Table of Contents Agenda 2 Approve minutes of the 2/4/2019 Executive Board Meeting MINUTES - Executive Board Meeting 2-4-2019 4 ACTION: FY2018 Audit FY2018 Audit Letter 8 ACTION: Proposed Agenda for the April 1, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting MEMO - Proposed Agenda Items for Boardof Directors April Meeting 11 INFORMATION: Valley Regional Transit Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018 MEMO - Annual Report 13 Annual Report 14 INFORMATION: Fare Simplification and Pass Program Update MEMO - Fare Simplification and Pass Program Update 31 Fare Simplification Graphic 34 INFORMATION: FY2019 Procurement Calendar FY2019 Procurement Calendar 35 Department/Staff Reports REPORT - Executive Director 36 REPORT - Operations Department - February 2019 37 REPORT - Developement Department 39 REPORT - Community Relations-February2019 42 REPORT - Bike Share 2-21-2019 43 1
Executive Board Meeting Agenda Monday, March 04, 2019 11:00 a.m. VRT Board Room 700 NE 2 nd Street Meridian, Idaho I. CALLING OF THE ROLL Chair Jim Hansen II. AGENDA ADDITIONS/CHANGES III. PUBLIC COMMENTS (Comments will be limited to no more than three (3) minutes.) IV. CONSENT AGENDA Items on the Consent Agenda are Action Items and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless an Executive Board Member requests the item be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed under Action Items. A. Approve minutes of the 2/4/2019 Executive Board Meeting Ө Pages 4-7 V. FINANCE COMMITTEE A. ACTION: FY2018 Audit Ө Pages 8-10 Eide Bailly Eide Bailly will be presenting the Fiscal Year 2018 audit. The Executive Board will consider accepting audit findings to be placed on the consent agenda for the VRT Board of Directors to consider acceptance in April. A weblink to the full audit can be found at: AUDIT LINK HERE B. INFORMATION: FY2020 Capital Project Budget Rhonda Jalbert Staff completed the Transit Asset Management (TAM) scoring process for FY2019. These scores are used to inform the regional capital budget for FY2020. Staff will present findings and recommendations from the scoring process to assist the VRT Board in making decisions on capital priorities and addressing deferred maintenance as well as system enhancements. VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD - ACTION ITEMS A. ACTION: Proposed Agenda for the April 1, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting Ө Page 11-12 Kelli Badesheim The Board will have the opportunity to discuss the proposed agenda items for inclusion in the April 1, 2019 Board of Directors Meeting. 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 2
B. EXECUTIVE BOARD - INFORMATION ITEMS 1. INFORMATION: Valley Regional Transit Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018 Ө Pages 13-30 Brian Parker Members will review and provide comment on the Valley Regional Transit Annual Report. 2. INFORMATION: Fare Simplification and Pass Program Update Ө Pages 31-34 Stephen Hunt Staff will present information and encourage discussion about recommended approach to fare review and potential increase. 3. INFORMATION: FY2019 Procurement Calendar Ө Pages 35 The most current Procurement Calendar is included for information. 4. Department/Staff Reports Ө Pages 36-44 The most current Department/Staff reports are included for information. VII. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Executive Board may convene into Executive Session at this time Pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206, identifying one or more of the specific paragraphs (a) through (j). An action by the Executive Board may follow the Executive Session. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Ө = Attachment Agenda order is subject to change. NEXT VRT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING: Monday, April 1, 2019 11:00 a.m. VRT Board Room 700 NE 2 nd Street Meridian, ID 83642 Mission Statement: Valley Regional Transit s mission is to leverage, develop, provide, and manage transportation resources and to coordinate the effective and efficient delivery of comprehensive transportation choices to the region s citizens. (ValleyConnect 2.0 Plan approved 04/02/18) Arrangements for auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities or language assistance requests need to be made as soon as possible, but no later than three working days before the scheduled meeting. Please contact Mark Carnopis, Community Relations Manager at 258-2702 if an auxiliary aid is needed. 3
ITEM IV-A Executive Board Meeting Minutes Monday, February 4, 2019 11:00 a.m. VRT Board Room 700 NE 2 nd Street Meridian, Idaho MEMBERS ATTENDING MEMBERS ABSENT OTHERS PRESENT Luke Cavener-City of Meridian Dave Bieter City of Boise Kelli Badesheim-VRT Elaine Clegg-City of Boise Corey Cook - BSU Mark Carnopis VRT Tom Dale-Canyon County Comm. Garret Nancolas-City of Caldwell Paula Cromie VRT John Evans City of Garden City Gregg Eisenberg First Transit Kent Goldthorpe ACHD Maureen Gresham Commuteride Debbie Kling- City of Nampa (phone) Rachel Hankkala COMPASS David Lincoln-ACCHD Jim Hansen Dist. #1 ACHD Darin Taylor-City of Middleton Jacob Hassard VRT Ryan Heas ACHD Stephen Hunt VRT Rhonda Jalbert VRT Jason Jedry VRT Kelly Jokovac-VRT Kaite Justice VRT Nancy Lohr VRT Brian Parker VRT Leslie Pedrosa VRT Rocky Perkins ATU 398 Ken Pidjeon Citizen Denise Prunetti VRT Deanna Simsek-Greyhound (phone) Coreen Smith VRT Hanna Veal - VRT Vanessa Wendland VRT CALLING OF THE ROLL Chairman, Tom Dale called the meeting to order at 11:04, with a quorum present. AGENDA ADDITIONS/CHANGES- The agenda was accepted with no changes. PUBLIC COMMENTS Ken Pidjeon addressed the Board to update them on his concerns regarding Greyhound and asked the Board to defer to enter negotiations until his questions, as well as the Executive Board questions are answered and a Greyhound representative with negotiating power is available to answer questions. Ken would also like VRT to reword how actions should be taken by the Board on action items. 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 4
