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

help identify non-productive stops and/or route segments. The following technology improvements were identified for EC Rider for the next 10 years: o Fixed-route management software o Automatic Vehicle Location System (APTS) o Real Time Traveler Information at proposed transfer center or water ferry terminal as expansions are implemented. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 136  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation  Continue vehicle replacement and acquisition – Vehicle replacement and acquisition is the most important component of transit capital for EC Rider. With the proposed increase in service frequency on selected routes and new route service, Okaloosa County should evaluate its vehicle replacement and acquisition plan and plan accordingly to continue its bus replacement/acquisition program. Pending financial feasibility, it is also recommended that alternative‐fuel buses be purchased as part of vehicle replacement and service expansion recommended for the next 10 years. It is important to note that vehicle technologies are evolving rapidly and technologies should be reassessed prior to making the investment decision at that point in the future.  Enhance sidewalk connectivity to Crestview train station – Contingent on the return of passenger rail, a sidewalk improvement program should be implemented to ensure safe and attractive connectivity from the Crestview train station to the proposed Crestview Flex service and Route 14. Figure 8-2 shows a sidewalk gap between the Crestview train station and the path needed for a pedestrian to access the Crestview Flex service and Route 14. Figure 8-2: Crestview Train Station Image source: Google Streetview ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 137  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation Policy/Other Improvements Other potential improvements include various general improvements that are not necessarily route-specific or capital-related. These improvements are drawn primarily from input on public involvement efforts performed as part of the development of the Access EC Rider TDP. The improvements include the following:  Enhance EC Rider bus schedule – Input from bus operators indicate that a major complaint is the difficulty in understanding the bus schedule. EC Rider should consider hiring a firm that specializes in creating easy-to-read bus schedules and maps.  Rebrand EC Rider – The Okaloosa-Walton TPO has initiated an effort to hire a public outreach consultant for a rebranding effort. A County decision on a phased effort to rebrand EC Rider is expected soon. A rebranding effort backed by marketing will create a distinct identity from the former Okaloosa County Transit brand. Input from the Access EC Rider TDP public outreach process indicated that a rebranding of EC Rider services is needed, as current branding and marketing seem to reinforce EC Rider as an unknown service. Rebranding would help EC Rider to conduct more targeted marketing to attract new, discretionary transit riders with a more user-friendly and appealing image and advertising.  Expand EC Rider’s transit marketing program – Marketing and public education are perhaps the most difficult tasks for public transportation systems, primarily due to the lack of available resources. It is recommended that EC Rider continue to expand its marketing program for residents and visitors in Okaloosa County, including enhancing current activities such as summer bus promotion programs, patron mailing lists, and presentations. Contingent to the return of passenger rail in the Gulf Coast, EC Rider should ensure the bus schedule information is available at the Crestview train station. In addition, EC Rider should improve Internet-related marketing and develop social media channels such as Facebook. These activities are critical investments in the long-term development of the public transportation system. Another part of the expanded marketing program would be to engage members of the business community to encourage them to become more proactive in providing travel choices for their employees. Employers like the Emerald Grande have expressed an interested in establishing a partnership with EC Rider to provide access for employees to the jobsite due to transportation costs and parking shortage. By providing employees with free bus passes, these strategies also could increase demand for establishing park- and-ride lots in Okaloosa County.  Promote/expand transportation demand strategies: o Vanpooling – WFRPC operates and manages the rideOn program for FDOT District 3. rideOn currently serves as FDOT’s District 3 Commuter Assistance Program (CAP) in the 10 western counties of the District, including Okaloosa. According to the Florida-Alabama TPO Congestion Management Process Plan, businesses in the ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 138  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation western Florida gulf coast resort communities of Destin and South Walton have had difficulty attracting and retaining service employees, especially during the busy tourist season. Restaurants, hotels, and stores along the coast needed workers, but potential employees can't afford the area's increasingly high housing costs. Many workers who do accept positions have commutes of an hour or more and often work hours outside of the traditional work week when transit service is provided. The difficulties increase for workers who lack reliable transportation. Turnover and absenteeism have been high. o Modify land development regulations – Land use and transportation, when planned for concurrently, lead to more efficient land use and transportation networks. The County should encourage and possibly guide other local governments in modifying their policies and regulations by adopting more multimodal supportive land uses and land development regulations to enhance the overall transportation network and connectivity within the county. If local governments are on board to participate in a transit-supportive framework, such as Destin has demonstrated (see example in Figure 8-3), this will help Okaloosa County make rapid and significant progress in integrating transit into such major developments. Therefore, Okaloosa County should engage in planning ongoing and potential major developments to ensure that land development policies and land development codes require transit infrastructure to support existing and potential and foster transit services that will benefit the residents and tourists by increasing their choices for transportation. Figure 8-3: City of Destin Building Orientation Regulations Promoting Walkability ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 139  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation  Voucher program and app for ridesourcing – The Emerald Grande is currently exploring the option of partnering with a ridesourcing company to help their employees access their workplace. Several transit agencies nationwide have partnered with ridesourcing companies, such as Uber, for first- and last-mile connections to benefit transit riders. These transit agencies implemented programs which cover a portion of the rider’s trip. A ridesourcing application can be developed in conjunction with a ridesourcing subsidy to assist riders using transit for these first-and last-mile connections  Planning recommendations: o Explore funding mechanisms to fund transit on military bases – Okaloosa County could evaluate different local revenue funding sources such as a local option gas tax, local option sales tax, or transit impact fees to fund the proposed internal circulators and routes connecting to the military bases. o Explore expansion of tourist development taxes to fund water ferry – Okaloosa County could explore the expansion of the existing bed tax on hotels or create a special assessment district in the tourist areas to fund transit that is catered to the visitors. o Explore potential locations for Transit Signal Priority (TSP) – This study should be tied to the proposed APTS and expanded services. This could be implemented in a 5–10 year timeframe. Corridors that could especially be looked into and were noted as congested during the public involvement process are US 98 in Fort Walton Beach and Destin, SR 85 south of Crestview, and the Eglin bypass between Brooks Bridge and Beal Parkway. o Conduct a Fixed-Route and Paratransit Route Efficiency Review – o Conduct a Comprehensive Operation Analysis (COA) – Upon implementation of the TDP alternatives, a COA study should be used to evaluate more in-depths the EC Rider system to optimize system/route efficiency and use of resources. Alternatives Evaluation Process This section summarizes the methodology/criteria used to evaluate the service alternatives developed for the Access EC Rider TDP. Because a number of alternatives are identified that serve different geographic areas and varying service levels, a uniform methodology was created to evaluate the alternatives. The resulting rankings are intended to be used as a guide for planning and implementing the cost feasible plan using existing and/or new funding sources. Three evaluation categories were developed for determining criteria for the evaluation public outreach, transit markets, and productivity and efficiency. Table 8-1 lists these evaluation categories, their corresponding criteria, the associated measure of effectiveness, and the assigned weighting for each criterion. A description of all the elements in the table follows. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 140  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation Table 8-1: Alternatives Evaluation Measures Overall