Carson City studying JAC bus service

Carson City is looking for feedback on the Jump Around Carson bus service.

On Monday, more than a dozen representatives from local human services organizations and government agencies with clients who do or could utilize the service, met with staff to talk about JAC’s strengths and weaknesses.

Among its strength most agreed was the bus service’s low $1 fare and free senior passes, the smart phone app that provides maps including real-time tracking of buses, and information available in both English and Spanish. Chief among its drawbacks, said stakeholders, is its limited service.

JAC has four fixed routes running 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, with no Sunday service. The routes are within Carson City, which provides the matching funds needed for federal grants, and not portions of Douglas and Lyon counties that are within the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Workshop participants wanted to see routes expanded outside as well as within Carson City, and more hours of service.

One idea was to extend a subsidized voucher program that now covers late night cab rides for Western Nevada College students, who pay $1 for a ride. The program is underutilized and it was suggested it might also be used to provide non-emergency medical trips or some after-hour services.

Another idea was to expand free service to individuals with disabilities and to provide transit trainers who would help them learn how to ride the bus, as well as using smaller vans that might save money to fill gaps such as expanding routes.

JAC annual ridership is 195,000 and operating costs are $919,000.

The feedback is being collected to develop short and long-term plans for the service and is required by the Federal Transit Administration.

A survey for anyone interested in providing feedback is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/JACTransitCommunitySurvey

Another workshop geared to the public and bus riders is being held May 14 at 2:30 p.m. at the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive.