The new bus route that goes from the M-U student center to the Columbia Farmers Market has yet to attract many passengers. The route’s third day was Saturday and only one person took advantage of the new busing system during the entire run that day.
The new route, which is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, runs through the Mizzou campus as well as portions of central Columbia considered food deserts. Columbia Farmers Market spokesperson Caroline Todd says there’s still hope.
“We’re hoping to get more riders on the bus but we know that it takes five weeks for a new route such as this to catch on.”
Todd says the Farmers Market is doing a number of things to promote the busing system.
“We’re advertising it on campus with maps, and we advertised it at Earth Day, and so we have the word out there. It’s also on the website.”
Todd says she hopes the new route will promote the Farmers Market and give access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables to people living in the food deserts.