Dawson Creek Transit System Performance Check-In: Interim Report

Transcription

1 Dawson Creek Transit System Performance Check-In: Interim Report City of Dawson Creek

2 Contents 1.0 Introduction Transit System Overview Ridership by Route Ridership Demographics Transit Destinations Stakeholder Engagement Issues and Opportunities Change Proposals Change Proposal Summary Table Service Proposals Marketing and Communications Proposals Infrastructure Proposals Other Considerations Next Steps Appendix A: Key Ridership Data Transit Service Change Proposals Appendix B: Key Ridership Data Transit System Overview Appendix C: Sample BC Transit Development Referral Response

3 1.0 Introduction The Service Performance Check-In is designed to address the following objectives: 1. Analyze and report on the performance of the existing Dawson Creek Transit System, including how it compares to its peers, its current strengths, and opportunities for improvement; 2. Examine future transit requirements based on official community plans, demographic trends, proposed land development and road network changes, and citizen priorities expressed through consultation; 3. Build awareness of and support for the Dawson Creek Transit System through Council and public participation and communication strategies; 4. Outline and recommend service options over the short- and longer-term periods, for consideration by the City of Dawson Creek, to improve transit system performance and effectiveness; 5. Make recommendations on non-service related supporting strategies; and 6. Outline the process towards implementation of the potential transit system improvement options identified in objectives 4. and 5. above. This interim report analyzes and reports on current system performance based on data collected, on-site visits, and stakeholder engagement conducted to date, including engagement results from the Dawson Creek Transportation Master Plan (2013), with a view to presenting the change proposals for the Dawson Creek Transit System. Data was gathered specifically for this Performance Check-in from the following sources: a) A two-week passenger count, conducted February 22 to March , which counted boardings per trip according to passenger type: o adults (including college students) o K-12 students o seniors o children under the age of five the number of passengers using: o BC Bus Pass (a reduced-cost, annual bus pass for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities) o mobility aids b) A bus stop activity count, conducted February 27 to April , which counted the number of passengers boarding and alighting at each bus stop in the system on each trip in the schedule. The change proposals included in this report also take into account the following background information, which will be summarized and included in the Performance Check-In Final Report: historical ridership trends a performance comparison with peer transit systems the transit system s current strengths the City of Dawson Creek s Official Community Plan (2009) local demographic trends local proposed land development and road network changes The project timeline is shown on the following page. It has been adjusted slightly to allow public engagement on the proposed transit system improvement options to take place in September 2016, once students are back in school and college and the regular vacation season is over, to enable the maximum number of local residents to participate in this process. 3

4 All service change proposals included in this report are projected to be cost neutral in terms of service hours and operational funding requirements. Project Timeline Date Deliverable Owner/Lead February 2016 March 7, 2016 Feb Mar 2016 Feb Apr 2016 June July 2016 Jul Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Sep 2016 Service Performance Check-In Memorandum of Understanding developed and signed Terms of Reference confirmed and signed Terms of Reference presented to City of Dawson Creek Council for information Data collection and Phase 1 public engagement Data collection: onboard ride checks, 2-week passenger counts Driver surveys, including feedback on customer requests Consultation with City and operating company staff on recommendations, upcoming development and road network changes, etc. Analysis of Phase 1 data Draft transit system improvement option development Draft transit system improvement options to City Staff and operating company City of Dawson Creek Council and Staff workshop/ Council meeting to discuss draft transit system improvement options 1 Phase 2 public engagement materials developed and approved Phase 2 public engagement on proposed service options (online surveys, public open houses) Analysis of Phase 2 public engagement feedback and incorporation of changes into final transit system improvement options BC Transit City of Dawson Creek BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek BC Transit Diversified Transportation Ltd. BC Transit BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek BC Transit BC Transit Sep 2016 Compiling of Draft Service Performance Check-In Report BC Transit Oct 2016 Draft Service Performance Check-In Report sent to City Staff for discussion BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek Opportunity for City Staff to provide feedback on report and input into final proposed transit system improvement options. October November 2016 Final Draft Service Performance Check-In Report presented to City of Dawson Creek Council for approval 2 BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek November 2016 Opportunity for City of Dawson Creek Council and BC Transit to proceed to implementation of approved recommendations by signing an Implementation Agreement MOU. Confirmed implementation date(s) to be provided by the MOU. BC Transit and City of Dawson Creek 1 Optional dependent on preference by City of Dawson Creek regarding level and timing of communication with Council 2 See footnote 1 4

5 2.0 Transit System Overview Figure 1: Existing Dawson Creek Transit System 5

6 Today, the Dawson Creek Transit System provides approximately 9,000 annual hours of service, operating Monday through Saturday. It has four vehicles: three in-service vehicles at peak times, two during off-peak periods (early morning, midday, and evening), and one acting as a spare. In , the transit system generated approximately 107,000 rides, ranging between 6,700 (summer) and 11,600 (winter) rides per month Ridership by Route Route 1 Northside accounts for the largest proportion of overall ridership (total of all service day types), followed by Route 2 Southside and Route 3 Central. This is paralleled in the distribution of weekday ridership among the different routes. Ridership distributions change on Saturdays, however, when the Southside route s ridership share outperforms those of the Central and Northside routes. This same pattern is reflected when looking at each route s productivity in terms of rides per hour of service provided, which takes into account the differences in number of trips operated and service hour provision between the three routes. 2.2 Ridership Demographics The difference in weekday and Saturday ridership patterns by route can be explained by the difference in weekday and Saturday ridership demographics. On weekdays, students comprise 39% of total ridership and over half of the ridership on Route 1 Northside versus Saturdays, when students comprise only 6% of total ridership. Route 1 Northside s weekday performance is driven largely by its high student ridership, with maximum vehicle loads of up to 30 passengers at once at school bell times. Students comprise 51% of the Northside route s ridership on weekdays, but this drops to 4% on Saturdays. 2.3 Transit Destinations In terms of transit destinations, the key activity centres driving ridership in Dawson Creek, together generating approximately two-thirds of weekday rides, are as follows: Co-Op Mall (whether as a destination in itself, or as a route transfer location) Dawson Creek Secondary School Central Campus and nearby amenities (Library, Senior Citizens Hall) Dawson Creek Secondary School South Peace Campus and nearby high-density apartment buildings (Sunridge Apartments, Heritage House, Yukon Manor, Tuscany Manor) Downtown (by The Bargain Store) Walmart Dawson Mall and Safeway Ecole Frank Ross Mountain Christian School Dawson Creek & District Hospital There are some differences in activity centres when comparing weekdays and Saturdays (Figure 2 below), due to differences in student ridership. On Saturdays, Dawson Creek Secondary s South Peace and Central campuses still appear in the top six trip generators, but the South Peace campus appears ahead of the Central campus as there are multiple high-density apartment buildings located opposite the South Peace campus that continue to drive ridership on non-instructional days. Walmart, followed by Dawson Mall and Safeway, move into second and third place respectively. Ecole Frank Ross and 3 All ridership data referenced here is included in Appendix B: Key Ridership Data Transit System Overview 6

