Star Transit urges modest expansion after citing 12% trip denial rate

Tommy, a representative of Star Transit, told the Rockwall County consortium that the agency has provided public transportation in the region for more than two decades and now faces a 12% denial rate for requested trips in the county. "Our threshold for total service is 10%," he said, framing the denial rate as the reason for an expansion request that would add daily service hours and vehicles.

Star Transit detailed service and budget figures: demand‑response service runs Monday–Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., fares range from $2 to $12 with a 50% fare for riders 60+, veterans and disabled passengers, and the agency reported about 1,300 trips per month in the county. Tommy said the board set an FY27 hourly cost of service at $60.50 and that about 60% of operating costs are covered by federal grants, leaving the remainder to be matched locally. He laid out an expansion option of an additional 16 service hours per day that would increase the countywide local match by roughly $96,800, and explained that adding about 8 hours per day would materially reduce denials though it would not eliminate all unserviceable requests.

Commissioner John Stacy and other elected officials framed the proposal as a measured step. "For the county, it's 48,400 more than we paid last year," Commissioner Stacy said, describing the county share for a single‑vehicle increase. Consortium members discussed phasing funding and monitoring ridership to determine whether a single additional bus and added hours would sufficiently reduce the denial rate or whether further investment would be needed.

Star Transit also noted operational constraints: some requests are for out‑of‑area medical trips or trips outside operating hours, and recurring day‑habilitation runs can occupy much of a vehicle's day. Tommy summed up the agency's mission and approach by saying, "Mission is to provide, improve quality of life through safe, affordable, reliable mobility."