StarMetro News
StarMetro Announces Changes for August
Saturday, August 2, will bring new changes to the StarMetro system. The first change will affect the entire citywide transit system, excluding Florida State and Florida A&M University routes. This change will include adjusting all arrivals, departures and stop times along the route back ten minutes. For example, Route 1 currently departs from C.K. Steele Plaza Gate T at 6:40 a.m.; as of August 2, the route will depart at 6:30 a.m. and arrive at all stops along the route 10 minutes earlier than the current schedule.
"Lately, we've received many suggestions requesting the system be modified to better meet traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work schedules," said Ron Garrison, StarMetro Executive Director. "By pushing back the timetables for each route, riders will now arrive to work slightly before the top of the hour, rather than after the top of the hour."
The second change will modify the end of the line for Route 17, which currently ends at the Winn Dixie on North Monroe Street. As of August 2, Route 17 will end at the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center on the northwest corner of Fred George Road and North Monroe Street. This change will improve on-time performance for Route 17, as well as serve as a Park-And-Ride Community (PARC) for commuters.
"This change will save time for our riders by eliminating the time spent crossing North Monroe Street twice," said Garrison. "In addition, by adding a PARC location for riders at the end of Route 17, we can hopefully begin to create a commuter route to that area similar to the 80X."
StarMetro Offers Summer Fun to Students
Beginning June 1, StarMetro offers its annual Summer Wheels Pass, which allows homebound school students unlimited access to the StarMetro system during the summer months at a reduced rate.
"The goal of the program is to allow students a reliable means of transportation to and from our local parks and recreation centers," said Toni McDonald, Playground Supervisor for the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department. "The program is valuable because parents can rely on StarMetro's shuttles to get their children to the many exciting camps that the department offers throughout the summer."
The pass costs $8.50 per month for June, July and August. Students age 17 and under may use the pass for one month before reloading. Riders can reload their pass for the next month at C.K. Steele Plaza, located 111 W. Tennessee St., and/or the StarMetro offices, located at 555 Appleyard Drive. In order to purchase a pass, students must complete a registration form and present some form of identification, such as a student ID and/or report card.
"The Summer Wheels Pass, along with the Summer Playground Program from our Parks and Recreation division, gives students the opportunity to be outside and play while they are not in school over the summer break," said Ron Garrison, Executive Director of StarMetro. "Next summer, StarMetro hopes to reintroduce the Summer Wheels Pass as a bigger, better program with partnerships from local businesses."
Students may purchase Summer Wheels passes through August 15. For more information, please contact StarMetro at 891-5200.
StarMetro's 80x Express Soars
Last month, StarMetro officially launched the Northern extension of the 80X Express route to Bradfordville, which marked the first route to ever break the barrier of the city limits. Since the launch of the Northern extension, StarMetro's ridership numbers have soared.
Prior to the Northern extension, the 80X route traveled from the SouthWood Town Center to Downtown, which connected three major employment centers - the Capital Circle Office Complex (CCOC), the Koger Center and offices located in Downtown.
"During listening sessions held at the CCOC, I discovered that most employees would comment, 'I live in Killearn. I would use the service, but there is no service out there,'" said Samuel Scheib, StarMetro planner. "So, we constructed a plan to extend the 80X service to the Killearn area to accommodate these employees."
When the pilot program for the 80X Northern extension began in December 2007, StarMetro planners cautiously watched ridership numbers, which nearly doubled due to the extension. During March 2008, one month prior to the official launch of the Northern extension, StarMetro's ridership numbers for the entire 80X Express route averaged 1,267 riders per five-day week. The following month, after the official launch, the route averaged 1,530 riders per week - an increase of 263 riders per week.
"Overall, I'm very pleased to know about the 80X Express bus, have had a great experience so far and will continue to use the bus route," said Michael Neal, new 80X rider.
In order to accommodate the rising number of new 80X riders, StarMetro will now run a 30-passenger shuttle on the 6:40 am route, instead of the previous 23-passenger shuttle.
"I really support mass transit and after riding a subway in Tokyo - StarMetro is a luxury," said Loretta Bowman, existing 80X rider. "I'm telling everyone about it."
For more information, please contact StarMetro at 891-5200. To view all StarMetro routes and schedules, please visit Routes and Schedules.
StarMetro offers Wireless Internet Access to Riders
StarMetro offers Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a technology that allows for wireless Internet connections, on ten of its coaches. This new technology will allow StarMetro riders to access the Internet via wireless enabled devices, such as laptops and personal digital assistants.
"From local listening sessions, we discovered that riders really wanted and valued WiFi access on transit," said Samuel Scheib, StarMetro Planner.
The WiFi equipped coaches will service routes 1, 6, 21, 22, 25 and 80X. StarMetro riders can look for the WiFi logo, located on the outside of each coach near the double doors, to ensure they can log on to the StarMetro WiFi system once riding.
StarMetro began the process of acquiring WiFi technology for its coaches almost a year ago. Partnering with the Parvus Corporation, StarMetro has diligently worked to add this new feature on part of its fleet. Installation started in early February for RiderNet3 ("RiderNet cubed"), Parvus' third generation WiFi solution for mass transit vehicles, onboard the selected StarMetro coaches.
"We are very pleased to offer this new service to our riders," said Ron Garrison, director of StarMetro. "If our riders enjoy the service, we hope to continue adding WiFi capabilities to the rest of our fleet."