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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 5.B 01/28/2008 Part 130 CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA AGENDA BILL January 28, 2008 Agenda Title: Meeting Date: Resolution Approving the 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan for Petaluma January 28, 2008 Meeting Time: ® 3:00 PM ❑ 7:00 PM Categorv: ❑ Presentation ❑ Consent Calendar ❑ Public Hearing ❑ Unfinished Business ® New Business Department: Director: Contact Person: Phone Number: Public Works Vinnt Marengo (/� /14 John Siragusa 778-4421 Cost of Proposal: $74,720 Account Number: 3397 /3398 Amount Budgeted: $74,720 Name of Fund: Transit FTA Section 5803, Planning Attachments to Agenda Packet Item: 1. Resolution Approving the 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan for Petaluma 2. Petaluma 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan Summary Statement: Consultants Moore and Associates have submitted the final draft of Petaluma's Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The SRTP covers the Petaluma fixed -route and complementary paratransit services, and updates the previous plan, which was adopted by the City Council in May 2006. This Plan meets MTC's requirements as they apply to the City, and has been presented to the Transit Advisory Committee. Primary components include the following: • An overview of the current Petaluma Transit system. • An analysis of performance with regard to the system's goods, objectives and performance standards. • Service and system evaluation of fixed -route and paratransit service. • Update of a 10 -year Operation Plan and Budget. • Update of a 10 -year Capital Improvement Program. Recommended City Council Action/Suggested Motion: City Council to approve the 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan for Petaluma. R vi wed b Admm. vcs. Dir: ReCity Attorney: viewed by Approve b Ci Manager: " Date: /l�l�� Date: Date. Rev. # Date Last Revised: File: S:\Transit & Transportation\CC Agenda Bills\Short Range Transit Plan\2007-2018 Full SRTP\Agenda Bill Full Short Range Transit Plan 2007-2018.doe CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA JANUARY 28, 2008 AGENDA REPORT FOR RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2007-2018 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FOR PETALUMA 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consultants Moore and Associates have submitted the final draft of Petaluma's Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The SRTP covers the Petaluma fixed -route and complementary paratransit services, and updates the previous plan, which was adopted by the City Council in May 2006. This Plan meets MTC's requirements as they apply to the City, and has been presented to the Transit Advisory Committee. Primary components include the following: • An overview of the current Petaluma Transit system. • An analysis of performance with regard to the system's goods, objectives and performance standards. • Service and system evaluation of fixed -route and paratransit service. • Update of a 10 -year Operation Plan and Budget. • Update of a 10 -year Capital Improvement Program. 2. BACKGROUND: The document focuses on two items, cited in the SRTP, that should be noted: a) implementation of recommendations for fixed -route and transit systems, and b) the paratransit recommendations, which have been updated and continue to be monitored. Let it also be noted, that this document has been reviewed three times in front of the Transit Advisory committee. MTC does not require any public outreach for approval; however, staff and the TAC went above the requirements to ensure the public had the opportunity to weigh in on the process. S:\Tmnsit & Tmnsportation\CC Agenda Bills\Short Range Transit Plan\2007-2018 Full SRTP\Agenda Bill Full Shurt Range 2 Transit Plan Reso 2007-2018.doc a. Implementation of recommendations for the City's fixed -route and paratransit systems The fixed -route recommendations are: o Increase service frequency on East 1Vashingtorn Boulevard corridor to 10 -minute intervals. We have three routes departing on 4th and C for the Eastside: Four buses depart at 35 minutes after the hour, one departs on the hour, and one departs 10 minutes after the hour, providing three different time points for passengers to travel east and west across town. However, one of the buses that departs at 35 minutes after the hour travels through the western neighborhoods before proceeding across town. Our routes currently are lined up with students using our services and several disabled adult groups, whose work schedules require bus service twice per day. Staff is currently undergoing a full route analysis and will bring back further recommendations to the Transit Advisory Committee. This analysis is not necessary to complete the SRTP. Additionally, staff will have the opportunity in two years to update this plan through the "Mini" SRTP process. o Increase connectivity to regional services. City staff has been working with the regional providers on this topic. 0 Extend evening service hours for both fixed -route andparatransit service. Staff is working on a plan to extend the hours of service in March of 2008; however, this will all depend on securing federal operating funds. Staff is currently in the process of working with MTC and the FTA on this issue. 0 Eliminate the flag stop policy. Flag stops are a hallmark of our passenger -friendly system, which accommodates elderly and students alike who travel hilly Westside neighborhoods, where passenger stops are sometimes spaced unevenly. For the small percentage of boardings and alightings that take place, the perception, especially among the elderly and disabled, is that the transit system is willing to make an extra effort, which is very positive. Staff does agree with converting flag stops with high - boarding activity into the schedule. 0 Develop criteria far establishing and deleting stops. City transit staff agrees with this recommendation and is currently working with our GIS department to map all stops and to identify upgrades and preventive maintenance processes. 0 Inzplenzent planned fare increase. Staff and the Transit Advisory Committee agree with this recommendation. However, in light of our loss of ridership over the past seven years, staff is not recommending any increase until the Fall of 2008. b. The paratransit recommendations have been updated and continue to be monitored, as well as performance monitoring procedures for fixed route operations S:\Tmnsit & Transportation\CC Agenda Bills\Short Range Transit Plan\2007-2018 Full SRTPVAgenda Bill Full Short Range 3 Transit Plan Reso 2007-2018.doe 3. ALTERNATIVES: a. Modify the 2007-2018 Petaluma Short Range Transit Plan. b. Reject the 2007-2018 Petaluma Short Range Transit Plan. This alternative may put funding from MTC in jeopardy. 4. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: Petaluma's transit system is funded by TDA, STA, Measure M and farebox revenue. 5. CONCLUSION: Accept recommendations and implement the Plan as funding allows. 6. OUTCOMES OR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT WILL IDENTIFY SUCCESS OR COMPLETION: Increase in ridership and confidence in the City's transit system. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan for Petaluma. S:\Transit & Transportation\CC Agenda Bills\Short Range Transit Plan\2007-2018 Pull SRMAgenda Bill Full Short Range 4 Transit Plan Reso 2007-2018.doc ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2007-2018 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN FOR PETALUMA WHEREAS, Moore and Associates was hired to update the City of Petaluma 2005-2018 Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP); and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission supported the study and provided funding for the project; and WHEREAS, MTC requires an update to the SRTP every five years in the form of a Full WHEREAS, Moore and Associates has prepared a Short Range Transit Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Petaluma accepts the findings of the 2007-2018 Short Range Transit Plan for Petaluma and approves the updated plan. S:\Transit & Trmsportation\CC Agenda Bills\Short Range Transit Plan\2007-2018 Full SRTP\Agenda Bill Full Short Range 5 Transit Plan Reso 2007-2018.doc SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN ren"willyamr JANUARY 2008 1 j associates City of Petaluma Short Range Transit Plan FY 2007/08 — 2017/18 Petaluma Transit Revised July 2007 Federal transportation statutes require the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), in partnership with state and local agencies, develop and periodically update a long-range Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), and a Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) which implements the RTP by programming federal funds to transportation projects contained in the RTP. In order to effectively execute these planning and programming responsibilities, MTC requires each transit operator in its region which receives federal funding through the TIP, prepare, adopt, and submit to MTC a Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The preparation of this SRTP has been funded in part by a grant from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), through Section 5303 of the Federal Transit Act. The contents of this SRTP reflect the views of the consultant, and are not necessarily those of USDOT, the Federal Transit Administration, or MTC. MOORE & ASSOCIAT MOORE & ASS( 1. OVERVIEW DEMAND ASSESSMENT [001] [008] 2. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, 8, STANDARDS [021] 3. SERVICE & SYST E&A EVALUATION [027] RIDE CHECK ANALYSIS [027] 01,1113041RD SURVEY ANALYSIS [060] A A OTE" RTS F C COMMUNITY SURVEY ANALYSIS [075] SERVICE EVALUATION [092] PEER, REVIEW [110] 4. OPERATIONS PLAN AND BUDGET [126] A 5. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM [153] MOORE & ASS( Page Int--nflona...'illy Blonk MOORE & ASSOC CHAPTER I -OVERVIEW Located in southern Sonoma County, Petaluma lies approximately 39 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. California Highway 101 and Washington Street, divide the community into quadrants. For example, the segment east of CA Highway 101 and south of Washington Street is referred to as the southeast sector of the city. Petaluma has become increasingly attractive as a bedroom community for persons employed either within the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Rosa, or neighboring Napa, Marin or Solana counties. Petaluma's population has more than doubled across the past two decades, with Census 2000 reporting 54,548* residents. The California Department of Finance forecasts the city's population will grow to 63,500 by 2020. Incorporated in 1858, the city includes 14 squares miles of land area. Overall density is 3,950 persons/square mile. The City maintains a proactive development review process, resulting in ❑ balanced mix of residential and commercial development. The Petaluma River is at the heart of the community. A historic downtown flanks the river and contributes to the community's authentic Victorian charm. To the east lie Petaluma's newer neighborhoods and retail centers. Surrounding the city, dairy ranches and agricultural -related land provide significant open space areas. Historically, Petaluma's economy was poultry -based. Today, most of the small, independently -owned farms have been merged into few, larger producers. Petaluma's core industries include poultry, dairy, telecommunications, and tourism. There is also a growing film industry. ' Number taken directly from US Census Bureau Quick -facts web pale MOORE & ASSI F{ ,a Governance Petaluma is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. The city council is composed of seven members, one of whom functions as mayor and one as vice -mayor. The mayor is directly elected during municipal elections held on even years. Council members are elected at -large for a four-year term, and serve on a city-wide basis. Terms overlap, resulting in at least three seats being open for election every two years. Organizational Structure The City's public transit program, marketed as Petaluma Transit, features a single full-time employee, the City's Transportation Manager (See Exhibit 1-1). The Transportation Manager is responsible for oversight, day-to-day program administration, and grants. Traditionally, the City has relied on the assistance of outside consultants with respect to service planning, marketing, and compliance activities. Exhibit 1-1 Transit Services Organizational Chart 'clHo[Peta1 tie;:{ ?yj _._+'+'e 3l;t�ly �?r1c4Yorlr`Q[gkEur�' �JI.�'�.P.n sxLx:C•-N sft4a{iiii2 MOORE & ASS At the time of this study, consideration was being given to the hiring of a part-time Transit Analyst to assist with overall program activities. Further, given the evolving transportation needs of the Petaluma community, we recommend and, the City has approved modifying the Transit Manager's overall focus to one of a Mobility Manager role. The new role, "Transportation Manager' was created in September 2007 The operations, maintenance, and first-line program administration of Petaluma Transit is provided through multi-year engagements with one of two service contractors: MV Transportation for the fixed -route service and Petaluma People Services Center for the paratransit service. Each vendor assigns a full-time manager to its respective program, both of whom are domiciled at the City's Public Works facility at 555 North McDowell Boulevard. Transit vehicle maintenance, washing, and fueling are also performed at the North McDowell facility. With the recent delivery of new, larger transit buses, we believe this facility will need to be either upgraded significantly or a new transit - dedicated site will need to be developed. City staff has conducted an appraisal of this site and will be making recommendations in the next twelve months on what specific improvements need to made or, the sale of the property along with a relocation plan. Funds to make these types of improvements may come from several sources, FTA capital, TDA or Federal ear -marks. Contracts with MV Transportation and PPSC run through December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009, respectively. Operations and financial reports are submitted by the respective contractor on a monthly basis. An obvious benefit of this co -location at the North McDowell facility is streamlined communications. Based on our on-site observation of program management, we conclude the City's Transportation Manager embraces an active role in program oversight, and interacts with contractor staff on a daily basis. MOORE & AS! The Petaluma Transit fleet is comprised of both City -owned and contractor -owned vehicles (See Exhibit 5-1). Petaluma Transit Fixed-P.oute Service The City initiated fixed -route service in 1976. Today, Petaluma Transit provides schedule service along five separate alignments using a fleet of Year 2007 Gillig 35 -foot, low -floor transit coaches. All routes operate on a 60 -minute headway. Service is provided from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Paratronsit Service The City's poratransit service was initiated in 1982. It functions as the ADA complementary component of the overall public transit network. As such, its operating schedule mirrors the fixed -route service. The service is open to ADA -certified patrons and general paratransit- eligible persons in Petaluma. The program is a reservation -based, shared - ride service. The program utilizes six vehicles: two provided by PPSC and four provided by the City. Other Transit Services Sonoma County Transit and Golden Gate Transit also provide transit service within Petaluma. Sonoma County Transit, the countywide public transit service, provides service along three distinct alignments within Petaluma: Lines 40, 44, and 48. Service is provided in Petaluma from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekends. Due to the limited road network linking east and west Petaluma, there is some duplication of service between Petaluma Transit and Sonoma County MOORE $ ASSOCIE Transit. One positive aspect arising from this is the number of co -terminal service points allowing inter -service transfers. Golden Gate Transit is'a regional transit service linking Petaluma with San Francisco and Santa Rosa. GGT operates five distinct alignments within Petaluma: Lines 73, 74, 75, 76, and 80. While operating times vary by route, GGT service is available on at least one route seven days a week, twenty-two hours a day. Similar to Sonoma County Transit, connections with Petaluma Transit can be made at several co -terminal locations throughout the community. In November 2007, the City dedicated the Transit Mall located at East Washington and Copeland Streets. The new Transit Mall is intended to be the public transportation focal point of the community, featuring cross - platform connections between Petaluma Transit, Sonoma County Transit, and Golden Gate Transit. Adjacent to the Transit Mall is a right-of-way owned by Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART). Long-term regional transportation plans include possible provision of scheduled rail service along this corridor. Existing Facilities In partnership with the County of Sonoma, the City undertook the design and development of a new Transit Mall within Petaluma. With its opening in November 2007, the Transit Mall will be located on Copeland Street, between East Washington and East D Streets. The Mall will replace the historic on -street transfer site located at Fourth and C Streets. The Transit Mall will serve as a regional transfer facility for Petaluma Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and Amtrak feeder bus service. (Note: the current Amtrak and Airporter location is the fair grounds. The future of the fairgrounds may force the relocation of these services to the Transit Mall). In addition to public transit, the facility will include private taxis and regional airporter service, and will feature bicycle lockers and racks. MOORE & ASSO( Fare structure Petaluma Transit's adult passes fare for its fixed -route service is one dollar. Up to two children (under the age of five) may ride free with each fare -paying adult. Seniors (age 65 and above) and persons with disabilities ride at a reduced rate of fifty cents. Petaluma Transit also offers a 10 -ride transit pass, although there is no monetary savings afforded. One aspect of Petaluma Transit's marketing efforts is a monthly pass offering unlimited rides (within the month of issuance) priced at thirty dollars. A student monthly pass is available for twenty-five dollars and a senior/disabled version at fifteen dollars. Passes may be purchased at: • Finance Department in City Hall, • Lucchesi Community Center, or • Via mail using transit pass envelopes available onboard the vehicles. Note: City staff is currently working on an internet purchase option While use of monthly pass often dilutes a program's average fare indicator, we believe this concern is offset by increased patron loyalty as well as overall convenience. Intra -service transfers are free with paid fare. These transfers are valid only at four transfer points: • Ellis and East Washington Streets, • Petaluma Plaza North Shopping Center, • 4th and C Streets, and • Washington Square Shopping Center. Transfers provided by other transit systems within Sonoma County connecting with Petaluma transit are worth one dollar on both Golden Gate Transit and Sonoma County Transit. MOORE & ASSOCI? The City's paratransit service features a single fare of two dollars (reflective of ADA policy). Pass MOORE & Exhibit 1-2 Fare