San Marcos conducts transit route study; possible collision with TXST shuttles

By Jissela Cabrera 

News Reporter 

SAN MARCOS—San Marcos and Texas State University conducted a study to explore coordinating the city buses with the TXST shuttle system and will host a community open house Thursday to gather feedback on the local transit system. 

One key question raised by the study is whether the public transit system and the TXST shuttles intersect in ways that could impact service. 

Keith Cannon, a TXST shuttle driver, is aware of the San Marcos transit study and believes both bus systems don’t interfere with each other as much as some may think.  

“I think we are independent under the university, but I don’t think we work hand-in-hand with the public transit of San Marcos,” said Cannon. “Everybody is on their own time schedule, so when we do intersect with these public buses, they don’t really hold us up or anything.” 

Cannon says he hopes for the university to open to hybrid buses in the future because they are much quieter and would provide cleaner air for the environment.  

“I have been to Europe before and they have some nice hybrid buses out there, so I would like to see buses like those here in the U.S.”

According to the San Marcos website, the goal of this study is to also get valuable insights into rider behavior, route efficiency and service gaps. Data from surveys will help determine potential improvements, such as adjusting routes, schedules, improving wait times and gain overall satisfaction from both the city and the university.  

Texas State student Aamberr Hunt, lives off campus and uses the campus loop shuttle as a part of her daily routine. She says her overall experience with using the TXST shuttles has been good but suggests a few improvements. 

“I feel like with the growing amount of apartments here in San Marcos, I think they need either more bus stops or have more buses to come by these stops more frequently,” said Hunt. “I think they have done a pretty good job with the service hours and balancing it between night and day.”  

The city is encouraging community input on the San Marcos transportation system and TXST shuttle service. The San Marcos transit survey will be open through Jan. 31, offering an opportunity for residents and students to provide feedback. 

In addition, the city will host an open house on Jan. 30th at the San Marcos Activity Center for city staff, students and members of the community to share their thoughts.  

For more information about the open house and survey, visit 

https://www.sanmarcostx.gov/4475/2024-San-Marcos-Transit-Route-Study—Ta