CITY OF SIMI VALLEY MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: UPDATE REPORT AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN AND TRANSIT FLEET ASSESSMENT

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1 CITY OF SIMI VALLEY MEMORANDUM AGENDA ITEM NO. 7B May 15, 2017 TO: FROM: City Council Department of Community Services SUBJECT: UPDATE REPORT AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN AND TRANSIT FLEET ASSESSMENT STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the Short Range Transit Plan, and defer any action regarding transit fleet purchases until the Short Range Transit Plan process is complete. CITY MANAGER S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager is seeking input from the City Council as far as areas you may like to see as a part of the evaluation. One such recommendation could be to request the consultant identify areas where costs can be reduced per hour on the road and/or revenues increased. One such way this may be achieved is through routes that are underutilized versus other routes which demonstrate higher peak demands such as frequently visited destinations by public transit riders. BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW The City is in the process of conducting a comprehensive assessment of the City of Simi Valley s Transit system. This assessment will incorporate feedback from the public and professional consultants Mobility Planners, LLC, and will result in the development of a Short Range Transit Plan to guide the future of the system. The City Council has specifically requested an analysis and recommendations associated with the transit fleet, which will be addressed through the Short Range Transit Plan process. FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES The identified areas of evaluation include Fixed Route operations; Dial-A-Ride service including analysis of dispatch; ridership; staffing; scheduling processes; fleet needs; financial sustainability including fare alternatives; regional transportation alternatives; additional funding sources; technology resources; as well as branding, marketing, customer service, and outreach efforts. SR6Transit/04-17

2 2 The Short Range Transit Plan process commenced in March The consultant team includes individuals with extensive knowledge in the industry and with a history of assessing Transit systems and developing strategic plans. The consultant team includes specialists in the areas of fleet assessment, Americans with Disabilities Act Paratransit/Senior Dial-A-Ride (ADA/DAR) operations, and marketing and public outreach. Additional information is located in the attached work scope summary (Exhibit 1, page 6). Community Outreach The Short Range Transit Planning process utilizes extensive community engagement such as stakeholder meetings, focus groups, open houses, and surveys to identify the most effective use of resources to meet current and future needs. This is an important part of the planning in order to determine how the current routes run and to recommend key changes in the future. Stakeholder Meetings The City and consultants have already engaged Transit staff, key stakeholder partners including the City s Senior Center, Millennium Adult Day Center, and Arc of Ventura County, and riders. Meetings are scheduled with additional community stakeholders in May, including the Simi Valley Unified School District, County of Ventura, the Samaritan Center, the Free Clinic, the Chamber of Commerce, City Council Members, and City staff. Focus Groups Multiple focus groups are being conducted to provide directed input from a variety of perspectives, including fixed-route riders; ADA Paratransit Advisory Board; ADA/DAR riders; businesses and employers including the Simi Valley Hospital, Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, and private businesses; and an informal advisory group. Public Open Houses The City is hosting two Open House events for the general public; an afternoon open house from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and an evening event from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Simi Valley Public Library (flyer in Exhibit 2, page 7). The Open Houses are designed for the public to have the opportunity to drop in at any point during the twohour window to learn about transit services, review materials and presentations, and provide input and recommendations regarding the comprehensive Transit system and services directly to the consultants. The Open House events are being publicized through the City s website, Simi Valley Television, press releases, information on Transit vehicles, at citizen advisory board meetings, at several community service and business locations throughout the community, and at special events. Service Strategies This process may result in changes to the services offered. Examples of some potential strategies being evaluated include a community services fixed-route that provides service from neighborhoods to frequent destinations such as grocery stores, commuter routes and vanpools, a school tripper that caters to student ridership (this is a practice in SR6Transit/04-17

