What is MIDS, anyway?

Here's a bit from a VDT article about MIDS, by Malynda Fulton 11 July 2009, The bus stops here: Proposed plan will not affect county buses

Lowndes County officials assure citizens who use the county's current transit program that they will not be affected if the proposed Valdosta-Lowndes County Transit Service Plan is implemented in the area.

The current Lowndes County 5311 Transit Program falls under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Department of Transportation. Ten percent of the program is subsidized by the state and 80 percent is subsidized by federal funds. Lowndes County provides 10 percent of the cost of each bus.

Lowndes County's 5311 Transit Program was implemented in December 2001 with only three buses. The program now includes six buses that provide transportation throughout Lowndes County.

That may make MIDS the biggest bus system in the county. VSU may have more busses. Does Moody run busses?

More about MIDS:

The service is an extension of a state program, so the state requires that the third party operator, MIDS, Inc., contract with the Department of Human Resources (DHR) to transport clients such as senior citizens, mental health patients, DFACS clients, Medicaid recipients and vocational rehabilitation clients. Public ridership is also granted due to Lowndes County's funding for each bus. As ridership numbers increase in the county, additional buses are added for the program.

Citizens call for pick up as needed and must make 24-hour advance reservation. The buses run from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Trips up to 10 miles within the county are $3 per trip and trips over 10 miles within the county are $5 per trip. Currently the system averages 614 public riders per month and 1,100 Department of Human Resources' riders per month.

The other transit service the VLD City Council was voting on back then was the big bus system that never got funded, although the county is applying for more money from T-SPLOST for widening one road than a multi-line bus system would cost. Now that even the Industrial Authority's own Community Assessment recommends public transportation, maybe something will happen with that eventually.

Meanwhile, if I understand correctly, if you call MIDS, they can pick you up and deliver you where you want to go for a fixed price.

-jsq