RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan

Transcription

1 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan Prepared by the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission P.O. Box Indian Hills Drive, Building 17 Ottumwa, IA (641) In Partnership with Regional Transit and Ottumwa Transit 2417 S. Emma Street Ottumwa, IA (641) FINAL: April 1 st, 2008 The preparation of this document was funded in part through federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.

2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements... 4 Background... 5 Existing Operations... 7 Public Services available... 7 Health and Human Service transportation available... 9 Performance of Transportation Providers Needs for Services Review of Last Year s Efforts Public Input Service Needs Management Needs Existing Fleet Needs Facility Needs Goals and Objectives Financial Resources year Transportation Investment Program First-year Program Additional Three-year Sketch Plan Appendix A Appendix B RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 2

3 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN: RPA 15 AS THE OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE AREA 15 REGIONAL PLANNING AFFILIATION WHEREAS, the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission did prepare a Passenger Transportation Plan which identifies the existing and passenger transportation services and service needs for REGIONAL PLANNING AFFILIATION 15; and WHEREAS, it is a requirement of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) of 2005 that the transportation planning process and long-range planning be continued, and that passenger transportation be included in this process; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that REGIONAL PLANNING AFFILIATION 15 adopts the RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan as part of the RPA 15 Long-range Transportation Plan. Passed this day of March, Chairperson Regional Planning Affiliation 15 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 3

4 Acknowledgements Transit Board Don Greenlee Jody McDanel Dale Taylor Mike Pech Ernie Greiner Bob Woodruff Cathy Reece Lawrence Rouw Michael Beary Bill Randolph Greg Kenning OTA Board Hanna Jo Kyhl Carol Williams Stan Kerr Dan Kent Dick Schlegel 10-15/OTA Administrative Staff Pam Ward - Administrator Area 15 Regional Planning Commission Staff Ellen Foudree Executive Director Chris Bowers Planning and Development Director Chris Kukla Transportation Planner Nick Trimberger Community/Regional Planner Matt Naumann IT/Operations Coordinator Transit Advisory Group Meeting Participants Wapello Co Center Point Coordinator Wapello Co Dept of Human Services Wapello Co Human Resources Committee RSVP 1 st Resources River Hills Community Health Center Tenco Industries Southeast Iowa Case Management Southern Iowa Mental Health RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 4

5 Background The Passenger Transportation Development Plans (PTDP) for Iowa s nine Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and eighteen Regional Planning Affiliations (RPA) are designed to promote passenger transportation planning programs that further the development of the state s public transportation systems. PTDPs are an Iowa creation, which incorporate federal requirements for coordinated planning, as well as An OTA Lift Van, a regional address needs-based project justification for all transit bus, and a OTA city bus programs. The Iowa DOT directs the state s passenger transportation planning program with federal assistance provided by the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration. This assistance includes guidance to the MPOs and RPAs as they develop their PTDPs each year. Each PTDP will cover a four year period and provide passenger transportation projects for inclusion into the local TIP. PTDPs are a required element in the MPOs and RPAs annual Transportation Work Program. This PTDP was developed following guidance from the Iowa Department of Transportation, and through consultation with Ottumwa Transit, Transit, and area Health and Human Service Providers. The PTDP effort began last year with a series of Mobility Action Planning Conferences, which were held across the state in the first six months of These workshops were facilitated by the Iowa DOT: Office of Public Transit and were centered on a particular transit region or provider, in our region and Ottumwa Transit. Other transportation providing agencies as well as health and human service providers were invited and encouraged to attend. These meetings helped to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of passenger transportation within the region. All those who attended were invited to follow up meetings held in the summer and fall of 2006 to further discuss needs, and individual meetings with specific providers were held at the request of that provider. The resulting PTDP for RPA 15 identified some of the passenger transportation needs in the region, and issues facing the transit providers. The 2007 PTDP was used as a building block for the 2008 process. In the fall of 2007, surveys were sent to fifty-one Health and Human Service providers within RPA 15. The purpose of these surveys was to gain a better understanding of health and human service providers transportation needs. Of the fifty-one health and human service providers surveyed, twenty-one responded. In addition, four transit advisory meetings were held, three with RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 5

6 health and human service providers and the public transit services participating, and one with RPA 17 and the public transit services. As the PTDP was developed, draft copies were provided to the transit agency, health and human service providers, and the general public for review and comment. All of these groups were notified of the public meeting date when the plan was presented to the RPA 15 Policy Board for approval. The public meeting was also advertised in the local newspapers so that any resident interested had the opportunity to attend. The RPA 15 Policy Board then reviewed the plan as well as comments received before approving the final PTDP and submitting it to IDOT. Currently, there are five public transit providers in RPA 15, which includes Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren, and Wapello Counties. These providers offer a range of service from intercity and regional bus service to individual demand responsive service. Two of the providers, Fairfield Cab and Ottumwa Cab, provide local demand responsive service to individual passengers in Fairfield and Ottumwa respectively. Fairfield Cab is operated by Regional Transit Agency under contract with the City of Fairfield, while Ottumwa Cab is a privately owned and operated service. Ottumwa Transit Authority provides scheduled fixed bus routes for the City of Ottumwa as well as a JARC (Job Access Reverse Commute) service, and OTA Lift services (paratransit) for the mobility impaired Regional Transit Agency provides regional transit to an eleven county area including all five counties within RPA 15. Intercity Bus Service is also available in the region through Burlington Trailways, which operates stations in Fairfield, Keokuk, and Ottumwa. Burlington Trailways provides regularly scheduled routes throughout Iowa and the Midwest and connects to other cities across the U.S. on the Trailways bus system, as well as to the Greyhound and Jefferson Lines intercity bus systems. Many of the health and human service providers within RPA 15 either have their residents provide their own transportation to the provider s facility, or utilize Ottumwa Transit/10-15 s services. In the survey sent to health and human service providers in the fall of 2007, they were asked if their organization provided transportation services to clients or contracted with or OTA. Six providers indicated that their organization provided some transportation, and nine responded that their organization used or OTA s services. Other health and human service providers provide their clients with information on OTA/10-15 so that the client may use the transit service if he/she wishes. Almost all of the survey respondents indicated that they would be willing to work with the public transportation provider to assist their clients with transportation needs. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 6

7 Existing Operations Public Services available Figure 1 shows the five passenger transportation providers in RPA 15. There is one intercity bus service that serves the region (Burlington Trailways), along with a regional transit agency (10-15). In addition, Ottumwa has a fixed route bus system for the city, and also a taxicab service. Figure 1 shows each service provider, the type of service they provide and hours of operation. All five of these services are available to the general public on a pay-as-you-basis. In addition, monthly passes may be purchased for Ottumwa Transit services. Figure 1: Public Transportation Service Providers Provider Service type Hours/days provided AMTRAK Intercity Rail Burlington Trailways Intercity Bus Transit Demand Responsive 6am 6pm M F, Sat Sun on request Ottumwa Transit Fixed Route 6am 6pm M F, 9:40am 4pm Sat OTA Lift Demand Responsive 6am 6pm M F, 9:40am 4pm Sat JARC Demand Responsive 3:30 9a, 11a 4p, and 5 11:30p M F 5 8:30a and 8p 1a Sat Ottumwa Cab Demand Responsive 7a 12a M W, 7a 12a Th Sat, 9a 9p Sun The region is served by AMTRAK s California Zephyr, which runs from Chicago IL to Oakland CA, with stops in Omaha, Denver, and Salt Lake City. The California Zephyr makes use of BNSF tracks in Iowa. There is a AMTRAK station in Ottumwa, which is served by two passenger trains each day. An eastbound train to Chicago stops in Ottumwa at 9:39am each day, and a westbound train to Oakland stops at 6:43pm daily. Connections to other AMTRAK routes can be made in Chicago and Sacramento, allowing passengers to reach any destination AMTRAK serves. Burlington Trailways provides intercity bus service to RPA 15, the state of Iowa, and Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Nebraska. This is provided in the form of regularly scheduled daily service to both Fairfield and Ottumwa in RPA 15. From both of these stops, passengers can travel to other cities in the six states that Burlington Trailways provides service to. In addition, passengers can travel to other cities across the United States by transferring to other Trailways or Jefferson and Greyhound bus services. Burlington Trailways also provides charter services to groups and organizations and escorted tours for the public. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 7