3 3 many communities in order to hit peak demand for this specific type of route), partnerships with transportation providers such as adult day centers and Transit Networking Companies (ie Uber, Lyft, etc.), and college partnerships. Goals and Metrics As part of the Short Range Transit Planning process, the City will be establishing goals and metrics to evaluate successful, sustainable transit operations. Current and historical data is being analyzed. This process includes a review of the City s current routes, on-time performance, fare box recovery ratios, productivity, effectiveness of service, and ridership, as well as identifying target goals for each. Challenges An integral part of the assessment and strategic planning process is identifying challenges in providing an efficient, high quality service, such as the rising costs of offering public transit services; decreased fixed-route ridership; increased ADA ridership; a high level of senior Dial-A-Ride ridership; local labor agreements and federal transportation labor requirements, and time spent on personnel issues; lack of comprehensive historical comparative data and the need for additional data collection and analysis; and state mandates such as the Transit Development Act (TDA) funds mandating a portion of expenses be recovered through fare revenues. Analysis of Fleet In addition to providing the Council with a comprehensive assessment of the Simi Valley Transit program and providing suggestions for improvements to the system, the Short Range Transit Plan will include immediate and future year recommendations regarding the Transit Fleet. There are currently two fixed route buses that are due to be replaced per Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) regulations, and staff has identified a third fixed-route bus which may be eligible for replacement in FY The Short Range Transit Plan findings, specifically regarding fleet and service strategies, will assist in identifying which vehicle types to purchase. The City s current Transit fleet includes 11 fixed-route buses; 12 ADA/Dial-A-Ride vehicles; three mini-vans and two cars. The City Council requested staff to explore the option of smaller vehicles to service routes to better serve the residents of Simi Valley. Below is an analysis of current transit vehicles; capacity; annual labor to maintain the vehicles; and annual maintenance costs. Vehicle Type Approximate Purchase Price Length of Service ADA Accessibility Wheel Chair Capacity Maintenance Cost 15/16 Maintenance Labor Hours Bus (40ft) $550, years Yes 2 slots 42 $13, Bus (35ft) $550, years Yes 2 slots 35 $7, Cutaway $200, years Yes 3 slots 11 $1, Relief Vehicles: 110, ,000 Mini Van $25,000 miles No None 7 $ SR6Transit/04-17

4 4 The smaller Cutaway vehicles (currently used for ADA/DAR) 50% less to purchase, however the vehicles on average only hold half the transportation life of the 40-foot buses, and require multiple vehicles to serve the routes that have a larger ridership peak demands. Three Cutaway vans would be needed to service the same capacity as one bus during peak times or the capacity during a peak time would be reduced for the ridership. An assessment of fixed-route ridership over one year (September 2015 August 2016) showed peak weekday ridership averaging 140 passengers per hour between 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and approximately 160 riders per hour 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Peak average Saturday ridership was 60 passengers per hour from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Route D is no longer operating on Saturdays due to low ridership. The peak time periods identified, combined with a decline in ridership occurring during the summer, support a strong student customer base. The data shows that the larger buses are needed for peak periods, such as Route A or B at 3:00 p.m. on a weekday, or Route C at 5:00 a.m. on a weekday. Smaller vehicles could be optimized currently for those routes with lower ridership, such as Route D, or potentially for specified periods, for example Route C on a weekend, or a weekday after 7:00 p.m. As indicated above, the service recommendations realized through the Short Range Transit Planning process may include implementing different route designs such as community service routes, commuter routes, or vanpools that would constitute the use of a smaller vehicle. Fiscal Impact Any costs or costs savings associated with recommendations for implementation will be evaluated and brought forward to City Council with a recommended implementation and associated funding reduced or required. The following alternatives are available to the City Council: 1. Discuss the Short Range Transit Plan and defer any action regarding Transit fleet purchases until the Short Range Transit Plan process is complete; 2. Direct staff to include additional areas be included in the Short Range Transit Plan evaluation; 3. Provide direction to staff regarding the Transit fleet; 4. Provide alternate direction regarding the Short Range Transit Plan process. Staff recommends Alternative Nos. 1 and 2. SR6Transit/04-17

