Florida Public Transportation Association Meeting Discussion. Quality of Life and Quality Places

Transcription

1 Flrida Public Transprtatin Assciatin Meeting Discussin April 15, 2015 Tallahassee, Flrida The Flrida Public Transprtatin Assciatin (FPTA) bard scheduled a wrkshp that fcused n the Flrida Transprtatin Plan and Strategic Intermdal System Plicy Plan n April 15, A presentatin was given by FDOT t the seven bard members in attendance that utlined trends and cnditins related t key themes determined by the FTP/SIS Advisry Grups. The FPTA bard members then discussed the key issues and supprting ideas and appraches that were presented t them, ffering additinal input and suggestins. Quality f Life and Quality Places Cnsider Implicatins f Changing Demgraphics n Transprtatin Demand There is a rising demand fr n-demand paratransit services, especially with the elderly. There is a lack f capacity and lack f funding t prvide n-demand services fr these ppulatins. Paratransit trips are treated different fr users cvered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), medical paratransit trips, and general paratransit trips. The rising demand fr all f these trips makes priritizatin difficult. ADA trips prvided limited farebx recvery and the increasing ADA trips are creating funding cnstraints. There is a requirement t prvide n-demand services t ADA users within 24 hurs f their request. Prpsed changes t federal law may make it s that transit prviders are nt being reimbursed fr trips assciated with the American with Disabilities Act. Mre accessible sidewalks/bus stps may encurage the use f fixed rute transprtatin by the aging ppulatin rather than the n-demand service. Expanding fixed rute transit service and cnsidering flex-rute services may als alleviate the reliance n n-demand service. Many paratransit services have a limit n the number f shpping bags a persn can bring with them and restrictins n what the driver can help users with, such as carrying grceries t their dr. Cnsider giving higher pririty t shpping/fd trips r prmte nline grcery shpping t reduce the number f trips. Millennials want mre chices in their travel. In particular, mre frequency, later hurs, better real time inf. Lack f funding fr trips assciated with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Cannt charge fr these unless it is a fixed rute fare. Crdinate Transprtatin t Supprt Vibrant and Healthy Cmmunities

2 Bikes are very expensive and sme users are uncmfrtable putting them n the frnt f the bus. On trains, users dn t like t be separated frm the bicycle. There is als a liability issue fr the transit agencies. Transit agencies are lking int investing in vehicles that prvide mre nbard ptins fr bicycles. Cnsider adding larger vehicles n specific rutes t allw fr bicycles t be brught nt the vehicle. Cnsider charging users mre fr premium service r prviding dynamic pricing n lnger trips. Adding Wi-Fi t buses is expensive and users with shrter trips dn t necessarily take advantage f it. This is mre effective n lnger-distance travel, such as SunRail. Will there be cmpetitin frm n-demand ridesharing cmpanies, such as Uber? Yes, in Gainesville there has been a drp in ridership that may be due t these services. In Dallas, the transit service prvider and Uber have partnered t ffer ptins t users. This has been crdinated by a mbile app. Ensure transit and access t facilities are cnsidered when lcating new develpment. Incrprate bus pull uts, etc. Make Transprtatin Decisins t Prmte Respnsible Envirnmental Stewardship N cmments prvided. Imprve Safety fr Transprtatin Users Better educatin fr users crssing in frnt f the bus. Parking lt fatalities have becme an issue. Issues with balance, quieter cars, etc. Narrw radway design makes large vehicles, such as trucks r buses, mre likely t be in a crash. Generally these invlve damage r lss f mirrrs. Falls n the bus accunt fr a large prtin f safety issues. Enhance Security fr Transprtatin Users Security cameras n bard transit vehicles. Imprved transit facilities, including better lighting, mre sidewalk cverage/access, etc. Cnsider perfrming security assessments, similar t the Transprtatin Security Administratin (TSA) assessments, fr the transit systems. Prvide Transprtatin Slutins t Supprt Residents and Visitrs During Emergencies Transit agencies send vehicles t supprt evacuatin in emergency situatins. FDOT crdinates acrss service prviders. There is a need t plan fr the evacuatin f mre than just regular transit riders. Get buy in frm the schl districts t becme a part f the prcess. Other 2