CONSENT AGENDA Approve minutes of the 1/7/2019 Executive Board Meeting Darin Taylor made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, which consisted of approving the minutes of the 1/7/2019 Executive Board Meeting, with an addition, under Greyhound Revenue Stream, to include the committee having asked to have a Greyhound representative present at the February 4, 2019 meeting who could speak authoritatively. The motion was seconded by Elaine Clegg. The motion was approved by majority decision. Luke Cavener and John Evans abstained. FINANCE COMMITTEE Local Allocation Update Stephen Hunt updated the Executive Board on the progress made on the local allocations project. The updated was followed by discussion. EXECUTIVE BOARD - ACTION ITEMS Greyhound Revenue Stream Rhonda Jalbert presented the business case to the Executive Board to review and recommend partnering with Greyhound at Main Street Station. Rhonda answered questions presented from the Executive Board and by Ken Pidjeon at the 1/7/2019 meeting. Following discussion, Darin Taylor moved the Executive Board authorize VRT staff to enter into negotiations with Greyhound, on the Board s behalf, and include in there, all of the items that have been brought up and be detailed. In addition, a draft agreement would be provided seven days prior to when it is presented to the Executive Board so there is time to consider it. Elaine Clegg seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously. Mobile Ticketing Procurement Kaitlin Justice discussed Valley Regional Transit recommendation to award the mobile ticketing contract to Masabi. Following discussion, Elaine Clegg made the motion to approve Resolution VEB19-001, Mobile Ticking Procurement, with one additional whereas, requiring the vendor to conduct marketing to insure that the public is aware and can use mobile ticketing. Luke Cavener seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously. Regional Performance Measures Policy Brian Parker discussed the Regional Performance Measures Policy and recommended approval of the policy by the VRT Executive Board. The City of Boise asked that, somewhere within the performance measure, VRT add a subcategory that measures the on-time performance during peak hours. That will put the performance measures on equal footing with road-way measurements that are based on peak hours. Following discussion, Darin Taylor made a motion the Executive Board recommend to the full Board, approving the regional performance measures policy with the addition of a measure for peak-hour performance. David Lincoln seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously. 5 ITEM IV-A
ITEM IV-A Public Good Definition Kaitlin Justice presented the Valley Regional Transit definition of public good for consideration by the Executive Board. Elaine Clegg made a motion to approve the Resolution VEB19-002, as presented. John Evans seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously. VRT Executive Board Letter to the ACHD Commission regarding the ADA Transition Plan Staff drafted a letter with VRT s comments for the Executive Board to consider for submission to ACHD regarding the ADA Transition plan currently in a public comment phase. Darin Taylor made a motion the Executive Board submit, to ACHD, the letter presented to the Board, with the revised first full paragraph to include revisions presented during discussion on PROWAG and ADAAG Standards. Elaine Clegg seconded the motion; the motion passed unanimously. EXECUTIVE BOARD - INFORMATION ITEMS Pierce Park and State Street Intersection Project Stephen Hunt provided information for Executive Board discussion and consideration on the Pierce Park and State Street Intersection Project. Board members discussed the issue, particularly questioning whether bus bays are the appropriate investment for the public. Public Transportation Safety Plan The packet contained information on FTA safety plan requirements and current status of the project, as well as next steps. Due to time constraints, Tom Dale referred the Executive Board to their packets and there was no discussion on this agenda item. Fare Simplification and Pass Programs The packet included information on the VRT fare revenues with updates on the status of the Fare Simplification and Pass Program projects. Due to time constraints, Tom Dale referred the Executive Board to their packets and there was no discussion on this agenda item. Idaho Transportation Department Bus Stop Permit Process Jacob Hassard described VRT staffs inability to provide public bus stops along some parts of Highway 20/26 due to ITD s infrastructure requirements. Discussion followed. FY2019 Procurement Calendar The most current Procurement Calendar was included in the packet for information. Tom Dale suggested any questions regarding the procurement calendar be directed to Kelli Badesheim or Kelly Jakovac. 6
Department/Staff Reports The most current department/staff reports were included in the packet for information. ITEM IV-A EXECUTIVE SESSION - None ADJOURNMENT Tom Dale closed meeting at 12:58 p.m. NEXT VRT EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING: Monday, March 4, 2019 11:00 a.m. VRT Board Room 700 NE 2 nd Street Meridian, ID 83642 7
ITEM V-A January 25, 2019 To the Board of Directors Valley Regional Transit Meridian, Idaho We have audited the financial statements of Valley Regional Transit (VRT) as of and for the year ended September 30, 2018, and have issued our report thereon dated January 25, 2019. Professional standards require that we advise you of the following matters relating to our audit. Our Responsibility in Relation to the Financial Statement Audit under Generally Accepted Auditing Standards and Government Auditing Standards and our Compliance Audit under the Uniform Guidance As communicated in our letter dated October 23, 2018, our responsibility, as described by professional standards, is to form and express an opinion about whether the financial statements that have been prepared by management with your oversight are presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and to express an opinion on whether VRT complied with the types of compliance requirements described in the OMB Compliance Supplement that could have a direct and material effect on each of VRT s major federal programs. Our audit of the financial statements and major program compliance does not relieve you or management of its respective responsibilities. Our