New bus service aids local workers

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
Commercial-News

DANVILLE May 08, 2008 11:07 am

— Local workers have a new mode of transportation to their jobs in Champaign.
Danville Township unveiled its new program, Driven to Succeed, during a small ceremony Wednesday morning. It is the result of work by several organizations, such as the Coalition for Reintegration, during the last two years.
The project calls for providing inexpensive transportation to workers employed at Plastipak in Champaign. Two buses were purchased to carry the people to and from the company.
Danville Township Supervisor Roger Boen said the idea originally was developed to assist prison parolees. But it now extends to all workers who can take advantage of it.
“As you see now, our market pretty much is drying up here and it’s hard to get employment, and Champaign right now seems to be thriving,” Boen said.
The buses will leave Danville Township four times during the day beginning at 6 a.m. The bus service begins on Monday.
Cheryl Bradfield, manager of local Illinois Employment Security Office, attended Wednesday’s announcement. She said bus service offers the potential for a huge impact in Vermilion County.
“We don’t have employers in Vermilion County that have entry-level jobs that don’t require a lot of skills,” she said. “But we have a pool of workers that don’t have a lot of skills, so we can’t find them employment here.”
The workers — mostly temporary through services such as Staff Management or Labor Ready — face the potential for being hired on full-time at Plastipak in 70 days, Bradfield said.
“It’s a win-win; it seriously is,” she added.
Currently, tickets for the bus service can be purchased at Danville Township for $35 per week. That’s a $5 increase over the original planned price because of the increases in diesel fuel prices, Boen said.
“There’s no guarantee that will stay at $35,” he said. “But we’re still going to make it affordable so that individuals working in the Champaign market will be able to ride that bus.”
Boen said the goal for himself and co-coordinator Kevin Flynn of At-Home Housing is to simply break even in regards to expenses.
Although the bus service doesn’t begin until Monday, Boen said the township already has received a number of calls from workers who are currently driving to Champaign but want to ride the bus.
The buses are expected to offer prompt pickup and drop offs to and from the company, a service that has more than just timeliness in mind.
“The key factor … is that we will have that bus sitting waiting for them when they get off work,” Boen said. “So when they get their check, it can only be cashed in Vermilion County. There won’t be any time for them to cash a check over there.
“This way we’re going to try to bring some of those dollars back.”
Considerations are already being made for expansion of the program. Talks with Greg Hilleary, executive director of Danville Housing Authority, may result in the buses starting at Fair Oaks Housing Complex to pick up residents there.
Boen also said he expects a third bus to be purchased in order to expand the services to Hoopeston workers going to employment in Rantoul.