Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Access EC Rider TDP - August Draft Report — reading text

system must be accessible by all modes of travel. The costs for additional right-of-way and land needed must also be considered in addition to infrastructure costs.  Economic development – Access to transportation for employment is a basic component of economic development. The County needs to consider how to provide cost-effective transportation for low-income workers. Effective transit will not only attract businesses but also tourists.  Areas with high traffic congestion – The US 98 corridor, SR 85 south of Crestview, and Eglin bypass between Brooks Bridge and Beal Parkway were noted as areas of high traffic congestion. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 60  Section 4 – Public Involvement  Important passenger amenities – Safe shelters, benches, park-and-ride lots, and technologies such as GPS and real-time bus tracking are important.  Potential rider markets – Markets include major lodging, shopping, and entertainment areas/downtowns, the more urbanized areas, and employment centers. Key residential areas include Crestview and Destin and areas in which lower-income persons live, though it was commonly noted that service to residential areas should be secondary to commercial areas.  Funding – Transit should be funded by users/tourists (explore possible TDC charge/tax), municipal funding, grants and advertising revenue, and public-private partnerships. General taxes (property taxes, sales tax, etc.) were not noted as optimal funding sources. There was caution about charging people for transit who do not use the system. A breakdown of the stakeholder responses of how to fund transit is shown in Figure 4-9.  Innovative strategies to consider – It was suggested to look at Europe and other areas with successful systems to see how they work, though it was noted that many of these more successful systems are in larger cities. Public-private partnerships are an important strategy.  Level of public support for transit – Mixed views were given. The stakeholders would like to support transit, but, at the same time, they do not want to overwhelm taxpayers. There needs to be a better understand the community’s feelings about transit to assess political support.  Community goals – These include decreasing traffic congestion, particularly in high-tourism areas; better attracting major employers/spurring economic development; improving overall quality of life; better return on public investment. Figure 4-9: Stakeholder Responses on Transit Funding How to Fund Transit? General Fund 9% Self-supporting 46% TDC Taxes 18% Partnerships 27% ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 61  Section 4 – Public Involvement Operator Discussion Group Workshop and Survey An in-person discussion group workshop was held with five EC Rider operators on January 6, 2016, and six operators provided comments via a written surveys. This input was important, as it provided a perspective on transit needs and frequent challenges based on bus operator experiences. Key findings from the collective feedback provided by the operators include the following:  More frequent service – The need for more overall frequent service was noted by several operators.  Issues with dispatch – One driver noted the need for better communication. Dispatch is difficult to contact, and voice communications often are broken.  Issues with on-time performance – It was noted in several surveys and during the discussion that customers often complain about on-time arrivals. One operator noted that it is difficult to complete Route 1, which links the College to the Uptown Station, in the scheduled 30 minutes. School buses and school zones also impact the on-time performance for Route 1. Route 5, which serves the Okaloosa County Court House in Fort Walton Beach, which has long waits that effect on-time performance.  Understanding of bus schedule – One operator noted that customers often complain that the bus schedule is too difficult to understand. Riders do not understand terms such as “inbound” or “outbound.”  Need for weekend and later service – Providing service on Saturdays as well as later service to 8:00 PM, 10:00 PM, and 12:00 midnight were suggested.  Safety – Lighting at bus stops is insufficient, which poses safety and security issues. The Mariner Plaza stop on Eglin Parkway is dangerous, as vehicles do not anticipate the bus stopping.  Regional connectivity – Transit connections between Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa counties were suggested.  New express service – The need for express service from Silver Sands to Harborwalk was noted.  Expanded service area – The service area needs to include the Heather Glen Apartment Complex, a Section 8 housing complex; routes 2 or 3 possibly could be extended to service this area. Routes 11 and 12 ceased operations due to funding cuts, but citizens are calling for these routes to be reinstated. Route 14 provides limited service to Crestview, thereby limiting the Shalimar area to Route 14. Local service that stops here is needed, particularly near the intersection of Eglin Parkway and Erwin Fleet Road, the location of the Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s office, Meigs Middle School, a shopping center, Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel, and several banks and restaurants. One driver noted that more direct routes are needed from the Uptown Station to various places.  Redundant route – Route 30 should be revised, as not enough riders use it in the coastal Destin area (Destin Point). The route could loop around the commercial area near Main Street/Legion Drive/ and Beach Drive. The redundancy on Silbert Avenue should be eliminated while still serving the Destin Community Center. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 62  Section 4 – Public Involvement  Bus stop improvements – One operator survey noted the need for more shelters and benches. During the discussion session, an operator noted that the bus stop bench at Walmart (748 Beal Pkwy NE, Fort Walton Beach) needs a shelter (see Figure 4-10). The first run for Route 2 is at 7:10 AM, which is a problem for the property owner. The stop could be relocated to the Post Office. Route 2 needs a stop on Hollywood Boulevard and Memorials Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. Route 4 currently stops there, as shown in Figure 4-11. Figure 4-10: Bus Stop Location at Walmart in Fort Walton Beach Walmart Bus Stop Image Source: Google Earth Figure 4-11: Bus Stop on Hollywood Boulevard and Memorial Parkway, Fort Walton Beach Image source: Google Streetview  Interlined routes – A Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamp office is located at 450-G Racetrack Rd NW in Fort Walton Beach across the street from a Walgreen’s Pharmacy. Routes 2, 3, and 5 service this area, but the timing and the stops are not on the same interlined portions. This creates issues for riders who are transferring routes. For example, if a rider uses Route 3 and gets off at Walgreen’s, he/she has to wait on Route 3 to be picked up from that ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 63  Section 4 – Public Involvement same stop. The Route 5 bus runs along the same route configuration, but it does not stop at all of the same stops as Route 3. It is a timing issue as to which stops are used as time points on the routes. The issue is that people see the same bus system on the same segment without getting the same services.  Rider satisfaction – The operator’s perception is that riders enjoy the safety of the buses, the fare structure, the drivers, and the comfort of the bus.  Marketing needs – Crestview could benefit from marketing, as there is a lack of awareness of the transit system in this area. Discussion Group Workshops To gather input on EC Rider’s services in a more intimate setting, separate discussion groups were held with current transit riders versus non-riders to obtain input from both perspectives. Rider Discussion Group Workshop A discussion group workshop was held with long-term users of the EC Rider system on February 17, 2016, at the Fort Walton Chamber of Commerce Office. Participants were recruited by EC Rider staff. An introduction of the TDP process was provided, as was an overview of the discussion group agenda. After introductions of attendees, the discussion guide was used to obtain input from the participants. The following is a summary of the major themes identified from the input received during this discussion group workshop. General Experience Using EC Rider Services  Positive comments included that most drivers know their routes and try to help, the service provided is usually good, and there is a need for more service (frequency and area).  Noted challenges included that some drivers drive too fast, some speak rudely about passengers after they depart, and dispatchers need a better understanding of connections riders need. Regarding Route 33, the first run to Destin is good, but after that it takes too long (express on first run, broken into three routes and requires transfers thereafter). ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 64  Section 4 – Public Involvement Areas with Traffic Congestion  Congestion is a problem for Routes 1 and 2, causing delays and making riders wait for connections or miss the bus entirely.  Returning from Destin can be delayed, sometimes by quite a bit, especially in the summer.  System does not adapt well to rerouting if available.  Dispatcher helpfulness can be questionable. For example, for a Route 2 deviation, the driver can call in a deviation and wait for a connection, but the dispatcher does not relay this to other drivers.  There is a need for a