Metro board makes changes to pricing, hours

Topeka Metropolitan Transit Authority board members have voted to make changes to the bus system that will increase its reduced fare pass and eliminate the last hour of service.

During a board meeting Monday, board members voted to eliminate the last hour of service throughout the system, according to a news release Wednesday from Topeka Metro. The elimination of the last hour of service, 6:40 to 7:40 p.m., allows for savings in the budget without eliminating service to specific areas of the city.

Edwin Rothrock, Topeka Metro's director of planning, said the last hour of service has the lowest ridership of any hour of the weekday service, and will save the metro about $189,000.

"When the metro board made the decision to reduce budgeted expenses for the 2020 fiscal year, this reduction was identified as one of the greatest reductions in expenses available that had the lowest negative impact on Metro customers," Rothrock said.

Rothrock said the last hour of service from January to July sees about 5,675 riders, or 40 people a day.

As a comparison, Rothrock provided the number of riders for the bus system's busiest hour, 2:45-3:45 p.m., which sees about 105,000 people from January to July, or 700 people a day.

The release said Topeka Metro is working on alternative transportation options for people who utilize the last hour of service.

Rothrock said board members also voted to eliminate all peak service times on Route 29, which runs on S.W. 29th Street from Quincy Street Station to S.W. Urish Road. Peak service provides pick-up twice an hour during the morning and afternoon rush hours.

Rothrock said elimination of all peak services on Route 29 was decided on because it is the least-used route that has peak service.

The board also voted to eliminate the 8:15 a.m. peak service on Route 12, which runs on S.W. Huntoon from Quincy Street Station to Walmart on S.W. Wanamaker, and the 6:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. peak services on Route 17, which runs on S.W. 17th Street from Quincy Street Station to West Ridge Mall.

The peak service eliminations on Routes 29, 17 and 12 will save Topeka Metro about $85,000.

"These are hard decisions to make," Rothrock said. "People live their lives by getting where they need to go, and the fewer options they have, the less good that is for them. I really drilled down and tried to make the changes that would negatively impact the fewest of our riders, because you don't want to put people through any more than you have to when you make those decisions."

The board also voted to keep its basic fare, paratransit fare and other fares at the same level, except for its 31-day reduced fare pass.

"Many of our riders are the most financially at-risk citizens in our community," Jim Ogle, Topeka Metro chair, said in the news release. "They cannot afford a double-digit fare increase at this time."

The 31-day reduced fare pass — which benefits seniors as well as those who are disabled, on Medicare or income qualified — will return to $35 starting Dec. 1. The price of the pass was reduced to $25 from $35 in 2017.

Keri Renner, director of marketing and communications for Topeka Metro, said the 2017 reduction had an "adverse impact on our budget, and so the decision was made by the board to return to the $35 cost."

Board members also welcomed the community task force that is working to find ways to keep Topeka Metro's bike share program, which is in danger of being eliminated in December.

The release said Topeka Metro is looking at cost-saving moves that would allow the bike share program to last until the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2020, and would allow the task force time to figure out options.

Topeka Metro is currently seeking proposals from bike share companies to operate bikes with up-to-date tracking equipment at a lower cost.

"We believe we are moving closer to finding a sustainable path forward for bike share," Ogle said. "With the work of the bike share task force and the moves we are taking, we hope to advance a plan that makes bike share bottom line neutral going forward."