responsibility, as prescribed by professional standards, is to plan and perform our audit to obtain reasonable, rather than absolute, assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit of financial statements includes consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, as part of our audit, we considered the internal control of VRT solely for the purpose of determining our audit procedures and not to provide any assurance concerning such internal control. Our responsibility, as prescribed by professional standards as it relates to the audit of VRT s major federal program compliance, is to express an opinion on the compliance for each of VRT s major federal programs based on our audit of the types of compliance requirements referred to above. An audit of major program compliance includes consideration of internal control over compliance with the types of compliance requirements referred to above as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances and to test and report on internal control over compliance in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over compliance. Accordingly, as a part of our major program compliance audit, we considered internal control over compliance for these purposes and not to provide any assurance on the effectiveness of the VRT s internal control over compliance. We are also responsible for communicating significant matters related to the audit that are, in our professional judgment, relevant to your responsibilities in overseeing the financial reporting process. However, we are not required to design procedures for the purpose of identifying other matters to communicate to you. What inspires you, inspires us. eidebailly.com 8 877 W. Main St., Ste. 800 Boise, ID 83702-5858 T 208.344.7150 F 208.344.7435 EOE 1
ITEM V-A We have provided our comments regarding internal controls during our audit in our Independent Auditor s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards dated January 25, 2019. We have also provided our comments regarding compliance with the types of compliance requirements referred to above and internal controls over compliance during our audit in our Independent Auditor s Report on Compliance with Each Major Federal Program and Report on Internal Control Over Compliance Required by the Uniform Guidance dated January 25, 2019. Planned Scope and Timing of the Audit We conducted our audit consistent with the planned scope and timing we previously communicated to you. Compliance with All Ethics Requirements Regarding Independence The engagement team, others in our firm, as appropriate, and our firm have complied with all relevant ethical requirements regarding independence. Qualitative Aspects of the Entity s Significant Accounting Practices Significant Accounting Policies Management has the responsibility to select and use appropriate accounting policies. A summary of the significant accounting policies adopted by VRT is included in Note 1 to the financial statements. There have been no initial selection of accounting policies and no changes in significant accounting policies or their application during 2018. No matters have come to our attention that would require us, under professional standards, to inform you about (1) the methods used to account for significant unusual transactions and (2) the effect of significant accounting policies in controversial or emerging areas for which there is a lack of authoritative guidance or consensus. Significant Accounting Estimates Accounting estimates are an integral part of the financial statements prepared by management and are based on management s current judgments. Those judgments are normally based on knowledge and experience about past and current events and assumptions about future events. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to the financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting them may differ markedly from management s current judgments. The most sensitive accounting estimate affecting the financial statements are: Management s estimate of the employer pension assumption is based on actuarial estimates provided by the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). We evaluated the key factors and assumptions used to develop the employer pension assumption in determining that it is reasonable in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole. Financial Statement Disclosures Certain financial statement disclosures involve significant judgment and are particularly sensitive because of their significance to financial statement users. The most sensitive disclosure affecting VRT s financial statements relates to: The disclosure of employer pension assumptions in Note 5 to the financial statements is sensitive as this note supports assumptions made and inputs used to determine the employer pension assumption. 9 2
ITEM V-A Significant Difficulties Encountered during the Audit We encountered no significant difficulties in dealing with management relating to the performance of the audit. Uncorrected and Corrected Misstatements For purposes of this communication, professional standards require us to accumulate all known and likely misstatements identified during the audit, other than those that we believe are trivial, and communicate them to the appropriate level of management. Further, professional standards require us to also communicate the effect of uncorrected misstatements related to prior periods on the relevant classes of transactions, account balances or disclosures, and the financial statements as a whole. No such mistatements were detected during the course of our audit. Disagreements with Management For purposes of this letter, professional standards define a disagreement with management as a matter, whether or not resolved to our satisfaction, concerning a financial accounting, reporting, or auditing matter, which could be significant to VRT s financial statements or the auditor s report. No such disagreements arose during the course of the audit. Representations Requested from Management We have requested certain written representations from management that are included in the management representation letter dated January 25, 2019. Management s Consultations with Other Accountants In some cases, management may decide to consult with other accountants about auditing and accounting matters. Management informed us that, and to our knowledge, there were no consultations with other accountants regarding auditing and accounting matters. Other Significant Matters, Findings, or Issues In the normal course of our professional association with VRT, we generally discuss a variety of matters, including the application of accounting principles and auditing standards, business conditions affecting the entity, and business plans and strategies that may affect the risks of material misstatement. None of the matters discussed resulted in a condition to our retention as VRT s auditors. This report is intended solely for the information and use of management and the Board of Directors of Valley Regional Transit and is not intended to be, and should not be, used by anyone other than these specified parties. Boise, Idaho 10 3
