Greg Gates, representing Reagan Mass Transit, reported to the Lee County Zoning & Planning Committee that ridership is continuing to grow, particularly as schools and community colleges return to session and awareness increases in rural Winnebago County.

"Ridership is continuing to grow, especially now that, obviously, more schools are back in session," Gates said, adding that rural Winnebago ridership "is also gaining some traction." He said the agency will soon solicit bids for a general contractor to build its Oregon office after receiving pre‑bid concurrence from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Gates also described plans to expand the scope of a transit desert study beyond the initial Lee County focus. He said the project team — which the agency is carrying out in partnership with Northern Illinois University (NIU) — has completed the Lee County portion and will begin countywide stakeholder interviews, a general public survey and focus groups over the next five to six months. "Look for a final report on [the transit desert study]... by the end of the next calendar year," Gates told the committee.

Committee Chair Jack Skragstead thanked Reagan Mass Transit for its work and noted the agency is beginning service into Ogle County and the Winnebago area, expanding options for county residents.

Next steps: The agency will proceed with the procurement process for the Oregon office and start the countywide outreach phase of the transit desert study; Gates said a final study report is expected by the end of next year.