Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Working Paper Three Alternatives Analysis

Transcription

1 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Working Paper Three Alternatives Analysis Prepared for the City of Vacaville Administrative Services Department Prepared by

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3 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Working Paper Three Alternatives Analysis Prepared for the City of Vacaville Administrative Services Department 650 Merchant Street Vacaville, CA Prepared by 2690 Lake Forest Road, Suite C P. O. Box 5875 Tahoe City, California February 8, 2017

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5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction... 1 Chapter 2: Service Alternatives... 3 Chapter 3: Capital Alternatives Chapter 4: Fare and Marketing Alternatives LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1 Routes 4 Revision Example Schedule Routes 4 Revision Scenario Service Quantity Analysis City Coach Service Alternatives Summary Routes 2 / 8 Revision Scenario Example Schedules Routes 2 / 8 Revision Scenario Service Quantity Analysis Transit Service Alternatives Performance Analysis City Coach Fare Alternatives Fare Alternatives Impacts LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1 Routes 1 and 4 Revision Scenario Example of Ridership by Run in Outlying Areas with High % School Ridership Routes 2 and 8 Revision Scenario Outlet Area Route Revision to Improve On Time Performance Impact of Alternatives on Annual Operating Subsidy Service Alternatives Passenger Trips per Vehicle Hour Service Alternative Cost per Passenger Trip Service Alternatives Annual Operating Subsidy Impact vs Annual Ridership Impact Outlets Area Bus Stops Downtown Area Bus Stops Example of Transit System Map Showing Stop Locations Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page i

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7 Chapter 1 Introduction The City of Vacaville s City Coach program is an important service to many city residents. To ensure that the City Coach program can best serve the community in the future, the City is conducting a thorough review and reassessment of the fixed route transit program. This document is the third of several Working Papers that provide interim information on the study. This Working Paper presents a detailed review off service alternatives, capital alternatives (including bus stop improvements), fare alternatives andd marketing strategies. After public review, these documents will form the basiss of the draftt and final plan documents. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 1

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9 Chapter 2 Service Alternatives This chapter presents the analysis of a wide range of transit service alternatives. First, overall route changes are evaluated. This is followed by a discussion of schedule changes (such as changes in service frequency), and by span of service changes. Finally, the various alternatives are compared and an analysis on system performance iss presented.. The impacts of the service alternatives on operating costs (for Fiscal Year 2017/ /18) were calculated using the following formula: Change in Marginal Operating Costs = Change in Annual Vehicle Hours of Service * $ Change in Annual Vehicle Miles of Service * $0.41 This equation is based on existing contractorr costs, as well as 2016/ /17 costs for other items factored by 3 percent for inflation. Route Alternatives As the individual routes operate as a system, changes inn one route can require changes in other routes. While a wide range of route alternatives were initially considered, the analysis of route modifications focused on two sets of changes: a scenarioo by which Route 4 would be modified, and a scenario by which Routes 2 and 8 would be modified. As an aside, a common transit planning strategy is to focus service on high demand corridors, providing more frequent service on a key corridor (such as between transit centers). However, the analysis of City Coach ridership and conditions (presented in Working Paper 2) indicates against this type of service plan, and there is no one keyy corridor with a high proportion of ridership (particularly once school trips are served). Route 4 Revision to Better Servee Northeast Vacaville The North Village area is a rapidly developing portion off Vacaville. At present, there are approximately 775 single family residences that are not within a quarter mile walk of bus stops (at Kaiser Hospital or Solano Community College). Theree are also active plans for additional development in the area. Potential Route 4 Revision In the near term, one option would be to revise the route (as shown in Figure 1) to turn right onto North Village Parkway upon exiting the Communityy College, right on Crescent Drive to Vaca Valley Parkway. This will require relocating the existing stop (with shelter) at Genentech Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 3

10 Harbison D r I Miles Figure 1 Route 4 Revision Scenario Aldridge Rd Revised Route 4 Expanded Service Area Rice Ln H u fman Ln Note: Other routes not shown. Lighthouse Way Kells Cir Eubanks Dr Eubanks Ct Crocker Dr Vaca Valley Pky f Station Dr. Pa rk side Dr. Akerly Dr Leisure Town Rd Quinn Rd Browns Valley Rd Shannon Dr Monte Vista Ave 505 f 4 Call Ahead Stop Orange Dr f Walnut Rd New Hor izons Way County Airport Rd 2 80 Sequoia Dr Maple Rd Willow Rd Browns Valley Pky Orange Dr Lemon Tree Cir Nut Tree Pky Burton Dr Nut Tree Rd Yellowstone Dr Ponderosa Dr Monte Vista Ave Allison Dr Transportation Center I1 Ulatis Dr Stanford St Hawkins Rd Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 4

11 on New Horizons Way to the east side of North Village Parkway just north of Vaca Valley Parkway. In addition, the existing main Kaiser stop would need to be relocated to a location on either side of Quality Drive, near the main Kaiser entrance. An example schedule is shown in Table 1. TABLE 1: Route 4 Revision Example Schedule Revised Route 4 Transportation Center 8:00 AM 8:30 AM State Fund (Call Ahead) 8:05 AM 8:35 AM Solano Community College 8:06 AM 8:36 AM Crescent Dr./Parkside Dr. 8:08 AM 8:38 AM Kaiser Hospital 8:10 AM 8:40 AM DMV/Orange Dr. 8:16 AM 8:46 AM Lawrance Dr./Harbison Dr. 8:19 AM 8:49 AM Nut Tree/Harbison 8:22 AM 8:52 AM Transportation Center 8:25 AM 8:55 AM Impact on Service Quantities and Ridership A comparison of the vehicle hours and vehicle miles of service under this scenario compared with the existing Route 4 service plan is shown in Table 2. While vehicle hours would not be impacted, mileage would be increased by 2,209 per year. This would result in an increase in operating costs of $900 per year. No change would be made in the required number of peak buses. TABLE 2: Routes 4 Revision Scenario Service Quantity Analysis Run Parameters Weekday Service Weekend Service Annual Annual Peak Hours Miles Runs Hours Miles Runs Hours Miles Hours Miles Cost Buses EXISTING Existing Route ,683 64,812 $132,300 1 Total 3,683 64,812 $132,300 1 POTENTIAL SCENARIO Revised Route ,683 67,022 $133,200 1 Total 3,683 67,022 $133,200 1 Net 0 2,209 $900 0 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 5

