OFFICE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT 2016 ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED JANUARY 2017
SCDOT OFFICE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT 2016 ANNUAL REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Key transprtatin strategies identified in the Suth Carlina Department f Transprtatin (SCDOT s) Strategic Plan fcus n asset management while develping multimdal ptins fr all residents and visitrs, including public transprtatin. SCDOT s Office f Public Transit, in partnership with the federal gvernment and lcal cmmunities thrughut the state, plans prgrams, and administers the statewide delivery f rural and urban transit services and transit services fr senirs and individuals with disabilities. Pursuant t SC Cde f Law, Sectins 57-3-40 and 57-3-210, the Office f Public Transit is required t develp and submit the annual Office f Public Transit Reprt t the General Assembly. Included within the Reprt is an analysis f (1) annual accmplishments and prgress, (2) a funding plan and (3) a five-year transit plan. SECTION 1: ANNUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS Public transit is a cre cmpnent f Suth Carlina s multimdal transprtatin netwrk. Mst cunties in SC have public transit service in at least a prtin f their cunty, which translates int ver 12 millin passenger trips statewide annually. Establishing, financing, and sustaining effective, statewide, publicly-perated transit service in urban and rural areas cntinues t be a majr challenge, while at the same time ne f ur biggest accmplishments. Belw are a few highlights frm 2016: The Federal Transit Administratin (FTA) cnducted their triennial State Management Review f SCDOT in July 2016. Althugh nt an fficial audit accrding t generally accepted auditing standards, the State Management Review is FTA's frmal assessment f SCDOT's versight and Federal cmpliance in areas f prject, prgram and financial management acrss all funding prgrams. The State Management Review fcused specifically n SCDOT's versight and cmpliance in 13 defined areas, and n deficiencies r findings were identified by FTA in any f the areas reviewed. FTA cnducts triennial reviews f all state DOT's, and this is the secnd straight Federal review fr which SCDOT has cme thrugh with n deficiencies r findings. The Federal review team stated that few states have n deficiencies, and fewer states still have n deficiencies fr multiple reviews in a rw. The Office f the State Auditr cnducted an annual audit f the Office f Public Transit (OPT) in August 2016, during which n findings were issued. This cntinues the multi-year trend f federal, state and internal audits and reviews in which SCDOT s OPT has had n audit findings at any level. The Office f Public Transit als met its internal gal f cmpleting n-site reviews f eight public transit agencies, prviding pprtunity fr sub- 2
recipient agencies t receive technical assistance, while ensuring cmpliance with federal and state regulatins. These reviews als assess the financial, managerial and technical capacities f the agencies. During State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2016, ver 12 millin passenger trips were prvided fr the fifth year in a rw, with ridership f 12.3 millin in SFY 2016. Accrding t annual transit trends analyses, this represents a 3.6% increase in transit ridership since SFY 2011, which cmbined with a 0.6% decrease in average perating cst per passenger trip ver this same timeframe indicates enhanced verall transit efficiencies. SCDOT cntinues t increase efficiency and custmer service while reducing administrative burdens fr the Office f Public Transit and lcal and reginal transit agencies thrugh autmatin f sme f ur prcesses. The Office f Public Transit cntinued the implementatin f its Transit Asset Management and Infrmatin System (TAMIS). This system autmates and enhances transit asset management, and administrative and fiscal management f federal funding cntracts and transit subrecipient agreements. The effect is a streamlining f activities that allw the Office f Public Transit and lcal and reginal transit agencies t perate with far greater efficiency and transparency. Cre cmpnents include: Transit Asset Management System t track and mnitr transit asset cnditins and ptimize replacement f public transit vehicles; Grants Management System that will allw lcal transit agency submittal f funding applicatins and management f their prjects nline, and electrnic SCDOT award and versight f subrecipient cntracts and prjects; VTE-Frm (Virtual Transit Enterprise) an electrnic invicing system that has replaced the frmer paper-based invicing system fr ur lcal transit partners; Perfrmance Management System that will allw fr nging review and assessment f individual and statewide transit perfrmance and enhanced reprting f statewide transit perfrmance thrugh ur public website. SCDOT cntinued the recently-implemented Statewide Transit Vehicle Replacement Prgram based n the results f the Statewide Vehicle Utilizatin Review and Assessment cmpleted in 2015. Thrugh innvative financing the Office f Public Transit was able t fully match carry-frward Federal frmula funding unable t be