With 6,300 passengers in May, ridership was 28% higher than last May 2020. Although this is an increase in ridership, it remains a 46% reduction from pre-COVID ridership. Transit agencies across the State are beginning to request transit capacity restrictions be removed as we begin to welcome people back. Faced with capacity restrictions, people will remain reluctant to take the chance of waiting for a bus only to find that it is at capacity. In rural settings, this is especially troublesome as the next bus will not arrive until at least 30 minutes later.

As for ridership per route, SAM Gresham ridership increased 26% over May 2020. SAM Estacada increased 109.5%, SAM Shopper increased 68.6%. SAM rides, the dial-a-ride service, increased 21.4% while the out of town medical rides program increased 53.8%.

The end of May marked the one year anniversary with MV Transportation as our new contractor. This relationship was a bit unsteady during early transition, however MV was very responsive to the City’s concerns and a new operations manager was assigned to the division in December. Since December, we have seen great improvement in operations and driver retainment. With driver shortages occurring across the nation, driver recruitment and retention remains a priority. Experienced drivers who know the routes, vehicles and passengers are very important for the customer experience, something the City of Sandy has always recognized as a top priority.

During the months of March, April and May SAM staff have been transitioning to new dispatch software. Transit staff have also worked on new grant agreements with Oregon Department of Transportation as the new biennium approaches as well as new RFQs for new vehicle procurement and new IGAs between the City and TriMet as well as the City and the County.