Valparaiso's South Shore Connect service won't be coming back any time soon.
Last December, the city paused the bus route that connected Valparaiso with the Dune Park South Shore station. Last week, the board of works voted to cut the route permanently.
Beth Shrader made the recommendation in one of her final actions as Valparaiso's planning and transit director. "Exploring all options — increasing the cost to ride, changing routes — none of that moved the needle enough to expect this to be a financially-sustainable service," Shrader told board members.
When service was suspended in January, it averaged less than one rider per bus, but that was before the South Shore Line resumed train service to Dune Park and expanded its schedule, following the Double Track project.
While the Connect fare was two dollars, the actual cost to provide the service was over $160 per ride. Eighty percent was covered by federal funding, leaving it up to the city to pay about $30 per ride. Shrader said the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was willing to share that cost going forward, but Valparaiso University was not.
But she also discovered that, without major changes, the service would no longer qualify for demonstration funding, cutting the federal share by more than half. "We are unable to continue to receive [Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement] funding, which is the most preferable grant funding option through federal sources," Shrader explained.
And she isn't confident ridership would grow, based on the Chicago Dash service it's meant to complement. Chicago Dash ridership has plateaued around 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Mayor Jon Costas said without more riders, the South Shore Connect isn't a good use of transit money. "We need to make sure that something is economically sustainable," Costas said. "Even if we could get the funding, if the ridership continues at the level, it doesn't make any sense."
He suggested that residents have a friend pick them up, use Uber or adjust their schedule to use the Chicago Dash service.
Still, he and Shrader didn't rule out the idea of bringing back a similar service in the future. "I do love the idea of having feeder routes to the South Shore Line, and in the future, I hope it will work out," Shrader said.
Shrader is leaving the city government for a job with the National Park Service. Deputy city engineer Bob Thompson will take over as planning and transit director.
