Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: September 9, 2025
SUBJECT: SHUTTLE SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: Adrian Aguilar
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Receive an update and analysis on the Shuttle Service Pilot Program in Old Town Newhall.
2. Provide staff with direction for future service.
BACKGROUND
At the regular City Council meeting on July 8, 2025, the City Council approved a Shuttle Service Pilot Program (shuttle service) in Old Town Newhall (OTN) to help alleviate parking constraints, with a service schedule intended to meet the needs of all Main Street businesses.
The City of Santa Clarita (City) launched the shuttle service on Friday, July 11, with service operating Fridays through Sundays, concluding on August 31, 2025. Hours of operation were 7:00-11:45 p.m. on Fridays, 2:00-11:45 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2:00-8:15 p.m. on Sundays. The service operated every 10 minutes, using two shuttle-style vehicles. Each vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking system to provide accurate arrival and departure times. Additionally, each stop along the OTN route was geocoded and assigned a unique stop ID number. This allowed patrons to track the vehicle location using the City’s Transit app, request a text message with bus arrival times for their specific stop location, or scan a QR code to see real-time arrival information.
To promote the shuttle service, City staff undertook a number of marketing and outreach efforts, including social media posts, distribution of collateral materials, including posters in the City’s parking structure, promotional videos, and a media release announcing the start of the service.
Promotion details are provided in the following table:
Flyers Distributed to Chamber of Commerce and local businesses Introductory Promotional Video Posted to social media; received 38,269 views overall Come With Me Promotional Video Posted to social media; received 27,320 views overall Web Dedicated shuttle page on Transit website; Transit home page banner updated to promote shuttle.
Posters and Signage Installed in the parking structure at elevators and stairwells X (Twitter) Posted 3 tweets on X over the 8-week period, resulting in 988 views
Miscellaneous Marketing Posted information on all City Local and Commuter buses; Distributed media release to local outlets, resulting in media coverage by The Signal and KHTS Radio
The shuttle service provided a total of 87 rides during the eight-week pilot period. Of those, 77 percent used the service on a Saturday. A table detailing the ridership data is attached.
A review of the pick-up and drop-off data shows that the majority of the riders (48) boarded at the parking structure on 9th Street and Main Street, and exited at the stops on 6th Street and Main Street (11), Walnut Street and 8th Street (11), and Market Street and Walnut Street (7). A table detailing the pick-up and drop-off data is attached.
The ridership data was captured from manual driver counts and the electronic farebox system.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as directed by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
On July 9, 2025, the City Council appropriated $25,000 from the Council contingency fund for the operation of the Shuttle Service Pilot Program in Old Town Newhall from July 11 through August 31, 2025. There is no additional fiscal impact at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
Shuttle Service Ridership
Drop-Off & Pick-Up Location Data