The Fountain Hills Town Council has voted to scrap the sparsely used express bus route between Fountain Hills and Mesa in favor of maintaining another widely used public transit options.
The town maintains an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Regional Public Transit Authority (Valley Metro) to provide public transportation options to serve Fountain Hills. Currently that service includes the Valley Metro 515 Express bus route between the park-and-ride site at the Fountain Hills Library and the Park-and-Ride transit lot on Gilbert Road at the 202 Red Mountain Freeway. This service provides two trips per day each way and has been used by almost no one.
There is also Valley Metro RideChoice program that is a one-on-one service available for qualified riders older than age 65 or with disabilities. According to Councilwoman Peggy McMahon, who serves on the Valley Metro Board, RideChoice in Fountain Hills has more than 1,400 riders annually.
