Oshkosh transit staff weigh options to shrink Saturday fixed‑route service amid budget and staffing concerns

City transit staff told the Transportation Committee that Saturday fixed‑route service is under review as part of broader budget and staffing considerations, and presented rider survey results and several options for changing service beginning no earlier than January. Staff said paper surveys of Saturday riders show most weekend riders use transit to travel to and from work, with many employed full time and commuting to shifts that begin between about 6:15 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. Staff noted the city’s Access to Jobs program as an existing alternative for qualifying workers: it serves residents who live and work in the city at least 30 hours per week and whose income is at or below 275% of the federal poverty level, staff said. Options presented included keeping status quo, eliminating Saturday service, reducing hours (start later or end earlier), consolidating routes, running hourly rather than half‑hour service, or replacing some afternoon hours with microtransit (a shared‑ride taxi model). Staff emphasized financial and operational unknowns: current microtransit cost with the provider is about $26.50 per trip while the Access to Jobs fare is $4, and fixed‑route operations receive roughly 55% of operating funding from federal and state sources. “We wouldn’t be able to make any change until January at the earliest,” staff said, noting union scheduling, supervisor coverage, and the need to rework driver bids and schedules. Committee members asked the staff to further analyze ridership patterns (which routes and times most trips serve), potential take‑up of microtransit, and the net budget impact, including whether demand would shift from private providers. Staff said they will refer the item to the city manager’s structural deficit committee for detailed analysis and report back; no formal change to service was adopted at the meeting. Other related items: staff reported they are continuing an evaluation of monthly fare caps, will monitor a request to convert a Crane/Columbia yield sign to a stop sign, and scheduled a presentation from the school district’s traffic consultant about Traeger School traffic impacts at a future meeting.