The city of Durango will extend its hours of operation for on-demand transit after receiving positive feedback from residents about the late-night service.
The app-based public ride service ferries riders from curb to curb anywhere within city limits daily between 8 p.m. and midnight.
It has been a huge benefit to late-night workers and socializers who don’t have the means to get to and from downtown after the sun goes down, said riders who were interviewed in a previous story.
But some residents’ needs for service don’t fit within the city’s existing late-night hours of operation.
In response to feedback from riders, the city plans to extend DuranGO’s hours of operation, said Durango Transportation Director Sarah Hill.
DuranGO service hours will be begin three hours earlier and run from 5 p.m. to midnight every night of the week beginning Monday.
Hill said ever since DuranGO’s launch in October, on-demand ridership has increased each month. Ridership increased 77% from 890 rides in January to 1,577 rides in February.
Out of those February riders, 59% were returning users, an indication that new and regular riders are making use of DuranGO.
Residents continue to express support for the on-demand service, according to the city.
Hill read two statements complimenting the service and pointing out how it has helped residents.
An unnamed individual with Oak Tree Youth Resources said, “Thank you for the DuranGO program. This has been such a great support for more youth to be employed and have transportation after 8 p.m. We appreciate the opportunity.”
Another individual said, “I play on the local pool billiards league. One of our long-time players told me last night that DuranGo was a ‘life-changer’ for him. He can’t drive, no license or car, but loves to go out and play pool with his friends.
“He always relied on rides from others but felt bad. He said now he can get out and go socialize without worrying about how he’ll get home.”
DuranGO is funded through a federal grant. Durango Transit pays a 20% matching grant from its transportation enterprise fund, which is sustained by parking ticket fees, lodgers tax funds and similar mechanisms.
Rides on DuranGO cost a $2 flat fee. Riders must pay electronically via the DuranGO app.
January also marked Durango Transit’s 31st consecutive month of increased ridership year-over-year.
The city buses and Main Avenue trolley gave 34,529 rides in January, about a 10% increase from January 2023, Hill said.
The trolley accounted for 12,999 rides while the Walmart, Mercy Hospital, Fort Lewis College, U.S. Highway 160 and Crestview bus routes account for the rest of the ridership.
cburney@durangoherald.com
