In October 2019 and February 2020, El Paso County asked for your input on guidelines and priorities for implementing bus service, bus stops, and bus shelters. The County has since developed guidelines for implementing new bus service and identified locations for bus stops and bus shelters, as seen below. These proposed improvements are not final, and the County is seeking your input in this third round of public engagement.
Service Planning Guidelines
These guidelines reflect the El Paso County goals for transit service. They are based on public input received during the study phases of this project. They provide the framework for all transit service planning, but full implementation depends on costs, available resources and operation needs.
Guidelines for County Transit Service in General
- County transit service should be available to all residents of rural El Paso County. County transit service can take the form of flexible bus routes or Dial-a-Ride service.
- New or modified County transit services should serve existing riders to the extent possible.
- County transit service should run at least 14 hours per day on weekdays and at least 12 hours per day on weekends.
- County transit service should not compete for riders with Sun Metro bus service.
Guidelines for County Bus Routes
- Bus routes should connect residents of rural El Paso County to Sun Metro bus service and serve key destinations in the county, such as medical centers and shopping centers.
- Buses should run no more than 60 minutes apart during peak times and no more than 120 minutes apart at other times.
- Bus routes should run in areas with higher population density and/or higher job density.
- Bus routes should keep to main roads as much as possible, but buses can go up to ¾ mile into neighborhoods when requested by riders.
- Bus routes should be as simple as possible. They should be direct and follow the same roads in both directions. Bus schedules should be easy to remember.
- Where possible, bus routes that intersect each other or meet Sun Metro routes should be timed so that transfers are convenient.
Guidelines for County Bus Stops
- County bus stops should be ½ mile apart on average. Buses can stop at other locations when requested by riders, where it is safe to stop, where it is not too close to a bus stop, and within ¾ mile of the bus route.
- County bus stops should have a sign indicating that they are County bus stops. Some stops will also have seating or a shelter, depending on factors such as the number of people who use the stop and whether or not the stop is a transfer point.
- All bus stops should be accessible to riders in wheelchairs.
- Bus stops should be located in areas that are highly visible, well lit at night, near safe roadway crossings, and not prone to flooding.
Guidelines for County Dial-a-Ride Service
- Dial-a-Ride service should connect residents of rural El Paso County to key destinations in the county and Sun Metro transfer centers.