12 The additional service area in the North Village neighborhood would increase ridership by an estimated 2,800 per year, considering the number of housing units, demographic characteristics, and observed ridership in similar portions of Vacaville currently with service. This modification would have several advantages and disadvantages: Advantages It provides service to approximately 260 additional homes. This will provide a good test of the ridership potential of the North Village area. It does not materially change the cost of City Coach service. Disadvantages It requires relocation of two stop. It provides a longer walk (crossing the Vaca Valley Parkway / New Horizons Way intersection) for travel to and from Genentech. A summary of the service and ridership impacts of this alternative is presented in Table 3. Other Options to Expand Route 4 Service Area Given that Route 4 cannot be extended significantly within the current half hourly cycle length, two other options were considered that would expand the service area to the north without the need to modify Route 1: The route could be extended to an hourly headway, using a single vehicle. This would not change the annual vehicle hours, but would reduce vehicle mileage (as the extended route would operate at an overall lower speed). As a result, annual operating costs would be reduced by approximately $12,000. However, the lower frequency of service to the existing Route 4 stops would reduce ridership by an estimated 9,500 per year. While the additional service area would add 3,000 passengers per year, the net impact in the short term (prior to additional development) would be a loss of 6,500 annual riders. The extended Route 4 could be provided with half hourly service, using a second bus. However, this would increase annual operating costs by $115,800, while only increasing ridership (in the short term) by 4,900 per year. The extended Route 4 could be provided with half hourly service, using a second bus. However, this would increase annual operating costs by $115,800, while only increasing ridership (in the short term) by 4,900 per year. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 6

13 TABLE 3: City Coach Service Alternatives Summary Change In Annual Service Service Service Operating Fare Operating Change in Alternative Hours Miles Cost Ridership Revenues Subsidy Peak Buses Route 4 Revisions Scenario 0 2,209 $900 2,800 $1,400 $500 0 Routes 2/8 Revisions Scenario 3,781 76,466 $140,100 11,300 $5,400 $145,500 1 Reduce Frequency from 30 to 60 Minutes Monday to Saturday Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly 3,323 44,587 $113,700 15,300 $7,200 $106,500 1 Reduce Rt 4 Frequency to Hourly 1,779 30,875 $63,700 9,500 $4,800 $58,900 0 Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly 3,045 40,559 $104,100 14,600 $7,300 $96,800 1 Total of 3 Routes 8, ,021 $281,500 39,400 $19,300 $262,200 2 Reduce Frequency from 30 to 60 Minutes Saturday Only Reduce Rt 2 to Hourly Saturday Only 513 6,884 $17,600 1,000 $500 $17,100 0 Reduce Rt 4 to Hourly Saturday Only 513 4,452 $16, $300 $16,300 0 Reduce Rt 5 to Hourly Saturday Only 570 8,743 $19,900 3,000 $2,000 $17,900 0 Reduce Rt 6 to Hourly Saturday Only 513 6,249 $17,300 2,800 $1,600 $15,700 0 Reduce Rt 8 to Hourly Saturday Only 513 6,833 $17,500 1,000 $500 $17,000 0 Total 2,109 26,328 $71,400 7,300 $4,400 $67,000 0 Reduce Summer Frequency to 60 Minutes Monday to Saturday Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly 640 8,589 $21,900 1,900 $900 $21,000 0 Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly 618 9,479 $21,600 2,500 $1,200 $20,400 0 Total of 2 Routes 1,258 18,068 $43,500 4,400 $2,100 $41,400 0 Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour Route ,540 $8, $300 $7,900 0 Route ,337 $8,500 2,200 $1,000 $7,500 0 Route ,333 $8,900 1,500 $800 $8,100 0 Route ,810 $8,700 5,200 $3,500 $5,200 0 Route ,038 $8,400 4,000 $2,300 $6,100 0 Route ,312 $8,500 2,800 $1,400 $7,100 0 Total 1,494 20,368 $51,200 16,300 $9,300 $41,900 0 Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM Route ,595 $13,800 1,700 $800 $13,000 0 Route ,342 $21,300 4,800 $2,300 $19,000 0 Route ,474 $13,400 3,200 $1,600 $11,800 0 Route ,537 $21,800 12,000 $8,000 $13,800 0 Route ,595 $21,000 8,600 $5,000 $16,000 0 Route ,960 $25,500 6,000 $3,000 $22,500 0 Additional DAR 747 9,387 $25,300 1,500 $4,900 $20,400 0 Additional Dispatch $22,400 $22,400 Total 4,109 58,889 $164,500 37,800 $25,600 $138,900 Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Route ,665 8,500 1,200 $600 $7,900 0 Route ,160 15,700 2,100 $1,000 $14,700 0 Route ,983 8,200 1,100 $600 $7,600 0 Route ,040 16,100 6,500 $4,300 $11,800 0 Route ,592 15,500 5,900 $3,400 $12,100 0 Route ,114 15,700 2,200 $1,100 $14,600 0 Additional DAR 459 5,760 15,500 2,100 $6,800 $8,700 0 Additional Dispatch $15,300 $15,300 Total 2,754 39,314 $110,500 21,100 $17,800 $92,700 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 7

14 Either of these options would only make sense once substantial additional development occurs, and are thus not considered further in this study. Route 2 and 8 Revisions to Expand Service Area and Increase Ridership The review of existing demand and services presented in previous documents indicates several issues in the areas served by Routes 2 and 8 that could potentially be addressed through route revisions: The Route Segment Analysis indicates that there are several areas of Vacaville that only generate significant transit ridership in periods with high levels of student transportation needs. Two areas in particular show this ridership pattern: the Browns Valley area (Route 2 north of the Brown Street/Browns Valley Road intersection) and southeast Vacaville (Route 8 south and east of Will C. Wood High School). Figure 2 presents a graph depicting the total daily passenger activity (boarding plus alighting) on these two route segments for each weekday run: o In particular, ridership on the southern segment of Route 8 is very concentrated in the 7:00 AM run (arriving at Will C. Wood HS at 7:30 AM) and the 3:00 PM run (picking up high school students at 3:06 PM). These two runs serve just under half (47 percent) of the total ridership on the 24 daily runs. In the mid day period, ridership generation in this route segment is low, with no runs between 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM generating more than 3 passenger boardings or alightings. o On the Browns Valley portion of Route 2, 41 percent of total daily ridership activity occurred over only three runs (6:00 AM 1, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM). Jepson Middle School generates ridership on the 6:00 AM run and the 2:00 PM run, while Vacaville High School generates ridership on the 6:00 AM run and the 3:00 PM run. Ridership between 6:30 AM and 1:30 PM as well as after 3:00 PM, with only one run generating more than 3 boardings or alightings in the Browns Valley area. This ridership pattern indicates that these two outlying areas do not justify half hourly service over the whole day. They would be more effectively served with routes designed to provide hourly service, augmented with school tripper runs specifically designed to meet Middle School and High School students (though these runs would be open to all). There are substantial existing residential areas with ridership potential that are not currently served, particularly in southeast Vacaville and northwest Vacaville. New development currently underway in southeast Vacaville will expand the need for service to this growing area. 1 Riders boarding on this run stay on board at the Transportation Center and deboard on the 7:00 AM run at Vacaville High School and Jepson Middle School. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 8

