Results from a recent survey show that SunTran riders primarily use the bus service for employment reasons.
Ocala Growth Management Director Tye Chighizola will present the results of the survey to the Ocala City Council during its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, August 3.
The survey received over 130 responses and was conducted in the early months of 2021.
The majority of respondents say they had been using the service for over five years. Among the top issues raised by those respondents were longer ride times, a loss of coverage in transit-dependent areas, and longer walks to bus stops.
According to the city, 56% of all riders said that employment was the number one reason for riding the bus, while 20% of respondents said shopping is their primary reason.
SunTran currently provides fixed-schedule service on seven routes in Marion County, mostly centered in Ocala, with one route operating from Ocala to the Silver Springs Shores area southeast of Ocala. Routes operate 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, according to the City of Ocala.
SunTran operates as a division of the Growth Management Department since the city of Ocala took over management of the organization from the Ocala/Marion Transportation Planning Organization in 2019.
The company is proposing a series of route changes that it hopes to implement this fall.