Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Peak Bus hauls record number of passengers

Record expected to be broken in August

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The Peak Bus recorded its highest monthly passenger total in June, finishing the month with a total of 3,158 passenger trips. This is the first time the number of riders for a month has broken the 3,000 mark. The previous record high numbers of riders was in August 2003 with 2,623 passengers. This June’s total exceeded that number by 535 passenger trips.

This record comes on the heels of an incredible end of the second year of the Peak Bus service, said Beth Callister, executive director of Wood River Rideshare, and manager of Peak Bus. Because the Peak Bus service began in June 2002, its service year is considered June to May. At the end of May this year, total numbers of passengers for the 12-month period was 27,944 passenger trips, a 41 percent increase over the end of the first service year that ended in May 2003 with 19,768 passenger trips. The Peak Bus is now two months into its third year of service.

The highest rider numbers over the last two years have been recorded in the month of August and this August is expected to be another record breaking month, Callister said.

"The consistent growth in riders we are experiencing month after month is quit incredible and should speak for itself of the relevance of the service to our community. But unfortunately it doesn’t. This is the time for the entire community to come forward in support of the future of transit in the Wood River Valley," Callister said.

In addition to the increase in rider numbers, the second year of operation saw a 42 percent increase in hours of service, demonstrating a direct correlation between increase in service and an increase in passenger numbers, Callister said. "While the increase in service increased the cost of service slightly, there was no increase in the cost per service hour. The Peak Bus fare box ratio--revenue per passenger trip divided by cost per passenger trip--is 30 percent, 45 lower that last year but still 10 percent above the national 20 percent average. The lower fare box recovery was a result of lowering the fare for youth and senior and lowering the cost of the monthly and season passes.

The Peak Bus is a service of Blaine County. Blaine County contracts with Wood River Rideshare to manage the service and contracts with Sun Valley Express to provide and operate vehicles.

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