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Home My WebLink About06 Route Profiles_20200901 - sentIowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-1 6 ROUTE PROFILES This chapter describes the fixed bus routes, including alignment characteristics, service span, headway, destinations served, ridership, and schedule adherence for the three transit agencies that serve the Iowa City area. Figure 6-1 is the existing system map for the three agencies in the Iowa City area, Figure 6-2 shows average daily weekday ridership for each route, Figure 6-3 shows boardings per service hour for each route, and Figure 6-4 shows a system map of boardings by stop. Ridership maps showing alignments and ridership activity by stop are in Appendix A. Appendix B provides more detailed information for each route, including the following charts and tables: ▪ Weekday load by stop ▪ Weekday boarding/alighting profile ▪ Weekday ridership and maximum load by trip ▪ On-time performance by route segment and direction The data used to develop the route profiles for all three agencies come from agency schedules, route descriptions, route maps, General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) tables, and a September 2019 ridecheck conducted on Coralville Transit and Iowa City Transit vehicles. CAMBUS on-time performance and ridership data are from CAMBUS staff. CAMBUS on-time performance is an estimate only, while ridership is operator-collected at each stop using mobile data tablets and represents a monthly average from September 2019. In the on-time performance portion of the route profiles, “early” is defined as the percent of timepoint departures leaving before their scheduled time, and “late” is defined as the percent of timepoint departures leaving five minutes or more after their scheduled time. Commented [GU1]: 1 Is “early” always defined as the percent of timepoint departures leaving before their scheduled time? If they arrive early and wait until their scheduled departure time is that still considered “early” Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-2 In the Iowa City area, the three study agencies serve the municipalities of Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, and University Heights (Figure 6-1). Figure 6-1 Iowa City Area Public Transit System Map Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-3 In general, CAMBUS routes see far more average daily boardings than Coralville and Iowa City Transit routes (Figure 6-2). The highest-ridership Coralville Transit routes are Lantern Park and 10th Street, and the highest-ridership Iowa City Transit routes are the Oakcrest, Free Shuttle, and Plaen View routes. The Interdorm route is by far the highest-ridership CAMBUS route, with the Blue and Red Routes the second- and third-highest ridership, respectively. Figure 6-2 Average Weekday Boardings by Route, Fall 2019 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 Oakcrest Free Shuttle Plaen View Westwinds Towncrest Lakeside Mall Court Hill Broadway Manville Heights Rochester Westside Hospital Westport Plaza North Dodge Eastside Express Melrose Express Westwinds Night Oakcrest Night Eastside Loop Cross Park Broadway Night 7th Avenue Towncrest Night North Dodge Night Manville Heights Night 10th Street Lantern Park Night Express AM Express 1st Ave AM North Liberty PM North Liberty Interdorm Blue Route Red Route Hawkeye Interdorm Hospital Finkbine/Arena Pentacrest Hawk Lot/Hospital Research Park Hawkeye-Hospital East Campus Shuttle Hawkeye Express North Hospital Shuttle Mayflower Shuttle Hospital via Hancher Average Weekday Boardings CAMBUS Coralville Transit Iowa City Transit Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-4 Boardings per service hour is a common measure of a bus route’s productivity. By and large, CAMBUS routes have the highest productivity, with the Interdorm and Hospital Finkbine/Arena routes the most productive among the three study agencies (Figure 6-3). Coralville Transit and Iowa City Transit routes range from 10 to 70 boardings per service hour, with only three routes (Coralville Transit 10th Street and Iowa City Transit Free Shuttle and Oakcrest) exceeding 50 boardings per service hour. Figure 6-3 Average Weekday Boardings per Service Hour, Fall 2019 Note: CAMBUS figures are revenue hours, not service hours, with revenue hours defined as inclu ding layover and recovery time. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Free Shuttle Oakcrest Oakcrest Night Towncrest Eastside Loop Plaen View Westwinds Court Hill Broadway Rochester Lakeside Towncrest Night Westwinds Night Mall Cross Park Westside Hospital Melrose Express Eastside Express 7th Avenue Manville Heights Broadway Night North Dodge Night Manville Heights Night North Dodge Westport Plaza 10th Street Lantern Park 1st Ave AM Express Night AM North Liberty PM North Liberty Express Interdorm Hospital Finkbine/Arena Hawkeye Interdorm Blue Route Red Route North Hospital Shuttle Hawk Lot/Hospital Hawkeye Express Pentacrest Hospital via Hancher Mayflower Shuttle East Campus Shuttle Hawkeye-Hospital Research Park Average Weekday Boardings per Service Hour CAMBUS Coralville Transit Iowa City Transit Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-5 The majority of ridership activity in the Iowa City area occurs in downtown Iowa City, on the University of Iowa campus, in high-density residential neighborhoods, and at select shopping centers (Figure 6-4). By and large, low-density residential neighborhoods do not experience high levels of transit ridership activity. Figure 6-4 Iowa City Area Average Weekday Boardings, Fall 2019 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-6 The highest-ridership stops in the University of Iowa campus/downtown area are the Pentacrest downtown interchange, the West Campus Transportation Center, and various other university destinations. The Newton Road corridor and downtown Iowa City, however, have the highest concentrations of inter-agency boarding and alighting activity, illustrating the places with the greatest opportunities for inter-agency transfers and coordination. Figure 6-5 University of Iowa/Downtown Average Weekday Boardings, Fall 2019 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-7 CAMBUS CAMBUS is 14-route bus system operated by the University of Iowa that serves university properties on both sides of the Iowa River, outlying commuter lots, the University’s Research Park, and the municipalities of Coralville, Iowa City, and University Heights. Although it primarily serves students, it is open to the public and free to ride. Schedules for CAMBUS are different during the academic period and summer period; this document analyzes only academic year operations. During the academic schedule, most routes operate only on weekdays but four routes also operate on weekends. CAMBUS’ operating base is located just south of downtown Iowa City, at 517 S Madison Street, and its primary transfer point is the West Campus Transportation Center, which also serves as a transit center serving Kinnick Stadium and the University of Iowa hospitals complex. All CAMBUS fixed-route vehicles are student-operated. CAMBUS also operates an ADA paratransit service called the Bionic Bus, along with special sporting event shuttles. The vast majority of CAMBUS ridership occurs on the university’s main campus and at outlying commuter parking lots, such as the Finkbine and Arena lots. The three highest-ridership stops in the CAMBUS system are the West Campus Transportation Center, the Pentacrest downtown interchange, and Slater Hall. Figure 6-6 CAMBUS Average Weekday Boardings Commented [GU2]: Due to the close proximity of the stops, the boardings get dispersed between 3 stops in the Slater/Rienow Hall area. The number stated as Rienow Hall should actually be combined with the number for Slater Hall - Slater Hall should be 1,681. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-8 Figure 6-7 CAMBUS Average Weekday Boardings, Downtown/University of Iowa Area Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-9 EAST CAMPUS SHUTTLE The East Campus shuttle is a small loop route that operates on East Campus. It is a weekday-only route that runs between Macbride Hall to the University Services Building. The route operates 48 trips per day on 15-minute headways. The route is somewhat similar to the Free Shuttle operated by Iowa City Transit, although the East Campus Shuttle is oriented more towards university destinations. Major Destinations ▪ Lot 11 Parking Lot ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Main Library ▪ Old Capitol Town Center ▪ Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Ridership The route has relatively low ridership with only 332 average daily boardings. Ridership is consistent throughout the day, with slightly higher ridership during the afternoons and evenings. Boardings per revenue is also relatively low (at 28), making it the third-least productive route in the CAMBUS system. Summary The East Campus shuttle is a lower-ridership route that somewhat duplicates segments of multiple other routes, including a free service offered by Iowa City Transit. It averages fewer than seven passengers per trip. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00AM7:00AM8:00AM9:00AM10:00AM11:00AM12:00PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:30 AM End Time 6:28 PM Average Daily Boardings 332 Revenue Hours 12 Boardings per Revenue Hour 28 Peak Headway (mins.) 15 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 15 On-Time Performance 95% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-10 HAWK LOT/HOSPITAL The Hawk Lot/Hospital route is a clockwise loop route that connects the Hawkeye Commuter Lot to major on-campus employment centers and the West Campus Transportation Center. It is a weekday commuter service that only operates during peak hours. Major Destinations ▪ Hawkeye Commuter Lot ▪ Grant Field ▪ Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ West Campus Transportation Center Ridership This route sees 668 average weekday boardings, with slightly peaked activity in the a.m. period. Boardings per revenue hour are just above CAMBUS average, at 54. Ridership primarily occurs at the Hawkeye Commuter Lot and Softball Complex, and at West Campus Transportation Center. Summary The Hawk Lot/Hospital route is a relatively high-performing commuter parking shuttle that operates during peak hours. The route’s early a.m. operations and stop activity at Lot 71 are both underperforming. Both the Hawkeye Express and the Hawkeye Interdorm are somewhat duplicative of this service; the Hawkeye Express serves the same commuter parking lots but stops at the VA Loop instead of the West Campus Transportation Center and the Hawkeye Interdorm serves the same commuter parking lots and also stops at the West Campus Transportation Center. Both of these routes overlap with the Hawk Lot/Hospital route’s service span. The route’s 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 4:00 AM5:00 AM6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsNo service Route Characteristics Academic Weekday AM Service Span 4:40 AM – 9:22 AM PM Service Span 3:33 PM - 6:43 PM Average Daily Boardings 668 Revenue Hours 12.4 Boardings per Revenue Hour 54 Peak Headway (mins.) 10-20 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 20 On-Time Performance 75% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-11 relatively low ridership at Aspire apartments may be due to a need for pedestrian access improvements at the Hawkeye Court/Hawkeye Park Road stops. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-12 HAWKEYE EXPRESS The Hawkeye Express route runs between the Hawk Lot on the west campus to the Pentacrest downtown interchange in downtown Iowa City, connecting these areas with the Aspire at West Campus apartments (via front-door service) and the University of Iowa hospitals. It is a weekday-only route and has five a.m. and five p.m. trips. Major Destinations ▪ Hawkeye Commuter Lot ▪ Grant Field ▪ Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Aspire at West Campus ▪ University of Iowa hospitals ▪ Old Capitol Ridership The route has the fourth-lowest ridership in the CAMBUS system, at 294 average weekday boardings, with slightly more boardings in the a.m. than p.m. service period. Productivity is below the CAMBUS average at 44 boardings per revenue hour. Most ridership activity occurs at the Aspire at West Campus apartments, Iowa City VA, and in downtown Iowa City. Summary The Hawkeye Express carries over 29 passengers per trip, but its overall productivity is less than other CAMBUS routes. It serves a specific market that somewhat duplicates that served by the more frequent Hawk Lot-Hospital: park-and-ride students and workers traveling to the university hospital complex. It also provides a more express trip for riders of the more-frequent Hawkeye Interdorm for park-and-ride students traveling to downtown Iowa City. Ridership on this route is low at the athletic facilities on Prairie Meadow Drive. Ridership at Aspire at West Campus 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00AM11:00AM12:00PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsNo service Route Characteristics Academic Weekday AM Service Span 6:55 AM – 10:00 AM PM Service Span 3:15 PM – 6:19 PM Average Daily Boardings 294 Revenue Hours 6.7 Boardings per Revenue Hour 44 Peak Headway (mins.) 40 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) -- On-Time Performance 90% (AM) 80% (PM) Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-13 apartments is high and may be due to the front-door service there. The low frequency suggests that anyone arriving between trips is taking a different and likely less-fast bus. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-14 HAWKEYE INTERDORM The Hawkeye Interdorm route runs on weekdays and weekends, connecting commuter parking lots with main campus, the West Campus Transportation Center, East Campus, downtown Iowa City, and Mayflower Hall. Major Destinations ▪ Hawkeye Commuter Lot ▪ Aspire at West Campus ▪ West Campus Transportation Center ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Main Library ▪ Campus Recreation and Wellness Center ▪ Mayflower Hall ▪ Old Capitol Ridership This Hawkeye Interdorm has the fourth-highest ridership in the system, at 2,214 average daily boardings. Ridership for the route is consistent throughout the day, with significantly lower ridership in the early morning and late evenings. The route has the third-highest boardings per revenue hour among CAMBUS routes. Ridership is highest on East and Main Campus, at Aspire at West Campus apartments, and at the Hawkeye Commuter Lot. Summary The Hawkeye Interdorm is a relatively high-performing route with consistent utilization throughout the day. Although the route duplicates the Hawk Lot/Hospital commuter parking shuttle service during peak hours, it provides a connection between the university hospitals and commuter lots during the off-peak period. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00…7:00…8:00…9:00…10:00…11:00…12:00…1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PM10:00…11:00…12:00…Avg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:15 AM End Time 1:02 AM Average Daily Boardings 2,214 Revenue Hours 33.6 Boardings per Revenue Hour 44 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 On-Time Performance 80% Academic Weekend Start Time 11:02 AM End Time 1:02 AM Average Daily Boardings 576 Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-15 HAWKEYE-HOSPITAL The Hawkeye-Hospital is a weekday-only loop route that operates in a counter-clockwise direction during a.m. service and a clockwise direction during p.m. service. This route connects the University of Iowa Newton Road corridor and its hospital sites with commuter parking lots and the Aspire at West Campus apartments. Major Destinations ▪ Aspire at West Campus ▪ Hawkeye Softball Complex ▪ Hawkeye Commuter Lot ▪ West Campus Transportation Center ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Hardin Library ▪ University of Iowa Hospital Ridership The Hawkeye-Hospital route sees 423 average weekday boardings. Ridership is slightly peaked during commute periods and productivity is below the CAMBUS average, at 27 boardings per revenue hour—the second-lowest for the system. Summary The Hawkeye-Hospital route is a lower-ridership route that somewhat duplicates the service of the other Hawkeye Commuter Lot to hospital routes. The route’s a.m. service, which operates counter-clockwise, may create longer trips for commuters traveling from Aspire at West Campus apartments or commuter lots and heading to the university hospitals complex. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 5:00 AM6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 5:45 AM End Time 9:18 PM Average Daily Boardings 423 Revenue Hours 15.5 Boardings per Revenue Hour 27 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 On-Time Performance 85% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-16 HOSPITAL FINKBINE/ARENA The Hospital Finkbine/Arena route is a short commuter parking shuttle route that carries passengers from the Finkbine Commuter Lot and Arena Lot to the West Campus Transportation Center, where they can access the University of Iowa hospitals complex. It operates with high frequency during peak hours. Major Destinations ▪ Finkbine Commuter Lot ▪ Arena Lot ▪ West Campus Transportation Center ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ University of Iowa Hospital Ridership Total ridership on the Hospital Finkbine/Arena route is high, at 1,610 average weekday boardings, with distinct peaks during the commute period. It is the second-most productive route in the CAMBUS system, at 76 boardings per revenue hour. Summary The Hospital Finkbine/Arena shuttle is a high-performing commuter parking shuttle with relatively direct, efficient routing. The route does, however, deviate to enter the Arena Lot and may see travel time benefits from remaining on Hawkins Drive. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 4:00 AM5:00 AM6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 4:30 AM End Time 6:37 PM Average Daily Boardings 1,610 Revenue Hours 21.2 Boardings per Revenue Hour 76 Peak Headway (mins.) 4-6 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 12 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-17 HOSPITAL VIA HANCHER The Hospital via Hancher route is a short, commuter parking lot shuttle operating between the Hancher Commuter Lots and the University of Iowa main campus on Newton Road. The route operates at relatively high frequency and is primarily bi-directional, with terminal loops in the Hancher parking lots and at the VA Loop. The route offers only seven a.m. trips. Major Destinations ▪ Hancher Auditorium and Commuter Lots ▪ College of Nursing ▪ Hardin Library ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital Ridership This route has the lowest ridership of all CAMBUS routes, at 70 average weekday boardings (about 10 riders per trip). Productivity on the route is 41 boardings per revenue hour. Ridership is highest at Hancher Lot and relatively low on Newton Road. Summary The Hospital via Hancher route has a limited service span and relatively low total ridership. The number of riders per trip is low, as well. The Blue Route duplicates this route’s alignment and operates over the same service span. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:48 AM End Time 8:27 AM Average Daily Boardings 70 Revenue Hours 1.7 Boardings per Revenue Hour 41 Peak Headway (mins.) 15 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-18 INTERDORM The Interdorm route connects the east and west side residence halls and campus buildings with the Pentacrest downtown interchange. This route also includes the late- night Interdorm Saferide service, which operates on Friday and Saturday nights from 12:50 a.m. to 2:20 a.m. Weekend service only operates in the morning. Major Destinations ▪ Mayflower Hall ▪ Main Campus ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Main Library ▪ Campus Recreation & Wellness Center ▪ Petersen Residence Hall ▪ Rienow Hall ▪ Slater Hall Ridership Ridership for this route is the highest among all CAMBUS routes, at 3,432 average weekday boardings. Ridership is highest between 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The route is also the most productive route in the CAMBUS system, with 95 boardings per revenue hour. Summary The Interdorm is a high-performing route with relatively evenly-distributed ridership along its alignment. This route is a truncated version of the Hawkeye Interdorm, and does not extend past the University of Iowa Hospital. The Hawkeye Interdorm, Interdorm, and Mayflower Shuttle all 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00…11:00…12:00…1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PM10:00…11:00…12:00…1:00 AM2:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:28 AM End Time 10:45 PM (2:20 AM on Fri. nights) Average Daily Boardings 3,432 Revenue Hours 36.2 Boardings per Revenue Hour 95 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 On-Time Performance 85% Academic Weekend Start Time 8:30 AM End Time 11:00 AM (12:50-2:20 AM Sat.) Average Daily Boardings 121 Headway (mins.) 30 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-19 provide service between Mayflower Hall and Main Campus. It is not clear that ridership warrants all three routes extending to Mayflower Hall. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-20 MAYFLOWER SHUTTLE The Mayflower shuttle is a weekday-only a.m. route that connects Mayflower Hall with the remainder of East Campus and downtown Iowa City. The route operates bi-directionally along N Dubuque Street and N Clinton Street. It serves as a peak hour overlay to the Interdorm route, providing additional morning capacity to Mayflower Hall. Major Destinations ▪ Mayflower Hall ▪ Old Capitol ▪ East Campus Ridership The route has the second-lowest ridership of all routes in the system. The route also has below- CAMBUS-average productivity, at 39 boardings per revenue hour. The 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. hours are the busiest period for this route. Summary The Mayflower Shuttle is a relatively under-performing CAMBUS route that duplicates a segment of the Interdorm route and operates during the same period of time. This route may not provide capacity relief on the Interdorm route, as the hours of operation for the Mayflower Shuttle are during the Interdorm’s lower-ridership period. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:55 AM End Time 9:23 AM Average Daily Boardings 96 Revenue Hours 2.5 Boardings per Revenue Hour 39 Peak Headway (mins.) 20 On-Time Performance 95% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-21 NORTH HOSPITAL SHUTTLE The North Hospital shuttle is a commuter parking shuttle that operates between Finkbine Commuter Lot, Arena Lot, and the VA Loop. This route serves the same lots as the Hospital Finkbine/Arena shuttle but travels slightly further north. The Pentacrest route also duplicates this alignment and extends into downtown Iowa City. This route only operates during peak hours. Major Destinations ▪ Finkbine Commuter Lot ▪ Arena Lot ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Hardin Library ▪ Iowa City VA Ridership The route has low ridership, with 154 average weekday riders. Productivity is above the CAMBUS average, at 57 boardings per revenue hour. Significantly more ridership activity occurs at Finkbine Commuter Lot than at Arena Lot. Summary The North Hospital Shuttle is a relatively high-productivity commuter parking shuttle. The route currently enters Arena Lot for boarding/alighting; travel times and safety may be improved with an on-street stop on Hawkins Drive. This route duplicates service offered by the Pentacrest route but offers lower headways and earlier a.m. service than the Pentacrest route. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 5:00 AM6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsNo service Route Characteristics Academic Weekday AM Service Span 5:36 AM – 8:02 AM PM Service Span 4:00 PM – 5:22 PM Average Daily Boardings 154 Revenue Hours 2.7 Boardings per Revenue Hour 57 Peak Headway (mins.) 12-15 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-22 PENTACREST The Pentacrest is a weekday-only route that connects downtown Iowa City and East Campus with Main Campus, the University of Iowa hospitals, and commuter lots. The route serves the Newton Road corridor bi-directionally but is otherwise looped in its service of downtown Iowa City, West Campus Transportation Center, and Finkbine/Arena lots. Service on the route is relatively frequent during the day. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Finkbine Commuter Lot ▪ Arena Commuter Lot ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ West Campus Transportation Center (night) Ridership Ridership for this route is above the CAMBUS average, with 1,357 average weekday boardings. Most of this ridership occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with ridership trailing off in the evening. The route has below-CAMBUS-average productivity, at 42 boardings per revenue hour. Summary The Pentacrest is a relatively-frequent route that connects East Campus with Main Campus via Newton Road. This East Campus to Main Campus connection is complementary to the Interdorm route, which connects East Campus to the west side of the river via Grand Avenue. The route 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PM10:00 PM11:00 PM12:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:21 AM End Time 12:35 AM Average Daily Boardings 1,357 Revenue Hours 32.4 Boardings per Revenue Hour 42 Peak Headway (mins.) 15 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 15-30 On-Time Performance 80% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-23 duplicates the North Hospital Shuttle service but provides a mid-day connection to these commuter parking lots when North Hospital Shuttle is not operating. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-24 BLUE ROUTE The Blue route is a counter-clockwise loop that operates on both East Campus and Main Campus, connecting academic buildings with residence halls, the hospital complex, and downtown Iowa City. It shares the same alignment as the Red route but runs in the opposite direction. Major Destinations ▪ Hancher Auditorium & Commuter Parking ▪ Main Library ▪ Campus Recreation and Wellness Center ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ Mayflower Hall (evenings only) ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ West Campus Transportation Center Ridership The route averages approximately 2,561 riders per weekday, making it the second-highest ridership route in the CAMBUS system. Ridership is highest between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with a dip during the afternoon hours and evening. Productivity on this route is above average, at 59 boardings per revenue hour. Summary The Blue Route provides complementary service to the Red Route and is relatively high- performing, with ridership mostly evenly-distributed along the route. This route duplicates some other cross-river routes, such as the Interdorm, the Hawkeye Interdorm, and the Hospital via Hancher route. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PM10:00 PM11:00 PM12:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:02 AM End Time 12:37 AM Average Daily Boardings 2,561 Revenue Hours 43.7 Boardings per Revenue Hour 59 Peak Headway (mins.) 12 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 12-36 On-Time Performance 90% Academic Weekend Start Time 11:08 AM End Time 12:37 AM Average Daily Boardings 438 Headway (mins.) 36 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-25 RED ROUTE The Red route is the clockwise counterpart to the Blue route, connecting academic buildings with residence halls, the hospital complex, and downtown Iowa City. It shares the same alignment as the Blue route but runs in the opposite direction, providing 72 trips per day. Major Destinations ▪ Hancher Auditorium & Commuter Lot ▪ Main Library ▪ Campus Recreation and Wellness Center ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Kinnick Stadium ▪ Mayflower Hall (evenings only) ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ West Campus Transportation Center Ridership This route has the third-highest ridership in the CAMBUS system, at 2,472 average weekday boardings. Like the Blue route, ridership is highest during the work/class period of each day. Productivity is also very close to that on the Blue route, at 57 boardings per revenue hour. Summary The Red Route provides complementary service to the Blue Route and is relatively high- performing, with ridership mostly evenly-distributed along the route. This route duplicates some other cross-river routes, such as the Interdorm and the Hawkeye Interdorm. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PM8:00 PM9:00 PM10:00 PM11:00 PM12:00 AMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 6:28 AM End Time 12:34 AM Average Daily Boardings 2,472 Revenue Hours 43 Boardings per Revenue Hour 57 Peak Headway (mins.) 12 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 36 On-Time Performance 90% Academic Weekend Start Time 11:17 AM End Time 12:34 AM Average Daily Boardings 418 Headway (mins.) 36 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-26 RESEARCH PARK The Research Park route connects Main Campus with residential communities in Coralville and the Research Park campus. This weekday-only route is the longest in the CAMBUS system and the only route that serves an extended residential corridor of non-residence hall dwellings. Major Destinations ▪ State Hygienic Laboratory ▪ University of Iowa Research Park ▪ UIHC Hospital Services Building ▪ UIHC Iowa River Landing Clinics ▪ Hawkeye Softball Complex ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital Ridership and Productivity The route has below-average ridership, with 456 average weekday boardings. Ridership is peaked in the morning and evening commute hours. The route has the lowest productivity of all routes in the system, with only 18 boardings per revenue hour. Most ridership activity occurs on Main Campus, at the Hawkeye Softball Complex, and at the East Lot temporary stop. Summary The Research Park route is relatively poorly-performing but is the only CAMBUS connection between the Research Park area and Main Campus. The route is duplicative of portions of the Coralville Transit North Liberty, AM Express, and Express route but operates 26 trips per day— much more service than the North Liberty route. This route may benefit from stop consolidation on the Holiday Road/12th Avenue/Oakdale Boulevard Corridor, where low-ridership stops are relatively close together. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 5:00 AM6:00 AM7:00 AM8:00 AM9:00 AM10:00 AM11:00 AM12:00 PM1:00 PM2:00 PM3:00 PM4:00 PM5:00 PM6:00 PM7:00 PMAvg. Weekday BoardingsRoute Characteristics Academic Weekday Start Time 5:45 AM End Time 7:10 PM Average Daily Boardings 456 Revenue Hours 25.8 Boardings per Revenue Hour 18 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 On-Time Performance 85% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-27 CORALVILLE TRANSIT Coralville Transit is seven-route bus system operated by the City of Coralville that serves the communities of Coralville, North Liberty, and Iowa City, as well as the University of Iowa campus. Coralville Transit’s service primarily connects commercial and residential areas in Coralville with the university’s main campus and downtown Iowa City. General public fares are $1.00 and discounted fares and passes are available. Coralville Transit’s ADA paratransit service is operated by Johnson County SEATS. Coralville Transit’s operating base is located at the municipal parking and transportation maintenance facility at 900 10th Street. The agency provides connections to intercity bus service at the new Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility at Iowa River Landing and at the Court Street Transportation Center in Iowa City. The overwhelming majority of Coralville Transit ridership activity occurs at in downtown Iowa City, on University of Iowa campus, and in the commercial and residential area just north of Highway 6, including at the Coral Ridge Mall. The three highest-ridership stops in the system are the Iowa City Pentacrest downtown interchange, the University of Iowa hospitals complex, and the Coral Ridge Mall. Figure 6-8 Coralville Transit Average Weekday Boardings Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-28 10TH STREET The 10th Street route operates 18 weekday trips, connecting the Coral Ridge Mall and Coralville neighborhoods with the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City. The route operates in a large counter-clockwise loop, although many a.m. and p.m. stops are within walking distance of one another. Major Destinations ▪ Coral Ridge Mall ▪ Hy-Vee at Lantern Park Plaza ▪ Coralville City Hall ▪ Coralville Recreation Center ▪ Coralville Community Aquatic Center ▪ Coralville Public Library ▪ Social Security Administration ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the 10th Street route is the highest for Coralville Transit, at 777 average weekday boardings, with most activity occurring during commuting hours and boarding/alighting activity distributed relatively evenly along the route. This is the most productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 51 boardings per service hour. In the morning, the inbound 6:55, 7:25, and 7:30 a.m. trips all ha ve loads greater than 35 passengers, with the 7:30 a.m. trip having a maximum load of 52 passengers. In the afternoon, the 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. outbound departures have maximum loads of more than 50 passengers. Schedule Adherence The 10th Street route departs its timepoints on schedule approximately 50% of the time, with the majority of the untimely departures being late. The p.m. trips are more likely to run late than the a.m. trips. The 10th street is the second-most delayed route in the Coralville Transit system. Summary The 10th Street route is Coralville Transit’s highest-performing route and is complementary to the Lantern Park route, which operates as a loop in the opposite direction. For some riders, the bi- directional loop split into two routes may be confusing. The route operates on a number of smaller, residential-type streets. Ridership appears to be stronger on the 5th Street segment portion of the loop. This pattern is also replicated in the Lantern Park route. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:13 AM End Time 6:19 PM Average Daily Boardings 777 Service Hours 15.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 51 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 52% Early 6% Late 42% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-29 1ST AVE The 1st Ave route (also called 1st Ave/Iowa River Landing or 1st Ave/IRL) connects the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility with the University of Iowa campus in a bi- directional alignment, with terminal loops at the Iowa River Landing and on University of Iowa campus near Carver Hawkeye Arena. The route has six inbound (primarily a.m.) trips and four outbound p.m. trips. Major Destinations ▪ Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility ▪ Trader Joe’s ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ University of Iowa Main Library ▪ Iowa City VA Ridership Ridership on the 1st Ave route is relatively low and occurs primarily before 8:00 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m., with most activity occurring at the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility and on University of Iowa campus. This is the third-most productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 35 boardings per service hour. The first morning round trip carries only three people. The outbound 3:15 p.m. trip carries only four passengers. Schedule Adherence The 1st Ave route departs its timepoints on schedule 56% of the time, with the majority of the untimely departures being early. The a.m. trips are more likely to run early than the p.m. trips. This route is the third-least reliable in the Coralville Transit system. Summary The 1st Avenue route is a relatively productive peak hour commuter service. There is extremely limited ridership at the Carver Hawkeye Arena stop (none observed during the ICATS ridecheck), suggesting that this deviation could be eliminated to speed travel times and increase reliability. Several trips, including the first morning round trip and first afternoon outbound trip have extremely low ridership. Route Characteristics Weekday AM Service Span 5:35 AM – 8:20 AM PM Service Span 2:50 PM – 4:55 PM Average Daily Boardings 72 Service Hours 2 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 35 Peak Headway (mins.) 25-65 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 35 Schedule Adherence On Time 56% Early 36% Late 8% Commented [GU3]: Confusing Carver Hawkeye Stop is not a deviation. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-30 AM EXPRESS The AM Express route operates three a.m. clockwise loop trips connecting Coralville residential areas north of I-80 with the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility, University of Iowa Campus, and downtown Iowa City. It operates in the opposite direction of the Express route. Major Destinations ▪ Walmart Supercenter ▪ Goodwill ▪ ALDI ▪ Costco ▪ Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility ▪ Trader Joe’s ▪ Lantern Park Plaza ▪ Clock Tower Plaza ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Old Capitol Ridership Ridership on the AM Express is relatively strong, considering the peak directional nature of the route. The most boardings occur on the 6:50 a.m. trip. Schedule Adherence On-time performance is problematic. The AM Express route departs its timepoints on schedule only 32% of the time, with the majority of the untimely departures being late. The AM Express is the least reliable route operated by Coralville Transit. Summary The AM Express is a morning-only peak overlay of the Express alignment. It has good peak directional ridership but its on-time performance is problematic. It serves primarily low-density residential areas north of I-80. Several destinations, such as Walmart, are not served well by the AM Express due to the peak directional nature of the route. Portions of this route are a duplication of Cambus Research Park route. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:10 AM End Time 8:45 AM Average Daily Boardings 73 Service Hours 2.4 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 30 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) - Schedule Adherence On Time 32% Early 23% Late 45% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-31 EXPRESS The Express route is 10 counter-clockwise loop trips connecting Coralville residential neighborhoods with downtown Iowa City, the University of Iowa Campus, the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility, and shopping opportunities on Highway 6. It operates in the opposite direction from the AM Express. Major Destinations ▪ Walmart Supercenter ▪ Goodwill ▪ ALDI ▪ Costco ▪ Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility ▪ Trader Joe’s ▪ Lantern Park Plaza ▪ Clock Tower Plaza ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the Express route is low, at 109 average weekday boardings. Most activity occurs in the afternoon and is relatively evenly-distributed along the route. This is the least productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 12 boardings per service hour. Midday productivity is poor, averaging 7.3 passengers per service hour. Several trips carry fewer than five total passengers during the midday. Schedule Adherence The Express route has below-average reliability, with only 60% of trips operating on time, with the majority of the untimely departures being late. Summary The Express route is a long, one-way loop that provides all-day service to commercial areas north of the Mall, including Walmart, as well as residential areas north of I-80. Ridership and productivity are both below average. Large, one-way loops are a disincentive for riders, particularly when travelling to major destinations requires riding the entire route to get back to the starting point. There is limited ridership at the Carver Hawkeye Arena stop, suggesting that this deviation may be eliminated to reduce route travel times and improve reliability. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 8:50 AM End Time 7:10 PM Average Daily Boardings 109 Service Hours 9.2 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 12 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60-85 Schedule Adherence On Time 60% Early 3% Late 37% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-32 LANTERN PARK The Lantern Park route is a clockwise loop connecting Coralville residential neighborhoods with the University of Iowa, downtown Iowa City, and shopping on Highway 6. This route complements the 10th Street route, which operates in the opposite direction. The route has 19 weekday trips. Major Destinations ▪ Coral Ridge Mall ▪ Coralville Recreation Center ▪ Coralville Community Aquatic Center ▪ Hy-Vee at Lantern Park Plaza ▪ Social Security Administration ▪ Coralville Public Library ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the Lantern Park route is relatively high, at 585 average weekday boardings. Most activity occurs during the commute periods and is relatively well-distributed along the route. This is the second-most productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 41 boardings per service hour. The 4:40 p.m. outbound departure has a maximum load of almost 70 passengers, which is close to a crush-loaded bus. In addition, the last outbound departure at 5:40 p.m. has a maximum load of 32 passengers, which indicates likely demand for later service. Schedule Adherence The Lantern Park route departs its timepoints on schedule 61% of the time, with the majority of the untimely departures being late. The a.m. trips are more likely to be late and the p.m. trips are more likely to run early. This route is the third-most on-time in the Coralville Transit System. Summary The Lantern Park route is Coralville Transit’s second-highest-performing route and is complementary to the 10th Street route, which operates as a loop in the opposite direction. For some riders, the bi-directional loop split into two routes may be confusing. The route operates on a number of smaller, residential-type streets. Ridership appears to be stronger on the 5th Street segment portion of the loop. This pattern is also replicated in the 10th Street route. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 5:58 AM End Time 6:27 PM Average Daily Boardings 585 Service Hours 14.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 41 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 40-60 Schedule Adherence On Time 61% Early 16% Late 23% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-33 NIGHT AND SATURDAY The Night and Saturday routes operate on a counter- clockwise loop covering a nearly identical alignment as the 10th Street route, connecting Coral Ridge Mall, Coralville residential neighborhoods, the University of Iowa, downtown Iowa City, and the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility. The route operates six trips during night service and 13 trips during Saturday service. Major Destinations ▪ Coral Ridge Mall ▪ Hy-Vee at Lantern Park Plaza ▪ Coralville Public Library ▪ Coralville Recreation Center ▪ Social Security Administration ▪ Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility ▪ Trader Joe’s ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the Night route is 155 average weekday boardings and is peaked in the 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. hours. The highest-activity stops are the Coral Ridge Mall and commercial area by the Iowa River Power dam. The night route is the third-least productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 29 boardings per service hour. Schedule Adherence The Night route departs its timepoints on schedule 62% of the time, with the majority of the untimely departures being early. The inbound trips are more likely to be late than the outbound trips. Summary The Night route provides coverage for the communities served by the 1st Ave, 10th Street, and Lantern Park routes during the day. For an evening route, ridership and productivity is acceptable. The Night route serves the lower-ridership residential areas on 10th Street first on its loop. Route Characteristics Night Start Time 6:10 PM End Time 12:13 AM Average Daily Boardings 155 Service Hours 5.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 29 Peak Headway (mins.) - Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60-70 Schedule Adherence On Time 62% Early 33% Late 4% Saturday Start Time 7:13 AM End Time 8:09 PM Headway (mins.) 45-75 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-34 Like other routes, ridership at the Carver Hawkeye Arena is limited, suggesting that this deviation may be able to be removed. The deviation to serve Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility is also time-consuming and serves only five average daily riders. Commented [GU4]: Confusing Carver Hawkeye Stop is not a deviation. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-35 NORTH LIBERTY The North Liberty route connects the City of North Liberty with the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City with one morning and one afternoon weekday trip. The alignment is primarily bi-directional and—for some of its distance—is identical to the CAMBUS Research Park route. Major Destinations ▪ North Liberty Community Center ▪ Holiday Mobile Home Court ▪ Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility ▪ Trader Joe’s ▪ Carver Hawkeye Arena ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the North Liberty route is low, at 38 average weekday boardings and with most activity occurring at the University of Iowa hospital complex and the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility. This is the second-least productive route in the Coralville Transit system, at 20 boardings per service hour. Schedule Adherence The North Liberty route departs its timepoints on schedule 71% of the time, with all of the untimely departures being late and occurring in the outbound direction. This route is the most on-time in the Coralville Transit System. Summary The North Liberty route has relatively strong on-time performance but only offers one trip in either direction, making it of limited use for commuters with a more variable schedule, particularly given that there are no other transit options connecting North Liberty with the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City. This route provides the only public transit connection to the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City for residents of North Liberty. Its peak directional ridership of 19 passengers per trip is relatively low. Route Characteristics Weekday AM Service Span 6:38 AM – 7:37 AM PM Service Span 5:10 PM – 6:07 PM Average Daily Boardings 38 Service Hours 1.9 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 20 Peak Headway (mins.) - Off-Peak Headway (mins.) - Schedule Adherence On Time 71% Early 0% Late 29% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-36 IOWA CITY TRANSIT Iowa City Transit is a 19-route bus system operated by the City of Iowa City serving Iowa City, University Heights, and the University of Iowa. The bus network serves many of Iowa City’s residential and commercial areas with a transfer hub at the Iowa City Pentacrest downtown interchange. General public fares are $1.00 and discounted fares and passes are available. Iowa City Transit’s ADA paratransit service is operated by Johnson County SEATS. The operating base for Iowa City Transit is located at 1200 S Riverside Drive, and while the agency’s primary transfer location is the Pentacrest downtown interchange, it also provides connections to intercity bus service at the Court Street Transportation Center. Much of Iowa City Transit ridership activity occurs in downtown Iowa City, on the University of Iowa Campus, and in high-density student neighborhoods. The three highest-ridership stops in the system are the Pentacrest downtown interchange, on W Benton Street near the Emerald Court/Seville apartments, and on Newton Road in the University of Iowa campus. Figure 6-9 Iowa City Transit Average Weekday Boardings Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-37 7TH AVENUE The 7th Avenue route is operated on a counter-clockwise weekday loop and connects downtown Iowa City with the Hy- Vee-anchored shopping center on S 1st Avenue, along with Iowa City High School. The route’s stop is two blocks walking distance from Iowa City High School. The route has seven trips per day. Major Destinations ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ Iowa City High School ▪ Mercy Iowa City ▪ Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Iowa City City Hall Ridership Ridership on the 7th Avenue route is relatively low, at 57 average weekday boardings. Ridership is peaked towards commuting hours and is highest at the downtown interchange and near Iowa City High School. There are only three trips that carry more than four passengers, including the inbound 4:18 p.m. trip and the outbound 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. trips. Schedule Adherence The 7th Avenue route departs its timepoints on schedule 66% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Inbound trips are more likely to be early than outbound trips. Summary The 7th Avenue route is an underperforming peak period route that duplicates multiple other Iowa City Transit routes. Its highest ridership stop outside of downtown is near Iowa City High School, suggesting that high school students are the reason for the ridership peaks. Most trips operated by the 7th Avenue route are close to empty. The only unique market served by the 7th Avenue route is the Longfellow neighborhood, north of the railroad tracks and south of E Court Street, although the 7th Avenue route only serves it during the peak hours. Route Characteristics Weekday AM Service Span 6:13 AM – 8:27 AM PM Service Span 3:00 PM – 6:27 PM Average Daily Boardings 57 Service Hours 2.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 21 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 66% Early 27% Late 8% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-38 BROADWAY The Broadway route operates bi-directionally between the downtown interchange and Highway 6, and then in a large counter-clockwise terminal loop around Highway 6 commercial and residential communities. This route connects downtown Iowa City to social services, including Pathways, Shelter House, and the Youth Emergency Shelter. The Broadway route also operates four night trips (after 7:15 p.m.) on a slightly different alignment. Saturday service is 13 trips and follows the night service alignment. Major Destinations ▪ Iowa City Marketplace ▪ Pathways ▪ Shelter House ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ Youth Emergency Center ▪ Kirkwood Community College ▪ Johnson County Department of Human Services ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Fareway Grocery (night and Saturday) Ridership Ridership on this route is 288 average weekday boardings, with activity fairly well-distributed throughout the p.m. period, and lower levels of boardings in the a.m. The first morning trip carries only four passengers. Major ridership activity occurs at the downtown interchange and around the commercial plaza and housing south of Highway 6. There is limited ridership between downtown Iowa City and Highway 6. Schedule Adherence The Broadway route departs its timepoints on schedule 64% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to be early than inbound trips. Night service on this route is tied for second-most on-time in the Iowa City Transit system, at 83% on-time. Summary The Broadway route carries 34 passengers per service hour, providing connections to a large shopping center and high-density housing. Some of the Broadway route’s service area south and east of the Hy-Vee-anchored shopping plaza on Highway 6 is also covered by the Lakeside route, and much of the route is supplemented by the Cross Park route at mid-day. Cross Park and Lakeside route departures are staggered along their shared corridor, providing reduced headways (with shared frequency as low as 15 minutes) for some riders. Despite their complementary Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:11 AM End Time 6:57 PM Average Daily Boardings 288 Service Hours 8.5 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 34 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 64% Early 22% Late 15% Night Start Time 7:15 PM End Time 11:10 PM Headway (mins.) 60-75 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-39 service, having three routes that serve the same general corridor may be confusing for some riders. The Broadway route makes a deviation into Pepperwood Plaza to serve a stop near the Taco Bell on Highway 6. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-40 COURT HILL The Court Hill route operates on a bi-directional alignment along Court Street with a clockwise terminal loop in the Friendship neighborhood, connecting downtown Iowa City with residential communities to the east and Iowa City High School (approximately two blocks walking distance from the route). The route has 23 weekday trips and operates 13 Saturday trips on the same alignment. Major Destinations ▪ Iowa City High School ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center ▪ Iowa City City Hall Ridership Ridership on the Court Hill route is 344 average weekday boardings, with activity relatively peaked in commuting hours. High ridership stops on this route include Iowa City High School, the downtown interchange, and the route’s Court Street turnaround. The final evening trip on this route carries only four passengers. Schedule Adherence The Court Hill route departs its timepoints on schedule 57% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to depart early than inbound trips. Summary The Court Hill route has high ridership at Iowa City High School and the route’s E Court Street/Friendship Street turnaround, where there is some high-density housing. The route is complemented by the Eastside Express, which also has an outbound stop near Iowa City High School and departs from the downtown interchange 15 minutes before and after morning Court Hill departures. In the afternoon, the Eastside Express departs the downtown interchange at the same time as the Court Hill route. The Court Hill route is the only route to operate on Friendship Street between E Court Street and Upland Avenue. The Court Hill route also supplements service on the Towncrest route along the E Burlington Street corridor by departing from the downtown interchange in-between Towncrest departures, effectively creating a shared corridor with 15-minute headways for some riders. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:25 AM End Time 9:40 PM Average Daily Boardings 344 Service Hours 9.4 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 37 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 57% Early 25% Late 18% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-41 CROSS PARK The Cross Park route is a weekday-only mid-day route connecting downtown Iowa City with the Hy-Vee-anchored commercial area south of Highway 6. The route, which operates six trips, supplements the Broadway route in connecting important social services to downtown, including Pathways, Shelter House, and the Youth Emergency Shelter. The route has a large terminal counter-clockwise loop around the Hy-Vee shopping plaza and operates on the S Capitol Street corridor bi-directionally, as well as on parallel streets. Major Destinations ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ Pathways ▪ Shelter House ▪ Youth Emergency Center ▪ Johnson County Department of Human Services ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the Cross Park route is 25 average daily boardings per service hour and is relatively well-distributed across the service span. High ridership stops are the downtown interchange and housing stops south of the Highway 6 Hy-Vee shopping center. Schedule Adherence The Cross Park route departs its timepoints on schedule 60% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Summary The Cross Park route is a mid-day only supplemental route with limited ridership between downtown Iowa City and Highway 6. The route’s departures are staggered to supplement the Broadway and Lakeside routes’ service, providing reduced headways (with shared frequency as low as 15 minutes) along the corridor between downtown Iowa City and the Hy-Vee-anchored shopping center. For some riders, having three routes that serve the same general corridor with different alignments may be confusing. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 9:00 AM End Time 2:27 PM Average Daily Boardings 67 Service Hours 2.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 25 Peak Headway (mins.) - Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 60% Early 27% Late 13% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-42 EASTSIDE EXPRESS The Eastside Express is a large counter-clockwise loop connecting downtown Iowa City with residential communities east of S Scott Boulevard and off Rochester Avenue, as well as with the Regina Catholic Education Center. The route is express in nature, with limited stops, and operates 13 weekday-only trips. Major Destinations ▪ Iowa City High School ▪ Regina Catholic Education Center ▪ Mercy Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center Ridership Ridership on the Eastside Express is 144 average weekday boardings and is peaked during commuting hours. High ridership stops are the downtown interchange and Iowa City High School. Four trips on this route see seven or fewer total boardings. Midday ridership is much lower than peak ridership. Most midday trips carry less than 10 passengers. Schedule Adherence The Eastside Express route departs its timepoints on schedule 46% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Summary The Eastside Express route is a low-ridership route and the only route to serve the far eastern neighborhoods of Iowa City. The limited-stop nature of the route helps mitigate the route’s long running distance and reduce rider trip times. The route’s turnarounds in subdivisions off E Court Street are time-consuming and—although somewhat productive from a ridership perspective— also increase trip times for some riders. In the morning, the Eastside Express departs 15 minutes before or after Court Hill trips from the downtown interchange, but in the afternoon the Eastside Express departs the downtown interchange at the same time as the Court Hill route. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:08 AM End Time 6:47 PM Average Daily Boardings 144 Service Hours 6.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 23 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60-75 Schedule Adherence On Time 46% Early 2% Late 53% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-43 EASTSIDE LOOP The Eastside Loop is a large, weekday-only loop route that operates in the eastern portion of Iowa City, connecting residential neighborhoods with the Regina Catholic Education Center, Iowa City High School, and Tate High School, along with limited shopping opportunities. The route offers only two a.m. trips and one p.m. trip, all of which are oriented around high school bell times. The p.m. route operates one hour earlier on Thursdays than the remainder of the week. The a.m. service operates clockwise, while the p.m. service operates counter-clockwise. Major Destinations ▪ Regina Catholic Education Center ▪ Iowa City High School ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ The Arc of SE Iowa ▪ Fareway Grocery ▪ Iowa City Marketplace ▪ Kirkwood Community College ▪ Tate High School ▪ Pathways Ridership Ridership on the Eastside Loop is 82 average weekday boardings. High ridership stops include The Quarters apartments and Iowa City High School. The second a.m. trip, which travels only as far as the Regina Catholic Education Center, carries only two riders. Schedule Adherence The Eastside Loop route departs its timepoints on schedule 50% of the time, with 50% of its clockwise loop trips departing early and 50% of its counter-clockwise loop trips departing late. Summary The Eastside Loop route is primarily a secondary school route, providing students in served neighborhoods a one-seat ride to Iowa City High School, Tate High School, Regina High School, and select middle schools. This route has a significant number of stops with zero average weekday boardings, particularly at those stops with longer trip times to the high schools. In the p.m., there is zero ridership at Regina High School, potentially because the route departure is nearly one hour after the end of the school day. The a.m. route’s deviation to serve South East Junior High School does provide some riders with a shorter trip but also extends trip times for other riders. 1 Service starts and ends one hour earlier on Thursdays. Route Characteristics Weekday AM Service Span 7:35 AM – 8:44 AM PM Service Span 4:05 PM – 4:55 PM1 Average Daily Boardings 82 Service Hours 1.9 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 43 Peak Headway (mins.) 55 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) - Schedule Adherence On Time 50% Early 25% Late 25% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-44 LAKESIDE The Lakeside route is a bi-directional route on much of its alignment, with a large clockwise terminal loop in the residential communities south of Highway 6. The route has 24 weekday trips and connects downtown Iowa City with shopping at the Hy-Vee-anchored shopping plaza on Highway 6 and high-density residential neighborhoods. This route also operates 14 trips on Saturdays along the same alignment. Major Destinations ▪ Bon-Aire Mobile Home Park ▪ Pathways ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ Shelter House ▪ Youth Emergency Shelter ▪ Court Street Transportation Center ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall Ridership Ridership on the Lakeside route is high, at 477 average weekday boardings. Boardings on the route are peaked during commuting hours and major ridership activity occurs at the downtown interchange and the Hy-Vee shopping center on Highway 6, although activity is relatively well- distributed along the remainder of the route’s residential alignment. Schedule Adherence The Lakeside route departs its timepoints on schedule 59% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to depart early than inbound trips. Summary The Lakeside route is a relatively high-productivity route that overlaps with some of the Broadway and Cross Park routes’ alignment but with staggered departures, providing reduced headways along the routes’ shared corridor. The route includes a large loop through residential neighborhoods south of Highway 6, which increases trip times for some riders but is the only transit access to downtown Iowa City for these residents. The Lakeside route provides better access to Hy-Vee than both the Broadway and Cross Park routes. This route duplicates the service provided to Bon-Aire Mobile Home Park and other apartments by the Mall route but also provides residents at these locations alternative shopping, educational, and employment access. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:05 AM End Time 6:57 PM Average Daily Boardings 477 Service Hours 14.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 33 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 59% Early 25% Late 17% Night Start Time 6:45 PM End Time 10:27 PM Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-45 MALL The Mall route operates bi-directional service from downtown Iowa City, and along Kirkwood Avenue and Lower Muscatine Road, with a small terminal loop around the industrial area at Scott Boulevard SE and Highway 6, and front-door service at the Sycamore Mall. The route connects downtown Iowa City with residential neighborhoods, shopping, Kirkwood Community College, and job opportunities. The route operates 19 trips on weekdays only. Major Destinations ▪ Fareway Grocery ▪ Iowa City Driver’s License Station ▪ Iowa City Marketplace ▪ Kirkwood Community College ▪ Court Street Transportation Center ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall Ridership Ridership on the Mall route is 353 average weekday boardings and is relatively evenly-distributed throughout the day. Major activity occurs at the Kirkwood Community College, Eastdale Plaza, the Bon-Aire Mobile Home Park, and the downtown interchange. There is also significant ridership in the Heinz Road industrial area. Schedule Adherence The Mall route departs its timepoints on schedule 67% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to depart early than inbound trips. Summary The Mall route averages 29 boardings per service hour and serves low-density and high-density residential neighborhoods, some commercial destinations, and major employers off of Highway 6. This route provides front-door service to the Sycamore Mall and Eastdale Plaza, which improves access for some riders but increases trip times for others. The Mall route is the only route to provide consistent daytime access to the Heinz Road industrial area and the residential community on Kirkwood Avenue between S Dodge Street and Franklin Street, south of the railroad tracks. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:20 AM End Time 6:40 PM Average Daily Boardings 353 Service Hours 12.3 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 29 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 67% Early 21% Late 12% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-46 MANVILLE HEIGHTS The Manville Heights route provides bi-directional service from downtown Iowa City, through the University of Iowa Campus, Manville Heights residential neighborhood, and in the Peninsula neighborhood, Oak Grove condominiums, and Forest View mobile home park. The route has 19 weekday trips and operates four night and 13 Saturday trips on a different alignment. This route provides the only transit connection to the university and downtown Iowa City for people living between I-80, the Iowa River, and N Dubuque Street. Major Destinations ▪ Mayflower Hall ▪ McCormick Square Condominiums ▪ The Peninsula Neighborhood ▪ Forest View Mobile Home Park ▪ Hancher Auditorium ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ North Dodge Corridor (night) Ridership Ridership on the Manville Heights route is 282 average weekday boardings and is slightly peaked during commuting hours. High-ridership stops on this route are the downtown interchange, the Peninsula neighborhood, McCormick Square condominiums, Forest View mobile home park, and the University of Iowa Newton Road corridor. Night service on this route is tied for second-least productive route in the Iowa City Transit system, at only 15 boardings per service hour. Schedule Adherence The Manville Heights route departs its timepoints on schedule 67% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to depart early than inbound trips. The Manville Heights night service has slightly higher on-time performance, at 71%. Summary The Manville Heights route provides the only transit connection to downtown and the University of Iowa for residents of the Manville Heights and Normandy Peninsula neighborhoods . This route is relatively unproductive and has low ridership in the Manville Heights neighborhood. Some stops on Park Road have zero average daily boardings or alightings. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:15 AM End Time 6:55 PM Average Daily Boardings 282 Service Hours 12.