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SAN MARCOS TRANSIT PLAN I FINALREPORT <br />City of San Marcos <br />Community participation was essential to the development of this plan. <br />Two rounds of community outreachwereheldto obtain feedbackon existing services and <br />proposed service and capital improvements. Outreach activities included: <br />■ Community meetings at the San Marcos Activity Center <br />■ Pop-up meetings at San Marcos Station and the Texas State University Quad <br />■ Online surveys <br />■ Stakeholder discussions <br />Engagement activities revealed s everal different perspectives and priorities. Community members <br />identified multiple challenges with existing services and requested specific desired improvements. <br />The three main categories of community members were San Marcos Transit riders, Texas State <br />University students, and community stakeholders. <br />San Marcos Transit Riders <br />Over the course of two rounds of direct outreach at San Marcos Station and multiple online <br />surveys, existing San Marcos Transit riders expressed a strong desire forweekend service, m ore <br />bus stop shelters, the elimination of fares, andthe addition of an app with real-time arrival <br />information. Existing riders also expressed support for proposed route changes and the relocation <br />of local route connections from San Marcos Station to the conceptual Downtown Transit Plaza. <br />Texas State University Students <br />Texas State University students were engaged directly at the Quad and through an online survey. <br />Several respondents voiced a desire fortransit access to locations otherthan campus, such as <br />grocery stores and areas of employment. Texas State University students also desire more <br />frequent service and more service on weekends. <br />Stakeholders <br />Representatives of various community groups, social service agencies, major employers, as well as <br />San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce and the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School <br />District were invitedto two stakeholder discussions. The first discussion focused on transit <br />challenges and opportunities. Several stakeholders expressed a desire for bus stop accessibility <br />improvements, more bus stops shelters, expanded service coverage, andbetter rider information. <br />The second discussion was held to share information on proposed coordination strategies, route <br />changes, andthe conceptual Downtown Transit Plaza. Stakeholders expressed a strong desire for <br />more frequent service on local (non -university) routes. Stakeholder also suggestedthat a <br />coordinated transit system mayprovide an opportunityto bridge the social gap between San <br />Marcos residents andthe Texas State community. <br />Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 11-4 <br />