7 Ridership % Ridership % Mountain Christian School move out of the top ten, to be replaced by the stops located at City Furniture (the closest stop on the Northside and Southside routes to the Dawson Creek Society for Community Living and the Nawican Friendship Centre), and at the Centennial Manor apartment building (13 St and 106 Ave). 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Weekday Ridership Distribution by Bus Stops (90 Stops Total) 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Saturday Ridership Distribution by Bus Stop (90 Stops Total) Figure 2: Ridership Distribution by Bus Stop (Top Ten Stops by Service Day Type) 7

8 3.0 Stakeholder Engagement Public input for this Performance Check-in was solicited in the form of detailed driver surveys, which summarized all the passenger feedback received, as well as informal passenger interviews conducted by BC Transit staff, and discussions with key community stakeholders, including: Diversified Transportation Ltd. (operating company) School District 59 South Peace Community Resources Step Up N Ride Better At Home Nawican Friendship Centre Dawson Creek Society for Community Living This key input can be summarized within the following commonly heard themes: Service Improve transfer connections between routes (Route 3 Central to Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside) Introduce service along Hwy 97 to serve Nordlys Medical Clinic, Peavey Mart, and Tim Hortons Reduce the service gaps on Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Ensure schedules meet/continue to meet school bell times Increase frequency to the Multiplex Reduce duplication of routes in the Dawson Creek Secondary School, Hospital, and Library area Introduce service on 15 St between 108 and 102 Ave Extend service further north on 17 St (Sunset Ridge) Marketing and Communications Introduce a Travel Training program aimed at the local seniors population Table 1: 2016 Dawson Creek Service Performance Check-In Key Themes from Phase I Public Engagement Infrastructure Improve safety and accessibility of bus stop at Dave s No Frills Improve bus stop signage Improve bus route and bus stop maintenance (e.g. snow clearing) Ensure good pedestrian access to bus stops (e.g. sidewalk provision between Sunset Ridge and nearest stop) Consider relocating Multiplex bus stop closer to main entrance Additionally, feedback from the 2013 Dawson Creek Transportation Master Plan was analyzed for transit-related themes, summarized below: Meet school bell times and after-school activities Better service for the Multiplex, including more frequent midday service (service gaps are too long) and later evening service Replace one-way loops with two-way routes for more frequent service and better routing options Service further northwest into Sunset Ridge area Buses are too large; smaller, more efficient buses should be considered Replace some fixed-route service with on-demand service for increased frequency in central, high-ridership areas Table 2: 2013 Dawson Creek Transportation Master Plan Transit-Related Public Feedback (June-July 2013) 8

9 Further details on the most frequently heard feedback, grouped where possible by the potential change options described in Section 5.0 Change Proposals, are provided below. Based on feedback heard to date, the top priorities for change are as follows: 1. New Destinations along Highway 97, Transfer Connections, Bus Stop Safety Figure 3: Existing bus stop at Dave s No Frills There were many customer requests for service to be extended along the Alaska Highway in order to serve Nordlys Medical Clinic, Peavey Mart, and Tim Hortons. Furthermore, most Route 3 Central trip arrivals at the Co-Op Mall do not meet Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside trip departure times. There have been many requests for these transfer connections to be improved. Additionally, the current bus stop at Dave s No Frills, served by Route 3 Central, presents safety and accessibility concerns, particularly in winter conditions and for passengers with mobility aids. 2. Midday Service Gaps There were many passenger requests for increased service during the midday period, when Dawson Creek s three peak-time vehicles are reduced down to two vehicles. Service frequency between 10:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. is reduced from 40 minutes down to 1 hour 20 minutes on Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside. 3. School Bell Times, Schedule Reliability School District 59 requested that the bus schedule better meet the morning bell time (8:43 a.m.) at Dawson Creek Secondary s Central Campus. Drivers requested an earlier scheduled start time for the Northside 8:10 a.m. trip, scheduled to arrive at the Central Campus at 8:38 a.m., to improve schedule reliability and on-time performance. 4. Multiplex Service, Increased Coverage There were some requests for increased service to the Multiplex, and for the Multiplex bus stop to be moved to outside the main entrance so that it is more accessible in winter. The stop is currently located 120 metres from the main entrance. There were also requests for reduced route duplication and increased service coverage, in particular along 15 St between 108 Ave and 102 Ave. 5. Sunset Ridge Harvest View Development Area Some requests were received for service closer to the Sunset Ridge Harvest View development area at the north end of 17 Street. 9