Structure DEMAND ASSESSMENT Of the 466,891 residents in Sonoma County, 11.7 percent live in Petaluma. Between 1990 and 2000, the City's population increased approximately 26.3 percent. The growth rate is now forecast at one percent/annum. The greatest population concentrations are located in northern and eastern Petaluma. We believe this can be attributed to the availability of housing units, as well as proximity to schools, shopping centers and healthcare facilities. While Petaluma has seen an increase in the number of residents 65 years and older, the increase for those 85 years and older has been even greater. We believe this trend will continue bringing with it increased demand for public transit service. MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 1-3 Population Change Exhibit 1-4 Population Distribution City of Petaluma Total Population by Cencuo Block Group = n- Ilion m mm - 3000 3001-3000 31101-4000 4001 or more Ride -Dependent Population Typically, a community's ride -dependent population is composed of youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, persons living at or below the federal poverty level, and those locking access to a personal vehicle. Utilizing ESRI ArcView 9.2 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, Moore & Associates created a series of demographic illustrations by linking demographic data gathered through the 2000 federal census. In doing so, we have identified zones within the Petaluma Transit service area reflecting significant concentrations of ride -dependent persons. MOORE & AS Youth Population For the purposes of this study, youth is defined as individuals under 18 years of age. In 2000, the number of youth in Petaluma was equal to 26.4 percent of the city's population. School-age youth are a core customer component of most transit programs as they reflect a high degree of ride -dependency (i.e., lack a driver's license and/or access to a personal vehicle). Given the concentration of youth population combined with the location of schools, public transit as a home - to -school travel alternative is important. In conducting our surveys of current transit riders, we conclude school is a popular travel motivator. The highest concentration of youth resides in the southeastern quadrant. This is logical given the concentration of single-family dwellings located therein, as well as the supporting infrastructure (i.e., schools). Santa Rosa Junior College is on Sonoma Mountain Parkway. Two high schools, Sonoma Mountain Continuation High School* and Casa Grande High School, are located on Casa Grande Road, wile Kenilworth Junior High School is on Riesling Road. Three of the 14 elementary schools in Petaluma are in the southeastern area: McDowell on South McDowell Boulevard, La Tercera on Albin Way, and Miwok on Saint Francis Drive. Other secondary schools in Petaluma include San Antonio High School on Vallejo Street, Petaluma High School on Fair Street, Carpe Diem High School on Fair Street, Saint Vincent's High School on Keokuk Street, and Petaluma Junior High School on Bantam Way. *For more information go to: http:H/ .sonomamountainhigh.org/ MOORE & ASSO( Exhibit 1-5 Youth Population Distribution City of Petaluma Youth Population by Census Block Group 00.100 101 -200 201 - 300 301-400 401 or rram MOORE & ASE Elderly Population For purposes of this study, elderly population is defined as individuals over the age of 65. In 2000, the number of elderly in Petaluma was equal to 11 percent of the city's population. Our analysis revealed significant concentrations of seniors residing within the northern and southeastern portions of the city. A high senior concentration may correlate with the nearby medical facilities. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center is located at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Pine View Way and the Petaluma Valley Hospital is at the intersection of Professional Drive and North McDowell Boulevard. Another section of the city, near downtown Petaluma, has a high concentration of seniors. This may be attributed to the area's healthcare facilities such as Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation Center 300 Douglass Street, and Oaks Alzheimer's. and Dementia Clinic, 450 Hayes Lane. The large senior population in this area may also correlate with the concentration of assisted living centers in northeastern Petaluma. In addition, senior activity centers such as the Petaluma's Senior Center and Senior Cof6 on Novak Drive are located in this portion of the city. Petaluma Ecumenical Properties (PEP) provides low-income senior housing at the following locations: • 700 Daniel Drive • 231 Wilson Street • 1275 Lindberg Lane • 306 Mountain View • 210 Douglas Street MOORE & ASS( 1400 Caufield Lane 739 South McDowell Blvd. 1405 Caufield Lane 575 Vallejo Street 579 Vallejo Street 167 Edith Street Exhibit 1-6 Senior Population Distribution MOORE & Persons with Disabilities Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, disability is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities" (29 U.S.C. §705(9)). According to Census 2000 there are 7,928 persons with disabilities age 5 years and older within the study area, translating to approximately 15.6 percent of the total population. Exhibit 1-7 illustrates the highest concentrations of disabled individuals reside in areas east of the Petaluma River. We believe this could be attributed to proximity of healthcare and rehabilitation centers. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center is located at the intersection of Lakeville Highway and Pine View Way, Petaluma Valley Hospital at the intersection of Professional Drive and North McDowell Boulevard, and Kentfield Rehabilitation on Lynch Creek Way. MOORE & ASS( City of Petaluma Persons with Disablllites by Census Block Group 0-100 Q 101-400 201- 300 301-460 401 or more MOORE & ASS Exhibit 1-7 Disabled Population Distribution Low -Income Population According to Census 2000, approximately six percent (3,245) of the residents of Petaluma were living at or below the poverty federal poverty level. The Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2000 define an individual earning less than $8,350 per year as living below the poverty line. The greatest concentration of persons of lower income is in the central and southeastern portions of Petaluma. These individuals may not have access to a personal vehicle as their primary mode of transportation. Therefore, many rely on public transit. Located at 1500 Petaluma Boulevard South, in southwest Petaluma, are the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) and Petaluma People Services Center (PPSC). COTS provide temporary housing for homeless persons and families in transition. At this location PPSC has its Sonoma -Works program, which is the southern Sonoma County welfare -to -work program. Exhibit 1-8 Low -Income Households Distribution MOORE & ASS( Incidence of Vehicle Ownership The number of households in Petaluma lacking access to a personal vehicle is 1,147. This translates to 2.1 percent of the total population. The distribution of households without access to a personal vehicle corresponds to those areas featuring high populations of youth, seniors, and the disabled. The highest concentration of these ride -dependent populations is in south central (downtown) and eastern Petaluma. City of Petaluma Households without Access to a Personal Vehicle by Census Block Group 0_25 M20-60 51-75 70-ID0 101 or more MOORE & ASS Exhibit 1-4 Incidence of Vehicle Ownership Trip Generators The identification of major activity centers throughout the Petaluma Transit service area provides a basis of the following: • Identifying and quantifying demand for a change in the existing public transit service. • Identifying temporal and spatial service gaps. The identified activity takes place largely in the central downtown area. The data was collected through boarding and alighting counts conducted as part of our ride check analysis. MOORE & ASS Exhibit 1-10 Significant of Trip Generators City Hall 11 English St. US Army Recruiting 223 N. McDowell Blvd. Transportation Department 611 Payran St. Army National Guard Vallejo St. US Post Office 120 Fourth St. US Post Office 1601 Corporate Cir. Petaluma Police Department 969 Petaluma Blvd. Petaluma High School 201 Fair St. Willow Tree School 137 Payran St. Community Preschool of Petaluma 76 Oak St. Play & Learn Pre -School 100 Gnoss Concourse Santa Rosa Junior College 680 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy. University Northern California 1304 Southpoint Blvd. Church of Christ 370 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy. Petaluma Community Church 620 E. Washington St. Open Door Christian Church 16 Fifth. St. Petaluma Historical Museum 20 Fourth St. Boulevard Cinemas 200 C St. Petaluma Womens Club 518 B St. Petaluma Market 210 Western Ave. Petaluma Fairgrounds 100 Fairgrounds Dr. Petaluma Municipal Airport 601 Skyranch Rd. McNear School 605 Sunnyslo a Ave. Grant School 200 Grant Ave. Petaluma Community Center 320 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma Public Library 100 Fairgrounds Dr. Salvation Army 721 S. McDowell Blvd. Community Support Network 21 Faye Ct. Petaluma Animal Control 840 Hopper St. Military Antiques & Museum 300 Petaluma Petaluma Senior Community 211 Novak Dr. North Bay Children's Center 405 S. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma Recycling Center 315 Second. St. Boys and Girls Club 203 Maria Dr. Petaluma Swim Center 900 E. Washington St. Petaluma Parent Nursery School 810 Madison St. Valley Orchards Retirement Apt. 2100 E. Washington St. Children's Corner 629 E. D St. Veterans Outreach 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S Cypress Hill Memorial Park 430 Magnolia Ave. Sonoma County Martial Arts Center 149 Kentucky St. Aeroventure 1561 Skyranch Rd. Ste. B Petaluma People Services Center 1500 Petaluma Blvd. S Royal Oaks Senior Community 11530 Royal Oak Dr. MOORE & AS: Petaluma Valley Hospital ,, . 400 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma Valley Hospital Community Health 1301 Redwood Way Evergreen Health & Rehab 300 Douglas St. Pleasant Care Convalescent 523 Hayes Ln. Central Animal Hospital 203 D St. Kaiser Foundation Hospital 393 Walnut St. Safeway 373 S. McDowell Blvd. US True Care Pharmacy 505 Jefferson St. Sav-On Drugs 939 Lakeville St. G&G Supermarket 701 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy. Crystal Mountain Spring Water 630 Bordeaux Dr. Beneficial California 913 Lakeville St. Job Service 680 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy Plaza North Shopping Center 259b N. McDowell Blvd. Kmart 261 N. McDowell Blvd. Payless Shoe Source 131 N. McDowell Blvd MOORE & AS Exhibit 1-11 Key Trip Generators City of Petaluma Trip Generators o Retail a Schml a Health Care e Govemrent • Community • Community = Business MOORE & Af CHAPTER t - GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STANDARDS This section advances a Performance Measurement System for the City of Petaluma's public transit program. The foundation for this Performance Measurement System reflects the data gathered as part of the peer review analysis completed as part of the overall Short Range Transit Plan process. Although a direct match to these services provided under the Petaluma Transit banner is unlikely, the value of the peer review lies in the identification of an "acceptable' or "normal" range of performance. Data from this analysis was combined with the goals, objectives, and quantifiable criteria developed as part of the City's prior Short Range Transit Plan. Goals, Objectives, and Measures An effective Performance Measurement System is composed of goals, objectives, and standards. • Goals are statements that qualify the desired results. They are the end toward which efforts are directed. They are general and timeless, yet theoretically attainable. • Objectives provide quantifiable measures of the goals. They are more precise and capable of both attainment and measurement. • Standards set quantifiable targets for achieving the adopted goals. The following tables link the adopted goal to the quantifiable measure; and then present insight into actual recent performance associated with the City's public transit program. MOORE & Aw N X W r 9 0 ols ti 15 15 ez- a2 S S E E _Ej Ea a. EE hm t5 IL o zu 4-Z r= C Q> O O O t5 LE -92 m E m 2 2 -6 -6 EU -ai I= sg ki CD Z 78 9 0 ols ti A* me El ° N LEo 76 __ E Z c v = c 'o 0'3'= E E -O ti m m iaa d d Ni. 4i `O O. m C - m _ ' < .n E m -o o v E E9 12 E m o d o m G � Z d c a a m ¢ cd ¢ m m3et::z o_ y � o o_ m y H m S `m' m ii!�i'�I cLi EU [O U m G A* me El �' w a' U N Q u 0 m m a t m CG =a v o EWEE o 0 m c ca v m m �n cr `o m iroi a m '� .oca o E C N N OlL -25 C = m o o m Z! N � y ER CA ME m MERE E N 72 72 `o O =_ y O `m 2 w r.5 [C Ga 0 a e � e-V -5 N m M= _ .� h o m g an -moss- m m m o m — E22-1 m m 0 � H A `n -o E S� o a� a.c m m m Q .-2 m 5 3 "v _Jl! 3 m m a .ms m `m o E E m -= m m d _ co a m '2 - .m aZi CI-j3A P ER - SERVICE AND SYSTEM EVALUATION RIDE CHECK ANALYSIS Moore & Associates conducted a comprehensive ride check during the week of April 16, 2007 to evaluate Petaluma Transit's fixed -route on-time performance. This boarding and alighting survey assessed how many passengers got on the bus (boarding) and off the bus (alighting) at each individual stop. Our sample size includes 122 of the possible 133 trips operating within the evaluation period. Ridechecks were conducted across all service days (i.e., weekdays and Saturday) as well as all day -parts. At its essence, a ride check has two primary objectives: 1. Contrast actual on-time performance with published schedule times, and 2. Assess ridership or service productivity at the individual bus stop level. Fixed -Route On -Time Performance Our methodology for assessing the City's fixed -route service performance included data gathering at the beginning (departure), midpoint (departure), and end point (arrival) of each trip. Petaluma Transit's on-time performance was assessed under actual field conditions. Methodology for determining the on-time performance was the same as employed in numerous communities throughout California. In doing so, our firm's survey coordinator synchronizes his time -piece with the time reported by the local phone company. The survey coordinator, in turn, coordinates those time -pieces provided to our field survey personnel. Trained survey personnel then ride the buses collecting data at each published time -points along each route alignment. The data collected by the surveyors is then entered into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) spreadsheets where it is cleaned, coded, and analyzed. x1410000 The following criteria were used to evaluate on-time performance: • On-time: defined as trip departure between the published time and before the fifth minute post the published time. • Early: defined as any departure prior to the published scheduled time. • Late: defined as any departure occurring five or more minutes after the published time. System -Wide As part of its prior Short Range Transit Plan, the City of Petaluma adopted an on- time performance standard of 95 -percent. This means that no less than 95 percent of all trips surveyed within a given evaluation period must meet the "on- time" performance criteria defined above. Actual performance (i.e., 41.5 percent), as assessed during the week of April 16, 2007, fell well below the adopted standard. During the data collection period, the City's Transportation Manager requested our evaluation take into consideration the introduction of new transit buses on Route 2 North. Therefore, our survey analysis includes two separate data sets: one inclusive of the total sampling (i.e., 122 trips) and one excluding those trips operated by any of the City's new buses (i.e., trips occurring on Route 2N, April 19 and 20). There is no single factor or contributor (internal or external) responsible for the poor on-time performance with respect to the fixed -route service. Among the influencing factors are: • Local road construction, • Schedule deficiencies, • Driver break periods and shift changes, • Flag stops, • Traffic levels/flow, MOORE & ASSOC • Wheelchair boardings/alightings, and • Usage of new buses on Route 2 North (April 19 and April 20). Employing the evaluation criteria discussed above, overall schedule adherence was 56.6 percent at trip start, decreasing to 31.1 percent at mid -run, and increasing slightly to 36.9 percent by trip end. The following tables illustrate Petaluma Transit's 1) overall on-time performance and 2) performance excluding Route 2 North on April 19 and 20. The data from our evaluation is further segregated by those trips sampled on weekdays versus those trips sampled on Saturday. Exhibit 3-1 Average On -Time Performance W_eekda 40.2% 1 7.7% 50.1% Saturd4 ON1 39.6% 1 27.1% 29.2% Exhibit 3-2 Average On -Time Performance (Excluding New Buses) We believe this most significant finding is the high incidence of late departures (from trip starting point). On a system -wide basis, Petaluma Transit buses departed late 40.1 percent of the time. Buses departed late from trip mid -point 57.4 percent of the time. Finally, buses arrived late at the final stop of the individual run 39.3 percent of the time. The average for late departures throughout the service was 45.6 percent. During the survey period, the incidence of late departures resulted in several driver requests to bypass posted bus stops and/or "cut short" routes. While understandable as a short-term tactic, continued reliance on such a strategy contributes to a public perception of service unreliability. MOORE & ASSO( Early departures, also termed "running hot," were less apparent yet more problematic. "Running hot' is a serious problem because prospective riders could arrive at a given bus stop in advance of the published time yet actually "miss" the bus because it has departed early. System -wide, 3.3 percent of the surveyed trips began their run early, 9.8 percent of departed their trip midpoint early, and 18.9 percent arrived at trip endpoint prior to the published schedule. Exhibit 3-3 On -Time Performance by Trip -Segment Exhibit 3-4 On -Time Performance by Trip -Segment (Excluding New Buses) We believe the increase in early arrivals (i.e., as the surveyed trip progressed) indicates drivers were not waiting long enough at published schedule time -points. The cumulative impact of those actions is steadily increasing the variance between schedule time and actual running time. Recommendations for improved on-time performance include enhanced driver training and adjustment of schedule to adequately allocate time between established time points. The following exhibits illustrate on-time performance for the City's fixed -route service. MOORE & ASSOCIF 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-5 On -Time Performance for All Routes 40.1% On-time Early Late Exhibit 3-6 On -Time Performance for All Routes (Excluding New Buses) 41.5 J r � 1 10.x% On-time Early Late Route -by -Route System -wide, Petaluma Transit's weekday on-time performance stood at 55 percent at trip start. On.weekdays, Route 3 North posted the best trip -start on- time performance (77.8 percent), while Route 3 South posted the poorest (35.3 percent). When assessed at trip mid -point, system -wide on-time performance stood at 28.2 percent. Route 3 North had the best on-time performance (51.9 percent) while Route 2 North had the poorest (9.5 percent). At trip end, on-time performance improved slightly (36.8 percent). Route 1 posted the best on-time performance (66.7 percent) and Route 2 North the poorest (25.0 percent). On an aggregated basis, Saturday operations exhibited