8 10-15 Transit is a public transportation system that serves eleven counties in southeast Iowa. The counties served by Transit include: Appanoose, Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne, (figure B-1). Service is available to anyone within these eleven counties needing transportation and may be used for any purpose. Common uses of Transit include: grocery shopping, medical and dental visits, congregate meals, going to work or school, personal business, and pleasure trips is a demand responsive service, meaning that riders call the dispatcher to request service, and provide their destination, pick up time, and if a return trip is needed provides service from 6am until 6pm Monday through Friday. The cost is $1.25 in town, $2.50 in the county for a one-way trip Transit also provides special and contract service to organizations and individuals, the cost of which is based on distance and amount of time. Ottumwa Transit Authority (OTA) is a public transportation system that serves the City of Ottumwa. OTA operates four fixed routes within the city between the hours of 6am and 6pm Monday-Friday, and 9:40am-4pm Saturday. Each of these routes serves a specific geographic area of Ottumwa, with transfers between areas possible in a central bus zone located in downtown Ottumwa (figure B-2). The first of these routes provides service to the northern half of Ottumwa and has stops in both residential and commercial areas. The second route runs East and West through central Ottumwa, connecting the downtown with industrial areas at each end of town. There are also two southern routes, the residential route and the commercial route. Transfers between the two southern routes are possible downtown. Each route has buses operating at regularly scheduled intervals and stops along the route during hours of operation, and bus schedules are available to everyone at the transit offices, online, and at over 100 businesses. The cost to riders for OTA service is $1.25 per trip, or $1.00 in advance for tokens. In addition, passes are available to people who use the bus on a regular basis. The cost is $30.00 a month for a general public pass, and $20.00 for a youth or elderly/disabled pass. In addition to its regular service, OTA also provides OTA Lift and JARC service. OTA Lift is a demand responsive service available to the elderly/disabled within the City of Ottumwa. Riders must apply for OTA Lift service in advance and then call the transit office the prior day to schedule and confirm service. OTA will attempt to meet same day service requests from riders, however this is not always possible. An OTA Lift vehicle will meet riders at their curb and then transport them to the curb at their destination. This An example of an OTA Lift van RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 8

9 service is available from 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday, and 9:40am to 4pm Saturday. The cost of OTA Lift service is $2.50 each way. Trips to locations outside of Ottumwa are possible, but at increased costs to the user. Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) is available to anyone living in Ottumwa needing transportation between their place of employment or childcare and their home. To obtain service, riders need to call the transit office and provide the destination and pick-up time and if a return trip is needed. JARC service is available between 3:30-9am, 11am-4pm, and 8pm-1:30am Monday through Friday, and 5-8:30am and 8pm-1am Saturday. The cost of JARC is the same as regular OTA service, $1.25 per trip, or $1.00 in advance for tokens. Monthly passes are also available to users at the same rates as regular OTA passes and the two passes are interchangable Transit and OTA coordinate many of their efforts. Both are operated out of the same offices and share maintenance facilities. The two services also share vehicles, as well as many of the office and support staff. A few of the drivers tend to vary between the two organizations, these drivers bid float positions and may be used for or OTA services. Because of this close cooperation and pooling of resources, and OTA tend to coordinate their efforts very closely. This allows for a high-level of interaction between the two, and maximizes resources and services. Health and Human Service transportation available Surveys were sent to fifty-one health and human service providers within the five county region, asking questions about transportation services they provide to their clients, and the transportation needs of their clients. The results of the surveys returned are shown in figure B-2. Providers were also invited to participate in transit advisory meetings to discuss needs, and expanding or providing new services. Six of the twenty-one providers responding to the survey answered that they provide some transportation to their clients. Figure 2 shows that only three of these organizations have vehicles specific for this, the other three rely on employees using their personal vehicles to transport clients. These same six respondents also indicated that they do not have the ability to meet all of their clients transportation needs. Nine providers indicated that they utilize or OTA to provide transportation to some of their clients, shown in figure 3. Other providers who responded rely on clients obtaining transportation on their own. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 9

10 Figure 2: HHS Provider Vehicle Fleets Provider Vehicles Handicap Accessible SIEDA Head Start 10 minibuses Y Pennsylvania Place 1 lift van, 1 passenger van Y/N Jefferson Co Hospital 1 Van Y Source: 2007 PTDP Survey Figure 3: HHS Providers that contract with or OTA Wapello Co CPC Foster Grandparent Pgm SIEDA Head Start Ottumwa Manor Pennsylvania Place Vista Woods Care Center Mahaska Co Comm Svcs IA Dept of Human Svcs Seneca Agency on Aging Source: 2007 PTDP Survey While not all of the health and human service providers chose to participate in this year s PTDP process, it is believed that few of these organizations have their own vehicles. If they do, it is likely that these vehicles provide only a limited capacity and are not open to the public. These providers will be contacted again next year and encouraged to participate. In addition to the health and human service providers, the region is served by eighteen school districts. According to the Iowa Department of Education, these districts operate over 275 buses and 75 smaller vehicles to transport students to and from school. Figure 4 shows the number of vehicles operated by each district that serves the RPA 15 region. The Ottumwa School district is not listed as no data was available on how many buses or smaller vehicles they operate. Some of the school districts also contract with or OTA to meet some of their transportation needs. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 10

11 Figure 4: School District Vehicle Fleets School District # of buses # of smaller vehicles Pella 29 6 Twin Cedars 11 5 Oskaloosa 30 8 Fremont 3 2 Tri County 11 4 English Valleys 11 3 Sigourney 10 4 Keota 8 2 Eddyville Blakesburg 20 7 Pekin 22 0 Cardinal 14 5 Fairfield 29 2 Washington 19 7 Van Buren 24 3 Harmony 13 5 Central Lee Source: Iowa Department of Education 2007 School Bus Query Performance of Transportation Providers According to the 2000 Census, RPA 15 had a population of 93,776 individuals, and the larger 11- county area served by Transit had a population of 178,258. Figure B-1, shows the demographic information for the RPA 15 counties highlighted in blue, and for the other counties served by It also shows the demographic information for the larger cities in the area, which are those that have a population over 5,000. According to this information, approximately 17% of the population in RPA 15 is over age 65, and approximately 18% of the population in the service area is over 65. Both of these percentages are higher than the statewide percentage of 9%, indicating a higher number of elderly in both the RPA 15 region and service area than the state overall. Looking at low-income households, approximately 2% of the households within RPA 15 are considered low-income, on par with the statewide percentage which is also 2%. In looking at the entire service area however, the percentage of lowincome households increases to 5%, which is greater than the percentage statewide Transit provided 232,345 rides to people within the 11-county service area in These trips are broken up between the eleven counties in the service area as shown below in Figure 5. Of these, 45% were within the RPA 15 area. According to Transit records, majority of RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 11

