TUPELO – City planning staff members will participate in the effort to bring public transportation to Tupelo.

City Planner Pat Falkner met with members of the Public Transportation Commission on Thursday to answer questions about how the department could help and offer ideas for moving forward.

The commission was organized by the mayor and City Council earlier this summer to study the feasibility of a public transit system. On Sept. 2, its members sought help from planning staff but weren’t sure they’d receive it.

They got their commitment this week from Falkner, who offered to share information with the group that his staff gleans from a series of neighborhood workshops.

He also identified several areas in need of bus service, including Park Hill and Mill Village.

With Falkner’s help, the group will determine the scope of a study to be completed by a professional transit consultant.

Members have $25,000 for the study – half of which came from city coffers, the other half from a grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The chairman of the transportation group, Brad Prewitt, said the ARC grant was approved this week.

And though members said earlier this month they wanted to delay the study launch, this week they urged swift action.

“Let’s ride the bus while we have the ticket in hand,” said member Jim Casey. “Let’s move.”

Tupelo had a public bus route several decades ago. It also had a specialty bus service through the nonprofit group Lift Inc., but that route served only special-needs individuals and closed a couple years ago after funding problems.

Contact Emily Le Coz at (662) 678-1588 or emily.lecoz@djournal.com.