PTAC debates removing priority booking tied to RTA cards to widen seven‑day booking access

Members debated whether to remove priority booking (7‑day advanced scheduling) given changes to travel demand and to test outcomes for a year. Scott Eddings framed the historical rationale for current prioritization and the county’s founding aim to serve work trips: "The county got involved in transit in the first place... to get people to work," he said. At the same time, staff and some members noted that PACE trip‑purpose data show a large share of rides are work related (staff cited roughly 55% work trips in 2026 data), an argument used to support broader seven‑day access to improve route planning and reduce denials in rural areas.

Discussion highlighted tradeoffs: removing priority booking could make scheduling and route batching easier and better serve workers in outlying towns, but could disadvantage seniors and riders with disabilities who currently have guaranteed advance booking and reduced fares. Committee members proposed testing a one‑year pilot that eliminates priority booking while retaining RTA cards for reduced fares, and to evaluate denial rates and demographic impacts before making a permanent change.