Starting December 3, Metro Transit will be reducing service across their entire system by 8% to deal with the ongoing driver shortage.
That’s according to Metro Transit spokesperson Adam Harrington who says it is about reliability at this point.
“Our goal is to make sure that we can be reliable and relevant, and that we're serving those customers who need it most and use it for multiple trip types,” says Harrington. “And maybe you don't have other alternatives for their travel needs.”
Harrignton says they've tried a number of different ways to attract new bus drivers.
“And it hasn't been until this last October, when we're able to come to agreement with our union to get a wage increase and a hiring bonus increase, which is fantastic, that we've really started to see more operators come back.”
Metro Transit makes changes to routes based on their internal data each quarter to maintain reliability. According to their website, Metro Transit takes the following into consideration.
Maintain the reliability of our scheduled service
Identify service where customers have an alternative (route, frequency or auto)
Minimize ridership impact/capacity
Balance network frequency and coverage
Evaluate service changes with an eye towards reducing impact on low income communities and communities of color
For more information on the routes affected, visit metrotransit.org here.
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