Customer Service and Operations Committee. Board Action Item III-A. July 10, 2014

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1 Customer Service and Operations Committee Board Action Item III-A July 10, 2014 FY2015 Bus Service Adjustments Request For Public Hearings Page 3 of 52

2 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board Action/Information Summary Action Information MEAD Number: Resolution: Yes No TITLE: Public Hearings for Bus Service Changes FY2015 PRESENTATION SUMMARY: Approval to hold public hearings on changes to Metrobus service needed to maintain a state of good operations, and a change to the tariff to reduce the fare on one route. PURPOSE: Obtain Board of Directors approval to hold public hearings on Metrobus service changes and a fare reduction on one route. DESCRIPTION: Ideas and proposals for service adjustments come from many sources, including customer input, priority corridor plans, service evaluation studies, community meetings, and ongoing staff evaluation of bus service criteria measurements including cost effectiveness and service productivity. Holding public hearings presents opportunities for stakeholders to learn about service proposals and provide formal feedback about them, in fulfillment of Federal Title VI requirements and the WMATA Board adopted policy requiring a public hearing for major service adjustments. Key Highlights: The expected results from the state of good operations service adjustments include: Increased ridership and increased farebox recovery Using every resource wisely, with no impact on the current FY 2015 budget Improvements in on-time performance No change in the number of buses needed to provide the service Fare reduction on the bus route that will make local stops Background and History: An autumn program for the state of good operations public hearings was initiated in 2011, to separate the service hearings from the budget hearings generally held in the spring. Page 4 of 52

3 In Fiscal Years 2012 through 2014 the Board authorized public hearings to gather customer input on bus service adjustments that would modify routes to serve new markets, eliminate unproductive segments, reduce crowding, increase ridership and improve on-time performance. These changes were designed to be budget cost neutral. The changes contributed to a 9.6% increase in ridership and improvement in on-time performance last year on routes with state of good operations adjustments. In its first three years, the state of good operations program yielded noticeable performance improvements with no budget increase, right-sizing Metrobus service. Discussion: This action seeks approval to hold public hearings in October 2014 to receive feedback on FY2015 net cost neutral service alternatives and a fare reduction from express to local fare on route 29G. These alternatives were vetted with jurisdictional staff to ensure compliance with local service objectives. Following the hearings, a final list of service adjustments, incorporating public comment, will be presented to the Board for approval in November If approved, the changes would go into effect between December 2014 and August Improvements in Fiscal Year 2015 will be made only as a result of cost saving adjustments. Any change requiring increased funding, even those within budget, will be postponed until Fiscal Year Prior state of good operations service adjustments have improved on-time performance and increased ridership. The FY2015 program aims to make similar improvements. FUNDING IMPACT: All service changes will be cost neutral. If public hearing feedback does not indicate that certain service reductions should be made, equally valued service improvements will be postponed until funding is available. TIMELINE: Previous Actions Service evaluation and priority corridor studies to establish service recommendations. The study process included extensive customer outreach. April - July Community meetings to gather stakeholder feedback about proposed changes in informal settings. October Public hearings held in each jurisdiction November A final list of service adjustments, incorporating public comment, will be presented to the Board for approval. Page 5 of 52

4 Anticipated actions after presentation December 2014 through August Approved changes would be implemented. RECOMMENDATION: Approval to hold public hearings on Metrobus service changes and a fare reduction on one route. Page 6 of 52

5 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Public Hearings for Metrobus Service Adjustments FY2015 Customer Service and Operations Committee July 10, 2014 Page 7 of 52

6 Purpose Obtain Committee and Board of Directors approval to hold public hearings on bus service changes and one fare reduction tariff change to improve service effectiveness and customer satisfaction, without increasing expenses or subsidy Page 8 of 52

7 Results of Prior Service Adjustments Adjusted Routes Ridership Adjusted Routes On-Time Performance 9.6% 5.3% Page 9 of 52

8 Service Adjustment Proposals Criteria Review Customer and Jurisdictional Review Recommendations Public Hearings Final Report to Board Implementation Page 10 of 52

9 Public Hearings on Service Adjustment Proposals Public Hearings proposed for each jurisdiction Gather customer feedback on menu of proposed service adjustments Final list of service changes presented for Board approval in the fall Page 11 of 52

10 Anticipated Results Improved reliability and service for customers Increased ridership and farebox recovery Maintenance or improvement of on-time performance Efficient use of resources underused service is trimmed and resources devoted to more crowded routes Changes will be net cost neutral Page 12 of 52

11 Recommendation Approval to hold public hearings on bus service changes and one fare reduction tariff change to improve service effectiveness and customer satisfaction, without increasing expenses or subsidy Page 13 of 52

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