10 4.0 Issues and Opportunities Observations from the data collected for this review, as well as from site visits and combined with local stakeholder feedback, include the following New Destinations along Highway 97, Transfer Connections, Bus Stop Safety Route 3 Central has the lowest average ridership per trip however, of the three routes it has the highest number of trips per day, which increases its relative ridership share overall. While adults are its primary customer base, it carries the lowest proportion of students and the highest proportion of seniors compared to the other two routes. Service on the Central route starts at 8:52 a.m. weekdays (10:52 a.m. Saturdays), and compared to the other two routes it carries by far the highest number of passengers using mobility aids as well as holders of the BC Bus Pass. For these reasons, it can be classified as a shopper shuttle -type route, best suited among Dawson Creek s three routes to serve additional shopping and medical destinations. Route 3 Central s running time is 26 minutes and operates trips every half hour. In comparison, Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside have running times of 34 minutes and minutes respectively, operating trips every 40 minutes. This results in the majority of Central route arrivals at the Co-Op Mall not meeting Northside and Southside departure times, with passengers wishing to transfer between Route 3 Central and the other two routes facing wait times of up to 30 minutes. At Dave s No Frills, as the bus enters the parking lot in a counter-clockwise direction the bus stop is located on a traffic island. This is very narrow and not maintained in winter conditions. It is likely that expanding the number of medical and shopping destinations served by this route and improving transfer connections to the Northside and Southside routes, as well as improving safety and accessibility at Dave s No Frills, would contribute to increasing its ridership performance. 2. Midday Service Gaps and Evening and Early Morning Ridership Currently, Dawson Creek s three peak-service vehicles are reduced down to two vehicles during the 10:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. period. While Route 3 Central service remains continuous, Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside see service gaps of 1 hour 40 minutes during these four hours, significantly impacting customer convenience as well as transfer connections between routes. In order to fill in the service gaps during the midday period using the system s existing service hours, service would need to be reallocated from elsewhere in the system. Typically, early morning and evening service see the lowest ridership numbers in any transit system, and suggestions have been received from drivers to eliminate the earliest and latest trips of the day in order to fill the midday gaps. The two-week passenger counts indicated that average ridership does tend to be lowest on the first and last trips of the day (prior to 7:20 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m.). However, it should be noted that Route 2 Southside s last trip of the day averages the same number of passengers as some of this route s (mid-) morning trips. Additionally, these averages, from a single twoweek sample, in general disguise some significant maximum boardings: as one example, there were 15 4 All ridership data referenced here is included in Appendix A: Key Ridership Data Transit Service Change Proposals 10

11 passenger boardings on one of the Southside route s 7:00 a.m. trips counted during this two-week period. Additionally, it is industry best practice to avoid disrupting morning commute times, when passengers are generally under time pressures to meet start times for work and before-school activities 3. School Bell Times and Schedule Reliability The Route 1 Northside 8:10 a.m. trip is scheduled to arrive at the Central Campus five minutes before the morning bell. However, due to extremely high passenger loads, in practice this trip tends to arrive up to five minutes behind schedule, meaning that students often arrive late to their first class. The afternoon bell at the South Peace campus is met by all three routes, with no reported on-time performance issues. Current school bell times and the transit trips that meet these times are shown in Table 3 below. School AM Start Bus Route Scheduled Arrival Time PM Dismissal Bus Route Scheduled Arrival Time Dawson Creek Secondary (South Peace Campus) 8:43 a.m. 1 Northside 8:35 a.m. 2 Southside 8:24 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 1 Northside 3:05 p.m. 2 Southside 3:08 p.m. 3 Central 3:08 p.m. Dawson Creek Secondary (Central Campus) 8:43 a.m. 1 Northside 8:38 a.m.* 2 Southside 8:27 a.m. 2:59 p.m. 1 Northside 3:08 p.m. 2 Southside 3:11 p.m. 3 Central 2:59 p.m./ 3:29 p.m. Ecole Frank Ross 9:00 a.m. 1 Northside 8:54 a.m. 2:35 p.m. 1 Northside 2:51 p.m. Elementary Crescent Park Elementary 9:00 a.m. 1 Northside 8:26 a.m. 2:35 p.m. 1 Northside 2:56 p.m. Tremblay Elementary 9:00 a.m. 2 Southside 8:17 a.m. 2:35 p.m. 2 Southside 3:08 p.m. Canalta Elementary 9:00 a.m. 2 Southside 8:21 a.m. 2:35 p.m. 2 Southside 3:05 p.m. *Trip often runs behind schedule due to high passenger loads Table 3: Current Transit Trips Meeting School Bell Times The delays related to passenger volumes on the 8:10 a.m. Northside trip affect the transit system s schedule reliability and on-time performance at this peak travel time: there is a knock-on effect on the departure time of the subsequent 8:45 a.m. Route 2 Southside trip, operated by the same vehicle. The Southside route serves Walmart and three major hotels. These have extremely varied shift times depending on employer and type of work, but at one hotel most of the housekeeping shifts start at 9:00 a.m. While the bus is scheduled to arrive at this hotel at 8:57 a.m., in practice it can arrive after 9:00 a.m. 4. Multiplex Service and Increased Coverage The Multiplex is currently served on alternating trips only when the Canalta Elementary School area is not served. In order to provide more frequent service to the Multiplex, service would need to be reallocated from elsewhere. In terms of bus stop activity, ridership along the Southside route shows some gaps indicating a lack of transit demand, most notably in the area around Canalta School. Data indicates zero ridership at four out of the five bus stops on this loop, and that ridership at the stop by Ron Pettigrew Christian 11

