ANCHORAGE - The Municipality of Anchorage's (MOA) Public Transportation Department (PTD) on Thursday released its System Report Card for 2019 that reported a 5.7% increase in annual ridership compared to 2018. It's the first increase in People Mover ridership since 2011 and follows a major overhaul of the city's bus system.
The bus system redesign in 2017 aimed to curb the trend in declining ridership by boosting services in the most densely populated parts of Anchorage. The 2019 ridership numbers confirm that the new bus system is working as the city had hoped, said Jaime Acton, PTD Director.
"The department is proud to present our report card to the public today," Acton said. "It shows the progress our team has made over the past two years as we strive to better serve the community and help people mover throughout the city."
Other highlights from the 2019 report card include:
- Average weekday ridership increased every month in 2019 compared to the prior year. Average weekday ridership rose by 5.4% over 2018.
- Average Saturday ridership increased 5.6% compared to 2018.
- Average Sunday ridership rose a record-breaking 9.7% over the prior year.
Bart Rudolph, Planning and Communications Manager, said the system redesign is the first step in revitalizing Anchorage's public transportation system.
"The department is now focused on building on the redesign's successes and providing bus access to more people," Rudolph said. "We're also looking at other possible improvements such as adding transit security and increasing service on the weekends if additional funding becomes available."
PTD is asking the community for its input to help prioritize future system improvements.
The department's draft transit plan called Transit on the Move is available for public review and comment through Jan. 31. Currently, the plan's top priority is the addition of a new bus route that would provide service to Old Seward Highway, the Loussac Library and West Anchorage.
To view the System Report Card and to learn more about Transit on the Move visit www.peoplemover.org. For additional information, contact Bart Rudolph at 907.343.8490 or bart.rudolph@anchorageak.gov.
###
About People Mover - People Mover is a division of the Municipality of Anchorage's (MOA) Public Transportation Department (PTD) and is the largest public transit provider in the State of Alaska. People Mover offers safe, reliable and affordable transportation services and provides about 11,600 trips every weekday. Besides operating People Mover, MOA's PTD also operates AnchorRIDES and RideShare services. Learn more about People Mover at www.peoplemover.org where you'll also find information about mTicket, People Mover's mobile ticketing app, and how to get bus arrival times via text message.