Questions about Brandon City Transit remain unanswered

A Brandon resident has continued his calls for answers regarding service provided by the Brandon City Transit system.

Sawyer Van Horn first brought up his concerns to the Brandon City Council in September of 2024. An employee at McDonalds on North Splitrock Boulevard, Van Horn said he relies on public transportation to get to-and-from work.

“I’ve relied on it for over a year,” Van Horn told the Council in his initial presentation two years ago. “I understand they’re busy, but I’m confused, because it’s a small town. This is how I rely to get to work.”

The Brandon City Transit currently has two buses in operation with a third in its fleet. During the school year, the city provides a service at no-cost to local pre-schools. With as many as 50 preschoolers riding the bus each morning, the two buses fill up between 8-9:30 a.m.

This summer, Van Horn said he hasn’t had a problem using the buses to get to work. But as the school year approaches, he clearly hasn’t been satisfied with the situation and has concerns for this fall.

He was back before the City Council at their last meeting on July 27, addressing the situation again. With nothing coming from his concerns during the public comments portion of the meeting, he returned Monday to addressing the issue once again.

“I know it’s a tricky issue, but I don’t know what can be done, whether you’re hiring more drivers. As far as I understand, there’s a third bus, but that costs money,” Van Horn said. “But unfortunately, I’ve run into a situation where I’m without a car. In the coming weeks, if I have a nine o’clock shift, I can’t get to work because the bus is full of preschool kids. I understand they’re busy, but how am I supposed to get to work?”

Van Horn said the situation goes beyond his current frustrations. He said several senior citizens use the bus each morning, although at the late deadline, the Brandon Valley Journal was unable to confirm that number.

“What about if you have a senior citizen who has an appointment at nine o’clock and they need to use the bus,” he asked the Council on Monday. “They can’t use it either, so not only does it affect people like me, (it also affects) the senior citizens – and I know there’s a huge population that ride the bus, too.”

Because the item wasn’t an agenda item on Monday, the Council couldn’t make a motion will allow us to bring in more tournaments and more programming while still leaving courts open for the community.”

The project also focuses on improving the experience for spectators and players.

Plans include more than doubling the shaded spectator seating, adding shade structures for players, resurfacing all existing courts and lowering portions of the fencing to improve viewing.

“Right now, we have two trees that provide shade for spectators,” Menden said. “People are sitting in the grass where the shade is. The courts can be about 110 degrees during the heart of summer, so we’re thinking about both the players’ experience and the spectators.”

Menden said the complex has reached its capacity.

“Brandon has really no other places to put courts without spending a lot more money and moving away from everything else,” he said.

The expansion will also benefit Brandon Valley High and Middle Schools’ rapidly growing tennis program.

“We’re the second-largest team in the state because of our middle school program,” Menden said. “But the middle school is spread across two different courts, and they’re 10 deep. They can’t spread out to really get the skill building they need.”

Former BTA leader Becky Blue, who helped spearhead fundraising efforts nearly 20 years ago to build four courts and the tennis center with Tracie Rolphs, said it was rewarding to see the next generation carrying the torch.

“I’m so proud of these guys,” Blue said. “When Tracie and I did this 20 years ago, there were 3,000 K-12 students. Today there’s 5,200. It makes sense that you would add four more courts. I just love seeing the kids out here hitting. It’s still a great sport.”

Blue said Brandon’s tennis association helped establish a model that other youth sports organizations have since followed.

“As the mayor reminded me, we were kind of the first parent-led organization that collaborated with the city, the school and the association to improve facilities,” she said. “After us came baseball, soccer and hockey.”

Her advice to the current fundraising committee is simple: “Just keep telling the story,” Blue said. “Do it for these kids and for the next kids.”

Brandon Mayor Harry Buck praised the BTA for once again taking the lead in enhancing community recreation.

“The tennis association has just been terrific,” Buck said. “Back in 2007, Becky Blue came to the city council with this dream of building this tennis complex. They went out and raised the money, and because of their success, the baseball association got active, then soccer and hockey. What started right here with the tennis group has really spread.”

Buck said the partnerships between volunteer organizations, the city and the school district have played a major role in Brandon’s growth.

“The city owes them a debt,” he said. “All the associations that have stepped up to do the fundraising and build these facilities have helped make Brandon a great place to live.”

Menden said the hope is to break ground on the expansion in late spring or early summer of 2027, with construction completed in spring 2028. Menden said every contribution, regardless of size, will help move the project toward its goal.

“We need all levels of donations to get to our $2 million campaign as quickly as possible,” he said.