Politics
Midtown Council Approves $12 Million Transit Expansion, Eight New Routes Coming
The July 7 vote directs $12 million from the municipal budget to expand service on six existing routes and add two new ones in the downtown core and east side neighborhoods.
How we reported this
The Midtown City Council passed the 2026 Transit Funding Allocation by a 7-2 vote on July 7. The measure reallocates existing sales tax revenue to the Midtown Transit Authority for immediate route adjustments and vehicle purchases.
Why the allocation was taken up now
Council members reviewed the proposal after the authority submitted its quarterly ridership report in May. That document showed a 14 percent drop in boardings on the 14 and 22 routes compared with the same period in 2025. Staff attributed the decline to longer wait times and aging buses that frequently break down.
The allocation sets aside funds for 18 new compressed-natural-gas buses and extends evening service until 11:45 p.m. on the 14, 22, 35, 41, 58 and 72 lines. Two new routes, the 81 and 92, will begin in October and connect the east side industrial park to the main transfer station at 5th and Elm.
Daily effects for Midtown households
Residents who rely on the 14 route for travel to the county hospital will see headways reduced from 45 minutes to 25 minutes during weekday afternoons. The authority projects that the change will cut average one-way travel time by 12 minutes for the 2,800 daily riders on that line. Households in the east side census tracts will gain direct access to the downtown employment center without a transfer, a change the authority estimates will serve an additional 1,100 workers each weekday.
Base fares remain at $2.25 under the current ordinance. The legislation states that any future fare increase must be approved separately by the council and cannot take effect before January 2028. The authority will begin accepting the new buses in September, with full deployment scheduled for December.
According to the city’s adopted 2026 budget document, the $12 million comes from a portion of the 1.25 percent local sales tax previously earmarked for street maintenance. That shift leaves $4.8 million less for road resurfacing projects in the current fiscal year.
Authority staff will hold three public meetings in August to present draft schedules. The first buses on the new routes are expected to enter service on October 5.