Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit Service topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Via reports rising ridership, higher fare revenue and 54% local hiring in Benton Harbor
Summary
Via told the commission unique riders rose 23.5% (361 → 446) and average daily on‑demand rides rose 66% (158 → 262.17); the vendor also said 54% of current staff live in Benton Harbor after the contractor's hiring process.
A Via representative told the Benton Harbor Transit Commission that ridership and fare revenue are trending up since Via began operations. "As of the week of July 6 ... we had 446," the representative said, citing a rise from 361 active riders the week Via began (week of March 23), and described a 23.5% increase in unique riders and a 66% jump in average daily on‑demand rides (from 158 to 262.17).
The representative also reported a gain in local hiring, saying that before Via only 38% of staff lived in the city proper and that the current number is 54% of staff living in Benton Harbor. Commissioners praised the upward trends and asked for packet formats and additional monthly metrics to continue monitoring performance.
