TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Kelly Strickland, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Tyffany Neal, Transit Director
DATE: March 13, 2025
RE:
Title
Approval of Fare-Free Fixed Route and Paratransit Service for the United Way's Dolly Parton Imagination Library Story Time
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal IV: The City of Fayetteville will be a highly desirable place to live, work and recreate with thriving neighborhoods and a high quality of life for all citizens.
Executive Summary:
The City Council is asked to authorize the temporary waiver of bus fares for all fixed route and paratransit services provided by the Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) on four Saturdays in March 2025 from 8 a.m. until noon, beginning March 8 through March 29, 2025. Unanimous consensus for this fare waiver was provided by Council at the March 3, 2025 City Council Work Session.
The availability of fare-free transit service will remove transportation barriers for young children to access the United Way of Cumberland County's Dolly Parton Imagination Library Story Time program.
Background:
FAST has been working with the United Way of Cumberland County and other agencies in efforts to address literacy rates in our community.
To tackle literacy challenges from an early age, the Literacy Council is launching its first initiative "Imagination Library Story Time" in partnership with Cumberland County and Fort Bragg Libraries. Beginning in March 2025, this weekly program will provide families with young children engaging opportunities to develop a love of books and reading.
The temporary waiver of bus fares will enable participants to travel to and from story-times, without barriers, no matter where their trip begins within FAST's service area. FAST seeks to engage in partnerships that provide benefit to the Fayetteville area, as well as enhance the impact public transit has within our community...
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