2018 Final Service Changes Proposal Ada County

Transcription

1 2018 Final Service Changes Proposal Ada County 1

2 Background Based on Plans The changes being proposed in Ada County are intended to be consistent with the objectives of ValleyConnect 2.0 and Boise s Transportation Action Plan (TAP). ValleyConnect 2.0 ValleyConnect 2.0 is Valley Regional Transit s plan to bring service to the levels identified in Communities in Motion as where the region should be in In addition to calling for a 4x increase in service levels, it also establishes route and network design principles, performance-based planning, and a fixed-route first philosophy. All of these policies have been considered in this service change process. Transportation Action Plan (TAP) The City of Boise s Transportation Action Plan identifies ways for the city to work with partner agencies to improve mobility for all of the City s residents. Among the goals of the TAP is to establish three Best in Class transit routes on State Street, Vista, and Fairview. The proposed service change would enhance service on Vista and State Street, bringing them closer to the Best in Class levels identified in the TAP. Service Change Objectives At the outset of the service change process, Valley Regional Transit was tasked with the following objectives: 1. Bring headways on State Street to 15 minutes in peak hours 2. Reallocate service hours from low performing routes to high performing routes 3. Total service costs should not exceed the current budget These changes are an important first step in reaching the levels of service outlined in ValleyConnect 2.0 and the TAP. Benefits of Service Change Valley Regional Transit has been working with the public to revise service in Ada and Canyon County. The proposed changes are designed to maximize the effectiveness of existing transit resources and connect more people to more places more often. The anticipated system benefits include; 15-minute service on State Street during the peak period and 30 minute service all day on Saturday 15-minute service during the peak period on Vista and 30 minutes in the off-peak with service until after 9PM New connections to the Airport from the Central Bench, Broadway, and Southeast Boise More direct, two-way service in more locations More resources dedicated to higher ridership routes Improved on-time performance on Intercounty and Canyon County services Service reductions to address budget shortfall in Canyon County. These proposals were not included in the initial service concepts because the budget forecasts were not yet complete. 2

3 Public Comment Summary and Proposed Adjustments The public comment period for the initial concepts closed on Saturday, October 6th. VRT received several hundred comments (see the attached public comment report). VRT staff has revised the final draft proposal in the ways listed below. A detailed description of the service concepts is also attached. Extend 1 Harris Ranch service to the existing stop at Warm Springs and Eckert Reroute the 10 Hill Road to serve 36th and Taft which covers the highest ridership stops in the neighborhoods north of State Street. Install a bicycle rack at the closest bus stop on Castle Dr. to facilitate bicycle connections to the northern Pierce Park neighborhood (Gillis/Lamplighter). Extend route 12 from Gary and Bunch to the current stop at Gary and Gillis. This will bring transit closer to the north Pierce Park neighborhood. Reverse the Route 40 loop through downtown Boise clockwise (Main, Broadway, Beacon, University, Capitol) in the AM and counter-clockwise (9th, University, Beacon, Broadway, Idaho) in the PM. This will keep stops and times most similar to existing service Routes All of the proposed changes shown in this document represent tradeoffs. Service restructures can improve productivity and on-time performance but they inherently affect the frequency, span, or the way riders use existing services. We applied the service design guidelines adopted in ValleyConnect 2.0 in this restructure, resulting in more linear, direct routes. This makes transit more attractive for everyone along the route, but may mean some people will have to walk further. As such, we are presenting what we believe is the most equitable balance that meets the stated objectives. Each page shows performance statistics of the current route(s), and the reasons why we believe that these changes are worth doing, followed by the challenges that these changes might create. We have also included a brief summary of the first round of public comment. 3

