Consultants’ Tech Memo 2 on the short‑range transit plan was presented to the board, detailing existing conditions, potential service enhancements and a series of service‑reduction alternatives if new revenue does not materialize. The presentation showed that ridership fell sharply during the COVID‑19 pandemic but has been recovering over the last two years; the system previously peaked at more than 100,000 boardings in 2018–19. Local routes are the system’s most productive, averaging about 10 passengers per vehicle hour on the best routes, while regional routes average much lower productivity. The memo analyzed options including: increasing frequency on the two most productive local routes to net 30‑minute headways; adding an early morning commute northbound trip from Klamath to Crescent City; maintaining or expanding three round trips to Eureka year‑round; and testing microtransit or evening microtransit to replace low‑productivity fixed‑route hours. The plan also examined fare alternatives and a corridor fare proposal: Redwood Coast Transit and regional partners are considering a $2 flat, two‑hour fare for the North State Express corridor (the “2 hours for $2” proposal) to increase ridership; staff said Humboldt Transit Authority has already implemented the $2 fare in its segment and the authority is preparing an LCTOP application to backfill the estimated revenue difference so local finances are not harmed. The memo included a set of service‑reduction scenarios that cumulatively do not close a projected long‑term gap if no new revenues are found: examples include shortening Saturday service hours, eliminating the final weekday runs on several routes, and scaling back the lowest‑productivity regional route (199) to fewer days per week. Staff warned that without external funding the authority could begin operating in the red in the late 2020s as one‑time COVID relief funds phase out. Board members asked about partnering with the school district during driver shortages and about exploring taxi/ride‑hail contracts as alternatives for low‑demand trips; staff said such partnerships are worth pursuing but may not fully offset fixed operating costs. The board agreed to host consultant presenters at the next meeting for a draft‑final presentation.