12 these trips were in Wapello County (40,779), with the second highest number of rides in Jefferson County (31,878), and the third highest in Appanoose County (29,951) which is in RPA 17. Ottumwa Transit (OTA) provided 352,888 rides to people within the City of Ottumwa in Figure 5: Ridership by County Source: Ridership report 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Appanoose Davis Jefferson Keokuk Lee Lucas Mahaska Monroe Van Buren Wapello Wayne Both Transit and Ottumwa Transit do meet the needs of potential riders in their respective service areas to the best of their abilities. Success in meeting these needs can be seen through three performance measures: providing rides to the elderly and disabled, providing rides to disadvantaged (low-income) groups, and providing rides to the general public. The first performance measure is the ability of the passenger transportation agency to provide transportation to the elderly and disabled. Figure 6, shows the amount of rides provided by Transit which are elderly or disabled riders. As shown in the figure, these two categories combined are over two thirds the total number of rides provided by in 2007, showing both of these are important parts of the service provides provides a high proportion of disabled rides in comparison to OTA; this can be attributed to the ability to offer long distance medical connections to Des Moines and Iowa City. Figure 7 shows the amount of rides provided by OTA to the elderly or disabled within Ottumwa. The number of elderly and disabled rides provided by OTA are also considerable, and make up over a third of the total rides provided by OTA. Some of the OTA rides for the elderly and disabled may be provided through OTA Lift services, while others may be provided by regular scheduled OTA routes. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 12

13 Figure 6: Ridership Source: DOT Annual Report 250, ,345 Number of riders 200, , ,000 50,000 45, ,851 0 RIDES RIDES RIDES Figure 7: OTA Ridership Source: OTA DOT Annual Report Number of riders 400, , , , , , ,000 50, ,888 71,440 62,596 RIDES RIDES RIDES The second performance measure is the ability of the passenger transportation agency to provide transportation to disadvantaged groups. Figure 8 shows the percentage of 10-15s total rides that are for a specific group or organization. As shown in the figure, 24% of the rides are for Headstart; transporting children of low-income families to pre-kindergarten education facilities. Another 7% is transportation for K-12 students to local schools within the eleven county area, meaning approximately 30% of the trips provided by are education related. In addition, also provides rides to participants in SENECA and TENCO services, allowing individuals of both groups to live on their own and commute to employment, shopping, or medical appointments. This allows elderly and disabled individuals to participate in these organizations but also live on their own and maintain some of their independence. Ottumwa Transit also provides rides to the disadvantaged within Ottumwa. These rides are split between OTA Lift, RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 13

14 which provides curb to curb service to the disabled and mobility impaired, and JARC, which provides transportation between places of residences and employment for low-income individuals who do not have their own form of transportation. Figure 9 shows that approximately 4% of OTA rides are OTA Lift and 8% of the rides are Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC). Figure 8: Percentage of Operations Source: DOT Annual Report 16% 2% 7% 11% 30% 10% 24% SENECA HEADSTART WORKSHOP SCHOOLS PRIVATE MISC LEE Figure 9 OTA Percentage of Operations Source: OTA DOT Annual Report 4% 8% OTA OTA LIFT JARC 88% The third performance measure is the ability of the passenger transportation agency to provide rides to the general public. In 2007, provided 232,345 rides to individuals within the 11- county area. While this is a decrease from 2006 it is only slightly below the average ridership for the last six years. Ottumwa Transit provided 352,888 rides in 2007 and also saw a decline from 2006 and was below its five year average. These decreases in ridership may be due to the fare increase during the previous year to cover rising fuel prices or the loss of jobs within the region. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 14

15 Figure 10: Ridership ( ) Source: DOT Annual Report 260, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,378 FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 Figure 11: OTA Ridership ( ) Source: OTA DOT Annual Report 400, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,847 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 Needs for Services Review of Last Year s Efforts In Transit purchased two light duty buses to replace existing vehicles. These two buses had all been in service longer than the FTA recommended service life of four years and over the recommended mileage of 100,000 miles. On average, buses are in service for between 9-10 years and approximately 180,000 miles, greatly exceeding FTA s recommended service life. This is to attempt to provide the highest volume of service possible with limited funds and to have funds available to meet other needs of the transit agency. The replacement of these RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 15

16 two buses, the oldest and highest mileage vehicles in the fleet, will allow Transit to continue to provide existing services and meet many of the needs of the transit region. Ottumwa transit purchased two new vans during 2007 to expand and improve service. These vans allow OTA to provide expanded lift service by having additional vehicles to meet the growing demand and OTA also performed a major overhaul and rehabilitation on eight buses as part of their maintenance cycle in order to keep them in service beyond their recommended service life. This major rehabilitation of the vehicles allows Transit to continue to use these vehicles to provide service and reduces the chance that they will suffer a major breakdown or need replacement. In order to improve on-demand service, and OTA purchased and installed Route Match equipment in all of their buses and software for the office. This equipment and software, when fully operational, will allow the transit agencies to provide improved on demand services through a more efficient scheduling and dispatching of vehicles. Currently, is experiencing difficulties with some of the modems in the buses, which are not connecting and transmitting their data back to the office is working with the vendors of the equipment and software to address this problem. Public Input Both and Ottumwa Transit regularly receive feedback from their customers. This includes agencies that contract with the transit providers, as well as individual riders. In addition to the general feedback received, three transit advisory meetings were held during 2007 to discuss the service currently provided as well as the needs and opportunities for new or additional services. Four transit advisory meetings were held on: August 1 st, September 12 th, October 30, and January 21st. Health and human service providers from the area were invited to the three fall meetings, while planners from RPA 15 and 17 and the transit administrator met for the January meeting. A summary of the issues discussed and agreed upon at each of the transit advisory meetings is included below. August 1 st meeting Using New Freedom funding to purchase a new bus or van in order to provide a new service. Increasing the advertising of services provided by and OTA using billboards and city government television channels. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 16

17 Providing transportation for evening activities for the disabled, including: pizza/movie night, bowling, events at Bridge View Center, church. Scheduling additional medical trips from some of the smaller communities to Iowa City. Providing increased weekend service. September 12 th meeting Better advertising of services provided by transit agencies using billboards throughout the region. Providing additional medical trips from the small communities to Iowa City. Providing transportation for evening activities including: pizza/movie night, bowling, events at Bridge View Center, and to the library. Providing transportation services for the Ottumwa Teen Shelter. Reducing fares. October 30 th meeting Reducing fares or subsidizing the cost of bus passes. Providing JARC service on Sundays. Providing transportation for entertainment trips, including: movies, concerts, and to the casinos. Providing evening service. Additional service in Ottumwa to the mall and Wal-Mart. As shown above, there are several recurring issues that were discussed at more than one of the transit advisory meetings. This is due to their importance to many of the health and human service providers and their clients. The providers and the transit agency should work together on these issues in order to achieve a solution that benefits everyone. In order to receive input from all the health and human service providers within the region, including those that did not attend one of the transit advisory meetings, surveys were sent in October 2007 to fifty-one health and human service providers. This survey asked if the provider needed additional transportation services to what they currently had, and when those services were needed. Twenty respondents indicated a need for additional service during the week, and seven indicated a need on weekends. Most health and human service providers responded that service was needed in the morning and afternoon, while only half responded that it was needed during the evening or night. A majority of the respondents said that additional service should be demand responsive, only 25% said it should be regularly scheduled. Almost all respondents said that handicap accessible vehicles may be needed. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 17