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 22 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 67% Early 30% Late 4% Night Start Time 6:45 PM End Time 10:10 PM Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-47 MELROSE EXPRESS The Melrose Express route is a weekday-only route serving the Melrose Avenue corridor bi-directionally with 12 daily trips. Service through university property is provided via a counter-clockwise terminal loop, with inbound trips serving the southern portion of main campus and outbound trips serving the Newton Road corridor. The route connects downtown Iowa City with the University of Iowa and residential communities in University Heights and along Melrose Avenue. The route also serves some commuter parking lots. Despite it being called an “express” route, trips stop relatively frequently along Melrose Avenue. Major Destinations ▪ West High School ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Main Campus ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall Ridership Ridership on the Melrose Express is 129 average weekday boardings and is slightly higher in the earlier evening than it is later. High ridership stops include the downtown interchange and Finkbine Commuter Drive. Schedule Adherence On-time performance for the Melrose Express is problematic; the route departs its timepoints on schedule 28% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Inbound trips are more likely to depart late than outbound trips. This route is the least on-time in the Iowa City Transit system. Summary The Melrose Express route is a relatively low-ridership route that connects communities on the western end of Melrose Avenue with University of Iowa campus and downtown Iowa City. The route’s large terminal loop through the University of Iowa campus provides better access to certain destinations for some riders but extends travel times for other riders. Outbound trips on this route are duplicative of service offered by the Plaen View, Westwinds, and Westside Hospital routes but these routes largely depart in staggered fashion, giving riders higher-frequency outbound trips on this shared corridor. This route provides the only transit access to the University of Iowa and downtown Iowa City for people living and working west of Hawkeye Park Road. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:35 AM End Time 6:17 PM Average Daily Boardings 129 Service Hours 5.4 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 24 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60-75 Schedule Adherence On Time 28% Early 17% Late 56% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-48 NORTH DODGE The North Dodge route operates 19 weekday trips on the Market/Jefferson Street and North Dodge Street/Highway 1 corridor, connecting downtown Iowa City with the northside neighborhood and major employers in northeast Iowa City. The route provides front-door service to both Pearson and the ACT campus and deviates on inbound trips to serve the residential neighborhood off Prairie du Chien Road. The route also offers three weekday night and 14 Saturday trips on an alternative alignment. Major Destinations ▪ Hy-Vee ▪ Pearson ▪ ACT ▪ Mercy Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Regina Catholic Education Center (night and Saturday) Ridership Ridership on the North Dodge route is relatively low, considering the number of trips offered. Boardings are peaked in the commute hours, and high- ridership stops include the downtown interchange, the ACT campus, and Pearson offices. This route is tied for second-least productive in the Iowa City Transit system, at 15 boardings per service hour. Night service on this route is the third-least productive in the system, at 18 boardings per service hour. The final night trip (9:00 p.m.) carries only one rider. Schedule Adherence The North Dodge route departs its timepoints on schedule 40% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are slightly more likely to depart early than inbound trips. This route is the second-least on-time in the Iowa City Transit system but its night service is tied for second-most on-time in the system. Summary The North Dodge route is a low-ridership route that includes three alignment types: a bi- directional couplet, destination loops, and bi-directional corridor. The route deviation to ACT campus provides good access for ACT employees but increases trip times for other riders— particularly those who may be travelling to the Pearson Education campus. The Prairie Du Chien Road deviation, while relatively productive from a ridership perspective, also increases trip times for some riders. This route provides the only transit access to downtown Iowa City for people living and working off Highway 1 and in the northeast Northside neighborhood of Iowa City. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:00 AM End Time 6:40 PM Average Daily Boardings 185 Service Hours 12.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 15 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 40% Early 51% Late 9% Night Start Time 7:00 PM End Time 9:40 PM Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-49 FREE SHUTTLE The Free Shuttle route consists of two weekday-only downtown Iowa City loops, the Northside Shuttle and the Southside Shuttle (also called the “Free Shuttle North” and “Free Shuttle South”). The Northside Shuttle circulates on a short, counter- clockwise loop from the Pentacrest downtown interchange, past Mercy Hospital, and through the northside neighborhood. This shuttle operates 11 trips per weekday. The Southside Shuttle operates a short, clockwise loop from the Pentacrest downtown interchange and through high- density residential neighborhoods in and around the College Green neighborhood and through University of Iowa east campus. This shuttle operates 33 trips per weekday. This route does not charge a fare. Major Destinations ▪ Mercy Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Iowa City Senior Center ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ IMU ▪ Court Street Transportation Center Ridership Ridership on the Free Shuttle is high, at 624 average weekday boardings, and is peaked during the a.m. period. The Southside Shuttle is the most productive route in the Iowa City Transit system, at over 80 boardings per service hour. Four trips (all in the a.m.) on the Southside Shuttle see maximum passenger loads of over 30, with the 9:00 a.m. trip having a maximum passenger load of 65. The ridership on the Northside Shuttle is low, with only 22 daily passengers. Seven of the 11 Northside Shuttle trips carried one or less passengers. Schedule Adherence The Free Shuttle route departs its timepoints on schedule 93% of the time, with all of the untimely departures being early and occurring on the Northside shuttle. This route is the most on-time in the Iowa City Transit system. Summary The Southside Shuttle is short, reliable, and popular. Its high ridership may be due to its fare-free nature and also to the high concentration of potential riders living and working along the alignments. The route is somewhat duplicative of the CAMBUS East Campus Shuttle, which is Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 7:30 AM End Time 6:28 PM Average Daily Boardings 624 Service Hours 8.9 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 70 Peak Headway (mins.) 15-60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 15-60 Schedule Adherence On Time 93% Early 7% Late 0% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-50 also a fare-free service. High maximum passenger loads on the a.m. Southside Free Shuttle route suggest additional service may be warranted. The Northside Shuttle underperforms. It also duplicates multiple other routes, but ridership has been poor. Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-51 OAKCREST The Oakcrest route operates in a bi-directional alignment from the downtown interchange, through University of Iowa Campus, along Melrose Avenue in University Heights, and on Sunset Street. The route operates a relatively large clockwise terminal loop around the high-density housing between Oakcrest Street and West Benton Street. On weekdays, this route has 26 daily trips. The route also operates four weekday night and 14 Saturday trips on an alternative alignment that serves shopping destinations on Highway 1. There is also a football shuttle version of the route for game days. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Main Campus ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Seville and Emerald Court Apartments ▪ Oaknoll Retirement Community ▪ ALDI (night and Saturday) ▪ Walmart Supercenter (night and Saturday) Ridership Ridership on the Oakcrest route is relatively high, at 732 average weekday boardings, and is peaked in the commute periods. High-ridership stops are relatively well-distributed along the route and are often located near high-density housing. This is the most productive route in the Iowa City Transit system that charges a fare, at 67 boardings per service hour. The night service on this route is the third-most productive in the system, at 50 boardings per service hour. Two inbound and one outbound trip (7:44 a.m., 8:44 a.m., and 5:00 p.m., respectively) have maximum passenger loads of more than 35 passengers. Schedule Adherence The Oakcrest route departs its timepoints on schedule 69% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Inbound trips are more likely to depart early than outbound trips. The Oakcrest night service is slightly less on-time, at 65% schedule adherence. Summary The Oakcrest route is a high-productivity route that provides relatively short and direct connections between high-density residential apartment buildings, University of Iowa, and downtown Iowa City. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:14 AM End Time 6:57 PM Average Daily Boardings 732 Service Hours 10.9 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 67 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Schedule Adherence On Time 69% Early 19% Late 12% Night Start Time 7:00 PM End Time 10:23 PM Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-52 PLAEN VIEW The Plaen View route is a weekday-only route that operates on a bi-directional alignment from downtown Iowa City, through University of Iowa on Newton Road, Finkbine Commuter Drive, and Melrose Avenue in University Heights, and then transitions to a large clockwise terminal loop that circulates through residential communities southwest of University of Iowa and offers some shopping opportunities. This route has 20 trips per weekday. Major Destinations ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Court Street Transportation Center ▪ Walmart Supercenter ▪ ALDI ▪ Fareway Grocery Ridership Ridership on this route is 583 average weekday boardings and is relatively peaked during commute hours. High ridership stops on this route are the downtown interchange, University of Iowa campus, and near high-density housing. Two trips (the 6:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.) reach approximately 35 passengers maximum load, and the final trip of the day (6:15 p.m.) sees 24 boardings, suggesting there may be additional, later-evening and unserved demand for this route. Schedule Adherence The Plaen View route departs its timepoints on schedule 66% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Summary The Plaen View route is a high-productivity route serving southwestern Iowa City. The route’s outbound trips supplement service offered by the Melrose Express, Westwinds, and Westside Hospital route on the Newton Road corridor, as they generally depart offset from these other routes, providing riders on the shared corridor with more frequent service . Other portions of the route’s service area are also covered by the Westwinds (in reverse direction) and Westside Hospital routes. The route’s Westside Drive loop provides better access to home for some riders but may increase travel times for other riders. