Phoenix To Reduce Bus Hours Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
In light of lower ridership, Phoenix has already cut the frequency of certain bus routes. Now, the city plans to reduce the hours buses run.
On Thursday, council members approved starting bus service one hour later in the morning and ending earlier at night. Starting May 4, 2020, here’s how hours will change:
Mornings
- Weekday service begins at 5 a.m. (rather than 4 a.m.)
- Weekend service begins at 6 a.m. (rather than 5 a.m.)
Evenings
- Weekday service ends at 11 p.m. (rather than midnight)
- Weekend service ends at 11 p.m. (rather than 2 a.m.)
Since the coronavirus outbreak, local bus ridership is down 45%. Phoenix Public Transit Director Jesús Sapien said the change could save an estimated $300,000 a week.
“Of course there will be several factors and triggers where we would put things back, I’ll call it. That might be CDC guidance, state guidance, ridership increases and workforce availability,” Sapien said when asked when regular hours might return.
Earlier this month, Phoenix limited the number of passengers on buses to support social distancing. A typical bus should carry a maximum of 10 riders.
