PAG Environmental Planning Advisory Committee Sun Link Streetcar Update May 1, 2015
Project Facts 4-mile route, 23 stops 8 made in USA modern streetcars All electric and green Voter-approved project Connects with Sun Tran, Cat Tran, Sun Express and Sun Shuttle Tucson s largest construction project to date Completed under budget Operational hours: Monday through Wednesday: 7 AM 10 P M Thursday through Friday: 7 AM 2 AM Saturday: 8 AM 2 AM Sunday: 8 AM 8 PM
Project Timeline M & C Approve Locally Preferred Alternative January 2006 RTA Funding Approved by Voters ($87.7 M) May 2006 Grant Agreement with USDOT Signed December 2010 TIGER Grant Awarded ($63 M) February 2010 Vehicles Ordered from OIW June 2010 Construction March 2012 October 2013 Delivery of First Car August 2013 Delivery of Final Streetcar May 2014 Passenger Service Start July 25, 2014
Milestone Project Nationally recognized Held as example for other cities pursing streetcar systems Successful launch of passenger service Dignitaries and elected officials from multiple jurisdictions 1,600+ attended Grand Opening Ceremony 60,000+ riders during inaugural weekend
Capital Project Closeout OPTW closeout OIW LD s FTA requirements Technology contract compliance and refinements
Ridership Characteristics Forecasted daily ridership 3,600 per day Weekday avg. daily ridership to date 3,800 per day Comparison to Sun Tran Routes No. 1 passengers per mile No. 1 passengers per hour No. 4 in passengers per day
Improving Fare Product Availability Near Term Mobile phone app Businesses along line Marketing how to buy passes Mid Term Evaluate near term effectiveness Pursue station stop alternatives if necessary
Frequency Adjustments More convenient for customer Moves resources to areas of high demand Customer response is being monitored
Gem Show 4th Avenue Street Fair All Souls Procession Bear Down Fridays Fords on 4th Fourth Avenue Street Fair Major events/coordination All Souls Procession Special Event Coordination High ridership during special events Operational changes to accommodate events Bus bridging Bear Down Fridays Average 8,000
UA Campaign Two Phases Phase I - Free 30-Day UPass UA students, faculty & staff only 14,801 UPass cards distributed Valid August 15-September 14, 2014 Phase II - Promoting Purchase of Semester and Annual UPasses
UA Campaign - Promotion Presentations & information booth at all orientation events Email blasts Articles Electronic & print ads Flyers & posters Geo-fencing Eller College Marketing Project
UA Campaign - Outcomes 14,801 free 30-day passes distributed Increase of sales at UA PTS (through 11/13/14) 68% increase in all pass sales 66% increase in semester pass sales 99% increase in annual pass sales 47% increase in revenue
Pilot Pass Products Bulk Purchase Program Discount given for large groups purchasing 100 or more tickets Program being evaluated for possible future implementation 7 day pass available during Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase $15 SunGO card product Pre-loaded cards available at select locations near Gem Show and available online 6 month Pilot Program
Apps and Third Party Developers Tucson Streetcar App Google Maps Sun Tran App (testing) Mobile Ticketing App (future) GTFS data feed for developers
Environmental Benefits Energy Consumption Vehicles that run on rail require only 5 % of the energy as the same vehicle on rubber tires Land Use Streetcar routes promote in-fill residential development that encourage alternative transportation modes Air Quality Using streetcars instead of diesel buses for the same level of service reduces CO2 emissions by 3,240 lbs. per day
Questions?