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

alternatives were reviewed and finalized by the Steering Committee, each alternative was evaluated using the process summarized above. The detailed results of the evaluation are presented in Table 8-3. Evaluation Results Each service alternative was scored based on the criteria and thresholds identified previously and then ranked based on the score. Table 8-4 shows the rankings of each TDP service alternative for the Access EC Rider TDP. These rankings identify the priorities based on the evaluation methodology used and will be used to assist in development of the implementation plan for the TDP alternatives. Table 8-3: Rankings of 10-Year Transit Service Alternatives Rank Proposed Improvement Reordered by Rank Score 1 Eglin Beach Bullet Express 5.60 Add one additional evening trip to existing routes 5.40 2 Add Saturday service to existing routes 5.40 Increase Frequency on Routes 1, 3, 4, 5, 14 with 4 4.80 realignments 5 Navarre-Uptown Station Express 4.70 Destin Circulator – (replaces Routes 30 and 32) 4.50 6 Crestview Circulator 4.50 Niceville-Destin Commons Express 4.50 9 Hurlburt Connector 3.60 Hurlburt Internal Circulator 3.00 10 Wright Flex 3.00 12 Eglin Internal Circulator 2.40 ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 144  Section 8: Alternatives Evaluation Table 8-4: Results of Alternatives Evaluation ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 145  SECTION 9: 10-YEAR TRANSIT PLAN The purpose of the Access EC Rider TDP is to provide a direction for transit service improvements in Okaloosa County over the next 10 years, from FY 2017 through FY 2026. This direction was developed through extensive public outreach, assessment of existing services, consideration of growth projections, and past performance of transit in Okaloosa County. The Access EC Rider TDP will be used to continue to focus improvements on transit service to make progress towards achieving Okaloosa’s vision of “… being the best small transit system in Florida by delivering a well-balanced multimodal transportation system…” (refer to Section 6 for full Vision Statement). To accomplish this, a 10-year Cost Feasible Plan was created for the Access EC Rider TDP to implement the top priorities previously identified over a 10-year planning horizon. This section outlines the recommended 10-year Cost Feasible Implementation Plan developed for the Access EC Rider TDP. First, the recommended cost feasible services and capital plan to support the funded service plan for the next 10 years are summarized. Thereafter, a summary of the assumptions for capital and operating costs used in developing the 10-year costs and revenues for the recommended plan are presented. Finally, the financial and implementation plans for the recommended 10-year period are presented. In addition to the service and capital improvements identified in the Cost Feasible Plan, the unfunded needs are also identified as part of the implementation plan. Access EC Rider TDP Cost Feasible Priorities The funded improvements included in the Access EC Rider TDP were determined after an extensive public outreach program. Improvements fall into three major categories:  Service Improvements  Capital Improvements  Policy/Other Improvements Each category and the prioritized improvements are described below. Cost Feasible Service Improvements  Add One Additional Evening Trip to All Routes – Current transit riders identified later service on existing routes as a key need. This service improvement proposes to extend service by one evening trip on all routes, which would extend the nightly service span by one hour for most routes. Under the alternatives evaluation process, this improvement tied with adding Saturday service to all existing routes as the second highest priority. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 146  Section 9: 10-Year Transit Development Plan  Add Saturday Service to All Existing Routes – From the on-board surveys, bus operator surveys, and public workshops, EC Rider users identified the need for Saturday service on several EC Rider routes as another high priority. Therefore, it is proposed to add Saturday service to all existing routes.  Eglin-Destin-Niceville Service Improvements – To provide better efficiency, Routes 30 and 32 are recommended to be realigned and combined to create a new Destin Circulator. This eliminates transfers within Destin and increases frequencies by eliminating the Okaloosa Island segment. The proposed Eglin Beach Bullet Express service complements the Destin Circulator by providing a seamless connection from Fort Walton Beach to Destin, Route 20 in Okaloosa Island, and Miramar Beach in Walton County. The proposed Niceville-Destin Commons Limited Express fills a transportation gap for commuters who live in the Niceville area and work in Destin. The route could start at a proposed park-and-ride facility located at the Niceville City Hall and stop at a second park-and-ride facility before the Mid-Bay Bridge and end at the Destin Commons, where commuters can then connect to the proposed Eglin Beach Bullet Express, existing Route 33, and the proposed Destin Circulator. o The Destin Circulator service is proposed to operate 12 hours per day Monday through Friday, with 20-minute headways during the peak season. o The Eglin Beach Bullet Express service is proposed to operate 12 hours per day Monday through Friday with 60-minute headways. o The Niceville-Destin Commons Limited Express is proposed as a commuter express, operating two AM and two PM trips, Monday through Friday.  Crestview Circulator Flex Route – Reintroducing a flex route in Crestview was a highly- favorable improvement noted during the transit alternatives survey, and transit service in Crestview was noted frequently throughout the public involvement process as a critical mobility need in this more-rural area of Okaloosa County. Therefore, it is proposed to add a flex route to circulate in Crestview along major commercial arterials and downtown, providing connections to the Courthouse, Crestview Community Center, Okaloosa County Jail, and Walmart. This route would operate hourly using two buses weekdays for 12 hours per day, with up to 4 deviations per bus. The flex route would then connect to existing Route 14 at Crestview City Hall to provide connecting service to Fort Walton Beach.  Eglin Internal Circulator – Discussions with stakeholders and policy leaders, coupled with input from riders and non-riders, let to the determination of a need to provide more widely- available transit service within Eglin Air Force Base. To minimize security clearance issues, a circulator is proposed to operate internally within the Base, allowing passengers to connect to the proposed Eglin Beach Bullet. The Eglin Internal Circulator is proposed to operate hourly for nine hours per day on weekdays. Table 9-1 summarizes the characteristics for the new service improvements recommended for the 10-year Access EC Rider TDP implementation plan. The new frequencies and service spans resulting ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan 147  Section 9: 10-Year Transit Development Plan from improving the existing routes will vary by route and are therefore not included in the table. It should be noted that extending service by one trip in the evening and adding Saturday service to existing routes will not require any additional buses. Table 9-1: New Service Improvement Characteristics Operating Characteristics Service Improvement Service Span Day of # of New Frequency (hours) Service Buses Needed Eglin-Destin-Niceville Service Improvements 20 min Destin Circulator 12 5 1 (summer) Eglin Beach Bullet Express 60 min 12 5 2 2 AM trips Niceville-Destin Commons Limited Express 3 5 2 2 PM trips Circulator Flex Crestview Circulator Flex 60 min 12 5 2 Internal Circulator Eglin Internal Circulator 60 min 9 5 1 Cost Feasible Capital Improvements The capital improvements to support the service plan presented previously to enhance EC Rider operations are summarized below; these improvements are based on needs identified through the TDP development process as well as input from Okaloosa County staff:  Vehicle Replacement/New Vehicle Program – The 10-year capital plan includes the replacement of transit and support vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life during the 10-year period, as well as new vehicles needed to provide new services included in the 10-Year Cost Feasible Plan.  Bus Stop Infrastructure Program – Bus stop infrastructure (including shelters, benches, and signage) and safety/access improvements are needed to ensure that the rider’s experience accessing the stop and waiting for the bus is pleasant, safe, and comfortable.  Establish park-and-ride lots/shared-use locations – To support services provided by the proposed Eglin Beach Bullet and Niceville-Destin Commons Express, it is proposed that two