HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-15-2005-9aORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 15, 2005
Action Agenda
Item No. ~-a
SUBJECT: Proposed Public Route between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill/Carrboro
DEPARTMENT: Aging/Transportation
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
A. Conceptual Route Map
B. Financial Detail
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alice Gordon, County Commissioner
Jerry Passmare, ext 2009
AI Terrv. ext. 2002
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To request that the BOCC approve a proposal to be presented to the Triangle
Transit Authority (TTA) Operations and Finance Committee (and later to the full TTA Board) to
establish a regular public route providing bus service between Hillsborough and Chapel
Hill/Carrboro. Orange Public Transportation (OPT) would provide matching funds and operate
the route under authority of a Memorandum of Understanding or contract with TTA,
BACKGROUND: l~l"A is the regional transit agency that provides service to urbanized areas
both within and between Wake, Durham, and Orange/Chapel Hill areas. With the elimination of
its route from Hillsborough to Durham during 2004, TTA currently does not provide any urban to
urban service from the northern end of Orange County. (TTA and OPT staff are of the opinion
that the route failed due to mismatch of the service design to the transportation needs of
Orange County residents.)
OPT established its Hillsborough to Chapel Hill/Carrboro rcute as a public shuttle to provide
mass transit service between the two urban areas Monday through Friday. This route is
currently comprised of five round trips per day for educational, social, medical, and legal needs
and services.
A conceptual route design to replace the existing OPT route design has been developed by
TTA and OPT staff in close consultation and cooperation aver the past several months (see
Attachment A). This redesigned route would be the one used for the proposed TTA
Hillsborough -Chapel Hill bus service.
OPT staff has proposed that the Board of Commissioners ask the TTA Board to consider (1) a
regular public route or (2) a 12-month demonstration project of the redesigned route. Of
2
course, it is also possible to request only a 6-month demonstration route. A key difference
between a regular route and a demonstration project is the steps l-fA must take to eliminate
the route. However, since a demonstration route is easier to eliminate, it might also be easier to
convince the TTA Board to try it.
The redesigned route would replace the existing OPT route and increase the number of round
trips from 5 to 11 per day, Monday through Friday. The redesigned route focuses on providing
general public service between Hillsborough and Southern Orange County for commuters to
major employment centers such as UNC in Chapel Hill and Orange County government in
Hillsborough. The new service concept responds to the clients needs of human service
agencies (such as Orange Enterprises, OPC, Social Services, Health and Recreation and
Parks) presently served on the existing OPT Public-Deviated route by moving those trips to
OPT's demand -responsive Para-transit operations. Additionally, it allows rider access to North
Hills Shopping Center and the entrance to Hampton Pointe shopping center with the new Super
Wal Mart in Hillsborough. Connection to Chapel Hill Transit would be available at designated
bus stops along the route. Annually, the route stops would be evaluated and future stops such
as the Durham Technical Community College satellite campus could be added to the route.
(The projected opening of the DTCC campus is Fall 2006)
OPT recently completed its Community Transportation Improvement Plan (CTIP) which was
prepared by the consulting group, Wilbur Smith and Associates, and accepted by the BOCC on
January 24. The CTIP recognized an overall average OPT service cost per hour of $34.00.
Triangle Transit Authority has a service cost of $78.00 per hour. OPT and TTA staff propose
therefore that OPT operate the route if approved by the TTA Board. OPT would pay for Para-
transit support services as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a result, OPT
would experience a lower public fixed route cast but incur a higher Para- transit cost. However,
cost savings in the amount of $ 16,367 (12- month estimate) are projected that would allow
OPT to redirect these funds toward existing services (see Attachment B for financial detail).
TTA leadership has expressed an interest in trying out new endeavors and seeing how the
public responds. TTA management has also demonstrated good faith and the strong spirit of
cooperation in collaborating this closely with OPT staff and the Transportation Services Board
(TSB) to craft a workable alternative for serious evaluation. However, OPT and TTA staff have
noted that funding to support new service is quite low at present within TTA.
Therefore, in order to broaden the number of possibilities under which service could be initiated,
the proposal offers a choice between a request for regular service or for a demonstration
service. Cast estimates for a normal full year of operation are stated. Also included in the
proposal is the possibility of OPT contributing a portion of the operating cost of the fixed route,
in this case, a 25% share of operating cost for the fixed public route. This approach was
included because of guidance received by OPT staff from NCDOT Public Transportation
Division officials that agencies participating in regional funding partnerships would be looked
upon favorably for state funding.. Also, NCDOT has said that OPT and TTA could share
ridership credit for the Orange Express route if cost were shared. Orange Public Transportation
is required by NCDOT to maintain a ridership of more then 100,000 per year to continue current
level of Community Transportation Plan (CTP) grant funds. With the sharing of the ridership
numbers, OPT would continue to provide more than 100,000 riders per year, therefore, no
reduction in the CTP funding is anticipated.