15 :00 AM Figure 2: Example of Ridership by Run in Outlying Areas with High % School Ridership Route 2 Browns Valley Area Route 5 South of Will C. Wood HS Route 2 West of Transit Plaza 6:30 AM 7:00 AM 7:30 AM 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM 10:30 AM 11:00 AM 11:30 AM 12:00 PM 12:30 PM 1:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:00 PM 2:30 PM 3:00 PM 3:30 PM 4:00 PM 4:30 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM Total Boarding and Alighting by Run in Segment Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 9

16 To address these issues, an alternative route scenario was developed to revise Routes 2 and 8 and to add new limited services. A map showing these revised routes (not showing other existing City Coach routes not changed under this scenario) is presented in Figure 3. This scenario would consist of the following: New North Tripper and South Tripper routes. The North Tripper would travel between the Transportation Center and the Transit Plaza, and would be designed to accommodate travel between the Browns Valley/Markham areas and Vacaville High School and Willis Jepson Middle School. An example schedule is shown in Table 4, timed around the planned 2018/19 school bell times. The South Tripper route would consist of the existing southeastern portion of Route 8, starting and ending at the Transportation Center and timed to serve Will C. Wood High School bell times. Transit routes designed specifically to serve public school student transportation needs are a common way to tailor service to best meet peaks in demand. The SolTrans system, for example, includes two routes in Benicia that connect residential neighborhoods with schools, operating two morning and two afternoon runs. Similar routes are operated in Lincoln, California and Rapid City, South Dakota. To be eligible for public transit funding, it is important that these routes be operated for the general public (rather than limited to students). This requires the following: o The routes are within the general service area of the overall transit system. o All buses are open to the general public. o These routes are marketed as part of the overall system, with routes shown on the system map and schedules included on websites and printed schedules along with the other routes. o Terms like school route and student service should not be used. o Buses typically do not enter school property, but instead serve a typical bus stop adjacent to the schools. Revisions to Route 2. Route 2 would be reconfigured to focus on the western portion of Vacaville, using one bus to provide service every half hour. The new route would operate westbound on Monte Vista Avenue, northbound on West Street, westbound on Hemlock Street and southbound Orchard Avenue between the Transit Plaza and Food Fair, providing new service to the substantial neighborhood north of the high school. A small loop would then be operative via Buck Avenue eastbound, Eldridge Street northbound and Monte Vista westbound, before returning to the Transit Plaza via Alamo Drive, Merchant Street and Dobbins Street. As the route would not continue on, residents of this large neighborhood would have convenient service both to and from the grocery store, rather than having to travel to the Transit Plaza and wait for a westbound Route 2 bus to return home. This route requires approximately 39 minutes to operate, and one bus would be used to provide service every half hour. This route would be scheduled to provide direct bus to bus connections at the Transit Plaza with Route 2 and the revised Route 8. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 10

17 ` Miles I Shelton Ln Figure 3 Routes 2 and 8 Revision Scenario Craig Ln Aldridge Rd Rice Ln Vaca Valley Pky Piper Dr Akerly Dr Ellsworth Rd Quinn Rd Kilkenny Rd ` Cessna Dr Monte Vista Ave 505 Grassland Dr Akerly Dr Orange Dr Walnut Rd Poplar Rd Maple Rd ` ` Gibson Canyon Road Transit Plaza Æa Davis St. ` ` ` ` Brown St Elmira Rd 2 ` Browns Valley Pky Monte Vista Ave ` 4 ` ` Nut Tree Pky Ulatis Dr Nut Tree Rd Nut Tree Rd Transportation Center Æa St Vanden Rd Leisure Town Rd Elmira Rd Katleba Ln Hawkins Rd ` Alamo Rd Revised Route 2 Revised Route 8 New Hourly Southeast Route New North Tripper Route New South Tripper Route Expanded Service Area Existing Service Area Only Served by Tripper Peabody Rd ` Note: Routes 1, 4, 5 and 6 not shown Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 11

18 TABLE 4: Routes 2/8 Revision Scenario Example Schedules Revised Route 2 Revised Route 8 Transit Plaza 7:55 AM 8:25 AM Transit Plaza 7:55 AM 8:25 AM Hemlock/Stinson 7:58 AM 8:28 AM Davis St. PnR 7:57 AM 8:27 AM Food Fair (SB) 8:01 AM 8:31 AM Will C Wood HS 8:03 AM 8:33 AM Buck/Alamo Dr 8:06 AM 8:36 AM Shasta Dr / Aegean Way 8:07 AM 8:37 AM Merchant St/Alamo Dr 8:08 AM 8:38 AM Will C Wood HS 8:11 AM 8:41 AM Transit Plaza 8:13 AM 8:43 AM Brendan Theaters 8:16 AM 8:46 AM Transit Plaza 8:21 AM 8:51 AM North Peak Tripper South Peak Tripper Transportation Center 8:10 AM Transportation Center 8:00 AM Browns Valley/Tipperary 8:15 AM Aegean Way 8:03 AM Glen Eagle / Wrentham 8:19 AM Peabody Rd. / Beelard Dr. 8:08 AM Browns Valley Pkwy/Wrentham 8:23 AM 2018/19 Vanden Rd. / Marshall Rd. 8:16 AM 2018/19 Meadows Dr. / Rocky Hill Rd. 8:26 AM Bell Time Youngsdale Dr. / Morning Glory Dr. 8:24 AM Bell Time Transit Plaza/Vacaville HS 8:30 AM 8:40 AM Will C. Wood High School 8:30 AM 8:40 AM Orchard/Elder/Willis Jepsen MS 8:34 AM 9:00 AM Brenden Theaters 8:35 AM Transit Plaza 8:40 AM Orchard/Elder/Willis Jepsen MS 3:40 PM 3:32 PM Transit Plaza 3:32 PM Transit Plaza/Vacaville HS 3:50 PM 3:40 PM Davis St. Park & Ride 3:34 PM Meadows Dr. / Rocky Hill Rd. 3:54 PM Will C. Wood High School 3:40 PM 3:40 PM Browns Valley/Tipperary 3:57 PM Peabody Rd. / Beelard Dr. 3:45 PM Glen Eagle / Wrentham 4:01 PM Vanden Rd. / Marshall Rd. 3:53 PM Browns Valley Pkwy/Wrentham 4:05 PM Youngsdale Dr. / Morning Glory Dr. 4:01 PM Transportation Center 4:10 PM 99 Cent Store/Peabody 4:07 PM Elmira Road/Allison Dr. 4:10 PM Transportation Center 4:13 PM South Hourly Transportation Center Aegean Way Peabody/Beelard Vanden/Marshall Vanden/Cogburn Youngsdale/Morning Glory Peabody/Marshall Elmira/Allison Transportation Center 8:00 AM 8:03 AM 8:08 AM 8:13 AM 8:20 AM 8:28 AM 8:37 AM 8:40 AM 8:43 AM Reduction of Route 8. The revised route would connect the Transit Plaza with the Will C. Wood High School and Peabody/Elmira/Aegean area, as shown in Figure 3. It would operate along the existing Route 8 between the Transit Plaza and the Peabody/Marshall intersection, and then operate a loop along Shasta Drive, Aegean Way and Peabody Road before returning to the Transit Plaza. One bus would be used to operate this route every half hour, timed to provide direct connections with Routes 2 and 6 at the Transit Plaza. The eliminated segment would be largely served by the new Southeast Route. New Southeast route, also operated once per hour. This would follow the existing Route 8 alignment (in both directions) between the Transportation Center and the Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 12

