COMO Connect announces increase in ridership for August 2014

As customers continue to adjust to the new public transit system in Columbia, everyone wants to know how the new COMO Connect bus system affected ridership in its first month of operation. Staff reported seeing an increase in riders and new customers early on after the system first launched, and now the numbers are in to confirm. Overall, COMO Connect reports that monthly ridership in August 2014 was up 11% from the same month last year (from 65,925 to 73,130), but notes there are a few key details to consider when comparing these numbers.

An obvious factor that will affect the ridership numbers is the "Free Ride" promotion the city launched for the entire month of August this year. This was intended to draw attention to the new system and entice new customers to try it out. The free rides also aimed to help existing customers adjust to the new system and ease the burden of change during the time of transition. "We wanted the launch of COMO Connect to be a positive experience for our customers, and an exciting step forward for the community. Offering free service for its first month made the transition a lot easier on customers and drivers," says Drew Brooks, the City's Multi-Modal Manager.

When comparing monthly ridership totals in August 2014 to August 2013, one must also note the city's population influx as students return to campus for the fall semester. With so many college students using the bus system every day, the monthly ridership numbers are dramatically affected by how early the academic calendar year starts. The University of Missouri's academic calendar started an entire week earlier in August 2013, giving last year a boost in ridership numbers that 2014 didn't see until later in August. Despite fewer August days on the MU academic calendar this year, August ridership still exceeded the 2013 numbers.

The highest ridership on the new routes was definitely seen on the 1 Black and 2 Gold Core Connector routes that logged over 28,000 and 20,000 rides respectively for the month of August alone. Together these routes reach customers on all three college campuses and the downtown area, as well as many of the highest traffic areas in the city.

COMO Connect will continue to closely monitor the use of the new bus system, but the city is excited about the strong start of the new system and the potential to attract new customers to public transportation.