18 Service Needs The service needs described in this section focus on the public transit agencies. This is due to the fact that health and human service providers within the region have only a very limited number of vehicles and transport capabilities. As outlined in the Health and Human Service Transportation Available section of the plan, only three providers in the region have their own dedicated transportation vehicles. Others ask their employees to use their personal vehicles, contract with or OTA, or rely on their clients to provide their own transportation. In addition, the three providers who do have dedicated vehicles do not have the capacity to transport all their clients and may still utilize 10-15s or OTAs services. In the future, an attempt will be made to determine if some of the school districts serving the region have the ability to provide non-student transportation to communities or organizations. Based on the feedback received during 2007, three major needs can be identified for 10-15/OTA and the region. These three needs are: provide increased services and/or increased service hours, offer lower fares for riders, and continue to obtain new and replacement vehicles. All three of these needs are of equal importance and are interconnected. In order to provide new or expanded buses, additional vehicles are needed. Fares need to remain competitive to attract and retain riders, but also need to allow 10-15/OTA to meet operating costs and purchase new equipment and hire new drivers in order to continue to expand. Because of this, and the limited availability of funds, both and OTA need to carefully look at the advantages and disadvantages of any changes to service to make sure any negative impacts are minimized. Expanded/increased service/ hours: Several health and human service providers have requested increased services to meet the needs of their clients and OTA s ability to provide expanded or increased service is limited by the funds available. The transit agency cannot provide longer operating hours or expand services during existing hours without having the financial resources to do so; otherwise the transit agency would quickly run in the red and be forced to make cuts in service. New routes need at least break even for 10-15/OTA, or if the route cannot break even, a health and human service provider needs to assist in reducing the costs of new services to 10-15/OTA. A transit agency may apply for coordination funds to provide financial assistance in starting a new service. These funds however, are only available for the first two years of a new service. Another option would be for cities and counties served by to provide increased financial support to the transit agency. While all of the counties do provide funding, many cities do not, Iowa law currently allows cities to levy up to $0.95 of every $1,000 of their assessed property values. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 18

19 Lower Fares: Health and human service providers have also requested lower fares for clients. Again, 10-15/OTA s ability to meet this need is limited by the ability to meet costs and raise capital to fund improvements and replace equipment. Alternatively, money obtained from fares could be subsidized by health and human service providers providing funds or helping the transit agency obtain grants to help cover the costs. One method of lowering fares for individuals would be for health and human service providers to purchase passes from the transit agency and then provide them to their clients at reduced or no cost. Another option is to have cities and counties increase their contributions, as all cities within s service area may levy up to $0.95 per $1,000 of their assessed property values to provide funding support for public transit. Additional funding from the cities and counties would allow to lower fares and provide rides to passengers at a reduced cost. Obtaining new and replacement buses: Buses currently used by and OTA are currently used longer and to a higher mileage than recommended by the FTA. The Federal Transit Administration recommends that light duty buses be used for no more than four years or 100,000 miles and that medium duty buses be used for no more than seven years or 200,000 miles. Both and OTA use their vehicles up to and beyond this, some vehicles are used for years and 350,000 miles, well over the FTA recommendation. Figures A-3 and A-4 show the current fleets for both and OTA, as well as their mileage and year for scheduled replacement. As shown on these two figures, none of the buses and vans of both and OTA are planned for replacement until after they have exceeded the FTA guidelines and OTA are attempting to provide the best possible service with the funds available, utilizing STP funds from both RPA 15 and 17 as well as federal funds and earmarks to purchase and replace as many as six vehicles per year, fully utilizing federal money available for transit services. Replacing buses more frequently would mean either reduced services, or increased fares and taxes; neither of which is considered a viable option. Because of this, it is difficult for and OTA to purchase a new vehicle in addition to replacements in order to expand services without a federal earmark or grant. Both and OTA are active in pursuing and obtaining funds for purchasing new equipment including: radios, cameras, and monitoring systems. These systems allow and OTA to increase or multiply their services by quickly and efficiently communicating and allowing resources to be moved in order to meet changing demands and needs. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 19

20 Coordination: Transit and Ottumwa Transit could be considered as a model for coordinating services. The two systems share the same administrative and maintenance facilities and staff. The systems also pool their vehicle fleet; allowing buses and vans to be shifted between routes of or OTA. Most health and human service providers within the transit region rely on or OTA to provide transport to their clients. Because of Visitors board an OTA bus for a the heavy reliance on and OTA to provide tour of the Ottumwa Bypass transport to medical appointments, there is the need for improved coordination between 10-15/OTA and health and human service providers. To meet this need for improved coordination, a possible goal would be for health and human service providers to contact 10-15/OTA in advance to arrange for services, with 10-15/OTA periodically providing information to health and human service providers on services available in their area. Another opportunity to improve coordination would be for 10-15/OTA to work with health and human service providers to identify outside sources of funding to help support the cost of transportation services; and OTA already have access to a number of federal transportation funds including JARC, New Freedom, and other transit funds. Health and human service providers can provide financial support directly to 10-15/OTA in order to assist in funding services that directly benefit the provider. In addition, health and human service providers can also assist 10-15/OTA in obtaining health and human service funds or grants to fund expanded or new services. Management Needs and Ottumwa Transit, like any other transit agency, need to maintain staffing in order to meet the needs its clients. This primarily involves employing well-trained drivers and having the ability to hire new drivers for replacement and expansion positions. Maintenance staff are also vital to keep buses of both transit agencies in good operating condition and to respond to any unexpected maintenance problems that arise with a vehicle. Marketing the services available is considered important to both 10-15/OTA. While OTA is able to focus its efforts in Ottumwa, must expand its marketing to cover all eleven counties. There is a good awareness of OTA s service in Ottumwa, which is provided through the transit agency s office and website, information on the City of Ottumwa s informational channel GOTV, and through schedules and brochures available at city offices throughout Ottumwa. Currently 10- RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 20

21 15 is limited on its ability to advertise and promote its due to the limited budget for advertising and marketing over the eleven county area. At the three transit advisory meetings held in 2007, the opportunity for to advertise services on billboards throughout the 11 county service area was discussed. The general consensus was that the transit agency should pursue this opportunity if the cost is reasonable and funds are available. In addition, could make use of government TV channels in other cities served by the transit agency and periodically post information on the services the transit agency provides in area newspapers. Alternatively, could also periodically mail information on its services to area health and human service providers who may wish to utilize its services. Existing Fleet Needs Figure A-1 shows the current active fleet for Transit. Included on this table is the year each vehicle was purchased new, the vehicle s accumulated mileage as of 2007, the vehicle s passenger capacity, and if it is ADA compliant. Six of s vehicles are scheduled for replacement in 2009, vehicles: 015, 016, 972L, 981L, 985, and 986. Two of these vehicles will be eight years old in 2009 and four will be over ten years old. They all also have over 100,000 miles, with vehicle 015 having the lowest mileage of 166,903 and vehicle 981L having the highest mileage of 260,270 in With at least another year of service left, each of these vehicles can accumulate another 30 to 50,000 miles, and will be well beyond their recommended service life and in need of replacement by Ottumwa Transit s current active fleet of buses and vans is shown in figure A-2. This table shows the year each vehicle was purchased new, the vehicle s accumulated mileage of 2007, the vehicle s passenger capacity, and if it is ADA compliant. As shown in figure A-4, OTA has three vehicles scheduled for replacement in 2009, vehicle 696, 496, and 596. All three of these buses were purchased An OTA Lift Van, a regional new in 1996, and will be thirteen years old in In bus, and a OTA city bus addition, all three vehicles will have mileage close to 300,000 by the time they are able to be replaced in These three buses have provided service well beyond their recommended lifetime, and are in critical need of replacement. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 21

