Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates SERVICE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES September 22, 2015 1
PROJECT OVERVIEW & WORK TO DATE 1. Extensive stakeholder involvement Throughout 2. System and market assessment August 3. Transit vision and goals July 4. Identify opportunities September 5. Develop improvement scenarios October 6. Evaluate and vet scenarios Nov -Dec 7. Conduct financial analysis December 8. Develop Recommendations December 2
WORK CONDUCTED TO DATE Review of previous studies Overview of existing service Evaluation of underlying market demand Evaluation of existing services and system Development of potential improvement strategies Detailed evaluation of strategies (underway) 3 3
SERVICE IMPROVEMENT THEMES Improve existing services Expand service to new areas Provide better connections Develop a frequent transit network Develop premium services/new types of services Make service faster Improve access to transit Provide better information Develop a system branding strategy Make transit much more compelling and convenient 4 4
MAKE SERVICE MORE CONVENIENT Provide more frequent service for longer hours Provide more weekend service Set minimum service levels Minimum spans of service Minimum service frequencies Example Kansas City Minimum Service Frequencies Key Corridor Urban Suburban MAX Other Local Local Express Lifeline Weekdays Early Morning 30 30 60 60 -- 120 AM Peak 10 15 30 60 3 trips 120 Midday 20 30 60 60 -- 120 PM Peak 10 15 30 60 3 trips 120 Evening/Night 30 60 60 -- -- 120 Saturdays All Day 30 30 60 60 -- 120 Sundays All Day 30 45 60 60 -- 120 5 5
IMPROVE CROSSTOWN SERVICES New crosstown routes Better connections outside of downtown 6
SIMPLIFY SERVICE More people will use simpler service than complicated service Simplify alignments Minimize variants Simplify schedules 7
EXPAND SERVICE TO NEW AREAS Most service within I-820 loop Most growth has been outside of the loop Expand to unserved areas with significant transit demand 8
DEVELOP OUTLYING TRANSIT CENTERS Make it easier to travel without going through downtown Provide focal points for outer area connections Other public transit Park & ride Private shuttles Bikeshare Uber, Lyft, etc. 9 9
FREQUENT SERVICE NETWORK Make using transit convenient Provide network of frequent services that serves Tarrant County s most important destinations Operate frequent services from early morning until late night and on weekends 10
PREMIUM SERVICES Develop premium services to make transit faster and more comfortable Commuter rail Bus Rapid Transit Rapid Bus (like the Spur*) Streetcar Freeway BRT Express Bus Downtown/Core Area Shuttles Commuter Rail BRT Streetcar 11
COMMUTER RAIL TEXRail to DFW in progress; will be running by 2018 Other potential improvements: TRE: More frequent midday service, late night service, Sunday service TEXRail: Similar service expansion, plus service to southwest 12
BRT & RAPID BUS Develop higher quality bus services 13 13
STREETCAR 2008 study examined many alternatives Recommended streetcar between downtown and Medical District City council voted against Have circumstances changed? 14
FREEWAY BRT/BUS ON SHOULDER Operate express buses on freeway shoulders to bypass congestion Currently permitted in 12 states including California, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Florida Can also develop dedicated bus facilities on freeways 15
EXPRESS BUS Add new express services I-35W North and South I-30 East and West TX 121 East I-20 East Increase service on existing routes Provide reverse commute service Develop more convenient park-and-ride facilities 16
DOWNTOWN/CORE AREA SHUTTLES Encourage public transit use for short distances that are too far to walk Frequent and convenient Connect key destinations Promote economic development 17
MAKE SERVICE FASTER SERVICE Consolidate Stops The T s stops are spaced to minimize walk distances at the expense of travel times Most riders prefer to walk slightly farther in exchange for faster service A better balance between walk distances and speeds can make service significantly faster 18
MAKE SERVICE FASTER Transit Priority Exclusive bus lanes Peak period only bus lanes Queue jump lanes Transit signal priority Queue Jump Lane Signal Priority 19
MAKE SERVICE FASTER Transit Emphasis Corridors Many corridors served by multiple routes Implement BRT-type improvements within corridors (rather than on a route-by-route basis) can make service on many routes more attractive and faster Providence 20
IMPROVE FACILITIES & AMENITIES Waiting for the bus is a major part of the transit experience Most stops have relatively limited facilities Potential improvements: Upgrades to regular stops Superstops Transit centers 21
IMPROVE ACCESS First and Last Mile Connections Often a major challenge for riders Too far to walk Lack of safe or comfortable walking and bicycles conditions Potential solutions: Transportation Management Association (TMA) services Employer shuttles Flex bus services Bike share, such as B-cycle Services like Uber and Lyft 22
IMPROVE ACCESS Local Environment Pedestrian Access to Transit Improve pedestrian conditions to make it easier and comfortable to get to and from transit. Transit and Complete Streets Design streets to accommodate all users, including transit riders, pedestrians, and cyclists Coordinate with cities to produce more transit-oriented streets 23
PROVIDE BETTER INFORMATION Real-Time Information To enable riders to better time their arrival at stops and reduce wait times To eliminate the uncertainty associated with transit use did I miss the bus, is it still coming, etc. Better printed information Simpler, easier to understand 24
DEVELOP BRANDING STRATEGY System rebranding to: Renew system image Change perceptions and market to choice riders By type of service So users can understand how service works Make branding consistent Use a single or unified brand to solve perceptions of a fragmented system (The T, TRE, TEXRail, MAX, Grapevine Shuttle) 25
SUMMARY Many ways to improve and expand service Looking to: Make up for lost ground Develop great service for Fort Worth and Tarrant County 26
FOR MORE INFORMATION DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS AT PUBLIC MEETINGS VISIT THE PROJECT WEBSITE tmasterplan.org DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS ON OUR MYSIDEWALK TOWN HALL ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE COME ONBOARD OUR T MASTER PLAN BUS REQUEST A PRESENTATION FOR YOUR OWN EVENT DESIGN YOUR OWN TRANSIT SYSTEM ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE 27 27
UPCOMING EVENTS PROJECT BUS Twitter Town Hall Thursday, October 1 Noon 1 pm #TMasterPlan Walmart Renaissance Square Friday, September 25, 11:00 am 1:00 pm 2900 Renaissance Square, Fort Worth Walmart Supercenter Friday, September 25, 2:00 pm 4:00 pm 3851 Airport Freeway, Fort Worth Montgomery Plaza Saturday, September 26, 2:00 pm 4:00 pm 2600 W. 7th Street, Fort Worth Tarrant County College Northwest Campus Tuesday, September 29, 11:00 am 1:00 pm 4801 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth Fort Worth Library Summerglen Branch Tuesday, September 29, 3:00 pm 5:00 pm 4205 Basswood Boulevard, Fort Worth Harambee Festival Saturday, October 3, 9:00 am 6:00 pm Evans Plaza, Fort Worth 28