19 New Southeast route, also operated once per hour. This would follow the existing Route 8 alignment (in both directions) between the Transportation Center and the Peabody/Beelard Drive intersection. It would then operate a large one way clockwise loop (focusing on Marshall Road, Vanden Road, Cogburn Road, Nut Tree Road, Foxboro Parkway, Peabody Road and Beelard Drive). This route would serve both existing development as well as areas scheduled for development in the near term. It would require approximately 43 minutes to operate, once per hour. 2 Note that the existing additional tripper runs on the current routes would continue to be operated (on Route 2, 5 and 8) to provide peak capacity. An analysis of the impact on overall service quantities, costs and bus requirements is shown in Table 5. As indicated, overall vehicle hours would be reduced by almost 3,800 per year, while mileage would be reduced by 76,500 per year. The overall operating cost would be reduced by an estimated $140,100 per year. The peak number of buses needed to operate the service would be reduced to five from the existing six. The impacts on ridership consist of the following: The Southeast Route would serve an extensive new area that currently includes approximately 2,120 homes not currently within a quarter mile walk of a bus stop, such as along Foxboro Parkway, Cogburn Way, and the neighborhoods north and south of Alamo Drive east of roughly Meadowlark Drive. However, service to other homes totaling approximately 620 (along Youngsdale Drive and Nut Tree Road between Youngsdale Drive and Needham Drive) would be limited to school trippers only. On balance, the number of Vacaville homes served by City Coach would be increased by 1,500. Applying a per unit trip rate based on observed ridership rates in southeast Vacaville, this would increase ridership by an estimated 11,500 boardings per year. The newly served neighborhood north of Vacaville High School consists of 980 additional residences as well as St. Mary s Catholic Church, Community Presbyterian Church, and Hemlock Elementary School. This neighborhood is of relatively modest means (13 percent below poverty, compared with a citywide average of 10 percent), and has a relatively high proportion of residents that are youths or have a disability. The route could also serve stops a block east of William Jepson Middle School, serving students at additional times other than the school tripper service. Based on observed ridership and the demographics, service to this area would increase ridership by 17,700 per year. 2 An hourly route serving Browns Valley from the Transportation Center was also considered. However, setting aside the student ridership that would be served by the North Tripper, the existing ridership generated in this area indicates that this route would serve only 2 passenger trips per run. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 13

20 TABLE 5: Routes 2/8 Revision Scenario Service Quantity Analysis Run Parameters Weekday Service Weekend Service Annual Annual Hours Miles Runs Hours Miles Runs Hours Miles Hours Miles Cost Peak Buses EXISTING Existing Route ,365 98,837 $252,000 2 Existing Route 2 Trippers ,831 $12,300 1 Existing Route ,241 96,442 $247,400 2 Existing Route 8 Trippers ,398 $6,200 1 Total 15, ,508 $517,900 6 POTENTIAL SCENARIO North Peak Tripper ,022 $10,300 1 Southeast Peak Tripper ,492 $7,600 1 South Hourly Route ,558 40,205 $118,600 1 Truncated Route ,683 33,879 $119,600 1 Truncated Route ,620 43,443 $121,700 1 Total 11, ,041 $377,800 5 Net 3,781 76, ,100 1 The elimination of service in Browns Valley (other than the tripper service) would reduce ridership by an estimated 9,500 passenger per year, based on an elasticity analysis. Similarly, existing passengers along the southeast portion of Route 8 that would be impacted by the reduction in frequency from half hourly to hourly would result in a loss of 4,200 passengers per year. On total, this route revision scenario would increase overall ridership by an estimated 11,300 per year, equal to an 8 percent increase over current Route 2 and Route 8 total ridership. In sum, this scenario provides the following benefits: It tailors services in Browns Valley and southeast Vacaville to better match the existing demand levels. It provides service to a new area in northwest Vacaville (north of Vacaville High School) and provides more convenient service in southwestern Vacaville. It provides flexibility to service newly developing areas in southeast Vacaville (Vanden Meadows, Roberts Ranch, etc.) as well as in northern Browns Valley. Significantly, it allow the tripper service to be modified to best serve student needs (not tied to regularly scheduled routes) and to allow future modifications that do not impact Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 14

21 the non tripper routes. Browns Valley residents, for example, would be provided with direct service to Vacaville High School, avoiding the need to travel through the Transportation Center. This reduces in vehicle travel times by roughly 20 minutes. Southeast Vacaville residents along the existing Route 8 south of Marshall Road would be provided with direct two way service to and from the Transportation Center, rather than the current arrangement of one way service through the Transit Plaza. This would reduce in vehicle travel times. A significant (8 percent), with a substantial reduction in operating costs. Disadvantages are: Loss of service to the Browns Valley area, other than the tripper service. However, serving this area would require operation of an additional bus, and would serve less than two passengers per run. Loss of service to a small area in southeast Vacaville (focused on Youngsdale Drive) other than tripper service. However, this area only generates 11 daily passenger trips, and the majority of passengers affected would still be within a 5 minute walk of a stop. Elimination of service to the Vacaville Museum stop on Buck Avenue. This stop only services four passengers per day, however, and service is available nearby on Cernon Street on three other routes. Lower service frequency in southeast Vacaville and in Browns Valley, outside of school times. Commercial Core Circulator Under this option a new route would be established that simply circulates in a clockwise loop around the outlets commercial core area, encompassing Nut Tree Village, Vacaville Premium Outlets 1 and 2, Vaca Commons, Meridian Plaza, and the Transportation Center. This route would be identical to the eastern end of existing Route 6, closing the loop with a segment on Allison Drive from the Transportation Center north to East Monte Vista Avenue. This loop is 3.5 miles in length, and requires approximately 15 minutes to operate. Including some driver recovery/layover time, this route could be operated once every 20 minutes with one vehicle, or every 10 minutes with two vehicles. A 10 minute headway is particularly important, as studies show that this level of frequency allows the passenger to throw away the schedule and stop being concerned about making transfers, as they know that a bus will be along shortly. If implemented, this circulator route would allow Routes 5 and 6 to be revised to shorten the routes and reduce running times. Route 5 could be realigned to simply travel along Ulatis Drive between Allison Drive and Nut Tree Road, while Route 6 could be realigned to simply use Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 15

