VALDOSTA— The Southern Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) held a public open-house meeting at McMullen Southside Library on Thursday to discuss the Southern Georgia Regional Transit Development Plan (TDP).

The event provided an overview of the plan’s goals, current transit conditions, and its vision for improving public transit across the region. The Regional TDP seeks to address new challenges and opportunities, with a focus on expanding transit access to underserved areas and enhancing service efficiency. 

The meeting highlighted the region’s demographic and socioeconomic factors that drive the demand for transit services. Key groups include seniors, youth, households without vehicles, and minority populations. Southern Georgia has a significant senior population that is projected to grow, alongside notable concentrations of zero-car households and communities with limited English proficiency, according to information provided at the meeting.

Existing transit services include SGRC Regional Transit, which operates 63 vehicles across 15 counties, and Valdosta On-Demand, a micro-transit system serving the city of Valdosta with 12 vehicles. Both services provide on-demand transit options that are booked through a mobile app. However, three counties — Clinch, Echols, and Lanier — have not opted into the regional TDP. Potentially expanding services to these areas was one of the focuses of the updated plan.

The plan also aims to streamline coordination with state-administered transit programs, such as those provided by the Georgia Department of Human Services and the Department of Community Health, which cater to specific populations, including seniors and individuals with disabilities.

The SGRC planning team outlined a multi-phase approach for the TDP, beginning with the assessment of current transit conditions and community needs. Future phases will focus on developing strategies and alternatives to guide transit system improvements through 2050. A virtual meeting in April will allow participants to provide more input and review a draft plan. The final plan is set to be adopted in September.

During the open house, Amy Martin, SGRC transportation director, spoke about the importance of community input. Interested parties are encouraged to review project boards, discuss ideas with the planning team, and complete a survey to provide public feedback. The survey and project boards can be accessed at www.southernga-transitplan.com.

“Whether it is for doctor appointments, work, or the grocery store, it is very important that we hear from the public — the people actually using the system and the people who want to see what the system can be in the future,” stated Martin.