The ballots told leaders at City Hall that Lawrence wants continued, improved and coordinated transit services with Kansas University.

Now those same leaders want to hear specific questions, concerns and suggestions from folks in town and on campus, as part of two open houses this week to help formulate plans to coordinate the T and KU on Wheels.

No outside consultants. No national experts. Just straight talk from the people who will pay for, rely upon and otherwise utilize the next generation of transit in Lawrence.

“We’re interested in knowing what the community wants, because the community is who we are trying to serve,” said Casey Toomay, the city’s budget manager and interim public transit administrator. “We don’t need to hire somebody to come in from the outside to tell us what our priorities should be.”

The open houses will be convened just over a month after Lawrence voters overwhelmingly approved increasing city sales taxes by 0.25 percent for 10 years, to finance the continuation and enhancement of municipal transit services. The increased taxes passed with about 70 percent of the vote, carrying in all precincts citywide.

Leading into the election, Lawrence city commissioners had left the fate of the city’s T system in the hands of voters. Without approval, the bus service would have ceased operation as of Jan. 2, and the door-to-door paratransit service for elderly and disabled riders likely would have stopped by the end of 2009.

Now, with an expected infusion of the additional tax revenues — beginning with an estimated $1.88 million in 2009 and $3.28 million in 2010 — the system is poised for change, including increased coordination with the KU on Wheels system that serves students at KU.

That’s where the public input comes in.

During each of the open houses, people will have a chance to stop by six different stations to ask questions, offer input and otherwise help transportation leaders get an idea of public wants and needs. Station topics:

• Route planning and scheduling.

• Vehicle options.

• The mission of transit in the community.

• Policies.

• Service areas.

• Strengths and weaknesses of current transit systems.

“Our overall goal is to keep up the enthusiasm that was created with the sales tax educational campaign, and use that enthusiasm to help us move forward and determine our priorities for the future,” Toomay said.

David Corliss, Lawrence city manager, said public input would be key for helping shape the future of transit in Lawrence, especially after last month’s voting secured a steady stream of financing.

“The community showed their support of the transit system,” he said. “Now we need additional information, about how we can change routes and change the design of the system to meet the needs of the community.”