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From page 51... ... 51 4.1 Introduction This synthesis report includes case examples from five agencies whose responses to the survey suggested that there was a lot to be learned and that they represented a diversity of agencies by redesign status, geographic location, agency type, and agency size (Figure 19) Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... 52 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns MDOT MTA Figure 19. Map of agencies included in case study. Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... Case Examples 53 up to the COA, Connect Transit had been investing in technology, such as adding automated passenger counters (APC) , mobile bus tracking, and trip planning software on the agency website, and was focused on improving internal and external customer service. Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... 54 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns had a COA website where the public could review material and provide comments. Bus operator input was also collected around alignment options and run times. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... Case Examples 55 provided through rider guides handed out by staff at public engagement sessions at busy locations such as libraries and the United Way. Connect Transit's customer service hotline provided riders with new trip plans; this was particularly important for the first few weeks since Connect Transit's online trip planning software was temporarily unavailable due to the switch over of AVL companies. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns were added to each route, which had not been in practice before. Additionally, Connect Transit was switching AVL companies and decided to time the switch to coincide with the system launch to make a clean data break between the old and new system and the AVL data. Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... Case Examples 57 projected to continue. For a period leading up to 2006, COTA struggled with troubled finances, service cuts, and aging equipment in the face of regional growth. Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns Public and Stakeholder Engagement COTA's public engagement around its system redesign was extensive and prolonged. Initial public outreach began in 2014. Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... Case Examples 59 the end of 2014 the COTA Board of Trustees adopted the new system framework along with the addition of more service in downtown. In 2015, the service plan went out for public hearings and approval. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns and a half before the launch, COTA also had agency staff out on the streets with the street teams the two days preceding and the day of launch not only to provide extra on-the-ground support, but also as a demonstration of the agency's investment in the redesign and its impact on riders. In addition to the TSR project manager position, COTA added an additional communications position. Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... Case Examples 61 end of the line layovers, turnarounds, and intersection improvements. These projects were supported by strong communication with municipalities since much of this work was in public rights of way or in some cases on private property. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns preferences, and outreach to the public and bus operators on proposed solutions. Recommendations under BNIP were ultimately put on hold; however, an opportunity to revive it allowed the data to be processed and analyzed, and the opinions collected and assessed, to form the basis of the BaltimoreLink vision and the service planning efforts throughout the BaltimoreLink project. Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... Case Examples 63 coverage, Plan 2 maximized coverage and avoided the need for transfers where possible, resulting in less frequent routes. High frequency service was preserved on the CityLink routes, but not beyond those. Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... 64 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns The days of and surrounding the launch required an all-hands-on-deck approach to be able to address any issues in real-time and provide as much information to the public as possible. For the first 2 weeks following the launch of the new system fares were free not only on the bus network but the subway and light rail as well. Read the entire page →
From page 65... ... Case Examples 65 Vision and Goals The King County Council adopted the METRO CONNECTS long-range vision on January 23, 2017. The 25-year long-range plan was an opportunity for Metro Transit and its partners to address the large growth that is occurring and projected to occur in the region and to define a transit future that supports the day-to-day transit needs of the community. Read the entire page →
From page 66... ... 66 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns modes (shuttles, vans, and rideshare) , and provide highly usable services without necessarily increasing the overall bus service hours in that area. Read the entire page →
From page 67... ... Case Examples 67 restructuring outreach is made up of three phases: a needs assessment, an assessment of alternatives, and the review of the draft service changes. Restructuring outreach will focus heavily on reaching the riders of the service that is being restructured and less on the general public. Read the entire page →
From page 68... ... 68 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns time for three phases of public outreach and the service planning that informs outreach and is informed by it. Twenty phases, each with 18-month planning timeframes, require overlap and/or concurrent execution of phases to implement in an 8-year timeframe. Read the entire page →
From page 69... ... Case Examples 69 COA, the plan was a comprehensive evaluation of the bus system at a route and system level with the intention of making sweeping changes to redefine the overall bus network structure for the first time in more than 20 years. Since then there had been a lot of changes in the operating environment, the city and region's development patterns and density, and the completion of the rail network. Read the entire page →
From page 70... ... 70 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns engagement through mySidewalk and social media, and pop-up meetings at rail stations. At the study outset, people were asked what they would like to see in terms of changes to bus service, and later in the study they were asked to weigh in on draft recommendations to see if the plans would meet their needs. Read the entire page →
From page 71... ... Case Examples 71 envisions moving to TNCs instead of the on-call zones for zones that currently have extremely low ridership, on the order of about 10 riders per day. The System Plan also took into consideration a hypothesis that TNCs are hurting ridership on certain routes -- largely those that run through areas with higher density, a younger demographic, and where there are lots of apartments. Read the entire page →
From page 72... ... 72 Synthesis on Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns the recommended service; while this has not held back the implementation of service changes, it is costing the agency additional overtime pay and occasional missed runs. The agency is not sure if the cause of the challenges is a function of the labor market or one of the labor agreements; in Texas no collective bargaining agreements are allowed, so the contract with the operators is not a union contract. Read the entire page →

From page 51...

... 51 4.1 Introduction This synthesis report includes case examples from five agencies whose responses to the survey suggested that there was a lot to be learned and that they represented a diversity of agencies by redesign status, geographic location, agency type, and agency size (Figure 19)