This story previously misrepresented October's boarding numbers. The error has been corrected in this version.

WENATCHEE — Link Transit staff offered up a few cost-saving measures to its board Tuesday evening, including the elimination of one bus route, and limiting another beginning in January. Increased fares are off the table for now.

As part of the staff’s presentation of a preliminary 2010 budget, to be voted on in December, Link General Manager Richard DeRock suggested eliminating the Fancher Heights route.

That route travels along South Wenatchee Avenue, Valley Mall Parkway, 3rd Street Northeast, Eastmont Avenue, Badger Mountain Road, Fancher Heights Boulevard, Fancher Field Road, Canyon Hills and Wheatridge.

DeRock said the route continues to be a “low-performance route,” averaging approximately three passengers per hour, when the goal for an urban route is at least eight riders per hour.

He also recommended the Lake Chelan trolley only operate during the summer months. Chelan businesses subsidize the summer trolley, which is free to riders.

DeRock said that change would affect the route of the current Manson to Chelan bus route. He said he would be putting the proposed change on Link’s Web site and advertising it in the paper “in a couple days.”

He said the proposed route changes may save about $56,000.

Nick Covey, Link’s finance manager, told the board that staff is not going to recommend fare increases “at this time.”

He said the fare increases implemented in January, which went from 75 cents to $1 for most urban routes and from $1.50 to $2 in more of the outlying areas, will only result in an additional $85,000 over 2008. Covey said they had anticipated $300,000 in additional revenue from the fare increase.

DeRock explained that ridership numbers went up during the high fuel crisis, which spiked in October. Since that time, he said ridership numbers have somewhat declined.

He said this year’s average daily October boardings were 3,287, which is down 13 percent from October 2008. Daily boardings for 2009 have averaged 3,300.

DeRock did point out that since the big fuel crisis ended, Link’s boardings have been running fairly stable, averaging about 3,300 boards per month.

Covey said the 2009 budget is running about $550,000 short of what they had projected. He attributed a lot of the lost revenue to a 10 percent decrease in projected sales tax revenue.

Link gets 74 percent of its revenue from sales tax, and Covey said current indicators show that they should receive $7.3 million by the year’s end, after receiving $8.1 million last year.

Link has been staying in the black due to state and federal grants. Covey said Link received $1.9 million in grants during 2009 and expect $2.4 million next year.

DeRock said that he’d like to see $1 million going into a capital improvements fund instead of the current $250,000.

“But I do understand tight budget years,” he said.

Michele Mihalovich: 665-1188

mihalovich@wenatcheeworld.com