Community Corner
Council Extends Shuttle Budget
Ridership numbers both up and down on Menlo Park's three shuttle lines.
The Menlo Park City Council Tuesday night extended funding for the city's longstanding and well-enjoyed shuttle service.
In operation for more than a decade, the shuttle program includes three routes, Marsh Road, Willow Road and the Midday shuttle. It draws funding from several sources, including yearly grants worth $107,937 from the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board and $179,625 from the County Association of Governments, both of which the council approved this week. The county board grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match, an obligation the city will pay for through redevelopment funds and fees from developers, according to a staff report.
Despite dipping ridership on both the Willow and Marsh Road shuttle, the program is broadly supported in council circles. The item appeared on the council's consent calendar, and passed 5-0 without debate.
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On the flip side, the Midday Shuttle has seen an impressive 47 percent boost in ridership over the last year. Highly popular with the city's seniors, this shuttle covers major locations in and out of town, including two libraries, the senior center, Caltrain, Safeway and the Stanford Shopping Center.
According to a staff report, ridership has dropped on the Willow and Marsh routes because of recent economic factors. Those same factors, however, are boosting ridership on the Midday route, which saw 34,146 passengers in the 2009-10 fiscal year, compared to 23,262 in 2008-09.
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Council Member Andy Cohen said the ridership numbers prove the city is making smart choices. With more growth expected in Belle Haven with Facebook's arrival, the shuttle system is steadily becoming more important.
"It's obvious to me that the shuttles are going to be absolutely critical in the coming years because all of the growth in the east side," said Cohen.
The Willow and Marsh shuttles dropped in the same years from 26,559 to 23,712, and 34,181 to 28,136, respectively. The shuttles are free, but the entire program costs $395,000 per year. Most expensive is the Midday shuttle, which costs the city $150,000 annually.