3 Des ffering higher quality transit vehicles, facilities, and services at a higher rate encurage mre ridership? There are regulatins that keep transit agencies frm cmpeting with the private sectr. Smaller urban transit systems and rural transit systems are nt well funded enugh t upgrade/replace transit vehicles under the MAP-21 legislatin. 3

4 Innvatin and Ecnmic Develpment Cntinue t Psitin Flrida as a Glbal Hub fr Trade, Lgistics, and Exprt-Oriented Gds and Services N cmments prvided. Enhance Flrida s Psitin as a Destinatin fr Dmestic and Internatinal Visitrs Imprvement in transit will help t prmte turism, especially internatinal turists. Internatinal visitrs tend t have the expectatin that they can get arund cities and travel between cities via transit. Supprt Diverse Reginal Innvatin Clusters N cmments prvided. Strengthen Flrida s Ecnmic Regins and Cnnect Resurces Acrss Regins t Build a Glbally Cmpetitive Megaregin Imprved cnnectins will help increase turism. Supprt funding directed at cnnecting transit services t airprts t prmte interreginal and interstate cnnectivity. Supprt Develpment f a Wrld-Class Wrkfrce in Transprtatin and Other Industries Attracting and retaining drivers and maintenance technicians. These are becming mre specialized ccupatins and public transit prviders cannt pay what the private sectr pays. Rural areas are lsing drivers t the mre urbanized areas. Partnerships with cmmunity clleges t develp a wrkfrce pl fr the transit industry? Backgrund checks and cmmercial driver s license requirements are restrictive. Licensing is expensive and the transit prviders cannt affrd t pay fr them. Retentin is als an issue. Cannt pay the same rate that emplyees culd get wrking elsewhere. This affects ntime perfrmance, cst, etc. Lack f drivers requires vertime which increases csts. High turnver means that drivers are always training and unfamiliar with rutes. When transit service prviders help emplyees get their cmmercial drivers license, they ften seek emplyment with private entities. Wrkfrce prgram Certified transit maintenance prgram. Supprt a Cmpetitive Business Climate fr Transprtatin and Other Industries Expensive transprtatin can hinder business grwth and develpment in Flrida. 4

5 Other Alternative methds f funding transit. Public Private Partnerships? Flrida has the 3 rd largest ppulatin but is smewhere in the middle (24?) when it cmes t transit funding. Lcal gvernments are respnsible fr making up the difference in funding the system. We need mre transit funding. New Starts prgram has been helpful t urban systems but nt as much fr the rural systems. Small urban systems are generating a large prtin f verall transit ridership in Flrida. Negative ecnmic cnsequences because f lack f transit. There isn t a statewide mechanism t mve peple between regins. Build private sectr supprt fr transit. Central Flrida wrked with the private sectr t establish SunRail. 5

