Transit officials report improved on-time performance, unveil new rider website

At the April 21 Planning, Economic Development and Environment Committee meeting, transit officials reported that ART (the city’s transit system) had improved on-time performance compared with FY24 and showcased a new rider website, ridetheart.com, and an operations dashboard intended to provide real-time trip data.

Chris Whitlock, the city’s transit division manager, told the committee ART’s Q3 FY26 average on-time performance was 73% and explained the agency measures a run as on time when a vehicle departs its timepoint stop between one minute early and five minutes late. He said month-to-month trends track seasonal patterns and that the biggest on-time drop in FY25 followed storm-related service disruptions from “Helen.”

“Of the 3,413 canceled trips in quarter three of this year, only 8% were a result of driver shortages,” Whitlock said, adding that most cancellations in January–February were weather-related.

Whitlock also described labor and scheduling changes: the contractor negotiated a starting wage increase last October from roughly $21 an hour to $25, and the operator has added sign-on and retention bonuses. Staff reported current driver staffing for vehicle operators at 61 drivers — which they described as meeting operational needs and equivalent to 100% of the stated operator target — while noting continuing vacancies in dispatch and road‑supervisor roles.

Council members pressed for industry context and benchmarks. Transportation Director Ashley Hair said the new contract establishes an 80% on-time performance target that takes effect with the contract in July. Hair and Whitlock told the committee they are working with a vendor to define data-reporting metrics, to build a public dashboard, and to coordinate accessibility features with CAPE and IT.

Whitlock demonstrated the development site for ridetheart.com, highlighting trip planning, real-time vehicle locations, service alerts and interactive route pages. He said most live vehicle and schedule data will be automated from vehicle trackers and route feeds, while service-alert text will be entered either by city staff or the management team.

Why it matters: the committee’s data review ties operational performance, contract targets and rider-facing tools together. Council members said they want future reports to include industry benchmarks, standardized safety metrics (for example, accidents per 100,000 vehicle miles), and clearer comparisons that help policymakers judge whether ART is meeting goals.

Next steps: staff said the new contract begins in July with an 80% on-time target, the vendor will provide regular data deliveries, and the dashboard and website rollout will continue in the coming weeks.