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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-13-2005-9bORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 13, 2005 Action Agenda Item No. ~- ~j SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding between Triangle Transit Authority and Orange Public Transportation for Public Route Service between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill DEPARTMENT: Aging/Transportation PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1, Proposed Memorandum of Understanding 2, Cost Comparison -Current OPT Express Route and Proposed TTA/OPT Express Route Fiscal Years 2005-06 and 2006-07 3, Map of Proposed Service Route 4, Detail of Vehicle Acquisition INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Passmore, 245-2009 AI Terrv, 245-2002 PURPOSE: To provide a re-designed public route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill that will offer enhanced transit options to Orange County residents. BACKGROUND: Last spring, the BOCC authorized staff to enter into informal negotiations with Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) staff on the development of a proposed public route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, It was estimated that Orange Public Transportation (OPT), as demonstrated by its Community Transportation Improvement Plan (CTIP), could partner with TTA to both design an effective route system and provide the service at a lower cost. In the end, OPT could replace its existing express route between the towns with the better-designed route for implementation during the winter of 2006, Staff has continued to work throughout the summer and fall involving a variety of stakeholders, including the Orange County Transportation Services Board that includes human services providers. The recommendations presented here for the Board's consideration are a reflection of that progress, The new design creates a public route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill that will connect residents cross county more conveniently far education, employment, recreation, and medical purposes. Major transfer points will be the Franklin/Columbia Street hub and the University Hospital, A future highlight of the new public route will be a transit stop with bus shelter incorporated into the Durham Technical Community College satellite campus at the Waterstone development, Additionally, the expanded service should help traffic congestion and improve air quality by reducing the number of personal owned vehicles on the road. 2 Staff has prepared a brief Power Point presentation to be shown that will highlight stops and transfer points along the new bus route, The route will become operational under a "quiet" promotional campaign beginning Tuesday, January 3, 2006, Outreach and education on the new route and fare structure are ongoing with existing riders and human service agency partners, Tentative plans call for a formal, ceremonial kick-off event for elected officials and key stakeholders in mid to late January to allow time for de-bugging the operational details associated with a new route and fare box procedures, TTA marketing staff is developing a variety of options and opportunities for advertising the new route and attracting new riders, One-way fare will be $2.00. Proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) To accomplish the route transition, it is necessary to approve and execute a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TTA and Orange County, pending final review by county management and the County Attorney, As part of route implementation under the MOU, the BOCC is also asked to approve the following: • Addition of one full-time and one part time (20 hour) permanent driver positions to operate the 13 hours per weekday route schedule, and • Purchase the appropriate vehicle (larger vehicle with fare box collection system compatible with TTA) to serve the route. At its meeting on November 16, 2005, the TTA Board of Trustees authorized its General Manager and General Counsel to prepare and execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between TTA and OPT to operate a public route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, with an effective start date of either January 3, 2006. Attachment 1 is a copy of the proposed MOU received from TTA. Projected Costs and Cost Distribution Under the partnership arrangement, TTA will provide 75 percent of the operating costs and the County will assume the remaining 25 percent using resources already available within the OPT budget. The total annualized route operating cost for Fiscal Year 2006-07 is projected at $162,580, with TTA providing $81,926 and the County's contribution being $25,970. The total cast for the initial six months, the remainder of this fiscal year, is projected at $87,090 with a County share of $12,822, available within the current budget. (See Attachment 2 for a two-year projection of operating revenue and expense.) The TTA Board of Trustees and the BOCC would evaluate and have the opportunity to authorize renewal of the MOU with cost considerations each year as part of its normal budget process, Proposed Public Route The proposed public route will provide service between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a,m. until 7:30 p.m„ far a total of 11 round trips per day on a 28- passengervehicle. The current OPT public route operates from 6:30 a,m, until 5:00 p,m. weekdays for a total of 5 round trips on a 20-passenger vehicle, Attachment 3 is a map depicting the proposed route, Staffing for Proposed Public Route To operate the current Hillsborough to Chapel Hill route since its inception (dating back five plus years), OPT has used temporary funds in its budget to hire up to three temporary part time drivers, Two of these employees (one who has now left County employment) were among the long term (more then one year) temporary employees discussed with the Board during the earlier Board work session on temporary employment, Now, with expanded service hours, the opportunity for this route to become an on-going service, and the need the County recognizes to avoid use of long term temporary employees tc address ongoing needs, staff is recommending the addition of one permanent full time position and one permanent part time (20 -hour) driver position to service the new route, beginning in January 2006, Having these permanent positions will eliminate the use of long term temporary employment in this situation, Temporary hires will continue to be used on a limited hour basis (15 hours or less as provided in the County Personnel Ordinance) to meet OPT's obligations under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), i.e., to provide specialized transit services to disabled residents within the proposed route corridor on request. Passenger Vehicle for the New Route Additionally, TTA has offered to sell Orange County, at a significant discount, the larger 28- passengervehicle equipped with a fare box collection device so customers can use swipe cards as allowed on other TTA routes to provide seamless service (see Attachment 4). l-fA does not at present have an alternative ftael bus with fare box to make available to OPT for this route, and the cost to acquire a new vehicle so equipped is estimated at $99,950, FINANCIAL IMPACT: Should the Board approve the new TrA/OPT Express Route as outlined above, to begin January 2006, the anticipated cost of the proposed TTA/OPT Express Route totals $87,090 for the balance of Fiscal Year 2005-06, Nan-county funds totaling $68,468 along with $12,822 in County funds would cover the costs of the proposed service. The County share compares to $15,240 currently budgeted to cover the casts of the existing OPT Express Route - a savings of $2,418 in County funds. In addition, the cost of purchasing a TTA vehicle to provide the service totals $5,800. Funding for the vehicle purchase would came from revenue generated by OPT's sale of under-utilized vans to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Therefore, no County funds would be required to complete the purchase, Staff anticipates the total cost to provide the service far a full year, beginning with fiscal year 2006-2007, would be around $162,580. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board 1, Authorize Triangle Transit Authority and Orange Public Transportation to enter into a MOU to jointly fund (75 percent/25 percent, respectively) and for OPT to operate the Hillsborough to Chapel Hill public route, pending final review and approval by Orange County Management and County Attorney; 2. Approve the addition of one full time permanent (40 hour) and one part time permanent position (20 hour), subject to continued MOU funding, to operate the route; and 3. Approve the acquisition of the Triangle Transit Authority vehicle for use on the route., "1` MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is made this day of 2005 by and between RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (d/b/a "TTA"), located at 68 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Parlc, North Carolina 27709 and ORANGE COUNTY, located at 200 South Cameron Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 (hereinafter "County"). This MOU outlines the basic points of discussion azrd tentative agreements between TTA and the County. This MOU does not constitute a binding contract for any other purpose. All agreements contemplated by this MOU shall become binding and enforceable only when said agreements intending to be binding and enforceable are executed by TTA and the County. Now, it is hereby understood as follows: Basic Responsibilities regarding the Orange Express Route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill are listed below. Operations• • 100% of Route Operations provided by County staff using County vehicle(s). The schedule, number of trips and timing of trips will be specified by TTA in arr attachment to this agreement. • The Orange Express Route will operate every weekday that is not a holiday according to the TTA Holiday list, which is included with this memorandum. • If the Orange Express vehicle breaks down or is unable to leave the County operations center for service, it is the responsibility of the County to deploy another vehicle to serve the Orange Express Route using the exact same schedule and route pattern, and to collect revenue as described in this document. If there are individual trips on the Orange Express Route which regularly fill the bus specified for the route to its full seated capacity, then any replacement service provided by the County will provide a number of seats equal to the seated capacity of the regularly used vehicle,. • Reporting of all operating statistics and ridership to the National Transit Database would be divided according to the funding ratio, with 75% going to TTA and 25% going to the County. Ridership figures from the County will be provided to TTA on a monthly basis. FundinH• • 75% operating funds provided by Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) • 25% operating funds provided by the County • TIA's contribution to operations during the January -June 200E period will be capped at $41,12G, which is based on a per-hour operating cost for the County of $34 per hour. • Fare revenue will be distributed to the County and TTA according to the 25/75 ratio listed in the above bullet points. 5 Fifteen days after the close of each quarter, the County will provide to TTA the number of hours operated at $34 per hour for that quarter. During those same f (teen days, TIA will tabulate revenue received during the quarter on the Orange Express Route, and provide the County with dollar totals of the the County and TTA shares of revenue. The two agencies will produce a balance based on the difference between the operating cost to be charged to TTA and the fare revenues allocated to TTA and the County, and the County will bill TTA for the balance. Paratransit: • 100% of cost of pazatransit service associated with Orange Express Route will be covered by the County • TTA will continue to provide regional pazatrazisit connections within the ADA- specified'/a-mile radius of Route 402/403/412/413 within Chapel Hill, where County-based paratransit passengers can then make transfers regionally. • After the first 6 months of operation, TTA azrd the County will study the overall level of interest in using TTA paratransit for regional connections, and if TTA and the County believe that demand can be served appropriately using TTA's paratransit fleet, TTA and the County will examine the possibility of drafting a "seamless service" agreement similar to the one that exists between TTA and Accessible Raleigh Transit (ART) to provide regional trips without transfers and interagency payments. Planning and Fare Policy: • TTA, as the primary funding agency, will be responsible for route planning, fare policy, scheduling, and service changes associated with the route. • While maintaining final authority over the route, TTA will include and consult with County staff and advisory board members in discussions regarding all facets of route planning and operation to maximize regional coordination. • If TTA proposes any changes to the schedule, routing, fare, or other operational characteristics of the service, TTA must inform the County of these changes at least 30 days prior to implementation„ Maintenance • The GFI fazeboxes require regular probing to remain in good operating condition, The County will work with the TTA Maintenazice Supervisor to schedule preventative maintenance for the farebox through the Regional Farebox Maintenance Shop.. The County should contact the Regional Farebox Maintenance Shop directly for all other needed repairs. • General vehicle cleaning and maintenance on the Orange Express vehicle will be conducted by County staff. • Soon after route operations will begin, the warranty on the GFI farebox in the County vehicle will end. TTA considers some maintenance costs to enter the operating cost of the route, but due to the expense of farebox parts, TTA will limit its contribution to farebox parts for the .Tanuary -June 2006 period to a maximum of $250.. TTA will provide the County with one (1) lock and key set for the top cover of an Odyssey farebox. Basic instruction for clearing bill and coin jams will be provided to the appropriate County staff by TTA's Maintenance Supervisor. TTA will make changes when necessary to the vehicle destination sign but will not be responsible for repairs. Marketine' • TTA will have primary responsibility for marketing this route • The County will operate this service using a vehicle with TTA-approved markings on at ]east 90% of trips annually • TTA will designate that the route is operated by the County in printed schedule brochures • The County will keep vehicle brochure racks stocked with current route brochures and make the brochures available at all locations with their other materials Fare Collection: • The County will collect a cash faze or valid pass fare for each boarding according to TTA's fare policy • If the County wishes to offer fare-free service to employees other than County Department of Aging staff, then they shall negotiate a fee with TTA for that value • If the County wishes to sell Regional Monthly passes or other TTA fare media from locations off the bus in Orange County, TTA will sell non-expiring fare media to OPT at 75% of the regular price. The County may then keep any revenue from the sale of these fare media without needing to settle accounts with TTA. Term• This agreement is valid for the period between .larniary 3, 2006 and .Tune 3Q 2006. (SIGNATi7It.E PAGE FOLLOWS) ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED TO as of the date set forth above: ORANGE COUNTY By: John Link, County Manager Approved As to Legal Fonn: By: Geoff Gledhill, County Attorney RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGIONAL AUTHORITY By: .John Claflin, General Manager Approved As to Legal Form: By: PUBLIC' TRANSPORTATION Wib Gulley, Office of General Counsel Cost Comparison Current OPT Express Route and Proposed TTAIOPT Express Route Fiscal Years 2005-06 and 2006-07 1 Current OPT Express Route Budget ATTACHM~T 2 S emaining Fisca Fu 1- ear ost Current Service Expenses Year 2005-06 Anticipated 2006-07 Personnel Services Driver salary plus fringes (includes required ADA aratransit su ort driver $25,018 $50,036 Additional Administrative costs (dispatcher, relief drivers, etc. $3,357 6,714 Total Personnel Services $28,375 $56,750 Operations Milea e 5 tri s/da $15,309 $30,618 Total Operations $15,309 $30,618 Total Expenses $43,684 $87,368 Cast Per Hour (Based On 1,632 Service Hours for 6 Months and 3,264 for 12 Months) $26.77 $26.77 Current Service Offsetting Revenues Trian le Transit Authorit TTA Contribution $0 $0 NCDOT RFP Grant $25,342 $50,684 Fare Box Collections $3,102 $6,204 Oran e Ccun Contribution $15,240 $30,480 Total Revenues $43,684 $87,368 2 Pronosed New TTA/OPT Express Route - -~ , emammg ~sca u -ear ost Proposed Service Expenses Year 2006.06 Anticipated 2006-07 Personnel Services Driver salary plus fringes (includes required ADA aratransit su ort driver $39,806 $79,612 Additional Administrative costs (dispatcher, relief drivers, etc. $8,827 $17,654 Total Personnel Services $48,633 $97,266 Operations Milea a 11 tri s/da lus ADA aratransit service $29,657 $59,314 Marketin :Brochures, romotional items, fl ers, etc. $3,000 $6,000 Total Operations $32,657 $65,314 Capital Purchase of vehicle from TTA $5,800 $0 Total Operations $5,800 $0 Total Expenses $87,090 $162,580 Cost Per Hour (Based On 1,632 Service Hours for 6 Months and 3,264 for f 2 Months) $53.36 $49.81 nffsettinn Revenues for Proposed Service Trian IeTransitAuthorii TTA Contribution $41,126 $81,926 NCDOT RFP Grant $25,342 $50,684 Fare Box Collections $2,000 $4,000 Revenue Generated by Sale of Vans (to offset cost of vehicle urchase from TTA $5,800 $0 Oran e Count Contribution $12,822 $25,970 Total Revenues $87,090 $162,580 Orange express Route ATrACxM~cNr .; l ~ ., .,_ --y n J ~ ~.~ Y n ~~ ~I,`~YL ,~ ATTACHM)/NT 4 ~~ Purpose: To determine cost to sell OPT (Orange County) an EI Dorado vehicle with farebox. EI Dorado Vehicle Cost: $109,646 Useful Life: 7 years Depreciation Method: Straight Line Depreciation per period: $15,663-71 nterest Interest Int Brest Fair Market Value 80% 10% 10% 3/16/01 109,646.00 3/16/02 $93,982.29 3116/03 $78,318.57 3/16/04 $62,654.:86 3/16/05 $46,991.14 $37,592.91 $4,699.11 $4,699.12 3/16/06 $31,327.43 3/16/07 $15,663.71 State Local Interest Interest 90% 10% GFI Farebox FMV same as purchase price, installed 2005 Farebox 10,500.00 ' Farebox AVL Interface 100.00 Farebox Installation 490.00 11,090.00 $0.00 $9,981.00 $1,109.00 Cost to Orange County $5,808.12