LTU officials say due to federal requirements StarTran is making changes to routes that serve Lincoln Public Schools students. Director Liz Elliott says in July the Federal Transit Administration delivered a mandate to StarTran to make changes to its school booster program routes to meet FTA requirements or risk losing funding.
Elliott says the FTA provides nearly 80% of StarTran’s annual operating budget of more than $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2022/2023. City booster routes will continue from the first day of school on Monday, August 14 through Friday, September 15. “Effective Monday, September 18, changes mandated by the FTA will require StarTran to end a seven-route transportation booster program for LPS students,” Elliott says.
The change is expected to impact more than 250 middle and high school students who regularly ride StarTran during the school year. Students at Culler, Goodrich, Lux, Moore, Schoo and Scott middle schools and North Star and Northeast high schools will be impacted.
In order to comply with the regulations while continuing to provide service that supports transportation to and from schools, StarTran will increase service times during peak hours on six fixed routes frequently used by LPS students: 13, 27, 40, 41, 44, and 53. Those service times will increase from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes during peak hours year-round.
All but two middle and high schools have city bus stops within seven blocks. StarTran is also proposing to install an additional bus stop on Route 52 in north Lincoln. This route will help serve students in the Fallbrook neighborhood and those living west of Highway 34.