Tempe Bus Service Changes Take Effect

TEMPE, AZ — Changes in the city of Tempe transit hours and routes took effect Monday.

"Because Tempe’s cost to operate transit service continues to increase, coupled with impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, there is an imbalance in the transit fund," the city of Tempe said in a news release. "The projected long-range forecast shows expenditures exceeding incoming revenue. Tempe is working on creative ways to balance the fund by increasing revenues and decreasing costs."

The transit system changes implemented Monday include a shift in operational hours across the system. New approximate operating hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, according to a news release from the city. Previously, buses ran until 1 a.m.

Route and time changes:

• The Orbit Mercury shuttle's frequency changed from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes in the daytime on weekdays.
• Bus Route 62 was modified to travel along Hardy Drive, south of Guadalupe Road. Riders headed to destinations along Guadalupe Road can use Orbit Saturn as an alternative.
• Bus Route 65 was eliminated due to duplicate service. Route 65 regulars can take Route 62 or Route 66 instead.
• Bus Route 66 frequency was increased to every 30 minutes from every 30 minutes to an hour with additional trips between Elliot Road and Downtown Tempe to provide 15-minute frequency during peak weekday use.
• The Orbit Saturn Route was modified along Guadalupe Road.

The transit service changes were needed due to increased costs as well as economic instability due to the pandemic, according to the news release. Tempe's transit service is mostly funded by a half-cent sales tax approved in 1996.

"The cost to operate our transit service is increasing – which is typical of most things over time," said TaiAnna Yee, Tempe's transportation public information officer. "But when you couple that with impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, such as inconsistent tax revenue and less fare recovery, it is leading to an imbalance in our transit fund."

Tempe staff worked on several ways to balance the fund, including increasing revenue and decreasing costs, Yee said. Tempe hosted public meetings last spring and collected feedback on the transit service changes. The City Council approved the changes in May.

Click here for trip planning on the updated routes.