Vision SMTX Appendix Adopted 2024

APPENDIX D: POLICY BASELINE AND DEVELOPMENT

· Divergent transit services · San Marcos Transit bus service is currently designed to provide San Marcos residents with access to a variety of destinations across the city on weekdays only. · Bobcat Shuttle is designed to transport students between university housing or private apartments and several points on campus. Service levels and availability are tied to the university academic calendar. Connectivity between San Marcos Transit and Bobcat Shuttle routes is limited to a few on-street locations. · Qualify for additional Federal funding · Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Small Transit Intensive Communities (STIC) funding is awarded to small urban transit operators that exceed specific performance measures. STIC funding may be used for operations, vehicle replacement, planning, engineering, design, and capital projects. · Expand transit access for the entire community · Employment and social services destinations not currently served by San Marcos Transit include an Amazon Fulfillment Center and the Texas Department of Public Safety. · Improve multi-modal connectivity · Relocating San Marcos Transit connections to downtown would be a major step towards achieving the Comprehensive Plan’s objective of creating a connected network of efficient, safe, and convenient multimodal transportation options. · Respond to continued population and enrollment growth · Over the past decade, San Marcos’ population has increased at a greater rate than Texas State University’s student enrollment. The rapidly growing non-student population will likely increase demand for local bus service.

Key opportunities include:

Recommendations outlined in the plan include: · Adopt service expansion plan · Establish a downtown transit plaza · Adopt a paratransit policy · Eliminate on-board fare collection · Upgrade and standardize bus stops · Improve pedestrian access

SAN MARCOS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2024

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