Should the Borough of Conshohocken continue operating the Conshohocken Cab? That was the question during a recent budget meeting of the borough council. Video of the discussion is below (it is cued to the start).

Borough Manager Stephanie Cecco reviewed the operations of the Conshohocken Cab and shared that there is currently a line item in the 2026 budget to continue the shuttle service for a fee of $260,000. If the council approves the budget with this line item included, 2026 would be the third year the shuttle service has been in existence.

As MoreThanTheCurve.com showed in an August 9th article, few are riding the shuttle, and each ride costs $221 (when you divide the overall cost vs. the number of rides provided). Cecco shared a different perspective on the cost, as submitted by the borough’s partner on the shuttle, the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Authority. The authority divided the $260,000 by the projected number of future residents of the borough (12,000), and it costs approximately $20 per resident per year.

Cecco also provided a history of how the Conshohocken Cab came to be, explaining that it was always intended to serve as an economic development driver. For example, it was to encourage those living in the apartments along the river to journey up Fayette Street and patronize the businesses. It wasn’t intended to be focused on transporting seniors to appointments (as MoreThanTheCurve.com pointed out, there is an existing subsidized service funded by the PA Lottery for that).

Cecco also mentioned that the borough hopes that the upper avenues along Fayette Street will be redeveloped, and having the shuttle in place will help encourage this redevelopment and be seen as an asset.

There was then a discussion about whether changes are needed to attract more riders and even whether the borough itself should operate the program. No concrete ideas were discussed, just that the borough’s administration needs to keep the shuttle program operating to try new things.

Is there a successful example nearby that Conshy can mimic? The answer is no.

A few weeks ago, MoreThanTheCurve.com filed a right-to-know with Upper Merion Township, which also has a shuttle program managed by the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association. That program has been in existence since 1999 and involves two shuttles running separate routes. It currently operates Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can view the monthly reports on the Rambler here.

In recent years, the Upper Merion Rambler has averaged between 500 and 700 riders a month. Seniors, who ride for free with a SEPTA pass, make up approximately 80% of the riderhip on average.

In the minutes of the May 2, 2019, meeting of Upper Merion Supervisors, the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association provided a report on the Rambler. It was stated that since 2013, ridership had declined from 17,000 to approximately 8,500 rides in 2018. By 2024, the ridership had dropped further to 7,618, and based on data through July 2025, ridership is projected to decrease to less than 6,500 annually.

Upper Merion Township’s 2025 population is approximately 35,582, according to the King of Prussia District’s “2025 Report to the Community.” The population has increased by approximately 10,000 since 2000. The Upper Merion Rambler has experienced a decline in ridership as the township’s population has grown and density has increased.

We encourage you to watch the video. There is a lot more information. Let us know if you think the borough should continue funding the Conshohocken Cab.

Photo: Bus image from Borough of Conshohocken. MoreThanTheCurve.com added the passengers.