Saturday Route 5 Service – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the MTA operated Route 5 on Saturdays. Pending driver availability, Saturday Route 5 service could be resumed. Operating Route 5 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM would likely serve most trips. Considering Route 5 weekday ridership, the typical ratio of weekday to Saturday ridership observed by other transit systems, and the proportion of weekday Route 5 trips made between 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, it is estimated that providing Saturday Route 5 service would increase ridership by 800 passenger-trips per year. Service levels would increase by 300 vehicle service hours and 3,700 vehicle service miles annually at a marginal operating cost of $32,000. Assuming $800 in fare revenue per year, the operating subsidy would be

$31,200.

 

Sunday Route 5 Service – 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Fort Bragg hosts large numbers of tourists, especially during the summer months. To serve tourists and residents effectively throughout the entire week, MTA could operate Route 5 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sundays as well. Operating Route 5 on Sundays with the same service schedule as the possible Saturday service expansion would increase MTA service levels by another 300 vehicle service hours and 3,700 vehicle service miles annually, at a marginal operating cost of $32,000. Ridership would be 600 passenger trips per year, resulting in $600 in additional fare revenue. Considering both the expected operating cost and fares, the annual operating subsidy would be $31,400.

 

Add On-demand Technology to Fort Bragg Dial-A-Ride

If MTA procures microtransit software for one of the other service options discussed in this memo, it would be worthwhile to procure the additional licenses necessary to make the Fort Bragg general public DAR an on-demand service. Currently, MTA customers in Fort Bragg can reserve DAR up to two weeks in advance and a minimum of 24 hours in advance to schedule a ride. With the addition of the on-demand app, passengers would be able to request a same-day DAR trip through their mobile phone during service hours, but may have to wait 30 or more minutes for a ride. A similar transition recently occurred in western Placer County for their DAR services; Placer County rebranded the DAR as “Go South Placer” with the rollout of the new on-demand phone app. The Placer DAR services have seen a small increase in ridership since the launch of the app, however, this could also coincide with the ending of the pandemic. The cost of on-demand software is around $4,500 per vehicle in addition to initial set-up costs.

 

Route 60

Route 60 operates on weekdays, serving Fort Bragg south to Navarro River Junction. Route 60 makes four roundtrips each service day and helps residents in the region get to Fort Bragg as well as facilitates transfers to Routes 65 and 75. This service is well-designed, and no service modifications are recommended for Route 60 in this SRTDP.

 

Route 75

Route 75 provides an important connection between the Mendocino coastal and inland regions, completing one roundtrip from Gualala and Point Arena east to Ukiah Monday through Saturday. The Route 75 schedule has been designed to meet the needs of mobility-limited individuals along the coast as well as in the mountain towns of Boonville, Philo, and Navarro, helping people make regular medical appointments and shopping trips in Ukiah. There are no changes recommended for Route 75 at this time.