City cannot raise MU game day shuttle fees
The cost of a bus ride to MU football games will not increase next year without all other city transit rates rising, according a report presented to the City Council on Monday night.
Catching a bus anywhere in the city costs $1, but City Council debated raising this fee to $2 for the game day shuttle in order to make it self-sustaining.
But, a 2008 federal law prohibits establishing a “premium fare” for transportation services that a grant-receiving entity, such as the city of Columbia, provides for an irregular event, such as a football game, according to the report written by Public Works Director John Glascock.
“We came up with that great idea only to discover it is a violation of the United States constitution,” Hindman said. “If that is designed to protect the private sector, which is showing no interest whatsoever in doing this, it just seems like there ought to be a way to anyways.”
These regulations were put in place, Glascock writes, to protect private business. He said in essence, the federal law prohibits entities that receive public money for transportation from using that equipment, and those bus drivers to compete head-to-head with private businesses, who do not get assistance from taxpayers.
“It keeps us from undercutting private businesses," Glascock said. "We have to charge the same as we do for all other fares."
Despite this regulation, the city is allowed to raise transit rates across the board, which happened during 2008, when rates went from 50 cents to $1. In 2009 that increase was applied halfway through the football season Glascock said.