Durango Transit reaches highest single-month ridership since 2014

Durango Transit’s daily bus service delivered over 51,000 riders to their destinations in August alone, the highest single-month ridership for the city since October 2014. The numbers indicate the city’s zero fare summer program continues to be successful in its second year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)

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Durango Transit’s daily bus service delivered over 51,000 riders to their destinations in August alone, the highest single-month ridership for the city since October 2014. The numbers indicate the city’s zero fare summer program continues to be successful in its second year. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald file)

Durango Transit provided more than 51,000 rides in August alone, the first time the city has given over 50,000 rides in a single month since October 2014, Sarah Hill, transportation director, said last week.

“We’re starting to very consistently hit those historic benchmarks, which is really exciting,” she said.

The end of August also marked the end of the city’s second zero fare summer program, funded by the city’s lodgers tax, which offers free bus rides along its regular transit routes from June through August.

Hill said the zero fare program proved successful yet again with a 12.3% increase in ridership to 138,719 rides compared to last year’s 123,507 rides after the zero fare program was introduced.

From Jan. 1 through the end of August, Durango Transit gave a total of 314,266 rides, she said.

The zero fare summer program is funded by the City Council discretionary lodgers tax dollars.

Regular bus fares resumed Sept. 3.

Durango Transit provided 11,951 through its DuranGO! microtransit service from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30. A heat map presented to Durango City Council on Oct. 1 shows nearly all on-demand microtransit rides originate from downtown Durango, and the majority of riders’ destinations are to affordable and workforce housing developments around town. That’s a strong indication the microtransit service is being utilized by Durango’s workforce, whom it was intended for, Sarah Hill, transportation director, said. (Screenshot)

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Durango Transit provided 11,951 through its DuranGO! microtransit service from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30. A heat map presented to Durango City Council on Oct. 1 shows nearly all on-demand microtransit rides originate from downtown Durango, and the majority of riders’ destinations are to affordable and workforce housing developments around town. That’s a strong indication the microtransit service is being utilized by Durango’s workforce, whom it was intended for, Sarah Hill, transportation director, said. (Screenshot)

DuranGO!, the city’s evening and nighttime on-demand microtransit program introduced mid-October 2023, is also proving worthwhile, she said, referencing a “heat map” of microtransit riders’ destinations across city limits.

According to the map, nearly all microtransit requests originate from the central business district in downtown Durango. But the destinations range from Three Springs southeast of Durango proper to the Red Cliff apartments at the northern edge of town.

That’s an indicator the late night rides program is a “huge success,” because it’s an indicator that working people are benefiting from cheap rides between 5 p.m. and midnight every day of the week.

She said every microtransit trip represents a $2 ride provided by Durango Transit as opposed to an up to $50 taxi ride provided by a private service.

“Every one of these hot spots is directly on top of an affordable or workforce housing community. People who really need the service and who are relying on the service for some affordable transportation options are really taking advantage of it,” she said.

Between Jan. 1 and June 30, DuranGO! provided 7,428 rides, she said. From July 1 through Sept. 30, the service provided another 4,523 rides, totaling 11,951 as of Oct. 1.

cburney@durangoherald.com