5 5 SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION I move that staff include the following additional areas in the Short Range Transit Plan evaluation: SUMMARY The City is currently engaging the community and industry consultants in the development of a Short Range Transit Plan to maximize resources, increase efficiencies, provide sustainable transit operations, and best meet the unique needs of the Simi Valley community. The Plan will address all areas of transit services including the fleet and route configuration. Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the Short Range Transit Plan, and defer any action regarding transit fleet purchases until the Short Range Transit Plan process is complete. Sommer Barwick, Director Department of Community Services Prepared by: Jennifer Mellon, Deputy Community Services Director Jeri Cooper, Senior Management Analyst INDEX Page Exhibit 1 Short Range Transit Plan Work Scope Summary... 6 Exhibit 2 Public Open House Flyer... 7 SR6Transit/04-17

6 6 EXHIBIT 1 How can we make getting around Simi Valley & the region easier for you? Share Your Ideas at the Short Range Transit Plan OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, May 23 Daytime Open House: 1-3 PM Evening Open House 5-7 PM Library Community Room 2969 Tapo Canyon Rd Simi Valley, CA Drop in any time during the open houses to talk directly with our planning team, mark up our maps and tell us what you think. If you need a ride to the Open House, all SVT routes serve the library. Or call for a Dial-A-Ride reservation. Free public transit rides available upon request. What changes would you like to see to Simi Valley Transit? More direct transit routes within Simi Valley? Expanded hours of service? More options for carpooling and vanpooling? Better connections to Metrolink and VCTC routes? More bike routes and facilities? A transportation option that works for YOU? Please drop in anytime during an open house and tell us what is important to you. For more information call

7 February EXHIBIT 2 City of Simi Valley Short Range Transit Plan Work Scope Summary The following is the detailed work plan for developing a Short Range Transit Plan for Simi Valley Transit. The tasks are organized into three phases: I. Market research including stakeholder interviews, focus groups, an onboard survey, and community open houses. II. III. Strategy development including service, fare, organizational, fleet, marketing and financial sustainability strategies. Short Range Transit Plan preparation. Phase I: Market Research In the first phase of the Short Range Transit Plan, the Mobility Planners team will collect extensive qualitative and quantitative data in order to 1) fully understand existing conditions; and 2) provide the necessary input to formulate and analyze the organizational structure, service, fare, fleet, and marketing in the second phase of Short Range Transit Plan. This will lead to recommendations for a financially sustainable Simi Valley Transit over the next five years and beyond. As illustrated in the diagram to the right, our approach has a focus on both the existing and future customer of Simi Valley Transit. The first site visit will be a two-day visit and will include the kick-off meeting with Simi Valley Transit staff to refine a more detailed scope of work to fully meet the needs of Simi Valley. The Mobility Planners team will ride all fixed route buses and observe ADA Paratransit/Dial-A-Ride operations to experience transit operations from the customer viewpoint. Stakeholder interviews will be held with human service agencies, City staff and City Council members to receive direct input on the key issues to be addressed in the Short Range Transit Plan process. The second site visit by the Mobility Planners team will be for four days and we will: Conduct four focus groups with Simi Valley fixed route riders, ADA Paratransit/Dial-A-Ride riders, Simi Valley non-riders who work within Simi Valley, and Simi Valley residents who commute outside of Simi Valley. Hold two community mobility open houses to receive input from Simi Valley residents and businesses. 1

