MCT board approves $2.8 million contract for Troy Park & Ride
From Illinois Business Journal news services
GRANITE CITY — The Madison County Transit District board has approved a contract for the construction of a new multi-modal Park & Ride facility in Troy.
The $2.8 million contract was awarded to the lowest responsive bidder, Keller Construction of Glen Carbon. The Troy Park & Ride will be located at the intersection of South Main Street and US Route 40 and will replace the current gravel lot that has reached capacity.
To accommodate growing MCT Express ridership to Downtown St. Louis and the SIUE campus, the new facility will include an 180-car parking lot (expanded from 110 spaces), and a passenger shelter. A 3,000-foot bike and pedestrian trail will be extended west from the site to nearby Spring Valley Road. Prior to construction on the new park and ride lot, a temporary parking area will be created immediately west of the site for passengers who ride the No. 14 Highland Express and the No. 13X Highland–SIUE Express. Construction is scheduled to begin in May and expected to take about one year to complete.
PHOTO LEFT: From left, Jerry Kane (managing director), Dan Corbett (MCT board chairman), Theresa Blair (ACT driver), and Tony Lafata (director of operations).
The MCT Board of Trustees also recognized ACT Paratransit driver Theresa Blair, of Wood River for 15 years of perfect safety and conferred on her the prestigious ‘Nelson Hagnauer Award’ for excellence in service.
As defined by the National Safety Council, to retain the ‘perfect safety’ designation, drivers must, in all situations, make every effort possible to avoid an accident. Over the course of the last 15 years, Blair has logged more than 31,000 hours behind the wheel of a Paratransit vehicle without a preventable accident. The award is named in honor of former MCT Board Chairman Nelson “Nellie” Hagnauer, who was instrumental in the development of MCT’s system of multi-modal transportation services. In addition to his years with MCT, Hagnauer was Granite City Township supervisor for 35 years and served on the Madison County Board for 41 years, 24 years as chairman.
In other board action, MCT Trustee Terry Allen recommended approval for special transportation services to be provided for the International Horseradish Festival in Collinsville. The annual event will be held on June 4 and 5, at Collinsville’s Woodland Park. MCT will provide shuttle service to the park, from the parking lot at Collinsville Intermediate School, located at 1841 Vandalia.
