The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) has had to make some adjustments to its service as it continues to deal with a decline in riders since the onset of COVID-19.
SRTA Administrator Erik Rousseau says once the pandemic shut down the region, levels dipped from between 10,000-12,000 riders per day to 2,000. As more people have gone back to work, the number of trips has rebounded, but concerns linger.
With the decrease in riders, Mr. Rousseau says SRTA has had to take a look at maximizing all its routes across the ten communities it serves. That has resulted in some changes that take effect on August 24.
Thanks to a $20 million appropriation from the CARES Act, SRTA has not had to layoff employees. Rousseau says there is also a commitment not to raise fares regardless of how bad circumstances may get.
SRTA just completed an online survey of riders that will help determine how it serves the community over the next five years. Mr. Rousseau said that plan may look different depending on the status of the pandemic.
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