StarMetro officials announced several bus route changes effective Aug. 1 to improve efficiency and performance. The changes included two new routes, eight revised routes, and four discontinued routes.
“Each summer StarMetro reviews performance measures for each of its routes,” said StarMetro marketing specialist Heather Harris. “These latest rounds of route changes are in response to our routes either meeting or not meeting those performance measures.”
Route 35, which ran through Florida State University, Bradford Manor, and Tallahassee Community College, was eliminated because it was not meeting those performance numbers, Harris said.
However, route 28, which includes FSU, TCC, and Pensacola Street, will be rerouted to cover portions of route 35 with the highest ridership numbers, Harris added.
Routes 1 and 9, which ran through the Northwood Plaza, High Road, Tallahassee Mall, and FSU, were traveling the same route, but in different directions.
“As always, StarMetro strives to increase the efficiency of its system,” Harris said. “So, the changes to routes 1 and 9 were to eliminate redundancy.”
However, many bus riders such as Dominique Lemon, a senior theatre performance student at Florida A&M University, said she didn’t know about the upcoming route changes.
“I haven’t seen any signs or fliers about any changes that have happened or are coming,” Lemon said.
Phillip Darns, a freshman mechanical engineering student at FAMU agreed and said StarMetro should place more signs or fliers on the buses or terminals.
“I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to ride the bus this weekend because I don’t know if the routes I use are changing,” Darns said. “I’m going to be confused.”
Dwayne Rogers, a sophomore FAMU student who uses the bus as alternate transportation on occasions, said StarMetro should create a public service announcement for radio or television to notify riders.
The route changes will not affect the fare system or the number of bus drivers, Harris said.
“StarMetro employs a certain number of full-time and part-time drivers to serve all its routes, those numbers have not increased or decreased in quite a while,” Harris said.
Drivers welcomed the route changes, many of which were made after consultations with the drivers, Harris said.
A list of all route changes is available at www.talgov.com/starmetro. Riders who do not have computer access can call (850) 891-5200 for more information. Ride guides will be available in the CK Steele Plaza, the StarMetro transfer center, and will be placed on the buses, Harris said.