12 School averages two passengers per week. Additionally, this stop is located within walking distance (300 metres) of the closest stop on 17 Street. Relocating the Multiplex bus stop to outside the main entrance to improve accessibility in winter would require a slight increase in running time, as the vehicle would need to make a loop past the main entrance and around the parking lot. Figure 4: Existing Route Duplication Currently, all three routes operate the same routing in the area of the Dawson Creek Secondary School South Peace campus, hospital, Dawson Creek Secondary Central campus, library, senior citizens hall, Rotary Lodge, and arena up to City Furniture (see Figure 4). Except for during the 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. service gaps when trips alternate between the Northside and Southside routes, both these routes serve this area at the same time. Half of the Central route s daily trips also coincide with the other two routes along this stretch. It should be noted that 22% of Dawson Creek s total ridership is generated in this area, although this drops to 8% when school bell time trips are excluded. However, route duplication could be reduced while minimizing potential ridership losses by removing one route from this stretch outside of school bell times. This would also enable service provision to new areas as requested, e.g. along 15 Street between 108 Avenue and 102 Avenue. 5. Sunset Ridge Harvest View Development Area: Existing Ridership The Sunset Ridge Harvest View development area is located on 17 Street between 87 Avenue and 83 Avenue. There are currently 3-4 passengers per day (6-8 daily rides) from this area. Transit service currently extends to 17 Street and 89 Avenue. The higher-density Sunset Ridge townhomes comprise the type of demographic most likely to use transit. While these are located within the recommended 400m walk distance to the closest existing bus stop on 89 Avenue, there are no sidewalks along this section of 17 Street, making pedestrian access less than ideal on this busy road, especially in winter conditions. 12

13 5.0 Change Proposals 5.1 Change Proposal Summary Table A table summarizing the service, marketing and communications, and infrastructure change proposals, stemming from public feedback, data analysis, and on-site observations, is shown in Table 4 on the following page. 5.2 Service Proposals Based on public feedback to date as well as analysis of the collected data and on-site observations, the following is a list of proposed service changes, designed and projected to be cost neutral. Option 1: Extend Route 3 Central to Highway 97 and reroute for area around Dave s No Frills The suggested extension and rerouting is shown below (Figure 5). An operational feasibility test would be required to confirm the safety of this proposed rerouting and routing extension. Proposed rerouting Proposed routing extension Figure 5: Option 1 Proposed Route 3 Central Extension and Rerouting 13

14 Change Proposal Benefits Challenges Service Proposals 1. Extend Route 3 Central to Highway 97 and reroute for area around Dave s No Serves new destinations (Nordlys Clinic, Peavey Mart, Tim Hortons) along Highway 97 Less direct routing, slightly longer travel times for passengers using only this route Frills in order to: - serve new medical/commercial destinations - lengthen the Central route to make all routes have equal running time, creating a "pulse" transit system Improves transfer connections between routes Reduces wait times at exchange and total travel time for passengers using the Central route plus either the Northside or the Southside route to complete their trip Improves customer safety/accessibility at Dave s No Frills Maintains existing service span Improves midday service frequency Improves daily service consistency and predictability In order to remain cost neutral, this would require a drop in service frequency from 20 to 13 daily trips Permission required from Dave's No Frills property owners for bus stop relocation 2. Reduce midday service gaps on Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside by: - allocating service evenly among all routes - eliminating select evening trips 3. Ensure schedules meet/continue to meet school bell times; improve schedule reliability 4. Reroute Route 2 Southside for increased Multiplex service, deviating to DCSS South Peace and Central campuses (via current routing) at school bell times only 5. Extend Route 1 Northside in Sunset Ridge Harvest View development area Marketing & Communications Proposals 6. Introduce Travel Training program aimed at local seniors population 7. Marketing outreach, new ideas for transit promotion Infrastructure Proposals 8. Improve bus stop signage 9. Improve bus route and bus stop maintenance 10. Ensure good pedestrian access to bus stops Improves morning peak on-time performance Ensures DCSS Central campus students (averaging a total of approx. 45 rides per weekday) can arrive before the morning bell Meets housekeeping shift start time at a Multiplex-area hotel Removes service from an area of minimal ridership demand Enables regular Multiplex service, doubling service provision to this location Responds to requests for service on 15 St between 108 Ave and 102 Ave Increases transit system coverage Reduces route duplication in Dawson Creek Secondary, Hospital, Library, and Rotary Lodge area Provides time savings enabling service directly to Multiplex front entrance Brings a majority of development area residents within reasonable walking distance of transit service Table 4: Change Proposal Summary Table New midday trips will need to generate a total of four additional rides per day to offset ridership losses from eliminated evening trips Detailed Scheduling work required to determine optimum solution to meet Central campus morning bell times while minimizing any potentially negative impacts on Crescent Park and Tremblay arrival times (averaging a total of two rides per weekday) Routing deviations can cause customer confusion New routing route along residential streets may result in local resident complaints initially Adds running time to route may pose operational risks for on-time performance and schedule adherence Operational feasibility test required to ensure safe transit vehicle access along 18 St and 87 Ave New routing along residential streets may result in local resident complaints initially 14

15 Benefits Extending Route 3 Central to the Alaska Highway between 10 Street and 15 Street would: respond to customer requests for service to Nordlys Medical Clinic, Peavey Mart, and Tim Hortons; lengthen the Central route s running time to match those of the Northside and Southside routes, transforming the Dawson Creek Transit System into a pulse system and enabling easy transfer connections at the Co-Op Mall Exchange between all three routes; reduce wait times at the exchange, and thus total travel time, for customers using the Central route plus one of the other two routes to complete their trip allow for reverse routing through the parking lot of Dave s No Frills, improving customer safety and accessibility by enabling passengers to board and alight using the store s sidewalk. Existing service span would be maintained, requiring no increase to service hours. Challenges The new routing would be less direct, and would result in slightly longer travel times for passengers using Route 3 Central and no other route. Although its current service span would be maintained, in order to remain cost neutral the Central route s increase in trip time would reduce its frequency from the existing 20 trips per day to approximately 13 trips per day. Permission would be required from the property owners at Dave s No Frills to change the bus stop location. Option 2: Reduce midday service gaps on Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside In order to be able to increase midday service while remaining within existing service hour provision, three possible alternatives are: a) Spread these service gaps more evenly among all three routes, to allow for slightly increased frequency on the Northside and Southside routes during this time; b) Eliminate trips at the beginning or end of the service day, when ridership is typically lowest; c) A combination of a) and b) Given that there is steady ridership on the first and last trips of the day, c) is recommended, making careful analysis of which trips would have the lowest impact on customers if they were eliminated. Preliminary analysis indicates that eliminating the Route 1 Northside trip at 7:20 p.m., the Route 2 Southside trip at 6:00 p.m., and the Route 3 Central trip at 6:22 p.m. would have the least impact. This would allow for a third vehicle to be in service for approximately two hours out of the four-hour period during the midday when currently only two vehicles are operating. Benefits Challenges This service hour reallocation would enable more service and greater service frequency, consistency and predictability during the midday period in response to customer requests, achieved cost-neutrally. Data indicates that ridership on the three evening trips mentioned above averages four passengers per day in total. In order to avoid a negative impact on ridership levels as a result of eliminating these trips, the additional trips in the midday period will need to generate a total of at least four additional daily passengers. 15

