Low Ridership and Staffing Shortages Lead Lincoln Transit to Modify Service on Five Bus Routes

(KFOR NEWS August 4, 2021) Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) transit system, StarTran, has announced service changes on five bus routes effective August 19 through January 5, 2022. The following routes will have hourly service rather than service every 30 minutes:

#40 Heart Hospital
#41 Havelock
#42 Bethany
#49 University Place
#53 SouthPointe

LTU Director, Liz Elliott, said Lincoln’s transit system continues to see low ridership and staff shortages caused by the pandemic. She added the five routes selected for service changes will impact the least number of users among the regular routes that offer service every 30 minutes. “We are hopeful these bus service modifications will be temporary while we build ridership back to pre-pandemic levels and seek additional team members,” she said.

Notices will be placed on the buses and posted on social media. Updated schedules will be available on the buses, on the website and upon request. No other transit service will be affected. The City’s on-demand shared ride service, VANLNK, and paratransit service are also available.

Masks are still required when riding the bus, and riders are asked to use the rear door to enter and exit newer buses (those with the word “Lincoln” on them). Riders needing to use the ramp can still enter through the front door.

National consulting firm Nelson\Nygaard said the transit staffing issue facing Lincoln is a problem nationwide. “We work with city transit systems big and small across the nation. Many of them are experiencing staffing shortages,” said Thomas Wittmann, Nelson\Nygaard Principal.

Interested bus operator and bus mechanic applicants are encouraged to go to lincoln.ne.gov/transitcareer to learn more about joining the transit team. For more information on routes, schedules, and transit job applications, visit transit.lincoln.ne.gov.