Iowa officials eyeing intercity bus service, ridematching

LINN and JOHNSON COUNTIES, Iowa — An express intercity bus service connecting Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Coralville and Iowa City, and public ridematching software to better facilitate car and van pools are two preferred improvements identified in a preliminary draft of a yearlong study on commuting in Eastern Iowa, KCRG TV9 News reported.

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The two-way intercity bus service would be geared to working commuters, offering power outlets and wireless Internet, said Brent Paulsen, technology and research manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The Iowa DOT is working with HNTB, a Kansas City-based architectural and engineering firm, to finalize the Iowa Commuter Transportation Study and submit it to the Legislature by Dec. 15, the report said.

The commuter study looked at a variety of options for public intercity bus service, such as rides every 15 minutes or one trip per peak time. More trips would require more buses and increase costs, while fewer trips would save money but limit participation, Paulsen told TV9 News.

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