Assembly hears low commuter ridership, seeks transit-development plan as federal MPO funding arrives

Planning staff presented five months of Valley Transit ridership data and said the borough faces decisions about maintaining commuter services as state support and urbanized-area rules change.

Deputy Planning Director Jason Ortiz explained fares and options: a monthly fixed-route pass is roughly $120, single rides about $7 and round trips around $10–$12. Planners reported commuter-service ridership numbers such as roughly 2,700 one-way commuter trips in a recent month and urged the borough to develop a transit-development plan before making long-term appropriations. The planning director noted that the new MPO and urbanized-area designation bring federal funding but also require local nonfederal match and coordination.

Assembly members expressed concern that some commuter runs carry very low passenger counts — sometimes only a handful of riders per bus — and asked whether van-based or intra-borough models would be more efficient. Borough staff said they had asked Valley Transit to model prioritized reductions that would affect fixed-route commuter service over intra-borough demand-response in the event of funding cuts and recommended the Metropolitan Planning Organization lead transit long-range planning while the borough seeks to avoid duplicative planning efforts.

Staff emphasized that current budget proposals assume maintaining status quo service for now while the MPO and borough produce a right-sized plan. Assembly members asked for a briefing with Valley Transit on routes, schedule and fare-recovery metrics.

"This conversation should be had," a manager said, adding that a transit development plan is a key missing element for long-term decisions about funding and service patterns.