Short Range Transit Plan 2008-2013 - Omnitrans

IBI GROUP
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN REPORT
OMNITRANS COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT
& SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
Measurability. Each service design guideline should be measurable using reliable data that are currently
available, or using data that are planned to be collected in the future.
Quantify All Service Design Guidelines. Guidelines should be quantifiable and objective. Guidelines
should not be open to subjective interpretation.
Ease of Implementation and Monitoring. The service design guidelines should be straightforward for
Omnitrans to implement and monitor on a continuous basis.
Provide Guidelines that are Practical and Easy to Implement. The guidelines should lend themselves
to consistent and continuous application by Omnitrans to identify transit services needing further
investigation for possible adjustments.
Cost-Effectiveness. The service design guidelines should ensure that all transit services in the region
are as cost-effective as possible.
Responsiveness to Changes in Urban Form. The service design guidelines should reflect the
changing needs of communities for transit services as they reach various levels of urban development.
Provide Guidelines for the Provision of Transit Coverage in New Developments. The guidelines
should include evaluation criteria for requests to introduce transit service in new development areas.
6.3 Productivity/Coverage Tradeoff
Public transit is a means to an end. That end is the safe transport of people to places where they need or
want to go. This fundamental role for transit cannot be lost in the operation, administration and planning
of public transit services. Public transit not only provides an alternative for those with mobility choices,
but often serves as the sole source of mobility for the transit-dependent.
Publicly subsidized transit must balance efficiency with equity. That balance is reflected in competing
productivity and coverage goals. The productivity goal maximizes the number of passengers carried per
revenue hour, while the coverage goal maximizes equitable access to all parts of the community. A
transit service that emphasizes productivity concentrates the majority of revenue hours along high-density
corridors and/or during peak hours when the majority of the public travels. A transit service that
maximizes coverage ensures equitable coverage in both high- and low-density areas and during peak
and off-peak hours. The subsidy cost per passenger is lower and farebox recovery is higher with a
productivity-oriented system than with a coverage-oriented system.
At one time, the establishment of a balance between productivity and coverage goals was a value
judgment. In the FY 2006-2011 Omnitrans SRTP, the Omnitrans Board approved a 65%
productivity/35% coverage goal for the allocation of annual Omnitrans revenue hours. With high
operating costs, a farebox recovery ratio fluctuating above and below the minimum TDA 20% farebox
recovery ratio, and the establishment of a 25% systemwide farebox recovery goal, a
productivity/coverage goal is no longer appropriate for Omnitrans. Although a 25% farebox recovery ratio
has been established for Omnitrans fixed route and OmniLink services, a range of farebox recovery ratios
has been recommended for various service categories by time period (refer to Sections 6.6.1 and 6.6.2)
to facilitate the operation of less productive “coverage” routes.
6.4 Service Deployment Standards
New Service Warrants provide a tool for judging when new services or service extensions are
appropriate. A new fixed route or route extension and/or OmniLink Service could be introduced when
ridership forecasts based on population, school enrollment, or job density are sufficient to achieve
minimum revenue recovery ratios by service type. New services should be introduced on a trial basis and
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