16 Option 3: Ensure schedules meet/continue to meet school bell times; improve schedule reliability The 8:10 a.m. Northside trip could be scheduled to start ten to fifteen minutes earlier to provide more running time. This would also enable the subsequent Route 2 Southside and Route 1 Northside trips to depart five to ten minutes earlier. Benefits This change would: improve morning peak schedule reliability and on-time performance ensure that this trip consistently meets the morning bell time at Dawson Creek Secondary s Central Campus, enabling Central campus students (averaging a total of approximately 45 rides per weekday) to arrive in time for morning class start meet the housekeeping shift start time at one of the Multiplex-area hotels. Challenges Detailed scheduling work would be required to determine the optimum schedule solution for ensuring bell times are met for DCSS s Central campus while minimizing any potentially negative impacts on school arrival times at Crescent Park Elementary and Tremblay Elementary (averaging a total of approximately two rides per weekday). Option 4: Reroute of Route 2 Southside (outside of school bell times) for increased Multiplex service This option would see service removed from 20 Street, and 108 Avenue and 110 Avenue east of 17 Street, due to extremely low ridership demand in this area. This time would be reallocated to provide service to the Multiplex on each Southside trip. The Multiplex bus stop would be relocated to the front entrance, with the bus stopping directly outside then looping around the Multiplex parking lot and back onto 122 Avenue. The remainder of the route would remain the same at school bell times. However, outside of school bell times, service would be removed from 15 Street south to 111 Avenue 13 Street 10 Street 107A Avenue McKellar Avenue 13 Street on to 103 Avenue, instead adding it to 15 Street north to 102 Avenue on to 103 Avenue. Figure 6 below illustrates this rerouting proposal. Benefits This option would: remove service from the Canalta school loop area where there is very little demand; enable regular service to be provided to the Multiplex, doubling service provision to this location; respond to requests for service addition on 15 Street between 108 Avenue and 102 Avenue; increase the transit system s coverage; reduce duplication in the Dawson Creek Secondary, Hospital, Library, and Rotary Lodge area; provide time savings to allow for service directly to the Multiplex s front entrance. Challenges Routing deviations i.e. different routings depending on time of day can cause customer confusion New routing along residential streets may result in local resident complaints initially 16

17 Proposed routing elimination Proposed routing elimination, outside of school bell times Proposed permanent routing Proposed routing extension outside of school bell times Figure 6: Option 4 Proposed Route 2 Southside Rerouting Option 5: Extend Route 1 Northside in the Sunset Ridge Harvest View development area Service could be extended further north on 17 Street. The option involving the lowest level of risk is shown in Figure 7 below. Benefits Challenges This service extension would bring the majority of residents of this development area within reasonable walking distance of transit service. Extending the Route 1 Northside to 87 Ave would add approximately one minute of running time and at peak times may pose operational risks for on-time performance and schedule adherence, a key factor in retaining existing and attracting new ridership An operational feasibility test would be required to ensure safe access along 18 St and 87 Ave for transit vehicles New routing along residential streets may result in local resident complaints initially An additional solution, involving the construction of sidewalks, is proposed under Option 10 below. 17

18 Existing route Proposed routing extension Sunset Ridge Townhomes Figure 7: Option 5 Proposed Sunset Ridge Harvest View Area Routing Extension 5.3 Marketing and Communications Proposals Option 6: Introduce a Transit Travel Training program aimed at the local seniors population Feedback indicates that while seniors groups use transit for occasional special outings, such as the Christmas Light Up tour, their members do not take transit in their everyday lives due to lack of knowledge of how to ride the bus, for example where the routes go and what the schedules are. Seniors are typically a key market for public transit but currently constitute only 12% of Dawson Creek s total ridership. This can be seen in Figure 8 s route-by-route demographic breakdown below. It can be particularly difficult for this demographic to begin riding transit as new users. Finding ways to encourage local senior residents to begin using transit will increase their transportation options when 18

19 Percentage of Total Route Ridership driving abilities decline, enabling them to continue to access medical and shopping services and maintain social connections within the community, live independently for longer, and age in place. 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Passenger Demographics by Route 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Adults & College Students (K-12) Seniors Children Under 5 Figure 8: Passenger Demographics by Route Dawson Creek s older seniors (75 years or older) population jumped by 41% between 2006 and 2011, and this rise looks set to continue. It can be difficult for this demographic in particular to begin using transit for the first time, especially for passengers using mobility aids. In order to help overcome this hurdle, a Transit Travel Training program could be implemented for local seniors groups in conjunction with the local operator, to help familiarize seniors with their public transit travel options, how to board and alight with mobility aids, how and where to purchase tickets and passes, etc. Option 7: Marketing outreach, new ideas for transit promotion Given that transit passengers are necessarily also pedestrians, and given the short- and long-term benefits of active transportation to both individual physical and overall community health, it is recommended that the City continue to invest in programs to encourage the use of alternative forms of transportation such as transit, walking, and biking. This will help to promote Dawson Creek s economic development by continuing to attract young families to Dawson Creek and enabling seniors to age in place and remain in the community. While BC Transit has an annual marketing and communications budget allotted for Dawson Creek, this can be mostly expended on producing new Riders Guides, presentation materials and advertising for local public engagement activities, interior bus rack cards (e.g. fare posters), bus stop signage, and related promotional materials. The Dawson Creek Better at Home society already partners with BC Transit and local sponsors to provide an annual Christmas lights Light Up Tour, which has proven popular. In addition, for the past few years the City has been promoting an annual free transit week during Dawson Creek s Idle Less Week at the end of November, providing free transit for the week plus a prize draw for passengers. Operating company staff suggest hosting a Transit Information Booth at the Co-Op Mall on weekends, in order to teach local residents who do not currently use the transit system how to, and perhaps offering some free day passes in a prize draw to enable people to try it out. This would likely help to raise public transit s profile in the community. 19

20 Other local initiatives that have worked well in other B.C. communities to promote transit use include the following strategies: Introducing a Transit Day where elected officials ride the buses and greet customers; Introducing free transit service for New Year s Eve; Introducing free transit service and promotions for Car Free Day; Introducing a Seniors Buddy Day, allowing paying seniors to bring a friend on the bus for free Social media: linking to the Dawson Creek Transit page on the City s website, and the websites for e.g. the Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations; Bundling Riders Guides with property tax notices or other municipal mail-outs; Any recommendations on fare ideas that may assist with transit promotion will be included separately in a Fare Structure Review, being undertaken by BC Transit concurrently with this Service Performance Check-In. More ideas are welcomed from other local partners. BC Transit s Marketing Department is available to assist with ideas and implementation of local marketing initiatives. 5.4 Infrastructure Proposals Option 8: Improve bus stop signage Along with the vehicles themselves, transit infrastructure is the most visible aspect of transit service to the customer and non-user alike, and has a significant influence on how transit service is perceived by the local community and on the customer experience. Improvements are suggested for the following stops: Bus Stop Location Suggested Improvement Co-Op Mall Replace outdated flag sign 102 Ave and 17 St Adjust bus stop signs to face oncoming pedestrians 8 St and 114 Ave and traffic and improve their visibility (currently 110 Ave and 19 St angled parallel to street) 19 St and 90 Ave Ensure that bus stop signs are displayed September through June, removed July through August only 108 Ave by Kitchen Park Replace missing bus stop pole and sign Option 9: Improve bus route and bus stop maintenance Prioritizing snow clearance along transit routes would improve winter on-time performance and service reliability. Providing cleared paths at bus stops between sidewalk and road would improve transit accessibility, particularly for the elderly and passengers using mobility aids or with strollers. Both measures would significantly improve the overall customer experience. Option 10: Ensure good pedestrian access to bus stops The majority of public transit trips begin and end as pedestrian trips. Improving pedestrian access to bus stops helps to improve the overall accessibility of the transit system. There are currently no sidewalks along 17 St north of 89 Ave. It is recommended that sidewalks be installed to improve transit access for residents of the Sunset Ridge Harvest View development. 20

21 6.0 Other Considerations This section lists an upcoming infrastructure project that will impact transit service for its duration, and priorities for future transit system expansion should local and provincial expansion funding become available. It also includes details on BC Transit s Development Referral Program, as well as transitrelated suggestions submitted as part of the 2013 Dawson Creek Transportation Master Plan but not addressed under the change proposals above. a) Rerouting for 2017 scheduled 10 Street bridge replacement The 10 Street Bridge is due for replacement in All three existing bus routes operate on this bridge in order to serve Dawson Creek s hospital, library, senior citizens hall, and Dawson Creek Secondary s Central campus. Due to the limitations of the road network in the surrounding area, a major routing and schedule redesign will be required for the duration of the bridge replacement work. Rerouting options will need to be discussed with City engineering staff and operating company staff closer to the time in order to verify operational feasibility. A high-level concept option is shown in Figure 10 below. The routing changes necessitated by this required bridge upgrading work will have a significant impact on transit passengers ability to access Dawson Creek Secondary s Central campus as well as the library and senior citizens hall and will result in ridership losses. Additionally, rerouting options are limited by the narrow, residential nature of the surrounding streets and their ability to absorb three transit routes. Operationally feasible options will likely necessitate more running time for each route and require a rescheduling of the entire system. In order to be able to accommodate this costneutrally, service frequency will likely need to be decreased. Figure 9: Existing routing Figure 10: Temporary rerouting concept 21

22 b) Future Transit System Expansion Priorities Should expansion funding become available in the future, the immediate priority would be to close any remaining midday service gaps in order to be able to provide regular service frequency and consistent schedules throughout the day. Other local priorities as expressed through citizen engagement may include such themes as increased frequency, the reintroduction of later evening service, and the reintroduction of Sunday service. These priorities will continue to be assessed and input gathered as part of the planned Phase 2 public engagement activities. c) BC Transit Development Referral Program BC Transit s Planning department operates a Development Referral Program to provide comment on proposed large-scale developments (such as housing projects) and forecasted impact these may have on the local transit service. It is recommended that the City participate in this process to ensure that future developments are aligned with the transit goals of the region. Referrals can be sent to developmentreferrals@bctransit.com. Appendix A shows an example of a Development Referral response for Squamish. BC Transit s Planning staff is also available to provide comment on Official Community Plans, Regional Growth Strategies, transportation plans and other local planning endeavours from a transit perspective. BC Transit input can be requested through your BC Transit Senior Regional Transit Manager. d) Vehicle right-sizing Requests for smaller buses were submitted in June-July 2013 during 2013 Dawson Creek Transportation Master Plan public engagement activities. In October 2013, new, more compact 27 Vicinity vehicles (total passenger capacity, seated plus standees: 39) were introduced in Dawson Creek to replace the former 30 Dennis Darts (total passenger capacity: 49). Owing to existing peak-time passenger demand, the Vicinity is the smallest vehicle able to be deployed in Dawson Creek s fleet. While vehicles tend to operate with light passenger loads during the off-peak hours, a surge in demand at peak times means that all three routes require the capacity of a standard-sized vehicle like the Vicinity. In order to minimize the number of vehicles required and the associated capital costs, vehicle capacity needs to be able to accommodate the maximum passenger loads of peak travel times. e) Two-way routing Replacing Dawson Creek s existing loop routes with bidirectional routes would require a doubling of service hours and funding in order to maintain service area coverage at current levels. Additionally, bidirectional routes involve a doubling of local capital investment for infrastructure provision. f) Scheduling for after-school activities Transit service is currently available until 6:20 p.m. on all three routes. After-school activities have varying end times, and tailoring schedules specifically to meet these times would result in irregular trip times and service gaps that would negatively impact the transit system s other ridership groups. 22

23 g) Later service for Multiplex evening programs Extending service later into the evening would require expansion funding. While it would help cater to participants in evening Multiplex programs, evening service generally sees very low productivity and very high costs per passenger. h) Replacing some fixed-route service with on-demand service/introducing handydart service On-demand service is significantly more costly and less efficient per ride than fixed-route service, as it involves door-to-door pick-ups and drop-offs, which tends to result in carrying only one to two passengers per 30-minute booking slot. For example, Dawson Creek averages 12 rides per service hour, whereas on-demand service in similar communities averages between one to three rides per hour. Higher operational costs are incurred due to the need to employ dispatch staff. Replacing a portion of fixed-route service with on-demand service would cause decreases in overall transit provision and frequency and significant ridership losses. Additionally, discussions with Dawson Creek s Step Up N Ride Society indicate that they are keen to continue providing door-to-door service with the level of flexibility a small, local organization can provide, and that introducing BC Transit handydart service would effectively end their operation. 23

24 7.0 Next Steps The next step in this process is to discuss these change proposals in more detail with local government partners. Once this step is complete then the proposals will be presented to the public for their feedback. Based on this input, the change proposals will be further refined as necessary, before being finalized and presented to the City of Dawson Creek for information and approval. At this stage, there will be an opportunity for the City of Dawson Creek Council and BC Transit to proceed to implementation of the approved recommendations by signing an Implementation Agreement MOU. If feasible, some of the quick-win service changes may be implemented in winter 2016/17, and any other more comprehensive service changes will have a target implementation date of spring-summer

25 APPENDICES 25

26 % of BC Bus Passes/Mobility Aids Ridership Appendix A: Key Ridership Data Transit Service Change Proposals 1. New Destinations along Highway 97, Transfer Connections, Bus Stop Safety: Option 1: Extend Route 3 Central to Highway 97 and reroute for area around Dave s No Frills While adults are its primary customer base, Route 3 Central carries the lowest proportion of students and the highest proportion of seniors compared to the other two routes (see Figure 1a) below). Service on the Central route does not start until 8:52 a.m. weekdays (10:52 a.m. Saturdays), and it carries by far the highest number of passengers using mobility aids as well as holders of the BC Bus Pass compared to the other two routes (see Figure 1b) below). For these reasons, it can be classified as a shopper shuttle -type route, best suited among Dawson Creek s three routes to serve additional shopping and medical destinations. Ridership Demographics by Route -- All Service Days 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Adults/College students Students (K-12) Seniors Children under 5 Figure 1a): Ridership Demographics by Route Distribution of BC Bus Passes and Mobility Aids by Route 60% 40% 20% 0% 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route BC Bus Pass Mobility Aids Figure 1b): Distribution of BC Bus Passes and Mobility Aids by Route 26

27 8:52 9:22 9:52 10:22 10:52 11:22 11:52 12:22 12:52 13:22 13:52 14:22 14:52 15:22 15:52 16:22 16:52 17:22 17:52 18:22 Ridership 6:40 7:20 8:10 8:45 9:20 10:00 11:20 12:40 14:00 14:40 15:20 16:00 16:40 17:20 18:00 19:20 7:00 7:20 8:00 8:45 9:20 10:00 10:40 12:00 13:20 14:40 15:20 16:00 16:40 17:20 18:00 18:40 Ridership Ridership 2. Midday Service Gaps, Evening and Early Morning Ridership Option 2: Reduce midday service gaps on Route 1 Northside and Route 2 Southside In order to fill in the service gaps during the midday period using the system s existing service hours, service would need to be reallocated from elsewhere in the system. Typically, early morning and evening service see the lowest ridership numbers in any transit system, and suggestions have been received from drivers to eliminate the earliest and latest trips of the day in order to fill the midday gaps. The two-week passenger counts indicated that average ridership does tend to be lowest on the first and last trips of the day (prior to 7:20 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m.), as shown in the graphs below (Figure 2). However, it should be noted that Route 2 Southside s last trip of the day averages the same number of passengers as some of this route s (mid-) morning trips. Additionally, these averages, from a single twoweek sample, in general disguise some significant maximum boardings: as one example, there were 15 passenger boardings on one of the Southside route s 7:00 a.m. trips counted during this two-week period. Average of Total Riders Average Ridership by Route and Trip Time: Route 1 Northside Average of Total Riders Average Ridership by Route and Trip Time: Route 2 Southside Route Leave Time 1 Trip Time Route Leave Time 2 Trip Time Average of Total Riders 25 Average Ridership by Route and Trip Time: Route 3 Central Route Leave Time 3 Trip Time Figure 2: Average Ridership by Route and Trip Time 27

