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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Final Presentation - June 1, 2021Pitch Deck Title City Council Presentation Darian Nagle-Gamm; Director of Transportation Services June 1st, 2021 Mission & Goals •Faster, more frequent and more reliable service •Simplify the system •Improve communications •Improve transit stops •Improve coordination with Coralville Transit and CAMBUS •More consistent fare and transfer policies across the metro area •Double ridership in next 10 years Make transit more dependable for those who rely on it, and an easier choice for others! Objectives •Learn how we can optimize and improve the transit system using our existing funding and resources •Determine what enhancements are desired by the community if additional funding is acquired Iowa City Area Transit Study Plan Iowa City Area Transit Study Timeline Aug 2019 - Launched study / data collection Fall 2019 – Phase 1 & 2 Public Outreach, service & market evaluation January 2020 –Presented 3 alternate service scenarios, Phase 3 Public Outreach March to Aug 2020 – Development of single proposed transit system redesign Oct and Nov 2020 –Presented study recommendations to City Council work session and received preliminary feedback regarding preferred transit system design and theme, fare recommendations, and the priority of potential transit service enhancements March 2021 – Presented potential transit service enhancements to City Council at their work session, received direction to pursue a two-year Sunday Service pilot and further explore later evening/overnight on-demand transportation options April 2021 – Virtual public presentation on proposed transit system changes, Phase 4 public outreach 3 ICATS Public Input/Outreach Phase 1: Sept 2019 * 1,000 responses to on-board survey Phase 2: Fall 2019 * 15 meetings with community stakeholders * 90 attendees to Open House Events * 1,325 “Design Your Own Transit System” online surveys completed * 125 survey responses from transit dependent/housing insecure Phase 3: Jan 2020 * 1,400 online survey of three potential transit scenarios * 150 attendees to Open House events Phase 4: April/May 2021 * 75 attendees to virtual presentation of proposed transit changes * 139 simultaneous views on YouTube broadcast * 102 presentation views in the month following event * 240 in-person discussions at Downtown Interchange Info-booth * 40 community or stakeholder organizations contacted * Social & legacy media outreach, website updates, email to transit study subscribers * Widespread informational flyer distribution (translated) * Approximately 95 comments received since event Over 4,600 points of contact with the public! 4 Desired Improvements Average Weekday Passengers by Route •7th Avenue, Cross Park, and Melrose Express routes have fewest weekday passengers •Plaen View, Free Shuttle, Westwinds and Oakcrest have highest number of daily passengers Average Weekday Passengers/Service Hr •Manville Heights, 7th Avenue, Melrose Express & Eastside Express have fewest passengers per service hour •Plaen View, Towncrest, Oakcrest, and Free Shuttle have greatest number of passengers per service hour Developed Proposed Transit System •Three cost-constrained transit service scenarios developed using existing funding, staffing, and vehicles •Based on best practices and guiding principles •Final proposed routes based on public response to these alternatives •Working towards getting as much of the City has possible within a ¼ mile of transit while increasing bus service frequency •Involved some tough decisions and trade-offs Proposed Transit System Routes What we heard... “More frequent buses please” •Focused routes on arterial streets, less diversion into local streets/parking lots •Out/back, more direct routes for faster service/reduced travel time •Routes with very low ridership were absorbed into adjacent routes or service was reallocated to areas of greater need •Reduced duplicative service/service overlap areasWhat we did… What we heard... “We need better Saturday Service” •More bus service on Saturdays •Currently, only 6 routes run on the weekend, and they run on a different route than weekdays •All routes will run Saturdays approximately 7 am – 7 pm (except Eastside loop and Downtown Shuttle, which currently do not run on weekends) •All routes will be the same no matter time of day or day of weekWhat we did… What we heard... “More reliable service – more on-time” •Focused routes on arterial streets, less diversion into local streets/parking lots •Out/back, more direct routes •This allows us to build in “wiggle room” into the schedule •Consolidate bus stops What we did… What we heard... “We need Sunday Service” •Beginning in late 2021 or 2022, Iowa City Transit will begin a 2-year pilot of Sunday Service •Schedule will mirror Saturday service schedule What we did… What we heard... “Can you simplify transit?” •Routes will all have a name AND a number 1 – 13 •No more special night/weekend routes – routes are the same no matter time of day or day of week •All bus passes can be used on Coralville Transit (CT) •Transfers allowed at any bus stop •Free transfers to Coralville Transit or CAMBUS •Transit app – you no longer need to memorize the bus routes/schedules!What