ITEM VI-A TOPIC: Proposed Agenda Items for 4/1/19 VRT Board of Directors Meeting DATE: February 20, 2019 Summary of Proposed Agenda Items for 4/1/19 VRT Board of Directors Meeting WELCOME Tom Dale RECOGNIZE NEW MEMBERS Tom Dale CONSENT AGENDA Approve minutes of 1/7/2019 VRT Board of Directors Meeting Accept 2/4/2019 Executive Board minutes Accept FY2018 audit Accept FY2019 First quarter Variance Report Accept FY2019 First quarter Cash Reserve Report FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT Verbal report from Chair ACTION Staff recommendation for Route 44 and public hearing Election for Ada County Executive Board at-large member Performance measures final policy PROCUREMENTS Automatic Passenger Counters $240,000 INFORMATION Performance measures, Annual report Local allocation calculation and methodology with final agency assessment Treasure Valley and State community survey Corey Cook Rides2Wellness funding partner St. Lukes to talk to Board of Directors regarding $30K grant for Ride2Wellness program Kelli FY2020 Service Changes (Boise, Meridian, Eagle) FY2020 capital projects Safety Plan Department/Staff Reports Recommendation: Staff requests the Executive Board approve the proposed agenda items for the April 1, 2019 VRT Board of Directors meeting and authorize the Executive Director to use 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 11
ITEM VI-A discretion in adding any other information that may arise before the meeting packet is scheduled to be distributed in mid to late March. For additional information contact: Kelli Badesheim, Executive Director, 258-2712, kbadesheim@valleyregionaltransit.org 12
ITEM VI-B-1 TOPIC: VRT Annual Report DATE: February 20, 2019 Summary: In April, the Valley Regional Transit Board (VRT) approved ValleyConnect 2.0, a new plan to move transit forward in the near future. Highlights of the policies include the following: Moving forward, VRT will be operating on a fixed-route-first philosophy. This means that the primary form of public transit in the Treasure Valley should be fixed-route service. Other services, such as bike sharing and demand response style services should be coordinated in conjunction with the fixed-route system to ensure that both enhance the usefulness of each other. The fixed-route network should be primarily designed to maximize ridership. All else being equal, routes should be designed to serve more people more efficiently, rather than maximizing the service area. VRT s decisions should be grounded in data. Where the data is available, staff should be utilizing and documenting it to understand and make good decisions. When useful data is unavailable, staff should work to find short-term remedies and acquire the necessary tools to ensure data is available in the long term. This document serves as an analysis of the past year s progress toward the goals outlined in ValleyConnect 2.0 Based upon these policies VRT has produced an annual report showing progress toward the goals in ValleyConnect 2.0 by the public transportation providers in the region in FY18. Staff Recommendation/Request: This is for information only. Implication (policy and/or financial): Improved reporting could lead to additional federal funding resources for the region. Attachments Annual Report More Information: For detailed information contact: Brian Parker, Associate Planner, 208-258-2717, bparker@valleyregionaltransit.org 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 13
ITEM VI-B-1 ANNUAL REPORT 14
ITEM VI-B-1 Contents Director s Letter... 3 2018 At a Glance... 4 A Year of Change... 5 ValleyConnect 2.0... 5 Service Changes... 5 Ada County Fixed Route Performance Comparison... 6 Fixed Route On-Time Performance Review... 8 Population with Access to Transit... 10 Transit Travel Times Compared to the Automobile... 12 Transit Accessibility... 13 Growing Demand... 15 Specialized Transportation... 15 Boise State Shuttle... 16 Serves areas of high ridership... 16 High Frequency and On-Time... 16 Later Service... 16 Appendix... 17 15
ITEM VI-B-1 Director s Letter The past year was one of the most exciting times in my 18 years as Executive Director of Valley Regional Transit. We took big steps toward becoming the transit system that the Treasure Valley needs. The process of developing ValleyConnect 2.0 illustrated the desire from our citizens to have a variety of ways to get around. We are still a long way from achieving the goals set out in the plan, but we are aligning ourselves with the target and establishing methods of tracking progress. This annual report represents the baseline of progress toward the Growth Scenario shown in ValleyConnect 2.0, as well as a way of highlighting some of the successes enjoyed by VRT and our public transportation providers. We are excited to see the progress in the years and months to come. Kelli Badesheim Executive Director Valley Regional Transit 16
ITEM VI-B-1 2018 At a Glance 17
