DCTA Seeking to Replace Bus Routes with On-Demand Service
Denton Connect bus (Image from DCTA website)
During its December 2020 meeting, the Board of the Denton County Transit Authority (DCTA) supported a proposal to replace fixed bus routes with on-demand service for Route 1, 2, 4, and 6. Routes 5 and 8 were recently cut. Fixed routes serving the University of North Texas would remain. For the time being, Route 3 and 7 would also remain but could be cut in the future.
Fixed bus routes have a set arrival and departure time at designated stops and serve multiple passengers on a single trip. On-demand operates more like Uber or Lyft, serving individual passengers or groups upon request without designated stops, routes, or schedules.
Map of DCTA routes. View full map
The proposal comes after a report showing low ridership for many of the fixed bus routes. Even before the pandemic arrived to Denton, most fixed routes were not meeting the desired threshold of ten boardings per hour.
Slide from agenda packet showing average number of boardings per hour for Denton and Lewisville routes.
The routes planned for removal have a typical frequency of one bus every 45-60 minutes. To be an effective form of public transit, bus frequencies should be closer to 15 minutes, as Austin has done. These long wait times can discourage potential riders from using DCTA and can lead them to choose a faster option like rideshare, biking, or even walking.
Bus frequency is partly determined by the density of the areas it serves. Much of Denton is low-density single-family homes and sprawling commercial areas where more land is used for parking than for buildings.
As a result, buses are infrequent and inconvenient on most routes. To support better bus frequency, Denton would need to increase housing and commercial densities across town with strategies like allowing more gentle density housing and reducing or eliminating parking minimums.
Slide from DCTA Board meeting agenda packet showing densities of areas around Denton.
Running low-occupancy buses can be expensive on a per-rider basis, so the DCTA Board opted to pursue an on-demand service model to replace the fixed routes that have low ridership.
On-demand service requires users to request a ride, similar to other rideshare services like Lyft or Uber. DCTA anticipates that moving to an on-demand model would provide better coverage of the city, longer hours, and better frequency. Operating hours are expected to be 5:00 AM through 9:30 PM. Frequency is expected to be 10-15 minutes.
For riders with the necessary technology and skills to request a ride, on-demand service has great potential to decrease wait times and increase convenience. For bus-dependent riders who do not have the necessary technology or skills, it may present a barrier to critical transportation needs.
On-demand service is far more expensive than fixed bus routes if ridership increases. However, if ridership is low, on-demand service is cheaper than running mostly-empty fixed-route buses.
It’s unclear whether replacing fixed routes with on-demand service will further suppress ridership numbers or cause them to increase.
Next Steps
DCTA plans to gather community feedback prior to finalizing their plans. Keep an eye out for these opportunities from March through May.
On Tuesday, February 9th, the Denton City Council will receive a report from DCTA about these proposed changes. If you have a question you’d like your council member to ask during the presentation, contact them ASAP. Keep in mind that the city council cannot vote on this matter, but they can ask questions. The meeting begins at 2 PM. Watch live.
Additional Resources
Watch presentation to Denton City Council at 2 PM on February 9th, 2021.
Watch recording of DCTA presentation to the Denton Mobility Committee on December 16th, 2020.
Watch recording of DCTA Board meeting from December 10th, 2020.
Full PDF of DCTA Board December 10th agenda packet. Ridership report and density information begins on Page 127 of the packet.