22 Facility Needs and OTA share administrative and maintenance facilities, pooling their resources in terms of infrastructure and facilities, as well as parts and support staff. This allows and OTA to maximize their resources. The facility includes; administrative offices, four maintenance bays for working on vehicles, parts and equipment storage, one wash bay, and on-site refueling tanks and pumps /OTA administration and maintenance facilities Because of the high demands placed on the organizations and their vehicles, 10-15/OTA needs an up-to-date maintenance facility with space to stock spare parts and perform a variety of maintenance activities on vehicles. The current facility shared by the two transit agencies is at the limit of its ability to store equipment and provide space for storing and maintaining buses and vans. A new expansion providing additional storage and workspace is being constructed to keep up with the demands of both transit agencies, allowing it to continue to operate at a high level of service and provide additional opportunities for expanded service and a larger fleet in the future. Goals and Objectives 1.) Continue to provide needed passenger transportation services to the region a. Maintain current services and hours, expand services and hours when possible b. Enter into cost sharing arrangements with clients to provide funding for expanded and new services c. Continue to seek grants to provide funds for replacement vehicles and expanded services 2.) Provide competitive fares to encourage high ridership while providing revenue to meet the operational needs of 10-15/OTA and allow for future expansion a. Maintain fares at a rate that encourages the highest possible ridership while providing necessary funds to cover operating expenses b. Enter into cost sharing arrangements with health and human service providers help cover costs and provide lower fares to individuals 3.) Provide and maintain the best possible vehicle fleet to meet the needs of the region RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 22

23 a. Continue to replace vehicles at a current rate of 3-4 per year to replace the oldest and highest mileage vehicles b. Replace additional vehicles when funds are available c. Continue to maintain vehicles at current levels to extend their service life 4.) Improve coordination between 10-15/OTA and health and human service providers a. Maintain coordination and cooperation with organizations that contract with 10-15/OTA for transportation services b. Provide information to other health and human service providers within the transit region on services available through 10-15/OTA c. Work with health and human service providers, and cities, to expand and provide new services when possible Financial Resources The financial resources described in this section focus on those resources available to public transit agencies. Only three health and human service providers within the region have their own dedicated vehicles for transporting their clients, as described in the Health and Human Service Transportation Available section of this plan. All three of these organizations with their own vehicles do not have the capability to transport all of their clients needing transportation services and may rely on or OTA for additional services. None of these organizations have the excess capacity to transport other passengers who may not use their organizations services. Currently, Transit and Ottumwa Transit receive funding from four major sources, including; passenger revenue, contract revenue, municipal transit levy, and transportation funds. Passenger revenue is all money the transit agencies receive directly from users, such as fares as well as passes and tokens. Contract revenue covers funding received from area governments, health and human service agencies, and businesses to pay for all or part of services to their residents or clients by the transit agency. Funding received from the Older Americans Act, Headstart, M.R. Waiver, and Medicaid are all considered contract revenue as the funds are for the transit agency to provide a specific defined service to their clients. Communities may have a municipal transit levy to provide funding for transit agencies. Currently under Iowa law, communities may levy up to $0.95 per $1,000 of their assessed property value to support public transit. Figure A-4 shows the potential revenue if cities within RPA 15 were to pass a transit levy at the maximum allowed amount. Currently, only the City of Ottumwa has a transit levy, which is used to provide funding to OTA. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 23

24 Federal and state transportation funds are available to regional transit services, such as 10-15, and local transit services, like OTA, include the following: Regional Surface Transportation Program funds, State Transit Assistance, Capital Grants Program (5309), Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Program (5310), Non-urbanized Area Formula Program (5311), Job Access and Reverse Commute (5316), and New Freedom (5317). Regional Surface Transportation Program: RPA 15 receives an annual allocation of federal transportation funds through the STP program. These funds are distributed to cities/counties in the region as well as 10-15/OTA through an annual grant application process that is managed by the Area 15 Regional Planning Commission. Up to 80% of a project s cost are eligible and may be used for bicycle/pedestrian, highway, or transit capital improvements as well as transportation related enhancements and planning activities. State Transit Assistance: available from IDOT to local and regional transit systems annually based on a performance-based distribution formula. Agencies may apply for and be awarded funds each year, amount awarded will be determined by transit agency s operating statistics from the previous year. These funds can be used for general operating and maintenance costs. STA special projects money can also be used for coordination activities. Capital Grants Program (5309): federal grant program to assist local and regional transit systems in funding capital improvements. Agencies may apply for competitive grant funding each year, applications will then be scored and judged against other applications. Only capital improvement projects including bus and bus facility replacement/expansions are eligible. Funding is dependent on congressional earmarks and difficult to anticipate. Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Program (5310): federal grant program to assist local and regional transit systems in providing transportation services to elderly and disabled persons. Projects must involve or support transportation of the elderly or disabled. Non-Urbanized Area Formula Program (5311): federal program to assist rural, areas with less than 50,000 in population, transit programs. Both local and regional transit agencies are eligible to apply. Funding is distributed to all eligible transit agencies on a performance-based distribution formula. Funds may be used for operating support, preventative maintenance, capital investments, or planning. Job Access and Reverse Commute (5316): federal program to provide funding for local transit agencies to connect low-come persons residences to places of employment and support. Agencies may apply for competitive grant funding each year, applications RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 24

25 will then be scored and judged against other applications. Funding may be used for capital investments or operational costs, up to a maximum of 50% for operations costs and 80% for capital costs. Money can be matched by other federal, non-dot, funds. New Freedom (5317): federal program to fund projects that provide new or expand existing transit services for elderly and disabled persons. Projects must specifically address the needs of the elderly and disabled. Agencies may apply for competitive grant funding each year, applications will then be scored and judged against other applications. Submitted projects may be a capital or service improvement to meet the needs of the elderly/disabled, or operational costs of existing programs that exceed other ADA programs. Money can be matched by other federal, non-dot, funds. Coordination Funds: state program to provide funds for the start-up of new passenger transportation services. Need for service must be identified in cooperation with Health and Human Service agencies participating in the PTDP process. Operating projects may be funded for up to two years, with a maximum of 80% for the first year s costs, and up to 50% of the second year s costs. Capital projects may be funded up to a maximum of 80%. A priority for funding is given to projects that show contribution by health and human service providers. Both Transit and Ottumwa Transit have multiple financial resources available through them, many through the Iowa DOT and through the federal DOT Federal Transit Administration. These include resources for general operating and maintenance funding, to capital improvements, and program specific funding. In addition, also has regional resources through the availability of STP funds from RPA 15 and RPA 17. These regional funds may be used for planning activities, as well as capital improvements such as new vehicle purchases. Funding resources pursued and obtained by transit include the following; State Transit Assistance, Capital Grants Program (5309), Non-urbanized Area Formula Program (5311), New Freedom (5317), and regional Surface Transportation Program (STP). Currently transit receives approximately $50,000 in STP funds per year from each RPA, which it uses to purchase new buses and vans. Figure 12 shows the financial resources available to Transit, based on FTA projections for FY09-12 and proposed capital improvements by As shown in the figure, resources which provide an annual allocation to regional transit agency are projected to increase by approximately 4% over the next four years. It should be noted that 5309 funds are discretionary, and the amount of money or any transit agency receives is based upon the total amount authorized by Congress. Also, while each transit agency receives a mark or allocation of 5317 funds, transits mark shown in figure 12, transit agencies can apply for RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 25