Whether a demonstration project or full year of regular service were implemented, TTA Board-
approved service standards would be used to evaluate route performance, These services
standards approved by TTA in 2003 include: unlinked passenger trips per vehicle revenue
hour, cost recovery ratio, operating cost per unlinked passenger trip, subsidy per passenger trip,
and unlinked passenger trips per vehicle revenue mile, TTA reviews and reports route
performance on a monthly basis so there are well-defined indicators tracked over time to guide
planning and decision making. If the conceptual route is implemented, but then terminated,
OPT would revert to its original 5 round trip per day schedule.
If approved by the BOCC, TTA planners would present the conceptual route and proposed
financing scenario to their Operations and Finance Committee on March 3, 2005 for initial
approval, The TTA planners and OPT staff would refine the concept and return to the TTA
Operations and Finance Committee on April 5, 2005, Public hearings and open forums would
be conducted by TTA to collect public comments and to further document the need for the
expanded public route, The final decision and approval would be presented to the TTA Board
on May 26, 2005, A Memorandum of Understanding or contract would have to be developed
and authorized by the TTA Board and BOCC (with review by the TSB) prior to implementation,
If approved the conceptual route would begin operations on August 8, 2005.. This is the date
established by the TTA Board for any service changes.
FINANCIA<_ IMPACT: The proposed financing indicates that'T-tA would assume 75% of the
route cost and OPT 25%. This percentage can be changed and determined by the BOCC
before the proposal is submitted to TTA, The BOCC may also choose to support a regular
route or a 12-month demonstration project period, All revenues generated would be shared at
the percentage of cost sharing. The total projected cost to OPT, under the 75/25 split, would
include increased expense associated with Para-transit service above and beyond the fixed-
route costs, During this demonstration period, additional OPT part time drivers would be
needed to cover the expanded fixed route and increase in Para-transit service. Even with this
increased expense, staff estimates that the total OPT cost will be less than the present cost to
operate the existing Hillsborough to Chapel Hill route, and thus would yield savings that could
be redirected by the BOCC for other OPT services, In addition, the public would receive much
better service with the increase from 5 to 11 round trips per day on the Orange Express route,
The one-way fare far the conceptual route would be $2 as established by TTA, Fare policy and
service planning for the route would be taken aver by TTA, which means that any future
changes to the route would be the responsibility of TTA staff and approved by the TTA Board,
The current OPT one-way fare is $1 and the current TTA fare is $1,50, but the TTA fare will
increase throughout the Triangle area to $2 on March 1, 2005. Current OPT annual fare
revenue for the Orange Express is approximately $7,800. Human service agencies have been
advised of this fare differential and are supportive of the service expansion, OPT staff will
closely monitor the service change to human service agency clients in order to address any
hardship that might occur.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve:
1, The conceptual Hillsborough to Chapel Hill route
2. Acost-sharing percentage between Triangle Transit Authority and Orange Public
Transportation for the fixed route and marketing the new service.
(County staff has proposed 75%TTA and 25% OPT.)
3. A preferred type of service, starting August 2005 (County staff has proposed a choice
between a regular route or a 12-month demonstration project for the conceptual route),
with a starting date of August 2005.
4. The drafting of a proposed Memorandum of Understanding between Triangle Transit
Authority and Orange Public Transportation for route operation.
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ORANGE EXPRESS REPLACEMENT SERVICE CALCULATIONS- FIXED ROUTE (HRS •6:30AM-7:30PM)
Daily Hours 13 One Year of Operations at OPT Cost
Annual Hours 3263 Agency Contribution Funds
TTA Annual Cost-$78/hr $254,514 OPT 25% ' $28,460
OPT Annual Cost-$34.89/hr' $113,839: TTA 75% $85,379
$113,839
Marketing of New Service 8000 One Year of New Route Marketing Cost
OPT 25% $2,000
TTA 75% $6,000
Required Paratransit Costs for OPT of New Route (Using 30% of Fixed Route Cost)
Full Anhual Cost ` .$34,152'i
Current OC Annual
Expenditure for Orange
Project period would be August 2005 until July 2006.
Other assumptions:
OPT covers Paratransit provision/costs
Activitieslunanticipated
Expenses. $16,367