COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM RIDERSHIP TRENDS. February 2012

Transcription

1 COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM RIDERSHIP TRENDS February 2012 Prepared by the Division of Strategic Capital Planning/Grants Development April 2012

2 I. OVERVIEW COMMUTER RAIL RIDERSHIP TRENDS February 2012 Reported system ridership (including free Circuit Permit trips) in February 2012 increased 2.3% compared to the same time period in February 2012 had two additional weekdays and one less Sunday when compared to February After adjusting for calendar differences, ridership in February 2012 decreased slightly (-0.8%) compared to February February (in 000s) Percent Change vs12 11vs12 Reported 6,051 5,936 6, % 6.1% Free Trips % -76.0% Total (Reported & Free) 6,340 6,231 6, % 2.3% Free Trips & Calendar-Adjusted 6,366 6,349 6, % -0.8% December-February (Last 3 months) 19,301 19,124 19, % 1.5% YTD (Year-to-Date) 12,851 12,778 13, % 1.8% Last 12 Months 81,754 81,320 82, % 1.9% P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[SYSTRIDE.xls]tables formatted 4 text System Ridership Figure 1 (below) presents system ridership adjusted for calendar differences by month since The twelve-month rolling average is included to display the underlying trend in passenger use. Figure 1: Calendar-Adjusted System Ridership (in thousands) 8,500 8,000 7,500 7,000 6,500 6,000 5, Calendar-Adjusted 12-Month Rolling Average Table 1 and Figure 2 (pg. 2) present calendar-adjusted monthly ridership totals for the Metra system.

3 Table 1 Metra System Passenger Trips by Month (Adjusted for free trips & calendar differences) Passenger Trips (in 000's) Year-to-Year Percent Change vs vs vs. 12 January 6,848 6,649 6,586 6, % -0.9% 1.4% February 6,602 6,366 6,349 6, % -0.3% -0.8% March 6,848 6,676 6, % 0.9% April 6,682 6,667 6, % 1.1% May 6,817 6,811 6, % 1.1% June 7,134 7,195 7, % 1.9% July 7,222 7,154 7, % 1.3% August 7,154 7,143 7, % 3.6% September 6,846 6,795 6, % 2.2% October 6,999 7,050 7, % 2.8% November 6,765 6,737 6, % 3.2% December 6,337 6,174 6, % 3.3% Annual Total 82,254 81,416 82,805 12, % 1.6% -- Figure 2: System Ridership Adjusted for free trips & calendar differences 8,500 8,000 7,500 Thousands 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

4 II. RIDERSHIP INFLUENCES Many different factors influence day-to-day and year-to-year ridership trends. Some factors are within Metra s control, such as service improvements, new stations, and marketing promotions. However, many more factors (such as weather, gas prices and the economy) that are outside of Metra s direct control can influence ridership in a positive or negative manner. The following pages detail some of the factors believed to have influenced recent changes in year-to-year Metra ridership levels. Calendar Differences As shown on the table (below), February 2012 had two additional weekdays and one less Sunday when compared to February Weekday Saturday Sunday/Holiday All Days Diff Diff Diff Diff Jan Feb YEAR-TO-DATE Line Upgrades/Extensions and Service Enhancements The following list includes significant line upgrades and service enhancements. The list below does not include minor schedule time adjustments. BNSF - Major construction to accommodate the Belmont Road Grade Separation project near the Belmont Station in Downers Grove started in July 2010 and required the BNSF Line to be reduced from three tracks to two tracks near the Belmont Station. On July 12, 2010 the train schedule was adjusted because some express trains would no longer be able to pass local trains in the area, since the third main track would be unavailable. The third passing track was restored in late Summer Additional weekday schedule changes were made to make run times more accurately reflect actual operating conditions, resulting in more reliable service. In addition to the weekday changes, several outbound weekend trains were changed to depart 10 minutes later than the previous schedule, which created a more consistent schedule. Rock Island District -- On April 3, 2011, Metra opened a new station on the Rock Island District Line at 35 th Street just east of the Dan Ryan Expressway, serving the Bronzeville neighborhood, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and U.S. Cellular Field. The new 35 th St. / Lou Jones Station also provides convenient connections with the CTA Red and Green Lines. The opening of the new station required a new timetable, so the opportunity was taken to make some adjustments to the train schedule to better reflect actual operating conditions, resulting in more reliable service. Ten inbound and 20 outbound trains received schedule adjustments of one to five minutes to arrival or departure times at LaSalle Street, while two train times were altered by 10 and 13 minutes. One additional inbound PM reverse-peak train from Blue Island was added to the schedule to allow another train from Joliet to run express from Blue Island and arrive 16 minutes earlier than previously scheduled. Metra also increased service on game days to accommodate White Sox fans. For weekday afternoon games, an extra outbound train leaves LaSalle Street Station after the final out. For weekday evening games, Train 531 (departing LaSalle St. at 11:15 p.m.) has more cars, and an extra outbound all-stop train operates about 30 minutes after the last out. For weekend games, an inbound extra train arrives at the station -3-

5 about an hour before the first pitch, and an outbound extra operates about 30 minutes after the final out. Roadway Construction Projects Congress Parkway Bridge Reconstruction Project In April 2010, the Illinois Department of Transportation began the reconstruction of the Congress Parkway Bridge over the Chicago River. The eastbound section of the bridge was rehabilitated in late September Rehabilitation work on the westbound section of the bridge began in September It is anticipated that all inbound and outbound lanes will be opened by mid-may The following ramps have also been closed since April 2010 as part of the project: southbound Wacker and northbound Franklin Street to westbound Congress and eastbound Kennedy and northbound Dan Ryan Expressways to eastbound Congress. Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project In April 2010, the Chicago Department of Transportation began the reconstruction of the upper and lower levels of Wacker Drive between Randolph Street and Congress Parkway. During this project, Lower Wacker will be reduced to one lane in each direction and the Congress Parkway- Wacker Drive ramp will be closed until December Viaduct reconstruction of Upper Wacker Drive began in January 2011 at Randolph Street and will head south, resulting in intersection and block closings through the end of Periodic eastwest bus re-routes will occur, and pedestrian routes over the river will be disrupted. Congress Parkway Improvement Project In summer 2010, the Chicago Department of Transportation began their project to upgrade and improve Congress Parkway from Michigan Avenue to Wells Street with a number of streetscaping, pedestrian, and bicycle access improvements. Congress Parkway has been reduced to three lanes inbound (eastbound) and two lanes outbound (westbound) for most of the project with temporary, off-peak eastbound lane closures reducing the inbound side to two lanes. The project will be completed in McCormick Place Although no major trade shows were conducted at McCormick Place during February, two small conferences (American Physical Therapy, February 8-12; and the Dental Society, February 23-26) may have contributed slightly to additional Zone-A ridership on the Metra Electric District during their events. Likely of greater consequence were the public events, most notably the ever-popular annual Auto Show, spanning two busy weekends during its 10-day run (February 10-19). In addition to drawing attendees from along Metra Electric, the Auto Show boosts recreational ridership along other Metra lines with various connecting bus options between downtown Metra stations and the convention center. Finishing the month, the International Dog Show was held at McCormick Place (February 23-26). Downtown Activities With one of the mildest winters on record, February s weather was ideal for outside activities such as the Prairie Prowl each Saturday at Northerly Island, or merely strolling from Metra stations to favorite dining spots during Restaurant Week (February 17-26), theater and shopping destinations, and any of Chicago s museums and cultural destinations. Many of the museums featured free day promotions during the month of February (at the Shedd Aquarium on February 6-7, 13-14, 19-23, and and at the Art Institute on February 1-3 and 6-10). Further south, -4-

6 near the 55 th -56 th -57 th Street Station on the Metra Electric District Line, the Museum of Science and Industry offered free days each Wednesday during February. West of the City along Metra s BNSF Line, Brookfield Zoo provided free admission every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday during February. All of these and other attractions serve as important trip generators for Metra s recreational market segment. Weather Metra ridership is generally impacted in a positive manner during times of severe winter weather, as commuters choose Metra over the harsh driving conditions. Overall snowfall for the month of February was 5.6 inches, which is low compared to the 45-year average snowfall for February (8.5 inches). The table (below) presents weather statistics for the last five winter seasons. Winter Weather Statistics Inches of Snowfall Days Below Zero Average Temperature Year Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar trace trace trace year Avg Gas Prices - As shown on the table and graph (below), gas prices for February 2012 were $0.29 higher than the same period a year ago. The average retail price for a gallon of gasoline in February 2012 ($3.71) increased $0.02 compared to January 2012 ($3.69). Cook County Average Gas Prices Month $5.00 Jan $3.27 $2.02 $2.96 $3.37 $3.69 Feb $3.15 $2.02 $2.83 $3.42 $3.71 $4.50 Mar $3.37 $2.10 $2.93 $3.78 $4.33 $4.00 Apr $3.55 $2.21 $3.16 $4.20 May $4.00 $2.60 $3.21 $4.50 $3.50 Jun $4.25 $2.98 $3.00 $4.28 $3.00 Jul $4.34 $2.76 $2.95 $4.15 $2.50 Aug $4.10 $2.82 $3.03 $4.01 Sep $3.99 $2.74 $3.11 $3.96 $2.00 Oct $3.60 $2.63 $3.06 $3.64 $1.50 Nov $2.52 $2.62 $3.16 $3.64 $1.00 Dec $1.74 $2.56 $3.20 $ Avg $3.49 $2.51 $3.05 $3.87 $3.91 Reported Rolling 12-Month Avg -5-

7 Economy As shown on the table and graph (below), the number of persons employed in the six-county area for the month of February 2012 rose 0.6% compared to February Month vs vs. 12 Jan 4,149 3,925 3,784 3,853 3, % -0.5% Feb 4,161 3,891 3,806 3,862 3, % 0.6% Mar 4,168 3,878 3,833 3, % Apr 4,180 3,887 3,876 3, % May 4,157 3,894 3,879 3, % Jun 4,168 3,934 3,886 3, % Jul 4,141 3,951 3,903 3, % Aug 4,090 3,902 3,889 3, % Sep 4,072 3,860 3,905 3, % Oct 4,014 3,862 3,907 3, % Nov 4,029 3,882 3,946 3, % Dec 4,000 3,835 3,938 3, % annual avg 4,111 3,892 3,874 3,882 3, % 0.1% Thousands 4,300 4,200 4,100 4,000 3,900 3,800 3,700 3,600 Feb 01' Feb 02' Feb 05' Feb 04' Feb 03' Reported Feb 10' Feb 09' Feb 08' Feb 07' Feb 06' 12 Month Average Feb 11' Feb 12' Office Occupancy - The graph (below) provides occupancy rates for downtown Chicago and suburban locations. In the Fourth Quarter of 2011, downtown Chicago posted an 84.7% office occupancy rate, which is slightly up compared to last quarter (84.2%). The suburbs posted a 78.1% office occupancy rate, which is slightly up from last quarter (77.8%). 95% Source: Illinois Dept. Of Employment Security 90% 85% 80% 75% % Office Space Occupied Source: CB Richard Ellis Downtown Chicago Suburban -6-

8 III. RIDERSHIP Table 2 (pg. 11) presents reported rail line ridership for three time periods (month, last 3 months, and year-to-date) for the last two years based on reported ticket sales. The table also shows the total reported ridership plus the free trips (senior and Circuit Permit) provided. Examining February ridership by line, the lines serving the South region are up by 1.4% from last year, the West region is up 3.9%, and the North region is up by 1.1%. A system summary of ridership by fare zone for February 2012 and the December 2011 February 2012 period is provided on Table 3 (pg. 12). Figure 3 and Table 4 (pg. 13) provide data on average passenger trip length. Passenger load counts taken by conductors are useful in monitoring changes in ridership by time-of-day. Load counts are taken before the first stop on outbound trains and after the last stop before entering the downtown on inbound trains. Table 5 presents average daily conductor load counts by service period for December 2011 February 2012 (pg. 14). Table 6 presents capacity utilization by service period for December 2011 February 2012 (pg. 14). Seniors Ride Free Program Governor Quinn signed legislation on February 14, 2011 limiting senior free rides on CTA, Metra, and Pace to only low-income seniors, age 65 or older. Metra coordinated with the RTA, CTA, and Pace on incorporating these program changes. The new changes to the program went into effect on September 1, Metra s grace period expired September 6, 2011, thus only free circuit-permit rides were counted beginning on that date. Seniors are no longer counted separately, given the fact that now they are either circuit-permit card holders or reduced-fare card holders. Given these changes, Metra provided 2.5 million free senior trips in 2011, which is a 27% decrease over The table (below) presents the average daily conductor load counts for Seniors Ride Free trips by service period as well as the total number of Seniors Ride Free trips recorded for the month. The graph following shows the total number of Seniors Ride Free trips by month between 2008 and Seniors Riding Free Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2011 Avg Wkday 12,263 12,298 12,830 13,047 13,822 14,639 14,326 14, Seniors riding Free Avg Sat 2,918 3,274 3,435 3,617 3,514 4,434 4,032 4, Program discontinued on Avg Sun/Hol 1,795 1,769 2,166 2,289 2,258 2,635 2,606 2, /1/11; grace period for Typical week 66,028 66,535 69,752 71,140 74,882 80,266 78,267 78,371 5,666 program expired on Total Reported 279, , , , , , , ,347 24,322 9/6/11. Does not include South Shore. P:\RIDE\Senior sridingfr stbls_nolinks.xls]senior scur ee\[senior r ent_tod&dow -7-

9 400,000 System Seniors Riding Free by Month, , , , , , ,000 50,000 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec People with Disabilities Ride Free Program Illinois lawmakers approved and Governor Blagojevich signed into law Senate Bill 1920 in September This Bill allows free trips on fixed-route transit to riders issued a Circuit Permit as part of the new People with Disabilities Ride Free Program. The legislation requires free trips on fixed-route and regularly scheduled transit in the RTA s service region be made available to any Illinois resident who has been enrolled as a person with a disability in the Illinois Circuit Breaker program. The People with Disabilities Ride Free Program officially began on October 24, As of September 6, 2011, please note that the number of Circuit Permit trips now includes the low-income seniors who qualify for the program (see Seniors Ride Free Program for further explanation). Given these changes, Metra provided over 735,000 free circuit-permit trips in 2011, which is a 49% increase over The table (below) presents the average daily conductor load counts for Circuit- Permit trips by service period as well as the total number of Circuit-Permit trips recorded for the month. The graph following shows the total number of Circuit-Permit trips by month between 2008 and Circuit-Breaker-Permit Holders Riding Free Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2011 Avg Wkday 1,648 1,735 2,050 2,035 2,251 2,126 2,303 2,581 3,570 3,441 3,005 2,957 Avg Sat , ,123 1,179 1,302 1,475 1,649 1,383 1,315 Avg Sun/Hol ,070 1,159 1,063 1,047 Typical week 9,411 9,938 11,648 11,871 12,833 12,477 13,435 15,033 20,395 20,012 17,473 17,149 Total Reported 40,109 38,444 52,742 50,594 54,803 54,159 56,404 67,873 86,219 86,297 73,961 73, Avg Wkday 2,827 2,924 ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #DIV/0! ##### ##### ##### Avg Sat 1,231 1,308 ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #DIV/0! ##### ##### ##### Avg Sun/Hol ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #DIV/0! ##### ##### ##### Typical week 16,171 16,892 ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #DIV/0! ##### ##### ##### Total Reported 69,123 70, ,000* 0,000* 0,000* 0,000* *Includes low-income seniors as of 9/6/11. P :\RIDE\Cir cp er msridingfr ee\[cir cp er mstbls_nolinks.xls]cir cp er mscur r ent_tod&dow -8-

10 System Circuit-Breaker-Permit Holders Riding Free by Month, ,000 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Note: Includes low-income seniors as of 9/6/ Reduced-Fare Sales In collaboration with the RTA s Reduced-Fare Permit Program, Metra allows qualified users to ride Metra at a reduced rate. The following types of users are eligible to receive a reduced-fare permit through the RTA s Reduced-Fare Permit Program and hence Metra is eligible for reimbursement of the lost revenue by IDOT. All senior citizens who are within three weeks of their 65 th birthday or older (see Seniors Ride Free Program for further information) Medicare card recipients receiving Social Security benefits People with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits Veterans with disabilities who receive Service-connected disability benefits People with disabilities whose doctors validate their disability Full-time students enrolled in an accredited grade school or high school with a valid letter of certification from their school (on school stationery) or a valid school I.D. bearing the student's name, school name and authorized signature. Metra also offers reduced-fare tickets to children ages 7 to 11 (saves 50 percent over oneway fares), young adults (ages receive a half fare on weekends and holidays), and to U.S. military personnel (may purchase one-way or ten-ride tickets at a reduced fare provided they present proper military identification indicating they are on active duty). The table below shows all reduced-fare ticket sales by month for 2011 and Reduced-Fare Ticket Sales ( ) Monthly Ten-Ride One-Way Conductor 1 Monthly Ten-Ride One-Way Conductor January 727 5,479 26,528 N/A 2,621 11,231 44,286 43,093 February 688 4,840 23,897 N/A 2,778 12,409 38,843 42,774 March 754 5,905 41,313 N/A April 678 5,396 40,747 N/A May 747 5,940 35,255 N/A Jun 521 6,568 70,761 N/A July 654 5,507 67,177 44,588 August ,088 65,147 41,496 September 2 2,780 15,090 47,003 48,632 October 2,919 15,039 53,437 52,148 November 2,807 14,023 53,480 50,999 December 2,425 10,559 74,158 55,879 YTD Totals 16, , , ,742 5,399 23,640 83,129 85,867 1 Starting in July 2011, the new Revenue Accounting system began providing a more accurate breakdown of reduced-fare tickets sold on the train. 2 Seniors Ride Free Program discontinued on 9/1/11; grace period for program expired on 9/6/

11 Accessible Equipment Use - The system became fully accessible (at least one accessible car per train) in May The chart (below) presents lift usage by month since Trips Utilizing Accessible Equipment 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, Bike Program On June 1, 2005, Metra implemented the Bikes on Trains program allowing three bikes in each diesel rail accessible car and two bikes per car on the Metra Electric District. Bikes are allowed on weekday off-peak trains, including reverse commute trains, and on all weekend trains. In April 2010, the program was expanded to allow five bikes in each diesel rail accessible car (two bikes per car will remain allowed on the Metra Electric District). Some blackout dates apply for special events that typically generate higher ridership, e.g., Taste of Chicago. The table (below) shows the average usage by month for the program Bicycles Carried Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Avg Wkday ,060 1,142 1,056 1, Avg Sat Avg Sun/Hol Typical week 2,125 2,053 3,293 4,227 5,660 5,531 6,760 6,698 6,936 6,567 4,710 3,598 Total Reported 9,111 8,009 14,793 18,099 24,705 23,767 29,065 30,216 29,548 28,804 20,002 15, Avg Wkday ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Avg Sat ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Avg Sun/Hol ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Typical week 3,143 3,432 ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### Total Reported 13,520 14, Does not include South Shore. P :\RIDE\BikesCar r ied\[bikes Car r iedtbls _NoLinks.xls]BikesCar r iedcur r ent_tod&dow -10-

12 Table 2: Passenger Trips by Rail Line Line estimates beginning in August 2010 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system, which provides more precise line breakdowns than our previous systems were able to provide. Reported Reported & Free Trips February 2011 vs vs %Change %Change BNSF 1,210,802 1,273, % 1,251,733 1,282, % Electric Lines 751, , % 784, , % Heritage 55,750 56, % 56,736 56, % Milw-N 490, , % 516, , % Milw-W 488, , % 525, , % North Central 119, , % 124, , % Rock Island 634, , % 650, , % SouthWest 196, , % 202, , % UP-N 715, , % 767, , % UP-NW 728, , % 782, , % UP-W 544, , % 567, , % SYSTEM 5,936,450 6,300, % 6,230,503 6,371, % January-February 2011 vs vs %Change %Change BNSF 2,492,671 2,592, % 2,581,882 2,612, % Electric Lines 1,514,493 1,568, % 1,581,936 1,603, % Heritage 109, , % 111, , % Milw-N 1,015,872 1,080, % 1,072,836 1,088, % Milw-W 1,007,106 1,069, % 1,079,784 1,084, % North Central 240, , % 251, , % Rock Island 1,306,948 1,369, % 1,342,901 1,381, % SouthWest 394, , % 406, , % UP-N 1,446,722 1,411, % 1,556,006 1,431, % UP-NW 1,499,389 1,709, % 1,608,164 1,725, % UP-W 1,135,400 1,259, % 1,184,757 1,268, % SYSTEM 12,163,847 12,869, % 12,777,973 13,009, % Last vs vs Months %Change %Change BNSF 15,721,795 16,198, % 16,305,239 16,601, % Electric Lines 9,579,941 9,682, % 10,019,298 10,050, % Heritage 677, , % 690, , % Milw-N 6,488,701 6,796, % 6,867,264 7,029, % Milw-W 6,409,574 6,753, % 6,782,455 7,056, % North Central 1,511,478 1,672, % 1,581,171 1,712, % Rock Island 8,269,600 8,464, % 8,510,167 8,637, % SouthWest 2,381,501 2,523, % 2,454,389 2,570, % UP-N 9,260,903 8,794, % 10,017,534 9,317, % UP-NW 9,595,859 10,700, % 10,307,812 11,169, % UP-W 7,436,963 7,813, % 7,784,254 8,032, % SYSTEM 77,333,389 80,102, % 81,319,645 82,888, % P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[RIDETAB.XLS]A -11-

