Terrace Regional Transit - Service Review: Implementation Recommendations

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Terrace Regional Transit - Service Review:

Implementation Recommendations

Aug 20^th, 2013 Todd Dupuis, Senior Regional Transit Manager

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Overview

• Introduction

• Objectives/Project Rationale

• Work Completed to Date

• Public Consultation

• Service Change Proposals

• Next Steps: Suggested Path

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Objectives of Transit Service Review

1. Increase transit ridership;

2. Find efficiencies and cost savings;

3. Enhance and build community partnerships;

4. Improve service delivery and customer focus; and,

5. Increase the satisfaction of customers with transit.

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Conventional Transit –

Restructuring Project Rationale

To improve ridership and the overall effectiveness of the system by:

1. Introducing new service to UNBC

2. Improving the directness of trips for key destinations and ridership areas

• NWCC

• Wal-Mart

3. Improving the consistency and ease of use of routes and schedules

4. Ensuring that the service is meeting the needs of key

users (school bell times, etc.)

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Work Completed to Date (since service review)

1. Discussions with operating company managers and front line staff

2. On board ride checks and ridership counts of key routes and segments and analysis of electronic farebox data

3. Collection of information from staff of NWCC, UNBC and School District

4. Operational testing and gathering of initial scheduling/run times

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Work Completed to Date (since service review)

5. Confirmed the draft option that appears to best meet the needs of the community

6. Presented the final draft restructuring option and public engagement plan to Council for approval

7. Undertook further public engagement:

• Online surveys

• Two open houses at main exchange

• On bus interviews with transit passengers and staff

• Residential survey of proposed new route area 8. Engaged in further conversations with key stakeholders

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Public Consultation

A range of tools was used to maximize public/

stakeholder input:

• Project Website

• Online Survey

• On-Board Engagement and Survey

• One-on-One Meetings

• Ridership Analysis

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Public Consultation: Key Themes

Scheduling Issues:

• Reduction of transfer times between routes

• More weekend / evening service requested

• More frequent service on weekdays (e.g. #5 Thornhill, and #14 Queensway/ Gitaus)

Routing Issues:

• Some key destinations are not being served by existing transit routes (e.g. UNBC)

• Many routes are very circuitous, resulting in indirect travel and long travel times

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Public Consultation: Key Themes

Capital Infrastructure Issues:

• Improved snow removal

• More bus shelters

• Bus stop accessibility

• Bus stop relocation

Other Issues:

• Easier to understand bus routes and schedule

• Encouraging handyDART riders to use conventional service

• More education and outreach is required

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Service Change Proposals

Conventional Transit Options

Short-Term (2013- 2014)

Medium-Term (2013-2014 to 5 years from

now)

Longer-Term (2013-2014 to

10 years from now)

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Current System

Conventional Fixed route Transit

• Five Conventional routes

• Monday through Saturday

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Proposed System

Plus complete rescheduling of service

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1 College/ Halliwell

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2 City Shuttle

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3 Southside

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4 Queensway / 14 Gitaus

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5 Thornhill

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6 College Express (new route)

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Conventional Transit – Medium Term

Install more bus shelters

• This option is to provide more comfortable waiting conditions for passengers

• Suggested locations include the Medical Centre, the library, and dentist clinic on Park Ave.

• The net municipal cost to install a BC Transit bus shelter, which accommodates wheelchairs, is about

$13-15K (which includes funding from BC Transit)

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Conventional Transit – Long Term

Extend Saturday service, introduce Sunday and Holiday service

• It is difficult to use public transit on

weekends, as there is reduced service on Saturday and there is no conventional

service on Sundays or holidays.

Add a new conventional vehicle

• to remove handyDART vehicle from

conventional service and increase capacity

for further service expansion

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Service Change Proposals

handyDART (Custom) Transit Options

Short-Term (2013- 2014)

Medium-Term (2013-2014 to 5 years from

now)

Longer-Term (2013-2014 to

10 years from now)

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Custom Transit

Options: Extend handyDART hours on weekdays

• Many of the seniors consulted requested an extension of the handyDART hours.

• Increase early morning service

• Extending the hours would also allow each dialysis unit at the hospital to provide two sets of dialysis per day.

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Custom Transit

Benefits Challenges Buses** Additional

total kms

Service

Hours Rides Total Revenue

Total Costs

Net Local Share of Costs

BC Transit Share of

Costs

1Additional Taxi Supplement budget

Provides for opportunity to carry approximately 30 more passengers per month at peak times through trips dispatched to taxi. (Used on an as needed basis)

Only ambulatory passengers can use non-accessible taxi fleet (but may still in turn free up space on handyDART vehicles for wheelchair users)

0 0 0 360 $700 $3,300 $400 $2,200

2Adds 2 hours to weekday service

Extends handyDART hours of service to 7:30am - 4:30pm; likely could make use of existing spare vehicle and so may not require an additional bus

Vehicle usage would require confirmation from fleet; may result in less system reliability (in case of multiple breakdowns)

0 8,000 500 1,700 $3,400 $35,400 $8,400 $23,600

3Adds 3.75 hours to weekday service

Extends handyDART hours like Option 1 PLUS adds doubled handyDART coverage to noon and additional late afternoon

conventional trip to reduce schedule variances

May not be enough service over the longer term.

1 15,000 940 3,200 $6,400 $116,100 $32,300 $77,400

4Adds 6.0 hours to weekday service

Extends handyDART hours to 7:30am - 5:00pm PLUS adds doubled handyDART in key morning and afternoon times

Provides the best coverage but may be more service than is warranted:

may shift passengers from accessible conventional service.

1 24,000 1,500 5,100 $10,200 $154,800 $41,400 $103,200

Notes:

* Based on preliminary 2013/14 budgets. Final costs may change based on final budgets and confirmation of final operational details.

** The vehicle requirements show n here appear feasible but w ould need to be confirmed by BC Transit’s Fleet Standards department closer to the implementation date. Annual lease fee costs for a custom vehicle used in these estimates is $46,400.

Terrace Regional handyDART

Service Proposal

Weekday Options

Service Option Summary: Preliminary Estimated Additional Annual Impacts*

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