slightly better on-time performance at trip start (56.3 percent) and mid -point (37.5 percent). The best on-time performance at trip -start was noted on Route 2 North and Route 3 North (66.7 percent each), while the poorest was Route 2 South (0 percent). Assessed at trip mid -point, Route 2 South had the best on-time performance (50 percent), while Route 2 North and Route 3 North posted the poorest (33.3 percent each). At trip -end, on-time performance was lower than weekday on-time performance (i.e., 25 percent). Route 2 South noted the best on-time performance (50 percent), while Route 3 North (Clockwise) had the lowest (16.7 percent). Interestingly, the City's fixed -route on-time performance did not vary dramatically between inclusion and exclusion of new transit vehicles. Collectively, at trip -start, on-time performance reached 56.6 percent. Route 3 North posted the best on- time performance (77.8 percent), while Route 3 South had the poorest (35.3 percent). At trip mid -point, Route 3 North exhibited the best performance (51.9 percent) while Route 2 North had the lowest (10.0 percent). Assessed at trip end, Route 1, once again, had the highest on-time performance (66.7 percent). However, when including all trips, it was Route 3 South, showing the lowest (23.5 percent) at trip -end. With respect to Saturday operations, system on-time performance was the some across all trip segments when excluding the new buses. WAMS • _PJ#GE Exhibit 3-7 On -Time Performance by Route Exhibit 3-8 On -Time Performance by Route (Excluding New Buses) MOORE & ASS( The City's Transportation Manager took serious action with the fixed -route contractor to immediately improve on-time performance following the April survey. These measures included management changes, revised data collection procedures, increased road supervision, and a new on-time tracking system. Fixed -Route Boarding and Alighting In addition to recording schedule adherence at published time -points, our field survey personnel recorded boarding and alighting activity at each designated bus stop. The associated data was recorded on the same trip sheets used to evaluate on-time performance. Data from individual trip sheets was subsequently imported into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. From there, system boarding and alighting activity was calculated and assessed by individual route, stop, and day -part. Taken collectively, the boarding and alighting data allowed Moore & Associates to develop a clear picture of ridership patterns on Petaluma Transit. Four distinct time blocks were identified: • 6:35 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. (early morning) • 9:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. (late morning) • 12:35 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. (early afternoon) • 3:35 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. (early evening) MOORE & ASSO( Boarding by Day -Part Our analysis revealed Petaluma Transit's weekday boarding activity peaked during the early afternoon day -part. During this day -part, 52 trips were evaluated. This translates to 637 boardings (1 2.8/trip). In the second highest period, early morning, 21 trips were evaluated covering 227 boardings (10.2 boardings/trip). Throughout the balance of the service day, total boardings varied only slightly. Exhibit 3-9 Boarding Averages by Day -Part 14.0 128 12.0 10.2 10,0 9.7 6.0 6:35 a.m to 9:35 a.m. 9:35 a.m to 12:35 p.m. 12:35 p.m to 3:35 p.m. 3:35 p.m to :35 P.M. The following table summarizes individual route productivity by cloy -port. Route 2 South was the most active route, while Route 1 was the least. The early afternoon clay -part noted the highest incidence of transit boardings per trip across all routes. The early evening day -part had the lowest boarding activity. MOORE & Exhibit 3-10 Day -Part Boarding Averages Alighting by Day -Part Similar to system boardings, Petaluma Transit's alighting activity peaked during the early afternoon day -part. It is clear alighting activity builds steadily from the beginning of the service day before peaking in the early evening day -part. 14.0 12.0 10.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 . Exhibit 3-11 Alighting Averages by Day -Part 11.8 6:35 a.m to 9:35 a.m. 9:35 a.m to 12:35 p.m. 12:35 p.m to 3:35 p.m. 3:35 p.m to 6:35 p.m. Routes 2 South and 2 North posted the greatest overall alighting activity (13.5 and 12.8 alightings, respectively). Route 1 had the lowest alighting activity (5.7 alightings) due in large part to the modest number of significant trip generators along the alignment. MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-12 Day -Part Alighting Averages Route -by -Route Analysis A route -by -route analysis is conducted to identify key stops as well as points of significant activity. Boarding and alighting data attained from each time point was geocoded using ESRI ArcView 9.2 Geographic Information System software. From there, maps were generated as visual representation of boarding and alighting trends. Route 1 — Cherry Valley From Fourth Street at C Street, Route 1 travels eastbound to begin the Cherry Valley loop. Once reaching McNear Avenue, the first stop location, the route proceeds toward Sunny Slope Road via Mission Drive, Mountain View Avenue, Grant Avenue, and I Street. Several trip generators are located in relative proximity: three high schools, four elementary schools, and multiple retail centers. Following the Cherry Valley portion of the run, the route passes through Washington Square and Petaluma Plaza, a path common to all Petaluma Transit alignments. Route 1 ridership peaked during the early morning day -part. Ridership remained steady through the late morning day -part. During our ride check, Route 1 was revealed to be the least utilized route, averaging six riders/run. During the survey period drivers cut "short" several runs contributing to the public perception of service inconsistency, perhaps explaining the very modest ridership. MOORE & Exhibit 3-13 Route 1 Boarding and Alighting by Day -Part MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-14 Route 1 Boardings/Activity M1f y ti/ 1 LLj 1-41 v Y Route 1 Boardin s eta uma ranstt Deviated Stops �%`� t 0-5 0 6-10 0 11 or more v'1, Fixed Stops 6-10 I 11 or more —Route 1 � MOORE & ASSOC Deviated Stops 0 0-q O 5-10 O 11 armors Fixed Stops • 1-5 O 6-10 ® llormom MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-15 Route 1 Alightings/Activity Route 2 South — McDowell Route 2 travels from Fourth Street at C Street to Lakeville Highway using the primary arterials of East Washington Street, South McDowell Boulevard, and Casa Grande Road. During the survey period Route 2 posted significantly greater ridership than Route 1. We believe much of this can be attributed to the location of several key trip generators along the route. Along Route 2, there are schools, healthcare center (i.e., Kaiser Permanente Medical Center), and retail centers. Based on our ride check data, the majority of Route 2 boardings occur during the early afternoon, while most alightings occurred during the early evening. Exhibit 3-16 Route 2 Boarding and Alighting by Day -Part 6.35 a.mao_9.35a ,9--_- 90 89 12.9 12.7 7 9 35 a ntto 12 35 m 78 65 9.8 8.1 8 12 35..i ta335'm 178 1017 15.0 10 3135--p- maa 6:35= :m = 57 72 14.3 18.0 4 =13 0 F29 MOORE & Service points distinct from other Petaluma Transit routes are located at the intersections of Baywood Drive and St. Francis Drive, Lakeville Apartments, and Kaiser Permanente Medical Center. Each of these time points experienced a modest level of ridership during the survey period. Exhibit 3-17 Route 2 South McDowell Boarding/Activity 17 1 1 r �._ k r c�� u+ t• :�Oute 2S Baardin s -N eta uma ransi a„t1 r%1 Deviated Stops r 0-5.'x;` !~- l O 6.10 J O 71armore J Fixed Stops `r o 4-5, 4 6-t0 �? I * 1l ormore MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-18 Route 2 South Alightings/Activity _�-- - / r .A�4� I �( 1�3 `may ... '•:� > I �y'^. x .✓ '�`7 �!-tom,} �..� \dam''• � 1 _ �_ t-- -f r� 'S>• x.14 K -.' -.7 I �„r` �`•,�. i_f''�' fit?' -� .�2. '� et-� A, ifra�,jy 11 w, Route 2S Ali htin s�, }� } eta uma ransit �` Deviated Stops IZ �` o 0-5 I O 6-10� riL ; O it or mare j Fixed Stops • 6-10 • 11 or more ®— Route 2S MOORE & Route 2 North - McDowell Route 2 north originates at the intersection of Fourth and C Streets. For much of its alignment, it mirrors North McDowell Boulevard by way of East Washington Street; the common thoroughfare to all Petaluma Transit routes. Located along North McDowell Boulevard are a hospital, post office, several apartment complexes and retail centers. Route 2 north had the highest average ridership (14.5 riders/trip) of all Petaluma Transit routes. Boordings for Route 2 North peaked during the late morning day - part. Alighting activity peaked during the early morning and late morning day - parts. Boarding and alighting activity reflect travel patterns typical of on -route trip generators. Exhibit 3-19 Route 2 North Boarding and Alighting by Day -Part &35 a IWT IMOKOWN• 44 47 •WEXOMM 14.7 • a 15.7 3 9 35 a ffitW 35 m = 118 104 19.7 17.3 6 1235 m to 3 85 `m 138 122 15.3 13.6 9 335,0, M --61357.m..__._._"_gP 19 20 6.3 6.7 3 -293 152 -:740 =: 21 MOORE 8 ASSO Exhibit 3-20 Route 2 North Boardings/Activity f Ej 6 I I[-, v Route 2N Boa, in s-,,2— eta uma Transit L, Deviated Stops 0 0-5 0 B-10, lI O tt or more i Fixed Stops i 11 or more a e N MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-21 Route 2 North Alightings/Activity rO 1Lf ri Route 2N Ali htin s eta uma Transit Deviated Stops�� 0 0-5 lll-�--- 0 6-10 I 0 11 or mom Fixed Stops—t • 6-5 • 6-10 71 or more -� Roule 2N MOORE & ASSOC Route 3 North — Ely Route 3 north originates at the intersection of Fourth and C Streets, before traveling along Maria Drive and Sonoma Mountain Parkway. Unlike other Petaluma Transit routes, Route 3 North diverts to Jefferson Street. Santa Rosa Junior College and several schools (elementary and high schools) located along the alignment providing the majority of on -route riders. This route experienced its greatest ridership activity (i.e., boardings and alightings) during the early afternoon day -part. By contrast, the period of lowest activity occurred during the late morning day -part. Exhibit 3-22 Route 3 North Boarding and Alighting by Day -Part The primary source of Route 3 ridership were schools located along this route. Time points included Maria and Sonoma Mountain Parkway, North and South Ely Blvd and East Washington Street, and Casa Grande High School. The majority of ridership occurred at published time points versus flag stops. MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-23 Route 3 North Boardings rU rl t 1^ Route 3N Boardin s � e a uma Transit Deviated Stops _J , G 0-5 l O 6-10 O 11 or more Fixed Stops t �j a-5 `.I'i • s-10 ���-" i ® 11 or more ® Route 3N MOORE 8 ASSO( Exhibit 3-24 Route 3 North Alightings � t ��" "'�'� ! j^4, �•'._ r„`.j"` 't f?*u3'Cy f r' f^•, f t\ ------------------ Route 3N Alihtin s eta uma Fango vires, Deviated Stops'. y '� 0 0-5 O 6-10 O 11ormom �—'t� Fixed Stops • 0-5 • 6-10 ® 11 or more Route 3N MOORE & ASSC Route 3 South — Ely Route 3 South and Route 3 North follow the same path, yet in opposing directions at McDowell Boulevard north of East Washington Street. Route 3 South travels along South McDowell Boulevard, passing the same time points, but in reverse order. Route 3 South is the only Petaluma Transit route not operating on Saturday. Not surprisingly, this route has the some ridership variances as Route 3 North, experiencing minimal overall ridership (7.4 riders/run). Boarding and alighting activity peaks during the early afternoon day -part and is lowest in the late morning. Exhibit 3-25 Route 3 South Boarding and Alighting by Day-Pait MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-26 Route 3 South Board in 9s/Activity f l / > r' 74 i »'4k I 4 v Route 3S Boardin eta umaransrt�'s Deviated Stops l O 6-10 r l O 11 or more Fixed Stops • 4-5 f� i a $-10 0 11 or more — Rovte 3S MOORE & ASSOCIATE; Exhibit 3-27 Route 3 South Alightings/Activity r' Route 3S Alk htin s� _ —__ fes• � �, eta uma Traniff Jti Deviated Stops 0 0-5 0 6-10 Q 11 ormore Fixed Stops _ 0-5 0 6-10 11 or mom 0 MOORE & ASSOCIATES Paratransit Performance Analysis Moore & Associates evaluated the City's paratransit service through a review of trip sheets dated between May 14 and May 31, 2007. Our review reflects a 100 - percent sampling. The primary evaluation focus was on-time performance. Per City policy, customer pick-up is subject to a 30 -minute window. Moore & Associates recommends the City consider reducing the window to 10 minutes prior to and after scheduled appointment. The following criteria were used to evaluate on-time performance: • On-time: defined as van arrival at the scheduled pick-up point within the 30 minute window. • Early: defined as any arrival at the pick-up point more than 16 minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time. • Late: defined as any arrival at the pick-up point more than over 16 minutes after the scheduled pick-up time. On -Time Performance The City's paratransit program posted an on-time performance of 85.9 percent across the two-week evaluation period. The incidence of early arrival was calculated at 7.7 percent, while the incidence of late arrival was 6.4 percent. Taking into consideration the established 30 minute pick up and/or drop-off policy, Moore & Associates believe the service's current on-time performance of 85.9 percent is too low. Rather, we believe the 95 -percent performance standard remains valid. The data - presented in Exhibit 3-28 covers a two-week period commencing Monday, May 14, 2007, and reflects a six-day service period. The service reached top on-time performance (94.3 percent) on Tuesday, May 22. Thursday, May 17 yielded the poorest on-time performance (79 percent). During the survey MOOP.E & A550C period, late arrivals ranged from 1.1 percent to 11.8 percent. The incidence of early arrivals is greater than late arrivals. Early arrivals ranged from 1.6 percent to 13.3 percent. Six of the 14 survey days noted an incidence of early arrival above 10 percent. Exhibit 3-28 Demand -Response On -Time Performance In addition to our on-time performance evaluation, Moore & Associates analyzed PPSC's paratransit trip sheets to develop a listing of popular origin and destination pairings. By doing so, a path has been initiated for the possible establishment of subscription trips thereby enhancing service productivity. The Old Adobe Developmental Services (GADS) is the top origin and destination pairing. OADS is located at 235 Casa Grande Road. OADS provides opportunities for individuals with developmental challenges. As noted in Exhibit 3- 28, 1,818 one-way trips were made throughout the survey period. Of the total MOORE & ASSOf Early• s Time _. 051407 A'P _ 2 5 109 117 2.6% 4.3% 93.2% 4 10 111 137 8.0% 10.9% 81.0% 7 5 �P-ffii 73 5 0516 tlT- 148 175 10.3% 5.1% 84.b-/ 051707 =- 17ruP-0ff_ 6 71 94 119 9.29/ 11.8% 79.0°/ 05"18,07. �oR- fi 7 129 157 7.0% 10.8% 82.2°/ -_ Adc4Jp : 5 70 05.79 07 _ =' 2 27 33 121% 6.1% 81.8 AdcR-r {kap-Oft _+ 7 4 ➢527.)7 =- Ack-Lip == 2 0 115 128 7.0% 3.1% 89.8% Ortlp47tt-'. 3 1 0522.)7` Pi 82 87 4.6% 1.1% 94.3% En OrtlP C7ft _J 13 4 0523.07_ 4 0 126 147 11.61/6 2.7% 85.7% 8 2 052407_ 111 127 10.2% 2.4% 87.4% O5v'S 07 = )roR'Oft 5 5 13fi 154 5.2% 6.5% 88.3% 4idt _ 3 5 052907, do -Oft..- 7 5 97 120 13.3% 5.8% 80.8% Adc-L1p 3=' 9 2 2 73 161 iB4 1.6% 10.9% 87.59/6 053107: orNtlL� y= 6 115 133 11.3% 23% Drop -Ott 87 -= 75 - . Totai s 1561 7818;`: 77•/ 64T 85.9°! '. In addition to our on-time performance evaluation, Moore & Associates analyzed PPSC's paratransit trip sheets to develop a listing of popular origin and destination pairings. By doing so, a path has been initiated for the possible establishment of subscription trips thereby enhancing service productivity. The Old Adobe Developmental Services (GADS) is the top origin and destination pairing. OADS is located at 235 Casa Grande Road. OADS provides opportunities for individuals with developmental challenges. As noted in Exhibit 3- 28, 1,818 one-way trips were made throughout the survey period. Of the total MOORE & ASSOf trips made, eight percent were trips made to/from the Old Adobe Developmental Services. Dialysis was the next most -frequented origin and destination pairing. The center is located at 715 South Point Boulevard and was the focus of seven percent of the total trips. The Senior Center Nutrition Site was the third-highest pairing: 91 trips. This translates to nearly five percent of the total trips cited during the survey period. It is located at 211 Novak Drive. Another popular origin and destination pairing was Adobe Farm located at 2115 Adobe Road. Adobe was the focus of almost four percent of the total trips surveyed. The 30 -acre pumpkin farm serves as a recreational site for children as well as adults. The last location among the top five origins and destinations was the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center located at 3900 Lakeville Highway. This facility offers a variety of medical services and is one of the largest healthcare facilities in Petaluma. MOORE & Exhibit 3-29 Most Common O&D Pairings MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-30 Origin Points MOORE & ASSO Cancellations and No -Shows A trip cancellations is created when a reservation is cancelled not less than two hours before the reservation time.. By contrast, a no-show is assigned when a client is not at the designated pick up location or does not present himself when the driver arrives or failure to cancel their trip with the required two hours' notice. The incidence of cancellations during the two-week evaluation period was 4.1 percent, while the occurrence of "no-shows' was 1.2 percent. The highest incidence of cancellations occurred on Tuesday, May 22. Tuesday, May 15 experienced the greatest number of "no-shows" (3.6 percent). Moore & Associates recommends the City initiate ongoing outreach with its paratronsit customers to communicate the impact of both trip cancellations and patron no-shows. Many similar programs include a policy wherein frequent occurrence results in a temporary loss of service privileges. Exhibit 3-32 Incidence of Cancellations and "No -Shows" MOORE & ASSOi day period. A bilingual (England/Spanish) survey was made available to all persons age 16 and older boarding Petaluma Transit buses throughout the survey period. A self-administered customer survey of adult riders traveling onboard Petaluma Transit was conducted during the week of April 16, 2007. The survey had several objectives: • Collect information at the rider level. • Codify travel patterns within the "transit rider" population. • Assess customer satisfaction with respect to certain service attributes. • Develop a "transit rider" demographic profile. • Identify potential service enhancements and their likelihood to utilize these enhancements. • Identify "most favored" marketing or promotional channels. Methodology To assure statistical validity, Moore & Associates undertook two steps. First, we employed a stratified random -sample methodology. This approach allowed our survey team to obtain a balanced sample reflecting each Petaluma Transit route's relative ridership. Second, the survey was conducted across a five-day week, throughout all day -parts, including Saturday. In doing so, a broad cross-section of persons using transit throughout a typical service week could participate. Moore & Associates was responsible for the recruitment, training, and oversight of all survey personnel. The validity of each survey form was verified by our firm's Survey Coordinator, who also provided on-site supervision throughout the data collection process. Survey forms reflecting partial completion or faulty data were not included in the final data sample so as to minimize incidence of data skewing. Further, a pre-test of the survey instrument was conducted using a sample size MOORE & ASSC .. R E ��v equal to 10 percent of the overall survey target. This pretest failed to identify any problem with survey comprehension, survey flow, or possible response bias Once the data collection stage was deemed complete, the survey data was imported into our firm's Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software platform. The raw survey data was then cleaned and coded, thereby allowing us to present both simple frequencies as well as relationships (i.e., cross -tabulations) between individual data sets. From this data, Moore & Associates developed both system -wide and line -specific conclusions. A statistically -valid sample of 319 surveys was obtained translating to a 95 - percent confidence level with a ± 5.47 percent margin of error. The objectives outlined within the City's Short Range Transit Plan were either met or exceeded across all routes. Travel Patterns In a two-part question, respondents were queried as to their trip purpose, with many survey participants indicating multiple responses from among the options provided. Part 1 asked respondents to identify the starting point (origin) of their current trip. When asked where they were traveling from, nearly half of all respondents indicated home (48.9 percent), followed by school (19 percent), work (12.6 percent), and shopping (8.9 percent). MOORE & ASSOC 60.0% 50A% 40.0% 30.096 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 48.996 t - 1L6% 8.9% Exhibit 3-33 Trip Purpose (Origin) Work Home School Shopping Medical Social Other Services The intent of Part 2 was the identification of travel purpose/respondent destination. Approximately 32 percent of all survey participants indicated going home, 18 percent to work, 15 percent to school, and 14 percent shopping. 