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Metro presents Community Connector study framework to identify shuttle and mobility‑hub opportunities
Summary
Metro staff described a framework to identify community connector shuttles and mobility hubs in suburban/exurban areas, seeking local input on near‑term shuttle sites and hub features.
Metro staffer Ally Homequest described the Community Connector Transit Study and asked WCCC members for feedback on a developing policy framework to identify shuttle opportunity areas and mobility hubs.
Homequest said the study focuses on gaps at the region's edges — lower‑density suburban and exurban neighborhoods, employment clusters, recreation destinations and off‑peak (shift‑worker) needs — and proposes three opportunity categories: sites ready for near‑term shuttles, locations where temporary shuttles could build ridership pending future transit, and areas for longer‑term planning. "Community connectors can link up with faster, frequent services to expand the network into suburban areas," Homequest said.
Metro plans to pair connector assessments with a mobility‑hub evaluation that looks beyond transit stops to first‑ and last‑mile connections, curb and platform space for transfers, wayfinding, lighting, bike parking and other amenities that can make transfers convenient and safe. Homequest said hub locations will be assessed for accessibility, current and planned land use, equity considerations, potential for transit‑oriented development and public–private partnership opportunities.
The study will use local planning and travel‑demand work plus partner feedback to identify candidate opportunity areas and hub locations. Homequest said Metro will engage agency partners through advisory groups and a May workshop to review opportunity‑area outcomes; the study also includes a public survey and tabling at community events and tribal gatherings.
Committee members urged the study to keep suburban paratransit and non‑profit connectors in mind. Mayor Bubenick flagged recent cuts to Dial‑a‑Ride or paratransit providers and said those service reductions affect dialysis and medical trips; she asked that equity and existing provider funding cuts be central to the study's analysis. Mayor Wenzel and others noted local circulators such as GroveLink and CorneliusLink as examples and asked that Metro consider links that let riders piece together trips from rural edges to MAX stations.
Ending: Metro staff requested local feedback on priority outcomes and said they will return with preliminary priorities after the May engagement; the study will inform the next Regional Transportation Plan update by identifying candidate connector areas and hub features for further investment.
