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

indicating there is potential room for a fare increase, although other political and socioeconomic factors will also contribute to the decision to increase fares. In addition, a fare elasticity analysis may to be performed to ensure that any proposed fare changes to not have any unfair or discriminatory impacts under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Advertising Revenue Advertising both inside and outside of buses and at bus stops can provide a stream of income for transit agencies to improve or expand services. The amount of revenue to be generated greatly depends on the extent of the program’s reach (i.e., advertisements limited to bus stops versus advertisements placed on the inside and/or outside of buses) and the market in which the service is operating. However, prior to implementing an advertising program, an internal policy should be developed to guide the extent and type of advertising appropriate for the transit environment. Such policies may address:  Maximizing advertising revenue  Preventing the appearance of favoritism  Preventing the risk of imposing demeaning or disparaging views on a captive audience  Maintaining a position of neutrality on controversial issues  Preserving the marketing potential of the advertising space by avoiding content that the community could view as demeaning, disparaging, objectionable, inappropriate, or harmful to members of the public generally or to minors, in particular  Maximizing ridership  Avoiding claims of discrimination and maintaining a non-discriminatory environment for riders  Preventing any harm or abuse that may result from running demeaning, disparaging or objectionable advertisements  Reducing the diversion of resources from transit operations that are caused by demeaning, disparaging, objectionable, inappropriate or harmful advertisements ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 106  Section 5: Situation Appraisal Situation Appraisal Requirements for a 10-year TDP in Florida include the need for a situation appraisal of the environment in which the transit agency operates. The purpose of this appraisal is to help develop an understanding of the transit operating environment in Okaloosa County in the context of the following elements:  Socioeconomic trends  Organizational attributes  Travel behavior  Technology  Land use  Regional  Public involvement  transit issues The assessment and resulting implications are drawn from the following sources:  Results of technical evaluation performed as part of the Access EC Rider TDP planning process.  Review of relevant plans, studies, and programs prepared at all levels of government.  Outcomes of discussions with the Okaloosa-Walton County TPO and Okaloosa County staffs.  Outcomes of public outreach activities. Issues, trends, and implications are summarized for each of the major elements in the remainder of this section. Socioeconomic Trends To better assess the impact of the growth in population on public transportation needs, it is important to understand the trends and markets that could be impacted or may benefit from public transportation services. Key findings from an assessment of socioeconomic trends are summarized as follows:  The average age of Okaloosa County residents is younger than the state average. Higher concentrations of younger persons live in areas of Crestview, and higher concentrations of retired persons live in areas along the coastline.  BEBR’s Florida Statistical Abstract indicates a county population projection of 191,500 people by the year 2020 (6% increase) and 203,600 people by the year 2030 (13% increase).  Based on socioeconomic data obtained from the NWFRPM, the higher population densities in the county continue to be in the coastal areas, especially in the Fort Walton Beach and Destin areas. Crestview is the fastest-growing city, where most of the rapid growth in population in the county is projected to occur between 2015 and 2025.  The older adult population is projected to increase from 15.7% in 2015 to 22.7% in 2025.  Although the county population remains a predominantly white, it is becoming more ethnically diverse. The Hispanic population has almost doubled to 8.5% of the population from 2000 to 2014. This growth in minority populations may represent a potentially growing market of traditionally ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 107  Section 5: Situation Appraisal transit-oriented populations. Minority populations are concentrated in the Wright area and in the southwest quadrant of Crestview.  The percentage of households that do not own a vehicle decreased from 4.1% to 2.0% in 2014. This is correlated with an overall increase in household incomes throughout the county, although the percent of households below the poverty line has increased from 8.8% to 13.4% in 2014.  Major areas of employment are in the Fort Walton Beach area, especially along the coastal areas and the Eglin Air Force Base. Many low-income earners live in Crestview and commute south to their employment in the coastal areas.  