MCT Launches Emergency Transportation to Overnight Warming Locations During Extreme Cold  

PONTOON BEACH — In an effort to ensure that unhoused individuals in Madison County remain safe and warm during bouts of extreme cold, Madison County Transit (MCT) will provide emergency transportation to overnight warming locations when those locations activate due to temperatures reaching 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

At its meeting last Thursday, the MCT Board of Trustees approved utilizing on-duty extra-board drivers to pick up individuals from MCT bus stops and stations and transport them to the nearest warming location on the nights that they are activated. Individuals or surrogates can call the MCT Dispatch office at 618-797-INFO (4636) to request a trip on the night of activation, and rides will be offered from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at no cost.

“Meeting the transportation needs of our residents – especially those who don’t have a car - is fundamental to MCT’s mission,” said SJ Morrison, MCT Managing Director. “This emergency service allows individuals, or those who are assisting them, to call and request a ride to a warming location, hopefully preventing what could be a long and treacherous walk in the extreme cold.”

The overnight warming locations in Madison County are operated by a local nonprofit, the Greater Alton Community Development Corporation (CDC). Currently, warming locations activate at churches in Alton, Edwardsville, and Granite City.

“Caring for the most vulnerable in our region is a community effort and we at Overnight Warming Locations are grateful to MCT for eliminating the transportation barriers for OWL guests,” said Megan Armentrout-Steward, Executive Director of the Greater Alton Community Development Corporation. “This will be one less thing to think about for our neighbors who are trying to survive in the dangerous cold without shelter & I’m certain it will help save lives.”

“I want to acknowledge the MCT Board of Trustees and MCT Board Chairman Allen Adomite for authorizing this service and for supporting MCT’s ongoing work to serve all residents, but certainly those who are experiencing the crisis of homelessness this winter,” said Morrison. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t also thank our Operations team for their extra efforts to implement this service.”

To learn more about MCT and its services visit www.MCT.org, call 618-797-INFO (4636), or email info@mct.org.

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Madison County Transit (MCT) provides multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. MCT operates a fixed-route bus service, connecting to MetroLink; express weekday commuter service directly to and from downtown St. Louis; and seasonal express service to the Muny. For elderly and disabled residents who are unable to use the fixed-route buses, MCT provides complementary door to door service. MCT is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of more than 138 miles of bikeways that comprise the MCT Trails system, as well as overseeing RideFinders, the St. Louis region’s FREE carpooling and vanpooling program.

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