Smart Scheduling to Improve Paratransit Service & Reliability

Transcription

1 Smart Scheduling to Improve Paratransit Service & Reliability Sylvia F. Castillo, CCTM Paratransit Operations Manager VIA Metropolitan Transit San Antonio, TX Tel. (210)

2 Problem How to keep up with increasing demand for paratransit service with limited resources? in Paratransit Service

3 Passengers VIAtrans Ridership Growth 1,250,000 1,000,000 Total 1,037,936 Total 1,049,773 Taxi 7,754 Total 1,063,936 Taxi 44,525 Total 1,118,152 Taxi 74,178 Taxi 95, ,000 Taxi 500,000 Van 1,037,936 Van 1,042,019 Van 1,019,411 Van 1,043,974 Van 1,090,912 Van 250,000 - FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016

4 VIA s Resources Internal VIAtrans Service Operators 160 Full-time Vehicles 122 large paratransit vans Contracted VIAtrans Service Operators 200 Full-time 40 Part-time Vehicles 90 minivans 30 wheelchair accessible minivans 19 large paratransit vans

5 Our Goals Improve Riders Quality of Service Reduce rider on-board time Improve on-time performance Optimize VIA s Resources Reduce operating costs

6 How were we going to do this with: Limited number of vehicles Shortage of van operators Increased number of riders

7 Strategy Research high volume trip generators Determine which site(s) will produce the best return to riders and agency Determine how trips can work together Work with stakeholders to sell the idea Implement the plan Track results

8 Timeline Planned Project October 2015 Completed Trip Analysis December 2015 Contacted Stakeholders January 2016 Implemented Program February 2016

9 Putting the plan into action:

10 Research Locations Identified top high volume pick-up locations Narrowed the first agency candidate by highest trip volume: Mother Earth - ~150 riders travel from this location daily - Congested area of town - Constant complaints about: * high traffic/parking * late pick-ups (after 5 pm)

11 Test Site: Mother Earth About 150 VIAtrans riders travel to and from Mother Earth 2-5 days Monday-Friday About VIAtrans vehicles pick up riders daily = operators Residents around Mother Earth complained about high traffic Adult day care center complained about late customer pick-ups

12 Fitting Trips Together Identified the VIAtrans riders traveling from Mother Earth to home Determined the pick-up timeframes Grouped riders drop-offs by area of town and time Placed trips that were already on subscription service on specific runs with specific vehicles

13 Stakeholder Contact Place trips on subscription service Placed riders who did not want subscription service at first on trial subscription service All riders wanted to be on subscription service after the trial period Gained agency acceptance of the program New agency s customers who ride VIAtrans service are placed in program

14 Schedule Client Code Name To Negotiated Pick-up Time 13:00 M - F sub Customer Veranda CT 13:00 M - F sub Customer Veranda CT 13:00 M - F sub Customer Veranda CT 13:00 aw cas Customer , NIMROD 13:00 2d cas Customer Sunset Pl 13:00 13:30 aw cas 77 Customer University Ave 13:30 M - F sub Customer , Fortuna St 13:30 M - F sub Customer Lark Ave 13:30 aw cas Customer Durant St 13:30 aw cas Customer , N Frio St 13:30 14:15 M - F sub Customer David Scott 14:15 M - F sub Customer , Alexander Hamilton 14:15 M - F sub Customer Sherril Brook 14:15 M - F sub Customer Sherril Brook 14:15 14:15 M - W - F sub Customer Tezel Oaks 14:15 4d cas Customer WESTGLADE DR 14:15 aw cas Customer , Buffalo Pass Dr 14:15 M - F sub Customer , Big Horn Dr 14:15 M - F sub Customer , Timber Rock Dr 14:15 M - F sub Customer , Shoal Creek Dr 14:15 14:45 aw cas Customer Tahoka 14:45 M-T-W-R sub Customer W Craig 14:45 M - F sub Customer Dahlgreen 14:45 aw cas Customers E Locust St 14:

15 Success Stakeholders Riders are no longer picked up after 5:00 p.m. from the agency 99% of the time Reduced riders on-board time Reduced the number of vehicles and operators traveling to Mother Earth by 50% Improved stakeholder satisfaction Residents no longer complain about the number of vans traveling in their neighborhood Agency no longer complains about late pick-ups

16 Success VIA Average productivity has increased from 1.66 to 1.73 passengers per hour in 2017 Average on-time performance is 99% (agency) Average number of vehicles used for afternoon peak service has decreased by vehicles (even with a 3% increase in ridership) Received positive feedback from riders and agency on the improved quality of VIAtrans service

17 Moving Forward Completed 3 agency trip consolidations and working on the 4 th agency Looking to use this model for: Trips from group homes Dialysis trips Other high trip generator locations Focus on morning peak trip generators

18 Summary 1. Determine locations with lots of trips (50+) 2. Determine criteria for sorting trips Sort by time of day Sort by destination 3. Group trips together onto specific runs and vehicles 4. Communicate with stakeholders Place trips on subscription service Give information to agency about pick-ups 5. Monitor trip consolidations often

19 Sylvia F. Castillo, CCTM Paratransit Operations Manager VIA Metropolitan Transit San Antonio, TX Tel. (210) Sustainability of service with quality