Hall Co. commissioners discuss Red Rabbit fare increase

GAINESVILLE - Community Services Center Director Phillippa Lewis-Moss spoke at length to Hall County commissioners Tuesday, asking them to save county transportation services.

One way to save Dial-A-Ride and the Red Rabbit would be a fare increase, and all five commissioners said they would entertain that idea.

Of course, public hearings would have to be held, and Lewis-Moss said she would begin working to organize those hearings immediately.

"The next step will be to look for a date on the calendar that works for both the city [Gainesville] and the county to talk about a rate increase," she said.

She said in the decade the transit system has been in place, there has been no increase in fares.

She said the hearings will have to be scheduled quickly so that county and city leaders will know what kind of financial commitment to make to transportation services in upcoming budgets.

Commissioner Billy Powell also asked Lewis-Moss to approach other municipalities in the county about contributing to transportation services. Gainesville is currently the only city to do so.

She said that suggestion had come up in conversation before when authorities began looking at ways to save the cash-strapped system.

"Quite frankly, things have been moving so fast, we weren't even sure if we would even survive the year, so we've delayed any action to that end, but it definitely looks like the doors are open today," she said.