Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit And Shuttle Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council questions Huntington Park shuttle program after staff say ridership data is limited and contractor costs are high
Summary
Councilors pressed staff about the city’s fixed‑route shuttle and Dial‑A‑Ride services after staff and the contractor failed to provide recent ridership data. Council members proposed sharply cutting the fixed‑route contract line and asked staff to explore bringing operations in‑house or reconfiguring service.
Councilors at a special budget meeting questioned the cost and effectiveness of Huntington Park’s fixed‑route shuttle and related transit services after staff said the contractor had not provided up‑to‑date ridership data.
Staff reported a fixed‑route contract cap "not to exceed" roughly $1.5 million annually but said consolidated ridership reporting was incomplete; staff supplied a provisional figure of about $12,000 in fare revenue for the current year. Several council members concluded that per‑rider costs were extremely high under the existing contract model and urged immediate review.
Why it matters: The city owns its shuttle vehicles and pays for their maintenance. Contracted operating costs represent an outsized line item in the operating budget; councilors said the city should evaluate whether lower‑cost, in‑house operation or fewer vehicles would maintain essential mobility while reducing general‑fund exposure.
Key points raised - Missing data: Staff said they had requested ridership data from the contractor for the past year but had not received a full dataset; the city is also working with the city attorney on contract language and legal interpretation. - Cost per rider: Council members presented quick arithmetic based on available figures and argued that even with different assumptions the program’s per‑rider cost (counting contractor fees, fuel and maintenance) appeared far above typical municipal shuttle costs. - Contract ceiling and possible cuts: One council member proposed lowering the fixed‑route contract allocation to $325,000 (from the $1.5M ceiling listed in contract language) as an interim measure; staff said they could implement direction to reduce the budgeted amount while legal review continues. - Bring‑in‑house option: Several council members argued the city could hire drivers directly, train city employees, and repurpose currently idle vehicles for senior and youth trips — a move they said could lower per‑ride costs and give the city more scheduling flexibility. - Fleet condition and EV units: Staff reported the city operates a mix of gas and electric shuttles but that some EV shuttles are out of service because of compressors and battery repairs; repair costs were estimated in the transcript at several thousand dollars per unit.
Council direction and next steps Council members directed staff to: (1) continue to press for complete ridership and contract performance data; (2) return with options to reduce the contract allocation and/or bring service in‑house; and (3) provide a legal analysis of the fixed‑route and Dial‑A‑Ride contracts and a finance analysis of cost comparisons between contractor and in‑house operation.
