Taking a State Fair express bus is a blue-ribbon tradition for thousands of fairgoers. But after Metro Transit abruptly cut 67 trips across 40 routes last month, some Drive readers have asked if there will be enough bus drivers to provide the extra service.
Yes, says Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla. But to pull it off, the agency has had to make some significant changes.
It will be well past breakfast before fairgoers can arrive by express bus. Weekday service from nine suburban park-and-ride lots won't begin until 9 a.m., an hour later than in previous years. Service from the popular Parade Stadium lot won't begin until noon.
The agency doesn't have enough drivers to fill the extra State Fair runs and cover all of its morning routes, Padilla said in explaining the reason for the one-hour delay.
The fair opens Thursday and runs through Labor Day. Metro Transit plans to deploy 60 buses exclusively for the fair in the mornings and 73 in the evenings on weekdays. That jumps to 74 buses in the morning and 81 in the evening on weekends and Labor Day. Drivers will put in more than 11,900 hours over the fair's 12 days.
Being 90 drivers down, Metro Transit will rely on bus drivers to work overtime shifts. Generally, that has not been a problem, as the State Fair express runs are seen as a plum assignment, Padilla said.
Metro Transit drove more than 654,000 people to the fair last year — that's 16.4 percent of attendees. The agency has distributed more than 65,000 brochures to highlight this year's service.
"It's an important part of the fair," said Adam Mehl, a market development specialist for Metro Transit. "People like to get there by not driving."
