2010 MVTA Service Investment Strategy

1. 2010 MVTA Service Investment Strategy For approval December 8, 2010

2. Why an MVTA SIS? • Regional Transportation Policy Plan requires “Service Improvement Plan” from all transit providers • MVTA Strategic Plan requires “Goals for Transit Investment” including service investments • Document MVTA’s plans to meet needs beyond Cedar Avenue and I-35W Transitway projects • Facility-level and Route-level analysis • Perform well compared to regional peers, comparable to national peers

3. What’s Important? • Public and Stakeholder Input • Public Web Forum • Two rounds of meetings with City and County staff • Review of ongoing customer and non-rider feedback • Suggested Improvements • Designated stops • Community-based services • Preserve future opportunities • Longer hours of service • Direct routings (express, basic local)

4. General Strategies • Focus largest investment in market-driven services: work markets where transit is time-competitive • Paid parking • Bus-only Shoulders, HOT lanes, ramp meter bypasses • Express Services to both downtowns and U of M • Partner for “lifeline” and local services • Combine resources with DARTS, Scott County where possible • Share riders with Metro Transit by using regional Transit Centers • Enhance private partnerships, e.g. Spectrum Shuttle, SMSC

5. General Strategies • Continuous Improvement program for service and facility performance • Improve where performance is lacking and build on successes • Clearly define service types • Express: peak period, park-&-ride-focused service to downtown Minneapolis, downtown St. Paul, University of Minnesota) • Local: all day service to regional transit hubs (Mall of America, 46th Street Station, etc.) • Community-based, Feeder, Reverse-Commute: specialized routes to serve particular markets, midday and/or peak-only service • Transitway: all day, long-distance, high-speed services connecting to regional transit hubs and/or downtowns

6. Current Route Structure by Service Type

7. Express Routes • Identify two types of facilities: • Corridor Transit Centers (large facilities, directly on freeway/ transitway corridors, significant connecting service, station building) • Burnsville, Apple Valley, Cedar Grove, Eagan Transit Stations to U of M and downtown Minneapolis • Eagan to St. Paul • Park & Rides (small to medium facilities, farther from freeways, little or no connecting service, minimal or no station building) • Savage, Heart of the City, Palomino, Blackhawk, 157th, Rosemount to Minneapolis • Apple Valley to U of M • Heart of the City, Apple Valley, Palomino, Blackhawk to St. Paul

8. Express Routes • Service levels by facility type • Corridor Transit Centers: MINIMUM 6 trips per peak (15-30 minute headway) that run directly to/from the park & ride without intermediate stops • Park & Ride: MINIMUM 3 trips per peak that run directly to/from the park & ride without intermediate stops • Higher service levels as demand requires (e.g. Burnsville has 39 trips to Minneapolis) • Direct Routing of Individual Routes: • Typically run non-stop between park & ride/transit center and freeway; • Local stops only when supporting local and feeder service is inadequate • Additional trips may serve multiple facilities as long as the service level minimums are met with direct service at each facility

9. Local Routes • Service availability based on housing density • This standard will not be implemented until analysis is completed in 2011 • Routing • Fixed routes, fixed stops • Use most direct route, except when direct route has incomplete sidewalks and there is a reasonable alternative • Service levels: • Minimum service hourly each direction from 6a to 10p weekdays • Higher frequency when more than 20 passengers per hour • Longer hours of service when ridership in earliest or latest hour approaches average for the whole day • Weekend service feasible when weekday ridership averages more than 10 riders per trip 10p 6a

10. Community/ Feeder/ Reverse Commute Routes • Routing • Fixed route/flag stop in peak periods, flex route in mid-day • Optimized for important origins and destinations • Access to key locations more important than direct routing • Service levels • Basic community routes: hourly, 8a-4p • Feeder routes: hourly 6a-8a and 4p-6p (or later to meet last outbound express trip) • Reverse Commute routes: At least 3 trips each direction approximately 6a-8a and 3p-5p; earlier or later trips and 2nd/3rd shift service based on demand 6a 8a 4p 6p

11. Transitway Routes • Route Design • Simple, High-Speed service • Multiple route patterns possible (downtown, Mall of America, etc.) but limited to 2 or 3 per corridor • Directness is highest priority, stop primarily or exclusively at transit stations and transitway stops • Service Levels • Hourly, 6a-10p in both directions on weekdays • Increased service levels and weekend service using similar criteria to Local service • Cedar and I-35W are examples • Others are possible • Cedar & I-35W have already had a lot of additional work done on route design and service levels 10p 6a

12. Near-Term (4-Year) Improvements Needed • Additional trips on 478 and 479 serving Rosemount Park & Ride and 157th Street Station • Add trips on 484 Eagan/St. Paul • Restructure 464, reducing total number of trips at Savage P&R but running some trips non-stop between Savage & I-35W (via CR 42?) • Increase service hours on 421, 440, and 446, add Sunday 441 • Match capacity to demand on 460 and 472 • Streamline routings of 440 and 445

13. 2011-12 Implementation $ • Minimize financial impactdue to limited newresources • Re-allocate existing buses and operating funding to fund improvements • Solve most pressing problems from Near-Term list • Enhance Reverse-Commute services based on review of travel patterns and partner needs • Implement Cedar BRT (some new resources available)

14. 2013-14 Implementation • Assume some new resources to solve “more expensive” existing problems • Implement Federally funded service expansions • Rosemount-Minneapolis expansion • Rosemount/Eagan-St. Paul • I-35W BRT elements • Add Cedar Grove-downtown Minneapolis, expand Cedar Grove-U of M $

15. How can you help? • Take a handout • Write your comments • Visit our web site: • http://www.mvta.com/sis.html • Tell your friends