60.0% 50.0% 40.0"/ 30.0"/ 20.0% 10.0'/ 0.05 18.3% Exhibit 3-34 Trip Purpose (Destination) 8.0% Work Fbrre School Shopping Uladical Social other Services Survey participants were asked how often they rode Petaluma Transit during a typical week. On an aggregate basis (i.e., combining of top two responses), more than two-thirds of the customers surveyed indicated riding Petaluma Transit at least three times/week. MOORE & ASSO( 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0% o.o i Exhibit 3-35 Incidence of Ridership First Time Once per month Twice per month 1-2 days per 3-4 days per 5 or more days week week per week On the surface, it appears Petaluma Transit is capturing a significant share of those trips currently being made within its service area. However, when comparing the number of people residing and/or working within Petaluma (versus the number of core riders), we believe the current Petaluma Transit customer base is numerically modest. The primary motivator for selecting Petaluma Transit is tied to a relatively high ride -dependency within the core customer group. An opportunity to attract a greater number of "choice riders' is apparent. When asked how long they have been using Petaluma Transit, nearly 38 percent of respondents indicated a period of more than three years. Another 27.3 percent indicated riding one to three years. A further 20.6 percent indicated riding for one to six months. From these observations, we conclude the current Petaluma Transit customer base features: 1. Dedicated core riders, 2. A very limited number of "choice" riders, and 3. Low incidence of trial ridership. As noted throughout our market research narrative, Moore & Associates believes the most successful public transit programs are market-driven. Further, it is nearly impossible to realize sustainable ridership growth focusing principally on continued patronage from a ride -dependant population. The reason for this is simple: The goal of most ride -dependent persons is to transition into vehicle ownership. MOORE & ASSO( In addition to reliability improvements (i.e., on-time performance), we recommend the City undertake a series of targeted marketing campaigns designed to expand Petaluma Transit's customer base beyond its historic ride -dependent base. Among the tactics we recommend are targeted direct mailings, enticing trial ridership, and rewarding ongoing patronage (i.e., customer loyalty program). 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.01'. 20.01'. 10.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-36 Length of Patronage 20.6% First Time 1-5 months 7-12 months 1-3 years More than 3 years Survey participants were asked how they accessed the bus stop. More than 80 percent responded walked, with the balance spread fairly evenly across remaining response options. When asked how they would continue their trip upon alighting the bus, 59.3 percent responded walk. Nearly 30 percent indicated transfer to another bus, with 8.5 percent continuing their trip via Golden Gate Transit or Sonoma County Transit. We believe this is noteworthy for two reasons. First, the credit value of a Petaluma Transit transfer to Golden Gate Transit was recently raised to one dollar. This gives Petaluma Transit riders more of on incentive to use Golden Gate Transit, thereby underscoring the value of inter -service transfer options. In other words, the more flexibility and availability of transfers, the more transfers will be utilized. MOORE 8 A follow up question was posed asking if Petaluma Transit customers would be more likely to ride [Golden Gate] if your transfer ticket was worth more. Slightly more than half responded affirmatively (52.9 percent). Second, this identifies a ridership growth opportunity available through targeted marketing of transit as a "systemic' travel alternative; versus travel that is focused on a single -line, destination basis. 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0°% 20.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-37 Access to Bus Stop a3.a°4 M Eo L L 0 M O C 13% 2515 _ - 1.614 3.74 35% 2.5% I.P. N a Y N 0 0 a N E np n� 0 MOORE & ASSOC m M a E M Eo L L 0 M O C n T p a C m ~ N lL9 m L 6 � i m UI C L C N H � F H Exhibit 3-38 Access from Bus Stop To further assess personal mobility options, Petaluma Transit was asked how they would make the surveyed trip had the bus not been available. Again, the most frequent response was walk (46.1 percent). This finding is not surprising given the high percentage of respondents citing, walking as a means of accessing Petaluma Transit. Only 12.4 percent indicated they would not make the trip if transit were not available. MOORE 8 ASSOC 59.3 60.0% ..........._... .............. ......:.. .........__...... .......-------- _._..60.0 �......... % 50.0% 40.0% ---- 30.0 =— =-- 19.3% 20A% 10.0% 30% 39% 33% 36% 49/= 2.6% 0.0 % i F79 F777 F771 ad E= op Drive poked Walk Bicycle Transferred: Transferred: Transferred: Other personal fetalurre Sonoma Golden Gale vehicle Transit County Transit Transit To further assess personal mobility options, Petaluma Transit was asked how they would make the surveyed trip had the bus not been available. Again, the most frequent response was walk (46.1 percent). This finding is not surprising given the high percentage of respondents citing, walking as a means of accessing Petaluma Transit. Only 12.4 percent indicated they would not make the trip if transit were not available. MOORE 8 ASSOC so.0 i 50.0 40.0% 30.0 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Exhibit3-39 Mobility Alternatives Drove Walk Bicycle Taxi Would not make Friend/ Family this trip To assess familiarity with transit -friendly locations, respondents were queried regarding awareness of the park and ride facility at the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Nearly 41 percent answered affirmatively. Fare Type Survey participants were asked to indicate which of three fare categories typically apply to them adult, student, senior (65 or older)/disabled. Of those responding, 47 percent cited adult, 33 percent cited student and the remaining 20 percent described themselves as within the senior/disabled category. Additionally, each survey respondent was asked to identify his/her typical fare payment method. More than 80 percent cited paying with cash, while a combined 12 percent indicated using non-cash alternatives such as the monthly pass or 10 - ticket booklet. We believe this data reveals a valuable ridership growth opportunity. Simply put, a majority of current Petaluma Transit riders are not taking advantage of multi -ride (i.e., discount) fare payment options. When combined with the high incidence of persons making several trips via transit, this affirms an overall lack of community awareness regarding Petaluma Transit fare options and/or a lack of awareness among the current customer base as to the potential savings available via non-cash fare options. MOORE 8 ASSOC Considering the majority of Petaluma Transit riders would benefit from non-cash fare options (65 percent cite riding three or more days per week), we believe a major factor influencing the selection of non-cash fare alternatives is lack of awareness shortage of pass sales purchase options, or combination of the both. Our experience in conducting market research of similar communities reveals the benefits realized between a transit provider and its fare sales partners. Exhibit 3-40 Typical Fare Similar to the transit rider, transit operators benefit from the availability of non- cash fare media. First, it typically reduces average dwell time at bus stops, supporting on-time performance. Second, it reduces administrative workload including the time required to process cash proceeds. Third, it reduces the incidence of fare evasion as the customer enjoys quantifiable savings with each subsequent trip made. Fourth, independent market research shows a positive correlation between non-cash fare media and customer loyalty/length of patronage. MOORE & ASSO 50.0% 40.0 e 30.0% 20.0% �' 6 100% 28% 0.3% 0.3% 1.0% — Cash 10 -Ride Pass PT Pass Free PT Transferred: Transferred: SRJC Card Transfer SCT GGT Similar to the transit rider, transit operators benefit from the availability of non- cash fare media. First, it typically reduces average dwell time at bus stops, supporting on-time performance. Second, it reduces administrative workload including the time required to process cash proceeds. Third, it reduces the incidence of fare evasion as the customer enjoys quantifiable savings with each subsequent trip made. Fourth, independent market research shows a positive correlation between non-cash fare media and customer loyalty/length of patronage. MOORE & ASSO Customer Satisfaction Our survey asked Petaluma Transit riders to share their satisfaction with regard to a series of specified service attributes. Participants were directed to indicate their opinion towards each attribute as excellent, good, fair, or poor. For analysis purposes, responses were then translated to a numerical rating scale, wherein one signifies "excellent" and four signifies "poor'. The mean score for each attribute is presented in Exhibit 3-41. "Overall satisfaction" translates to mean score of attributes on an aggregate basis. Exhibit 3-41 Service Attribute Satisfaction 1.44 2.06 1.80 2.05 2.13 1.97 1.86 1.82 1.93 1.90 We believe the preceding table sheds important light on several opportunities for Petaluma Transit ridership growth and/or service enhancement. Service hours, on- time performance, and service frequency were the attributes receiving the lowest ratings. Customer perceptions of on-time performance directly correlate with our findings of poor on-time performance during our concurrent ride check. However, on overall satisfaction rating of 1.90 indicates favorable customer perceptions of Petaluma Transit services. This rating offers an opportunity for growth in customer loyalty and the ridership that normally follows. When a Petaluma Transit customer receives good customer service, he/she will share the MOORE & ASSOC experience with others. In contrast, when a customer receives poor service, he/she will pass that experience on to everyone he/she encounters, including fellow riders. Therefore, it is important the City ensure all interaction between the community and customer service personnel be positive. Service Enhancements Survey participants were provided with a list of six service enhancement options and asked to select the one item they would most like to see implemented or enhanced, as well as an option to cite their own. Despite this qualifier, many respondents indicated multiple enhancements. While incidence of individual response was distributed across the range of possible options, the most -frequently cited attribute was later evening service (26.2 percent), followed by more frequent service (24.4 percent), Sunday service (19.1 percent), and longer Saturday hours (18.6 percent). The correlation of requests for extended service hours and greater frequency with the attributes receiving the lowest satisfaction rating presents opportunity for service enhancements most desired among Petaluma Transit's current riders. MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-42 Preferred Enhancements 100.0% ......_. ____.. ..._.. ....___ ...... .._..... ...... .. 80.0 60.0% 40.0 26.2% 24.4 18.6% 19.1% 20.0%4.79/6 2::� 0.0% _ Run later In P.M Run earlier in Run nure Longer hours Sunday service Serve another AJA frequently on Saturday destination Moore & Associates performed data cross -tabulations between individual service improvement and individual route (on which the respondent was traveling). Responses were consistent with system -wide results, as respondents exhibited a preference for later evening service on nearly all of the Petaluma Transit routes. Given the above cited improvements garnered a very similar response pattern, we asked survey participants how the desired service improvement might affect their patronage. Nearly 61 percent indicated implementation of a desired service improvement would cause them to add 5 or more trips per week. This was followed by 3 to 4 more trips per week (18.7 percent) and I to 2 more trips/month (15 percent). A data cross -tabulation was performed comparing individual service improvement with probable patronage. Respondents indicating later evening service had the greatest propensity (15.5 percent) to add 5 or more trips/week. By contrast, among persons citing destinations not currently served had the lowest propensity (3.4 percent) to add 5 or more trips/week. MOORE & ASSO( Demographic Profile Using the aggregate data collected as part of the on-board/customer survey process, Moore & Associates developed a demographic profile of the typical Petaluma Transit customer. The profile rider is female (65 percent), age 18-44 (44.6 percent), and largely ride -dependent (66.9 percent). Respondents most commonly identified themselves as being student (36.4 percent), followed by employed full-time (18.4 percent), employed part-time (16.6 percent), and retired (12.4 percent). Among those customers surveyed, nearly 29 percent fell within the age 25-44 demographic, followed by age 18-24 (16.8 percent), age 45-64 (15.4 percent), and 65 years or older (13.9 percent). Interestingly, with an existing demand - response service already in place, such high response rate from aged 65 or older riders implies that many seniors are currently taking advantage of Petaluma Transit fixed -route service versus the paratransit service. This figure is consistent with Census 2000 data which assigns 11 percent of the city's population to persons 65 years or older. MOORE & Exhibit 3-43 Rider Age Based on the survey data, we believe 66.9 percent of the current Petaluma Transit customer base can be termed highly ride -dependent. This translates to the absence of a valid driver license and/or access to a personal vehicle. Respondents were queried as to their total annual household income. Approximately 61.0 percent indicated less than $20,000 per year. This statistic further supports our supposition that the majority of current -day Petaluma Transit patrons are ride -dependent. These findings are in contrast with the average household income within Petaluma; which, according to Census 2000, stands at $61,679 annually. MOORE & ASSOC 60.0 50.0% 400% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0-1. 0.0% MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 3-44 Household Income Less than $10,001 to $20,001 to $30,001 to $40,001 to More than $10,000 per year $20,000 per year $30,000 per year $40,000 per year $50,000 per year $50,000 per year COMMUNITY SURVEY ANALYSIS The City of Petaluma, as the administrator of Petaluma Transit, contracted with Moore & Associates, Inc. to conduct a telephone survey of households throughout Petaluma. The survey was undertaken as a core component of the City's 2007 Short Range Transit Plan. Conducted across a five-day period in April 2007, the survey had several objectives: • Assess awareness of public transit service in general, and Petaluma Transit specifically. • Identify actual or perceived barriers impacting patronage of Petaluma Transit. • Gain insight into typical travel patterns within the survey sample. • Identify "most favored" marketing or promotional channels. Methodology A telephone survey of persons age 16 and older within 443 households was conducted throughout Petaluma. The survey sample was developed using a random -sample methodology. This approach assures accurate random number representation (i.e., both published and non -published listings) within a given geographic territory. Three qualifiers were utilized to refine the survey pool to individuals positively positioned to patronize public transit in general and Petaluma Transit specifically. The first qualifier addressed participant age (i.e., minimum of 16 years of age). Second, participation was limited to residents of Petaluma. Third, respondents were asked to identify with one of three possible categories: current rider, potential rider, or staunch non -rider of public transit. Current riders were defined as patrons of Petaluma Transit. Participants indicating they would ride if the bus were to drop-off and pick-up within one block of their desired origin and destination pairing were defined as potential riders. Staunch non -riders are those respondents who would not ride even if ideal transit conditions were met. This last qualifier was intended to eliminate staunch non -riders; thereby targeting persons MOORE & ASSOC most likely to benefit from changes within the current public transit delivery approach. To assure statistical validity, two additional steps were taken. First, calls were placed across a five-day week during afternoon and evening day -parts (i.e., 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Second, "commercial" phone numbers were deleted from the pool of sample numbers. Our firm's Survey Coordinator conducted a pre-test of the intended survey instrument using a sample size equal to 10 percent of the target sample (i.e., 40 respondents). Our pre-test revealed the third qualifying question would not yield the results anticipated. Rather it was determined a 100 -percent sample of the general population would be more effective. Offen times staunch non -riders identify themselves as such, yet based on response trends, these respondents still reveal some potential to use public transit. No additional issue was identified either with respect to survey comprehension (within the intended audience), survey flow, or potential response bias. Moore & Associates was responsible for the recruitment, training, and oversight of all telephone survey personnel. The survey was conducted