Sun Metro discontinuing Chihuahuas shuttles due to low ridership

Sun Metro is discontinuing its bus service to El Paso Chihuahuas games due to a lack of usage.

Sun Metro Director Jay Banasiak said the shuttles, using nine to 11 buses from several depots across the City, averaged 7.5 people per hour through the inaugural 2014 El Paso Chihuahuas season. However, during the 2015 baseball season that fell to just three people per hour.

Council voted 3-2 to discontinue the bus service to and from Chihuahuas games, which cost fans $3 each. City Reps. Peter Svarzbein and Claudia Ordaz voted against canceling the service.

Banasiak said regular Sun Metro routes average 25 to 30 people per hour. Because of that, he said from a economic standpoint, it was no longer feasible to continue the service on days of baseball games.

The program was costing Sun Metro between $200,000 to $250,000 a year to run, Banasiak said.

He attributed the declining ridership to Chihuahuas fans not knowing the first season how much traffic and parking there would be around the Ballpark. He said since traffic has not been an issue and parking is available, not as many fans were using the Sun Metro service.