Community

SEDONA ROADRUNNER - The free trolley runs a continuous circulator route between Uptown and Hillside.  The trolley is parked in Cottonwood and transports passengers from Cottonwood to Sedona once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. FILE PHOTO

Sedona RoadRunner thriving; needs more cash to grow

by Cyndy Hardy

SEDONA, AZ, April 24, 2008 – The Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (NAIPTA) is asking the City of Sedona for more money to operate the Sedona RoadRunner transit system.

Jeff Meilbeck, general manager, said the proposed budget of about $3.12 million represents a 13 percent increase to cover continued service, higher fuel costs, maintenance, the Summer Fun Run, and a proposal for additional service year-round from 6 to 8 p.m.

NAIPTA is requesting total program funding of $3,123,790, including $448,477 from the city. The budget request summary also included a carryover of about $274,434 Sedona funds. The balance – about $2.4 million – will come from federal grants.

“In order to make it work, we need partner matching funds,” Mr. Meilbeck said.

The Sedona City Council took no action at the Apr. 22 meeting, but asked NAIPTA to bring back additional information.

A large portion of the increase stems from a proposal for about $1 million to construct a better maintenance facility than what it currently has in Cottonwood, where the Sedona RoadRunner shuttles are stored at night.

Currently, the shuttles are stored on a dirt lot where it is difficult to do basic service and maintenance, Mr. Meilbeck said. Construction funding for a new facility could include JARC funds, but Mr. Meilbeck said it will also require financial partnering from Yavapai County, Sedona and Cottonwood.

The RoadRunner system’s employees – “three full-time drivers, two alternate drivers a supervisor and me” – clean and maintain the trolleys, RoadRunner Transit Operations Manager Jim Wagner said. “We have no support, like a shop truck to come out with jumper cables,” he said.

The proposed budget included a plan to increase the number of commuter runs between Sedona and Cottonwood from two to six inbound and outbound trips.

City Council members questioned the low ridership numbers on the commuter route, which average about eight per trip. Mr. Wagner said feedback from local businesses and riders indicates the current service does not meet commuters’ needs.

Currently, commuters can ride into Sedona on two schedules between 7 and 8 a.m., but most finish work by 3 or 4 p.m. and don’t want to – or can’t – wait for the shuttles’ return trips in the evening.

“Two partner hotels now have other ways to get them back [to Cottonwood],” City Manager Eric Levitt said.

The additional routes are expected to fill the gap. “We can adjust the times for whatever works best for the service workers,” Mr. Wagner said.

“I’m not sure I buy that,” Councilman Harvey Stearn said. “If they really want to use it they’ll adjust their schedules.” He said NAIPTA should have a “better handle on that” before the city should invest more money on additional commuter runs.

Councilman Ramon Gomez said that with high gas prices, more commuters would probably use the shuttle if they could count on it to get back home.

Councilman Rob Adams questioned a 14 percent increase in the current budget’s salaries and benefits and a 54 percent increase in cost per service hour.

Mr. Meilbeck explained that, in response to public concerns about times when the trolleys run empty or nearly empty, management cut actual service hours from the maximum possible hours for a net savings of about 13 percent. The drivers must still be paid, which resulted in the increased cost per service hour.

Ridership counts have met benchmarks set in the city’s master plan. The RoadRunner has the highest rider counts per hour in the state, for rural systems, and a 12 percent growth rate, officials said.

Coconino County Supervisor Matt Ryan, who serves on NAIPTA’s board, complimented the council on the RoadRunner’s success to date, in spite of the challenges the city has faced during the start-up period.

“If you take the total operating capital, divided by 80,000 [estimated ridership] it’s about $4 per person,” Councilman John Bradshaw said.

© 2008 Cyndy Hardy. This article may not be reproduced, republished or distributed without written permission from the author.