Intercity: Best Practices and Promising Implementations

1. Intercity: Best Practices and Promising Implementations State Programs Meeting August 15, 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration

2. Introductions

3. Introductions Robin Phillips, National RTAP Don Chartock, WSDOT Jack Dokken, SD DOT

4. Introductions

5. Agenda • Network Relationships • Information • Local/ Regional • National/ Feeder Introductions and Overview Robin Phillips, National RTAP Don Chartock, WSDOT Jack Dokken, SD DOT Benefits of Regionalization  Guidance: Written and Experienced History and Purpose Requirements Travel Washington: Don Chartok South Dakota Approach: Jack Dokken

6. Benefits of RegionalizationRural Transit Efficiencies

7. Rural Transit Efficiencies SDDOT-Jack Dokken 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 14-16, 2019

8. Background of SD Rural Transit 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference 25 Agencies Very small, small, city owned, large Very Rural, Cover Vast distances High Administrative Costs High Miles per Ride Often Struggle to Retain Drivers Very Little State Funding Federal Funding unchanged the past 5 years Operating costs increasing SDDOT Overwhelmed (3 staff)

9. Where is our money being spent? 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Duplicate costs Neighboring Transit Providers Program Reviews Training Audits Supplies Out-sourcing all maintenance Duplicate software

10. Where is provider/SDDOT time being spent? 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Program Reviews Technical Assistance Risk assessments Planning Agreements Reimbursements Grant Applications and Reviews Reporting Meetings and Conferences

11. Moving Forward 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Large group meetings with all the SD transit directors Receive feedback on stretching the federal dollar. Consolidate agencies Shared use of software Group insurance plans Bulk supply orders

12. Moving Forward 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 SDDOT campaign for transit consolidations Positive feedback Negative feedback Rumor control Went from 25 agencies to now 18 Expanding into new communities Already seeing savings New projects because of consolidations Improved administrative functions

13. Guidance: Written and Experienced

14. Intercity: 53 USC §5311(f) • Program Design • Effective  • Sustainable • Compliant • Requirements • Meaningful Consultation • Meaningful Connection • Set Aside History • ISTEA FAST Act • State Role • Private Match Purpose • Sustain the national ICB network • Meet unmet needs

15. What Already Exists: Intercity

16. Underserved areas • Communities 25k+ without intercity service access http://www.kfhgroup.com/aibra/schedules/unservedmap.pdf

17. US Transit Map • https://www.bts.gov/content/national-transit-map

18. 49 USC § 5311 (f) • One objective of the funding for intercity bus service under Section 5311, therefore, is to support the connection between rural areas and the larger regional or national system of intercity bus service. • Another objective is to support services to meet the intercity travel needs of residents in rural areas. • A third objective is to support the infrastructure of the intercity bus network through planning and marketing assistance and capital investment in facilities. • FTA encourages states to use the funding under Section 5311(f) to support these national objectives, as well as priorities determined by the state.

19. History • Elimination of Greyhound service in many rural communities • FTA rule changes and evolution • ISTEA, TEA-21, SAFETEA-LU, MAP 21, FAST Act • More 5311(f) funds are made available to states • States can contract directly, Match Pilot, Statutory change, Improved rates for private match • States required to assess service levels. • Require current plans in order to certify that all ICB needs are meet.

20. 9040 Guidance: Purpose for Intercity • e. increasing availability of transportation options through investments in intercity bus services; • f. assisting in the development and support of intercity bus transportation; • g. encouraging mobility management, employment-related transportation alternatives, joint development practices, and transit-oriented development; and • h. providing for the participation of private transportation providers in rural public transportation.

21. Purpose: Experience • A recognition that intercity grant solicitation needed a more flexible approach to meet intercity program goals Focus on private operators and building on existing services Connectivity to local, regional and national services has a higher value than for local service grants Developing reliable, comfortable, and convenient services means investments in stops and vehicles • Longer grant periods more efficient and effective • Over the road buses or more comfortable seating needed for longer trips • A need for the program to reflect statewide intercity and connectivity needs in a comprehensive network

22. What does that mean? • …certification by the governor implies a statewide assessment of intercity bus service currently available and of any existing needs. • …assessment of intercity bus needs may be made relative to other rural needs in the state. • …must demonstrate … it has assessed statewide intercity mobility needs no more than four years before the date of the certification. • …document in the state management plan (SMP) its consultation process …for periodically assessing statewide needs. FTA will evaluate …every three years.

23. Governors Certification • A state is required to expend at least 15 percent of its apportionment for an intercity bus program, • unless “the Governor of the State certifies to the Secretary, • after consultation with affected intercity bus service providers, that the intercity bus service needs of the State are being met adequately.”

24. State Approaches

25. Travel Washington WSDOT - Don Chartock 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 14-16, 2019

26. Travel Washington 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference FTA Support the connection between non-urbanized areas and the larger regional or national system of intercity bus service WSDOT Intercity Bus Program goal Provide mobility and access for rural residents with unmet transportation needs

27. 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference [Two Content] Slide Title

28. Coverage of the Travel Washington network 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Washington state total population: 7,073,146 About 77 percent live within 10 miles of intercity stops. Roughly 96 percent live within 25 miles of one.

29. Changing the Program 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 In-Kind Match Statewide Plan Contracting vs. Granting

30. 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference Branding and marketing • Each route is named after products produced in the region • Each contractor is required to market their route using the Travel Washington brand • 10th Anniversary Celebrations for each route

31. 2018 Study 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Analysis of four existing routes Community Engagement Recommend future network expansion alternatives Identify funding and match scenarios

32. Proposed fifth route 18th Biennial State Programs Meeting and Public Transportation Partnerships Conference August 27-28, 2019 Walla-Walla to Clarkston Pasco-Pullman Yakima to Vancouver

33. Contacts Greg Wright 360.791.1170 WrightG@wsdot.wa.gov Don Chartock 360.705.7928 ChartoD@wsdot.wa.gov

34. Considerations

35. Requirements: Discussion and Questions • State Assessment of intercity needs • State Role in regional and interstate connectivity • Consolidation of services, employment and retail in rural communities • Relationship to the intercity grant program • Consultation with private operators • What are you asking them? • What can they tell you • What does this meaningful consultation look like • Meaningful connection to the national intercity bus network • What is a meaningful connection in a rural area?

36. Wrap-Up

37. Contact Information Don Chartock charted@wsdot.wa.gov Jack Dokken 605.773.3574 • Robin Phillips • Rphillips@nationalrtap.org • Elan Flippin • elan.flippin@dot.gov U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration

38. Upcoming Events September 15-18, 2019, Portland, Oregon Registration is open! nationalrtap.org/conference-2019