The City of Laurel is exploring the possibilities of a public transit system and needs the public’s input.

City officials will conduct a public forum Monday to discuss whether the city needs general public transportation.

Lula Cooley, City of Laurel’s community development coordinator, is coordinating the forum and efforts to determine if there is a need for transportation services.

Cooley said residents from throughout Laurel and Jones County are invited to the meeting.

“We are asking anyone interested to please come out,” Cooley said. “We want to get input from as many people as possible. ... We want them to tell us what they want us to do.”

Cooley said the forum is a fact-gathering meeting for the city so a determination can be made as to whether the city needs to pursue efforts to get general transportation in Laurel.

The forum will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Laurel Train Depot located at 230 Maple Street.

During a recent meeting of the Laurel City Council, officials voted unanimously to give the city administration authority to submit an application to the Mississippi Department of Transportation for assistance in providing public transportation services.

Cooley said no final decisions have been made concerning the type of public transportation that will be offered in the city. That’s why the public’s input at Monday’s meeting is important.

“We want city and county residents to attend the meeting,” she said. “We want people from all walks of life. We want those with cars and those without cars.

“We definitely want the input of those who would be using the service,” Cooley added. “We want them to tell us where they want the transportation stops to be or where they would like to go — for instances: to the mall, to the hospital, to the grocery store or wherever. We also want there input about what type of transportation it should be.”

Cooley said the city has not applied for any grants yet. However, if those attending the forum express a need, the city would apply for a grant for those needs.

“The forum is the first step,” Cooley said. “If there’s a need, we will proceed with step two, which would be a grant for public transportation.”

Anyone wanting more information about the program can contact Cooley at the city’s Community Development Office at (601) 428-6142.