22 Allison Drive between the Transportation Center and Monte Vista Avenue. The greatest advantage of this alternative would that it would dramatically improve the on time performance on Route 5 and 6, which are the two poorest routes regarding schedule reliability. Much of the delays on these routes occur in the commercial zone that would be served instead by the Circulator. Route 5 round trip running time would be reduced by an estimated 6 minutes, while Route 6 running time would be reduced by an estimate 13 minutes. However, two buses would still be needed to operate each of these bus routes on a half hourly basis. As a result, costs savings on the existing routes would be minimal (limited to mileage related costs only). The additional Circulator Route would include approximately $200,000 in additional operating costs (depending on the specific hours of 20 minute vs. 10 minute headway service). The potential of this option to generate additional ridership is limited. Experience in other similar commercial centers indicates that the majority of shoppers making multiple stops prefer to use their car both to save time, as well as to store purchases between store visits. While one potential source of new ridership is often thought to be retail employees on their lunch break, the time required to use transit to and from a lunch destination and the limited break time available means that few employees make use of a shuttle on a regular basis. Ridership would therefore be largely limited to transit riders arriving on the existing routes, who would need to transfer. Because of this, few commercial circulators in other communities have proven to be successful. Those that are typically also connect commercial properties with large high density housing, a rail station, or other major transit trip generator. Given the high cost and poor ridership potential, this alternative is not considered further. Service to the New Vacaville/Fairfield Train Station A new Fairfield/Vacaville rail station recently opened along the Capital Corridor 2 miles south of Vacaville on Peabody Road. There are several factors that should be considered in providing fixed route service to the Train Station: There is not excess time available on an existing route to simply extend service. A new route would need to be operated from the Transportation Center. If operated over the current City Coach span of service, this route would incur an operating cost of approximately $130,000 per year. To provide good connections to other City Coach routes, a new train station route would best be provided on an hourly headway. However, the rail service times at the train station vary substantially, precluding the ability to schedule the bus service to provide convenient transfers between the bus and rail service. This would reduce the attractiveness of the bus service. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 16

23 Many of the train service times are not within the current City Coach service times. On weekdays, 4 of the arrivals in each direction occur outside of the current span of service, while only 6 of the 11 weekend train arrival times are served on Saturdays and none are served on Sundays. There may be other non fixed route options to provide access between Vacaville and the new rail station, such as subsidization of Transportation Network Company service (such as Lyft or Uber) to and from the Transportation Center. This would be much more cost effective than operating fixed route service, and could also be more convenient to the passenger in that service could be scheduled to better match rail arrivals and departures. Service Schedule Alternatives Reduction to Hourly Headways on Existing Routes A relatively straightforward way of improving the productivity of the fixed route service is to reduce service frequency (without revising routes). While all routes other than hourly Route 1 currently provide half hourly service on a consistent basis, a review of current ridership indicates three potential candidates for reduction to hourly service in that they serve relatively low numbers of passengers per vehicle hour: Routes 2, 4 and 8. Under this alternative, the runs departing at the bottom of the hour from the Transportation Center (on both weekdays and Saturdays) would no longer be operated. A 6:00 PM run would be added on Route 8 to avoid having the last run depart at 5:00 PM. The remaining runs departing at the top of the hour would continue to include the existing peak school ridership periods on Routes 2 and 8, though the shift in bell times will modify this; to be conservative, two additional school day tripper runs are assumed on these routes. The impact on annual operating quantities and costs for each of the three routes is shown in Table 3. Costs would be reduced by $63,700 per year for Route 4, by $104,100 for Route 8, and by $113,700 for Route 2. The impact on ridership can best be estimated by conducting an elasticity analysis. Elasticity analysis is a standard means of assessing the ridership impact of a change in existing service. Based upon the principals of microeconomics, it considered the proportionate change in ridership compared with the proportionate chance in service or fare factor (in this case, the service frequency), as observed in similar transit services that have observed ridership changes associated with changes in the service factor in the past. Applying this methodology to the existing ridership on each route (and adjusting for the peak school tripper service that would be provided), these service alternatives would reduce ridership by 15,300 boardings per year on Route 2, 9,500 per year on Route 4, and 14,600 per year on Route 8. Applying the average fare revenue per passenger boarding for each route, the impact on fare revenues can be estimated. Subtracting this loss of fare revenue, the net impact of these service frequency reductions would be to reduce total City Coach subsidy requirements by $106,500 for Route 2, $58,900 for Route 4, and $96,800 for Route 8. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 17

24 Reduction in Service Frequency on Saturdays City Coach ridership on Saturday is only 38 percent of average weekday ridership. This percentage is particularly low on Routes 2 (26 percent), Route 4 (28 percent) and Route 8 (24 percent). While the span of service on Saturday is shorter by 2 to 3 hours, service levels on Saturday (as measured in vehicle miles of service per day) are only 20 percent lower than on weekdays. As a result, the productivity of Saturday service is roughly half that of weekday service. An option would be to reduce service frequency on Saturday to hourly. A truncated version of Route 1 (terminating at Leisure Town Hall) requiring a half hour would be operated opposite Route 4 on an hourly basis. One additional run would be operated departing at 6:00 PM on Routes 2, 4, 6 and 8, in order to avoid a last departure at 5:00 PM. This would also have the advantage of providing a consistent end of the service days on Mondays through Saturdays, which is easier for passengers to remember. This option would reduce operating costs by $16,600 to $19,900 per route, for a total reduction of $88,900 if all existing half hourly routes were to be reduced. Ridership impacts would vary depending on current Saturday ridership, ranging from a reduction of 500 annual riders on Route 4 to 3,000 annual riders on Route 5, totaling 8,300 annual riders if all routes were to be reduced. If Routes 2, 4 and 8 were reduced to hourly (maintaining half hourly service on the busier Routes 5 and 6), costs would be reduced by $51,700 per year, while ridership would be reduced by a relatively low 2,500 per year. Reductions in Service Frequency on Route 2 and/or Route 8 in Summer At present, scheduled (non tripper) City Coach services operate year round at the same levels, even though ridership is substantially lower in the summer. In the least busy month (July) total fixed route ridership is 30 percent below the average during the school year. Two routes in particular have substantially lower ridership in June and July than in the remainder of the year: Route 2 (56 percent lower) and Route 8 (41 percent lower). These routes could be reduced to hourly headways during the summer (over the nine weeks from the end of the school year in the first week of June to the beginning of the school year in mid August). This would reduce operating costs by $21,900 per year on Route 2 and $21,600 on Route 8. Ridership would be reduced by 1,900 passenger trips on Route 2 and by 2,500 on Route 8. Many of the key trips on these routes would still be provided with half hourly service on remaining routes, such as by Route 5 and Route 6. Revisions to Schedules to Better Serve New School Bell Times The current schedules for those City Coach runs providing significant service to the Middle Schools and High Schools were compared with the planned new bell times. Without revisions, Route 2 service would serve the new bell times as follows: Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 18

