Recommended for Placer County Transit to enhance ridership
Auburn, Calif. – Following a year-long study and planning process, the Placer County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to approve Placer County Transit’s 2024 comprehensive operational analysis and recommended service plan.
The approved plan includes recommended service changes that would increase the Auburn Transit and Placer County Transit service network’s combined operating costs by approximately $811,000 annually. If implemented, this would result in an anticipated system-wide increase of about 65,000 annual rider trips.
Placer County Transit will consider the recommendations while developing their short-range transit plan beginning at the end of this year.
Aligning efforts
Beginning in July 2023, the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency coordinated an extensive operational study with assistance from WSP USA Inc. and LSC Transportation Consultants Inc. PCTPA led the effort for Auburn Transit and Placer County Transit and worked in coordination with the City of Roseville to align with transit service planning efforts currently underway for Roseville Transit.
The planning process included data evaluation of passenger surveys, existing conditions and projected future transit demands along with multiple rounds of public outreach and extensive coordination with transit agencies and city staff. PCTPA also led the creation of a project-specific technical advisory committee, which met six times to review the project and provide input on planning goals, objectives and service assumptions to help guide the final service plan.
“There was a significant level of engagement and collaboration for this planning process from existing riders to our advisory committee, as well as from a transit operator’s working group and local transit providers,” said Public Works Manager Jaime Wright. “These efforts really paid off to deliver a comprehensive plan proposed to improve our efficiency in delivering rides to Placer County residents and visitors.”
The comprehensive operational analysis determined:
- Ridership on Route 60 has not recovered since the pandemic as much as it has on other routes.
- Ridership is low on Route 50 and on the segment of Route 60 between Auburn and Colfax.
- Granite Bay dial-a-ride ridership is low compared to other on-demand services.
- Route 10, Route 20 and Route 80 have above-average ridership.
- Route 40 has strong ridership for a route that serves rural communities.
- Auburn OnDemand is more efficient than the former Auburn Loop fixed route service.
The board approved the following recommended service changes and plan implementation, subject to available funding and in partnership and agreement with local jurisdictions who contract with Placer County to provide service on their behalf: - On route 10 between the Auburn station and the Watt Avenue light rail station, improve bus stop service from 60 minutes to every 30 minutes on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. as well as realign westbound routing to serve the Taylor Road park and ride and add stops in each direction.
- Split Route 20 into two routes at the Roseville Galleria and realign routing to expand service coverage in west Rocklin,
- Extend Route 30 from Auburn station to downtown Auburn as part of phased improvements in the area.
- Add a round trip in the afternoon on Route 40 between Auburn and Alta to allow riders from Auburn on the morning trip to have shorter wait times for their return trip.
- Convert Route 50 along Taylor Road to a dial-a-ride zone, as well as reduce weekday service from half a day to 9.5 hours; and discontinue the Saturday service.
- Discontinue Route 60 between Auburn and Colfax and discontinue one round trip.
- Extend Route 70 in Lincoln along 1st Street to Joiner Parkway and from Twelve Bridges to the park and ride lot on Industrial Avenue.
- Coordinate Placer County Transit and Auburn services for the Auburn and state Route 49 dial-a-ride and Auburn OnDemand service, as well as reduce Auburn OnDemand service to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
- For Granite Bay’s dial-a-ride service, convert the service from two peak times to one mid-day operating period and begin discussions with Roseville Transit for a potential expansion of its Arrow Service.
- Add weekday hours for Lincoln’s dial-a-ride service.
Rocklin and Loomis’ dial-a-ride service will remain unchanged, as will Route 80.
The plan also recommends that future services to new development areas within Placer County, such as Placer One and Placer Vineyards, be provided by expanding Roseville Transit’s Arrow service under a cost agreement with the county.
To learn more about PCTPA’s comprehensive operational analysis and the region’s short-range transit plan, click here.
