Guidebook for Evaluating, Selecting, and Implementing Suburban Transit Services (2006)

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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2006 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP REPORT 116 Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation Subject Areas Public Transit Guidebook for Evaluating, Selecting, and Implementing Suburban Transit Services URBITRAN ASSOCIATES, INC. New York, NY I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H CAMBRIDGE SYSTEMATICS Chicago, IL KITTELSON & ASSOCIATES Portland, OR PITTMAN & ASSOCIATES San Francisco, CA CENTER FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH Tampa, FL

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro- duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran- sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state- ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni- cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro- grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi- nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran- sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. TCRP REPORT 116 Price $30.00 Project B-25 ISSN 1073-4872 ISBN-13: 978-0-309-09864-9 ISBN-10: 0-309-09864-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2006934473 © 2006 Transportation Research Board COPYRIGHT PERMISSION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 116 Robert J. Reilly, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Christopher W. Jenks, TCRP Manager Gwen Chisholm, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Beth Hatch, Editor TCRP PROJECT B-25 PANEL FIELD OF SERVICE CONFIGURATION Will Scott, Will Scott and Company, LLC, Cincinnati, OH (Chair) Manjiri G. Akalkotkar, VIA Metropolitan Transit, San Antonio, TX Wilfred L. Beal, Saginaw Transit Authority Regional Services, Saginaw, MI Jerome Beasley, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA Murthy V. A. Bondada, Atlantic Transportation Engineers, Inc., Winter Garden, FL Edmond Chin-Ping Chang, EDCPC, Inc., Potomac, MD Steven R. D’Antonio, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Philadelphia, PA Catherine C. Dennis, Delaware Transit Corporation, Wilmington, DE Ronald Downing, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District, San Rafael, CA Mark I. Pritchard, Dutchess County Loop, Poughkeepsie, NY William Wiggins, FTA Liaison Peter Shaw, TRB Liaison AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under TCRP Project B-25 by Urbitran Associates, Inc., in association with Cambridge Systematics, Kittelson & Associates, Pittman & Associates, and the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida. Marlene Connor, Senior Vice President Transit Services, Urbitran Associates, Inc., was the principal investigator. The other authors of this report are Jim McLaughlin of Urbitran Associates, Chris Kopp of Cambridge Systematics, Paul Ryus of Kittelson & Associates, Donna Pittman of Pittman & Associates, and Joel Volinski of CUTR. C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

TCRP Report 116: Guidebook for Evaluating, Selecting, and Implementing Suburban Tran- sit Services examines the current status of suburban transit services and land-use environ- ments and the relationship between the two. Types of suburban transit services include commuter, route deviation, demand response, circulators, shuttles, and vanpools. Also, the guidebook describes the emerging trends that significantly influence the availability and operation of suburban transit services. This report updates information presented in TCRP Report 55: Guidelines for Enhancing Suburban Mobility Using Public Transportation and presents the latest research results and issues related to suburban transit services. This information will be useful to transit profes- sionals and policy makers in planning and implementing suburban transit services. The companion document to the guidebook is a final report that includes eight detailed case studies: Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (Detroit, Mich- igan); Metropolitan Council and Minnesota Valley (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota); Tri-Met (Portland, Oregon); South Metro Area Rapid Transit (Wilsonville, Oregon); King County Metro (Seattle, Washington); Capital District Transportation Authority (Albany, New York); Broward County Transit (Broward County, Florida); and Regional Transit District (Denver, Colorado). The case studies describe the types of suburban transit services offered; the types of operational issues; the funding arrangements; the marketing program; the performance-measurement program; and the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from introducing suburban transit services. The companion report also includes quantita- tive and qualitative decision matrixes. The companion report is available online as TCRP Web-Only Document 34 at http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=6526. During the past 30 years, new suburbs have emerged at greater distances from central business districts. These suburban land-use environments have not generally been con- ducive to provision of transit services. However, suburban areas are changing dramatically: the suburban population is becoming more economically diverse, the aging population is increasing, and the transit-dependent community is growing. Consequently, the need for suburban transit services has grown. In past years, transit districts have introduced a variety of transit services in suburban neighborhoods, including vanpools, dial-a-ride, shared-ride taxi, flex service, neighbor- hood circulators connecting with fixed-route service, and extended fixed-route service. The success of these services has varied. Information on the most effective methods of serving suburban needs can be used by the transit industry to improve market share and produc- tivity in the biggest potential market area—the suburbs. F O R E W O R D By Gwen Chisholm Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

In the years since publication of TCRP Report 55, land use and its relationship to transit services has changed as contemporary suburbia has extended beyond the older suburbs. The research confirmed that the land-use connection with suburban transit services is primar- ily based on local policies, which are substantially influenced by the availability of local funding. This report provides updated information and guidance on the latest developments in suburban service options and attributes. Urbitran Associates, Inc., in association with Cambridge Systematics, Kittelson & Asso- ciates, Pittman & Associates, and the Center for Urban Transportation Research, reviewed trends and developments of suburban transit services and recent land development. The research team identified and described suburban land-use environments and appropriate transit service strategies; established a methodology with evaluation criteria to determine best practices in providing suburban transit services; conducted the approved case studies; and documented the success and the lessons learned regarding the provision of suburban transit services.

C O N T E N T S 1 Chapter 1 Introduction to Suburban Transit Services 1 Overview 1 Summary of Findings 3 Chapter 2 Tools, Techniques, and Technology for Suburban Service Development 3 Understanding Regional Activity Patterns 4 Features of Suburban Transit Services 4 Established Suburban Transit Services 4 Fixed Route 4 Deviated Fixed Route 5 Demand-Responsive Service 5 Subscription Service 5 Innovative Suburban Transit Service 5 Transit Services and the Activity Space 6 Land-Use Assessment 6 Density 6 Diversity 6 Design 7 Deterrents to Driving 8 Chapter 3 Preliminary Case Study Findings 9 Key Issues and Trends 10 Assessment of Practices 15 Chapter 4 Detailed Case Study Findings 15 Case Study Research Methodology 17 Overview of Results 18 Chapter 5 Results and Performance Evaluation 18 Analysis of Land Use versus Transit Service and Operating Performance 23 Analysis of Performance Measurement versus Demographics, Service Delivery, and Pedestrian Network 23 Demographics 23 Service Delivery 23 Pedestrian Network 23 Findings 26 Relating the Land-Use Analysis to the Transit Performance Measurement Analysis 26 Activity Surface Example 29 Analysis of Passengers per Revenue-Hour versus Transit Use Factors 30 Establishing Performance Measurement Programs

32 Chapter 6 Lessons and Conclusions 32 Operating Environments 32 Measurement and Evaluation Processes 32 Innovations 33 Future Research