drawn dwn due t a lack f lcal match, alng with ther funding resurces. We are maximizing the use f this prgram with a capital asset replacement plan that will significantly reduce the number f current SCDOT-titled public transit vehicles past their useful life. This initiative resulted in a 7 percent reductin frm the previus year f transit vehicles perating past their useful life. SCDOT cntinued the Technical Assistance and Oversight Prgram with all public transit agencies in the state t ensure that the scpe and assciated csts f transit services are cmmensurate with available and prjected revenues. This has resulted in an nging right-sizing f transit services statewide t better ensure lng-term fiscal sustainability, which benefits ridership thrugh increased efficiencies. SCDOT cntinued t facilitate interagency transprtatin crdinatin effrts, cnsistent with the results f the SCDOT-led Human Services Transprtatin Infrastructure Review. The ultimate gal f this effrt is t reduce verall public and human services transprtatin csts in a manner that maintains r enhances the delivery f transit services acrss agencies, while reducing the fiscal impact t the state as a whle. 3
Ding its part in prmting cleaner air and fueling alternatives in its service area, Clemsn Area Transit was awarded $4 millin in cmpetitive funding under a federal prgram that funds transit buses with zer emissins r lw emissins. The purchase builds n the successful deplyment f zer-emissin transit service in Suth Carlina and will allw Clemsn Area Transit t cntinue twards their gal f being the nly university in the cuntry served by an all-electric transit fleet. The Santee-Wateree Reginal Transprtatin Authrity (SWRTA) als intrduced five new cutaway buses pwered by prpane, and plans t eventually cnvert its fleet f 42 buses and vans t run n the alternative fuel. SWRTA s newest buses were funded thrugh a $950,000 federal grant with matching funds frm SCDOT s Office f Public Transit. The system prvides public transprtatin in Sumter, Clarendn, Lee and Kershaw Cunties and furnishes abut 300,000 trips per year. Demnstrating the merits f public-private partnership, Palmett Gas, as a partner with SWRTA, has prpane fueling facilities in Sumter and Clarendn Cunties. SECTION II: FUNDING PLAN The SCDOT Cmmissin annually reviews and apprves the Annual Transit Funding Plan cntaining bth state and federal transit funds. The charts belw display the $6 millin in state transit funding and $50.7 millin in federal transit funding as apprved by the SCDOT Cmmissin fr SFY 2017. Additinal infrmatin can be fund in the Statewide Transprtatin Imprvement Prgram, als knwn as the STIP. It is referenced in Sectin III f this reprt and can als be lcated at: http://www.scdt.rg/inside/stip.aspx. 4
CATEGORY FEDERAL DOLLARS STATE DOLLARS Large Urban 5307 $16,247,000 $ 1,362,000 Statewide Planning $ 248,000 $ 0 Rural 5311 $13,057,000 $ 2,760,000 Rural/RTAP $ 230,000 $ 0 Small Urban 5307 $ 8,770,000 $1,278,000 Appalachian Develpment $ 200,000 $ 0 Enhanced Mbility Large $ 2,679,000 $ 0 Enhanced Mbility Small $ 1,233,000 $ 0 Enhanced Mbility Rural $ 1,285,000 $ 0 Bus & Facilities Large Urban $ 3,253,000 $ 0 Bus & Facilities Small Urban $ 810,000 $ 0 Bus & Facilities Rural $ 1,750,000 $ 0 MPO Planning $ 962,000 $ 0 State Administratin/Other $0 $600,000 5
SECTION III: FIVE-YEAR PLAN SCDOT recgnizes that the SC transprtatin system is essential t the ecnmic health f ur State. SCDOT uses tw plans t address transit acrss the state - the Statewide Transprtatin Imprvement Prgram (STIP) and the 2040 Statewide Multimdal Transprtatin Plan (SMTP). These plans are explained belw. The STIP is the state s six-year transprtatin imprvement prgram fr all prjects r prgram areas receiving federal funding. The dcument is updated every three years and is revised n a cntinual basis t reflect the latest prgram and prject infrmatin. The SCDOT Cmmissin, as well as the Federal Highway Administratin (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administratin (FTA), apprve the STIP. The STIP is a fiscally-cnstrained plan based n financial budgets phased ver the life f a prject. This dcument is lcated at: http://www.scdt.rg/inside/stip.aspx. The 2040 SMTP is the state s twenty-five year Statewide Multimdal Transprtatin Plan. The SMTP, including the Statewide Transit Plan, is updated every five years with intermittent annual reviews. It fcuses n maximizing Suth Carlina s limited funding resurces, maintaining the state s psitin in the glbal marketplace, and efficiently mving bth peple and gds. This plan was develped in cnjunctin with SCDOT management, staff, and transprtatin partners and stakehlders. The prcess included several majr cmpnents that encmpass public transprtatin, including: 10 Reginal Transit and Crdinatin Plan Updates transit plans develped fr each f the 10 Cuncil f Gvernment regins. Statewide Public Transprtatin Plan Update verall public transprtatin plan fr the state f Suth Carlina, summarizing existing services, needs and future funding prgrams. Multimdal Transprtatin Plan verall plan inclusive f all mdes f transprtatin. The 2040 MTP, lcated at http://www.scdt.rg/multimdal, was apprved in December 2014. 6