Why Metro Is Making Some Changes To Its New Bus Network

Gail Delaughter

It was almost a year ago that Metro unveiled a totally revamped bus network. But officials said riders would see periodic changes.

The transit agency makes service adjustments three times a year. Those changes are made in January, at the end of the school year, and at the start of classes in the fall. The latest changes affect over thirty Metro routes and that includes both local buses and park and rides. They went into effect last weekend.

Metro's Jerome Gray says one thing they're trying to do is ease overcrowding on some of the more popular routes.

"We've added some trips earlier in the morning to accommodate people asking for that," Gray says.

Changes also affect the park-and-ride buses. Gray says ridership usually dips toward the end of the school year and they also thought they'd have fewer riders because of oil and gas layoffs. But it turns out that wasn't the case.

"Interestingly enough on several of those park and ride routes we've actually seen an uptick in the ridership," says Gray. "I think a number of people are just opting to not drive their car all the way into work. They're opting to park it and get on the bus."

Still more changes are expected in the months to come.

New Metro Chairman Carrin Patman says one of her goals is to find neighborhoods that were left out when the new bus system was designed.