Metro schedules reduced service on several days throughout the year, including the upcoming Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day holiday. Metro reduces bus service on a single day or set of days to save money when ridership is expected to be much lower than normal, but not low enough to warrant the Sunday service levels.
When holidays like Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day fall on weekdays, Metro has typically provided Sunday service. But on other holidays and days around holidays when more people are traveling, Sunday schedules would not provide enough service. On those days, Metro operates a “reduced weekday” schedule that has fewer trips and routes than a regular weekday.
The days that Metro operates Reduced Weekday service have historically had ridership that is 80 percent or less of the ridership on an average weekday. While some riders lose service on Reduced Weekdays, operating regular schedules on those days would result in some buses serving very few riders and operating nearly empty.
Reduced Weekday schedules provide about 90 percent of the hours operated on a regular weekday, and this translates into savings of about $1 million per year for Metro. Operating Reduced Weekday service helps Metro save money, which is especially important in times like these, when we have to carefully consider the return value on every dollar we spend.
You can find the yearly schedule of Reduced Weekday service online. When bus routes or individual trips are canceled for this schedule it is marked in print and online timetables with an “H.”