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

Paratransit Trip Purpose (Where are you going?) - 2016 Other, 13% Recreation/Errands, 0% Medical/Dental, 42% Groceries/Shopping, 9% Work/School, 36% Source: WFRPC/OWTPO/Okaloosa County 2016 Paratransit Rider Survey System-wide Trends in Paratransit Efficiency A number of other key performance indicators on efficiency was also reviewed as part of the efficiency assessment of paratransit services provided in Okaloosa. This review was done using the most recent demand response (DR) mode data in the NTD as provided by Okaloosa County as part of their NTD annual reporting. Two key efficiency indicators are revised and summarized below. Figure D-15 shows the operating expense per passenger trip. A lower operating expense per passenger trip generally indicates a better cost efficiency. Operating expenses increased steadily from 2009 to 2012, but began decreasing in 2013, suggesting a recent improvement in efficiency. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan D-38 Appendix D: Fixed-Route and Paratransit Route Efficiency Review Figure D-15: Operating Expense per Passenger Trip $25.00 $22.97 $21.66 $22.37 $20.00 $16.79 $16.45 $15.92 $15.00 $10.00 $5.00 $0.00 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Source: National Transit Database Figure D-16 shows the operating expense per revenue hour. A lower operating expense per revenue hour generally indicates a better cost efficiency. The operating expense per revenue hour jumped from $34.62 per hour in 2010 to $47.77 per hour in 2011 and peaked in 2012 at $48.07 per hour. The operating expense per revenue hour in 2014 has since decreased to almost 2010 levels at $32.51, suggesting efficiency improvements. Figure D-16: Operating Expense per Revenue Hour $60.00 $50.00 $47.77 $48.07 $45.39 $40.00 $34.62 $32.41 $32.51 $30.00 $20.00 $10.00 $0.00 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan D-39 Appendix D: Fixed-Route and Paratransit Route Efficiency Review Efficiency Issues and Opportunities The strengths and weaknesses of Okaloosa paratransit services are presented below in eight categories: customer satisfaction, driver courtesy, provision of a needed service, scheduling, on-time performance, roadcalls, cost, and converting paratransit trips to fix-route service. Data for this review was based on the ananlysis presented previously in this report and data obtained from the 2016 Okaloosa County paratransit survey. Customer Satisfaction The major strength of Okaloosa paratransit services is in the most important area of performance— customer satisfaction. The vast majority of riders (93%) rated the comfort and cleanliness of the vehicles as “very good” to “good”. Similarly, 95% of riders marked “very good” or “good” when asked to rate if the driver provides a safe and comfortable ride. The overall courtesy of the employees was given the same response, with 93% responding with “very good” to “good”. This positive response rate has been increasing since 2014. No negative responses were received from any of the riders surveyed. The overall satisfaction of the services were given high ratings, with 91% of riders responding “very good” or “good”. Only one rider responded “poor”, indicating that Okaloosa paratransit service is providing good service overall. Driver Courtesy Driver courtesy is a reflection of operator willingness to provide excellent customer service. The positive interaction between the riders and the drivers is another strong point of the paratransit performance and a reflection of the high customer satisfaction. The positive response rate has increased since 2014, and has not had a negative response since the single complaint in 2014. One rider noted, “All drivers are dependable and respectful. I don’t know what I would do without them.” Scheduling Scheduling is a common issue in the paratransit industry and has the greatest potential for impacting system efficiency. 20% of people not happy. Most riders find it dependable, as no negative responses were received for rating the dependability. This indicates that trips arrangements are consistent. One rider noted that “Often the pickup times are an hour before schedule.” Most riders (93%) believe it is easy to arrange trips, with the exception of one rider who expressed dissatisfaction. Most riders (80%) also responded that it is convenient to change scheduled trips when necessary, with the exception of two riders who gave poor ratings. On-Time Performance There is some dissatisfaction in the rating of the on-time performance, but most riders (76%) indicated that the vehicles picked them up within 30 minutes of the scheduled time. The on-time performance has ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan D-40 Appendix D: Fixed-Route and Paratransit Route Efficiency Review generally improved since 2014. Most riders (84%) indicated that they arrived to their destination at the scheduled time. Roadcalls Any in-service interruption of paratransit service is reported as a roadcall. According to the Florida CTD’s 2015 Annual Operating Report, the number of roadcalls went from 9 in 2013 to 19 in 2015, suggesting a decline in efficiency, possible due to fleet age or problems with maintenance. This is an area that needs to be investigated for efficiency. Cost As discussed previously, the cost to operate the TD service, including the cost per revenue hours and cost per trip has decreased based on the most recent data available. Okaloosa County should review more recent cost data once available to identify if these reductions show a trend, indicating a more cost efficient TD service. In addition, the cost to ride the current TD service was also reviewed. As part of the 2016 TD survey, riders were asked if the amount they pay for their trip is reasonable. Most of the passengers (98%) found that the cost is reasonable, indication some flexibility for TD fare increases. The low cost to riders may be incentivizing them to use paratransit instead of fixed-route service. The current fare structure for paratransit services should be reviewed for potential adjustments as part of improving the overall transit service provision in Okaloosa County. Converting Paratransit Trips to Fixed-Route One of the most important efficiency goals of paratransit system is converting a portion of its trips to fixed- route bus service as that allows for saving its resources to serve more eligible passengers. When paratransit riders in Okaloosa were asked if not by community transportation, how would they make this trip, 11% of riders indicated that they would use bus service, showing that there are passengers who are willing to use bus service but may not be serviced by fixed-route service or have other issues to access that service. With expanded coverage of EC Rider fixed-route service and better awareness of its services, Okaloosa County may be able to transfer at least a portion of this willing 11% of TD riders from paratransit service to fixed- route service, making overall transit services more efficient. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan D-41 APPENDIX E: PLANS AND STUDIES REVIEW ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-1 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review Federal Documents FAST Act The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) federal transportation legislation expired on May 31, 2015; the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act passed on December 4, 2015. It is the first federal law in more than a decade to provide long-term funding certainty for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment. FAST authorizes $305 billion over fiscal years 2016 through 2020 for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs. FAST maintains the US focus on safety, keeps intact the established structure of the various highway-related programs managed, continues efforts to streamline project delivery, and, for the first time, provides a dedicated source of federal dollars for freight projects. Among the impacts to transit are the FTA’s Bus and Bus Facilities program, which received an increase in funding of $268 million over FY 2015 levels, for a total of $696 million for FY 2016. This program helps transit agencies fund new buses and replace aging fleets and facilities and adds a new eligibility to deploy low- or no-emission vehicles. FAST also re-established a Bus Discretionary Program that allows states to apply for project-specific funding via a competitive process. Many of the grants are expected to fund replacements for aging fleets or facilities. In FY 2016, $268 million in funding will be available. Of that amount, $55 million has been designated for low- or no- emission bus deployment projects. Other impacts include the following:  The Bus and Bus Facilities Program Pilot Program for Cost-Effective Capital Investment encourages states to share bus funding resources among a partnership of recipients.  Increases dedicated bus funding by 89% over the life of the bill.  Provides both stable formula funding and a competitive grant program to address bus and bus facility needs.  Reforms public transportation procurement to make federal investment more cost-effective and competitive.  Consolidates and refocuses on transit research activities to increase efficiency and accountability.  Establishes a pilot program for communities to expand transit through the use of public-private partnerships.  Provides flexibility for recipients to use federal funds to meet their State of Good Repair needs.  Provides for the coordination of public transportation services with other federally-assisted transportation services to aid in the mobility of older adults and individuals with disabilities. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-1 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review State Plans/Programs 2060 Florida Transportation Plan The 2060 Florida Transportation Plan (FTP) is a fundamental transportation plan for all of Florida, including local, regional, and state partners who make decisions about future transportation investments. It creates a shared vision for the future of transportation in Florida and the goals, objectives, and strategies to achieve this vision over the next 50 years. The latest FTP was finalized in December 2010. The latest FTP version calls for a profoundly different transportation system from today’s system, including