we did… What we heard... “We need more late evening transportation options” •6 routes run until 10 pm, 2 until 9:30 pm, 2 until 8/8:30 pm, 1 until 7 pm and 1 until 6:30 pm •New later evening service to far eastside, far westside, and the Lower Muscatine/Kirkwood areas •Exploring on-demand partnership options to provide late-night/overnight service when transit not in serviceWhat we did… What we heard... “Can you make transit more affordable?” •Those 65+, disabled, Medicare card holders, and SEATS card holders will ride for free, any time of day •Youth 5-18 years will receive a 50% discount on fare and passes •Evaluating a low-income fare programWhat we did… •Improved Saturday service - All routes will run on Saturday, except Eastside Loop and Downtown Shuttle •Sunday Service 2-Yr Pilot - Beginning late 2021/early 2022 •Transfers allowed at any stop - Today transfers only allowed at the interchange Transit System Improvement Summary •All buses to run every 30 minutes during peak times, and 2 routes run every 15/20 minutes - Today only 6 out of 20 routes run hourly during peak periods •Over half the routes will now have 30-minute service (or less) mid-day - Today only 3 out of 20 routes have 30 minute or less service mid-day •Improved evening service - Nearly half routes to run until 10 pm; 2 until 9:30 pm, 2 until 8/8:30, 1 until 7 and 1 until 6:30, new later evening service to far eastside, far westside, and Lower Muscatine area Faster, more frequent, and more reliable service Trade-Offs •Some neighborhoods have a further walk to transit •Fewer one-seat rides to UIHC; transfers required to complete some rides •Reduced duplicative service in some areas •Routes with very low ridership absorbed into adjacent routes or service was reallocated to areas of greater need •Consolidated some bus stops Revamping service with our existing funding and resources requires trade-offs Fares, Passes, and Transfer Changes •Make metro area trips using transit easier; easier transfers between systems •Lessen the financial burden and inconvenience for seniors, those with disabilities, and youth Prioritized Public Transportation Enhancements (require additional funding) Sunday Bus Service Later Evening Service Night-Owl Overnight Service In the fall of 2020, the City Council prioritized the following potential service enhancements: At your March 6th, 2021 Work Session, the City Council directed staff to: Plan for Sunday Service 2-year bus service pilot, commencing in late 2021 or early 2022 (mirroring proposed Saturday schedule) Further explore on-demand transportation options for late evening/overnight service Introducing Battery Electric Buses Cleaner, greener, unbelievably quiet, and a more comfortable ride! Reduced Carbon Emissions Reduced Air & Noise Pollution Cleaner Iowa City Received $3.1 million federal grant Four diesel buses will be replaced with Proterra ZX5 Battery Electric Buses this fall 61% of the energy used to power the buses will be renewable (mostly wind) General Comments 11% (10) ICATS Final Public Comment Summary •Westside service to UIHC/VA 23% (21) •Sunday service 11% (10) •Later Evening Service 10% (9) •Fares 8% (7) •Rochester / Amhurst area 8% (7) •Peninsula to UIHC 7% (6) •Friendship area 3% (3) •Manville Heights area 3% (3) •7th Avenue route 3% (3) •Bus stop requests 3% (3) •Lakeside/Broadway routes 2% (2) •Lake Ridge Mobile Home Park 2% (2) •Caroline Ave area 2% (2) •Transit or Bongo app 2% (2) •West Melrose area 2% (2) •Bus schedule/start times 2% (2) • Thank you’s • General positive comments • Individual comments • Questions or information requests • Suggestions Westside Service Existing Routes Plaen View, Westwinds, Westside Hospital, Melrose Express, Oakcrest, Westport Plaza 8 – Oakcrest, 10 – West Iowa City, 12 – Hwy 1, 13 – South Gilbert •Maintain service & adequate capacity to North Hospital and South Hospital areas •Establish direct service to Hwy 1 commercial area •Reduce overlapping routes / increase frequency of buses •8 – Oakcrest (15 peak / 30 off-peak) •10 – West Iowa City (30 peak / 30 off-peak) •Allow transfers at any stop •Plaen View, Westwinds, and Oakcrest routes have highest ridership on westside (30 min service peak / 60 off peak) •Westside Hospital, Melrose Express, Westport Plaza least productive westside routes (60 min service) •Routes overlapped in some areas Concerns: Service start time, less routes with direct access to UIHC/VA, further walk to transit stop Proposed Routes Late June/Early July – Finalize and publish bus schedules and continue marketing & information campaign to educate the public on the transit system changes July 6th – Upon approval, launch fare and transfer policy changes in alignment with Coralville Transit August 2nd –Launch new routes, stops and new bus schedule 24 - Launch Iowa City’s first Battery Electric Buses (Fall) - 2-yr pilot Sunday bus service (late 2021/early 2022) - Evaluate late evening/overnight on-demand service - Bus stop improvements - Improve communications tools - Improve ticket availability / evaluate mobile ticketing - Evaluate options for potential low-income program Next Steps Thank you! Questions? Darian Nagle-Gamm; Director of Transportation Services Email: darian-nagle-gamm@iowa- city.org Phone: 319-356-5156 Website: www.icgov.org/transit