Short Range Transit Plan 2008-2013 - Omnitrans

IBI GROUP
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN REPORT
OMNITRANS COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ASSESSMENT
& SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
7.3.1 ACCESS PERFORMANCE AGAINST STANDARDS
Minimum farebox recovery is an important efficiency standard for the provision of Access service. A 12%
farebox recovery ratio has been identified as the target for Access service for the 2008-2013 Omnitrans
SRTP timeframe. Minimum farebox recovery determines the minimum passengers/revenue hour
performance standard. In FY 2006, Access service recovered 13.2% of operating costs through farebox
revenues and carried 2.9 passengers per revenue hour. FY 2006 exceeded the performance target. The
target has been adjusted to reflect fare increases during the 2008-2013 timeframe.
Similarly, the fare increases will result in a decline (adjustment to reflect fare elasticity) of ridership.
However, service hours and miles will remain constant to reflect:
• The need to address Omnitrans’ current initiative of marketing subscription
service/premium fares for agency/program participants. In so doing there is a
need to ensure service availability and guaranteed on-time performance for
monthly subscribers. One key component of marketing subscription
service/premium fares is service reliability and consistency. This will initially
require flexibility (including service capacity) for Access schedulers in the
development of subscription runs (or templates).
• The need to maintain conservative estimates of the level of Access service to
accommodate the demand for service which may decline at a lesser rate than
assumed. The latter may be as a result of fare increases having less of an
impact, a potential growth in program participation in subscription services over
the 2007 to 2009 period, unanticipated outcomes of the County’s Public Transit-
Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan (which again may result in an
increase in program participation in subscription services, and changing/growing
community demographics).
Access productivity is driven by ridership and revenue hours. With an anticipated decline in ridership,
productivity will decline. Under the current Financial Plan, which includes fare increases, the farebox
recovery for Access service is expected to range between 11.9% and 14.6%.
Current Access performance is favorable in terms of its productivity and on-time performance, the latter
being an indicator of service quality. However, the current rate of cancellations and no-shows (7.3% and
6.7% respectively) exceeds the standard and speaks to an excessive amount of revenue service going
unused.
Current Access financial, cost effectiveness and cost efficiency performance is favorable relative to
performance standards. However, the standards have been adjusted to reflect cost allocation, making
direct comparisons in current dollars difficult.
In terms of service reliability, Access is currently experiencing an excessive number of preventable
collisions per miles operated. However, the number of road calls per 10,000 miles operated is some 40%
below the standard.
7.3.2 ROUTES ON PROBATION
The delivery of Access (paratransit) services, including level of service, service area, advance booking
requirements and scheduling parameters, is driven by federally mandated requirements under the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any reductions would require corresponding adjustments to the
fixed route services in order to ensure Omnitrans’ ongoing compliance with ADA.
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