KEYLINE

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

KEYLINE. On June 26, 1973 Dubuque citizens by 92.2 percent voted "yes" to the proposition that the city should acquire and operate a municipal bus transit system. The size of the vote--32.6 percent of the eligible electorate--was considered gratifying to those who had supported the idea. Only four of the city's 25 precincts registered "yes" majorities of less than 90%, and those were in the mid-80s. (1)

Much of the credit for the outcome of the vote was given to members of the Citizens for Continued Bus Service Committee which had heavily promoted the "yes" vote. With a budget of $21,000 raised from private contributions, the committee purchased media advertising, lapel pins and telephoned approximately 1,500 Dubuque residents on Sunday and Monday prior to the vote. Another group which promoted the proposition was the Interstate Power Company's drivers' union. (2)

With the vote, the city council moved ahead to formally approve the $1 purchase of bus equipment from INTERSTATE POWER COMPANY and appoint a three-person transit board of trustees to guide the system after the city took over on September 1st. The Keyline Transportation Department in 1974 was located at 2401 Central. (3)

In March, 1975 the city council approved the purchase of thirteen large buses for Keyline, but stressed they expected mini-bus service within a few years. The cost of $850,000 for new equipment including 29 two-way radios, 13 buses, spare bus parts, five bus-stop shelters, and 200 bus-stop signs would be paid in part with 80% coming from federal funds. Transit officials and drivers claimed that mini-buses would break down constantly under the rugged terrain of the city and consume almost as much fuel. The Transit Board promised a study of instituting limited dial-a-ride service where customers could call to be picked up and left at designated locations. (4)

In 1996 lack of ridership led to many Keyline routes being eliminated. In 1997 Transit Manager Mark Munson suggested there were ways of improving the situation. Most of the vehicles in operation were older than 20 years making the fleet the oldest in Iowa. As four smaller and one low-floor bus are purchased, older buses were scheduled to be removed from operation. The need for a community-wide vision was needed as were partnerships. Munson pointed out the specific need to work with the public school system to avoid duplicating routes. (5)

On July 1, 2010 the East Central Intergovernmental Association took over the management of Dubuque's Keyline Transit and on July 19th announced plans to rebrand Keyline with new colors and a new logo. Plans called for public input into the process. In mid-to-late October, the preferred concept and the top five alternatives were presented to the City Council. In November and December, the ECIA staff was expected to price the cost to re-letter and re-logo the bus fleet to include in the fiscal year 2012 budget. (6)

In September, 2010 Keyline's Red Line began offering service to people working in the Dubuque Industrial Center West. Passengers could be picked up from the Kennedy Road transfer station (near the old Econofoods) where they left their cars. The loop to the Industrial Center would occur four times in the morning and four times in the afternoon to accommodate different shifts. (7)

In November, 2010 the city announced that with $3.8 million in federal money, clean diesel rather than hybrid vehicles would be purchased to replace Keyline's fleet. The first of these buses was expected to be on the road by July 2011. (8)

The 1989 Dubuque City Directory listed 2401 Central.

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Source:

1. Piper, Andy, "Bus Fleet Buying Cleaner Ride," Telegraph Herald, Nov. 18, 2010

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. "Big Buses Okayed, but Mini-Buses in Future," Telegraph-Herald, March 18, 1975, p. 4

5. Wilkinson, Jennifer. "Outlook: No More Cuts For Keyline," Telegraph Herald, October 5, 1997, p. 8F. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19971005&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

6. Piper

7. "Keyline Will Offer Shuttle to Industrial Center West," Telegraph Herald, September 167, 2010, p. 3

8. Ibid.