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Ridership climbs on Dunn County community and Stout routes; small fleet changes ease crowding
Summary
Transit staff reported September as the community route's best month and steady improvements on the Stout daytime route after schedule and vehicle changes. Staff reassigned a 24-seat bus to the Stout PM loop to relieve overcrowding.
Transit staff told the Dunn County Transit Committee on Oct. 8 that ridership trends are improving and that small operational adjustments have helped reliability and capacity.
Committee member (S2) said the community route was "best month ever for September for the community route," approaching the program's target of about 2,500 rides, and that the Stout daytime route also posted a strong September. Staff credited changes such as moving a driver start time earlier (from 7:09 a.m. to 6:50 a.m.) for improved on-road performance and punctual departures.
To address crowding on the Stout PM route, staff reassigned a formerly newest bus (Bus 318), a 24‑seat vehicle, to the PM loop, increasing seating from 18 to 24 and providing more standing room. "That was a good fit," S2 said, noting the reassignment extended usable fleet life and avoided additional driver hours.
Staff also flagged maintenance pressures: several older buses are past 50% of their life cycle and require attention. Committee members asked staff to include clear cost comparisons for diesel and electric options when the procurement issue returns for discussion.
Ending: Staff will include ridership trends and fleet condition details in the next report to the committee in January and will add fuel/energy cost comparisons to future procurement materials.