8 February Conduct a passenger onboard survey and ridecheck to collect data on trip patterns, demographics, and bus passenger loads by time of day. Meet with groups of drivers, both fixed route and ADA Paratransit/Dial-A-Ride. Conduct the second round of stakeholder interviews with participants that represent the diverse market segments who utilize Simi Valley Transit or might utilize it in the future. The stakeholder interviews will include human service agencies, City Council members, and others that will identified in the kick-off meeting. A financial sustainability workshop with key City of Simi Valley staff. This will be a half-day workshop where the status quo financial trends over the next five years will be provided. The best practices for meeting farebox recovery ratios from other California transit agencies will be reviewed and presented in a working paper prior to the workshop. The workshop will set out the likely range of choices that the City of Simi Valley should consider for more detailed analysis in Phase II. During the stakeholder interviews, especially with City Council members, the team will receive input on the overall goals and vision for Simi Valley Transit. We then will propose a set of performance metrics that can be utilized to evaluate the strategies in Phase II of this project. After the market research and initial public input is complete, a presentation will be made to the City Council on the key findings of the Phase I effort. The type of strategies and the analysis needed in the next phase of the Short Range Transit Plan will be clearly identified. A draft set of goals, performance measures and performance standards will be one of the items presented at the first City Council meeting. Phase II: Strategy Development Our approach to this second phase of the project is to develop alternative financial sustainability, service, fare and marketing strategies that will lead to improved service efficiencies, more effective passenger communications, and sustainable funding. In short, these strategies should build ridership and enable Simi Valley Transit to be financially sustainable into the foreseeable future. The qualitative and quantitative data collected in Phase I, including citizen input, will be utilized to inform the development of strategies. Significant project resources will be devoted during the Short Range Transit Plan process to determine which financial sustainability strategies are best suited to Simi Valley Transit. Unless financial sustainability is fully addressed, many of the other areas of analysis for the Short Range Transit Plan will not be meaningful or productive for the future of Simi Valley Transit. The type of financial sustainability options will include: Service planning options to maximize potential ridership and fare revenues. The analysis will also evaluate service efficiencies of both fixed route and ADA Paratransit Dial-a-Ride by time of day utilizing the performance metrics reviewed and adopted by the City Council at the end of Phase I. There are a number of industry examples of new service strategies that can enhance 2

9 February revenues including community service routes for seniors and disabled, vanpools and commuter express services. Some of these options would require Simi Valley Transit to conduct business in different ways. Fare alternatives will evaluate the recent fare increase and the potential for changes in pricing that could potentially generate more fare revenue over the next five years. Expansion of partnerships has been a very effective strategy for achieving financial sustainability by other transit agencies. Every potential opportunity will be explored. Marketing strategies will be developed for enhancing Simi Valley Transit s communications and marketing efforts, and for capturing the ridership potential of each service. Structural and policy changes include potential organizational changes for administrative and service delivery efficiency, as well as revisiting service delivery policies for demand response services. This also includes additional cost controls to lower the cost per vehicle service hour. Service alternatives to the fixed route route structure and schedule will be based on the facts gathered in Phase 1 and will be derived from the market research effort and the financial sustainability analysis. Importantly, any changes to fixed route service supply will be tested to determine how it would affect the sustainable operating financial plan. This may or may not require the reallocation of resources to achieve financial sustainability objectives. It is common knowledge that the population is aging and the need for ADA complementary paratransit and Dial-A-Rides services is continuing to grow. At approximately $70 per passenger trip for each Dial-A- Ride trip, the challenge of this analysis will be to serve Simi Valley seniors and disabled individuals in the most cost-effective manner. This will include a review of operations, staffing levels, trip scheduling, vehicle deployment and service delivery methods, including the potential for targeted use of Lyft/Uber type services for some trips. In other areas, a strong regional transportation program can make a significant different in achieving the 20% farebox recovery requirement for fixed route services. In neighboring Santa Clarita, they have a very strong commuter express program to several areas of the Los Angeles area with a 36% farebox ratio. For some transit agencies commuter express bus services exceed 50% farebox recovery. Combining the higher farebox recovery of commuter express service with the lower farebox recovery of local routes, it s just one of many strategies employed by transit agencies to exceed the average 20% farebox recovery required for fixed route service. The fleet analysis will utilize data collected in Phase I to determine how frequently and at what times of the day empty buses are operating. The analysis will explore the optimal bus fleet for the recommended service plan. Maintenance practices will be reviewed to determine if additional efficiencies can be achieved. Technology advances are increasingly available to improve customer real time information with mobile app applications, provide ridership data monitoring tools, increase Dial-A-Ride dispatching efficiency, and improve maintenance practices. The Mobility Planners team will review the City of Simi Valley's needs, priorities, and existing systems and provide a memo outlining the current status of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure, and develop initiatives that have the potential for fulfilling 3