25 Morning service to Vacaville High School (bell time at 8:40 AM) would be served by the Route 2 8:10 AM arrival at the Transit Plaza, requiring a half hour wait before classes. The morning bell time at Jepson Middle School (9:00 AM) would be served by the 8:48 arrival at Jepson/Elder Street, which works well. The afternoon Vacaville High School bell time (3:40 PM) would be well served by the 3:52 PM departure from the Transit Plaza The 3:48 PM Route 2 service time at Jepson Middle School works well with the planned 3:40 PM afternoon bell time. Shifting Route 2 by 15 minutes would better serve the High School in the morning, but would make other connections worse. Route 5 northbound service at 8:31 AM and 9:01 AM at the stop adjacent to Vaca Pena Middle School does not serve the 9:00 AM bell time well, and is an argument for shifting the Route 5 schedule to depart at the top and the bottom of the hour. This would also serve the Transit Plaza at the top and the bottom of the hour, working reasonably well with the Vacaville High School bell times at 40 minutes past the hour. The current Route 6 schedule serves the Transit Plaza at 25 and 54 minutes pas the hour. This also works well with the Vacaville High School bell times at 40 minute past the hour. The key times for Route 8 service are the southbound stop on Peabody Road at Sandpiper (6 and 36 past the hour), the northwestbound arrival at Will C. Wood High School after operating the southeast loop (top and bottom of the hour) and the eastbound arrival at Will C. Wood High School (8 and 48 after the hour). Compared with the planned bell times at 40 past the hour, the current schedule does not provide sufficient time for students arriving in the morning from the Transportation Center to walk to classes from Peabody/Sandpiper. However, shifting the schedule would create other problems for students living in southeast Vacaville or west of the campus. This issue should be revisited after decisions regarding route modifications are made. Revise the Route 1 Schedule to Address Operating Early To better serve the Leisure Town area, Route 1 operates as a mix of fixed route service and the Leisure Town Connect Call and Ride service. As a result, the vehicle often spends time in the Leisure Town area making stops at individual homes. This is reflected in the published schedule. However, if no deviation requests are made, the driver is often ahead of schedule, resulting in 55 percent of the observed timepoints served ahead of the published schedule. If no other modifications are made to Route 1, the published schedule should be modified to assume that there are no deviation calls. This would address the common pattern of operating to the scheduled stops ahead of schedule. Specifically, the following minutes past the hour are recommended: Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 19

26 Transportation Center :00 Ulatis Cultural Center :03 Burton Dr./ Helen Dr./ Wal Mart :06 Yellowstone Dr./Nut Tree Road :09 Yellowstone Dr./Sequoia Dr. :13 Kaiser Hospital :30 Yellowstone Dr./Sequoia Dr. :34 Yellowstone Dr./Nut Tree Road :41 Burton Dr./ Helen Dr./ Wal Mart :44 Ulatis Cultural Center :46 Transportation Center :49 In addition, the schedule should include a note for this route indicating Stops between the Transportation Center and Kaiser Hospital can operate up to 10 minutes later than shown. Revisions in the Outlets Area to Reduce Running Times on Route 5 and Route 6 Route 5 is the most problematic route with regards to on time performance, operating more than 5 minutes late 19 percent of the time on weekdays and 21 percent of the time on Saturdays. Route 6 also has poor on time performance, operating late on 16 percent of weekday runs and a full 42 percent of Saturday runs. With relatively high ridership, many passengers on other routes transfer to and from these buses. As a result, delays on Route 5 and 6 affect riders throughout the transit system. Much of the existing delay occurs in the busy Outlets area. One location of particular delay is the eastbound left turn from Burton Drive to Nut Tree Road on Route 6. As relatively point to point routes with strong ridership along the entire length, the only potential to reduce running time is in the Outlets area. Figure 4 presents a potential revision to routes in this area, as follows: Route 5 is revised to travel on Burton Drive and Ulatis, rather than on Helen Powers Drive, Nut Tree Parkway and Harbison Drive, in both directions. This would reduce the route length by 0.6 miles, and reduce the time required to operate a round trip by approximately 5 minutes. Route 6 is revised to travel on Nut Tree Parkway between Nut Tree Road and Helen Powers Drive in both directions, rather than the longer existing route via Hele Powers Drive, Burton Drive and Nut Tree Road. New eastbound stops would be established on Nut Tree Parkway just east of Helen Powers Drive and just east of the main entrance to the Express Factory Outlet, while a new westbound stop would be established just west Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 20

27 Ulatis Dr Lemon Tree Cir Orange Dr b b b b Nut Tree Rd Nut Tree Pky Ponderosa Dr Yellowstone Dr Burton Dr b b b b b b b b b Harbison Dr b Stanford St b b Miles Browns Valley Pky Existing Route 1 Revised Route 1 Existing Route 5 Revised Route 5 Existing Route 6 Revised Route 6 80 Allison Dr Transportation Center I1 I Figure 4 Outlet Area Route Revisions to Improve On Time Performance Service Layer Credits: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, MapmyIndia, OpenStree community Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 21 Monte Vista Ave

28 of Nut Tree Road. This would save approximately 1 mile and 5 minutes of running time on every round trip. Route 1 would be revised to travel via the existing Route 5/6 route between Walmart and the Transportation Center, using Helen Power Drive, Nut Tree Parkway and Harbison Drive. While this would add approximately 5 minutes to the running time, there is adequate time available to do this. As the stops on Route 5 serving Walmart would use the existing stops on Burton Drive just west of Helen Powers Drive (rather than the existing stop on Helen Powers Drive), there would be a need for a shelter at the eastbound stop on Burton Drive. Over the course of a year, this modification would reduce the mileage operated by City Coach buses by 9,500, yielding a cost savings of $3,900. Some passengers would be required to walk further to their destination in the Outlet area, or to travel first to the Transportation Center to transfer to a bus serving a stop closer to their destination. On the other hand, existing passengers traveling through the Outlets area simply to reach the Transportation Center would benefit from reduced travel times. In addition, a large majority of passengers would benefit from significantly improved on time performance resulting from Routes 5 and 6. Overall, this modification would probably result in a slight increase in ridership. As an aside, another options was considered to revise Route 6 outbound to turn right on Allison, right on Nut Tree Pkwy, right on Harbison, left on Ulatis, left on Burton, left on Helen Power, right on Nut Tree Pkwy, and left on Nut Tree Rd. While this would eliminate the uncontrolled left turn from Burton onto Nut Tree Road (which is a source of delay), it would add 0.4 miles of overall one way route length, resulting in a longer overall travel time. It would also miss the existing stops near Burton Drive/Nut Tree Road. Span of Service Alternatives The following alternatives would change the City Coach span of service the days and hours that services are operated. Extension of Weekday Service by One Additional Evening Hour The last run of the day currently occurs as early as 5:00 PM (on Route 1), with the latest last run occurring at 6:15 PM on Route 5. Given that approximately one third of City Coach passengers transfer between routes, for many passengers the last departure time to make a specific trip occurs even earlier. In surveys, the single greatest request for improvements is for later evening service, with 45 percent indicating it is their highest preference. A relatively straightforward and inexpensive option would be to simply extend the current service schedule by an additional hour. As shown in Table 3, this would increase annual operating costs by $51,200 per year, if implemented over all routes. The additional ridership can be estimated by reviewing hourly ridership patterns for similar transit systems (Woodland Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 22

