Glenn County Ride
Prior to the initiation of Glenn County's "Glenn Ride," this rural county in Northeastern California didn't offer any public transit. Gloria Weems of the Glenn County Transportation Commission explains that Glenn Ride started in response to an Unmet Transit Needs process and community input. The County's Transit Improvement Plan offered additional testimony on the need for public transit.
What were some challenges during the inception of Glenn Ride's service?
Gloria found that the biggest hurdle facing the system was educating the public about the way transit works; the majority of residents in this rural area had never been exposed to transit. "It takes time in a rural area for the public to believe that they will get a ride," she explains.
What are some important lessons learned during the process and in getting things running?
Because Glenn Ride is a new rural system, public relations can't be the same as for a larger system. Gloria says, "the Ride has to work with the public to get them to understand how the system works, and this requires both patience and communication." For example, Glenn Ride needed to add stops just because passengers were there. In other words, Glenn County maintained the flexibility to add or change stop locations based on needs of potential riders. As Gloria points out, "the system had to work around customer needs, providing a 'little extra effort' to keep customers even if this meant veering from official policy."
How are things going now?
Glenn Ride is performing as expected. It has taken about three years to grow ridership, but the system is working well.
What do your passengers think of the service?
In recent surveys, the vast majority of riders rate Glenn Ride as "excellent" or "very good." Gloria explains that there are some concerns about needing additional scheduled services, and Glenn County has purchased more equipment to expand operations.
What do policymakers and local politicians think of the service?
Politicians and policymakers like the service. Gloria notes that a few didn't initially believe that the service would survive. But Glenn Ride continues to gain passengers, and with them, political support.
What are your next plans?
Glenn Ride's next steps center on plugging service gaps. The system is also trying to meet both intercity peak-hour demand and student travel needs. Gloria feels that the Ride has moved beyond its basic operations, and is looking to provide added services to the community.
For more information about Glenn County's Glenn Ride, please visit: www.glenncountygovmt.net/main/services.asp?id=197 |