10 February the City's goals. This will be developed with a full and practical awareness of technologies that are on the market. Preliminary recommendations from the review of alternatives described above will be provided in a succinct memorandum. After being reviewed in a workshop with City of Simi Valley staff, a presentation on the key findings and recommendations will be made to a community and stakeholder workshop. All individuals who participated in the open houses, focus groups, onboard survey, and stakeholder interviews will be invited to attend. In addition, posters will be placed on the buses, and a brief news release will be prepared. However, our experience has shown that invitations to previous participants is the key to having attendance at such a workshop. A presentation on the key findings and recommendations will be made to the City Council in a study session format. Comments from the community and stakeholder workshop will be provided. The City Council can determine which of the recommendations they want and do not want included in the Short Range Transit Plan. They can also ask for additional information or analysis on particular recommendations before determining whether a recommendation is carried forward to the draft Short Range Transit Plan. It is important to emphasize that this is a collaborative and interactive process with significant opportunity for community and City Council input at each phase of the plan development. Phase III: Prepare Short Range Transit Plan Phase III is the development of the Short Range Transit Plan document. Many of the sections from the Phase I and Phase II reports can be utilized as chapters and sections of the Short Range Transit Plan. During this task we will transform these interim products into the flow of the Short Range Transit Plan. Given the overall focus of this Short Range Transit Plan, a complete Financial Plan Chapter will need to be prepared. There will be important inputs from input received from the first two City Council meetings. The overall operating and financial plan will incorporate all of this input in a cohesive Short Range Transit Plan chapter. Other chapters will include existing and future transit needs, goals and performance standards, fixed route service plan, demand response service plan, fare analysis and recommendations, marketing and communications, and action plan by plan year. After the administrative draft is reviewed and comments are received from the City of Simi Valley staff, they will be incorporated into a public review draft report of the Short Range Transit Plan. This will be made available for public review for a comment period specified by the City of Simi Valley, but is typically 30 days. Public input and comments on the draft Short Range Transit Plan can also be provided when the documented is presented to the City Council. Contract Amount: $124,814 Schedule: Key schedule milestones are shown on the following page. 4

11 11 TASK/Sub-task Phase I Market Research 1.1 Kickoff site visit and stakeholder interviews Round Preparation for 4-day site visit 1.3 Conduct 4-day site visit 1.4 Profile of existing services and performance 1.5 Financial sustainability workshop/advance memo 1.6 Review of goals and performance standards 1.7 Exisiting Conditions/Market Research Report City Council Meeting #1 Phase II Develop and Analyze Alternatives 2.1 Evaluate financial sustainability alternatives 2.2 Analyze fixed route service alternatives 2.3 ADA/DAR service alternatives 2.4 Regional transportation alternatives 2.5 Fare analysis 2.6 Transit technology evaluation 2.7 Communications and marketing 2.8 Fleet and fleet services evaluation 2.9 Phase II Report and Community Outreach Stakeholders/community workshop City Council Meeting #2 Phase III Prepare Draft and Final SRTP 3.1 Complete chapters of Short Range Transit Plan 3.2 Draft and Final Short Range Transit Plan Administrative Draft SRTP Public Review Draft SRTP City Council Meeting # Final SRTP document Review Time On-Site Time Simi Valley Short Range Transit Plan Schedule Mar-17 Apr-17 May-17 Jun-17 Jul-17 Aug-17 Sep-17 Oct-17 Nov-17 Dec-17 Jan-18 Feb-18 Mobility Planners LLC