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Island Transit Comprehensive Plan: Status Report and Operational Recommendations

This draft report presents findings, public input, and operational alternatives for enhancing Island Transit services, covering efficiency, maintenance, public feedback, and stakeholder input. Recommendations focus on bus stop infrastructure, operational adjustments, and improvements in service quality.

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Island Transit Comprehensive Plan: Status Report and Operational Recommendations

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  1. THE GOODMAN CORPORATION Island Transit Comprehensive Plan(DRAFT) Status Report Intermodal Transportation Committee October 23, 2013

  2. Outline Purpose Operational Findings Public/Stakeholder Input Operational Alternatives Bus Stop Infrastructure Marketing Recommendations Policy Recommendations Maintenance Review Next Steps

  3. Purpose • Evaluate efficiency, coverage of existing services • Recommend operational improvements • Ascertain publicand stakeholder opinion about Island Transit services • Evaluate maintenance practices • Evaluate other areas (capital, infrastructure, marketing, policies, personnel), recommend improvements

  4. Operational Findings • Excellent coverage overall • Ridecheck • Comprehensive understanding of how, where, and when riders are using the system • All 279 weekly bus trips ridden by data collectors, noting passenger boarding/de-boarding activity • No identified “peak” (e.g., commuter hours) – rather, IT is an “all day” system • Highest productivity: Rt 6 (27 passengers/trip, weekdays) • Lowest productivity: Rt 4 (7.6 passengers/trip, weekdays) • Some schedule adherence issues • All recommended schedule/route changes developed in context of ridecheck results • Maximize riders positively affected, minimize riders negatively affected

  5. Public Input • Public Meetings • Six (6) meetings held (one in each Council District) in May • Surveying/Interviews • On-board • Public Meetings • Online (Survey Monkey) • Water Bills • Visitors • Stakeholder interviews • 279 total responses from riders, 754 from non-riders

  6. Public Input – Common Themes • Return to 30-minute frequency • More shelters, benches • Later service at night • Earlier service on Sunday morning • Length, travel time on “combination” routes • Driver courtesy • New buses

  7. Stakeholder Input • Approximately 25 interviews conducted • Groups representing seniors, low income, minorities, schools/colleges, tourism, businesses, others • Common themes: • “Best kept secret on the Island” • “How do you know how to use the system?” • Not accessible or attractive to tourists • Not engaged with community • Lack of solutions to specialized transit needs • Unsafe stops, not enough benches and shelters • 1-hour headways a burden, reduce ridership • No access to downtown Houston • No access to Social Security office • Buses old, unattractive to choice riders

  8. Current Operations • Seven (7) fixed routes • 30-min headways on Route 2, 30/30/60 on Routes 5 & 6. All other routes on 60-min headways • Seven (7) buses used • 33,157 annual revenue hours • Other services • Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) • Victory Lakes, Mall of the Mainland P&Rs • UTMB Shuttle • Cruise Ship Shuttles

  9. Desirable Service Adjustments • Headways • Span of Service • Limited service on Seawall and Broadway • Direct service between Route 7 and Downtown • Route 7 transfers • Depending on final destination, some Route 7 passengers must transfer twice • Travel time on “combination” routes • Temporal service gaps • e.g., Target/TAMU on Rt 1, DPS on Rt 3, Fort Crockett on Rt 5 • Limited service to TAMU • Service to new Galveston College campus

  10. Operational Alternatives • No capital, cost impacts: • Re-route and re-time all routes to move to new Downtown Transit Terminal • Minor Route 5 re-routing and re-scheduling in Fort Crockett area • Extend late night service by one hour, operate Sunday service one hour earlier and one hour later • Additional 765 weekday, 156 Saturday, 336 Sunday annual revenue hours (1,257 total) • No additional buses required

  11. Operational Alternatives (cont’d) • Combine Routes 1 and 7, alter Route 1 for more Broadway coverage • One-seat ride between Route 7 area and Downtown • Net savings of 418 annual revenue hours • Extend Route 3 to Galveston College on Broadway • Running time ↑ from 45 mins to 60 mins • Add new Route 8 • Increased service to TAMU • One additional bus required • ~ 3,692 additional annual revenue hours • Redesign and re-schedule Route 1/3/4/2 combination route • ~ 1,965 additional annual revenue hours

  12. Operational Alternatives (cont’d) • Restore Routes 1, 3, 5, and 6 to 30-minute headways • Four (4) additional buses required • ~ 13,260 additional annual revenue hours • Cost effectiveness of all options currently being evaluated

  13. Bus Stop Infrastructure • Shelters • Approximately 290 bus stops system wide; 22 currently have shelters • Recommendation: install shelter in locations with 10+ daily boardings • 13 locations (based on ridecheck data) • Will bring total to 35 stops with shelters (~12%), but 56% of boardings would occur from sheltered stop • Benches • Recommendation: install bench in locations with 5-9 daily boardings • 31 locations • At least 75% of boardings would occur from a stop with a shelter or a bench

  14. Bus Stop Infrastructure (cont’d) • Bus Stop Signs • Current signs are inconspicuous “No Parking” signs with bus icon • Recommendation: Better signs • Route # • Island Transit phone #, website • Route, schedule info at busiest stops • Island Transit branding • Other signage • On par with new CVB signage

  15. Marketing Recommendations • Full roll-out of 2012 re-branding components • Website overhaul • Existing site not favorably regarded by public • Route Maps/Schedules • Update when route/schedule changes implemented • Add major destinations, activity centers • Make more widely available • Social Media

  16. Policy Recommendations • Eliminate “Flag Stops” • Evaluate allowable transfer locations • Level of Service • 30-minute frequency • Fleet Composition & Equipment • Low-Floor Vehicles • Automatic Passenger Counters • Fare Cards • Personnel • Pay, Training, Career Ladder • Full-time vs. Part-time • Morale • Public Information Officer

  17. Maintenance Review • Last review in 2003 • Evaluate maintenance program, database, fluid consumption, preventative maintenance, staffing levels/schedule, staff training, facility maintenance, capital needs • Recommendations in work

  18. Next Steps Finalize recommended options Develop capital and operating finance/implementation strategy Brief Council, City staff, City Finance Committee Public meetings

  19. Intermodal Transportation Committee THE GOODMAN CORPORATION October 23, 2013 Yvonne Fedee yfedee@thegoodmancorp.com (713) 951-7951

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