TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tonight, the mayor and council will vote on whether to eliminate bus Route 5, a decision that could save the city over a million dollars. If eliminated, hundreds of riders who depend on Route 5 could be left without a reliable way to get to work, school or appointments.
Sun Tran identifies the route as low-performing.
If the mayor and council vote to get rid of Route 5, riders living on Pima between Wilmot and Tucson Boulevard/Speedway would have to walk a half mile more to a bus stop on Grant or Speedway.
For riders like Maya Zantop, who can’t drive, losing access to Route 5 would mean losing access to her job.
“It would very much affect my livelihood," said Zantop.
She depends on this route to get to and from work; without it, she’d be forced to find another way, which isn’t easy.
Zantop says she has a genetic condition where the bones in her feet fuse together and pinch the nerves, meaning that walking long distances, especially to another bus stop, can be painful.
“If I want to be an independent person and be part of society to independently help, then it's a lot harder to do that," said Zantop.
I asked Zantop what her next step would be if route five isn’t an option anymore.
“I probably have to try and figure out how to finance a car or just suffer through having to walk to the next route for a little while," said Zantop.
Route 5 overlaps with other routes at its east and west ends. If eliminated, a mayor and council memo shows the realigning of Route 22 could save the city $1.6 million. Zantop says the hefty savings could come at a cost to many who rely on Route 5.
“A lot of people relied on this bus that I talked to and they're like if this route gets lost then I lose the ability to leave my home. That's what a lot of people had said to me," Zantop said.
I reached out to Sun Tran for a comment about the potential elimination and Cindy Glysson, Director of Marketing & Communications for Sun Tran, stated in part:
“We need mayor and council direction and the city manager’s recommendation is to not eliminate Route 5."
Earlier today, during the study session ahead of the city council meeting, the mayor and council motioned to take the recommendation to search for alternative service options rather than eliminating Route 5.
Department of Transportation and Mobility Director Sam Credio says that could mean reverting to the elimination of Route 22. The mayor and council are expected to discuss this further during the meeting at 5:30.
KGUN 9 will keep you updated both on-air and online.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
