Canby ridership edges up as Loop attracts riders and Dial‑A‑Ride hours shrink

Operations staff told the advisory committee that the Canby Loop has driven measurable ridership gains and that those gains have reduced reliance on Dial‑A‑Ride hours.

"Our Cambia Loop is still continuing to exceed expectations," said Nancy Mueller, transit operations manager, noting single‑night counts such as 194 riders and that weekday year‑to‑date ridership is about 5.7% higher. Staff reported weekend ridership is up roughly 9% and that cumulative riders through April were reported at 86,396.

Committee members framed the Dial‑A‑Ride decline as an expected outcome: "We did anticipate years ago that if the loop was successful, we would see a decrease in Dial‑A‑Ride," a committee member said, adding the shift can be positive since fixed‑route service costs less per rider than paratransit. Staff said Dial‑A‑Ride operational hours have fallen from the budgeted 25 hours to an average near 16.5–17 hours per day, and those freed hours are a source of capacity to add trips on the 99x fixed route.

Staff also reported that Clackamas County counts are being added into the reporting to reflect county‑reimbursed trips where the agency crosses the county border under an intergovernmental agreement. Committee members said they expect the Loop's ridership momentum to continue through the summer months.

Why it matters: Growing fixed‑route ridership can improve operating efficiency and increase the pool of riders who can access job and education connections; the reallocation of paratransit hours requires continued monitoring to ensure vulnerable riders retain necessary access.