26 additional funding due to the fact that other transit agencies may not use all of the funds allocated to them and there may be additional 5317 funds available. Figure 12: Financial resources for Transit ( ) RPA 15 STP $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 RPA 17 STP $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50, (*) $195,880 $195,880 $195,880 $195, $463,716 $482,264 $501,554 $521, (-) $22,562 $23,465 $24,404 $25,380 STA $314,291 $326,863 $339,938 $353,536 Total $1,096,449 $1,128,472 $1,161,776 $1,196,412 Source: FTA projections from IDOT Office of Public Transit Ottumwa Transit has pursued the following funding resources; State Transit Assistance, Capital Grants Program (5309), Non-urbanized Area Formula Program (5311), and Job Access Reverse Commute (5316). Figure 13 shows the financial resources available to Ottumwa Transit, and shows the funding available to OTA for FY As shown in the figure, Federal Transit Administration projections from the Iowa DOT Office of Public Transit indicate that funding is currently projected to increase by approximately 4% over the next four years. Both 5309 and 5316 funds are discretionary, meaning that the actual amount of money OTA receives is based upon the total amount of money authorized by Congress for that program. Also, while OTA does receive a mark for the amount of 5317 funding available to it, the agency may apply for additional funds in the event that other transit agencies do not use their full allocations. Figure 13: Financial resources for Ottumwa Transit ( ) (*) $55,000 $55,000 $60,000 $65, (*) $395,910 $395,910 $423,466 $55, $377,148 $392,234 $407,923 $424, (-) $7,367 $7,662 $7,969 $8,288 STA $179,218 $186,387 $193,843 $201,597 Total $1,014,643 $1,037,193 $1,093,201 $754,237 Source: FTA projections from IDOT Office of Public Transit Figure 14 shows the amount of 5311 and STA funds that Transit has received over the past five years funding for has increased greatly over the past five years, with the amount of funding being performance driven, this indicates improvement and an increase in services provided by Transit. In addition, STA funding has also increased as the services provided by expanded and the number of riders grew. RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 26

27 Figure 14: Past Operating Assistance for Transit (02-07) Source: DOT Office of Public Transit $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $ STA Figure 15 shows the amount of 5311 and STA funds that Ottumwa Transit has received between 2002 and As shown in this figure, the amount of 5311 funding has increased during this time period, but it has swung up and down over the five years as the number of rides has fluctuated. During the same time period, STA funding for OTA has also increased. Figure 15: Past Operating Assistance for Ottumwa Transit (02-07) Source: DOT Office of Public Transit $450,000 $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $ /5311 STA The federal and state transportation funding amounts available to both and OTA are based upon current FTA projections. The actual amount of money available to either transit agency may be larger or smaller depending upon the agency s performance during the previous year, and the total amount of funding allocated for the program. Because of this, improvements for a year may vary from what is proposed if funds are not available. In these situations, and OTA generally postpone the purchase of replacement vehicles until funds are available. Instead the transit agencies will refurbish several of the vehicles, replacing engines, transmissions, and other RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 27

28 parts in order to keep the vehicles in a safe and reliable operating condition. This allows both transit agencies to continue providing the same level of service without needing increased fares from riders or money from the counties to make up for the shortfall. 1-year Transportation Investment Program First-year Program Transit is requesting New Freedom and coordination funds in 2009 to introduce new service and work with several health and human service providers. The transit agency will introduce service targeted to disabled clients in Appanoose, Jefferson, Lucas, and Monroe counties. It will work with and coordinate services with the Promise Center, ResCare, and 1 st Resources in Wapello County, and the United Way in Lee County. This new service will provide regional transit bus evening and weekend trips to shopping and social events also is proposing to purchase six new buses in All six of these buses will replace existing buses that have exceeded their recommended use life and mileage. This proposal will help meet the need of purchasing new and replacement buses established in the service needs section of the plan. By purchasing these buses and meeting this need, Transit will be able to continue to provide reliable transportation to residents of s eleven county service area. Figure A-3 shows that each of these buses cost approximately $59,000, of which roughly $47,200 (83%) will be funded through federal funds, while the remaining $11,800 will be funded from s revenue. Four of these buses are being requested through the Capital Grants Program (5309 funds). This fund assists transit agencies in replacing or expanding vehicles and facilities. The remaining two vehicles will be purchased with STP funds from RPA 15 and 17. One bus will be purchased with funds from RPA 15, while the other will be purchased with funds from RPA 17. With the replacement of six of their most in need vehicles, Transit will be meeting goal number three, providing and maintaining the best possible vehicle fleet to meet the needs of the region. In addition to expanding services and purchasing replacement vehicles, Transit is requesting approximately $454,178 from 5311 to assist with the costs of general operations of the transit service, including administration and maintenance activities is requesting this RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 28

29 amount in assistance for 2009 and for the following three years. This assistance is necessary to allow to continue to operate at its current performance level. Without operating assistance, would need to increase its fares, or rates charged to cities and counties to maintain current funding levels. Alternatively, would be forced to reduce its operations costs by decreasing the level of service provided. Ottumwa Transit is proposing to expand its Job Access and Reverse Commute hours in Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) is a program that assists low-income persons in getting from their homes to places of employment or where services are offered. JARC busses typically run on weekdays between 3:30-9am, 11am-4pm, and 8pm-1:30am, and then on Saturday between 5-8:30am and 8pm-1am. The expansion will provide JARC services on Sundays. This expansion of hours addresses the need of expanded/increased service/hours described in the service needs section of this plan. By expanding its JARC hours, OTA will be able to transport additional persons to their places of employment, including those who need transportation outside of the current time period. Meeting this need will help OTA in addressing the goal to provide needed passenger transportation services to the region and expand those services when possible. Figure A-3 shows that expansion of these hours will cost approximately $125,000 in 2009, of which $55,000 will be federal funds and the other $70,000 will be from OTA. The federal share of this project will be funded through Job Access and Reverse Commute (5316 funds). With the expansion of JARC hours, OTA will be meeting goal number one, by addressing and meeting the needs of its potential passengers. In addition to expanding JARC service, OTA is also seeking to expand the service provided by OTA lift and the scheduled service using New Freedom and coordination funds to address some of the needs of health and human service providers in Ottumwa. In addition to expanding its service, Ottumwa Transit is also proposing to replace three mediumduty buses in All three of these vehicles have been used beyond the FTA recommended use life and mileage for their size of bus. Purchasing these three buses will help meet the needs of purchasing new and replacement buses and providing and maintaining the best possible vehicle fleet to meet the needs of the city. Each of the vehicles costs $159,000, of which $131,970 (83%) will be funded through federal funds while the remaining amount will be paid for using OTA s revenues. All three of these vehicles are being requested through the capital grants program. Like Transit, OTA is requesting funds from STA and 5311 to assist with administration, maintenance, and operations costs. OTA is requesting approximately $365,000 in FY08 and for the following three years. This operating assistance is essential to allow OTA to operate at the RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 29

