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

regional connection to Panama City, Santa Rosa Beaches, and Escambia County; this will help draw riders and have been a topic on the buses somewhat regularly. Community Awareness of and Support for Transit  Non-riders do not know about the service, and there have been few new riders over the last few years. There is some seasonal ridership on the island, but no long-term growth. There seems to be little or no external marketing, which means that current riders and drivers are the main marketing targets; this is not very effective in attracting new riders. Perception of Transit’s Role in the Community  The service is just a small local service that, while good, is very limited.  Most riders seem to be going to work or medical appointments.  There are a lot of construction workers using the system, which could be due to limited parking at sites or the prohibitive cost of driving. Longer service hours and more direct routes could help workers. There was suggestion to consider taxi registration to help raise money.  Transit should be marketed to tourists, but this does not seem to be happening. New/Different Areas of Service to Explore  High priority improvements include increased frequency, adding Saturday and (perhaps limited) Sunday service, providing more express bus routes, and better bus stop locations and amenities.  Medium priority improvements included providing service later in the evening.  There is a need to improve/increase service to the County Courthouse, County Fairgrounds, and in Niceville and Destin.  More connections should be provided between Niceville and Destin.  More express routes and trolleys (seasonal and for high-tourism areas) should be provided  Different services should include more bikes and safety strategies, as some bikers avoid certain areas, and vanpools.  There should be a more multimodal approach (walking, biking, etc.) to transportation.  A water taxi should be considered. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 65  Section 4 – Public Involvement Funding  There is a need to better leverage current funding and consider a mix of sources so it is more capable of providing needed services. The community would be more willing to fund transit if they saw a better future system.  A Regional Transit Authority (RTA) discussion may make some sense to meet certain needs. Non-Rider Discussion Group Workshop A discussion group workshop consisting of non-riders was held on February 18, 2016, at the EC Rider offices. Attendees from local government, workforce, economic development, and military organizations were invited to participate in the discussion. Similar to the rider discussion group workshop, an introduction of the TDP process was provided, as was an overview of the discussion group agenda. After introductions of attendees, the guide was used to facilitate a discussion on existing and future transit service in Okaloosa County. The following is a summary of the major themes identified from the input received during this discussion group workshop. Perception of Current Role of Transit in the Community  Transit is visible at the military base gate, but many think it is paratransit for citizen employees and retiree medical appointments.  It seems to be a “stealth” system, mostly invisible to the residents.  One participant used it once and was 1.5 hours late to work and found the system difficult to navigate as a first-time rider.  The services do not run late enough to consider using them.  Transit could be used from Miramar Beach to Destin, if feasible.  The system seems to lack adequate funding and is doing the best it can. Community’s Use of Transit  Transit is too difficult to use; most people would rather opt for something easier and less frustrating.  Some might use it with free passes.  Cost does not seem to be a big factor for those who need it.  Military personnel hardly can use the system; however, some might use it if really available. Of note is that Eglin Air Force Base is not walkable once you get there, so internal issues may limit external use of transit to the base. Tourists continually ask about bus services/stops, so there is a market there if the service was designed to meet their travel needs. New/Different Areas of Service to Explore  Express lanes are needed, and maybe even monorail on US 98. There is too much traffic for the bus stay in traffic lanes to make a difference in travel time. Perhaps shoulders could be used for transit. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 66  Section 4 – Public Involvement  Perhaps the County should think out of the box and design a good water taxi service. There are two or three private water taxis now (each carrying 6–12 passengers), but regularly-scheduled service with safe stops, more capacity, and higher speeds would help. The current water taxis take mostly residents to bars/restaurants and return them home. Tourists would use them if they went where they want to go and served hotels and locations where tourists typically stay.  Better-looking buses are needed.  There is a lack of pedestrian connections except inside major destinations (resorts, centers, etc.).  As parking garages are being developed in Destin and elsewhere, there should be better partnerships to co-locate transit stops and services, park-and-ride facilities, etc. Also, overall, better locations for stops should be considered as well as an amenities improvement plan. With capital funding, it should be easier than expanding service operations.  Service is needed to Walton County and the route along SR 85 to/from Crestview should be improved.  Better bus wraps are needed.  Improving the image of and using trolleys in more communities should be considered.  Maps should be available at libraries and other public locations.  Technology improvements are desirable, such as with GPS and other applications for smart phones and real-time arrival information. Funding  Ideally, use of a gas tax makes sense, but it may be appropriate to consider other taxing options.  Improving service means thinking of various sources such as a tourism development tax, advertising, and private businesses. Additional Comments  Although seasonal employees and tourists have the biggest impact on congestion, it was noted that the snowbird winter visitors are coming to the area more frequently and also impact congestion.  Tourism growth is becoming more limited due to congestion, but the economic impact of the tourists that do come is being limited due to existing congestion.  Okaloosa County has “big city issues with small county philosophies and solutions.” The community needs to be more realistic. There are 85,000 people on only 8 major roads. It is important to start thinking about high-speed options in both north-south and east-west options, as well as new types of transit services such as monorail and ferries.  Military representatives provided the following thoughts: o Retirees come to the base daily and typically drive themselves mostly. o One-third of airmen have no car. o There are limited interior transportation options, although the 33rd flight wing has a shuttle for students with limited and stops. They may allow a survey on the bus, if desired. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 67  Section 4 – Public Involvement o Daily commuters to/from the base was 20,000 in 2010, and continues to rise; parking and access issues continue to grow in severity. o Park-and-ride locations may be beneficial, if planned well. o The VA hospital is just outside the base and the base hospital, with a back door biometric gate access. o Department of Defense truck deliveries and other routine visitors can get escorted and unescorted status, but it requires full back ground reviews and clearance. This is really helpful and may be able to extend to bus operators. o There is a shared-use path from the east to west gates that may be a useful link for bikes on buses. Public Workshops/Open Houses Two public workshops/open houses were scheduled during the initial months of the Access EC Rider TDP development process. The first event was a public workshop held on February 17, 2016, at the Niceville City Council chambers at Niceville City Hall, and the second was an open house at the Building Industry Association of the Okaloosa & Walton Counties Home Show at the Emerald Coast Convention Center on Okaloosa Island on February 27 and 28, 2016. At both events, several display boards demonstrating population and employment density for Okaloosa County and an overview of existing transit services were provided. A hard copy of the online non-rider/public survey also was distributed. The input received via these surveys was combined with the online survey input and is summarized in the Public (Non-Rider) Survey subsection that follows. Once the transit needs were identified, additional public events were held to gather input on the proposed needs and assist in the evaluation and prioritization process. Four open-house style events were held during this second round of public outreach:  Concerts at the Landing at the Fort Walton Beach Landing on June 24, 2016  Okaloosa County Farmers Market at the Fort Walton Beach Fairgrounds on July 1, 2016 ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 68  Section 4 – Public Involvement  Fort Walton Bash at the Fort Walton Beach Landing on July 4, 2016  Christmas in July Craft Fair at the Hedrick Recreation Center in Fort Walton Beach on July 9, 2016 At each event, a map display board presenting the transit alternatives and surveys were provided at the table. The surveys collected at these events were combined with the online needs survey summarized later in this section. Public (Non-Rider) Surveys Two surveys were administered during the public involvement process. The first survey aimed at the general public, including persons who do not currently use the EC Rider system, was administered via the project website and at public workshops/open houses to gather information on the public’s perceptions on transit issues and needs in Okaloosa County. A total of 275 surveys were completed between February and June 2016, including 1 survey in Spanish. A copy of the survey instrument is