Public Transit Snapshot: UI Campus Survey Report

Survey Period: December 3-10, 2025 | Total Responses: 21

The Community Transportation Committee conducted an electronic survey between December 3-10, 2025 to assess transportation needs and concerns among local residents. The survey was distributed electronically through University of Iowa channels.

Twenty-one individuals responded to the survey, with 19 identifying as current University of Iowa students, faculty, or employees, and 2 identifying as community residents from Iowa City and Coralville. Responses were received from residents primarily in ZIP codes 52245 (9 respondents) and 52240 (7 respondents). Smaller numbers came from ZIP codes 52246 (3 respondents), 52241 (1 respondent), and 52322 (1 respondent).

Key Findings:

Overwhelming Support for Funding Transit Improvements

When asked if they would support a local tax increase to fund improved public transportation, 83% of respondents expressed definite or probable support. Eleven respondents (48%) indicated "Yes, definitely," eight respondents (35%) indicated "Yes, probably," three respondents (13%) were unsure, and notably, zero respondents opposed the tax increase. This strong support crosses income levels and includes both frequent users and those who rarely use current services.

Extended Service Hours: The Top Priority

The most consistent and urgent request from respondents was for extended service hours, particularly in the evening and late-night periods. When asked about the likelihood of using 24-hour bus service, the majority selected "Very likely" or "Somewhat likely." Respondents frequently identified evening hours from 6 PM to 10 PM and late night hours from 10 PM to 5 AM as times when they need public transportation but find current service inadequate.

One respondent noted: "I often work late hours and wish the bus went later because sometimes I am at work until around 8pm." This concern is particularly relevant given that most Iowa City Transit routes make their last departures from downtown between 9:35 PM and 9:45 PM on weekdays. Another respondent directly stated the core issue: "Expand hours and frequency, they end too early and don't come often enough."

When asked how they would most likely get home if leaving work or class late with no buses available, walking was the most common response, followed by using Uber/Lyft or taxi services, biking or scootering, or other unspecified methods.

Nite Ride Service Transformation

Multiple respondents specifically referenced the transformation of Nite Ride Express from an on-demand door-to-door service to the current fixed-route UI Nite Ride system. When asked if they used Nite Ride Express before service was discontinued in fall 2025, two respondents indicated "Yes." Among those who had used the service, reported work or study time lost was less than one hour per week.

While University-affiliated respondents have access to services like UI Nite Ride, which operates from 9 PM to 4 AM, Cambus On-Demand until 12:30 AM, and Hawk Vouchers, community members without University affiliation have limited options after Iowa City Transit stops running at 11:20 PM on weekdays. Trip Connect serves some evening needs but is limited to specific trip types, operates only Sunday through Friday, and ends at midnight.

The transformation from an on-demand door-to-door service to the fixed-route UI Nite Ride system, while addressing student feedback about reliability and speed, appears to have left some riders missing the flexibility of the previous model. The Hawk Vouchers program provides an alternative for UI students but is not available to faculty, staff, or community members, creating an equity gap in access to late-night transportation options.

Major Geographic Coverage Gaps

Respondents identified significant areas with inadequate or absent transit coverage, including:

• Coralville neighborhoods north of I-80
• Rural Johnson County communities, with Tiffin and Oxford specifically mentioned
• Limited service to residential neighborhoods in Iowa City
• Inadequate connectivity between Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty transit systems 

One respondent described commute challenges: "When I do take the bus to work, it's a 10 minute walk to the stop, and a five minute walk from the bus to my job. I live in downtown and work on the Eastside. It's only a 15 minute drive if I use my personal vehicle."

A Coralville resident noted: "Coralville bus service does not serve neighborhoods north of I-80. If it did & ran routes to UI Campus ridership may increase." The rural respondent from ZIP code 52322 stated: "I live in rural Johnson County, and the buses don't service that area" and requested: "Get electric buses back! Extend the service to Tiffin and Oxford."

One respondent captured the connectivity problem: "If I need to walk a certain distance to get to the bus stop, I might as well walk to work or where I am going. In addition, the close proximity and association of cities (Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty) when it comes to University of Iowa work makes it hard to just have Iowa City offer free bus services but need to pay and transfer to the other services."