30 same level of service. Without this assistance, higher operating costs would be passed on to clients in the form of increased fares and rates, or OTA would be forced to reduce the services it provides in order to cut costs and reduce its operating budget. Additional Three-year Sketch Plan It is recommended that continue to apply for New Freedom and coordination funds for This will allow the new service started in 2009 additional time to be able to functionally support itself and be successful. For this reason, the transit agency is request an additional $22,562 in New Freedom and $25,000 in coordination funding Transit is proposing to replace six buses in 2010, shown in figure A-3, as well as six buses in 2011 and six more in Two of the vehicles purchased each year will be bought using regional STP funds, one with funds from RPA 15 and one with funds from RPA 17. The transit agency is requesting 5309 funds to purchase four replacement buses in 2010 and in each of the next two years. All of these vehicles will replace existing buses in service that are aging and have high mileage. Replacing these vehicles allows to continue to provide reliable transportation to residents in the service region and not have to reduce service due to recurring maintenance issues with worn out vehicles. The use of STP funds to replace two buses per year, one with funds from RPA 15 the other from RPA 17, provides a reliable funding stream for Transit. The transit agency can plan on having these funds in advance and being able to replace at least two buses each year. If possible and additional funds are obtained, more buses can be replaced, but at least the two most in need vehicles can be. This also allows to use some of its grant funds obtained for other improvements and expansions, including new equipment for the vehicles, specialized vehicles, or facility expansion. It is recommended that OTA continue to apply for additional JARC funding in 2010 for the new Sunday JARC service, as well as New Freedom and coordination money to provide new scheduled and lift services to health and human service providers in Ottumwa. This additional funding for a second year will allow the new services additional time to generate revenue and support themselves. OTA is requesting an additional $7,367 in New Freedom, and $25,000 in state coordination dollars in 2010 for this purpose. Figure A-3 shows that Ottumwa Transit is proposing to replace three buses in 2010, using funds requested through the Capital Grants Program (5309 funds). OTA is proposing to replace an additional three buses in 2011, also using requested 5309 funds. In addition, Ottumwa Transit is requesting Capital Grant funds to replace one ADA minivan in 2011 and two in RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 30

31 Appendix A Figure A-1: Transit Vehicle Information Property id Year Property description Seating Capacity Standing Capacity W heel Capacity Ada Compliant FY07 Odometer Reading Ford Supreme Y 162, Ford Supreme Y 162, L 2001 International Supreme Y 114, Ford Supreme Y 152, Ford Supreme Y 174, Ford Supreme Y 166, Ford Supreme Y 179, Ford Supreme Y 177, Eldorado Aerotech Y 150, Eldorado Aerotech Y 120, L 2003 Ford ElDorado Y 142, Eldorado Aerotech Y 127, Eldorado Aerotech Y 95, Eldorado Aerotech Y 109, Ford Eldorado Y 119, Ford Eldorado Y 101, Ford Eldorado Y 102, Ford Eldorado Y 80, Ford Eldorado Y 114, Ford Eldorado Y 72, GMC Sierra N 24, Ford Supreme Y 50, Ford Supreme Y 55, Ford Supreme Y 61, Ford Supreme Y 62, Ford Supreme Y 68, Ford Supreme Y 49, Eldorado Y 14, Eldorado Y 13, Eldorado Y 12, Eldorado Y 23, Ford Eldorado Y 13, Ford Eldorado Y 7, Ford Supreme Y 218, L 1997 Ford Supreme Y 256, Ford Supreme Y 241, Ford Supreme Y 213, Ford Supreme Y 224, Ford Eldorado Y 268, Ford Eldorado Y 218, L 1998 International ElDorado Y 260, Ford Eldorado Y 226, L 1998 International ElDorado Y 189, Ford Eldorado Y 260, Ford Eldorado Y 228, Ford Eldorado Y 242, Ford Eldorado Y 256, Ford Eldorado Y 248, Ford Eldorado Y 255, Ford Eldorado Y 212,931 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 31

32 Figure A-2: Ottumwa Transit Vehicle Information Property id Year Property description Seating Capacity Standing Capacity Wheel Capacity Ada Compliant FY07 Odometer Reading CHEVY SILVERADO N 100, Chevy Venture Y 77, FORD SUPREME Y 41, T-Liner ER Y 248, T-Liner ER Y 247, Chevy Venture Y 82, T-Liner ER Y 250, T-Liner ER Y 242, CHEVY MINIVAN Y 70, T-Liner ER Y 246, T-Liner ER Y 234, T-Liner ER Y 269, T-Liner ER Y 266, T-Liner ER Y 251,978 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 32

33 F igure A-3: 10-15/O TA Transportation Investment P rogram ederal F u n S ystem D escription of Total C os ts F ederal C os ts Type Name P roject e. 5309, S TP ) /S TA O TA G eneral/o peration/m aintenance/administration $872,530 $880,000 $890,000 $900,000 $377,148 $377,148 $377,148 $377,148 Local O TA O peration/m aintenance/administration C apital E quip $130,000 $90,000 $90,000 $90,000 JAR C O TA E xpand Bus S ervice Hours $125,000 $125,000 $130,000 $140,000 $55,000 $55,000 $60,000 $65,000 New Free OTA Expand B us S ervice H ours $14,734 $14,734 $7,367 $7,367 C oordin O TA E xpand Bus S ervice Hours $31,250 $31, O TA R eplace three M D buses: #696, #496, #596 $477,000 $395, O TA R eplace three M D buses: #196, #396, #296 $477,000 $395, O TA R eplace three M D buses: #197, #297, #397 $477,000 $395, O TA R eplace one ADA minivan: #205 $33,200 $27, O TA R eplace two ADA minivan: #105, #305 $66,400 $55,112 TO TALS : $1,650,514 $1,617,984 $1,620,200 $1,196,400 $835,425 $835,425 $860,614 $497, R TG eneral/o peration/m aintenance/administration $1,585,403 $1,600,000 $1,625,000 $1,650,000 $454,178 $454,178 $454,178 $454,178 Local R TO peration/m aintenance/administration C apital E quip $58,000 $90,000 $90,000 $90,000 New Free R TE xpand B us S ervice H ours $45,124 $45,124 $22,562 $22,562 C oordin R TE xpand Bus S ervice Hours $31,250 $31, R TR eplace four 176" LD busses: #972L, #981L, #985, #98 $236,000 $195,880 S TP R TR eplace two 176" LD bus: #015, #016 $118,000 $94, R TR eplace four 176" LD busses: #011, #012, #013,#982L $236,000 $195,880 S TP R TR eplace two 176" LD bus: #034, #035 $118,000 $94, R TR eplace four 176" LD busses: #017, #031, #032, #033 $236,000 $195,880 S TP R TR eplace two 176" LD buses: #054, #053 $118,000 $94, R TR eplace four 176" LD buses: #041, #042, #043, #044 $236,000 $195,880 S TP R TR eplace two 176" LD buses: #989, #014 $118,000 $94,400 TO TALS : $2,073,777 $2,120,374 $2,069,000 $2,094,000 $767,020 $767,020 $744,458 $744, Area 15 R P A Transportation P lanning $24,691 $19,753 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 33

