use it anytime the service was available, while 44.8% said in the afternoon between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 43.5% said in the evening between 4 and 7 p.m. Only 12.6% would use it only on the weekends.
In regard to walking to a bus stop, a majority at 53.3% said they would walk 2-3 blocks to get to a stop and then a steep decline at 27.5% would walk less than a block and 24.2% would walk 4 to 5 blocks to get to a stop. Only 8.2% would be willing to walk more than 5 blocks.
21.8% of residents said they would need accomodations for mobility, disabilities, strollers, or medical equipment.
50.5% said they would prefer a fixed bus route, with stops at regular locations and on a schedule. 28.7% would like an on-demand shuttle while 14.7% would prefer a park-and-ride service. 48.9% would like a combination of options.
Some survey takers suggested a monthly bus pass or being free for disabled veterans, while others suggested fixing roads instead.
You can read the full results of the survey below.
