MCT presents information about its services at Main Street Community Center lunch

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Transit (MCT) presented information about its services to area residents yesterday, as part of the Lunch & Learn educational series at the Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville. MCT Marketing Manager, Amanda Viliocco-Smith provided an overview which include the following:

MCT Fixed Route System: Operating 24 fixed-routes which pick-up and drop-off at nearly 1,400 bus stops throughout Madison County. 100% of vehicles are ADA accessible and equipped with bicycle racks. Carries approximately 2.6 million passengers annually to employment, classes, shopping and other services.

ACT Runabout Paratransit: Providing door-to-door service for registered elderly and disabled passengers in Madison County. Carries approximately 80,000 passengers annually.

RideFinders: Promoting and registering carpools and vanpools in the 9-county St. Louis region though its free ride-matching service. Nearly 12,000 commuters in the database, representing more than 6,000 ridesharing commuters who eliminate more than 1.45 million pounds of vehicle emissions each year.

MCT Trails: Developing and maintaining 130 miles of scenic bikeways in Madison County. The 9 MCT Trails form 7 inter-connected loops and represent 1,500 acres of greenways.

Additionally, Viliocco-Smith updated the group on MCT’s Free Ride and Half Fare ID program. MCT issues photo IDs for individuals who qualify for a free or half fare ride based on age, income level or disability. ID Distribution sessions occur at the MCT Edwardsville Station the first Wednesday of each month from 4 P.M. – 6 P.M and the third Thursday of each month from 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. The ID categories are listed below:

Senior Select Free Ride ID: Madison County seniors aged 75 or older

Benefits Access Free Ride ID: Illinois residents who are enrolled in the State of Illinois’ Benefits Access program.

Senior Free Ride ID: Madison County seniors, ages 65-74 enrolled in Benefits Access.

Half Fare ID: Seniors between the ages of 65 and 74, and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Free Ride ID: Madison County residents registered with the ACT Runabout program.

MCT staff also provided information about the MCT Muny Express, which operates round-trip service to every Friday evening performance at the Muny in Forest Park. Several individuals present had taken the MCT Muny Express to shows recently and complimented MCT for the convenience and reliability. The Muny Express serves 10 locations in Madison County and drops-off and picks-up right in front of the Muny, eliminating the hassle of driving, finding a parking spot and walking to and from the event. A round trip ticket for adults on the MCT Muny Express is $5.00. Seniors (65 and older), individuals with disabilities and children (5-12) can ride for just $1.75 each way.

For more information about MCT’s services visit mct.org, call 618-797-INFO (4636), email info@mct.org or find Madison County Transit on Facebook.

Madison County Transit (MCT) provides multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. MCT operates a fixed-route bus service, connecting to MetroLink; express weekday commuter service directly to and from downtown St. Louis; and seasonal express service to the Rams games and the Muny. For elderly and disabled residents who are unable to use the fixed-route buses, MCT provides complementary door to door service. MCT is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of more than 130 miles of bikeways that comprise the MCT Trails system, as well as overseeing RideFinders, the St. Louis region’s FREE carpooling and vanpooling program.

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