13 February 2011 vs. February 2012 Zone Pair Miles Change % Change Percent Share AA ,182 23,722 2, % 0.4% 0.4% AB , ,570 10, % 7.7% 7.4% AC , ,929 43, % 13.0% 13.0% AD ,313 1,013,557 59, % 16.1% 16.1% AE ,248,654 1,318,634 69, % 21.0% 20.9% AF , ,897 38, % 12.8% 12.6% AG , ,599 15, % 8.1% 7.9% AH , ,935 26, % 6.8% 6.8% AI , ,051 6, % 2.3% 2.3% AJ ,120 27,354 1, % 0.4% 0.4% AK ,853 34,797 2, % 0.5% 0.6% AM ,914 8, % 0.1% 0.1% Intermediate* 236, ,168 31, % 4.0% 4.2% Conductor 256, ,913 45, % 4.3% 4.8% Group 3, , % 0.1% 0.0% Weekend Ticket 159, ,986 29, % 2.7% 3.0% Total 5,936,450 6,300, , % 100.0% 100.0% Last Three Months Zone Percent Share Pair Miles Change % Change AA ,371 66,674 6, % 0.3% 0.3% AB ,355,039 1,402,552 47, % 7.5% 7.3% AC ,348,224 2,468, , % 12.9% 12.9% AD ,886,864 3,056, , % 15.9% 15.9% AE ,778,373 3,989, , % 20.8% 20.8% AF ,287,855 2,382,179 94, % 12.6% 12.4% AG ,456,426 1,491,886 35, % 8.0% 7.8% AH ,233,868 1,291,362 57, % 6.8% 6.7% AI , ,633 18, % 2.3% 2.3% AJ ,371 84,836 4, % 0.4% 0.4% AK , ,848 8, % 0.5% 0.5% AM ,324 27,706 1, % 0.1% 0.1% Intermediate* 719, ,888 79, % 4.0% 4.2% Conductor 855,646 1,054, , % 4.7% 5.5% Group 48,241 48, % 0.3% 0.3% Weekend Ticket 563, ,224 30, % 3.1% 3.1% Total 18,178,415 19,194,929 1,016, % 100.0% 100.0% *Trips that do not begin or end in Fare Zone A. Note: Free trips are not included. Table 3 System Ridership by Fare Zone -12-

14 Figure 3 Metra System* Average Trip Distance (Rolling 3-Month Averages) Miles *Does not include free trips Table 4 Passenger Miles & Average Trip Length by Rail Line January-February Line estimates beginning in August 2010 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system, which provides more precise line breakdowns than our previous systems were able to provide. Line Passenger Miles (in 000's) % Chng Average Trip Length Change % Chng in Trips % Chng BNSF 59,048 61,405 2, % 4.0% % Electric Lines 28,889 31,116 2, % 3.6% % Heritage 3,162 3, % 4.1% % Milw-North 22,373 25,189 2, % 6.4% % Milw-West 23,503 26,540 3, % 6.2% % North Central 7,620 8,810 1, % 14.9% % Rock Island 27,282 29,492 2, % 4.8% % SouthWest 7,519 7, % 5.9% % UP-North 28,847 24,585-4, % -2.4% % UP-NW 37,957 43,584 5, % 14.0% % UP-West 24,380 28,294 3, % 10.9% % System* 270, ,206 19, % 5.8% % *Does not include free trips. P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[TripDistance.xls]A -13-

15 Table 5 Passenger Loads % Change Share of Total* Service Period vs vs Average Weekday Peak Period/Peak Direction 228, , , % 1.6% 76% 76% 75% Peak Period/Reverse Direction 21,300 19,100 20, % 9.4% 7% 7% 7% Midday 34,600 32,900 34, % 4.0% 11% 11% 11% Evening 18,000 16,800 19, % 16.1% 6% 6% 7% Total Weekday 302, , , % 3.3% 100% 100% 100% Typical Week with Five Weekdays Weekday Peak Per/Peak Dir 1,144,000 1,102,000 1,120, % 1.6% 71% 71% 70% Weekday Off-Peak 369, , , % 8.4% 23% 22% 23% Saturday 63,800 63,000 64, % 2.1% 4% 4% 4% Sunday 39,200 36,500 39, % 7.4% 2% 2% 2% Total Week 1,616,500 1,545,500 1,596, % 3.3% 100% 100% 100% Total Off-Peak 472, , , % 7.4% 29% 29% 30% *Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. System Passenger Loads by Service Period December - January - February % Capacity Utilization % Change Service Period vs vs Average Weekday Peak Period/Peak Direction 73.0% 70.6% 72.1% -0.9% 1.5% Peak Period/Reverse Direction 36.3% 31.2% 36.8% 0.6% 5.7% Midday 46.1% 43.4% 48.4% 2.2% 4.9% Evening 31.4% 27.4% 34.3% 2.8% 6.8% Total Weekday 60.0% 56.6% 60.3% 0.3% 3.7% Typical Week with Five Weekdays Table 6 System Capacity Utilization by Service Period December - January - February Weekday Peak Per/Peak Direction 73.0% 70.6% 72.1% -0.9% 1.5% Weekday Off-Peak 38.7% 34.7% 40.5% 1.8% 5.8% Saturday 37.6% 36.6% 39.2% 1.6% 2.6% Sunday 42.3% 38.8% 43.6% 1.3% 4.7% Total Week 58.0% 54.8% 58.5% 0.4% 3.7% Total Off-Peak 38.8% 35.3% 40.5% 1.7% 5.3% -14-

