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Resident speakers urge Santa Maria to expand paratransit capacity, citing missed medical trips
Summary
A resident and other public commenters told the council the city’s paratransit service lacks capacity, with regular no‑space situations forcing cancellations of medical appointments and long hold times on scheduling lines; staff said Recreation & Parks staff will follow up.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, residents described repeated problems with Santa Maria Area Transit paratransit service and urged the council to increase capacity.
Cheryl Lacasse, who gave her address as 1506 North Pine Street, said she has had to cancel routine medical appointments because there was no room on paratransit vehicles. She said scheduling staff sometimes place callers on long holds or do not answer, and that the current contract manager, MV Transportation, had provided better service when it operated the system in 2009.
“Some cities…run the fixed routes and contract paratransit to other providers,” Lacasse said, asking the city to consider operational changes and additional buses. She told council members she had used ride‑hail services as an alternative but found them expensive for regular trips.
Council member(s) and staff did not take immediate operational action during the meeting, but Recreation and Parks Director Fulghoni acknowledged the concern and noted staff would follow up; he took a phone number to facilitate a response.
