Sedona’s Summer Fun Run serviced more than 800 people before the end of summer brought an end to the program Friday, Aug. 10.
By Trista Steers
Larson Newspapers
Sedona’s Summer Fun Run serviced more than 800 people before the end of summer brought an end to the program Friday, Aug. 10.
The miniature RoadRunner — Uptown Sedona’s public transit — debuted June 4.
The passenger van carried riders around West Sedona and to Uptown from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. as part of a pilot program conducted in partnership between the city of Sedona and Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority.
"We think this program was very successful for a pilot program," Assistant to the City Manager Andrea Costello said.
In the first nine weeks of the 10-week program 782 people road the Fun Run. Numbers from the final week weren’t available at press time but Jim Wagner, NAIPTA Sedona program manager, said the shuttle driver reported 76 riders between Monday, Aug. 6, and Wednesday, Aug. 8.
As of Thursday, Aug. 9, 858 people used the shuttle service.
The shuttle took riders from the Uptown Municipal Parking Lot to the Sedona Public Library with 12 stops in between. Riders paid $1 for a day pass.
"I think it was basically successful, for the most part," Wagner said.
At current ridership levels, approximately 2.6 people rode the shuttle per hour.
The original intent for the Fun Run was for it to provide transportation for Sedona’s youth while they were out of school for the summer. However, Wagner said more than 50 percent of the ridership came from tourists.
"It turned out to be mostly visitors staying in the lodging area [West Sedona] picking up the Fun Run," Wagner said. Tourists hopped on the Fun Run in West Sedona and used it to connect with the RoadRunner in Uptown.
Hotels called NAITPA’s office asking for more brochures, which Wagner said indicated an interest in that sector of the community.
Costello estimated at the beginning the project will end up costing the city $25,000 to $30,000.
Final figures aren’t yet in.
According to Costello, the city plans to look at final figures when they come in and evaluate the data before deciding what to do next.
Wagner said he’d like to study the numbers and come up with a game plan for the future. While the city is not obligated to continue the project, Wagner thinks with more time to plan and the right placement of stops, ridership could drastically increase.
Costello and Wagner threw the program together in a limited amount of time to have it up and running at the beginning of the summer.
Sedona City Council
approved the program
May 18 and brochures had to be to schools before the last day of classes.
With more time to plan, Wagner said the program
could be stronger.
Trista Steers can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 129, or e-mail to
tsteers@larsonnewspapers.com.