34 Figure A-4: Potential Municipal Transit Levy Revenues CITY REG TAXABLE VALUE Potential Value of NAME POPULATION 2006 ASSESSMENT YEAR Allowed Transit Levy BATAVIA 500 $5,380,060 x.95/1000 = $5,111 LIBERTYVILLE 325 $4,744,344 x.95/1000 = $4,507 LOCKRIDGE 275 $3,405,952 x.95/1000 = $3,236 PACKWOOD 223 $2,641,914 x.95/1000 = $2,510 PLEASANT PLAIN 131 $954,007 x.95/1000 = $906 DELTA 410 $2,374,387 x.95/1000 = $2,256 GIBSON 92 $1,445,048 x.95/1000 = $1,373 HARPER 134 $2,353,553 x.95/1000 = $2,236 HAYESVILLE 64 $675,515 x.95/1000 = $642 HEDRICK 837 $8,830,330 x.95/1000 = $8,389 KEOTA 1025 $17,324,796 x.95/1000 = $16,459 KESWICK 295 $3,947,229 x.95/1000 = $3,750 KINROSS 80 $745,302 x.95/1000 = $708 MARTINSBURG 126 $1,470,281 x.95/1000 = $1,397 OLLIE 224 $1,889,268 x.95/1000 = $1,795 RICHLAND 587 $9,637,652 x.95/1000 = $9,156 SIGOURNEY 2209 $41,314,053 x.95/1000 = $39,248 SOUTH ENGLISH 213 $2,732,952 x.95/1000 = $2,596 THORNBURG 84 $462,841 x.95/1000 = $440 WEBSTER 110 $1,059,367 x.95/1000 = $1,006 WHAT CHEER 678 $5,832,924 x.95/1000 = $5,541 BARNES CITY 201 $2,011,395 x.95/1000 = $1,911 BEACON 518 $4,722,027 x.95/1000 = $4,486 FREMONT 704 $10,449,886 x.95/1000 = $9,927 KEOMAH VILLAGE 97 $2,673,644 x.95/1000 = $2,540 LEIGHTON 153 $2,594,495 x.95/1000 = $2,465 NEW SHARON 1301 $20,070,964 x.95/1000 = $19,067 OSKALOOSA $251,499,654 x.95/1000 = $238,925 ROSE HILL 205 $1,245,631 x.95/1000 = $1,183 UNIVERSITY PARK 536 $6,491,461 x.95/1000 = $6,167 BIRMINGHAM 423 $4,751,984 x.95/1000 = $4,514 BONAPARTE 458 $5,654,090 x.95/1000 = $5,371 CANTRIL 257 $2,725,821 x.95/1000 = $2,590 FARMINGTON 756 $6,787,621 x.95/1000 = $6,448 KEOSAUQUA 1066 $19,308,532 x.95/1000 = $18,343 MILTON 550 $3,934,678 x.95/1000 = $3,738 MOUNT STERLING 40 $389,618 x.95/1000 = $370 STOCKPORT 284 $2,943,767 x.95/1000 = $2,797 AGENCY 622 $9,945,519 x.95/1000 = $9,448 BLAKESBURG 374 $3,570,168 x.95/1000 = $3,392 CHILLICOTHE 90 $1,104,715 x.95/1000 = $1,049 EDDYVILLE 1064 $15,598,451 x.95/1000 = $14,819 ELDON 998 $7,993,111 x.95/1000 = $7,593 KIRKVILLE 214 $1,348,723 x.95/1000 = $1,281 OTTUMWA $476,135,454 x.95/1000 = $452,329 MAHARISHI VEDIC CITY 150 $10,920,117 x.95/1000 = $10,374 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 34

35 Appendix B Figure B-1: Demographics (2000 Census) Population Over 65 Low income Households Low income households Wapello 36,051 6,415 4,627 35, Van Buren 7,809 1, , Mahaska 22,335 3,650 2,137 21, Keokuk 11,400 2,301 1,127 11, Jefferson 16,181 2,231 1,699 15, Wayne 6,730 1, , Monroe 8,016 1, , Lucas 9,422 1,821 1,260 9, Lee 38,052 6,297 3,533 36, Davis 8,541 1, , Appanoose 13,721 2,738 1,959 13, Ottumwa 24,998 4,749 3,643 24, Oskaloosa 10,938 2,024 1,436 10, Fairfield 9,509 1,296 1,308 9, Centerville 5,924 1,348 1,032 5, Fort Madison 10,715 2,013 1,300 10, Keokuk 11,427 2,020 1,342 11, Iowa 2,926, , ,008 2,822,155 46,641 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Figure B-2: Health and Human Service Provider survey results Yes No Does your organization have clients who need transportation assistance? 20 1 Does your organization provide transportation to its clients? 6 15 Does your organization use or OTA to transport clients? 9 11 Weekdays Weekends What days are transportation services needed? 20 7 Mornings Afternoons Evenings Nights What times during the day? Scheduled On-demand Would this be regularly scheduled service or demand responsive? 5 14 Yes No Are handicap accessible vehicles needed? 18 1 Would your organization be willing to work with the transit provider? 19 1 Would your organization be able to help fund new transit services? 2 14 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 35

36 Figure B-3: Provider contact information Provider name Address City, State, Zip code Phone # Transit 2417 S Emma Ottumwa, IA Ottumwa Transit 2417 S Emma Ottumwa, IA Keokuk Co, DHS P.O. Box 308 Sigourney, IA Sigourney Care Center / Windsor Place 900 S Stone Sigourney, IA Jefferson Co. DHS PO Box 987 Fairfield, IA Mahaska Co. Community Services courthouse box #3 Oskaloosa, IA Van Buren Co. Community Services Box 475 Keosauqua, IA Ridgewood Nursing and Rehab Center 1977 albia road Ottumwa, IA, Vista Woods Care Center 3 pennsylvania place ottumwa, IA, Jefferson County Hospital 400 highland street fairfield, IA, Foster Grandparent Program 201 s market st ottumwa, IA, Maplewood Manor 204 N Keokuk Washington Rd Keota, IA South Central Iowa CIL th Ave East Oskaloosa, IA Seneca Area Agency on Aging 117 North Cooper, Suite 2 Ottumwa, IA Cedar Creek ResCare th St Fairfield, IA Country Life Health Care Inc 2554 Ford Ave Oskaloosa, IA North Elm Condominiums 1335 N Elm St Ottumwa, IA Oskaloosa Retirement Homes 1102 S 11th St Oskaloosa, IA Ottumwa Manor 927 Pennsylvania Ave Ottumwa, IA Pennsylvania Place 1 Pennsylvania Pl Ottumwa, IA Sunnybrook Assisted Living 3000 W Madison Ave Fairfield, IA Seneca Area Agency on Aging 209 S Court St Fairfield, IA Agency on Aging 401 B Ave W Oskaloosa, IA Area Agency on Aging 214 S Main St Sigourney, IA Area Aging Agency of Keokuk County 101 E Main St Richland, IA Keosauqua Senior Center 801 Front St Keosauqua, IA New Sharon Senior Center 320 N Main St New Sharon, IA Senior Resource Solutions 220 N Market St Ottumwa, IA Stockport Senior Center 216 S Main St Stockport, IA Mahaska Co. Human Services 410 S 11th St Oskaloosa, IA Wapello Co. Human Services 120 E Main St Ottumwa, IA Van Buren Co. Human Services 406 Dodge St Keosauqua, IA Community Resolution Center th Ave East Oskaloosa, IA Multicultural Ministry 216 N Court St Ottumwa, IA Wapello Co. Central Point Coordinator P.O. Box 217 Ottumwa, IA United Way of Wapello County 426 McCaroll Dr Ottumwa, IA AARP Senior Comm Svc Employment 106 W 2nd St, Suite #9 Ottumwa, IA Southern Iowa Econ Dev Assn P.O. Box 658 Ottumwa, IA Southern Iowa Mental Health Center 110 E Main St Ottumwa, IA Wapello County Public Health 108 E Main St Ottumwa, IA Crisis Center and Women's Shelter P.O. Box 446 Ottumwa, IA RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 36

37 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 37

38 RPA 15 Passenger Transportation Development Plan page 38