through our Los Angeles area office. The survey was completed using Computer -Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software, which significantly reduces the potential for data entry error. This software allows the data collection methods and sample usage to be monitored in real time, maximizing efficiency of the survey team as well as usability of the survey data. The survey data was then entered into our Statistical Program for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software platform. All data was cleaned and coded. The SPSS raw data was then exported into Microsoft Excel where the tables were translated into graphs to facilitate a clear, visual representation of the findings. Our approach resulted in a statistically valid sample of 443. With sample error variation of ±4.66 percent at the 95 -percent level of confidence. This means one MOORE & can be 95 -percent confident the findings discussed herein reflect Petaluma's general population within 4.66 percent. Demographic Information Of the 443 survey participants, a slight majority was female (54 percent) identifying themselves within the age category of 65 and over (24.6 percent). The vast majority of respondents (89.6 percent) indicated English as their primary language. Survey respondents were queried as to length of residency. Nearly 65 percent indicated living in the community for more than ten years. By contrast, only 5.4 percent indicated living in the community for less than two years. With respect to household income, nearly eight percent indicated having a household income between $15,000 and $34,999. The single -largest cluster cited a household income of greater than $75,000 per year (25.7 percent). Household income generally draws the largest incidence of response declines. A large number of respondents (45.8 percent) declined to reveal their household income range. This response is indicative of a sensitivity regarding demographic information. Although not conclusive, this information often alludes to a lower household income. MOOP.E & ASSO( Exhibit 3-45 Household Income Due to the low incidence of household incomes under $15,000 (3.4 percent), Moore & Associates conducted a cross -tabulation between persons or family members who indicated some patronage of Petaluma Transit versus those persons citing a household income of $15,000 or less. Surprisingly, only 40 percent of those participants with household incomes of $15,000 or less indicated some use of Petaluma Transit. We believe this represents a great opportunity to market Petaluma Transit services within this specific demographic. A further cross -tabulation revealed the majority of respondents (60 percent) with annual incomes of less than $15,000 were aware of Petaluma Transit services; yet only 40 percent actively ride the bus. We believe this can be attributed to several possible reasons including ineffective and/or "broad stroke" marketing, lack of service to preferred destinations, and unreliable service (evidenced by poor on- time performance). Few respondents (4.7 percent) indicated having only one licensed driver within their household, while 55.1 percent indicated having two licensed drivers. Less than one percent indicated not having any licensed drivers. When queried MOORE & ASSC regarding a physical or mental impairment impacting their personal mobility, 10.1 percent responded positively. To effectively obtain ridership growth, we believe the City must employ a two - prong approach: rider retention and expansion via the attraction of new riders. Improved rider retention may require existing service modifications (i.e., hours of operation, frequency), while new riders may require additional services (i.e., service to new areas). General Awareness In order for Petaluma residents to use Petaluma Transit services, they must first be aware of it. Approximately 49 percent of those households contacted expressed some level of (unaided) awareness of Petaluma Transit and/or its services. This finding compares favorably with similar market research conducted by Moore & Associates in "like peer' communities throughout California. Exhibit 3-46 illustrates a cross -tabulation between (unaided) awareness and respondent age. A high level of awareness regarding Petaluma Transit and/or its services exists within all age categories. Respondents in the age 76-78 category exhibited the highest awareness (63.6 percent). Interestingly, those respondents within the next subcategory (age 79-24) reflected the lowest level of awareness despite the fact they generally remain in the some market research strata as the group with the highest level of awareness. MOORE & ASSOC 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0% Exhibit 3-46 Awareness by Age Group 16-18 years old 19-24 years old 25-44 years old 45-64 years old 65 years old Decline to state and over A data cross -tabulation between awareness level and household income revealed a positive correlation between total household income and respondent awareness. That is, as household income increases, level of awareness increases (3.4 percent for household income under $15,000 to 25.7 percent for household income over $75,000). This relationship is important as public transit market research traditionally confirms persons of low-income are among the core groups benefiting the greatest from publicly -funded transportation alternatives. In our opinion, this finding can be attributed to 1) the overall affluence of the Petaluma community, and 2) the absence of effective outreach targeting low-income persons/households. To effectively market Petaluma Transit to persons of low-income, Moore & Associates recommends a "grassroots' style marketing strategy. This type of marketing effort takes into account our experience that many low-income persons often do not have access to traditional advertising channels (i.e., television, radio, and newspaper); and therefore adjusts promotional or communication tactics accordingly. Possible outreach channels include community groups, social service organizations, and faith -based organizations. MOORE & ASSOC Of those persons expressing some level of awareness of Petaluma Transit and/or its services, 76.6 percent indicated they or a family member had ridden Petaluma Transit within 12 months of the survey contact. Respondents who expressed an awareness of Petaluma Transit, but who had not patronized the service within the 12 months prior to the survey contact, were queried as to possible barriers. Nearly 51 percent indicated a preference for driving alone, followed by takes too long to get to my destination (14.3 percent), need my car during the day (4.1 percent), and service does not go where I need to go (4.1 percent). A further 22 percent of the non -rider sub -population stated they do not patronize Petaluma Transit for reasons other than those listed. 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0% Exhibit 3-47 Possible Barriers Prefer to drive Takes too long Does not go Need my car Other Costs too much alone where I need to during the day Respondents indicating takes too long as a barrier to using public transit are resistant to leaving their vehicles at home as they perceive the time required to travel via bus as significantly longer than their personal vehicle. Assuming appropriate service scheduling, Moore & Associates recommends the City undertake marketing efforts targeting convenience and potential savings associated with public transit patronage. Doing so could serve to position Petaluma Transit as a viable travel alternative among potential "choice riders". MOORE & ASSOt Persons expressing an awareness of Petaluma Transit, yet not presently riding, represent an important growth opportunity. In our opinion, this segment of potential riders underscores our observation Petaluma Transit has failed to capture an appreciable share of the "choice rider' market present within its service area. This market segment could be persuaded to shift travel modes should Petaluma Transit services be improved and/or modified so as to better suit their travel patterns. The Petaluma community must perceive the City's transit services to be on par with their current mode with respect to comfort, reliability, flexibility, and cost. Further, in comparing the latent demand (i.e., non -rider) survey data with that collected as part of the concurrent onboard customer survey, we believe the deficiencies regarding "destinations served" and "typical travel time" (i.e., ride duration) become more critical. Given half of the respondents indicated a preference for drive alone, it is clear people see it easier to "fight" traffic than utilize Petaluma Transit. Those persons indicating they need their car may not be familiar with 1) the Petaluma Transit's service coverage area, 2) transfer opportunities with other regional providers, or 3) the true cost of driven/vehicle ownership. Travel Patterns Prior experience with public transportation greatly impacts an individual's perception, familiarity, and likelihood of riding again. Survey respondents who indicated they or a member of their household had ridden Petaluma Transit sometime within the 12 months prior to the survey contact were queried regarding how often they typically ride the bus. Sixteen percent indicated they or a family member typically make one to four roundtrips per week, closely followed by respondents indicating making five or more roundtrips per week (16.9 percent). MOORE & ASSOCI 100.0% 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-48 Ridership Frequency More than fire One to four times More than once Less than once Only rode once Formerly rode, but times per week per week per month per month no longer do so We believe the preceding chart provides important insight into Petaluma Transit's competitive position as a transportation alternative given more than 16.2 percent of those persons surveyed indicated they formerly rode, but no longer do so. We believe this loss of customers can be attributed to several factors. Data cross - tabulation between former riders and potential barriers reveals an even distribution except for the 52.2 percent who we believe may be termed stanch non -riders. MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-49 Former Riders vs. Barriers 60.0%50.0% ------ 400% =__400i Thirty-six percent of respondents identified themselves (or someone living within their household) as being employed full-time. Approximately 27 percent are employed within Petaluma; yet only 2.5 percent cite public transit as their mode choice for their commute to work. This subgroup (i.e., persons who live and work in Petaluma) represents a core market of potential riders. A supplementary cross - tabulation was conducted to identify employment locations of full-time workers who utilize public transit. Most of these respondents commute to either San Francisco or Rohnert Park. In the event the City improves transit on-time performance, and implements the recommended marketing activities, we believe there is a strong likelihood Petaluma Transit could capture a larger share of intra - community trips. MOORE & ASSO 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-50 Employed Full -Time vs. Mode Preference Among persons indicating some patronage of public transit, Moore & Associates sought to identify their most frequented service or route. Nearly 35 percent cited Golden Gate Transit. Among Petaluma Transit riders, the most frequented route was Route 1 (Cherry Valley), at 30.4 percent. MOORE & Exhibit 3-51 Route Frequency So.0% 50.0% In addition to its transit program, the City also promotes other alternative transportation modes (TDM). Pork -and -ride lots located throughout the community support options such as carpooling and vanpooling (in addition to regional public transit). A majority of respondents (62.8 percent) cited awareness of the City's park-and-ride lots. The most frequently cited were Lakeville (51.5 percent), Petaluma Boulevard (15.5 percent), and the fairgrounds (12.5 percent). It is likely the Lakeville Park -and -Ride lot, which features 135 parking spaces, is the most popular given its location at the CA Highway 101 Lakeville exit. MOORE & ASSO( 34.8 % 40.0% 30.496 30.0% 21.7°/, , 20.0% __ _ 10.0% _3 's 4.3% —___ 4.3 % .,. _.-,......_ 4.3% 0.0 � oNN aZ0 mz y �s - y yU1Ed m a U In addition to its transit program, the City also promotes other alternative transportation modes (TDM). Pork -and -ride lots located throughout the community support options such as carpooling and vanpooling (in addition to regional public transit). A majority of respondents (62.8 percent) cited awareness of the City's park-and-ride lots. The most frequently cited were Lakeville (51.5 percent), Petaluma Boulevard (15.5 percent), and the fairgrounds (12.5 percent). It is likely the Lakeville Park -and -Ride lot, which features 135 parking spaces, is the most popular given its location at the CA Highway 101 Lakeville exit. MOORE & ASSO( Exhibit 3-52 Awareness of Park- and Ride 50.0% ---- 51.5 50.0% _-- 40.0% 30.0% 15.5% 20.0% 12.59/6 _ 75% — 10.0% 10.0% - 1.5% 0.5% __ 0.0% Fairgrounds Highway 101 Lakeville Petaluma Golden Gate Downtown Santa Rosa Not Sure BIW. Our survey also sought to identify the "most likely" means by which current riders obtain information regarding Petaluma Transit services. The importance of the internet as a promotional channel was underscored (28.1 percent), confirming the wisdom of the City's recent decision to significantly enhance the Petaluma Transit's website. We believe the telephone response can be tied to the general information calls received either at the City's Transportation Manager's office or via the City's two transit operations contactors. This underscores the importance of timeliness as well as clarity of response. Although Moore & Associates is a strong proponent of targeted direct mail, it is obvious that this marketing strategy is not a favorable channel within the Petaluma community based on the modest mail response (three percent) and the results recent promotional campaigns. The single greatest response (43.7 percent) revealed information at the individual bus stop level. Given this finding, we recommend the City allocate a portion of its FY 2008 TFCA grant monies to further enhance service information at the bus stop level. MOORE & ASSO( 60.0% so.0 r 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-53 Typical Information Channels Telephone Website Through the mall Al the bus stop Opinions about Public Transit Our survey of households throughout the Petaluma Transit service area included a series of statements in which respondents were asked to agree or disagree using a four -point numerical scale (wherein 1 = strongly disagree, 4 = strongly agree). A majority of survey participants (64.1 percent) indicated support in the concept for public transit (and by extension, Petaluma Transit) as means of providing mobility for seniors and persons with disabilities. Many within the some response group also believe one of the cornerstone goals of public transit is to provide mobility for low-income residents (58.9 percent). Although commendable, we believe this reveals a mindset of "public transit is for other people, not for me" among Petaluma residents. Rather than being discouraged, we believe this represents an opportunity for the City to alter this perception, thereby tapping into o wealth of potential customers. Our experience in numerous communities throughout California supports our belief a targeted marketing strategy serves to inform the community at -large of the potential cost savings associated with public transit for at least a portion of all trips made; not mere reliance on ride -dependent persons. By developing a marketing MOORE & ASSO( strategy which seeks to position Petaluma Transit as the community's "dependable" travel alternative, a portion of the some among the non -rider market segment could be encouraged to mode -shift away from primary reliance on the single -occupant vehicle. Exhibit 3-54 Prevailing Opinions: Public Transit Importance of Service Attributes Survey participants were asked to rank the relative importance of six individual service attributes using a four -point rating scale (wherein 1 = not at all important, 4 = very important). The mean score from each attribute was used to calculate a final or overall rating. Each Petaluma Transit service attribute received a strong importance rating. As to be expected, some attributes earned higher ratings than others: increase public awareness/marketing (3.24 rating), serve new destinations (3.08 rating), and operate service later in the evening (2.99 rating). Exhibit 3-55 Attribute Importance: Public Transit MOORE & ASS( Sources of Information In an effort to identify optimal channels for the promotion of Petaluma Transit, our survey included a question regarding listenership vis -6 -vis area radio outlets. This information represents the entire city of Petaluma, not merely those persons identifying themselves as current public transit riders. Respondents were asked to list their top two radio station preferences. Based on simple frequencies, the most popular radio stations were news talk AM 810 (11.1 percent) and KIST 100.1 FM (9.9 percent). 100.0% 80-0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-56 Radio Stations KGOV AM 810 KO®' 88.5 FM KFFA/ 94.1 FM KZST/ 100.1 FM Other While radio can be an effective advertising tool for larger public transit programs within the region (i.e., San Francisco Muni, AC Transit), we do not believe it represents a cost-effective tool for Petaluma. We base our belief on three factors: overall costs (i.e., production and buy), cost per thousand (i.e., reach), and relative size of the Petaluma Transit service area. Rather, we encourage the City to utilize radio as an "earned media" opportunity, while focusing its marketing along more targeted opportunities (i.e., direct mail, community print, Internet blasts). Survey respondents were queried as to which newspaper they most frequently read. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat ranked highest (65.3 percent). The Son MOORE & ASSO( Francisco Chronicle ranked next (14.6 percent), followed by the Argus Courier (11.9 percent). Exhibit 3-57 Newspapers 80.0% _..... .