Norman transit officials report modest ridership gains, highlight paratransit and vehicle purchases

Norman transit staff told the Community Planning and Transportation Committee on Sept. 25 that August systemwide ridership showed a small year-over-year increase while paratransit productivity rose and a bus purchase is planned for council approval in October.

The memo and presentation, delivered during the committee's first agenda item, said the system recorded 42,718 rides in August compared with 42,950 the prior August. Paratransit rides per service hour increased from roughly 1.2–1.3 to about 1.8–1.9, the presentation said.

City transit staff said the modest change in total rides reflects factors such as differences in the number of service days and special events; staff emphasized month-to-month monitoring and further outreach to riders. "If we provide the service efficiently, people will ride it," a staff member said, describing the city's outreach and a public notice posted to the city website as part of a long-range transit plan effort.

Staff described several operational items. Norman on Demand recorded 2,640 rides in August versus 4,694 the same month a year earlier; staff said that change reflected a deliberate reallocation of on-demand vehicle hours deployed at the start of the academic year and the finite pool of vehicle hours in the contractor's contract. Fixed-route weekday passenger-per-service-hour averaged about 20.12 riders in August, a figure staff said represents strong productivity even though it was down slightly from the prior month.

Staff also reported that Saturday service showed gains: a 50% increase on the Main Street route and a 50% increase on the West Lindsay route, and an overall 16.3% year-over-year increase in Saturday service rides. Staff noted a 70% increase in riders bringing bikes on buses and said bike racks would continue to be provided.

On paratransit technology, staff said the February transition to a single, unified paratransit software under Embark has required follow-up with passenger meetings to resolve operational "wrinkles"; four passenger meetings have been held so far with another scheduled on the committee's calendar.

Staff said they will return to council in October seeking approval to purchase three large buses, paid largely with grant funds. The presentation identified grant sources as the SBG program administered through ACOG and FTA grant funds referenced in the presentation; staff said the purchase would use grant funds available to the city.

Actions and formal motions recorded during the transit discussion were limited. The committee recorded a motion to approve an ACOG Transportation Improvement Program amendment from Norman; the motion was made by Commissioner Cleveland and no opposition or roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript.

Staff asked committee members to forward constituent comments about routes or stops and said additional public outreach for the long-range plan will continue prior to a fall council action.

The committee moved on to its next agenda item after the transit presentation; staff will return next month with updated ridership figures and to follow up on the long-range plan and the planned October bus purchase request.