National Academies Press: OpenBook

Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services (2004)

Chapter: APPENDIX C - BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF REPORTED FLEXIBLE SERVICES

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Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX C - BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF REPORTED FLEXIBLE SERVICES." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23364.
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Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX C - BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF REPORTED FLEXIBLE SERVICES." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23364.
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Page 67
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX C - BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF REPORTED FLEXIBLE SERVICES." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23364.
×
Page 67
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Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX C - BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF REPORTED FLEXIBLE SERVICES." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23364.
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54 APPENDIX C Brief Descriptions of Reported Flexible Services Demand-Responsive Operation: Reservations made by 2:00 p.m. the previous day and at least 24 h in advance are guaranteed. Others are served on a space-available basis. DEMAND-RESPONSIVE CONNECTOR SERVICES Capital Area Transit, Raleigh, North Carolina Service Name: CAT Connector. Description: Demand-responsive connector service in zones replaces most fixed routes evenings, nights, and early mornings. One urban area has daytime demand- responsive connector service. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 for demand-responsive service, $0.50 for the fixed route on the island. Tri-Met, Portland, Oregon Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request pick- ups within the zones by calling dispatch at least 1 h in advance. Passengers boarding at transfer points inform the driver of their desired drop-off location at the time of boarding. Service Name: Cedar Mill Shuttle. Description: During peak periods, a demand-responsive connector provides service to and from a transit center approximately every 15 min. Demand-Responsive Operation: Most trips are repeat trips by registered passengers. Reservations are also ac- cepted a day ahead and up to 30 min before service if space is available. Basic Adult Fare: $0.75 (same as regular fixed-route ser- vice). METRO Regional Transit Authority, Akron, Ohio Basic Adult Fare: Same as other services, $1.30 for one zone or $1.60 for multiple zones including transfer privileges. Service Name: Night zones. Description: At 12:00 midnight and 12:30 a.m., four buses leave the downtown transfer center and at 1:00 a.m., three buses leave downtown. Each bus serves all the stops normally served by routes in one sector of the ser- vice area. Winnipeg Transit System, Winnipeg, Manitoba Service Name: DART. Description: Demand-responsive connector service is in four zones with established drop-off locations. Three zones operate evenings, Saturday morning, and all day Sunday. One zone operates middays on weekdays and all day Saturday. DART operates in areas or times with low demand and or circuitous street patterns. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers board the bus assigned to the sector that includes their desired destination stops and inform the driver of their desired stops. Each driver makes up a route that covers the re- quested stops. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 (same as regular fixed-route ser- vice). Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request drop-offs when they board at the transfer point with the fixed-route system. Drop-offs are mostly limited to marked stops. Pick-ups at home are requested by calling the drivers (one per zone) via cell phone at least 30 min in advance. Pierce Transit, Tacoma, Washington Service Name: Key Loop, Orting Loop. Description: A demand-responsive connector operates in rural areas, using vehicles that are a part of the paratran- sit system so that no resources are used if there are no calls for service. Basic Adult Fare: $1.75 (transfers between DART and fixed-route buses are free). Demand-Responsive Operation: All rides must be booked 1 to 5 days in advance. FLEXIBLE-ROUTE SEGMENTS Basic Adult Fare: Free (local bus service costs $1.25). Note: After the research for this project was completed, the Key Loop was replaced by Route 113 Bus Plus, which serves 9 scheduled stops and 16 request stops, with service every 2 h. Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, Texas Service Name: Route 67 Bishop Driscoll. Description: A route connecting two rural communities with downtown Corpus Christi makes scheduled pick- ups at one location in one community and two in the other, and also operates in demand-responsive mode within the area of the two communities before proceed- ing to a scheduled terminus in town. The process is re- versed for outbound trips. Sarasota County Area Transit, Sarasota, Florida Service Name: SCAT About. Description: Service to Venice Island is provided by one fixed route and a demand-responsive connector that meets the fixed route once an hour at a transfer point.

