City of Davenport CitiBus Public Transportation Study April 2015
Overview Project Background Key Findings CitiBus Service Allocation Policy Discussion 2
Project Background 3
About CitiBus Operates 17 routes within the City of Davenport Ridership has continued to increase CitiBus carried over 1.5 million passengers in FY 2014, compared to 910,000 passengers in FY 2005 CitiBus coordinates service with Bettendorf Transit and MetroLINK 4
Project Background Davenport Public Transportation Study is a COA Comprehensive Operational Analysis Ten-year blueprint for transit in City of Davenport Address short-term transit mobility needs Objectives Develop a Service Allocation Policy Effectively and efficiently utilize City resources Continue to grow ridership Tailor transit service to meet unmet community needs Create near and long term recommendations 5
Project Approach Data-driven analysis Industry best practices Inclusive, collaborative process between staff and community stakeholders We Are Here Data Collection & Analysis (March-April 2015) Plan Development (May-July 2015) Finalization of Plan (August-September 2015) On-Going Public and Stakeholder Involvement 6
Key Findings 7
Population & Employment Density (2010) Higher Density Areas Downtown Locust St Kimberly Rd East 53 rd St Density concentrated along major corridors Street network configuration varies Data Source: Bi-State Regional Commission 8
Low-Income Population Highest densities found in downtown core 4% of total population 93% of riders surveyed earn less than Davenport s median household income 63% of riders surveyed have an annual household income of less than $15,000 Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 9
Minority Population Highest densities spread across the downtown core 22% of total population 48% of riders surveyed identified as a minority Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 10
Zero Vehicle Households Highest densities found downtown along 4 th Street and Brady/Harrison Streets 3% of total population 87% of riders surveyed did not have access to a working vehicle Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 11
Senior Population Highest densities found at senior living facilities and are dispersed throughout the area 9% of total population Just 3% of riders surveyed were over the age of 65 Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 12
Youth Population (Ages 10-17) Youth densities spread across the city Highest concentrations near downtown core 6% of total population 10% of riders surveyed were under the age of 18 Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 13
College-Age Population (Ages 18-24) Similar density distribution pattern to youth 7% of total population 14% of riders surveyed were college students Data Source: American Community Survey (2013) 14
CitiBus Rider Profile Typical Rider Low-income No private vehicle access Rides multiple times per week Traveling to work or school Does not pay full fare Has been riding CitiBus longer than 2 years 15
Rider Opinion of CitiBus Service Three most positive qualities of CitiBus Driver knowledge of system Cost of service (fare) Safety while waiting for or riding buses Three qualities needing most improvement Hours of service Bus cleanliness Time spent waiting for bus 16
What Do Riders Want? 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 17
System Ridership Boardings concentrated at key shopping areas, schools, and transfer locations Strong activity on Locust St. and in downtown core Lack of marked bus stops creates dispersed boarding activity Data Source: Onboard Passenger Ridecheck (March 2015) 18
Daily Passengers Weekday Ridership 4,320 weekday riders Top 3 routes (Routes 4, 7, and 10) account for 37% of system ridership 800 700 600 500 400 Average Weekday Ridership 300 200 100 0 4 10 7 22 6 9 1 15 2 5 3 14 53 12 20 Route
Daily Passengers Saturday Ridership 3,460 Saturday riders (80% of weekday ridership) Routes 4, 7, and 10 still top 3 for ridership (40% of total) Route 4 alone is 20% of Saturday ridership 800 700 600 500 400 300 Average Saturday Ridership 200 100 0 4 7 10 1 9 22 5 53 2 3 15 6 14 12 Route
Passengers per Revenue Hour Weekday Productivity Average of 21.8 passengers per revenue hour (pph) Route 4 is highest in ridership and productivity Route 7 has higher frequency but short alignment serving major destinations Route 22 serves key destinations and has a direct alignment Route 10 has high ridership but low performance 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 Weekday Productivity 0 4 22 7 20 6 9 15 2 1 5 3 10 14 53 12 Route
Passengers per Revenue Hour Saturday Productivity Saturdays have free fares Average of 24.2 pph, higher than weekdays Route 4 still most productive 40 35 30 25 20 Saturday Productivity 15 10 5 0 4 7 9 1 22 5 53 2 3 10 6 15 14 12 Route
Key Findings Existing linear, mixed-use corridors and transit-oriented groups concentrated in downtown core support lifestyle transit Riders want more service hours and higher service frequencies Routes 4, 7, and 10 consistently have highest ridership Routes 1, 4, 7, 9, 22 have big city productivity 23
Service Allocation Policy Strategy Discussion 24
City Vision for Transit Davenport in Motion and Davenport 2025 envisioned a city: In which living and working will not require a car, That has enhanced transportation options, That introduces Complete Streets, and That includes a more walkable urban environment. 25
CitiBus Strategy Discussion How can CitiBus help the transit system evolve to support this vision? Develop and prioritize strategies that support City vision for public mobility Target those consumers and markets most likely to use transit and for what types of trips Identify which transit system attributes are most important in attracting and retaining riders 26
Transit Market Targets Customers What type of riders should CitiBus target? Lifestyle riders: those who choose to use transit over other mobility options for daily travel Lifeline riders: those who rely on transit for daily mobility needs Trip-based riders: transit is an option for only specific trips What trip purposes should CitiBus prioritize? Work commutes School travel Medical/health Daily needs: shopping, errands, entertainment 27
Transit Market Targets Land Use Where should CitiBus focus service? In areas where people use or will use service the most In areas where people need service the most Equally in all areas throughout the city What land uses should be priorities for CitiBus? Dense city core area Mixed-use major corridors (Kimberly Rd.) Mixed-use walkable corridors (Locust St.) Dense residential areas characterized by multi-family dwellings Neighborhood residential areas with single-family homes Key destinations: malls, hospitals, schools, social service agencies 28
Key Transit Service Attributes Service Frequencies (What will attract spontaneous users?) Fast, Direct Travel (Is it competitive with car travel times?) Reliable Transit Service (Predictable, Dependable) Easy Walk to Transit (How far is easy in Davenport?) All-Day & All-Week Span of Service CitiBus Network Connections Connections with Other Regional Transit Providers New Flexible Transit Options (Besides just fixed route buses) Fare Pricing for Single Trips, Day/Weekly/Monthly Passes 29
Key Transit Service Attributes Frequency Fast, direct travel Reliable transit service Easy walk to transit Sunday service Later evening service CitiBus network connections Regional network connections New flexible transit options Fare pricing Which of these attributes are more or less important? How do people balance these tradeoffs in choosing transit? What attributes should CitiBus prioritize in allocating service? 30
Funding CitiBus Improvements How should CitiBus improvements be funded? Reallocation of existing transit resources Higher fares Increased City funding Maximize current tax rates 31
Next Steps Continue to Gather Feedback from: City Council Other Stakeholders Riders Transit Staff General Public Develop Service Allocation Policy and Recommendations 32