4 1 Harris Ranch via Parkcenter Current Ridership 1 Parkcenter 16.3 Boardings/Hour 18 Harris Ranch 2.8 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 1 Parkcenter 60.8% On-time 18 Harris Ranch 77.7% On-time Benefits of Change Consolidates duplicative routes Provides all-day service to Harris Ranch Moves resources from low performing 18 Harris Ranch to higher performing routes Impacts of Change Frequency would be reduced from 30-minutes in peak hours to 60 minutes all day. Public Comment on Final Draft (45 responses) 71% of survey respondents who use the 1 said they would use the revised services about the same as today or more often (26% said more). 29% said they would use the services less. Riders in Harris Ranch were concerned about the loss of transit service to the stop at Warm Springs and Eckert. o Response: VRT is proposing to extend the Parkcenter/Harris Ranch service to the existing stop at Warm Springs and Eckert. Riders were concerned about the loss of frequency on the 1 Parkcenter/Harris Ranch. o Response: 30-minute peak hour frequencies are proposed to move to the 2 Broadway route, which currently has higher productivity than the 1 Parkcenter, provides weekend service, and has been adjusted to cover the highest ridership portions of the 1 Parkcenter namely Boise Avenue/Law. Current resources are insufficient to provide 30 minute service in the peak on both the 1 Parkcenter and the 2 Broadway. Staff has provided a cost estimate for the adding 30 minute peak service to the 1 Parkcenter and will begin discussions with funding partners to increase service in that corridor as resources become more available. Route 18 riders were concerned that routing through Boise State University would slow down service to downtown Boise and miss the opportunity to serve St Luke s expanding medical campus directly. o Response: Boise State University is an important ridership generator. Currently, we estimate that more than 30% of existing riders of the 1 Parkcenter are BSU students or faculty. Our ability to serve Harris Ranch all day depends on being able to consolidate travel markets from South East Boise. The 2 Broadway will continue to provide connections between South East Boise and St Luke s directly via Broadway. Adjustment Extended to serve existing stop at Warm Springs and Eckert and continue exploring options with the City of Boise for higher frequency in the peak period. 4

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6 2 Broadway Current Ridership 17.8 Boardings/hour Current On Time Performance 78.1% On-time Benefits of Change Improves service to high-ridership area of Southeast Boise Creates direct, two-way service along entire route Has strong anchors at both ends in Main Street Station and the Boise Airport Facilitates interlining with 3 Vista Impacts of Change Route is not as direct as it could be. Loss of direct service on Gekeler, Apple, and Pennsylvania. Public Comment on Final Draft (32 responses) 89% of survey respondents who use the 2 said they would use the service about the same as to day or more often (59% said more often). 11% said they would use the service less often. Some riders were concerned about the loss of service on Gekeler, Pennsylvania and Apple and requested that service continue to those locations. o Response: Unfortunately, the street grid in SE Boise makes serving all the current stops impossible without circuitous routing. We are continuing to explore the possibility of expanding Boise Green Bike into the area. Adjustment None 6

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8 3 Vista Current Ridership 16.9 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 73.7% On-time Benefits of Change Improves peak period span to be 15 minutes in the peak period Increases span of service to 9:15 PM. Moves toward Best-in-Class levels of service Improves ease and speed of transfers by moving headways from 20-minute peak/40-minute midday to 30 minutes all day Improves on-time performance Impacts of Change Riders will have to learn a new schedule. Service may overlap Elder Street P&R Shuttle. Public Comment on Final Draft (35 responses) 95% of survey respondents who use the 3 said they would use the service about the same as to day or more often (63% said more often). 5% said they would use the service less often. Survey respondents identified weekend service as the most important time to expand transit service on the 3 Vista. o Response: We will continue to work with our funding partners to extend weekend service. One respondent commented on the need to increase the visibility of transit service at the airport. o Response: VRT staff is working with Airport staff to increase the visibility of the bus stop and improve wayfinding and schedule information. Adjustment None 8

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10 4 Roosevelt Current Ridership 10.5 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 76.5% On-time Benefits of Change Has strong anchors at both ends in Main Street Station and the Boise Airport Facilitates interlining with 3 Vista Impacts of Change Residents of Targee & Columbus area no longer directly served. Public Comment on Final Draft (17 responses) We did not specifically ask the public whether the changes to the route 4 would benefit them, however we did ask all respondents whether the sum of changes would increase the number of destinations you would be able to reach by transit. 88% of the respondents who said they use the 4 Roosevelt reported that the number of destinations reachable by transit would be increase or be about the same. Some survey respondents were excited about the connection to the airport Some survey respondents raised serious concerns about the loss of service on Columbus and Targee and were very upset about losing that service Response: The stops on Columbus and Targee are between 1/3 mile and ¼ mile from stops on Vista, which has improved service. Adjustment None 10

