START board to weigh future of airport shuttle as pilot ends April 6

START’s board is set to review whether and how to continue airport shuttle service after the multi-year pilot ended April 6, 2026, according to a performance-and-cost report prepared for the agency and partners.

The report says average daily ridership has declined each service year, from 73 riders/day in 2023–24 to 63 in 2024–25 and 61 service-year-to-date in 2025–26 (5,303 total riders, down from 6,063 at the same point last year). A ridership goal of 175 riders/day was met only one day in 2023–24, and the pilot’s “average 120 riders/day for the season” KPI was met just once in 2024–25. The report also notes on-time performance in the low-80% range (84% year 1, 82% year 2, 84% year 3). See: Airport shuttle pilot metrics and financials.

Cost is the central issue. The report puts gross cost per passenger at $44.52 and net cost per passenger (after fares) at $28.03, compared with START’s overall net cost per passenger of $7.79. The pilot’s farebox recovery rate in FY2025 was 26% of operating costs versus a stated target of 41.5%. The report also tallies about $335,644 in FY2025 shuttle expenditures plus roughly $90,000/year in airport/Travel & Tourism marketing costs (about $11.88 per passenger), for an estimated total of $425,644.

The report’s “moving forward” section says costs per rider are too high and ridership is declining, and calls for partners and “transportation groups” to evaluate lessons learned, opportunities and challenges, and what (if any) future airport shuttle service should look like.