16 IV. TICKET SALES Table 7 (pg. 18) provides a breakdown by rail line of February sales by ticket type for 2010 and Estimated ridership and revenue data are shown on Table 8 (pg. 19) according to ticket type for December 2011 February Table 9 (pg. 19) breaks down the December 2011 February 2012 ticket sales by method of purchase, which includes station (agents and vending machines), Ticket-by-Mail, Ticket-by-Internet, conductor sales on-train, and Commuter Benefit. The Commuter Benefit Program includes tickets distributed through the workplace by private concerns, including WageWorks. Table 9 also includes the percent change from the same period a year ago. Fare Increase & Changes to Ticket Policies In November 2011, the Metra Board of Directors approved a 25.1% fare increase and ticket policy changes to be effective February 1, The following changes in ticket policies became effective February 1, 2012: One-way tickets purchased on or after February 1, 2012 are only valid for 14 days. There are no refunds for one-way tickets. Effective February 1, 2012, the ten-ride ticket discount was reduced from 20% to 10%. Ten-ride tickets remain valid for one year from the date of purchase. Tenride tickets are refundable three months from the date of purchase. For refunds on partially used ten-ride tickets, the cost of a one-way ticket for the specific zonepair combination is deducted for each ride taken. After the 9th ride has been used, the tickets are no longer eligible for refund. Refunds on ten-ride tickets are subject to a $5.00 handling fee per transaction. Effective February 1, 2012, monthly tickets are only valid for the month issued, and they are no longer accepted as transportation through noon on the first business day of the following month. Refunds on monthly tickets are subject to a $5.00 handling fee per transaction. To minimize revenue losses from ticket stockpiling, all ten-ride and one-way tickets purchased between November 12, 2011 (the day after the fare increase was announced) and January 31, 2012 (the day before the fare increase) were valid only through February 29, Unused tickets will be reimbursed according to the refund policy in effect at the time of purchase. Also under the new ticket policies, the Metra subsidies on Link-Up passes ended on February 1, Metra previously subsidized Link-Up passes by $6.00. Riders now pay $45 for the Link-Up passes as of February 1, Credit Card Sales On September 9, 2009, Metra launched its new website that offered new features and enhancements to bring added convenience to customers. Monthly and ten-ride tickets can be purchased on Metra s website with a credit card, and the tickets are mailed to the customers homes within three business days. Monthly tickets need to be ordered by the 24 th of each month in order to guarantee delivery by the 1 st of the next month. Up to two monthly tickets and three ten-ride tickets can be purchased per transaction. Customers with RTA Special User Permits can also order their reduced fare tickets, and Link-Up and PlusBus tickets can also be purchased on-line. -15-

17 Metra began accepting credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) and debit cards (with Visa or MasterCard logos) at the LaSalle Street, Millennium, and Van Buren Street Stations on January 11, 2010 and at Chicago Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center on January 18, Seventy-six outlying stations where an agent is on duty and new ticket vending machines at the 14 busiest Metra Electric District stations began accepting credit and debit cards on February 8, The table below shows credit card sales by ticket type. Please note that monthly ticket sales are reported based on the month the ticket was valid, not the date the ticket was purchased (e.g. a March monthly ticket purchased on February 22 will be reported as a March sale). Credit/Debit Card Sales -- Number of Tickets Sold 2011 Ticket Type Jan Feb Mar Apr 5 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Monthly 2 3,941 4,128 4,143 4,184 3,973 4,142 4,210 4,059 4,698 4,698 4,616 4,195 Ten-Ride 4,588 3,923 5,296 4,396 4,720 4,898 4,202 5,387 5,522 5,441 6,277 3,846 Monthly 2 18,833 19,303 21,272 23,093 22,784 23,539 23,988 24,226 27,621 29,247 27,702 22,984 Ten-Ride 59,103 52,436 47,807 62,390 68,079 78,936 72,832 87,208 82,345 84,500 85,847 70,603 One-Way/Weekend 24,154 25,551 32,302 54,321 67, , , ,581 82,645 85,399 88, ,792 Ticket Vending Machines 4 Monthly Ten-Ride 3,565 3,519 3,982 3,830 4,322 4,738 4,419 4,741 4,544 5,218 5,250 4,284 One-Way 6,696 7,220 8,901 9,363 10,209 13,313 14,136 12,449 10,760 10,765 10,681 11,533 Weekend 1,006 1, ,181 1,080 1,285 2,598 1,445 1,333 1,504 1,535 1,712 Total 122, , , , , , , , , , , , Ticket Type Jan Feb Mar Apr 5 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Monthly 2 4,382 4,304 Ten-Ride 5,392 4,995 Monthly 2 26,599 27,169 Ten-Ride 90,351 80,845 One-Way/Weekend 82,997 79,257 Ticket Vending Machines 4 Monthly Ten-Ride 6,092 4,948 One-Way 10,824 10,886 Weekend 981 1,118 Total 228, , Ticket-by-Internet Sales via credit card and debit began on September 9, Monthly ticket sales are reported based on the month the ticket is valid, not the date the ticket was sold. 3 On January 11, 2010, LaSalle Street Station, Millennium Station, and Van Buren Station, and January 18, 2010, Chicago Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, and February 8, 2010, all 76 outlying stations where an agent is on duty began accepting credit and debit cards. 4 New ticket vending machines at the 14 busiest Metra Electric District stations began accepting credit and debit cards on February 8, Tickets sold by credit card at the stations beginning in April 2011 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system, which provides more precise breakdowns than our previous systems were able to provide. -16-

