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

2 3 4 5 In the third question, respondents were asked to indicate the top three areas/corridors that need more transit services or improvements. As shown in Figure 4-29, the top three areas and roadways identified were US 98, Destin, and SR 85 south of Crestview and Crestview. Figure 4-29: Top three major roads/areas where more transit service or improvements needed Emerald Coast Pkwy (US 98) Destin Miracle Strip Pkwy (US 98) SR 85 S. of Crestview Crestview Other (please specify) Eglin Parkway Mid-Bay Bridge Road Lewis Turner Blvd Eglin Air Force Base Wright US 90 Hurlburt Field 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 79  Section 4 – Public Involvement Respondents also provided additional written comments concerning the need for improved transit service to other locations within Okaloosa and to neighboring counties. Some of those concerns/suggestions include the following:  Establish internal circulation and connector to system outside Eglin Air Force Base.  Restore fixed-route service in Crestview and connection between Crestview and tourism areas and Eglin/Hurlburt bases.  Improve timing and stops in Destin to serve peak hours for workers and tourists.  Employment routes to Destin very important; cut down on traffic on US 98 during rush hour.  US 98 is overly-congested; a more efficient transit system could cut down on this issue. Weekly shuttles to and from the bases from Navarre is a great idea.  Provide better frequency.  Traffic to Destin, Crestview, and downtown Fort Walton Beach is an issue.  Transit is too expensive for taxpayers. Okaloosa County is to spread out for it to be practical. The only area that makes sense for transit is the Destin/Island Beach Areas. Need a fun trolley.  There are many older adults that could use the transit to come and go shopping.  Crestview is a high traffic, large population area. Destin is impassable in the tourist seasons. Transportation is critical. The bases and tourism industry create transportation needs. On-Board (Rider) Survey An on-board survey was conducted in February 2016 to collect socio-demographic information and travel behavior of EC Rider passengers. The surveys were distributed on 60% of EC Rider bus runs for two full weekdays. The survey was distributed as a self-administered, 22-question instrument to all passengers aboard EC Rider bus routes, all of whom received identical surveys. The survey was translated into Spanish for distribution to Spanish-speaking passengers who were not able to complete the English version. The survey was distributed by a team of trained survey personnel; prior to the distribution, an orientation session was conducted to instruct them on duties and responsibilities and to discuss possible issues or concerns they might have while conducting the survey. In total, 118 surveys were completed. A copy of the survey instrument is provided in Appendix B. Survey Characteristics The survey consisted of questions to identify passenger travel characteristics, rider socio-demographics, and customer service satisfaction. Passenger travel characteristics and behaviors were identified by questions that included:  Common reasons for riding the bus  Usual method for reaching the bus  If a wheelchair was used to board the bus  List of bus routes used when taking a one-way trip ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 80  Section 4 – Public Involvement  Number of one-way bus trips typically made per week  Most important reason for riding the bus  Length of time using EC Rider services  Fare type used  Access to other modes of transportation Socio-demographic information was identified by questions that included:  Possession of driver’s license  Primary language  Age  Household income  Race  ZIP code of primary residence  Ethnic origin  Ownership of smartphone/tablet Customer service information was identified by questions that included:  Bus service experience  Recommendations for service improvements  Recommendations for technology improvements  Satisfaction with overall EC Rider bus service Passenger Travel Characteristics and Behaviors Passengers were asked to indicate the type of place had just come from prior to starting their trip on the bus (Figure 4-30). A total of 56% responded that they were coming from home, and 20% responded that they were coming from work. As shown in Figure 4-31, two-thirds of passengers indicated they were coming from ZIP codes 32547 (north Fort Walton Beach/Eglin Air Force Base) and 32548 (south Fort Walton Beach/Okaloosa Island/Santa Rosa Island). Figure 4-30: What type of place are you coming from now? Other, 8% Work, 20% Social/Personal, 4% Shopping/errands , 4% Medical, 3% Home, 56% School, 4% College/technical school, 1% ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 81  Section 4 – Public Involvement Figure 4-31: What is the ZIP code of the place are you coming from now? 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Passengers were asked what mode of transportation they used get to the bus stop (Figure 4-32). The majority (68%) said they walked or used wheelchairs to reach the bus stop, 15% used their bicycles, and fewer than 1% rode with someone. This question also asked passengers to describe how far they had to travel to reach the stop. Of those who walked or used a wheelchair, approximately 90% traveled three blocks or less, 7.5% traveled 4–7 blocks, and 2.5% traveled 8 blocks or more to reach the bus stop. Of those who bicycled, 94% traveled 3 blocks or less, 4% traveled 4–7 blocks, and 2% bicycled 8 blocks or more. Figure 4-32: How do you get to the first bus stop for this one-way trip? Rode w/someone Other, 6.2% who parked, 0.9% Was dropped off, 9.7% Bicycled, 15.0% Walked/Wheelchair,… ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 82  Section 4 – Public Involvement Passengers were asked to list the order of bus routes they used to make the one-way trip the day the survey was taken (Figure 4-33). Most passengers started their one-way journey on Route 20 (22%), 21% began on Route 1, and 16% began on Route 4. These three routes were consistently the top three most frequently-traveled routes on each component of the one-way trip. Figure 4-33: List all the bus routes in the exact order you will use to make this one-way trip. 100% 90% Route 30 Route 32 80% Route 14 Route 30 70% Route 2 Route 14 60% Route 2 Route 30 50% Route 4 Route 4 Route 2 40% Route 1 Route 1 Route 4 30% 20% Route 1 Route 20 Route 20 10% Route 20 0% Route 1 Route 2 Route 3 20 1 4 2 14 30 3 32 19 5 22 8 33 Passengers were asked to indicate the type of place they would be going to after riding the bus (Figure 4-34). The majority indicated they were either going to work (32%) or shopping (errands), indicating that most trips are either home-work or home-shopping/errand-related trips. As shown in Figure 4-35, nearly three-fourths of passengers indicated they were coming from ZIP codes 32547 (north Fort Walton Beach/Eglin Air Force Base) and 32548 (south Fort Walton Beach/Okaloosa Island/Santa Rosa Island). Figure 4-34: What type of place are you going to now? Other, 9% Home, 15% Work, 32% College/technical school, 3% School, 2% Medical, 11% Social/personal, 6% Shopping/errands,… ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 83  Section 4 – Public Involvement