__ 653/ 70.0% 60.0% -- - 50.0% -- _ aa.g% -= 14.6% = 2009%o - - = 4.7% = IM 0.0% Argus Courier New York Tmes Press Oemacrat San Francisca Other Chronicle Given the data presented in Exhibit 3-57, we believe the City would be best served by employing a strategy of periodic media buys within the Press Democrat and Argus Courier. While Argus Courier buys would probably be less costly, the Press Democrat offers greater penetration and a more frequent publication schedule. In either event, should the City decide to pursue print advertising, we recommend inclusion of a tracking mechanism (i.e., free -ride coupon, specific phone number/extension, etc.) Lastly, 78.1 percent of survey participants indicated having Internet access at their residence that demonstrates this should be ❑ crucial medium for providing information. MOOP.E 8 ASSO SERVICE EVALUATION Moore & Associates conducted an operational assessment of the City's public transit fixed -route and paratransit services. Our evaluation included an assessment of actual quantitative performance contrasted against City -adopted performance standards. FIXED -ROUTE SERVICE Service Overview Exhibit 3-58 presents performance indicators for the fixed -route service. The indicators were evaluated across a five-year period facilitating, trend analysis. Operating costs for FY 2005/06 were up $238,242 due to increased maintenance costs, purchase of four spare vehicles, and lower revenue hours due to fleet reliability. Another factor was increased maintenance and operations consultant fees. Exhibit 3-58 Fixed -Route Performance Indicators Perim rmance Measure .F_ -`2001102. W-�2002t03-FY2003104-=FY-2004M5i- FY:2005/06 -�: ___ O eratln_=CosY'AciiiaG$ $779,864 $827,086 $859,447 $880,971 $1,119,214 _ - =.. Fare -Revenue Actual'.6; $111,457 $130,458 $131,000 $86,707 $88,173 - -Vehicle Service'HeOrs 14,968 14,905 14,783 15,726 73,019 eilcleser.0667iiles 168,598 182,727 193,544 201,196 140,658 759,956 165,640 163,775 159,690 159,423 Performance'.Indicators : .. ... O eratta CostTVSH (Actudti$'. $52.10 $55.49 $58.14 $58.24 $B5.97 'O Braun CosVPassen er Actual: $4.88 $4.99 $5.25 $5.52 $7.33 - _ _==P_assen err7U5R 10.69 11.11 11.08 10.56 12.25 assen e`tsLVSM 0.95 0.91 0.85 0.79 1.13 Firebox Readve Actual:$ 14.3% 15.8% 15.2% 9.8% 7.5 - _D eraBn Cdst1VSM Actual- 0.09 0.08 OAB 4.38 8.31 USMNSf-1 11.26 12.26 13.09 13.30 10.80 -:Fare/Passeilge[ $0.70 $0.79 $0.80 $0.54 $0.55 MOORE & ASSC Ridership Trends Ridership peaked in FY 2002/03 with 165,640 patrons, 3.6 percentage points higher than the previous fiscal year. The following fiscal year, this indicator began to steadily decline, experiencing its greatest drop between FY 2003/04 and FY 2004/05. In FY 2004/05 ridership leveled out, experiencing a decline of less than one percent the succeeding fiscal year. The 2005 American Community Survey estimated the City's population increased one-half of one percent between 2000 and 2005. From FY 2001/02 and FY 2005/06, total ridership declined less than one-half of one percent. The City's adopted performance standard stipulates year-to-date transit ridership should not decrease unless funding decreases. We recommend the City consider revising this standard to specify annual ridership for the fixed -route service increase at a rate equal to at least that of the city's overall population growth. 170,000 155,640 165,000 160,000 155,000 Exhibit 5-54 Annual Ridership 159,423 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSO Passengers/Vehicle Service Hour One of the most commonly used yardsticks for evaluating a transit program's service effectiveness is Passengers/Vehicle Service Hour (VSH). The City's indicator has fluctuated over the past five fiscal years. Passengers/VSH increased 16 percent between FY 2004/05 and FY 2005/06, the most significant rise across the years within the scope of this study. That fiscal year ridership leveled and the number of VSH declined 16.2 percent. The prior SUP set a benchmark for this indicator of not less than 13 Passengers/VSH. Actual performance during FY 2005/06 indicates Passengers/VSH is nearing this benchmark. Given recent fixed -routes performance, we recommend the standard remain unchanged. 12.50 12.00 11.50 11.00 10.50 10.00 MOORE & ASSOt Exhibit 3-60 Passengers/VSH 2.25 11.11 11.08 69 10.56 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 Possengers/Vehicle Service Mile Similar to the previously noted performance indictor, Possengers/Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) measures service effectiveness. The City's Passengers/VSM indicator decreased steadily between FY 2001/02 to FY 2004/05, declining on average five percent/annum. During FY 2005/06 this indicator increased by 30 percent. Ridership remained steady across FY 2004/05 and FY 2005/06 while the system's fixed -route service traveled 43 percent less miles. The City's prior SUP did not include a recommendation for this indicator. Therefore, based on recent actual performance, we recommend a standard of not less than 1.5. Exhibit 3-61 Possengers/VSM FY 2001102 FY 2002/03 FY 2003104 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSOC 1.1 0.9 os FY 2001102 FY 2002/03 FY 2003104 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSOC Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Hour Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Hour (VSH) is an indicator of service efficiency. Efficiency is defined as the extent to which a service is meeting the intended goals. This indicator remained steady from FY 2001/02 to FY 2004/05, hovering between fifty and eighty dollars. Similar to many of the previous indicators, the City's fixed -route Operating Cost/VSH rose significantly (35.1 percent) in FY 2005/06. The increase was the result of a hike in operating cost (24.7 percent) and a decline in service hours (16.2 percent). The recent escalation in operating cost is most likely due to increases in fuel pricing which has affected nearly every transit operation in the nation. In addition, the reduction of hours for Route 3 South as well as a settlement with the operations contractor regarding lost service hours resulted in skewed data for this indicator. As noted in the prior SRTP, uncontrollable contributing external factors to the increase in operating costs is selection of a new operations contractor and the rising cost of both fuel and commercial liability insurance. The cost of fuel is borne directly by the City, while insurance is addressed on a pass-through basis. MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 3-62 Operating Cost/VSH $8.00 $7.00 $6.00 $5.52 $5.25 $5.00 $4.00 $4.88 $4.99 $3.00 $2.00 $1.00 $0.00 , FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSO( $8.00 $zoo $6.00 $5.00 $4.00 $3.00 $2.00 $1.00 $0.00 Operating Cost/Passenger Operating Cost/Passenger is yet another indicator intended to assess cost- effectiveness. The City's fixed -route Operating Cost/Passenger indicator rose 2.6 percent between FY 2001/02 and FY 2004/05 before peaking the subsequent year. We believe this can be attributed to the previously noted external cost factors In the case of Petaluma, annual ridership failed to increase sufficiently to offset increased operating cost. The prior SUP did not establish a benchmark for this indicator. Based on actual recent performance, we believe an indicator of not less than ten dollars is reasonable. Exhibit 3-63 Operating Cost/Passenger $7 $5.52 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSOC Farebox Recovery Subsequent to the 2000 federal census, the city of Petaluma was re-classified from a non -urbanized to an urbanized area. According to the State of California's Transportation Development Act (TDA), if the claimant is categorized as urbanized area, it must maintain a ratio of fare revenue to operating cost of not less than 20 percent. Since the City was designated as an urbanized area after the 1980 federal census, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission has the option of granting the City up to five years from July 1 of the following year of the census to meet the designated farebox recovery standard. In summary, the City's fixed -route service must achieve the designated farebox recovery ratio of 20 percent during FY 2006/07. This indicator experienced a declining trend since reaching a peak of 15.8 percent in FY 2002/03. We believe contributors to this decline include the difference between the service's higher operating costs and lower fare revenue. In FY 2005/06, operational cost was nearly 25 percent higher than the previous fiscal year, while fare revenue increased only two percent. In the event the City's fixed -route service fails to achieve the required farebox revenue indicator, non -transit monies such as general funds can be used as backfill (in order to avoid possible reduction in future TDA allocations). MOORE 8 16.0% 16.0% 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% 15.6% Exhibit 3-64 Forebox Recovery 7.5% FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSC Fare/Passenger The final performance indicator we analyzed was the ratio between total fare revenue and total passenger counts. The graph illustrates the fluctuation over the past five fiscal years. Between FY 2001/02 and FY 2003/04 this indicator steadily rose an average of 6.5 percent before notably dropping 47.3 percent. The decline is a result of a significant decrease in the fare revenue from FY 2003/04 to FY 2005/06. This trend may be attributed to patrons utilizing non-cash fare options (i.e., monthly pass, 10 -ride transit pass) versus traditional cash fare. With the slight increase in fare revenue, the indicator increased approximately two percent the succeeding year. $1.00 $0.90 $0.80 $0.70 $0.60 $0.50 FATIMOMMI Exhibit 3-65 Fare/Passenger $0.79 $0.80 $0.70 $0.55 $0.54 FY 2001/02 FY 2002103 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 Service Overview This section evaluates the City's paratransit service using performance indicators. The indicators were evaluated over a five year period. Exhibit 3-66 Paratransit Performance Indicators a- Pertormance;Meas&eF- -= =s; FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 e FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 -- ' O efatin -CnsL Actual€$` $310,991 $378,810 $325,000 $333,123 $468,516 -= F-aiE=88Vsnue AcFu&IE$- $31,216 $37,921 $36,026 $34,855 $36,639 �. ._. ____ 17ehiclBServibe;Hou[s $6,187 $6,628 $6,937 $7,379 $7,334 -_ _=__==�=/elildle_Seia?leeMles 58,036 64,407 64,809 66,421 68,502 Passen-ers 14,169 19,291 19,927 19,109 18,458 .. _CDsMH Actual$ $50.27 $57.15 $46.85 $45.15 $63.88 - _D-eratin CostFP-asSen er Actual;$-. $21.95 $19.64 $16.31 $17.43 $25.38 lessen eir/VSfl 2.29 2.91 2.87 2.59 2.52 _- ;P..assen'ers/USM. 0.24 0.30 0.31 0.29 0.27 arebez.RdbOb AcluB[$ 10.0% 10.0% 11.1% 10.5% 7.B eratia CostNSM? Actual $0.11 $0.10 $0.11 $5.02 $6.84 - ==YSMNSH 9.38 9.72 9.34 9.00 9.34 Fa[ePd55609eC $2.20 $1.97 $1.81 $1.82 $1.99 INIMM3%! Ridership Trends Ridership on the City's paratransit service grew between FY 2001/02 and FY 2002/03 and largely remained steady during the next four years. Across the five- year period ridership realized moderate growth. The 2000 federal census estimated 7,855 seniors reside within Petaluma 7,855 (14.4 percent of total population). The Census also estimated 8,500 persons with disabilities live within Petaluma (15.6 percent of the total population). This sub - population (i.e., seniors and persons with disabilities) make up a significant portion of the community. Similar to the fixed -route service, the City's adopted standard states that annual ridership should not decrease unless funding decreases. Given the City's current demographic composition, we recommend this indicator be modified to tie ridership growth to population growth. 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 01 Exhibit 3-67 Annual Ridership: Porotransit 19,29118.45B 19,109 14,169 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE 8 A55OCIA Passengers/Vehicle Service Hour One of the most commonly employed yardsticks of service efficiency is Passengers/Vehicle Service Hour (VSH). Efficiency is defined as those resources required to achieve the reported outcome. This indicator has maintained a steady pace across the past five fiscal years, ranging between 2.3 to 2.9 Passengers/VSH. The indicator reached a high of 2.91 during FY 2002/03. A slow decline ensued the succeeding fiscal years. The most significant decline occurred between FY 2003/04 and FY 2004/05 (10.9 percent). The City's prior SRTP set a benchmark for this indicator of not less than 2.5 Passengers/VSH. Actual performance during FY 2005/06 reveals the indicator has reached its benchmark. Given actual recent performance, we recommend the city consider raising the standard to not less than 3.0 percent. 3.50 3.00 2.50 2.00 1.50 1.00 0.50 0.00 MOORE E ASSOC Exhibit 3-68 Passengers/VSH 2.91 2.87 2.52 2.59 29 FY 2001102 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 Passengers/Vehicle Service Mile Another commonly employed yardstick for assessing transit service efficiency is Passengers/Vehicle Service Mile (VSM). The Passengers/VSM indicator remained steady during FY 2001/02 to FY 2005/06. We believe this can be attributed to steady ridership growth (i.e. 3 percent/ annum). The City's prior SUP did not include a benchmark for this indicator. In light of recent performance, we recommend the City consider setting a benchmark of not less than 0.3 Passengers/VSM. Exhibit 3-69 Possengers/VSM $0.32 $0.30 $0.28 $0.26 $0.24 $0.22 $0.20 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & ASSOC Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Hour Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Hour (VSH) has fluctuated across the last five years within the scope of this evaluation. Between FY 2001/02 and FY 2002/03, paratransit operating cost increased 12.1 percent. The FY 2002/03 indicator was up nearly 17.9 percent. The rollercoaster trend continues. The indicator experienced it greatest decline between FY 2002/03 and FY 2003/04 (22 percent). We believe the decline can be attributed to lower operating costs (16.6 percent) combined with a modest increase in annual service hours (4.5 percent). Since FY 2004/05, the indicator has increased approximately 29.3 percent. The recent increase is probably due in large part to sharp increases in fuel prices. No benchmark was set for Operating Cost/VSH in the prior SRTP. Based on actual performance, we recommend the city consider adopting a performance standard of not more than $65.00. $80.60 $70.00 $60.00 $50.00 $40.00 $30.00 $20.00 MOOP.E & Exhibit 3-70 Operating Cost/VSH $63.BB 15 FY 2001/02 . FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 Operating Cost/Passenger Operating Cost/Passenger declined between FY 2001/02 and FY 2003/04. In succeeding fiscal years, the indicator rose as high as $25.38 in FY 2005/06, 31.3 percentage points more than the prior year. The City's prior SRTP did not establish a benchmark for this indicator. Therefore, based on actual recent performance, we recommend the City consider adapting a performance standard of not greater than $24.00. Exhibit 3-71 Operating Cost/Passenger $27.00 $25.00 $23.00 $21.00 $19.00 $17.00 $15.00 F 2001X2 F 20OM3 F 2003X4 F 2004X5 F 2005105 MOORE & ASSOC Farebox Recovery Farebox recovery reflects the percentage of total operating cost "recovered" through passenger fares. Given its receipt of TDA funds, the City has a farebox ratio of standard of not less than 10 percent. Although recent performance has fallen below this standard, we believe the City should make every reasonable effort to achieve the 10 percent standard. Failure to do so could place the City's future TDA allocations in jeopardy. Further, in those instances where annual forebox falls below the stipulated threshold, the City could be required to "backfill" using other non -transit funding (i.e., general fund). 15.0 10.0 10.0 5.0%_ 0.0% Exhibit 3-72 Farebox Recovery 10.5% 7.8 FY 2001/02 FY 2002/03 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 MOORE & Fare/Passenger The Fare/Passenger indicator declined for the City's paratransit service. This indicator has fluctuated between $1.81 and $2.20 across the last five fiscal years. Given that fare structure remained relatively unchanged, we believe this fluctuation can be attributed to variances in annual ridership. The prior SUP recommended an indicator no greater than the Consumer Price Index. Given recent actual program performance, we believe an indicator of not less than $2.10 is appropriate. Exhibit 3-73 Fare/Passenger $3.00 $zs° $2.20 $1.97 $1.99 $2.00 $1.81 $1.82 $1.50 $1.00 FY 2001/02 FY 2002103 FY 2003/04 FY 2004/05 FY 2005/06 u • • i A PEER REVIEW A tried and true method of evaluating the effectiveness of a transit service is the peer review. We believe the peer review provides a valuable addition to the City's Short Range Transit Plan, as it compares the effectiveness of Petaluma Transit with similar transit programs in California. Our analysis also illustrates the amount of service provided by each peer in relation to the number of persons riding within the respective service area. The City offers both fixed -route and paratransit service. It is often challenging to find an exact match to a service and/or the community the program serves. Therefore, our approach is to identify like -peers using the following criteria (listed in hierarchical order): 1. Comparable service areas, population, and fleet size. 2. Similarity in type of services offered (i.e., fixed -route and demand -response). 3. Similarity in funding and governance. 4. Comparable performance indicators (i.e. operating cost, annual ridership). The goal of the peer review is not to identify a direct match, but rather to advance a range of acceptable performance. The following table provides data comparison between Petaluma and like -peers. All performance indicators reflect FY 2005/06 data. Demographic data was obtained from the 2000 federal census. Exhibit 3-74 Cornerstone Evaluation Criteria MOORE & ASSOC PEER PROFILES Union City Transit Union City Transit is the administrator of public transit services within its namesake and surrounding areas. Services include Union City Transit fixed -route service and a complementary paratransit service, Union City Paratransit. Union City Transit operates an intercity fixed -route service consisting of four distinct alignments: Alvarado -Niles, Whipple, Almaden, and Seven Hills. The Alvarado -Niles Route operates on Alvarado -Niles Road and travels throughout southern Union City. The Whipple Route travels along Union City Boulevard in western Union City and between Whipple Road and Decoto Road on the eastern side of the community. The Almaden Route runs through central and eastern Union City along Almaden Road. The Seven Hills Route travels throughout Union City. All routes stop at the community's BART rail station. Transfers are also available to AC Transit and Dumbarton Transit. Union City Transit is a fixed -route service operating Monday through Friday from 4:15 a.m. until 10:20 p.m.; Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. The adult base fare is $1.50. Seniors (age 60 and over) and persons with certified disabilities pay 50 cents. Monthly passes are also available for $40.00 for adults and $14.00 for seniors and persons with disabilities. The City's complementary paratransit service has the same hours as UCT. The fare for Union City Paratransit is $2.25, for travel within city limits. Union City Paratransit riders must be ADA -certified. MOORE & Clovis Transit The City of Clovis offers fixed -route service (Clovis Stageline) and paratransit service (Clovis Roundup). The Clovis Stageline fixed -route service consists of five routes: Route 10, 50, 60, 65 and 70. Route 10 travels within northern and western Clovis with service on major arterials such as Barstow Avenue, Fifth Street, and Alluvial Avenue. Route 50 operates throughout northeast and southwest Clovis with stops along Ashlon Avenue, Pollasky Avenue, and Armstrong Avenue. Route 60 travels around central and northeastern Clovis. This route alignment has service from Shaw Avenue up to Temperance Avenue. Route 65 offers a loop service in southern Clovis on Shaw Avenue, Fowler Avenue, and Dakota Avenue. Route 70 provides service from central Clovis to the Regan Education Center east of Clovis during peak hours. The adult base fare for Clovis Stageline is one dollar. Seniors age 55 and older along with persons with disabilities pay 50 cents. Transfers to Fresno Area Express are available from Routes 60, 65 and 70. The fare for intercity service to Fresno ranges from $1.75 to $2.50. The Clovis Roundup operates Monday through Friday from 6:15 a.m. until 6:15 p.m. Service is also available on weekends from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The program is eligibility -based: persons 55 years of age and above or ADA -certified residents. The adult base fare is one dollar. Vacaville City Coach Vacaville City Coach provides a fixed -route service with a complementary paratransit service for ADA -certified persons. Fixed -route service is provided Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Paratransit service operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MOORE & The adult base fare for fixed -route service is $1.50. Monthly passes are available for $45.00 for adults, $25.00 for seniors/persons with disabilities, and $28.00 for youth. Fixed -route service is comprised of eight alignments: Route 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 6B, 7, and B. Route 1 provides service in western Vacaville via Orchard Avenue and Main Street. Route 2 serves central Vacaville along Marshall Road from the transfer point on the west side of the city to the one on the east side. Northeast Vacaville is served by Route 4 along Yellowstone Drive and Orange Drive. Route 5 serves a large area of southern Vacaville along Alamo Drive and Nut Tree Road. Northern Vacaville is served by Route 6 along Monte Vista Avenue and up Brown Street. Route 6B also serves north central Vacaville along Monte Vista Avenue and as far south as Hume Way. Route 7 and 8 serve nearly identical loop alignments running in opposite directions. This loop alignment runs down to Youngsdale Drive and along Peabody Road up to the Transit Mall. Lodi Transit The Lodi Gropeline provides a fixed -route service with a complementary general public paratronsit service. Fixed -route service is provided Monday through Friday, from 6:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. On weekends four of the five fixed -routes operate from 7:45 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. All of the routes begin at Lodi Station. Route 1 circulates through the northwest portion of the community. Route 2 travels through the central part of the city, and Route 3 through the western portion of Lodi. Route 4 travels through the city's southwest section and Route 5 through the eastern part of the community. The adult base fare for fixed -route service is one dollar. The fare for seniors (age 60 or older), persons with disabilities, and Medicare card holders is 50 cents. Paratransit service is available seven days/week. Reservations may be scheduled as early as 6:15 a.m., same day pick-ups begin at 8:00 a.m. The service runs until 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Reservation service commences at 7:45 a.m. and operates until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 7:45 a.m. up to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Same-day scheduled service starts at 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. The adult base fare for paratransit service is $5.00 and base fare for ADA -certified or senior patrons is $1.50. MOORE & ASSOC FIXED -ROUTE PEEP. REVIEW Listed within Exhibit 3-75 are comparisons between Petaluma fixed -route performance indicators for Fiscal Year 2005/06 and the selected peers. Exhibit 3-75 Fixed -Route Key Indicators 08[atln Gose" =i $1,119,214 $2,574,949 $1,125,486 $1,997,120 $1,220,692 $1,220,692 $1,607,492 Fere Revenue= _ $88,173 $313,162 $77,325 $280,029 $179,381 $179,381 $187,614 Vebffcle Serilce_H&f VSH =`-i 13,019 38,519 16,825 32,331 22,103 22,103 24,559 Vehmle.Servlez'MIIes SM -== 140,658 524,267 277,718 613,067 278,709 278,709 366,884 159,423 398,006 139,622 295,871 282,803 282,803 255,145 Total Fleet= -- 15 15 11 12 8 12 12 Peak Fleet - 11 Rotation 5 B 8 B 8 0 eratln CostiVSH == $85.97 $66.85 $66.89 $61.77 $55.23 $66.85 $67.34 $7.96 - $4.91 $4.05 $3.26 $4.38 $4.38 $4.91 0' era6n CosHPassen er- $7.02 $6.47 $8.06 $6.75 $4.32 $6.75 $6.52 Passen ersNSH _ 12.2 10.3 8.3 9.2 12.8 10.3 10.6 Passers ers/USM =_ 1.1 0.8 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.8 0.78 F.are6ozRecove 7.9% 12.2% 6.9% 14.0% 14.7% 12.2% 11.1% Average FarelPassenger =_ $0.55 $0.79 $0.55 $0.95 $0.63 $0.63 $0.69 * Operating costs for FY 2005/06 were up $238,242 due to increased maintenance costs, purchase of four spare vehicles, and lower revenue hours due to vehicle issues. Another factor was increased maintenance and operations consultant fees. Annual fixed -route ridership numbers reflect the total number of fixed -route passengers during FY 2005/06. Petaluma, although 62.5 percent below average, faired well considering the extremely high ridership recorded for Union City Transit (56 percent above peer average), which skewed the peer data. MOOP.E & ASSOC 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Exhibit 3-76 Annual Ridership Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi Two performance indicators are employed to assess service efficiency: Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Hour (VSH) and Operating Cost/Vehicle Service Mile (VSM). Efficiency is defined as resources required to achieve the reported outcome. When compared with the peer operators, both indicators demonstrated a low level of service efficiency for Petaluma Transit. Lodi's Operating Cost/VSH was the lowest in the peer group, 22 percent below the average. Petaluma had the highest (27 percent above the peer average). $100.00 $80.00 $60.00 $40.00 $20.00 $0.00 Exhibit 3-77 Operating Cost/VSH Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOORE & ASSOCI, Petaluma had the lowest indicator amongst the peers in terms of service efficiency measured by Operating Cost/VSM. By contrast, Vacaville had the highest efficiency. $10.00 $8.00 $6.00 $4.00 $2.00 $0.00 Exhibit 3-78 Operating Cost/VSM Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi —Average ($4.91) MOOP.E & ASSO Operating Cost/Passenger is an indicator of cost -efficiency. Efficiency is defined as the extent to which a service is meeting its intended goals. Petaluma had the second highest indicator within the peer group, over 7 percent above the peer average. Lodi had the lowest, 51 percent below the peer average. Exhibit 3-79 Operating Cost/Passenger $10.00 $8.00 $6.00 $4.00 $2.00 $0.00 Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi PassengersNSH indicates how many passengers ride a transit service on a per - annum basis. Petaluma had the second highest amongst peers with an indicator at 12.2 PassengersNSH, 15 percent above the average. 15.0 12.0 9.0 6.0 3.0 0.0 Petaluma MOORE & ASSOCI Exhibit 3-80 Passengers/VSH Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 Petaluma demonstrated a high level of effectiveness with ❑ ratio of 1.1 for the Passengers/VSM indicator, 41 percent above the peer average. Clovis and Vacaville fell well below the peer average. Clovis and Petaluma have comparable annual ridership, varying only 14 percent. However, Clovis traveled nearly 97 percent more miles than Petaluma. The Clovis service area is approximately two square miles larger than Petaluma. With some routes, Clovis is running half-hour and one-hour headways, whereas Petaluma runs 60 -minute headways, running more service miles with higher frequency. Exhibit 3-81 Passengers/VSM Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOORE & ASSOC A transit program's farebox recovery ratio calculates the percentage of operating cost recovered through passenger fares. It is the most common measure of public subsidy of a transit service. Petaluma's forebox recovery ratio was 7.9 percent, 40 percent below the peer average. 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-82 Farebox Recovery Chart Title Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi Average Fare/Passenger is another measure of cost -efficiency. Petaluma tied with Clovis for the lowest average Fare/Passenger. Its base fare is one dollar. In comparison, Lodi's base fare is also one dollar, while the base fare for Vacaville and Union City are $1.50. By charging only fifty cents more per passenger, Union City and Vacaville are realizing a difference of 24 cents and 40 cents, respectively. $1.00 $0.80 $0.60 $0.40 $0.20 $0.00 Exhibit 3-83 Average Fare/Passenger Chart Title Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOORE & ASSO( PARATRANSIT PEER REVIEW Our paratronsit peer review compared key Petaluma performance indicators for Fiscal Year 2005/06 with those of four "like peer' transit programs. Exhibit 3-84 Paratronsit Key Indicators 0 eratin :Dost = ? $468,516 $624,208 $1,181,610 $351,623 $1,271,197 $624,2081 $779,431 Fare Revenue = $36,639 $34,984 $65,175 $29,742 $108,8851$336,639F$55,085 7,334 9,478 19,784 6,751 28,1394,297 VehlcleSeiVtceMiles VSM 68,502 91,049 268,930 76,501 230,7577,148 18,458 19,848 45,531 14,537 67,3343,142 6 5 11 6 179 6 Rotation 10 3 169 $63.88 $65.86 $59.73 $52.08 $45.1857.35 C1 eratin-sCosWSM = _ $6.84 $6.86 $4.39 $4.60 $5.51 $5.51 $5.64 Or eratin -9Cosr/Passen 'er ` $25.38 $31.45 $25.95 $24.19 $18.88 $25.38 $25.17 Passen2rsNSH = 2.5 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.29 0.3 - 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.23 FareboxRecove - -= 7.8% 5.6% 5.5% 8.5% 8.6% 7.8% 7.2% AVeraBe Fare /Passenger: $1.99 $1.76 $1.43 $2.05 $1.62 $1.76 $1.77 MOORE & Paratransit ridership numbers were inconsistent and highly variable amongst the peers. Petaluma was below average by nearly 80 percent for this indicator. Lodi was 103 percent above the average. If Lodi were removed from the group, Petaluma would be less than 34 percent below the peer average. As previously noted, we recommend the City improve the system's dependability (i.e., on-time performance) and implement targeting marketing strategies. Exhibit 3-85 Ridership The Operating Costs/VSH indicator for the City's paratransit service performed competitively with its peers. This indicator was approximately 11 percent above average. Lodi was less than 27 percent of the peer average. This can be attributed to lower operating costs and greater annual revenue hours. Exhibit 3-86 Operating Cost/VSH MOORE 8 ASSOC With respect to Operating Cost/VSM, Petaluma again performed competitively when compared to the peers. We believe this can be attributed to the relatively modest number of service miles traveled during the last fiscal year. Petaluma's paratransit service indicator was nearly 21 percent above the peer average. Clovis performed best with an indicator of only $4.39/VSM. $10.00 $8.00 $6.00 $4.00 $2.00 $0.00 Exhibit 3-87 Operating Cost/VSM Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi In terms of service effectiveness, Petaluma's paratransit service faired well. The service carried nearly 9 percent more passengers than the peer average. Union City ranked lowest amongst the peers (2.1 percent). 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 Exhibit 3-88 Passengers/VSH Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOORE & ASSOC Petaluma's paratransit service Passengers/VSM indicator is similar to the previous indicator, receiving the highest rank among like -peers. Both Petaluma and Lodi posted the highest Passengers/VSM (0.3). Exhibit 3-89 Passengers/VSM The farebox recovery ratio for the City's paratransit service was 8 percent below the peer average. It should be noted that all of the peers had a relatively similar farebox recovery ratio with the exception of Clovis and Union City. Although 7.8 percent is below the recommended 10 percent recovery ratio, Petaluma has performed well against it peers. 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% Exhibit 3-90 Farebox Recovery Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOORE & ASS( $2.50 $2.00 $1.50 $1.00 $0.50 $0.00 The City's paratransit service collects $1.99 per passenger, near the peer average of $1.77. Clovis had the lowest average Fare/Passenger at $1.43, nearly 24 percent below the peer average. The highest value for this indicator was posted by Vacaville. Although the fare for paratransit service is two dollars in both Vacaville and Petaluma, Vacaville receives an average of $0.84 more Fares/Passenger. Lodi is the only paratransit program among the peers offering service to the general public. The fare for general public paratransit service is five dollars. Exhibit 3-91 Average Fare/Passenger Petaluma Union City Clovis Vacaville Lodi MOOP.E & A55O( CHAPTER 4 -OPERATIONS PLAN AND BUDGET OPERATIONS PLAN This plan presents the necessary framework to support those service alternatives proposed by Moore & Associates, City staff, and its operations contractors. Both quantitative and qualitative data for Petaluma Transit's fixed -route and paratransit services were assessed to create scenarios relating the City's adopted performance standards. An important aspect of this assessment is the incorporation of new factors that will influence service, including the introduction of the new Transit Mall, forecast population growth, and planned development. Similarly, funding opportunities and constraints were considered in the creation of the following plans. Within the proposed routing, a reduction in Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) will occur while Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) will increase. Less VSM will improve on-time performance by decreasing the length of individual routes translating to improved on-time performance. Fewer miles traveled also extend the average vehicle lifecycle. Increase in VSH will create more frequent headways which entail more frequent service. An addition of 15 new bus stops will slightly impact the traffic and signage in the newly served areas of Petaluma. The proposed routing will bring service to areas of Petaluma that were not previously served by public transit. Because the Petaluma Transit fixed -route service does not receive federal funding, the City is not required to complete a Federal Transit Authority (FTA) Triennial Review or file a Title VI report. The City's paratransit service receives FTA Section 5310 funding and therefore is required to file a Title VI report and complete a FTA Triennial Review. MOORE & Fixed-Rauie Service Recommendations Based on our comprehensive evaluation of the City's fixed -route service, we believe the service is performing below typical industry standards. Customer dissatisfaction is apparent as 58 percent perceive the service to be underperforming. The city's population increased 27 percent between 2000 and 2005, yet transit has not been adjusted to accommodate increased demand. Another issue which contributes to the service's modest satisfaction rating is poor on-time performance (40.1 percent). With the addition of the new Transit Mall and the need to eliminate overlapping and redundant route alignments, we conclude that in order to achieve greater productivity, Petaluma Transit must re -align its routes. The proposed system would not only streamline the routes, but would also provide enhanced coverage. The resulting schedules would enhance frequency and improve on-time performance. MOORE & Exhibit 4-1 Current System Exhibit 4-2 Proposed System Petaluma Transit Proposed Route System Proposed Rowe 1 ..ate.. Ropnzd Route 1 idpper Rope. d Rowe 3 e—?mpomd Role 3 .ems Proposed Rome 4 MOORE & ASSO The City's previous SRTP included proposed stops for Petaluma Transit fixed -route service. According to the update set forth in the 2006 Mini-SRTP, the City plans to add all the recommended transit stops by August 2007, concurrent with the opening of the Transit Mall. This has been taken into account in developing this study. The stops recommended in the prior SUP have been analyzed in context with the new route alignments. The majority of these stops will be included in the proposed alignments. A total of eight stops have been eliminated due to low ridership or because they are no longer within areas covered by the proposed routings. Fourteen additional stops have been proposed as ❑ result of the new route alignments. MOORE & ASSOCIATES N n_ C Q) T '� m O n_ O d CJ v s x w m '" w i - Q U O N N Q W .H y Exhibit 4-4 Proposed System Routes and Stops Petaluma Transit Proposed Routes & Stops ® Proposed Route t — proposed Route t Tepper — Proposed Route 2 ® Proposed Route 3 =Proposed Route o Existing Bus Stop .. Proposed Bus Stop o Eliminatetl Bus Stops As illustrated in Exhibit 4-6, proposed Route 1 would provide increased access for those living in single-family dwellings. This route also provides service from these areas to commercial districts downtown as well as schools in the area. Proposed Route 2 also serves those living in single-family dwellings north of downtown. It provides these residents with access to recreational areas as well as commercial centers. Those seeking access to commercial and healthcare facilities would utilize proposed Routes 3 and 4. Schools are also prominent in this area. The northwestern portion of the community is served by proposed Route 4. This area of the city has the widest variety of zoning restrictions. This route gives access to parks, industrial areas, businesses, schools, and healthcare centers. MOORE & Exhibit's -5 City Zoning Map with Proposed System Petaluma Transit Proposed Route System ® Roposed Route I —P posed Route I Tdpper ® Roposed Route 2 ® Reposed Route 3 e Roposed Route 4 MOORE & Proposed Route 1 Proposed Route 1 provides service to the southern portion of Petaluma on a 30 -minute basis. The trip commences at the Transit Mall at E. Washington and Copeland Streets. The proposed alignment would continue to cover the downtown section of the city west of Petaluma Boulevard. However, coverage east of Payran Street has been omitted in order to eliminate overlapping coverage and reduce miles. Route 1 would head westbound on Washington Street then continue south onto Petaluma Blvd where patrons can access points of interest such as the Petaluma Historical Museum, post office, Boulevard Cinemas, Petaluma People Services Center, and Veterans Outreach. The route would continue on McNear Avenue, head north onto Mission Drive, southwest at Mountain View Avenue and then west onto Grant Avenue where it will stop at Grant Avenue and Kelly Lane near Grant Elementary School. The bus would then head northeast along I Street to Sunnyslope Road to Sunnyslope Avenue. Then Route 1 would continue to B Street and EI Rose Avenue. Most of the current coverage along Sunnyslope Avenue would be eliminated given lack of trip generators and ridership in this specific area. The bus would continue east on B Street and north on Fair Street stopping at Bassett Street and Western Avenue. Heading east on Western Avenue, Route 1 would provide service to community services. Continuing, the bus would head north onto Howard Street and then Oak Street, going north on Keokuk Street it would pass Cypress Hill Memorial Park. After moving onto Magnolia Ave and then Petaluma Boulevard, the remainder of the route will travel southbound through Lakeville Street onto Jefferson Street to Payron Street where it will service the Fairgrounds, before returning to the Petaluma Transit Mall, finishing its approximate 7.5 -mile run. MOORE & ASSOCIATES The estimated difference of additional revenue miles per day is 40.5. This estimate takes into consideration the additional hour of service expected to be implemented in August 2007 on a 30 -minute frequency. We recommend Route 1 also include a tripper bus that will alleviate the crowding of students from Petaluma High School, Petaluma Junior High School, and St. Vincent's High School. The proposed tripper service would not require an additional bus. Rather, during these peak hours, Route 1 would run on a 45 -minute headway. NW 1. T,m:h Pmpavn1K. n1.1 ® cumaw.i • ga{vtlPOW li�cq�9v O n.p..a Bu zup ♦ 6dtp B.v seq • ¢��,.