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Star Transit reports 29% ridership increase and launches rider app; county support affirmed
Summary
Star Transit director Dwayne Pacheco told commissioners ridership through November 2025 is up 29% year‑over‑year, the agency rolled out a rider app and plans vehicle replacements in 2026; commissioners praised the service and requested demographic breakdowns.
Sweetwater County’s transit authority reported substantial ridership growth and operational improvements at the Dec. 16 meeting.
Director Dwayne Pacheco said the system saw a 29% increase in average monthly ridership through the first 11 months of 2025 compared with 2024, credited partly to two new buses, increased advertising, expanded part‑time staffing and the May rollout of a rider app. Pacheco also said the service is heavily used by low‑income and disabled passengers and that 70% of riders would have no alternative to the transit service. “70% of our riders would have no alternative form of transportation without the service,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco described the fare policy (free for riders age 60 and older; $2 for under‑60 riders), a current fleet of 10 buses and one van, and plans to replace vehicles lost in a crash and to add another bus in 2026. A local user, Bob Neeson, offered a user perspective praising driver service and vehicle condition. Commissioners thanked Star Transit and asked staff for a senior‑age breakdown of riders; Pacheco said he could provide that data.
