Study Area (click to see full size)
Background
The Central Arizona Regional Transit (CART) system provides intercity transit service between Casa Grande, Coolidge, and Florence in Pinal County, Arizona. CART Ridership has declined over recent years, an issue that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and has resulted in the system providing less community benefit for the investment. The Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a study in partnership with the City of Coolidge that will develop recommendations for improving the efficiency and ridership of the CART system.
The 2016 Coolidge Transit Plan took an in-depth look at both the CART and Cotton Express transit services, operated by the City of Coolidge, and developed recommendations for expanding the coverage and usability of these systems. Since 2016, there have been updates to the CART route to enhance connectivity and transit coverage. There has also been a large amount of growth and employment development within the region since the 2016 study. The combination of these factors means that reevaluating the CART routing against regional demographics and destinations could reveal opportunities for improving the efficiency and attractiveness of the system to riders.
Goals and Objectives:
Evaluate the current system, including the current routing, ridership, where transit is most needed, and how CART compares to similar systems.
Identify current constraints of staff, vehicle inventory, and funding of the existing system to recommend improvements to the efficiency of the CART route.
Evaluate the existing organizational structure of the City of Coolidge Transit staff and associated administrative activities to potentially reduce time or cost of administration of the transit system.
Design marketing materials that will aid the City of Coolidge in increasing awareness and ridership of the CART system.
Schedule:
