Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Transit Tomorrow AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 2/19/2019 Meeting Type: Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Emma Newman/DPW Staff Phone No: 541.726.4585 Estimated Time: 25 Minutes S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Encourage Economic Development and Revitalization through Community Partnerships ITEM TITLE: TRANSIT TOMORROW COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONS ANALYSIS ACTION REQUESTED: Receive presentation from Lane Transit District (LTD) staff on Transit Tomorrow planning and provide input, if desired, to support upcoming LTD Board decision making. ISSUE STATEMENT: LTD is evaluating the transit network in the Springfield-Eugene area and will make decisions on how to reconfigure the network and allocate additional transit funding. ATTACHMENTS: ATT1: Transit Tomorrow Scenario Report Introduction & Summary ATT2: Transit Tomorrow FAQ Sheet ATT3: Transit Scenarios (Existing Network, Ridership, and Coverage) DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: LTD is doing a comprehensive operations analysis, called Transit Tomorrow, which is looking at the entire public transit network in Springfield and Eugene. In addition, the recent transportation bill (HB2017) established the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) by establishing an employee payroll tax. LTD expects an increase of 10-15% in operating revenue from the STIF, and will soon decide how to use those funds. Transit Tomorrow conducted a first round of outreach and heard from the community that people most want more evening and weekend bus service. People also expressed a desire for more frequent daytime service. The second round of outreach started with an online survey (LTD.org/Transit-Tomorrow) that will be open through the end of February to seek input from community members on tradeoffs presented in the Scenarios Report (ATT1). Transit Tomorrow will result in changes to LTD’s service that would go into effect between 2020 and 2023. In making this decision the LTD Board will determine the tradeoffs among various approaches to providing transit service. The first tradeoff will focus on whether the transit network should be designed in a way that places a higher value on ridership, or on system coverage. Do people have to walk further to the bus, but buses come more frequently? Or, do people have bus service close to them, but the bus does not come as often? ATT1 and ATT3 provide more information on the Ridership Scenario and Coverage Scenario that lay out a potential transit network based on each of the two values. The existing LTD network map has also been included in ATT3 for reference. The second tradeoff focuses on how to allocate the additional STIF funding LTD expects to receive. Should additional resources go towards increased service (i.e. evening, weekend, more frequent buses) or reduced fares (i.e. youth pass, low income fare, senior passes, etc.)? Transit Tomorrow planning will inform key transit network and funding allocation decisions that impact our community. LTD will likely start implementing at least some of the changes that come out of this process by fall 2020. | 3Scenarios ReportLane Transit DistrictJARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES Introduction & Summary Please note: this is the introduction section from the Transit Tomorrow Scenarios Report. To access a print-quality version of the full report (41 pgs) or an appendix with Travel Time maps from 16 locations for each Scenario (42 pages) please visit: https://www.ltd.org/transit-tomorrow-document-library/ Attachment 1, Page 1 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 0 InTRoDucTIon & SummaRy| 4Scenarios ReportLane Transit District The Trade-offs Transit Tomorrow Lane Transit District (LTD) has launched Transit Tomorrow, an effort to understand how LTD’s services should be distributed in its service area. LTD operates a variety of public transportation services throughout central Lane County. But people are most likely to experience LTD as - ship comes from the regularly scheduled bus routes (including EmX and routes might change in the next three years. Upcoming work will address how changes in bus service may impact LTD’s other services, such as the demand response services provided by Ridesource. Key Trade-offs This report describes and evaluates four possible ways that LTD service could change, based on two major trade-offs: •Ridership vs. coverage: Is it more important to provide frequent service in places that will attract the most riders, or to provide a little bit of service to as many places as possible? •: Is it more important to use LTD’s resources to provide as much service as possible, or to reduce the cost of getting on the bus? Neither of these questions have technically “correct” answers. LTD will cases, the correct answer depends on what the community values most. What We’ve Heard Public input received to date suggests the community does not fall entirely on one side of either trade-off. Ridership vs. Coverage and priorities for future LTD service, through in-person events and a this effort, with the following primary results: •Most of the people we heard from were more interested in high frequency service than maximizing coverage. But not everyone: over one-third were more interested in coverage. •When we asked people about their priorities for service, respon- dents consistently prioritized frequency improvements – especially weekend and evening frequency – above other possibilities, includ- ing service to more places. •Then again, most respondents preferred that LTD make minor adjustments rather than a network redesign. This argues against designing a network only for higher ridership and higher frequen- Service vs. Affordability Separately, LTD convened an ad hoc Fare Policy Committee with repre- sentatives from community stakeholders. This committee was convened in response to repeated requests from the public to expand fare dis- count programs targeted at youth and low-income populations. At this time, the Board of Directors has directed LTD to pursue the Fare Policy Committee’s recommendations, including a new student fare subsidy program for schoolchildren and an expansion of LTD’s low- income subsidy program. - sidies means those same resources will not be available for service. Yet many people have expressed a desire for higher frequencies and longer hours, suggesting parts of the community desire more service. LTD will soon start receiving new funds from the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF). Some of these will likely be used to implement the Fare Policy Committee’s recommendations. With the rest, LTD can pursue both service increases and further fare reduc- tions, but the more it does of one, the less it can do the other. Figure 1: Trade-offs. Where should LTD focus its resources in the next three years? Is it more important to provide frequent service in a few places, or a little bit of service everywhere? Is it more important to increase service, or to make service more affordable? Attachment 1, Page 2 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 0 InTRoDucTIon & SummaRy| 5Scenarios ReportLane Transit District This report describes four scenarios for metro area bus service. Each scenario illustrates the full set of service changes that LTD could make in the next three years, if it moved strongly in one direction1. Scenarios were developed in two steps. First, to illustrate the trade-off between ridership and coverage, we designed two different networks: •High Ridership network. Frequent service on the metro area’s main streets. Some outlying neighborhoods would be farther from service than they are right now. •High coverage network. Based on spreading service to as many places as possible, taking the existing network as a starting point. Some areas would experience lower frequencies than they do now. We then focused on how the balance between service and affordability impacts both networks. LTD will soon start receiving STIF funds from service or lower fares, LTD could achieve one of the following2: •added Service. Similar level of service, 7 days a week. Buses would come just as frequently on Saturday and Sunday as on weekdays. Evening service would improve slightly. Fares would not change. •Lower Fares. Fares reduced by up to 50%. This would be achieved by reducing the base fare, and offering more targeted discounts (e.g. for students, low-income, seniors). Weekend and evening service would not increase. Figure 2 provides a summary of the service that would be provided in each scenario. Figure 3 (see following page) compares the outcomes of each scenarios in terms of coverage and job access. But you can compare these scenarios and their outcomes to help you clarify your preferences and priorities for service changes over the next three years. the community. It may be similar to one of these scenarios, or some- where in between, or something closer to existing service. 1 These scenarios were developed collaboratively by staff representing LTD, the cities of Eugene Four Scenarios for metro area Bus Service Figure 2: Scenarios. These four scenarios illustrate the far ends of how much LTD’s metro area network could change in the next three years. This report compares and contrasts the outcomes of each scenario, to give you the tools to tell LTD where you think it should stand on each of the two trade-offs. Some people may feel that one of these scenarios is the way to go, while others will prefer something in between, or something closer to existing service. Attachment 1, Page 3 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 0 InTRoDucTIon & SummaRy| 6Scenarios ReportLane Transit District Figure 3: Scenario Outcomes. This table illustrates the big picture of how transit service would change under each scenario. In the Ridership scenarios, many areas would be located farther from transit service, but almost all routes would be frequent, so travel times would improve, and job access would improve from almost everywhere. In the Coverage scenarios, some new areas would gain service, and a few routes would become more frequent, but travel times would not improve as much, and on average job access would not improve. On weekends, existing service is much more limited than on weekdays. The Added Service scenarios would increase weekend service, so weekend job Attachment 1, Page 4 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 0 InTRoDucTIon & SummaRy| 7Scenarios ReportLane Transit District What’s Included Chapters 1 through 4 describe each scenario with the following information: • care about, and notice which routes would go there on the Ridership and Coverage networks. Note the colors of the routes, which repre- sent their weekday frequencies. Note where else those routes go. •Weekday, evening and weekend mini-maps. These smaller maps illustrate how frequencies would vary from one time period to another. In the existing network, LTD provides a lot more service during weekdays than on weekday evenings or on weekends. •. This shows the detailed frequencies and spans of every route in each scenario. This is where you can see want them to, and at what frequencies. »Remember,– start these tables. In Chapter 5, we compare the outcomes that would result if any of the four scenarios were implemented, in the following terms: •coverage. Under each scenario, how many people and jobs would be located near transit service? • Under each scenario, how many jobs could you typically access in 45 minutes from anywhere in the metro area? • From selected locations, where could you get to in 45 minutes? Future Considerations . Because these routes account for mobility. Knowing the future shape of the metro area bus network will help LTD the MovingAhead and Main/McVay projects. However, LTD’s services and LTD’s interest in mobility does not end there. Achieving clarity on the orientation of the metro area bus network will make it possible to examine changes or improvements to: •that connect Coburg, Junction City, Veneta, •out-of-district services managed and/or supported by LTD in other parts of Lane County. This includes the Diamond Express con- •Demand-responsive services, including ADA Paratransit, non- emergency medical and human services transportation provided by LTD through the Ridesource program. Having thoroughly reviewed the purpose and goals of its public trans- portation services, LTD will then be in a better place to evaluate how other modes (walking, cycling, driving) and (like ridehailing, bike-sharing, dockless scooters, or others) can best interact with public transit. What This Report covers Attachment 1, Page 5 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 0 InTRoDucTIon & SummaRy| 8Scenarios ReportLane Transit District Transit Tomorrow combines technical analysis and broad-based com- munity input to develop a public transit network for the future. The next steps in the process are the following: •LTD is asking the public for feedback on the scenarios presented in this report, - tion online and at community events, and seeking public feedback through a variety of channels, including: »Meeting the public at community events. »http://openhouse.jla. us.com/transit-tomorrow-2 »Project web page: www.ltd.org/transit-tomorrow »Project e-mail address: transit-tomorrow@ltd.org •Taking into account public feedback, the LTD Board of Directors will make a policy-level decision on the preferred orientation of the future transit network. •The staff and consultant team will design a network proposal. Depending on the Board’s direction, the future network could be similar to what exists today, or it could be very different. This plan will be presented to the Board of Directors in late spring. • The LTD Board of Directors and project staff will take the steps necessary to turn the Draft Plan into a Final Plan. This may include further public consultation as appropriate. •. LTD will make regular seasonal adjustments to service throughout this process. If the proposed next Steps Figure 4: phase occurred in the summer of 2018, and focused on the public’s values and priorities. In January and February 2019, Public feedback on alternatives will be critical in shaping Board Direction for the Draft Plan. Ultimately, this process Attachment 1, Page 6 of 6 JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES 1 IntroductIon and Summary| 6Existing conditions and choices reportLane transit district Figure 3: LTD bus network in the Ltd’s existing transit network (may 2018). Attachment 2, Page 1 of 3 96 96 91 91 98 92 98 92 93 95 95 85 80 80 80 80 1 2 1 3 2 2 3 4 5 5 11 79x 18 EmX EmX EmX EmX EmXGATEWAY THURSTON EUGENE SPRINGFIELD LCC UO SANTA CLARA echo hollowjeffersonbertelsenbertelsengreen hillmohawkcrescent howard park silver olympicdanebooakway franklinsenecaagatebarger irving irvington pearl s a st 42ndmain royalterry 3 0 t h 24th 11th 29th 18th 18th 13th 11thrive rriver 5th1st cobur gcounty farmgilhamgatewaychad mlk jr harlow gardenhayden bridgecoburg cen t e n nial marcola f rankl i nfranklin pi oneer pkwyamazonchambersbailey hillchambersgroveparkg oodpasturecountry club garfieldhilyard19th24th 69th28th58th19th river q st g st 1st international thurston fox hollowamazonriverviewroosevelt willamette33rdcrest 5 105 9999 126126 569569 5 5 5858 9999 126126 126126 126126 569569 569569 9999 93 to Veneta 95 to Junction City 91 to Mckenzie Bridge 92 to Dexter & Lowell 98 to Creswell & Cottage Grove Multiple routes Every 15 minutes11 Every 30 minutes55 Limited or peak-only27 Transit station One-way split* *Routing and one-way splits are simplified in and around downtown Weekday midday frequencies EmX every 7.5 minutes EmX every 30 minutes EmX every 15 minutes In-Session Service79x Route ends Every 60 minutes19 50 50 Route continues at lower frequency 35 34 Routes combine forhigher frequency High Ridership AlternativeLane Transit District Every 20 minutes79x 0 1 2 miles Attachment 2, Page 2 of 3 GATEWAY AMAZON EUGENE SPRINGFIELD SANTA CLARA LCC UO 27 92 92 98 98 91 91 95 95 96 96 93 33 55 55 55 19 19 55 13 13 60 17 18 85 3534 78 36 36 40 41 50 50 50 41 41 41 4077 35 34 82 11 79x 61 62 60 61 62 60 11 EmX EmX EmXecho hollowjeffersonbertelsenbertelsengreen hillmohawkcrescent howard park silver olympicdanebooakway franklinsenecaagatebarger irving irvington pearl s a st 42ndmain royalterry 3 0 t h 24th 11th 29th 18th 18th 13th 11thrive rriver 5th1st cobur gcounty farmgilhamgatewaychad mlk jr harlow gardenhayden bridgecoburg cen t e n nial marcola f rankl i nfranklin pi oneer pkwyamazonchambersbailey hillchambersgroveparkg oodpasturecountry club garfieldhilyard19th24th 69th28th58th19th river q st g st 1st international thurston fox hollowamazonriverviewroosevelt willamette18th mill46thlegacy 5 105 9999 126126 569569 5 5 5858 9999 126126 126126 126126 569569 569569 9999 93 to Veneta 95 to Junction City 91 to Mckenzie Bridge 92 to Dexter & Lowell 98 to Creswell & Cottage Grove Multiple routes Every 15 minutes11 Every 30 minutes55 Limited or peak-only27 Transit station One-way split* *Routing and one-way splits are simplified in and around downtown Weekday midday frequencies EmX every 7.5 minutes EmX every 30 minutes EmX every 15 minutes In-Session Service79x Route ends Every 60 minutes19 50 50 Route continues at lower frequency 35 34 Routes combine forhigher frequency High Coverage AlternativeLane Transit District Every 20 minutes79x 0 1 2 miles Attachment 2, Page 3 of 3 Transit Tomorrow Transit Tomorrow is Lane Transit District’s (LTD) effort to find out how we can better move the people we serve to the destinations that are important to them. Our region is growing, our travel patterns are changing, and it is time to update our public transit system. Project Purpose Transit Tomorrow will take a deep look at LTD’s current bus system and ask two important questions: This project will combine technical analysis and broad-based community input to answer these questions and to develop a public transit network for the future in Eugene and Springfield for implementation in the next three years. How can LTD help people get to where they are going? What shape should LTD’s services take in the future? Your Transit. Your Vision. Your Future. web: LTD.org/Transit-Tomorrow email: Transit-Tomorrow@LTD.orgLane Transit District Scenarios Under Consideration This region’s transit system must reflect the priorities of the communities it serves. One of the biggest dilemmas in planning transit service is matching transportation priorities with limited resources. As a responsible public steward, LTD must make choices about what services to offer and balance the demands of our diverse community with thoughtful use of public funding. LTD engaged the community through several public outreach events last summer to better understand their transit priorities and values. LTD used what we heard from the public to create four distinct transit system scenarios. The scenarios illustrate two major trade-offs: Ridership vs. Coverage In designing bus service, we need to consider two competing priorities: ridership and coverage. LTD’s transit network will always be a balance of these goals, but the more money you invest in one, the less money you have to spend on the other. Is it more important to provide frequent service in places that will attract the most riders, or to provide a little of service to as many places as possible? Service vs. Affordability The more LTD chooses to reduce fares, the less it can afford to increase service. Is it more important to use new resources to increase service, or to reduce the cost of getting on the bus? Attachment 3, Page 1 of 2 We Are Listening! Engage Online Share your opinions and learn more about the project from your phone or computer. Provide feedback through our System Scenarios Online Survey at the project website for a chance to win a bus pass or gift card. Community Meetings Join project staff to discuss system scenarios under consideration, and to share your opinions and insight. You are experts in your communities, organizations, and neighborhoods. Help us understand the choices and priorities that are most important to you. Bring a friend, grab a neighbor, spread the word. Check the project website for meeting dates and locations. Schedule a Presentation Invite project staff to your neighborhood association, community group, or agency to talk about the Transit Tomorrow project, and to discuss the four scenarios and their potential outcomes. Find Us Out and About Catch up with LTD and the Transit Tomorrow project at Community Events and Tabling Sessions. Process Overview: Establish Community Priorities Technical Analysis Review Alternatives Draft Plan LTD Board Decision Summer 2018 Summer -Fall 2018 Mid-Winter2019 LTD Board Direction Early Spring2019 Spring2019 Late Spring2019 Interactive Survey StakeholderForum Listening Sessions Interactive Survey StakeholderForum COMMUNITY INPUT COMMUNITY INPUT Decision made leading to transit system improvements beginning in 2020 Design preferred network scenarioDesign alternatives for the transit system Analyze communityinput Analyze community input Provide preferred direction on scenario tradeosCommunity Open House web: LTD.org/Transit-Tomorrow email: Transit-Tomorrow@LTD.orgLane Transit District Attachment 3, Page 2 of 2