Mixed Reactions to 2021 Route Changes

When asked how they felt about changes made to Iowa City bus routes in 2021, responses were divided. Five respondents reported being very satisfied, another five were somewhat satisfied, three remained neutral, one was somewhat dissatisfied, and seven indicated either they were not in Iowa City at the time or were unsure about the changes. No respondents reported being very dissatisfied.

When asked to describe specific problems experienced from the 2021 route changes:

• Seven respondents reported less frequent service or service that doesn't run when needed
• Five respondents indicated that buses no longer serve their area or stop locations changed
• Four respondents found routes more confusing or harder to understand
• Individual respondents mentioned longer travel time to destination, more crowded buses, and the need to transfer between buses where no transfer was previously required

Persistent Information and Communication Problems

Several respondents mentioned difficulties with information systems. Comments included references to the Transit app being "hard to use," timetables not listing sufficient departure times, outdated schedules remaining posted at stops, and challenges understanding route structures.
One respondent noted: "Iowa City transit left up the old time table at my stop until I notified them multiple times and they took it down but never replaced it." Another stated that "The Transit app is hard to use" and noted that "Route is more confusing/harder to understand" and "Time table doesn't list a lot of times, so it's hard to know when the bus will be at my stop."

Safety and Service Quality Concerns

Several respondents mentioned safety-related concerns affecting their transit use. One respondent noted concerns about crowded spaces with "questionable, undocumented, or nonexistent air ventilation and filtration practices" related to COVID-19, stating "Since Covid, I don't like to be in crowded places with questionable, undocumented, or nonexistent air ventilation and filtration practices."

Another described experiences on crowded rush-hour buses where male passengers occupy double seats with backpacks and characterized some behavior as "creepy," noting "Other big issue is men on the bus. They sit in the double-seater on the aisle seat and put their backpacks on the seat next to them during the rush hour. Or they are creepy."

Operational concerns mentioned by respondents included:

• Inconsistent timing and route reliability, with one noting "Inconsistent timing of routes/stops day-to-day"
• "Lack of IC Transit driver training" as a problem
• Difficulty determining if buses will run during bad weather: "It is hard to know in bad weather if the bus will be running"
• The 30-minute intervals during rush hour described as too long
• "Overcrowded buses during rush times" with suggestions for "Offering more routes during the busy demand times"

Transit Use Frequency

The frequency of public transportation use varied among respondents. Two respondents reported using transit daily, eight used it a few times a week, four used it once a week, five used it rarely, and two never used public transit. This distribution indicates that most survey respondents were active transit users, though not all used the system with the same frequency.

Transportation Mode Choices and Factors

Respondents reported using multiple modes of transportation rather than relying exclusively on one method. When asked what modes they use most often, common combinations included walking, car, bus, and bike/scooter, with choices varying based on circumstances. The factors most frequently cited as influencing transportation choice were weather, convenience, cost, environmental impact, and safety, in that order of frequency.

Income and Transportation Patterns

Analysis of responses by household income shows variation in transit use and priorities. Respondents with household incomes under $50,000 more frequently reported daily or several-times-per-week transit use and more commonly cited cost as a primary transportation factor. This group also placed greater emphasis on evening and late-night service availability.

Respondents with household incomes of $100,000 or more more frequently reported using transit once a week or rarely and were more likely to identify convenience as the primary factor. This group showed greater concern with environmental impact, with one respondent stating they drive an EV and "will not use fossil fuel-powered transportation." Despite these differences in usage patterns, support for funding transit improvements was broadly distributed across income levels.

Respondent Suggestions for Improvement

When asked about the biggest problems with public transportation in Johnson County and how to improve it, respondents provided specific recommendations:

Service Hours and Frequency:

• "Expand hours and frequency, they end too early and don't come often enough"
• Add or extend evening service
• Reduce intervals between buses during rush hour

Geographic Coverage:

• "Get electric buses back! Extend the service to Tiffin and Oxford"
• "Coralville bus service does not serve neighborhoods north of I-80. If it did & ran routes to UI Campus ridership may increase"
• Improve connectivity to underserved areas
• Better serve residential neighborhoods
• Address "Lack of buses running through neighborhoods"

Information and Communication:

• Improve Transit app usability
• Update posted schedules promptly when changes occur
• Better communicate about service disruptions in bad weather
• Simplify route structures and timetables
• Improve "Connectivity to CID" (College and Dubuque area)

Service Quality:

• Improve driver training
• Add routes during peak demand to reduce overcrowding
• Restore electric bus service
• Improve "timeliness of routes, consistency of buses"

​Conclusions

Survey respondents expressed clear priorities for improving public transportation in Johnson County, with the most consistent request being extended service hours, particularly in the evening and late-night periods. The 2021 route changes produced mixed results, with approximately half of respondents expressing satisfaction while others reported problems with service frequency, route clarity, stop locations, and information systems.
Geographic gaps in service affect both urban neighborhoods, particularly in Coralville north of I-80 and Iowa City residential areas, and rural communities. The lack of seamless integration between Iowa City Transit, Coralville, and North Liberty systems creates additional barriers for riders traveling across city boundaries.

Many respondents who already own cars still choose to use public transportation when it is convenient, reliable, and available at the times they need it. This means the potential for increased ridership is far greater than the current numbers suggest. The barrier is not a lack of interest in transit, but a system that too often fails to match the schedules, geography, and clarity required for people to make transit a practical part of their daily routines.

The high level of support for tax increases to fund transit improvements (83% expressing definite or probable support) suggests community willingness to invest in enhanced public transportation. This support crosses income levels and includes both frequent users and those who rarely use current services. The fact that no respondents opposed a tax increase for transit improvements is notable, though the small sample size and self-selected nature of respondents should be considered when interpreting this finding.

Addressing the priorities identified in this survey—including extended service hours, improved geographic coverage, better information systems, and enhanced service reliability—could potentially increase ridership among both current users and those who currently find personal vehicles more convenient for most trips. However, any planning decisions based on this survey should be supplemented with additional outreach to underrepresented populations and communities, particularly non-University-affiliated community members, residents of underserved areas, and those who do not currently use public transportation.

​Survey Limitations and Considerations

This survey has several important limitations that should be considered when interpreting results:

Sample Size and Representativeness: The sample size of 21 respondents is small and not statistically representative of Johnson County's population. The heavy concentration of University-affiliated respondents (91% of the sample) means results primarily reflect the experiences of individuals with access to university-specific transit services not available to the general community.

Underrepresented Populations: Respondents from underserved areas, non-transit users, and community members without University affiliation are underrepresented or absent from the sample. Only one respondent came from rural Johnson County, and only one came from Coralville, limiting the survey's ability to capture the full range of transportation needs across the county.

Self-Selection Bias: The self-selected nature of survey participation likely means respondents have higher levels of transit engagement and use than the general population. The survey captures the perspectives of current transit users and individuals already engaged with transportation issues, but does not necessarily reflect the needs and priorities of non-users or residents in areas with no current service.

Geographic Coverage: Geographic coverage is concentrated in core service areas, particularly ZIP codes 52245 and 52240, with minimal representation from rural areas, Coralville, North Liberty, and other Johnson County communities.

Interpretation: The findings should be understood as representing the views of active transit users and those already invested in public transportation, rather than the broader community.

Note: Current Transportation Services in Johnson County

Several public transportation services currently operate in Johnson County with varying hours and eligibility requirements. Iowa City Transit operates Monday through Friday with most routes making their last departures from downtown between 9:35 PM and 9:45 PM, with service ending around 10:00-10:15 PM depending on the route. On Saturdays, most routes make their last departures between 6:05 PM and 6:45 PM, with service ending between 7:00 PM and 7:40 PM. There is no Sunday service. Cambus, operated by the University of Iowa, runs fixed routes during the academic year until 12:30 AM on weekdays and offers an on-demand shuttle service from 8:45 PM to 12:30 AM on weekdays. These services are available to University-affiliated riders.

UI Nite Ride operates from 9 PM to 4 AM daily on fixed routes with set stops, serving campus locations for riders with University IDs. This service was transformed from the previous Nite Ride Express on-demand door-to-door model in fall 2025. The Hawk Vouchers program replaced the door-to-door component of Nite Ride Express, providing UI students with five $5 Uber/Lyft vouchers per semester for rides between 9 PM and 5 AM within a 5-mile radius of campus.

Trip Connect operates Sunday through Friday from 5 PM to midnight with no Saturday service, providing on-demand rides for trips to work, school, training, and childcare only, at $2 per ride. SEATS paratransit provides scheduled rides from 5:30 AM to 11:00 PM for eligible riders, with rural service Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.