18 Link-Up and PlusBus - For a number of years, Metra has participated in joint ticket programs with CTA and Pace. Monthly pass holders can purchase a Link-Up sticker or transit card for unlimited connecting travel on CTA and Pace buses. The Link-Up pass is priced at $45 and is accepted on peak-period CTA services (6:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.) and most Pace services. The price of the Link-Up pass increased from $39 to $45 as of February 1, [Metra is no longer providing the ticket subsidies for the Link-Up and PlusBus (previously $6.00 and $8.54 per ticket, respectively).] In addition, monthly pass holders can purchase an unlimited PlusBus ride sticker to be used in conjunction with their monthly ticket good for travel on all Pace suburban buses. The cost of PlusBus is $30 and allows unlimited use on most Pace routes. The table below presents Link-Up and PlusBus sales for 2011 and 2012 (year-to-date). Link-Up and PlusBus Sales* January-February Link-Up PlusBus Change Change BNSF 2,914 3, ,084 1, Other CUS Lines 5,910 2,908-3,002 1, Electric 2,202 2, Rock Island 1,350 1, Union Pacific 2,942 3, Total 15,318 13,722-1,596 2,794 2, *Line estimates beginning in March 2011 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system, which provides more precise line breakdowns than our previous systems were able to provide. -17-

19 Table 7 Ticket Sales by Type and Line* February 2011 vs. February Change %Chng Change %Chng MONTHLY STATION ONE-WAY BNSF 20,045 20, % BNSF 48,770 55,485 6, % Electric Lines 11,213 10, % Electric Lines 74,462 84,345 9, % Heritage 1,073 1, % Heritage % Milw-N 6,946 7, % Milw-N 22,650 26,417 3, % Milw-W 7,685 7, % Milw-W 24,293 30,740 6, % North Central 1,973 2, % North Central 3,181 3, % Rock Island 10,675 10, % Rock Island 27,316 31,418 4, % SouthWest 3,496 3, % SouthWest 4,359 4, % UP-N 9,225 8,026-1, % UP-N 37,221 35,642-1, % UP-NW 10,614 12,143 1, % UP-NW 39,799 46,511 6, % UP-W 8,296 8, % UP-W 24,808 37,562 12, % SYSTEM 91,241 92,967 1, % SYSTEM 307, ,263 49, % TEN-RIDE CONDUCTOR ONE-WAY BNSF 25,372 28,574 3, % BNSF 27,420 34,608 7, % Electric Lines 15,696 16,967 1, % Electric Lines 22,030 28,367 6, % Heritage % Heritage % Milw-N 12,447 14,480 2, % Milw-N 27,515 31,389 3, % Milw-W 8,605 10,001 1, % Milw-W 31,571 32, % North Central 2,245 2, % North Central 8,141 10,350 2, % Rock Island 12,176 13,332 1, % Rock Island 17,764 25,125 7, % SouthWest 3,615 3, % SouthWest 5,314 6,707 1, % UP-N 21,619 23,082 1, % UP-N 43,025 58,145 15, % UP-NW 15,805 19,325 3, % UP-NW 46,514 45, % UP-W 11,615 15,206 3, % UP-W 26,745 29,192 2, % SYSTEM 130, ,575 18, % SYSTEM 256, ,913 45, % WEEKEND TICKET SALES BNSF 8,111 12,616 4, % Electric Lines 6,710 6, % Milw-N 6,888 8,920 2, % Milw-W 7,504 8, % Rock Island 3,521 4, % SouthWest % UP-N 10,031 11,133 1, % UP-NW 12,311 13,681 1, % UP-W 8,400 9,965 1, % SYSTEM 63,625 75,578 11, % *Free trips are not included and not adjusted for ticket refunds. NOTE: The implementation of a new revenue accounting system beginning in August 2010 provides more precise data at the line level which may result in some inconsistencies with data reported in prior periods at the line level. P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[TIKSALES.xls]by_line -18-

