Officials with Anchorage's bus system said this week they are backing down from a proposal that would have reduced bus service to the neighborhood of Spenard and north of Eagle River.
People Mover riders will see general, systemwide schedule adjustments on June 1, but no major service reductions, officials said. The city's Public Transportation Department in January unveiled plans to cut a segment of Route 36 that serves the Spenard Recreation Center, as well as Route 102's service to Peters Creek. In both cases, the department cited low ridership.
People who live in both communities spoke out against the plans, including at Anchorage Assembly meetings. This week, city transportation director Lance Wilber said that after taking public comment and recommendations from the city's Transit Advisory Board, the transit department has decided to preserve the route segments slated for cuts.
In the case of Route 36, the department will be working to do a better job marketing the route, Wilber said.
"We're going to make a little extra effort on our side to promote the ridership on that route in particular," Wilber said. "Honestly, if it doesn't pick up in the future, we're going to be having this conversation again."
He said Route 36 will, however, be losing one late-night trip in both directions. The department has also decided to cut a late-night and early-morning trip during the weekdays on Route 13, which serves the University of Alaska Anchorage area.
Route 102 will maintain morning service and see slightly reduced service in the afternoon, Wilber said. He said the five outbound evening trips from the Downtown Transit Center will be consolidated into four trips, with adjusted departure times to "best serve folks ending their work day."
Service will still be boosted to Northeast Anchorage, with Route 8 gaining stops to the Glenn Square Mall along Mountain View Drive. The department decided, however, not to add two Saturday trips on Route 45, as originally proposed.