55 Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Burnsville, Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request de- mand-responsive pick-ups by calling a dispatcher up to 1 h before the scheduled pick-up time. Minnesota Service Name: Local Route 440. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 for all trips. Description: A conventional fixed route has eight stops near the route that are served only by passenger request. The request stops serve major destinations that have poor pedestrian accessibility from the regular route. Lane Transit District, Eugene, Oregon Service Name: Diamond Express. Demand-Responsive Operation: Pick-ups must be re- quested by phoning the dispatch center at any time be- fore the bus arrives in the area. Drop-offs may be re- quested with the driver on the bus. Description: A route connecting a rural community to Eugene–Springfield provides curb-to-curb, demand- responsive drop-offs and pick-ups within Eugene– Springfield for the midday runs only. Basic Adult Fares: $1.25 non-rush hour, $1.75 rush hour. There is no surcharge for deviations. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers inbound from Eugene–Springfield from rural areas can tell the driver on the midday run where they want to go in the urban area and also schedule a pick-up for the return trip. POINT DEVIATION Central Oklahoma Transit and Parking Authority, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Basic Adult Fare: $2.50 (no extra charge for curb-to-curb service). Service Name: METRO Link. Description: Point deviation services replace fixed-route services nights and Sundays in five zones, and operate all day in one outlying area. REQUEST STOPS Demand-Responsive Operation: Buses make scheduled stops at a very limited number of fixed points. Pick-ups are scheduled by calling dispatch by 4:00 p.m. the pre- vious day. Decatur Public Transit System, Decatur, Illinois Service Name: Decatur Public Transit System. Description: Two routes provide scheduled service to two off-route stops at peak times and by request at other times. Basic Adult Fare: $1.25 per zone to maximum of $2.50 per trip (local bus fare is $1.25). Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers call dispatch for a pick-up or request a drop-off with the driver. Re- quests are accepted on short notice as long as there is enough time to schedule the deviation. Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Fort Worth, Texas Basic Adult Fare: $0.75 (no extra charge for request stop service). Service Name: Rider Request. Description: Demand-responsive service in specified zones, with two to three scheduled stops in each zone, mostly at transfer points with fixed routes. Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, Virginia Demand-Responsive Operation: Demand-responsive ser- vice scheduled by subscription and requests made through a dispatcher at least 1 h in advance. Service Name: HRT On Call. Description: Short segments on two routes are operated only in response to riders’ requests. Basic Adult Fare: $1.25 (same as local bus fare). Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request on- call service at most 30 min and at least 15 min in ad- vance either by calling dispatch or requesting directly with the driver. Note: This service was discontinued in 2003 after several years of operation. One remaining Rider Request ser- vice operates as a demand-responsive connector. Basic Adult Fare: $1.50 (no extra charge for request stop service). River Valley Metro Mass Transit District, Kankakee, Illinois Mason County Transportation Authority, Shelton, Washington Service Area: Bourbonnais Flex. Description: A route serves two end points and one other stop at scheduled times, and demand-responsive re- quests within the village of Bourbonnais. Service Name: Mason Transit. Description: Rural routes covering very long distances re- quire a call ahead or request on the bus to serve certain stops that are off the highway or hard for the driver to see. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request pick- ups by calling dispatch at least 1 h in advance; drop-offs may be requested on board the bus at the time of board- ing. Buses serve demand-responsive request by stop- ping at the nearest corner. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers call dispatch or request a drop-off with the driver. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00. There is no surcharge for devia- tions. Basic Adult Fare: Free within Mason County, $1.00 for regional routes (no surcharge for call/request stops).