ITEM VI-B-1 A Year of Change ValleyConnect 2.0 In April, the Valley Regional Transit Board approved ValleyConnect 2.0, a new plan to move transit forward in the near future. Highlights of the policies include the following: Moving forward, Valley Regional Transit will be operating on a fixed-route-first philosophy. This means that the primary form of public transit in the Treasure Valley should be fixed route service. Other services, such as bike sharing and demand response style services should be coordinated in conjunction with the fixed route system to ensure that both enhance the usefulness of each other. The fixed route network should be primarily designed to maximize ridership. All else being equal, routes should be designed to serve more people more efficiently, rather than maximizing the service area. VRT s decisions should be grounded in data. Where the data is available, staff should be utilizing and documenting it to understand and make good decisions. When useful data is unavailable, staff should work to find short-term remedies and acquire the necessary tools to ensure data is available in the long term. This document serves as an analysis of the past year s progress toward the goals outlined in ValleyConnect 2.0 Service Changes ValleyConnect 2.0 not only establishes policies regarding what data we will be reporting, but also how VRT responds to this information. The routes included in the 2019 service change are a response to the data in this report and the policies established in ValleyConnect 2.0. While we are excited about the growth in some aspects, we are aware of challenges in others. 18
Ada County Fixed Route Performance Comparison Fixed route ridership ended FY 2018 mixed. Overall ridership in Ada County saw a small decline, while Canyon County Ridership grew slightly and BSU Shuttle ridership grew substantially. The graphics below show the total annual boardings and hours from 2018 and the resulting service productivity (annual boardings divided by hours). Also shown is the absolute and percent change from 2017. The direction of the arrows represents the relative percent change of a route while the size indicates the volume of the change. Staff reviewed this data and sought to consolidate or revise routes that had been stagnating to improve performance. Canyon county services are not shown in this format because we did not have reliable route level performance data in 2017. ITEM VI-B-1 19
20 ITEM VI-B-1
ITEM VI-B-1 Fixed Route On-Time Performance Review On-time performance has been an area of concern for the last several years. While our system wide on time performance has improved compared to previous years, complaints to VRT s customer service desk regarding on time performance increased by 23% in FY18. This is likely due to the fact that the buses tended to run latest on routes and times where ridership is highest. Additionally, a bus that arrives 6 minutes late feels very different to a customer than one that arrives 20 minutes late, but both are counted the same in terms of on time performance. The graphs on the next page illustrate these phenomena. In Figure 1, the thickness of each line represents the frequency that a bus departs a timepoint at the variance from the schedule, shown in the y-axis. The green area is what is classified as on time (between 1 minute early and 5 minutes late). The area inside the green divided by the total area gets to the on time performance of the route. Routes with long tails indicate that the route can frequently be severely late. In Figure 2, green dots represent timepoint checks completed on time, red dots are either early or late. The y-axis shows the time of day. Peak ridership times are highlighted in orange. Many of the routes suffer the worst on time performance at these points in the day. Staff is continually working to improve the scheduled times for the fixed route system, as well as identifying opportunities to make capital investments to improve the reliability of high-ridership routes. 21
ITEM VI-B-1 Figure 1: 2018 On-Time Performance Violin Chart Figure 2: On Time Performance by Time of Day 22
ITEM VI-B-1 Population with Access to Transit One of the major limiting factors of public transportation s performance is the number of people that have access to transit. The map below shows the estimated population of Ada & Canyon Counties that live within a five-minute (¼ mile) walk to a bus stop. If we expand the walk shed to ½ mile, the percent of population with access to transit grows from roughly 8% to 17%. For comparison sake, an initial estimate of the regional population within a five minute walk of the peer cities identified in ValleyConnect 2.0 is between is 30-40%. Figure 3: Population with Access to Transit 23
ITEM VI-B-1 We also reviewed how accessible transit is to the higher density, transit supportive developments in Ada and Canyon County. This analysis found that the vast majority (92%) of those developments had access to transit. However, because in 2018, the only service that had 15 minute frequencies was the BSU shuttle, only those developments around the Boise State and Downtown Boise (56%) had access to frequent service. Figure 4: Transit Access to Developments of Higher Density VRT will continue to work with our funding partners and local governments to add more routes, increase service frequencies and improve pedestrian connections to transit. These actions will help the traveling public access their destinations and minimize the negative impacts of higher intensity development. 24
ITEM VI-B-1 Transit Travel Times Compared to the Automobile The reach and frequency of transit services largely determines the transit travel time between any given origin and destination. The relatively low frequencies and limited reach of the existing transit network makes taking transit less attractive. The graph below shows the percent increase in travel time for an individual taking transit instead of an automobile between the origins and destinations shown, if the individual left their origin at 5PM. The black cells indicate the trip combinations that are either not feasible by transit at this time of day and direction or not applicable. This is another visualization of the limits on the current transit network. The vast majority of the delay reported here is the initial wait time or transfer time a person spends waiting for a bus to pick them up. Additionally, if there is not a bus stop nearby, a prospective rider would need to walk to a stop, in many instances several miles. VRT is working to improve the transit travel times between destinations by adding frequency, span of service and working with cities and ACHD to improve the speed of