Transit Narrative

April 2018

After a slight decrease in ridership last month, SAM has resumed a healthy increase in ridership. SAM provided 11,316 rides in April 2018 compared to 10,488 rides in April 2017, an overall increase of 7.9%.

The SAM-Gresham route experienced an 5.2% increase in ridership. The new SAM Shopper has experienced 118.2% increase from April 2017. This consistent increase in service proves its importance to meet the needs of Sandy residents.

The Estacada route remained consistent with last year, increasing only by 1 rider. It went from 569 riders to 570 riders. The steady ridership reinforces the necessity of provided a commuter link between Sandy and Estacada.

STAR experienced a 16.8% increase in ridership as compared to 2017 with 1,314 scheduled rides last month.

The Elderly and Disabled program (out-of-town medical rides) decreased by 19.6% due to increased dialysis treatment available in Sandy.

SAM staff chose a vendor for the ITS project.  DoubleMap Inc., a company out of Indiana, will provide GPS equipment, tablets, interior LED stop signage, automated announcements and a pre and post trip electronic module.  The equipment will be installed in June and live by June 30, 2018.

SAM staff attended a regional tourism meeting focused on increasing tourism with carless travel options. Staff will continue to attend and participate in future meetings as transit is a vital link in the tourism industry. In addition to planning for future opportunity staff also participated in trainings to reinforce proper reporting of submissions to the State.

SAM also partnered with the Sandy Library for El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book). The trolley provided a shuttle to and from Vista Loop and staff had a booth where they were able to share transportation options with library patrons. Continued collaboration in the future include a travel training with both the Library and the Senior Center.