For Dennis Matthiesen, more public transportation is a must.

If you’re in La Salle, you’ll probably see him walking because that’s the sole way he gets around.

Since moving to the Illinois Valley from Lockport about five years ago, he’s been thinking about how the area can get more public transportation.

La Salle County has North Central Area Transit, a public transportation service, but Matthiesen, 62, said the service is too expensive and there are too many hoops to go through — one has to call and reserve the ride hours in advance.

To reserve a ride for NCAT, one must call before 10 a.m. the day prior to service. For a Monday ride, one must call before 10 a.m. the Friday before. There are no rides available Saturday-Sunday and on certain holidays.

Getting around the Illinois Valley was much different years ago with La Salle-Peru City Lines, a company with multiple buses that transported people to La Salle, Peru, Oglesby, Spring Valley and possibly even farther.

Dick “Fuzzy” Fuerholzer, 78, of Peru remembers riding the bus to high school in the late ‘50s to St. Bede Academy.

They were “nice, big, old buses with comfortable seats,” Fuerholzer said.

He recalled the buses running every half hour and traveling to La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and Spring Valley.

The buses were “packed all the time,” especially on Monday nights in downtown La Salle and all the time at Westclox where many buses would stop for employees.

He said the La Salle-Peru City Lines was once housed at the current Precision Car Wash, 17 Third St., La Salle and at one time at Witczak Bros. Auto Repair, 701 Putnam St., Peru.

He remembers a trip costing $0.05 to $0.15 a ride (which would cost about $0.44 to $1.32 today when comparing to 1959).

Why did the city line go away?

“What killed it was (the end of) Westclox and downtown La Salle,” Fuerholzer said. “Downtown La Salle died,” mentioning the construction of the Peru Mall probably hurt downtown.

He thinks the line dated back to the 1930s, which runs true to NewsTribune archives: In October 1965, Peter Zeman, a driver for La Salle-Peru City Lines bus service, stepped down after more than 31 years.

Jim Bacidore remembers riding a public transportation bus “all the time” to downtown La Salle back when he was a kid.

He remembers his mother walking to get on the bus for $0.10 to go downtown.

“The buses played an important part of the city back then,” Bacidore said.

Bacidore, now a La Salle alderman and born in 1945, recalled that not many people had vehicles in the 1950s. His family only had one vehicle — “no one had two,” he said.

In fiscal year 2019, 26.1% of NCAT riders scheduled the bus for employment, 39.6% riders for medical purposes, 17% of riders for personal reasons, 9.2% for counsel, 3.4% for education and 4.7% for no purpose.

“I would use it,” said Ruth Uribe of Spring Valley about a city bus.

Mostly she uses her car to get around, but was walking in downtown La Salle last week.

When asked if she uses NCAT, she said people don’t know what they’re going to be doing 24 hours in advance.

“I really do think people would use it,” she said about a city bus.

Geri Kolczaski of Peru, born in 1954, remembers riding the city bus. She estimated it cost about $0.10 a ride ($0.10 in 1960 would cost $0.87 today and $0.10 in 1970 would cost $0.66 today).

“I would use it now,” she said about the city bus, mentioning it would be convenient and cheaper than today’s alternatives. She was walking from Peru to La Salle on U.S. 6 last week. She said she hasn’t used NCAT.

“I’m pretty mobile on my bike,” said John Farran of La Salle, who was out last week walking his dogs in downtown La Salle. “I know there are a lot of people in town who would use it,” he said about a city bus.

If a city bus was around that was consistent and easy to use, he said he would use it.

Taxis are expensive, and the area isn’t walkable friendly area — especially in the winter when the sidewalks aren’t shoveled well.

He said he doesn’t want to make a phone call or an appointment to reserve an NCAT bus.

Ali Braboy can be reached at (815) 220-6931 and countyreporter@newstrib.com. Follow her on Twitter @NT_LaSalle.