The transit agency recently made some service changes that officials say will improve connections and reduce travel times in Kettering.
Greater Dayton RTA served 6.8 million passengers in 2023, which was about 1.1 million more riders than in 2022, agency data show.
Ridership had increased 7% in 2022, after declining by more than 12% in 2021 and 36% in 2020 as COVID’s effects set in.
The pandemic pummeled public transit agencies across the state and nation. During COVID, many people who worked in offices in downtown Dayton and other areas started working from home.
Many people have not returned to the office, or have done so on a limited basis, and they no longer ride the bus.
A 2023 survey of RTA riders found that 57% of respondents use the RTA to get to work. That’s down from about two-thirds of riders pre-COVID (65%).
The next most common reasons people ride the RTA is to access medical services (9%) and educational services (8%).
Even though RTA ridership saw a big increase last year, boardings are not even three quarters of what they were in 2019 (9.5 million riders).
Ruzinsky said RTA began to make changes in 2022 and 2023 to increase service on its more heavily used bus routes.
He said the agency also expanded and grew other services to meet the changing needs of riders across Montgomery County.
The transit agency operates fixed-route buses, a free shuttle called the Flyer that travels between downtown and Brown Street by the University of Dayton and “demand response” services that include door-to-door transportation.
Demand response ridership more than doubled between 2022 and 2023 (to 456,660 passengers), and the Flyer’s ridership has seen solid growth for a couple of years and is nearly back to pre-COVID levels.
“Growth in ridership is always exciting to see, but more important is how RTA responds to the changing needs of the communities we serve,” Ruzinsky said. “RTA listens, and as we continue to gather feedback from our customers and the community, we will build on this information to further improve RTA as our resources allow.”
On Dec. 31, the RTA made several service changes, including the expansion of Routes 6, 9 and 12 and the creation of a new route (28).
Route 11, which went from Kettering to downtown Dayton to Riverside, has been discontinued, and so has the Woodman Center Drive loop on Route 12.
The loss of Route 11 means Schantz Avenue will no longer be served. Route 6 now covers the northern portion of Route 11.
The new Route 28 replaces the southern portion of Route 11. This new service loops through parts of Kettering, from Dorothy Lane to East Stroop Road to Southern Boulevard and then back to Dorothy Lane.
“There was a desire from our customers as well as the city of Kettering to improve service across the city, and connections to our larger countywide bus route network,” Ruzinsky said.
Kettering City Manager Matt Greeson said Greater Dayton RTA’s service changes improve access to shopping, groceries, restaurants, health care, fitness options and other for destinations for residents and visitors.
“While RTA provides a loop that runs through the heart of Kettering, riders are still able to choose other routes that run north and south,” he said. “We feel RTA has provided services for every rider.”
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