transit. Figure 5: Transit Travel Time Comparison to Auto Times Destination Origin Boise Boise State Hyde Park Harris Ranch Micron Boise Airport Boise 280% 442% 95% N/A 16% 271% 255% N/A 71% 182% 53% 141% 121% 166% Boise State 234% 324% 402% N/A 250% 203% 255% N/A 189% 277% 53% 119% 106% 136% Hyde Park 339% 429% 258% N/A 279% 280% 255% N/A 215% 307% 53% 133% 128% 182% Harris Ranch 286% 497% 430% N/A 450% 420% 452% N/A 441% N/A N/A N/A N/A 477% Micron N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Boise Airport 121% 311% 257% 576% N/A 459% 763% N/A 255% 354% N/A N/A N/A 474% Towne Square Mall 202% 166% 299% 316% N/A 349% 500% N/A 270% 371% N/A N/A N/A 686% Meridian 665% 594% 626% N/A N/A N/A 684% N/A 700% 804% N/A N/A N/A N/A Kuna N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A College of Western Idaho 119% 88% 255% 177% N/A 234% 353% 472% N/A 271% 179% 907% N/A 567% Nampa 407% 365% 441% N/A N/A 552% 335% 408% N/A 251% 272% 1124% N/A N/A Caldwell 340% 333% N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 453% 244% 693% N/A N/A Middleton N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 873% 522% 643% N/A Star N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 592% 489% 312% N/A Eagle N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 549% 333% 220% 157% 361% Travel time penalty for transit compared to driving, departing at 5:00 on a Weekday Not 0% 50% 100% 200% 300% 400% 500% 600% 700% 800% 900% 1000% 1100% 1200% Feasible Towne Square Mall Meridian Kuna College of Western Idaho Nampa Caldwell Middleton Star Eagle 25
ITEM VI-B-1 Transit Accessibility As described in ValleyConnect 2.0, Valley Regional Transit s vision for the future of transit in the Treasure Valley is to connect more people, to more places, more often. The best way to measure this is through a measure called Transit Accessibility. This measure calculates the total number of opportunities that are accessible by transit within a given time frame. The maps below show the current transit accessibility for jobs in the Treasure Valley. This map highlights the areas where transit is most useful in connecting people to jobs. It clearly shows that where transit is provided, particularly at higher levels of service i.e. State Street, Fairview, Vista - it becomes a useful travel mode. Figure 6: Current Transit Accessibility in Ada and Canyon County ) 26
ITEM VI-B-1 The map below illustrates how ValleyConnect 2.0 will expand the total number of jobs accessible to the residents of Ada and Canyon County. Not only do the areas around Boise get more connected but new job centers such are Meridian become accessible along with areas in Caldwell, Eagle and Nampa. VRT is continuing to work with its funding partners to connect as many different people to the opportunities around them as quickly as possible. Figure 7: Growth Scenario Transit Accessibility in Ada and Canyon County 27
ITEM VI-B-1 Growing Demand Specialized Transportation In addition to the transit ridership growth in Canyon County and on the BSU Shuttle, VRT saw tremendous growth with their Specialized Transportation partners. Many of these programs serve areas in West Ada County and outlying parts of Canyon County not served by fixed route service. Part of this ridership growth is due to the collaboration between VRT and partner agencies to make services more convenient and reliable through shared scheduling software and customer service capabilities. Figure 8: Specialized Service Area Map 28
ITEM VI-B-1 Boise State Shuttle The most significant growth in fixed route services was on the Boise State shuttle service. The service added nearly 50,000 trips to their system in FY18. The charts below show the change in ridership for each of the BSU Shuttle services. The Blue Line, Orange Line and Elder Street Shuttle all saw ridership growth that matched or outpaced the increase in service hours. Some of the factors that made the service, particularly the Orange Line, successful were as follows: Serves areas of high ridership The Orange and Gray Lines connect Boise State s main campus, student housing near Ann Morrison Park, Saint Luke s, Boise State s Computer Science facilities, and downtown Boise. The service is open to the public and is very useful for people needing to get around downtown. High Frequency and On-Time The Blue, Gray, and Orange Lines run at 10-15 minute headways. As long as the service is running, riders feel confident that a bus is coming soon. At these frequencies, it becomes less important to measure on time performance based on a schedule, and more important to measure headway adherence. Headway adherence measures how often buses are bunching where there will be a very short time between buses followed by a longer one. Based on this measure, the Orange Line had an average headway adherence of 68% in FY18. The Orange Line would be the 6 th best route in the VRT system in terms of on time performance but the 2 nd most productive. Later Service The Blue, Orange, and Gray Lines all run until 10:00 PM. Because riders have a trip back to their origin if they want to stay downtown past normal working hours, they are less inclined to drive. 29
ITEM VI-B-1 Appendix For additional information, data, and methodologies, please visit valleyregionaltransit.org/performance. 30
ITEM VI-B-2 TOPIC: Fare Simplification and Pass Programs DATE: February 20, 2019 Summary: VRT is working on a Fare Simplification and Pass Program Project, which will include an updated Fare Tariff. The Fare Simplification Project will achieve the following four (4) objectives: 1. To the extent possible, riders should pay for the cost of providing the portion of the service they use. 2. Fare structures should be as simple as possible. 3. Fare structures should be based of the expected average fare, rather than the single adult fare. 4. Future fare increases should be tied to changes in operating costs. Additionally, ValleyConnect 2.0 assumes that 25% of VRT s revenues will be directly generated, primarily through fares and advertising. In order to achieve this, the farebox recovery ratio needs to improve significantly. Staff is seeking input from the Executive Board on the proposed objectives to fare simplification and fare increase. 