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:30 AM End Time 6:58 PM Average Daily Boardings 583 Service Hours 15 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 39 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 66% Early 14% Late 20% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-53 ROCHESTER The Rochester route operates on weekdays only on the Market/Jefferson couplet, bi-directionally on Rochester Avenue, and in a terminal loop through the Lemme neighborhood, connecting downtown Iowa City with parts of the Northside neighborhood, Regina Catholic Education Center, and some shopping and medical destinations. The route operates 19 trips per weekday. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Mercy Hospital ▪ Regina Catholic Education Center Ridership Ridership on the Rochester route is 281 average weekday boardings and is relatively peaked at commute hours. High- ridership stops on the route are the Regina Catholic Education Center, downtown interchange, and near the Regency Heights apartments. Schedule Adherence The Rochester route departs its timepoints on schedule 75% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. This route is the third-most on-time in the Iowa City Transit system. Summary The Rochester route provides an all-day connection between the Regina Catholic Education Center and downtown Iowa City. The large terminal loop at the eastern end of the route provides better access to transit for many residents but also increases trip times for other riders. The route duplicates portions of the Eastside Express. On-time performance on this route is good, relative to other Iowa City Transit routes. This route is the only route to provide consistent daytime service to downtown Iowa City for people living in the vicinity of Pheasant Hill Park. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:26 PM End Time 6:42 PM Average Daily Boardings 281 Service Hours 8.4 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 33 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 75% Early 8% Late 17% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-54 TOWNCREST The Towncrest route operates bi-directionally along E Burlington Street and Muscatine Avenue with a terminal loop traveling through the residential neighborhood off Wayne Avenue. The route connects downtown Iowa City with residential communities, shopping centers (including the S 1st Avenue Hy-Vee), and two lower-grade schools. This route has 25 trips per weekday. The route also operates four weekday night trips and 13 Saturday trips on an alternative alignment. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Pedestrian Mall ▪ Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center ▪ Hy-Vee Ridership Ridership on the Towncrest route is 480 average weekday boardings and is peaked during commute hours. Ridership is relatively evenly-distributed along the route corridor. Schedule Adherence The Towncrest route departs its timepoints on schedule 71% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being early. Outbound trips are more likely to depart early than inbound trips. This route’s night service is tied for second-least on-time route in the Iowa City Transit system. The night service on this route is significantly less on-time, at 40% schedule adherence. Summary The Towncrest route is a high-productivity route that primarily operates on a bi-directional alignment with good rider legibility. The route sees decent ridership near the South East Junior High School without providing front-door service. The Towncrest route supplements service on the Court Hill route along the E Burlington Street corridor by departing from the downtown interchange in-between Court Hill departures, effectively creating a shared corridor with 15- minute headways for some riders. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:11 AM End Time 6:27 PM Average Daily Boardings 480 Service Hours 10.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 45 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Schedule Adherence On Time 71% Early 18% Late 11% Night Start Time 6:30 PM End Time 9:57 PM Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-55 WESTPORT PLAZA The Westport Plaza route is a weekday-only route that operates 13 daily trips connecting downtown Iowa City with residential and commercial districts off of Highway 1 and S Riverside Drive, as well as mobile home communities southeast of the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The route primarily operates bi-directionally but includes front-door service to Walmart and has a terminal loop at the Baculis Mobile Home Park. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ ALDI ▪ Walmart Supercenter ▪ Cole’s Mobile Home Court ▪ Lake Ridge Mobile Home Park Ridership Ridership on the Westport Plaza route is 191 average weekday boardings and is higher in t he p.m. than a.m. period. High-ridership stops include the downtown interchange, Walmart Supercenter, and at the W Benton Street and S Riverside Drive intersection. This is the least productive route in the Iowa City Transit system, at 11 boardings per service hour. Schedule Adherence The Westport Plaza route departs its timepoints on schedule 58% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Summary The Westport Plaza route is a low-productivity route that combines shopping access with service to residential communities by the Iowa City Municipal Airport. The Walmart is the single biggest destination outside of downtown for the route, yet it is only served in one direction. Anyone wishing to go to Walmart has a long, out-of-direction ride in at least one direction. The route approaches but does not enter the Lake Ridge mobile home community (there are no sidewalks between the bus stop and the mobile home park, making access to and from this bus stop dangerous and difficult), although it does provide ‘front-door’ service to Cole’s mobile home community. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:30 AM End Time 6:56 PM Average Daily Boardings 191 Service Hours 17.6 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 11 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 58% Early 3% Late 38% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-56 WESTSIDE HOSPITAL The Westside Hospital route is a weekday-only route that operates bi-directionally through downtown Iowa City, University of Iowa campus’ Newton Road and Hawkins Drive, and along Melrose Avenue through University Heights. The route also loops through three residential neighborhoods west of Mormon Trek Boulevard, with some shopping opportunities. There are 13 trips per weekday. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Fareway Grocery Ridership Ridership on the Westside Hospital route is 257 average weekday boardings, with ridership peaked in the p.m. period. High-ridership stops on the route include University of Iowa campus and high-density housing on Rohret Road. Schedule Adherence The Westside Hospital route departs its timepoints on schedule 58% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Inbound trips are more likely to depart late than outbound trips. This route is the third-least on-time route in the Iowa City Transit system. Summary The Westside Hospital route is a relatively low-ridership route that struggles with on-time performance (48% of timepoint departures are late). The route has three neighborhood loops, all of which improve access for residents but increase trip times for other riders. This route also duplicates a significant segment of the Plaen View, Melrose Express, and Westwinds routes, although its outbound departures are generally staggered, which provides some riders using the shared Newton Road corridor with higher-frequency service. This route provides the only transit access for people living off of Rohret Road west of Mormon Trek Boulevard. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:22 AM End Time 7:11 PM Average Daily Boardings 257 Service Hours 10.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 24 Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60-75 Schedule Adherence On Time 58% Early 11% Late 48% Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-57 WESTWINDS The Westwinds route operates 19 trips per weekday, connecting downtown Iowa City with the University of Iowa Main Campus and hospitals, residential communities in University Heights, and residential and commercial districts southwest of University Heights. The route operates bi- directionally through downtown Iowa City and the University of Iowa, as well as through University Heights on Melrose Avenue. Outside of these areas, there are two loops that travel through primarily residential communities. The route also operates five night and 13 Saturday trips on an alternative alignment. There is also a football shuttle version of the route for game days. Major Destinations ▪ Old Capitol ▪ Iowa City VA ▪ University of Iowa Hospital ▪ Fareway Grocery Ridership Ridership on the Westwinds route is 484 average weekday boardings and is peaked during the commute period. Ridership is relatively evenly-distributed along the route alignment, with clear employment-based and student activity occurring on the University of Iowa campus. Two trips on the Westwinds route (7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.) have maximum passenger loads of more than 35. Schedule Adherence The Westwinds route departs its timepoints on schedule 63% of the time, with most of the untimely departures being late. Night service has higher schedule adherence, at 74% on-time. Summary The Westwinds route is a relatively high-ridership route that struggles with on-time performance (48% of timepoint departures are late). This route also duplicates a significant segment of the Plaen View, Melrose Express, and Westside Hospital routes, although its outbound trips are generally offset from these other routes, providing some riders on the shared corridor more frequent service. Route Characteristics Weekday Start Time 6:19 AM End Time 6:41 PM Average Daily Boardings 484 Service Hours 12.7 Average Daily Boardings per Service Hour 38 Peak Headway (mins.) 30 Off-Peak Headway (mins.) 60 Schedule Adherence On Time 63% Early 13% Late 23% Night Start Time 6:30 PM End Time 10:56 PM Average Daily Boardings Headway (mins.) 60 Iowa City Area Transit Study | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 6-58 Route Financial Performance The average cost of a weekday passenger trip for each route is listed in Figure 70. Westport Plaza, North Dodge, 7th Avenue routes have the highest operating costs per passenger and require the greatest subsidies. The free Downtown Shuttle, Oakcrest, and Towncrest routes have the lowest costs per passenger and require the least subsidy to cover operating costs. and routes with the highest ridership have the lowest costs per passenger. Figure 610 Average Cost per Weekday Passenger Trip