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Transit agency reports hiring progress as ridership rises; modest fare increase slated for public review
Summary
Agency officials reported operator vacancies improving (639 of 650 operators on staff), maintenance shortages remain, ridership is up systemwide, 26 bus routes will have runtime adjustments March 16, and staff signaled a potential modest fare increase this summer pending a Title VI review and public outreach.
Agency operations staff told the commission that operator vacancies have narrowed and hiring is underway: the system has 639 of a budgeted 650 operators, a 20-person training class began this week and another is scheduled to start. Staff said maintenance classifications remain the largest gap — one maintenance category is about 30% understaffed — and the agency is preparing a mechanic apprenticeship program with technical colleges to build a pipeline.
Officials reported that systemwide ridership is up more than 6% and that one service area in the transcript was described as up roughly 33%. To address capacity and reliability challenges, staff announced service adjustments effective March 16 to 26 Metro bus routes (runtime and start/end time changes) and said testing for the Mid America Extension alignment is beginning ahead of a planned summer-to-fall opening window.
On caller ride demand, staff said operator counts have plateaued while trips increase; they described operational changes under consideration to reduce trip denials, including satellite staging closer to pickup areas, stronger penalties for late cancellations, better routing software, and short-term overflow contracts with vendors VIA and Lyft.
Commissioners were told the agency plans to propose a "modest rate increase" this summer, but that any increase will require a Title VI equity review with the Federal Transit Administration, public meetings for comment, and approval by the commission and county council. Staff stressed that the Title VI process and public outreach will be used to assess equity impacts before any decision is finalized.
The commission asked for and was promised more detail on partnerships and security arrangements at specific new housing sites near stations, and staff agreed to place that item on a future agenda.