1. To the extent possible, riders should pay for the cost of providing the portion of the service they use. This objective means that riders pay for their seat on the bus. For example, if it cost $100 per hour to operate a bus, and if an hour-long trip were filled to capacity at 50 riders, then the transit agency would be fully recovering its operating cost if the average fare were $2.00. For shorter trips, with more boardings and alightings per hour, the capacity per hour would increase, bringing down the average fare needed to recover the operating cost. This calculation is currently being researched and reviewed. Our current average fare is between $.55 and $.65. We estimate that the average fare we would need to recover operating costs would be between $1.50 and $3.00. In addition to establishing a target for our average fare, we will be reviewing the opportunities to phase in a fare increase, over time, and setting fare revenue targets. Increases in fare rates have a negative impact on demand. This relationship is known as elasticity of demand. National studies on transit elasticity suggest that every 1% increase in fare rates would result in a.66% increase in fare revenues. Applying this elasticity, we would roughly expect a 17% increase in total fare revenues, if we increased our fares by 25%. 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 31
ITEM VI-B-2 2. Fare structures should be as simple as possible. VRT currently has a significant number of discounted and bulk pass products. Many of these discounts are duplicative and overly targeted. Additionally, VRT has some fare media that are swiped at the farebox, dunked, tapped, and shown to the driver. There are also barriers for many passengers to purchase a bus pass, e.g. buses only take cash, Main Street Station only takes credit or debit cards at a $10 minimum, etc. The fare system clearly needs to be simplified. Many fare products and media can, and should be, consolidated to make riding the bus easier, faster, and more understandable. 3. Fare structures should be based on the expected average fare, rather than the single adult fare. Transit fare structures typically include different rates for different kinds of users, such as adults, seniors, students, and people with disability. The average fare is calculated by summing all fare revenue and dividing that by the total number of boardings. In other words, the fare structure and mix of users determine average fare. Because the average fare considers all elements of a transit agencies fare structure, VRT would like to have a fare structure that is built around an average fare target, rather than any single component of the fare structure, i.e. the adult single use fare. By improving the Fare Tariff and encouraging different fare products, transit agencies are able to alter the average fare, while limiting negative impacts to vulnerable populations. 4. Future fare increases should be tied to changes in operating costs. As we are seeking to structure fares around the cost of providing service (see objective 1, above), it makes sense that shifts in operating cost would create shifts in the fare. This also makes changing fares less arbitrary. Innovative technologies, such as autonomous buses, electric buses, and high-capacity vehicles, present opportunities to significantly lower the per-trip operating cost, thus lowering the fare needed to cover the operating cost. Alternatively, labor shortages and rising fuel costs are examples of factors that could lead to fare increases. VRT is seeking input from the Regional Advisory Council on how to most equitably transition from our current Fare Tariff structure to one that achieves the four objectives stated above. 5. Farebox recovery is based on multiple factors. One important metric related to the financial sustainability of transit service is the ratio of fare revenue compared to the total operating costs. This ratio is called farebox recovery and it is calculated using the following formula: AcFFFAA FFFF PFFPPPPPPPPP FFFFFFF Recccccc = TFPFT OOFFFPPOO CCCCC (DPFFcP & IOPPFFcP CCCCC) National research shows that transit fares tend to be inelastic, meaning fare revenues typically go up as fares go up, even as some users choose to take transit less often. As stated, one of the purposes of this Fare Simplification Project is to increase VRT s fare revenue, but VRT is also taking steps to improve service productivity and control costs 32
ITEM VI-B-2 to maximize our efforts to improve our farebox recovery. VRT s network design principals adopted with ValleyConnect 2.0, and recent service changes, have all been designed to maximize productivity, by focusing our resources to provide the most useful service to the highest ridership areas in the region. Similarly, VRT is consistently making efforts to reduce operating costs. Current Conditions Local fares: VRT s average fare is $0.62. o Discounted fare products, such as student/senior/disabled passes, contribute to 79.9% of the foregone revenue. Universal fares: VRT s average fare is $0.90. o Contract programs make up 93.4% of the foregone revenue. VRT s farebox recovery ratio is 7.3%. o Analysis by Four Nines Technologies (2016) and First Transit (2018) have shown that VRT fares are lower than peer agencies. Discounted Fares - There is no verification requirement to obtain a discounted fare product. Potential Changes to Fare Tariff All fare types (after consolidation) could be increased, in equal proportions, once an amount is determined. This could also happen over several years, depending upon the increase. Base fare products could be increased, while leaving discount products at the same rate. o As this would increase the discount provided, fare evasion, by riders not eligible for discounted fares, would likely increase. o To counteract this, VRT would likely need to implement a verification system. Staff Recommendation/Request: Information item: Staff is seeking input from the Executive Board on the approach to this fare simplification and review. Implication (Policy and/or Financial): The policy and strategies for fare simplification and pass programs will be used to inform the annual public transportation budgets. More Information: Rhonda Jalbert, Development Director, 208.258.2707, rjalbert@valleyregionaltransit.org Stephen Hunt, Principal Planner, 208.258.2701, shunt@valleyregionaltransit.org Brian Parker, Associate Planner, 208.258.2717, bparker@valleyregionaltransit.org 33
