TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — With school back in session and fall just around the corner, Sun Tran is preparing for its seasonal schedule shift and route consolidation rollout, set to begin Saturday, Aug. 17.
The new autumn service changes include the merging of select routes, including Routes 16 and 18 along Oracle Road, as part of an effort to improve efficiency and better meet riders’ needs.
“The bus system is outstanding here,” said Darren Medders, a frequent rider who relies on Sun Tran even during Tucson’s scorching summer months. Still, he joked, “The only thing they need to do is start putting air conditioners at the bus stops.”
Medders said he understands the need for the changes. “Logistically, if it’s better for the city, it costs less money, then it’s better for the taxpayer,” he said.
However, according to Cindy Glysson, Sun Tran’s Director of Marketing and Communications, saving money isn’t the driving factor behind the route consolidations.
“Some of the routes were being looked at and how could we make it more efficient,” Glysson said. “So you’ll see some of those routes are now combined at certain points along the route.”
Glysson emphasized that the main goal is improving reliability and service quality. “It’s not saving us money as much as being more efficient with the routes — being on time, making sure that we’re able to pick as many people as we possibly can throughout the day,” she said.
For some riders, such as Jaedyn Pitts, who commutes to work early each morning, the changes are a step in the right direction — but don’t go far enough.
“They should run earlier if anything,” Pitts said. “If they wanna change schedules, make it run earlier, so I can get to work, you know what I’m sayin’?”
While the current updates do not include earlier start or later end times, Glysson said more adjustments could be on the horizon.
“We can do changes up to four times a year,” she said. “So our riders know a new ride guide comes out, they know to look at their schedules to see if there are changes.”
In addition to bus schedule modifications, Sun Link’s streetcar service will also transition to its fall schedule on Sunday, Aug. 18.
More information, including updated route maps and timetables for both Sun Tran busses and the Sun Link visit www.suntran.com .
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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