APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With summer comes some pretty big changes for Valley Transit.
Starting July 15, buses will no longer run after 6 p.m. on weekdays and after 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The modified hours will allow Valley Transit to shift to an on-demand service.
“We could transition from the larger buses to the VT connector micro-transit system which is a demand-response van service,” Valley Transit General Manager Ron McDonald said. “We’ll transition to that during our non-peak hours.”
McDonald said it’s not about cutting costs, as the move is expected to, at worst, be a break-even in that regard. Rather, it’s about staffing.
“A lack of available and qualified CDL drivers for the large buses,” McDonald said. “The smaller, the VT connector, is a van service that we contract. The contractor’s not required to have CDL operators, so it’s a different pool of employees.”
The VT connectors have been in use for about 15 years, so while the vehicles themselves aren’t new, those who use the system say they aren’t in favor of switching to them.
“The lady I just got off the bus with, she said she had to change her work schedule,” Bonnie Berry said. “You know, I’m retired for right now. Awful. I feel bad for people that are working.”
“Can’t go out in the evening, I won’t be able to go come downtown, hear music and it frustrates me and it upsets me,” Jennifer DeWald said.
The shift does have some built in conveniences, including an unchanged fare of $2 and the ability to be picked up anywhere within the system’s usual service area.
“We operate in nine municipalities throughout the Fox Cities so it covers the vast majority of the Fox Cities,” McDonald said.
“I rely on the bus myself for all my transportation and it’s very easy to use it,” DeWald said. “That really cuts into my quality of life.”
Even if over 90% of users will be unaffected, as McDonald expects.
“I don’t know what the number will be on Saturdays and nights, but it’ll pale in comparison to what’s on the buses during the daytime,” McDonald said.
Click here to learn more about the change, including how you can reserve a ride.
Comments