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12 5 Emerald Current Ridership 19.9 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 82.7% On-time Cost of Change Negligible Benefits of Change Direct, simple, consistent, easy to understand route Facilitates future improvements to Fairview service by establishing consistent, direct all day service from Boise Towne Square Mall to Main Street Station Impacts of Change Area near Barrister & Allumbaugh served by 28 Cole/Victory. Loss of direct service near Liberty & Denton. Public Comment on Final Draft (22 responses) 95% of survey respondents who use the 5 said they would use the service about the same as to day or more often (50% said more often). 5% said they would use the service less often. One survey respondent did express a serious concern about getting people to the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the District Courts for court ordered community service before 7:30 am. o Response: We did deviate the 28 Cole/Victory to cover these destinations because we knew of their importance; however the first 28 is not scheduled to arrive at the Barrister stop until 7:37 am. We will continue to look for opportunities to get accommodate this need, however the 29 Overland route serves a stop at Cole and Barrister (approximately ¼ mile from the District Court) provides a viable alternative for riders going to the Ada County Sheriff s Office and District Court by 7:30am. Some survey respondents commented on the need for later night and weekend service Adjustment None 12

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14 9 State Street Current Ridership 21.1 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 66.8% On-time Benefits of Change 15-minute headways in peak hours Improved on-time performance and faster service by thinning stops Impacts of Change Some riders may have to walk further to their stop. Public Comment on Final Draft (43 responses) 97% of survey respondents who use the 9 said they would use the service about the same as they do today or more often (64% said more often). 3% said they would use the service less often. Those that responded they would use it less primarily use the 9X from Eagle. Respondents express support for the increased service levels Some respondents expressed concern about the Lyft partnership, saying it is not comparable to true public transportation. Some also expressed concern about there being potentially fewer stops along State Street o Response: We are proposing to continue to refine the Lyft Partnership to make it as easy as possible for riders to connect to fixed route service. We will also carefully review the ridership information and work with City of Boise staff before closing any stops along State. Several respondents requested weekend service and later night service. Adjustment None 14

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16 9x State Street Express Current Ridership 8.6 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 71.4% On-time Benefits of Change Resources currently used on 9x can be reallocated to providing later service on the 3 Vista and all day 30-minute service on the 5 Emerald Impacts of Change No service at Carlton Bay & Horseshoe Bend stop. Public Comment on Final Draft (21 responses) The majority (54%) of the survey respondents said their use of the revised services, including Lyft, would depend on the cost. 42% said they would use the services more or about the same, 20% said less. Based on customer comments, the 9X is important supplemental service to route 44 and communities west of Glenwood. o Response: VRT staff is continuing conversations with jurisdictions along Highway 44 to develop plans about extending Hwy 44 service to Eagle and beyond. Some respondents expressed concern about the use of Lyft or taxi like services as a supplement to public transportation. Understandably there was a request for more detail about the operation of the Lyft pilot. o Response: We are proposing to provide more detail about the pilot and continue to look for opportunities to make the transition between Lyft and transit easier Adjustment We will provide more detail about the Lyft program, rates, how to use it etc. in the lead up to the pilot launch and continue to look for opportunities to make the transition between Lyft and transit easier. 16

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18 10 Hill Road Current Ridership 10 Hill Road Boardings/Hour 14 Hyde Park 4.5 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 10 Hill Road % On-time (reported on time performance is combined with 12 Maple Grove) 14 Hyde Park 87.9% Benefits of Change Route is much more direct, simple, consistent, and easy to understand Reduces duplication on State Street Combines resources of two underperforming routes Separating 10 Hill Road from 12 Maple Grove should improve the on-time performance of both Impacts of Change Smaller service area in Northwest Boise. Some riders will have to walk further to stop. Smaller service area in North End. Hyde Park riders would now be served by the 16 VA/Hyde Park Loop. No weekend service in the North End Public Comment on Final Draft (62 responses) The majority (65%) of survey respondents who use the current 10 said they would use these revised services less than today with only 21% saying they would use it more. There were two major areas of concern. The first is the lack of coverage in the 36 th and Taft neighborhoods. The other concern was in the northern Pierce Park neighborhood. Respondents expressed the need to continue to have service in these neighborhoods, especially in light of the continued growth. In the case of 36 th and Taft there were several respondents that highlighted the unique needs of the elderly in that neighborhood. o Response: We are proposing to reroute the 10 Hill Road to serve 36 th and Taft which covers the highest ridership stops in the neighborhoods north of State Street. Install a bicycle rack at the closest bus stop on Castle Dr. to facilitate bicycle connections to the northern Pierce Park neighborhood (Gillis/Lamplighter). We are also proposing to extend route 12 from Gary and Bunch to the current stop at Gary and Gillis. This will bring transit closer to the north Pierce Park neighborhood. Adjustment Reroute the 10 Hill Road to serve 36 th and Taft which covers the highest ridership stops in the neighborhoods north of State Street. Install a bicycle rack at the closest bus stop on Castle Dr. to facilitate bicycle connections to the northern Pierce Park neighborhood (Gillis/Lamplighter). We are also proposing to extend route 12 from Gary and Bunch to the current stop at Gary and Gillis. This will bring transit closer to the north Pierce Park neighborhood. 18

