KEYLINE

KEYLINE. City bus system. 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.

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.

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.