Developing A Short Range Transit Plan

AzTA/ADOT Transit ConferenceApril 2014

John Andoh, Transit Director, Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority

Unlocking Gridlock Through Service Planning

• To serve as a management and policy document

• Describe and justify the capital and operating budgets

• To submit requests for federal, state, and regional funds through the MPO’s TIP

• To assess the financial capacity

• To regularly provide the MPO with information on projects and programs of

regional significance

• To provide the basis for inclusion of a transit agency’s capital and operating

programs in the RTP

• The goals, objectives, and standards and assessment of the transit system’s

performance

Objectives of A Short Range Transit Plan

What is in a Short Range Transit Plan• Executive Summary• Overview of Transit System• Goals, Objectives and Standards• Service and System Evaluation• Operations Plan• Marketing Plan• Financial Plan• Capital Improvement Plan

YCIPTA’s Purpose for Preparing A Short Range Transit Plan

• YCIPTA has not prepared a short range transit plan since 2003• YCIPTA as a FTA direct recipient needed a formal planning

process• YCIPTA revenues not growing/need for a fiscally constraint

transit plan• A systemwide evaluation of YCAT performance was needed• Analysis of service vs. coverage• A demographic survey to understand travel/passengers needs• Development of bus stop standards

Previous YCAT System

Today’s YCAT System

Proposed YCAT Service Based on Plan

Service vs. Coverage

The nature of service that is appropriate to an area, and even whether any service is appropriate, depends on the primary purpose of service. If ridership is the main purpose, service will focus on markets where high ridership is a viable outcome, and will not offer any service where low ridership is a predictable outcome of any service. On the other hand, if coverage is the main purpose, then an area must be served regardless of low ridership, and that leads to a different line of thought in designing a network.

Purpose of Passenger SurveyPassenger surveys provide information for planners to determine how does the transit system meet the needs of the current riders today and what can be done differently to improve the current system and can be used to help identify unmet needs.

Closing

• The legal requirements of Short Range Transit Plans

• Service and land use planning is critical in a Short Range Transit

Plan

• Dollars and Cents – can you afford what your planning process is

suggesting you do?

• Consistency with local, regional, state and Federal plans and

planning processes

• Keeping it simple

Thank You!

Questions ?