�a Pu em rAN 03001 Exhibit 4-6 Proposed Route 1 with Stops 72 .x w MEMO —I- -nnn a nnn a a - nnn nnann _�= N N N N N N r v o m ' c vee e o N N r m E min m Nn N r N e m == o 0 0 aQ¢Q QQaQQ;�aaaa Hanna C N n m N - N mm `C `C `C 6 Q 6 Q Q 6 Q 6 Qtr.; n a n d 6 d d d d Nn rnrT - MEE ;..ani n i a i a a r r r n n n r rN N [V N N N m m m m m m m m `- iia i i a i i i o m c m N u ii b b N iV W 65 9 m O 0 y Q 0_ 0 0 N Q O _9? m _ _ t= _ m m� H 3 � - i m a m¢ m a m m 0 3 a a w a o 3¢¢ y _ E„ h E o ,m =� `n m E E E s N= v Proposed Route 2 Route 2 covers the high ridership areas northeast of McDowell Boulevard North. Current service along McDowell Boulevard South would be eliminated and would be covered by Proposed Route 3 and Proposed Route 4. This route would operate on a 15 -minute frequency in the morning and afternoon to accommodate the areas with the heaviest ridership, and 30 -minute frequency mid-day. The run would commence at the Transit Mall and heads east on East Washington Street where it stops at Washington Square Shopping Center and the Valley Orchard Retirement Center. It would then head north on Sonoma Mountain Parkway serving Santa Rosa Junior College and the Parkway Plaza Shopping Center. The trip continues on Sonoma Mountain Parkway, then south on Maria Drive covering the Waugh Kids Care s along the thoroughfare and the Petaluma Valley Hospital. The bus would then continue to E. Madison Street heading west passing the Petaluma Senior Center. Heading south onto McDowell Boulevard North, the bus would stop at the Plaza North Shopping Center before continuing south on McDowell Blvd. North and west on E. Washington Street to locations including the Petaluma Swim Center and Whole Foods Market prior to completing its 8.4 -mile run at the Transit Mall. MOORE 8 Exhibit 4-8 Proposed Route 2 with Stops Petaluma Transit Proposed Route 2 — Current Route 2 proposed Route Proposed Bus Stops Eosung Bus Smps 0 aminated steps MOORE & , VW XX TRI 911T 9 T.1111119 � |!�� 10 Proposed Alternative Route 2 City staff created an Alternative Route 2 recommendation similar to the current Route 2 alignment. Proposed Alternative Route 2 North also travels. along South McDowell Boulevard, but eliminates one segment which currently exists on the north side of East Washington Boulevard headed downtown. This proposed route would begin at the Transit Mall, travel east along East Washington Street then south on South McDowell Boulevard, east to McDowell Extension, west onto Lakeville Highway, also servicing downtown along Keller Street and 4'h & C Streets, terminating at the new Transit Mall. The most significant change on the Proposed Alternative Route 2 South is service along Lakeville Highway. Service would continue along East Washington Street to South McDowell Boulevard, to Ely Boulevard South to Frates Road, and then to McDowell Boulevard South Extension. From here, the alignment would travel west along Lakeville Highway where it would eventually intersect with D Street, turn south to service downtown and terminate at the Transit Mall. This proposed alignment would utilize existing stops along Lakeville Highway and capturing the new residential and commercial development. The new alignment would also serve the new Goodwill store located at Caulfield Lane and Lakeville Highway. This route would operate on a 60 -minute frequency throughout the service day. MOORE & ASSO( Exhibit 4-10 Proposed Alternative Route 2 with Stops Petaluma Transit Alternate Route 2S Curtent Route 2 Ument Rout.2Slops Propoo dRoute 25 e Propo%od Rw1e25tcps MOORE & ASSC Proposed Route 3 Proposed Route 3 is the longest proposed route, running nearly 11 miles round-trip. The service would have 30 -minute headway and operates 12.5 hours a day, a total of 264.25 miles per day. This proposed route has a difference of nearly 40 miles per day as it replaces two routes, 3N 7 3S. Route 3 covers the current route areas of 2S and partially 3N and 3S, and eliminates service coverage south of Washington Street in order to provide comparable service the southern end of current Routes 2 and 3. Route 3 would start at the Transit Mall and continue east along E. Washington Street stopping at the Petaluma Swim Center and Town Plaza Shopping Center. It would then continue south on McDowell Boulevard South stopping by Safeway and North Bay Children's Center. The bus would continue west on Caulfield Lane stopping at St. Francis by St. Francis Residential Care, and then head south stopping near Miwok Valley Elementary School. Route 3 then continues east, stopping at Casa Grande and McDowell Boulevard South where it would continue south to the post office on Corporate Circle. The bus then loops around on Cypress to stop at Kaiser Permanente on Lakeville Highway and then north to Frates Road and Lakeville Highway. Route 3 then would head north and then east to stop at Casa Grande High School where it would travel north to Ely Boulevard South and Village East Drive. The trip would then head east to stop on Ely Blvd South and East Washington Street, by Valley Orchid Apartments. Once on East Washington, it would head to the west to stop at Washington Square Shopping Center and then west back to the Transit MOIL MOORE & ASSO Exhibit 4-12 Proposed Route 3 with Stops MOORE & B PPIMIMIMIMIMI IMP I I I I !2752§!!!\!!!!!!!!§ lk��■���!}!!�!�!�!! \\\\\\\\\\\/\ B Proposed Route 4 Proposed Route 4 is a new route, with one-hour headway, that would serve the northwestern portion of the city including the Petaluma Village Premium Factory Outlets and the Industrial Center (C & P Microsystems, Rhodehouse Wood Works, and R. McClure Electric Company. This proposed route begins at the Transit Mall and continues west on Washington Street, stopping on Petaluma Boulevard. Once on Petaluma Boulevard, the routes continues north to stop on Oak Street, Lakeville Street, Magnolia Avenue, and the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets. The alignment then continues east on Corona Road and then north on Industrial Avenue to stop on Auto Center Drive and near C & P Microsystems, Inc. Route 4 then heads northeast on Redwood Highway to stop on McDowell Boulevard to serve the surrounding businesses. The proposed alignment then continues south onto McDowell Boulevard to stop on Willowbrook Court near the surrounding office buildings. Remaining on McDowell Boulevard, the route would serve trip generators such as U.S. Post Office, Petaluma Estates, Sunrise Park, Petaluma Plaza, and Petaluma Community Center. The route then heads south on Washington Street returning to the Transit Mall. MOORE & ASSOC Exhibit 4-14 Proposed Route 4 with Stops Petaluma Transit Proposed Route 4 ® Current Route t Current Rout_= 2 Proposed Route Y o Propusetl Bus Sops • Easunq Bus Stops • Bimnated stops MOORE & ASSC � \ > sm !2§2!225\!!!!!!!! \!!!!!,!! � \ > Paratransit Recommendations The City's paratransit service is open to persons with physical or mental impairments impacting their ability to use fixed -route transit service. This program functions as the City's ADA -complementary service. As such, its hours of operation mirror those of the fixed -route service. The paratransit service requires six vehicles. Based on the results of our evaluation of the service's performance, the most obvious issue affecting paratransit service efficiency and effectiveness is poor -on- time performance. To improve scheduling and on-time performance, paratransit dispatching staff should coordinate trips to the most popular origins and destinations (Exhibit 4-14). Doing so would free up time to serve other destinations and patrons more efficiently. We can conclude from this chart that within the 14 -day sampling 55 pick-ups and 38 drop-offs were made at Old Adobe Developmental Services (GADS). This equates to six roundtrips per day to this location. Exhibit 4-16 Paratransit Origins and Destinations As of July 2007, the draft of a FTA -required Coordinated Human Services Plan commissioned by the MTC was in review. In the interim, Moore & Associates recommends PPSC utilize all resources (i.e., Sonoma County Area Agency on MOORE & ASSO( Aging Transit) when coordinating with local and Bay Area social services agencies to maximize funding and improve service performance. Average Trip Time and Trip Length We recommend the City monitor trip times and lengths on a regular basis. Increases in trip times could indicate poor dispatching and/or scheduling, poor allocation of drivers and/or vehicles, increases in traffic congestion, and should be routinely discussed with the operations contractor. Every week, we recommend PPSC staff review a random sampling of not less than two paratransit vehicle driver logs. A calculation of trip times in Microsoft Excel may be included along with an average trip time for that day's activity. Formal monitoring would provide the paratransit service with a means to quickly recognize trends and to respond to them. No new activities or service changes are planned in accordance with the ADA for the paratransit service. No additional proposed revisions or improvements to fixed -route services intended to enhance usage by persons with disabilities and older adults are under consideration at this time. This recommendation assumes all recommendations from the 2007 mini-SRTP are implemented, including, fixed -route enhancements for persons with disabilities and seniors. MOORE & AS! OPERATIONS BUDGET Proposed Operating Expenses and Performance Assumptions Five-year operating expenses have been projected using the following assumptions: 1. Recommendations outlined within this chapter would be implemented within a period of three to five years. 2. Fixed -route ridership would increase no less than 10 percent/annum. 3. Paratransit ridership would increase no less than four percent/annum. 4. Purchases of Petaluma Transit replacement vehicles and poratronsit expansion vehicles would occur during the fiscal year identified in the Capital Plan. 5. All expenditures in the Capital Plan would occur within the fiscal year identified. b. Marketing is set at four percent of total operating budget for FY 2007/08, and not less than three percent each year thereafter. 7. Operational costs were based on City -provided data. 8. The rate of inflation is forecast at three percent/annum. 9. Periodic adjustments to the Petaluma Transit fare structure would occur. MOORE & ASSOCIE W F- a - u 0 a W • s c CHAPTER'5 - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Our Capital Plan outlines the supporting infrastructure necessity to carry forth the operations and services set forth in the Operations Plan and Budget discussed in Chapter 4. Fixed -Route Capital Improvements In 2007, the City acquired four new 35 -foot, heavy-duty transit buses. The average age of the current active fixed -route fleet inclusive of new vehicles is 5.3 years. The FTA service life of the newly acquired buses is 10 years or 350,000 miles. Although these four vehicles will not require replacement during the course of this 10 -year Capital Plan, most vehicles within the fleet will be either leased, sold, or otherwise retired by the end of FY 2007/08. Further, we recommend the continued purchasing of vehicles with wheelchair lifts and bicycle racks. Paratransit Capital Improvements By the end of August 2007, the paratransit service acquired two paratransit mini -vans to replace two of the existing City -owned paratransit vehicles. The average age of the current paratransit fleet inclusive of these new vehicles is 5.1 years. The FTA service life of the newly acquired mini -vans is four years or 100,000 miles. Given these paratransit mini -vans often reach four years before 100,000 miles, the average vehicle within the City's paratransit fleet is being retired at six years. Therefore, the newly acquired mini -vans should be replaced no later than 2013. Other paratransit vehicles will require replacement within the next two years. Exhibit 5-1 Petaluma Transit Fleet Inventory and Recommended Replacement Schedule * Despite their age, these vehicles have not yet accumulated the number of miles indicated in the FTA Service Life Policy guidelines. **Pending replacement by "on -order" vehicles. v A B C D E F G H I J 2 Parairaiisd _ - -' - 3 7 IN SERVICE 2003 FORD E350 GAS 61,841 54483 ACTIVE 2009' 4 10 IN SERVICE 1997 FORD CANDIDATE DIESEL 178,216 88654 ACTIVE" 2003 5 30 IN SERVICE 2000 FORD BUS GAS 178,285 40641 ACTIVE" 2006 6 31 IN SERVICE 2001 FORD BUS GAS 181,139 40672 ACTIVE 2007 7 ## ON ORDER 2007 2013 8 Nk ON ORDER 2007 2013 9 PPSC-Ouyned �_ "' 10 4 INSERVICE 2003 BRAUN TRANSPORTER GAS 35,132 2049 ACTIVE 2009` 11 5 INSERVICE 1997 1 FORD I AEROTECH I DIESELI 146,278 10576 ACTIVE 2006 12 FIKed-route == _ — = -- - - — 13 11 Retired 1989 Orion Orion II Diesel 388,468 05324 SPARE 2001 14 21 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 85,472 00819 SPARE 2011` 15 22 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 70,123 00948 SPARE 2012' 16 23 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 71,497 00565 SPARE 2011; 17 24 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 83,121 00687 SPARE 2012' 18 25 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 72,290 01020 SPARE 2009' 19 26 IN SERVICE 2003 Chevy Cut -a -way Gas 75,693 00892 SPARE 2012' 20 27 IN SERVICE 2000 Ford Cut -a -way Gas 214,244 91587 SPARE 2006 21 28 INSERVICEI 2000 Ford I Cut -a -way Gas 233,597 91591 SPARE 2006 22 29 IN SERVICE 2000 Ford Cut -a -way Diesel 178,564 40640 SPARE 2006 23 32 IN SERVICE 2000 Ford Cut -a -way Diesel 192,162 40693 SPARE 2006 24 33 IN SERVICE 2007 Gillig Transit Bus Diesel 150 77482 ACTIVE 2017 25 34 IN SERVICE 2007 aillig Transit Bus Diesel 175 77483 ACTIVE 1 2017 26 35 IN SERVICE 2007 Gillig Transit Bus Diesel 172 77484 ACTIVE 2017 27 36 IN SERVICE 2007 Gillig Transit Bus Diesel 145 77485 ACTIVE 2017 28 1 1 * Despite their age, these vehicles have not yet accumulated the number of miles indicated in the FTA Service Life Policy guidelines. **Pending replacement by "on -order" vehicles. v Capital Amenities Transit Mall The Petaluma Transit Mall serves as a regional transfer facility for Petaluma Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and Amtrak connector bus service. In addition, taxis and regional airporter services use the facility. The Transit Mall is located on Copeland, between East Washington and East D Streets. The Transit Mall provides dedicated on -street parking for up to nine transit vehicles, minimizing impact on surrounding traffic flow. The following table describes revenue sources used for the Transit Mall. Exhibit 5-2 Revenue Sources for Transit Mall Bus Stop Amenities The addition of bus stops amenities such as signage, bicycle racks, and/or shelters should be installed at these locations in the following table. Exhibit 5-3 Proposed Locations Introducing amenities at bus stop locations is a cost-effective way to raise awareness and provide a higher level of customer service. The Community Survey Analysis revealed 43.7 percent of current riders obtain information at the bus stop. Customer signage informs new and current riders where to access the service and advises potential riders Petaluma Transit operates within the area. MOORE & ASSOC Transportation Fund for Clean Air Grant The City of Petaluma applied for a Transportation Fund for a Clean Air (TFCA) grant in June 2007. This grant is administered by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to fund activities such as congestion management, rail -bus integration, demonstration project in telecommuting, bicycle facility improvements, and infrastructure improvements aimed at reducing motor vehicle emissions. The City of Petaluma requested TFCA funding to support an ongoing marketing program that promotes alternate transportation, clean air, and congestion management activities. Funding from the grant will be used to promote the Petaluma Transit "Walk, Bike, and Bus" campaign that has a bicycle and pedestrian focus. The goal of this project is to promote bicycling and walking in combination with public transit as a practical way of reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and promoting a healthy lifestyle in Petaluma and Sonoma County. The City would install or upgrade bicycle racks and lockers in locations where they can be utilized by transit customers, as well as install or upgrade bicycle racks on transit buses. Also, the City would implement a public outreach and education program both informing residents and visitors of their options regarding alternative and public transportation and instructing as to their use. The City would promote the integration of bicycle and pedestrian routes into Petaluma Transit marketing materials so as to encourage the use of multiple modes of alternative transportation. The TFCA grant been approved by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) . The grant will be funded over a two-year time period with a final amount of $143,000. MOORE & ASSOC City of Petaluma General Plan According to the City of Petaluma's Draft General Plan (2005-2025), public transit is not currently an integral mode of travel within the city. The City recognizes this and is aware of public transit's increasing importance. Through the General Plan, Petaluma seeks to promote increased public transit usage and a greater concentration on transit for future transportation. The goal of the General Plan's Mobility Element is to promote the expansion of Petaluma transit and the intensification of public usage. The Element has introduced several policies and programs to achieve this goal: • The bus transit system is to be expanded to offer frequent and suitable service along major city corridors serving shopping, education, and employment destinations. • Support Transit -Oriented Development in the Petaluma Depot area including transit corridors such as Washington Street, Petaluma Boulevard, McDowell Boulevard, and Lakeville Street. • Uphold a transit system which maintains nominal cost to the riders. • Organize transit enhancements, endeavors, and schedules among Petaluma Transit, Sonoma County Transit, Golden Gate Transit, paratronsit, commuter rail, and schools. This SRTP considered these policies when developing recommendations. The proposed realignment of the existing routes and the proposed new routes offer frequent and reliable service to significant trip generators. The City of Petaluma forecasts population growth and transit demand will require Petaluma Transit to improve its services, both operationally and capital. Within the scope of the General Plan multiple transit improvements are expected. Some programs are minor (i.e., future fare reductions/expansion), and do not require supplemental funding sources. However, the larger -scale projects (i.e., ferry and water taxi), could only materialize with federal assistance. The City anticipates requesting future FTA funding which may fall outside the scope of the SRTP. MOORE & ASSOCIP Exhibit 5-4 General Plan Proposed Transit Projects Public transit Real Time Transit Information $ 1,500,000.00 $ 1,200,000.00 $300 000.00 25% $75,00G.00 Future Fare Reductions / Expansions $ 75,000.00 $ 15,000.00 $60,000.00 25% $15,000.00 SRJC Impact Fees $ 50 000.00 $ 40 000.00 $10,000.0 25% $2,500.00 Implement TDM Program $ 100,000.00 $ $100,000.00 100% $100.000.00 Potential 8RT $ 10 000 000.00 $ 8.000,00G.00 75% $1,500,000.0 Plan for future bus stop enhancements $ 1,000.000.00 —$2,000=0.00 $ 800,000.00 $200,000.00 50% $100,000.00 Fe" and Water Taxi $ 20,000,000.00 $ 16,000 000.00 $4,000,000.0 50% $2.000.000,0 Airport / Transit asset $ 3,000,000.00 $ 2,400,000.00 $600.000.00 50% $300,000.00 Parkinq Structure Next to Transit Mall $ 5,000,000.00 $ 1,250,000.00 $3,750,000.00 75% $2,812,500.0 The City has galvanized the goal of the General Plan Mobility Element by applying for the FOCUS Priority Development Area Application. The FOCUS program is a combined venture of Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), to institute regional development priorities with the aid of voluntary participation of cities, counties, or other groups in the Bay Area. The areas of emphasis for FOCUS are those jurisdictions located along major transit corridors. With the potential funds from the FOCUS grant Petaluma would be able to initiate the goals and policies that are described in the Mobility Element of the General Plan. MOORE & ASSOCIF