R2002-31 ADOPTING COMPREHENSIVE CHANGES IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM

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HOURS OF SERVICE Working people make up the largest segment of transit riders. When the transit system's present hours of service were analyzed, it was determined that the system did not serve them well. Bus service does not begin early enough in the morning, or continue late enough in the evening to accommodate many home-to-work and work-to-home trips. At the present time, on Monday through Friday, the first bus on each route leaves downtown at approximately 6:15 a.m. and the last bus leaves downtown at either 5:15 or 5:45 p.m., depending on the route. A worker who lives on one side of the City but works on the other side must transfer buses downtown to complete each trip. Under the present schedule, that worker could not get to work by 7:00 a.m. by bus because the buses don't start to run early enough for that person to transfer buses downtown and then ride to work. Similarly, the present schedule doesn't allow that worker to leave work at 5:00 p.m. (or later if delayed by work) and take the bus home, because the buses don't run late enough for that worker to transfer buses downtown on the way home. Transit staff is proposing extended hours of service that will allow a worker who lives and works on or near any transit system bus route adequate time to arrive at work by 7:00 a.m., and to leave work at 5:00 p.m. (or later). As shown on the attached sheet, morning hours are proposed to be extended by 45 minutes and evening hours are to be extended by 60 minutes. Because Friday and Saturday nights are popular nights for people to shop, attend a movie, go out to eat, or visit family and friends, Transit staff proposes to schedule the last bus leaving down- town at 8:15 p.m. The extended hours of service will be a benefit to both the bus rider and the disabled user of our paratransit services - the ADA van service and the subsidized taxi program. Under the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations, anytime that service is improved for the bus rider, the same improved service must be provided for the paratransit user. The following sheet shows a comparison of present and proposed hours of service for the bus system and also for our paratransit services.