LUBBOCK, Texas — A study is underway for a new alternative recommended route for Citibus. LSC Transportation Consultants is working with Citibus to figure out how they can better serve the community.
The Texas Department of Transportation is funding the study.
Phillip Mosher said he rides the bus everyday.
“I love it and I try to use it all the time,” Mosher said.
He uses public transportation to get to work, and has for the past five years.
“Except they’re not convenient!” Mosher said.
He said the buses should go farther, and have more transfer spots.
Citibus General Manager, Chris Mandrell said the consultants will help create a study that will better suit their customers.
“We don’t serve the entire city and there’s a lot of needs out there and we’re hoping through the study that we can put out a product that will really meet the needs of the citizens and be able to move citizens around a lot more efficiently,” Mandrell said.
The study began over the summer, and will wrap up in March, before a recommended alternate route is presented.
“I anticipate some fairly significant changes in our route structure and then the potential to add additional services to maybe meet the demand in some of the areas that are currently un-served or maybe they’re under-served or they just don’t have the density there that would have cause to have a bus down those streets,” Mandrell said.
Mandrell said ridership with Citibus is flat, and would like to see an increase.
“We’re right about 600,000 annual passenger trips per year for just our fixed route system,” Mandrell said.
Several alternate routes have been drafted, and include changes such as microtransit zones, almost working like ridesharing applications. The new route could also introduce routes that run north to south, and deeper into southeast and North Lubbock.
Mandrell said even with these changes, bus fares shouldn’t go up.
“We want to be part of people’s lives to where if they have a transportation barrier, we want something they can look to be able to get around the city,” Mandrell said.
The preferred alternative routes will be presented to the public, and will hold open houses to receive feedback.
For more information about the possible alternative routes, and a timeline for the study’s completion, visit the consultant website.