29 and Roseville), and applying these factors to existing City Coach ridership (adjusted to eliminate student trips). Considering that some of the ridership in the additional hour would consist of persons also making additional trips earlier in the day, this alternative applied to all routes would increase annual ridership by 16,300 per year. By route, the additional ridership ranges from 5,200 on Route 5 to 600 on Route 1. Subtracting the additional fare revenue, the net impact on overall annual operating subsidy would be $41,900 per year. Extension of Weekday Service until 9 PM on Hourly Headways Another option for extended evening service would be to operate a lower level of service until roughly 9 PM. For Routes 2, 5, 6 and 8 (operated every half hour using two buses each), service would be operated hourly using one bus. Given the lower ridership levels in the evening, Route 1 could be operated in a half hour (dropping service to Kaiser), allowing one vehicle to operate between Routes 1 and 4. Overall, the following additional runs would be operated: Route 1: 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM Route 2: Extension of the existing short 6:00 PM run, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM Route 4: 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM, 8:30 PM Route 5: Extension of the existing short 6:15 PM run, 7:15 PM, 8:15 PM Route 6: Extension of the existing short 6:00 PM run, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM Route 8: 6:00 PM, 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM Key transfer times would occur at the Transportation Center at the top of the hour. One disadvantage would be that good connections to Route 4 would not be provided, requiring up to a 46 minute wait. Including additional dispatch costs, this improvement would increase annual operating costs by $116,800 per year, if implemented over all routes. In addition, a minimum of one Paratransit vehicle would need to be available during the extended hours, which would incur a cost of approximately $25,300 per year, for a total cost of $164,500. Ridership (considering both the additional ridership associated with extension into the evening and the lower ridership of the less frequent service) would be 37,800, with the greatest proportion (12,000) on Route 5. Subtracting the addition of $25,600 in fare revenue, the operating subsidy would be $138,900. Sunday Service City Coach currently does not offer service on Sundays. In surveys, 18 percent of City Coach riders indicate that service on Sunday would be their first preference for an improvement in service (the second most requested improvement). Attending worship services is often cited as a reason for this service. Ridership demand for similar transit systems that offer Sunday service is lower than on Saturday. For instance, Yolobus ridership in Woodland ridership per vehiclehour of service on Sunday is 84% of Saturday, while ridership in San Luis Obispo on Sunday is 85% of Saturday. As a result, Sunday service levels are typically lower than on Saturdays. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 23

30 A reasonable operating plan for City Coach Sunday service would be to operate hourly from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Route 1 (dropping Kaiser service) would be operated on a half hourly route paired with Route 4 hourly service. One DAR vehicle would also need to be in operation over the additional hours of fixed route service. In addition, Sunday service incurs additional cost, as dispatchers need to be provided. Over the course of a year, Sunday service would incur a total operating cost of $110,500. Ridership, based upon City Coach Saturday ridership, the observed ratio of Sunday to Saturday ridership in other systems and the change in service frequency, is estimated to be 21,100 passenger trips per year (with the highest ridership on Routes 5 and 6). Subtracting the increase in fare revenues, the total operating subsidy impact of Sunday service would be an increase of $92,700 per year. Comparison of Alternatives and Performance Analysis A review of Table 3 reflects the wide variation in the impacts of the various alternatives on City Coach annual ridership. As also shown in Figure 4, these range from an increase of 37,800 (for evening service until 9:00 PM) and 21,100 (for Sunday service) to a reduction of 15,300 (for reduction in Route 2 to hourly headways). Other alternatives with relatively high potential to increase ridership are one additional hour of evening service (16,300) and the Route 2/8 modifications. The operating subsidy impacts also vary widely, as shown in Figure 5. The most costly options would be evening service until 9:00 PM ($138,900 per year). On the other hand, reducing Route 2 service to hourly would save $106,500 annually and changes to Routes 2 and 8 would save $145,600. Table 3 also indicates that the impact of the service alternatives on the required transit fleet size is modest. None of the alternatives would increase the number of buses in operation at peak times (though many would extend the hours of operation of the existing fleet), while the Route 2 / 8 modification and the reduction in Route 2 and Route 8 service frequency to hourly would reduce the peak number of buses in operation (by one apiece). Alternatives Performance Analysis An analysis of the performance of the service alternatives is presented in Table 6. This considers the following key transit service performance measures. Passenger Trips per Vehicle Hour The marginal passenger trips per vehicle hour is a key measure of the productivity of a transit service. Note that the Route 4 revision does not result in a change in vehicle hours, making this measure inapplicable. As shown in Table 6, and as also depicted in Figure 6, the Route 2 / 8 revision yields a negative number, due to a positive ridership change and a reduction in vehiclehours (a desired result). Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 24

31 FIGURE 5: Impact of Alternatives on Annual Operating Subsidy $300,000 $100,000 $100,000 Route 4 Revisions Scenario $500 Routes 2/8 Revisions Scenario $145,500 Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly $106,500 Reduce Rt 4 Frequency to Hourly $58,900 Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly $96,800 Reduce Rt 2 to Hourly Saturday Only $17,100 Reduce Rt 4 to Hourly Saturday Only $16,300 Reduce Rt 5 to Hourly Saturday Only $17,900 Reduce Rt 6 to Hourly Saturday Only $15,700 Reduce Rt 8 to Hourly Saturday Only $17,000 Reduce Rt 2 Summer Freq. to Hourly $21,000 Reduce Rt 8 Summer Freq. to Hourly $20,400 Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour $41,900 Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM $138,900 Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM $92,700 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 25

