A 15-month feasibility study could transform public transportation routes and services in Maricopa.
Wendy Miller, transportation program manager for the Maricopa Association of Governments, told the Maricopa City Council on Tuesday that researchers will evaluate the city’s current transit system, collect community input and look into how service can be expanded or improved.
The study launched last month, but locals can start putting in their two cents in October.
The goal is to “help create a connected city of Maricopa by providing residents and visitors with greater mobility and access to opportunity,” Miller said during the meeting.
By next fall, Maricopa could begin altering Maricopa Express Transit routes or adding routes around the city, especially as the population continues to swell.
In an InMaricopa.com poll last month, one-third of Maricopans had never heard of the city’s public bus system; 1 in 20 residents used it daily or weekly. The number of riders is small but has risen in recent years.
“The study will provide options and opportunities for the City of Maricopa to implement transit services and facilities that are right sized for this city in the short term and can be expanded as the city grows,” Miller said.
The study will begin with a market analysis. Then, researchers will evaluate the current state of MET — what it’s doing well and where it needs improvements — and start gathering input from locals and stakeholders.
Some of that initial feedback may be gathered through a survey at the city’s Stagecoach Days next month, with additional future sessions planned, said officials.
This is Maricopa’s first transit study in seven years. Council members agreed the city is due for an update.
“Our community has changed significantly since 2018, especially the east side of our community,” said Councilmember Amber Liermann.
The study along with the city’s existing service is now being funded through the Federal Transit Administration’s 5307 program, which funds transit systems in small urban areas. This includes expenses such as purchasing buses, constructing bus pullouts, system operations, vehicle and facility maintenance, and staffing.
