Sean P. McBride, Executive Director Kalamazoo Metro Transit Presentation to Michigan Transportation Planning Association July 13, 2016
Metro Transit in Kalamazoo County Square Miles = 132 Urbanized Population: 209,703 Bus Service to 69 Square Miles Provide fixed-route service to: - City of Kalamazoo - City of Portage - City of Parchment - Comstock Township - Kalamazoo Township - Oshtemo Township - Pavilion Township - Texas Township Demand response system available to all individuals countywide
Metro County Connect Community Service Van Kalamazoo Regional Transit 2015 3 Million Rides Line-Haul Bus Service Serving Kalamazoo since 1967
19 routes in the Kalamazoo County Monday - Saturday service 6 am to 10:15 pm During peak periods, most routes operate on 30-min. frequency and 60-min other times Base Fare $1.50 $0.75 fare for seniors, and individuals with disabilities
2,782,638 rides in 2015 In 2015, for each bus in service, 25.19 people on average, rode that bus every hour Data from 2012 Socio-Economic Study: 73% of riders do not have a car available Majority of trips for school and work 56% of riders ride 6 times or more per week 55.5% female and 45.5% male Other Facts 4,423 trips on Metro Transit buses in 2015 were rides taken with wheelchairs 34,094 trips on buses in 2015, were rides taken using bike racks
Demand/response service - 154,711 Rides in 2015 (7.9% increase over 2014) Available to all individuals travelling anywhere in Kalamazoo County Monday - Saturday service 6 am to 10:15 pm Sunday Service 8 am to 5 pm Began February 7, 2016 Metro County Connect Fares: Fare for senior citizens or people with disabilities - $4 ADA Fare - $3 General Fare - $12
October 1, 2016 Metro Transit will be transferred from a Department of the City of Kalamazoo to the CCTA Governance Funding Operations 8
Millage Structure Purple CCTA Funds Fixed-Route Bus Service Amount 0.75 mils Duration 5-years through 2020 Green KCTA Funds Metro County Connect/Specialized Services Amount 0.315 mils Duration 5-years through 2021
New Staff 2012/2013 Early Retirement Incentive by City of Kalamazoo 100% Executive Management, 50% Middle Management New Executive Leadership Team and Many new staff Added/Promoted Management desire for an honest review New Governing Boards 20 Board Members Many New Enhanced Public Participation Increased community buy-in/involvement with public transit NOT a Comprehensive Operational Analysis
Contract with SRF Consulting Group, Inc. Subcontractors: Bourne Transit Consulting, LLC. Innis Consulting Group, LLC Funded with Section 5303 Planning Funds through Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) May September 2015 Cost - $75,000
Data ridership, cost effectiveness, service efficiency GIS Mapping Field Observation Administration, Maintenance, Operations Financial Review 94% of transit supportive areas in the Kalamazoo Urbanized Area are within ¼ mile of a bus route.
Stakeholder Meetings Held Throughout Community Public Meetings Advertise on Busses Hold at 5:30 Interviews with Key Community Members Interview of Boards and Staff Questionnaires to Groups
Implementation of new technology Customer service Continuity of service in inclement weather Perception and value of transit service Regionally engaged management and staff
Need additional frequency to attract new riders, span of service on evenings and weekends Suburb-to-suburb transportation is lacking, result of hub-and-spoke system Bus stop accessibility Long travel times Cleanliness of shelters Service to outlying areas (Oshtemo, Galesburg, etc.) Need to further expand engagement efforts Low density areas with transit needs
Kalamazoo rates very well in most performance measures Room for improvement in Market Penetration -- the amount of service provided and consumed.
1-4 years Short-term, fiscally constrained Short-term, additional local funding 5-10 years Medium-term implementation 11-20 years Long-term vision Discussed in terms of control vs. influence
Short-Term Operations Staff will partner with management in monitoring performance measures, linking to customer service Address training needs Evaluate fare structure simplify, day pass Promote activity at KTC Maintenance Study Enhanced Marketing Strategic Staffing Enhancements Enhance service hours and frequency Infrastructure Continue implementation of bus stop modernization and ADA compliance Transition to only marked stops Update facility and capital improvement plans Influence regional capital improvement decisions Planning for additional transfer points
Medium-Term Planning Enhanced bus service -- local or limited-stop bus service that incorporates fare payment technology, traffic signal prioriotization, and infrastructure that focuses on improving travel times and reliability. Intercity transportation needs and regional connections Update Comprehensive Operations Analysis Study feasibility of various enhanced bus services Operations Enhanced bus service, regionally oriented service High frequency network of routes Infrastructure Vehicles, satellite facilities Farebox upgrade
Long-Term Fully developed transit system Diverse portfolio of services Enhanced bus Mobility management Excellent customer service and staffing Facility development
Service Enhancements Expanded Service Hours Increased Route Frequency on a few routes Focus on Details Clean Bus Initiative, KTC Bus Stop Upgrades Bus Shelter Plan Upgrading of 32 bus stops to ADA compliance Coordination with road agencies for future bus stop improvements Facility Planning 10-year facility assessment study Staffing Hiring of Deputy Director of Support Services Organizational Restructuring Enhanced Use of Metrics Training
Sean P. McBride Executive Director (269) 337-8088 mcbrides@kalamazoocity.org