Quad Cities Coordination and Consolidation Analysis October, 2017 MetroLINK CitiBus
STUDY PURPOSE To explore further coordination and/or consolidation opportunities to enhance regional transit services.
Why Consider Coordination? Eliminate redundancies Reduce costs Economies of scale Increase political and public support Maximize capital investments Better customer service Increase ridership Expand service area Access to opportunities QUAD CITIES Transit Coordination Coordination and Consolidation and Consolidation Study Study MetroLINK CitiBus
EXISTING CONDITIONS Information Gathering Stakeholder Interview Peer Review
Stakeholder Feedback MetroLINK service quality CitiBus route restructuring Davenport transit levy Lingering issues from previous arrangement No perceived regional transit advocate
Quad Cities Transit Profile 2017 Current Conditions MetroLINK CitiBus BT* Total Buses 58 19 6 Peak Buses 46 15 3 Budget $17,330,000 $6,801,000 $1,260,000
Peer Review Evansville, IN (METS) Decatur, IL (DPTS) North Little Rock, AR (CATA) Topeka, KS (TMTA) Ft. Wayne, IN (Citilink) Springfield, IL (SMTD) Rockford, IL (RMTD) Peoria, IL (CityLink)
Peer Review Annual Unlinked Trips 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 Annual Unlinked Passenger Trips, NTD 2016 3,354,584 3,028,220 2,502,741 1,688,955 1,756,873 1,767,024 1,797,322 1,954,716 1,155,180 1,228,300 1,267,963 500,000 0
Peer Review Annual Operating Expenses $ Millions 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 $5.4 $5.5 Total Operating Expenses, NTD 2016 $60/capita $6.0 $6.0 $12.1 $12.3 $10.5 $10.5 $133/capita $13.5 $16.0 $17.5 4 2 0
Peer Review Operating Expense per Hour $180 $160 Operating Expense per Revenue Hour, NTD 2016 $157 $140 $120 $100 $80 $60 $66 $77 $79 $97 $102 $103 $106 $106 $119 $123 $40 $20 $
Peer Review Passengers per Hour 30.0 Passengers per Revenue Hour, NTD 2016 27.1 25.0 20.0 17.0 17.1 17.4 18.4 19.4 19.5 20.8 21.6 22.2 15.0 14.3 10.0 5.0 0.0
Peer Review Summary Both systems are preforming well relative to peers (high number of passengers per mile and per hour) Both systems are achieve an average cost per revenue hour indicating efficient operations No red-flags were raised from the peer review
OPPORTUNITIES Governance Operations Maintenance Fare Structure Technology Procurement Service Planning Paratransit Marketing & Branding
Governance Pursue coordination of services through mutual agreements rather than consolidation into a single transit agency. Establish a Regional Transit Coordinating Council (RTCC) to identify coordination topics and develop work plans for implementation. RTCC comprised of MetroLINK, CitiBus, BT and regional decision makers from the business community Action oriented and supportive of mutual regional priorities
Operations Consider contracting CitiBus operations, dispatch, and on road supervision to MetroLINK. MetroLINK responsible for all facets of operations City of Davenport responsible for personnel functions Staff position employed by the City of Davenport to oversee agreement Arrangement through IGA or contract for service Allows for option to conduct service and route planning Implementation may be impacted by Iowa-Illinois Memorial (I-74) Bridge construction
Maintenance Consider contracting CitiBus maintenance to MetroLINK. MetroLINK has state of the art facilities, potential capacity, and large number of dedicated staff MetroLINK could become responsible for all fleet and vehicle maintenance
Fare Structure A unified fare structure across Quad Cities transit systems should be established. Unified fare structure in addition to the $1.00 base fare Regional Quad Cities monthly pass Compatible farebox technology (if not consistent)
Technology Procurement and deployment of technology could be integrated through an intergovernmental agreement (IGA). Automated vehicle locators Computer aided dispatching Scheduling software Automatic passenger counters (APCs)
Procurement Implement joint procurement of vehicles, vehicle technology, mobile phone applications, and planning studies. Economies of scale Consistent regional technologies
Service Planning The parties should consider participating in a regional planning review of existing transit routes. Thorough OD study to identify where people are traveling and the magnitude of travel between the two states Identify high-volume forced transfer trips that may be eliminated
Paratransit for Seniors and Disabled Consideration should be given to consolidating federallymandated ADA services into a single service, including participant ADA eligibility assessment. Single eligibility process Single call center Regional service provision
Marketing & Branding A consistent public transit message could be developed in the Quad Cities region. Unified branding is unnecessary for further coordination at this time, but could be a long term goal in the region. Ongoing messaging campaign amongst systems Elevating the transit platform is beneficial for all entities Focus initial efforts on other coordination priorities Single unified brand could be considered in the long-term
Financial Implications Governance Operations Maintenance Fare Structure Technology Procurement Service Planning Paratransit Marketing & Branding RTCC Expanded MOMC Capacity Eliminate duplicative functions I-74 bridge construction? Economies of scale Effects on revenue Regional consistency Economies of scale Improved regional connectivity Schedule efficiencies Administrative efficiencies Enhanced eligibility assessments Robust effort
CONCLUSIONS MetroLINK and CitiBus representatives recognize the positive benefits of closer coordination Implementation of opportunities identified will require a concerted and dedicated effort Recommendations can be implemented incrementally Quad Cities region will be well served by greater coordination among the transit agencies
NEXT STEPS Formalize process to establish regional transit coordinating council Prioritize regional coordination initiatives Develop initiative implementation plans
QUESTIONS?