Fare Simplification and Restructure ITEM VI-B-2 Fare restructure objectives Fares should be based on expected average fare 34
VALLEY REGIONAL TRANSIT FY2019 PROCUREMENT CALENDAR EXECUTIVE BOARD / VRT BOARD OF DIRECTORS ITEM VI-B-3 Goods/Service Accessible Conversion Transit Vans Automatic Passenger Counters Capital Infrastructure Construction CWI Roundabout Total Procurement Amount 2019 -$140,000 Additional purchases will be determined per annual budget approval. Potential Executive Board Action April 1, 2019 Potential VRT Board of Directors Action Comments Seeking vendors to provide accessible conversion transit vans for VRT s shared vehicle program. The initial term of this agreement will be three (3) years with an option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year extensions. $306,000 April 1, 2019 Seeking vendor to purchase 57 automatic passenger counters for VRT s Ada County buses. APC s deliver the most reliable and verifiable data which is critical to the success of ridership reporting. $875,000 Transit Buses 2019- $2,940,000 Additional purchases will be determined per annual budget approval. State Street Study Consultant Services Upcoming Procurements: $200,000 Ada County/Canyon Uniform Services April 1, 2019 Amount is for construction of the project. Pending NEPA approval. April 1, 2019 Seeking qualified vendors who can provide 30, 35 and 40 heavy duty, CNG powered transit buses. The initial term of this agreement will be three (3) years with an option to renew for two (2) additional one (1) year extensions. TBD Evaluate transit routing alternatives and retest the traffic flow and transit operation assumptions and conclusions of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and transit pull outs Executive Board Approval Levels: $50,000 - $199,999 VRT Board of Directors Approval Levels: $200,000 and over Updated w/ 2/21/19kj 35
ITEM VI-B-4 TOPIC: Executive Director Report DATE: February 22, 2019 Highlights: FY2019 Organizational Transition Budgeting and Accounting Valley Regional Transit is making progress on our backlog of financial deliverables such as the quarterly variance report and setting up the budgeting process. The backlog is caused by significant staffing changes at the end of last year. The quarterly variance report is delayed by one month. The Executive Board will review that for the April meeting. We will also have the revenue and expense trends to the Executive Board by the April meeting. These are important reports for building the FY2020 budget. Rhonda Jalbert began the budget development process this month. We are one month behind our deadlines for this. Staff will provide an updated schedule to the Executive Board. We should be able to catch back up and hit our August deadline to adopt the budget. The partial shutdown of the federal government is delaying the formula grant cycle. This has a strong probability of creating a cash flow issue for VRT in the next few weeks. We will be working with City of Boise to ensure funding levels that will prevent any service disruptions. Advertising Sales Department VRT is in the process of hiring a sales person focused on selling advertising on our vehicles and other VRT-owned assets and sponsorships to support a variety of VRT s programs. The business plan was complete in the last few weeks. In the meantime, the manager of this department, Ken Schick has been developing and administering contracts to achieve our sales goals for FY2019. Board Changes We will see some new faces at the April board meeting. Ada County recently appointed Commissioners Diana Lachiondo and Rick Visser to serve as primary board members to VRT. Ada County Highway District appointed Kent Goldthorpe to serve as their representative earlier in the year. There will be an election at the April board meeting to appoint a member to fill the vacant Ada County at-large Executive Board position. More information: Kelli Badesheim, Executive Director, 208-258- 2712, kbadesheim@valleyregionaltransit.org 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 36
ITEM VI-B-4 TOPIC: Operations Department Monthly Report DATE: February 20, 2019 Summary: Update of Operations Department activities for the months of January and February 2019 Procurement o Transit bus procurement was cancelled due to concerns in regards to technical specifications. Plan to put the new procurement out in March. o A three-year contract was signed with Creative Bus Sales to purchase accessible vans. o Proposals for Automatic Passenger Counters (APC) were due on February 22. Demonstrations from providers are scheduled and plan to award contract in March. Valleyride Fixed Route o Service changes in Ada and Canyon County were implemented on January 28. Have seen a slight ridership increase in the first two weeks. Will look at making small adjustments in the near future o Ada County operations will operate two buses for the Treeline route during the 2019 Treefort Music Fest in downtown Boise. Buses will operate from 6:00 pm to midnight March 20 March 23. o December ridership was 91,571. Access Demand Response o Staff will be working with the Regional Advisory Council to complete a new Access Users Handbook and Brochure. o December ridership was 4,127. Specialized Transportation o A new van was received in February and is getting prepared for service. It will be used for accessible rides under the Lyft Transit Connection service. o The van that was ordered for Harvest Transit has been delayed. The van manufacturer and their parts supplier were affected by the fires in California, causing significant delays. Planning for delivery in early March. o December ridership was 8,167. Customer Information Support o Rideline has hired two new agents. One started the week of February 18. The second will start the week of March 4. o Pass printers will be installed at Happy Day Transit Center and Main Street Station in March. This will allow all fare media to be sold at all Valley Regional Transit facilities. 700 NE 2nd Street, Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642 p: 208.846.8547 f: 208.846.8564 1.855.345.7433 37