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20 11 Garden City Current Ridership 11.9 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 84.2% On-time Benefits of Change Service hours are during higher ridership times Improved rider safety as they will be less likely to need to cross Chinden Boulevard Has strong anchors at both ends in Main Street Station and the Fairgrounds and Fred Meyer Impacts of Change Creates some duplication of service with 8x. Loss of midday service to Garden City Public Comment on Final Draft (10 responses) 92% of survey respondents who use the 11 said they would use the service about the same as today or more often (67% said more often). 8% said they would use the service less often. Several respondents expressed their gratitude for the improvements being proposed and asked for Sunday service. Adjustment None 20

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22 12 Maple Grove Current Ridership 15.2 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 63.2% On-Time Benefits of Change Improved on-time performance by disconnecting the 12 from the 10 Continued service to Gary and Gillis area Leverages improvements to 9 State Street by allowing more riders to access it Impacts of Change Riders wanting to travel between Northwest Boise and Towne Square Mall will need to transfer Public Comment on Final Draft While we did not specifically ask about the 12, several riders of the 10 expressed concerns: o Service would be lost in the area north of State Street and west of Pierce Park Response: We are proposing to extend route 12 from Gary and Bunch to the current stop at Gary and Gillis. This will bring transit closer to the north Pierce Park neighborhood. o Several riders indicated that they ride the 10/12 interline from North Boise to Maple Grove and Towne Square Mall Response: This movement will still be possible, however, riders will need to transfer between the 9, 10, and 12 to do so. Timepoints between these three routes will be set to best facilitate transfers. Travel between the 10 an the Towne Square Mall would likely be faster by traveling through Main Street Station and transferring either to the 7a or 5. 22

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24 16 VA/Hyde Park Current Ridership 7.0 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 68.19% On-time Benefits of Change More direct connections between downtown and VA Short route facilitates easy interlining More direct, two-way service for North End and Hyde Park. Impacts of Change Smaller service area in East Boise. Some riders would need to walk out to Warm Springs. Public Comment on Final Draft (10 responses) 86% of survey respondents who use the 16 said they would use the service about the same as today or more often (62% said more often). 14% said they would use the service less often. There were several comments about the need to generally increase transit service, more lines, more times and weekend service. Adjustment None 24

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26 17 Warm Springs Current Ridership 17.0 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 92.2% On-time Benefits of Change Direct, simple, consistent, easy to understand route Short route facilitates easy interlining Impacts of Change Smaller service area in East Boise. Some riders would need to walk to Warm Springs from Walnut. Public Comment on Final Draft (10 responses) 89% of survey respondents said they would use the service about the same as today or more often (59% said more often). 11% said they would use the service less often. There was one comment about the importance of transit access to the Walnut/Park section of the 17 Warm Springs in light of the St Luke s expansion and other destinations on Walnut. o Response: The proposed Warm Springs route would have a bust stop only 0.35 miles from the existing stop on Walnut. Walnut has connecting sidewalks and crosswalks between the new stop on Warm Springs and the existing stop on Walnut. There was a comment about the need to generally increase transit service, more lines, more times and weekend service. Adjustment None 26

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28 28 Cole/Victory Current Ridership 15.7 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 75.8% On-time Benefits of Change Continued service to Ada County Sherriff s Office and the Intermountain Hospital Decreases time spent in layover at Towne Square Mall Impacts of Change Less linear route. Public Comment on Final Draft (10 responses) We did not specifically ask the public whether the changes to the route 28 would benefit them, however we did ask all respondents whether the sum of changes would increase the number of destinations you would be able to reach by transit. 100% of the respondents who said they use the 28 Cole/Victory reported that the number of destinations reachable by transit would be increase. One survey respondent did express a serious concern about getting people to the Ada County Sheriff's Office and the District Courts for court ordered community service before 7:30 am. o Response: We did deviate the 28 Cole/Victory to cover these destinations because we knew of their importance; however, the first 28 is not scheduled to arrive at the Barrister stop until 7:37 am. We will continue to look for opportunities to get accommodate this need, however the 29 Overland route serves a stop at Cole and Barrister (approximately ¼ mile from the District Court) provides a viable alternative for riders going to the Ada County Sheriff s Office and District Court by 7:30am. Adjustment None 28