28 Boardings 3. School Bell Times and Schedule Reliability Option 3: Ensure schedules meet/continue to meet school bell times; improve schedule reliability The Route 1 Northside 8:10 a.m. trip is scheduled to arrive at the Central Campus five minutes before the morning bell. However, due to high passenger loads (Figure 3 below), in practice this trip tends to arrive up to five minutes behind schedule, meaning that students often arrive late to their first class Route 1 Northside Weekday Passenger Boardings - 8:10 a.m. Trip Date Figure 3: Route 1 Northside 8:10 a.m. Trip Weekday Passenger Boardings The delays on the 8:10 a.m. Northside trip have a knock-on effect on the departure time of the subsequent 8:45 a.m. Route 2 Southside trip, serving Walmart and three major hotels. These have extremely varied shift times, but one hotel s housekeeping shifts generally start at 9:00 a.m. Scheduled to arrive at this hotel at 8:57 a.m., in practice the bus can arrive after 9:00 a.m. 28

29 Co-op Mall 8 St & 105 Ave (PetroCan/7-Eleven) 8 St & 112 Ave (Voyageur Inn) Safeway Dawson Mall 8 St & 112 Ave (Voyageur Inn) 8 St & 114 Ave (by Northern Lights College) Northern Lights College (entrance) 8 St & 118 Ave (Toyota dealership) Casino South Peace Community Multiplex* Behind Walmart Walmart 120 Ave & 7 St (Canadian Tire) 120 Ave & 9 St (past Airport Inn Motel) 120 Ave & 10 St 11 St & 120 Ave 118 Ave & 11 St 12 St & 118 Ave 12 St & 116 Ave Tremblay Elementary (only 8:00am & 2:40pm trips) 116 Ave & 13 St (most trips -- school bell times) 116 Ave & 14 St 116 Ave & 15 St 116 Ave & 16 St 17 St & 115 Ave (opposite Pentecostal Church) 17 St & 113 Ave 17 St & 110 Ave Pettigrew School 110 Ave & 19 St (Canalta School)^ 110 Ave & 20 St 108 Ave & 19 St^ 108 Ave & 17 St (nearside 17 St)^ 108 Ave & 16 St (farside 17 St, past Kitchen Park) 108 Ave & 15 St (St James Church) 15 St & 109 Ave (DC Secondary School) 15 St & 111 Ave 111 Ave & 14 St Hospital 13 St & 10 St (opposite Selwyn Place) McKellar Ave & 10 St (Library) Rotary Lodge Spruceland Manor 13 St. & 106 Ave 13 St & 104 Ave (City Furniture) 103 Ave & 12 St (Law Courts/Provincial Gvt bldg) 103 Ave & 10 St (The Bargain Shop) 103 Ave & 9 St (SRBG LLP - brown building) Co-op Mall Ridership Share 4. Multiplex Service and Increased Coverage Option 4: Reroute of Route 2 Southside (outside of school bell times) for increased Multiplex service Ridership along the Southside route shows some gaps indicating a lack of transit demand, particularly in the area around Canalta School. Data indicates zero ridership at four out of the five bus stops on this loop, as shown in Figure 4 below, and that ridership at the stop by Ron Pettigrew Christian School averages two passengers per week. 25.0% Route 2 Southside Average Daily Ridership Share by Stop 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Bus Stop Location & ID Number 2 Count of On Count of Off Figure 4: Route 2 Southside Average Daily Ridership Share by Stop 29

30 Rides Appendix B: Key Ridership Data Transit System Overview a) Monthly Ridership Trends Dawson Creek s monthly ridership ranges from a low of 6,700 rides per month (August) to a high of 11,600 rides per month (January), as shown in Figure a) below. 12,000 10,000 8, Monthly Ridership 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Month Figure a): Monthly Ridership 30

31 Ridership % Ridership % Ridership % b) Ridership Distribution by Route and Service Day Type Route 1 Northside accounts for the largest proportion of overall ridership (irrespective of service day type), followed by Route 2 Southside and Route 3 Central. This is paralleled in the distribution of weekday ridership among the different routes. Ridership distributions change on Saturdays, however, when the Southside route s ridership share outperforms those of the Central and Northside routes. (See Figure b) below.) Total Ridership Distribution by Route 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Weekday Ridership Distribution by Route Saturday Ridership Distribution by Route 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Route Figure b): Ridership Distribution by Route and Service Day Type 31

32 Rides per hour Rides per hour Rides per hour c) Productivity by Route and Service Day Type This same pattern seen in ridership distribution by route is reflected when looking at each route s productivity in terms of rides per hour of service provided (Figure c)), which takes into account the differences in number of trips operated and service hour provision between the three routes. Overall Productivity by Route Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Weekday Productivity by Route Saturday Productivity by Route Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Route Figure c): Productivity by Route and Service Day Type 32

33 Ridership % Ridership % Ridership % d) Ridership Distribution by Demographic and Service Day Type The difference in weekday and Saturday ridership patterns by route can be explained by the difference in weekday and Saturday ridership demographics. On weekdays, students comprise 39% of total ridership and over half of the ridership on Route 1 Northside versus Saturdays, when students comprise only 6% of total ridership. Overall Ridership Distribution by Demographic 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Ridership Demographic Weekday Ridership Distribution by Demographic Saturday Ridership Distribution by Demographic 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Ridership Demographic Ridership Demographic Figure d): Ridership Distribution by Demographic and Service Day Type 33

34 Overall ridership Weekday ridership Saturday ridership Overall ridership Weekday ridership Saturday ridership Overall ridership Weekday ridership Saturday ridership Ridership % e) Ridership Demographics by Route and Service Day Type Route 1 Northside s weekday performance is driven largely by its high student ridership, with maximum vehicle loads of up to 30 passengers at once at school bell times. Students comprise 51% of the Northside route s ridership on weekdays, but this drops to 4% on Saturdays. Ridership Demographics by Route and Service Day Type 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Adults & College students Students (K-12) Seniors Children under 5 years 1 Northside 2 Southside 3 Central Route Figure e): Ridership Demographics by Route and Service Day Type 34

35 Appendix C: Sample BC Transit Development Referral Response 35

36 36