Oshkosh panel discusses cutting Saturday transit hours, directs staff to survey riders

The Oshkosh Transportation Committee discussed potential reductions to Saturday fixed-route bus service and possible use of microtransit on Saturday afternoons, and directed staff to gather rider data on Saturday trip purposes and destinations to inform budget and contract decisions. The committee is advisory; any recommendation would go to the Oshkosh Common Council for final action.

Transit staff said current fixed-route hours run Monday through Saturday from 6:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., and Saturday ridership drops “drastically” after midafternoon on most routes. “We operate Monday through Saturday, 06:15AM to 06:45PM. Our ridership, generally, we do have ridership on Saturday, although it does go down quite a bit on Saturdays,” said Mr. Collins, a city staff member presenting the item. Collins told the panel the city has lost several drivers to other municipal divisions and neighboring systems and that the transit supervisor schedule leaves a coverage gap on Saturday afternoons.

The committee discussed several options: keep the status quo; end all Saturday service and operate Monday–Friday only; shorten Saturday fixed-route hours (for example, end fixed routes around 1:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m. and replace later hours with a contracted microtransit/cab-style service); run fewer or different Saturday routes; or start Saturday service later in the morning. Collins pointed to peer systems: Valley Transit in Fond du Lac reduced Saturday fixed-route hours to 1:30 p.m. and uses microtransit afterward, and Green Bay has replaced some fixed routes with a contracted microtransit provider.

Committee members pressed for data about why riders use Saturdays services. “What would be helpful for me is to understand where people are going,” said one member, noting that employment trips are harder to move than shopping trips. Collins said the city does not currently have weekend-specific trip-purpose data and recommended a Saturday rider survey to capture destinations and trip purposes; he also noted an existing “access to jobs” program that provides contracted rides for eligible workers and that paratransit is currently contracted at approximately $26 per ride.

Collins said federal and state grants typically cover roughly 50–55% of operating costs, fares cover about 20%, the county about 10%, and local levies the remainder; he warned that subsidizing a low-cost microtransit option could increase local subsidy if riders shifted from paying fares or other providers. He also said the city will need to issue an RFP for paratransit service within about a year and that many bidders now propose integrated paratransit plus microtransit services.

The committee did not vote on a specific service change. Members directed staff to conduct a Saturday rider survey focused on trip purpose and destinations and to return with results and operational options (including reduced routes, later start times, or a hybrid fixed-route/microtransit model) ahead of budget discussions and the paratransit contract decision.

The panel also discussed operational implications: reducing Saturday service could ease driver recruitment and retention, reduce supervisory gaps on Saturday afternoons, and yield modest cost savings, but it could also shift travel behavior. Collins said peer agencies that implemented microtransit saw only small demand changes and that many riders shifted trip timing or found alternatives.

Next steps: staff will plan a Saturday rider survey (including on-bus paper surveys and QR-code options) and report back to the committee with findings and recommended service options for the budget and for planning the paratransit RFP.