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30 29 Overland Current Ridership 15.9 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 83.5% On-time Public Comment on Initial Concept The majority of the feedback on the combination of the 16 and 29 routes was positive. The negative feedback was primarily concerned with the frequency of service on the Warm Springs section. Unfortunately, as VRT did further analysis on the proposed 29, it was determined to be too costly to pursue at this time. o Response: Although we received a good amount of positive feedback, we are not able to dedicate as many resources as we need to make this route run on time. The feedback has been noted and we will pursue this concept as additional funding becomes available. No changes to the current route are being proposed at this time. 30

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33 2018 Service Changes Canyon County 33

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35 40 Nampa/Meridian Express Current Ridership 9.5 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 46.3% On-time Benefits of Change Improved on time performance Faster service through downtown Boise Impacts of Change Riders at Boise State will have to ride all the way around the loop in both directions. Public Comment on Final Draft (49 responses) Although 77% of the respondents who use route 40 said the changes would result in them using the service about the same or more often than today, when we asked if the sum of the network changes increases the number of destinations accessible by transit 55% said not at all. Many respondents expressed frustration with changing loop pattern in downtown Boise in the afternoon. They were concerned that the proposed changes would result in either longer walks or longer time on the bus. Several also expressed concern about any change in timing. o Response: We are proposing to run the loop through downtown Boise clockwise (Main, Broadway, Beacon, University, Capitol) in the AM and counter-clockwise (9 th, University, Beacon, Broadway, Idaho) in the PM. This will keep stops and times most similar to existing service. Poor On-time performance is a top complaint among intercounty service riders. There was general support for improving on-time performance of the intercounty services. Some of the information available on the website was misleading and suggested that we were reducing the number of trip to downtown Boise and a significant number of respondents were very concerned about the seemingly reduced service levels. There was also concern that we might be changing the times of trips leaving Boise. o Response: The total number of trips to and from Boise on the 40 Nampa Express will remain the same and we will schedule the trips leaving Boise in the afternoon to be as similar to today as possible. Several respondents commented on the need for more service between Boise and Nampa, including weekend service with some respondents citing standing loads on existing service. Adjustment Run the loop through downtown Boise clockwise (Main, Broadway, Beacon, University, Capitol) in the AM and counter-clockwise (9 th, University, Beacon, Broadway, Idaho) in the PM. This will keep stops and times most similar to existing service 35

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37 42 Happy Day Transit Center to Towne Square Mall Current Ridership 3.2 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 53.5% On-time Benefits of Change By streamlining the routing, the route can serve new developing areas in approximately the same amount of time, and generally be more consistent throughout the day. Providing service down Overland Road will make the 40 bus more useful for Meridian riders because riders can make it to the Black Marlin and 10 Mile stops in the middle of the day if needed. This route will now serve the Nampa Saint Luke s and the 10 Mile Crossing, among other locations in west Ada County and east Canyon County Impacts of Change Areas north of I-84 in Meridian would lose all transit service. Public Comment on Final Draft (16 responses) 87% of survey respondents who use the 42 said they would use the revised services about the same as today or more often (73% said more). 13% said they would use the services less. Some commented on the need for increased service between Nampa, Caldwell and Boise and particularly mentioned service to Garrity during business hours to service the doctor s offices there. One respondent mentioned the need for weekend service. There was a comment regretting the loss of service on the 51 East Nampa. Adjustment None 37

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39 51 East Nampa Current Ridership 3.3 Boardings/Hour Current On Time Performance 76.2% On-time Reason for Change There is a local budget shortfall that will require a reduction in local transit service levels in Nampa The 51 East Nampa is the lower performing route between the 51 and 52. The midday reduction is intended to impact the fewest riders possible. Impacts of Change Riders will no longer be able to travel out Garrity and connections to CWI from South Nampa will be much longer. Public Comment on Final Draft (16 responses) Not surprisingly a high percentage (50%) of the respondents said that they would use this service less than today. 50% also said they would use the service about the same or more often. o Response: Reducing service rarely results in higher ridership, but focusing these cuts on the midday are intended to minimize the impact as much as possible. Several respondents commented on the importance of connecting with the Intercounty services at CWI. Adjustment None 39