56 Basic Adult Fare: Free within Mason County, $1.00 for regional routes (no surcharge for deviations). ROUTE DEVIATION ARC Transit, Palatka, Florida Metropolitan Transit Development Board, San Diego, California Service Name: Ride Solution. Description: Four rural intercity routes and one route within the city of Palatka are constructed on the basis of the needs of the human services agencies and are all available to the general public at any published stop without a reservation. Service Name: Routes 961–964. Description: Four routes will deviate up to one-quarter mile. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request de- viations through dispatch at least 2 h in advance or with driver on the bus. Buses will deviate to any loca- tion in the designated deviation area that can be safely served. Demand-Responsive Operation: The human services agency component operates in demand-responsive mode (primarily based on subscriptions) between the bus stops. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00. Demand-responsive service is sponsored by participating human services agencies for their clients. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 METRO Regional Transit Authority, Akron, Ohio Greater Richmond Transit Company, Richmond, Virginia Service Name: Town Center Routes. Description: Four routes serving outlying portions of the county can deviate up to one-half mile from the route. Deviations are not publicized and are provided at the driver’s discretion. Service Name: Chesterfield LINK. Description: Routes serve a suburban jurisdiction with demand-responsive deviations within three-quarter mile bands around the routes. Service for the general public and ADA paratransit is provided by the same routes. Demand-Responsive Operation: Most deviations are sub- scriptions. Requests for deviations can be made with 24 h notice. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviation requests are made through a dispatcher at least 1 day in advance. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00. (This service was discontinued in July 2003.) Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Burnsville, Minnesota Madison County Transit, Granite City, Illinois Service Name: Madison County Transit. Service Name: Flex Routes 420 and 421. Description: Local fixed routes are modified on selected trips to accommodate ADA paratransit subscription rid- ers. Description: Within a suburban transit network, two routes operate on established routes within zones that define permissible deviations ranging from roughly one- quarter mile to 1 mile. The routes serve low-demand, spread-out areas. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviations are sched- uled only on a subscription basis. After research for this project was completed, MCT began a point deviation service called EZ Ride, consisting of general public dial-a-ride, serving a geographically defined zone, in- cluding eight fixed points within a zone and three more outside the zone. All trips must be reserved by tele- phone at least 2 h in advance. Each pick-up or drop-off away from one of the 11 fixed points adds $0.50 to the $1.00 base fare. Demand-Responsive Operation: Pick-ups must be re- quested by phoning the dispatch center at any time be- fore the bus arrives in the area. Drop-offs must be re- quested with the drive on the bus. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 on route, $0.50 off-route sur- charge. Napa County Transportation Planning Agency, Napa California Mason County Transportation Authority, Shelton, Washington Service Name: St. Helena and Yountville Shuttles. Description: Route deviation services are provided in two small towns, operated by the countywide operator in re- sponse to local preferences. Both services connect to a regional route. Service Name: Mason Transit. Description: Rural routes covering very long distances al- low deviations to the extent that they can be accommo- dated in schedules. Drivers have discretion on whether to accept a deviation, and policies about the extent of deviations are informal. These deviations plus general dial-a-ride serve the general public—there is no sepa- rate ADA paratransit. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviation requests are made by phoning 20 min in advance. Deviations are provided anywhere within each of the two towns. Ottumwa Transit Authority, Ottumwa, Iowa Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request de- viations through dispatch at least 1 h in advance or with the driver on the bus. Service Name: Ottumwa Transit Authority. Description: Small town fixed-route service provides lim- ited deviations near the routes to accommodate custom-

57 ers with special needs and reduce dependence on para- transit. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviations are re- quested at least 10 min in advance by calling dispatch or asking the drivers, who radio dispatch for final ap- proval. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00. No extra charge for deviations. Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, Woodbridge, Virginia Service Name: OmniLink. Description: Areawide local transit service consists of scheduled routes that deviate up to three-quarters of a mile. Demand-Responsive Operation: Off-route pick-up re- quests are made by calling dispatch at least 2 h in ad- vance. Passengers are picked up within a few blocks of their requested location. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 on route, $2.00 off route. Note: Off-route surcharge was added in October 2003. There is no off-route surcharge for elderly and disabled riders. St. Joseph Transit, St. Joseph, Missouri Service Name: St. Joseph Transit. Description: A network of routes serves the city of St. Jo- seph. Deviations are available to any safe address in the city. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviations can be scheduled by calling dispatch at any time before the de- sired time of service, by subscription, or with the driver at the time of boarding. Basic Adult Fare: $0.50 plus $0.10 per deviation. Tillamook County Transportation District, Tillamook, Oregon Service Name: Deviated Fixed Route. Description: Rural routes with flag stops and an informal deviation area. Demand-Responsive Operation: Deviation requests can be made through dispatch at least 2 h in advance or with the driver at the time of boarding. Basic Adult Fare: $1.00 per zone (maximum three zones). There is no surcharge for deviations. ZONE ROUTE Mason County Transportation Authority, Shelton Washington Service Name: Mason Transit. Description: One trip per day leaves from Shelton (the principal city of the county) and provides drop-offs and pick-ups within demand-responsive corridor defined by natural barriers and the road network. Most trips are to or from Shelton. Demand-Responsive Operation: Passengers request service in advance through dispatch. Pick-ups and drop-offs are at passengers’ homes and at informal meeting points. Basic Adult Fare: Free.

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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 53: Operational Experiences with Flexible Transit Services examines transit agency experiences with “flexible transit services,” including all types of hybrid services that are not pure demand-responsive (including dial-a-ride and Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit) or fixed-route services, but that fall somewhere in between those traditional service models.

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