PUBLIC INVITED TO FREEMAN TRANSIT MEETING THURSDAY NIGHT

The public in invited to an informational meeting hosted by Brookings Area Transit Authority (BATA) Thursday evening to learn more about transit service in Freeman and BATA’s plans to build a new facility here to house the fleet of vehicles used by Freeman Community Transit. The March 28 meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Freeman Public Library.

Travis Bortnem, executive director with BATA, told The Courier the meeting will include general information about transit service in Freeman, as well as the cost of construction of the new facility, which as proposed will be built across from City Hall on the north side of Third Street.

While BATA has some funding in place for the half-million project — including $60,000 of its own funding and a $320,000 DOT grant awarded last summer, the rising costs of construction is resulting in the need for additional community buy-in, Bortnem said.

“There are good things happening with transit in Freeman, but the costs of new building projects are going up,” he said. “We need to try to get some more  community involvement.”