20 Table 8 Systemwide* Ridership and Revenue by Ticket Type December-February PASSENGER TRIPS MONTHLY 10-RIDE ONE-WAY - Station ONE-WAY - Conductor WEEKEND - Station WEEKEND - Conductor TOTAL** Percent Share of Total Change Change ,464,789 11,792, , % 63.1% 61.3% 4,178,110 4,540, , % 23.0% 23.6% 1,101,811 1,266, , % 6.1% 6.6% 855,646 1,054, , % 4.7% 5.5% 126, ,790-4, % 0.7% 0.6% 437, ,393 34, % 2.4% 2.5% 18,164,353 19,248,367 1,084, % 100.0% 100.0% PASSENGER REVENUE MONTHLY $30,297,621 $34,002,477 $3,704, % 55.2% 54.0% 10-RIDE 14,465,318 16,925,285 2,459, % 26.4% 26.9% ONE-WAY - Station 4,884,514 5,742, , % 8.9% 9.1% ONE-WAY - Conductor 3,647,581 4,600, , % 6.6% 7.3% WEEKEND - Station 347, ,012-6, % 0.6% 0.5% WEEKEND - Conductor 1,222,640 1,319,024 96, % 2.2% 2.1% TOTAL** *Does not include free trips **Not adjusted for ticket refunds. $54,864,952 $62,929,931 $8,064, % 100.0% 100.0% P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[TIKSALES.xls]system Table 9: System Ticket Sales by Method of Purchase December-February Monthly Ten-Ride TICKET SALES % Change % Change Station (Credit) 1 55,422 79, % 173, , % Station (Cash/Check) 82,199 62, % 198, , % Total Station 137, , % 372, , % By Mail By Internet 2 Commuter Benefits Total 3 33,082 29, % % 11,697 12, % 12,535 14, % 84,223 89, % 32,883 33, % 266, , % 417, , % One-Way and Weekend TICKET SALES % Change Station (Credit) 1 102, , % Station (Cash/Check) 1,050,294 1,013, % Total Station 1,152,378 1,315, % On-Train Total 3 1,030,678 1,243, % 2,183,056 2,558, % 1 On January 11, 2010, LaSalle Street Station, Millennium Station, and Van Buren Station and on January 18, 2010 Chicago Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center began accepting credit and debit cards. On February 8, 2010, all 76 outlying stations where an agent is on duty and new ticket vending machines at the 14 busiest Metra Electric District stations began accepting credit and debit cards. 2 On September 9, 2009, Ticket-by-Internet began accepting credit and debit cards. 3 Does not include free trips and not adjusted for ticket refunds. -19-

21 V. PASSENGER REVENUES The table below reveals that system revenues increased 34.1% in February 2012 when compared to the same month of System Passenger Revenues February (in 000s) Percent Change vs vs 12 February $18,001 $17,664 $23, % 34.1% December-February $54,673 $54,793 $62, % 14.4% January-February $36,320 $36,419 $43, % 19.4% Last 12 Months $231,003 $235,842 $248, % 5.2% P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[REVTAB.xls]A Table 10 (pg. 21) breaks out passenger revenues by rail line for the last two years. Figure 5 (pg. 22) illustrates system average fare (i.e., revenue per passenger trip). Table 11 (pg. 22) presents average fare and revenue levels by rail line. -20-

22 Table 10: Passenger Revenues* by Rail Line Line estimates beginning in August 2010 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system which provides more precise line breakdowns then our previous systems were able to provide. February 2011 vs %Change BNSF $3,673,972 $4,888, % Electric Lines 2,027,285 2,624, % Heritage 175, , % Milw-N 1,519,629 2,053, % Milw-W 1,512,290 2,049, % North Central 427, , % Rock Island 1,808,368 2,435, % SouthWest 536, , % UP-N 2,077,983 2,402, % UP-NW 2,312,782 3,330, % UP-W 1,591,481 2,351, % SYSTEM $17,663,872 $23,684, % January-February 2011 vs %Change BNSF $7,615,819 $8,921, % Electric Lines 4,102,128 4,823, % Heritage 347, , % Milw-N 3,187,534 3,817, % Milw-W 3,146,506 3,787, % North Central 872,846 1,116, % Rock Island 3,739,603 4,474, % SouthWest 1,082,586 1,306, % UP-N 4,201,225 4,397, % UP-NW 4,785,602 6,134, % UP-W 3,337,500 4,305, % SYSTEM $36,419,121 $43,492, % Last vs Months %Change BNSF $48,776,295 $50,828, % Electric Lines 26,333,348 27,018, % Heritage 2,153,641 2,266, % Milw-N 20,780,506 22,113, % Milw-W 20,534,219 21,986, % North Central 5,579,884 6,202, % Rock Island 23,926,365 25,359, % SouthWest 6,606,163 7,112, % UP-N 27,358,617 25,303, % UP-NW 31,413,370 35,387, % UP-W 22,379,498 24,476, % SYSTEM $235,841,905 $248,057, % *Excludes South Shore and reduced-fare reimbursement. -21-

23 Figure 5 Metra System* Average Passenger Fare (rolling three-month average) $3.40 $3.20 Fare Increase $3.00 $2.80 Fare Increase Fare Increase $2.60 $2.40 Fare Increase Fare Increase $ *Does not include free trips Table 11 Passenger Revenues* & Average Fare by Rail Line January-February Line estimates beginning in August 2010 may be affected by the implementation of a new revenue accounting system, which provides more precise line breakdowns than our previous systems were able to provide. Line Passenger Revenue (in 000's) % Change Average Fare Change % Chng in Trips % Chng BNSF $7,616 $8,921 $1, % 4.0% $3.06 $ % Electric Lines 4,102 4, % 3.6% $2.71 $ % Heritage % 4.1% $3.17 $ % Milw-N 3,188 3, % 6.4% $3.14 $ % Milw-W 3,147 3, % 6.2% $3.12 $ % North Central 873 1, % 14.9% $3.62 $ % Rock Island 3,740 4, % 4.8% $2.86 $ % SouthWest 1,083 1, % 5.9% $2.74 $ % UP-N 4,201 4, % -2.4% $2.90 $ % UP-NW 4,786 6,135 1, % 14.0% $3.19 $ % UP-W 3,337 4, % 10.9% $2.94 $ % System** $36,419 $43,492 $7, % 5.8% $2.99 $ % *Excludes South Shore and reduced-fare reimbursement. **Does not include free trips P:\RIDE\Rprt_xls\[AVGFARE.XLS]A -22-