Employment in Okaloosa County is and will continue to be the densest in the several areas within Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin. The key growth areas on employment from 2017 to 2026 include the Crestview area, west of Niceville, and the western half of Destin.  The Crestview and Fort Walton Beach areas have the highest Transit Orientation Index (TOI) (see Section 7). The existing bus routes align fairly well with the highest transit orientation areas in Fort Walton Beach, and there are areas of higher transit orientation in Crestview that are currently not directly served by the existing transit network.  The discretionary transit market is principally employment-based, with “high” and “very high” employment density thresholds primarily in Fort Walton Beach, Destin and, to some extent, Crestview. In reviewing the 2025 Density Threshold Analysis (DTA) (see Section 7), the locations of the discretionary market are not anticipated to change, but a shift towards residential-driven ridership could occur as “high” dwelling unit densities are anticipated in Fort Walton Beach by 2025.  According to CareerSource Okaloosa Walton, there are 3,000 foreign employees on J-1 visas working for various companies and all will be without personal transportation. Implications – Okaloosa County should continue to maintain its current services by targeting traditional markets such as those without vehicles and continue efforts to increase its share of discretionary and regional riders, particularly young adults. Growing traditional rider markets such as older adults, Hispanic populations, and transportation-disadvantaged segments may indicate that the county is becoming more transit-supportive. EC Rider already captures major TOI and DTA areas in the Fort Walton Beach area; the exception is in Crestview, where the core areas with a high TOI have a high potential to benefit from a circulator service. The TOI and DTA analyses both reflect a substantial need to for a more robust local bus circulation in the county. In addition, the discretionary market in areas such as high-density population and employment areas in the Fort Walton Beach area and Crestview are anticipated to grow, especially in areas with a moderate level of employment and employment density. Transit service could incrementally expand as population and employment increases. Connecting workers living areas such as Crestview, Shalimar, and Niceville to their ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 108  Section 5: Situation Appraisal jobs in places like the Eglin Air Force Base and the coastal areas should continue to be prioritized through express services like the Wave Express. With more enhanced service to travel between cities and opportunities to connect with other transit systems regionally, public transit may provide a more attractive travel option to potential riders in “captive” markets (older adult, low-income, and minority populations without access to an automobile or who are unable to drive). Travel Behavior An assessment of trends in travel behavior for Okaloosa County indicated the following:  According to the 2009–2013 ACS, the majority of commuters who took transit were ages 16–19 (61.9%). The next largest age group was ages 20–24, representing 9.6% of commuters taking transit. The survey also confirms that low-income households represent the largest group of commuters taking transit, with approximately 90% of commuters making between $10,000 and $24,000 annually.  The majority of commuters taking transit worked in the sales and office occupations (37.2%) followed by military-specific occupations (33.7%).  One-third of military airmen have no car. Retirees come to Eglin Air Force Base daily and typically drive themselves. Military bases typically have limited interior transportation options, although the 33rd Flight Wing has a shuttle for students with limited service and stops. Daily military commuters to/from Eglin was 20,000 in 2010 and continues to rise; parking and access issues continue to grow in severity. Eglin Air Force Base is not a very walkable environment due to its size and layout.  Almost 90% of commuters live and work in Okaloosa County.  Peak transit ridership occurs during the peak summer months of tourism.  Major trip generator and attractors include the Eglin Air Force Base, Destin Commons, Emerald Grande, Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, the Santa Rosa Mall, and the Uptown Station retail establishment.  Other transportation providers include Island Time Shuttle, Sunshine Shuttle, and Uber, which concentrate their service to the core areas of Fort Walton Beach and Destin.  Most tourists travel using their personal vehicle, primarily using one vehicle per household.  Many workers must commute to work on Saturdays, but there is currently no weekend bus service.  Eglin Air Force Base is interested in reducing traffic at the gate and is asking the county for support.  Eglin Air Force Base has an informal ridesharing system on the base, where persons needing rides can press a button and wait for a “good Samaritan” to give them a ride.  The airport is interested in a transit route, and EC Rider is also in the process of identifying a park- and-ride location between the airport and Eglin Air Force Base. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa