Maintaining Transit Effectiveness Under Major Financial Constraints (2014)

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92 1. I defi ne transit effectiveness in two main categories: slow and steady service improvements and customer focus. In order to make steady improvements, I maintain a very practical, cost-conscious approach to providing the necessary service without the “build it and they will come” mentality. There are so many projects that we could be part of, plus outside pressure (politi- cal and otherwise), that are exciting short-term, but would put us into massive debt and harm the organization long-term. The balance is providing the right amount and appropriate types of service that is desired by the customer by constantly answering the question, “Do we go where our customers want to go?” while making the slow and steady improvements to our system as funding allows. (LBT) 2. The RTA maintains a system of performance measures, several of which are key to measuring transit effectiveness: passengers per vehicle revenue mile and passengers per vehicle revenue hour. We also calculate transit capacity utilization and use that as a measure of transit effectiveness combined with effi ciency. In addition, we look at measures of solvency to ensure there are suffi cient resources to meet budgetary needs. The fare recovery ratio is our primary indicator in this area. The RTA is mandated by state law to maintain a 50% recovery ratio (with certain credits and exclusions allowed in the calculation). We also look at transit effectiveness more broadly in terms of the fi scal health and sustainability of the system from a longer-term 10-year perspective. We have a 10-year fi nancial model that forecasts operating revenue, public funding, and expenses to determine whether the level of service being provided is sustainable. This 10-year outlook is also required by state legislation. (CTA) 3. Transit effectiveness should be associated with performance indicators that measure productivity, effectiveness, and effi - ciency as well as customer service satisfaction. (SJRTD) 4. Transit effectiveness is measured based on some combined defi nition of service provided (in terms of hours, miles, or per- centage), that the transit service area covers the total area, and a measure or measures of the service performance such as passengers per hour. (Palm Tran) 5. Transit effectiveness is defi ned by the agency’s strategic goals: (1) Build and Maintain a Premier Safety Culture and System, (2) Meet or Exceed Customer Expectations by Consistently Delivering Quality Service, (3) Ensure Financial Stability and Invest in Our People and Assets, (4) Improve Regional Mobility and Connect Communities. We evaluate our transit effec- tiveness through performance measures and targets linked to each strategic goal. (WMATA) 6. Provide the most effi cient, productive transit service possible. (UMASS) 7. Connecting people with the places they want to go. Our strategic operations plan, called the 3C’s plan, calls for an operations model of high-frequency corridor service between transit centers and supplemented by circulator service at each transit center. The three C’s: centers, circulators, and corridors. The plan is to provide a series of smaller buses that travel through neighborhoods or other areas and bring riders to the transit centers. There they transfer to another circulator or a corridor route or conduct their business in the vicinity of the transit center. (Salem Kaiser) 8. Boarding rides per service hour and cost per ride. (TriMet) 9. Delivering the level and quality of service in accordance with the agency’s adopted goals and objectives. (Gainesville RTS) 10. Maximizing ridership with available funding. (Nashville MTA) 11. Transit effectiveness is documented delivery of measurable, clearly defi ned, community-supported service goals. (NAIPTA) 12. Providing public transit service that is safe, reliable, effi cient, and popular. Service effectiveness is evaluated by Specifi c, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-phased performance indicators that offer accountability to METRO’s Board of Trustees and taxpayers. (Akron Metro RTA) 13. Ability to effi ciently and effectively carry the most possible people safely. (Go West Transit) 14. Servicing the largest percentage of ridership utilizing selected modes with maximum utilization of drivers and allowable payroll budget. (Galveston Transit) APPENDIX C Additional Responses to Survey Question #6: “In Keeping with the Title of This TCRP Project, How Do You Defi ne ‘Transit Effectiveness?’”

93 15. Providing a broad span of service, tailoring the service density to ridership demand, operating effi ciently, and offering those amenities valued by the customers, while meeting the needs of multiple constituencies both inside and external to the agency. (Centre ATA) 16. Services that meet established performance standards, which include subsidy per passenger and passengers per hour. (Yuma County Transit) 17. Transit effectiveness is moving the highest number of passengers effi ciently and safely. (Foothill Transit) 18. Arlington County’s adopted Master Transportation Plan, including the Transit Element, has several measures of transit effectiveness, including the proportion of the county within walking distance of transit service; progress toward achieving the Primary Transit Network (PTN) objectives on major corridors of an 18-hour service span every day with 15-minute service frequencies; 30-minute peak service frequencies on the Secondary Transit Network (STN); Maintenance of a 35% Cost-Recovery on the PTN and 20% Cost-Recovery on the STN; and Maintenance of 35 Passengers per Revenue Hour on the PTN and12 on the STN. (Arlington Transit) 19. Transit effectiveness is defi ned as a transit service meeting customer demand within a service area by delivering transit ser- vice that maximizes the use of available funding to provide transit service for the community. (North County Transit District) 20. Transit effectiveness should be associated with performance indicators that measure productivity, effectiveness, and effi - ciency as well as customer service satisfaction. (San Joaquin RTD) 21. Transit effectiveness is being able meet the communities’ growing transit demands while effectively and effi ciently manag- ing available resources. (Omnitrans)