6 Infrastructure and Grwth Leadership Maintain Transprtatin System in State f Gd Repair Lack f funding makes maintenance f the transit system difficult. Flrida s bus stps are nt accessible and this is smething we need t fcus n. While these are nt necessarily a vilatin f Americans with Disabilities Act rules, they are still inaccessible. Funding is an issue here. Accessible bus stps are mre appealing t everyne. Understand that all mdes f transprtatin need t be included when designing and maintain the radway. Cnsider stpping rather than just the size f the vehicle. Vehicles are getting lder because there is limited funding t replace/upgrade vehicles. The recent drp in revenue miles between failures has t d with the aging f transit fleets and the increased usage f transit. Imprve the Efficiency f the Existing Transprtatin System Is a universal fare card/app/system useful? Wuld it be useful t include nt nly transit services but highway tlling and parking as well? While it is an excellent idea, smene has t pay fr it. Integratin f a universal system is difficult. As transit vehicles are replaced, they can accmmdate this technlgy but until then, mst f the existing vehicles cannt supprt a universal fare card. Accunting needs t ensure that the fares paid get t the crrect agency. Sn this will all be dne thrugh a mbile app r smething similar. Flrida Turnpike Enterprise is managing back ffice cnslidatin fr the expressway authrities and eventually wuld expand t transit. The gvernment agencies cannt respnd as quickly t changing technlgies in regards t the prcurement prcess. While dedicated lanes wuld imprve efficiency, it is difficult t find the capacity t d s. Highway express lanes supprt the integratin f express bus service. Cnsider this accmmdatin in design. It is harder t take away a lane than it is t prvide/design ne initially. Transit signal pririty t supprt efficiency. Related t new capacity - Federal Funding, Tiger Grants, is gd fr larger transit facilities. That mney desn t make it t the smaller, rural transit systems. Re-evaluate the way these funds are distributed. Many f Flrida s systems dn t have the matching dllars t be cmpetitive. Mdernize the Transprtatin System Incrprate alternative fuels in transit vehicles, such as electric, cmpressed natural gas, liquid natural gas. The infrastructure needs t be in place t supprt these vehicles, such as charging statins, fueling statins, maintenance csts/tls, etc. This can becme cstly. There is a need t maintain the existing system during this transitin. 6

7 ITS helps the transit system. Prviding real time infrmatin abut when the bus will be there makes users perceive a higher level f service. Users want t knw when the bus will be there. Only sme fleets are equipped with this technlgy. Peple like safe transprtatin. SunRail is appealing because users knw exactly where they will be ging. Transit applicatins that infrm users as t where vehicles are, where they are ging, and update users depending n where they want t g. Mdernizing the transit system will supprt grwth in ridership fr millennials, elderly, and internatinal demgraphics. Incrprate measures, such as lighting, that make users feel safer when using the transit system. Travel trainer prgrams staff will g with users t shw them hw t use the system. Incrprating this prgram int schls, Bys & Girls Clubs, etc. Expand Mdal Chices fr Mving Peple and Freight N additinal cmments. Imprve Intrareginal, Interreginal, Interstate, and Internatinal Cnnectivity Integrated mapping f multiple mdes wuld help users understand the full trip rather than just a small prtin f it. Intermdal centers supprt multimdal cnnectivity. Cnsider hw we want rural transit systems t grw and hw t supprt that grwth. Cnsider that many f the largest transit systems in the state started as rural circulatrs. Cmmunity Transprtatin Crdinatrs have traditinally handled n-demand transit service and are nw starting t manage fixed rute service. Hw can we help them evlve? Statewide transit visin t identify the visin fr transit systems in the future? Intercnnected statewide plan. District 5 has a reginal cnnectivity initiative that lks at intrareginal travel. Culd each FDOT District develp ne f these? Future Crridr Planning Prcess East Central Flrida Crridr Task Frce recmmendatin was t have a develp a reginal transit system plan Private supprt fr the transit system. Apartment cmplexes arund universities, fr example, prvide transprtatin t the university. Ensure Flrida s Transprtatin System is Resilient t Extreme Weather Events and Climate Trends N cmments prvided. 7

8 Strategic Intermdal System Objectives N cmments prvided. Designatin Criteria Miami Metrmver system is nt n the SIS even thugh it cnnects t several ther mdes. Is there a way t assess this cnnectivity? Thrugh a re-evaluatin f the hub-hub designatin? Adjust the criteria t give preference t facilities based n number f mdes that they cnnect. Needs Plicies SIS reliever facilities qualifying fr SIS funding. Prmting flexibility in SIS funding fr these types f prjects. The last thing we want is t chse ur prjects based n the availability f funding rather than what the best slutin fr a specific area is Priritizatin Plicies N cmments prvided. Finance Strategy Is there a way fr a bus rapid transit prject t nt shulder the burden f a radway widening? Culd SIS funding be used n the cnstructin f additinal lanes reserved fr bus rapid transit while the transit agency wuld be respnsible fr the vehicles and crdinatin f service? 8