32 TABLE 6: Transit Service Alternatives Performance Analysis Psgr Trips per Service Hour Psgr Trips per Service Mile Cost per Psgr Trip Subsidy per Psgr Trip Farebox Ratio Performance Standard < $5.00 No Standard 20% Route 4 Revisions Scenario 1.27 $0.32 $ % Routes 2/8 Revisions Scenario $12.40 $ % Reduce Weekday & Saturday Service to Hourly Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly $7.43 $ % Reduce Rt 4 Frequency to Hourly $6.71 $ % Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly $7.13 $ % Total of 3 Routes $7.14 $ % Reduce Saturday Service to Hourly Reduce Rt 2 to Hourly Saturday Only $17.60 $ % Reduce Rt 4 to Hourly Saturday Only $33.20 $ % Reduce Rt 5 to Hourly Saturday Only $6.63 $ % Reduce Rt 6 to Hourly Saturday Only $6.18 $ % Reduce Rt 8 to Hourly Saturday Only $17.50 $ % Reduce All Routes to Hourly Sat Only $9.78 $ % Reduce Summer Service to Hourly Reduce Rt 2 Summer Frequency to Hourly $11.53 $ % Reduce Rt 8 Summer Frequency to Hourly $8.64 $ % Total of 2 Routes $9.89 $ % Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour Route $13.67 $ % Route $3.86 $ % Route $5.93 $ % Route $1.67 $ % Route $2.10 $ % Route $3.04 $ % Total $3.14 $ % Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM Route $8.12 $ % Route $4.44 $ % Route $4.19 $ % Route $1.82 $ % Route $2.44 $ % Route $4.25 $ % Total (Includes Additional DAR and Dispatch) $4.35 $ % Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Values Achieving Performance Standards Shaded Route $7.08 $ % Route $7.48 $ % Route $7.45 $ % Route $2.48 $ % Route $2.63 $ % Route $7.14 $ % Total (Includes Additional DAR and Dispatch) $5.24 $ % Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 26

33 FIGURE 6: Service Alternatives Passenger Trips per Vehicle Hour Routes 2/8 Revisions Scenario 3.0 Increase Ridership Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly 4.6 Reduce Rt 4 Frequency to Hourly 5.3 Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly 4.8 Reduce Rt 2 to Hourly Saturday Only 1.9 Reduce Rt 4 to Hourly Saturday Only Reduce Rt 5 to Hourly Saturday Only Reduce Ridership Reduce Rt 6 to Hourly Saturday Only 5.5 Reduce Rt 8 to Hourly Saturday Only 1.9 Reduce Rt 2 Summer Freq. to Hourly 3.0 Reduce Rt 8 Summer Freq. to Hourly 4.0 Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Increase Ridership Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 27

34 Of the other alternatives, some yield a positive value resulting from a reduction in ridership divided by a reduction in vehicle hours. In these cases, a low figure is preferred in that it reflects a relatively low loss in ridership for every vehicle hour saved. For instance, reducing Route 8 to hourly frequency on Saturday only reduces ridership by 1.9 for every hour of service saved. Other alternatives showing a positive value reflect an increase in ridership divided by an increase in vehicle hours. In this case, a larger value reflects a better alternative as it indicates higher ridership for every additional vehicle hour operated. Extending Route 5 service by one additional hour is the best of these alternatives, generating 20.9 additional passengertrips (including additional boardings during the current hours of service) for every additional vehicle hour of service. City Coach has an adopted standard 3 of a minimum of 12.0 passenger trips per vehicle hour of service. An alternative is considered to achieve this standard if it increases vehicle hours and results in at least 12.0 additional passenger trips per hour, or if it reduces vehicle hours and results in a reduction in ridership of less than 12.0 passengers per hour. Those achieving this standard are shown in Table 5 in green shading. Passenger Trips per Vehicle Mile of Service This measure yields similar results as the previous measure. Again, positive values can be a result of either an increase in both passenger trips and vehicle miles or a decrease in both passenger trips and vehicle miles. The Route 4 alternative yields a value for this measure (as it results in a change in annual vehicle miles) equal to 1.27 passenger trips per vehicle mile. Those alternatives achieving the adopted standard of 1.00 passenger trips per vehicle mile are shaded. Cost Per Passenger Trip The operating cost per passenger trip yields a negative value for the Route 2 / 8 alternative, reflecting an increase in ridership over a decrease in costs. Of those alternatives resulting in both a decrease in ridership and costs, the best is the reduction in Route 4 service on Saturdays, as it saves $33.20 in costs for every passenger trip eliminated. The other reductions in Saturday service frequency as well as the reductions in summer service also rank relatively well by this measure. Of those that increase both costs and ridership, the best alternative is the modification to Route 4, which requires only $0.32 in costs for every additional passengertrip. The alternatives achieving the performance standard of $5.00 per passenger trip (requiring less than $5.00 for every additional passenger trip, or generating more than $5.00 in savings for every passenger trip eliminated) are shown in shading. These figures are also shown in Figure 7. 3 Per the 2015 Short Range Transit Plan Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 28

35 FIGURE 7: Service Alternative Cost per Passenger Trip $20.00 $0.00 $20.00 $40.00 Route 4 Revisions Scenario Routes 2/8 Revisions Scenario $0.32 $12.40 Increase Riderhisip Reduce Rt 2 Frequency to Hourly $7.43 Reduce Rt 4 Frequency to Hourly $6.71 Reduce Rt 8 Frequency to Hourly $7.13 Reduce Rt 2 to Hourly Saturday Only $17.60 Reduce Rt 4 to Hourly Saturday Only Reduce Rt 5 to Hourly Saturday Only Reduce Ridership $6.63 $33.20 Reduce Rt 6 to Hourly Saturday Only $6.18 Reduce Rt 8 to Hourly Saturday Only $17.50 Reduce Rt 2 Summer Freq. to Hourly $11.53 Reduce Rt 8 Summer Freq. to Hourly $8.64 Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Increase Ridership $3.14 $4.35 $5.24 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 29

36 Subsidy per Passenger Trip This measure directly relates the key public input (funding) to the key desired output (ridership). The results exhibit the same pattern as the previous performance measure. The best of those alternatives that increase ridership is the Route 2 / 8 modifications which saves $12.88 per passenger trip added, followed by the Route 4 revision (saving $0.18 per passenger trip added) and Route 5 additional hour of evening service which requires a relatively low $1.00 of subsidy per additional passenger trip. Of those reducing subsidy requirements, the best is the reduction in Route 4 Saturday service frequency, which saves $32.60 for every passengertrip lost. There is no adopted standard for this performance measure. Marginal Farebox Return Ratio This is the ratio of marginal passenger fares to marginal operating costs. The negative value for the Routes 2 / 8 revision reflects a positive condition, in that fares increase while operating costs decrease. Of those alternatives increasing ridership as well as costs, the better alternatives as reflected by a higher farebox ratio, including the Routes 4 revision (156 percent), followed by evening service on Routes 5 and 6 and Sunday service on Route 5 and 6. Those alternatives achieving the standard of 20 percent (either adding service that exceeds this value or eliminating existing service that is less than this standard) are shown in shading. Ridership Versus Subsidy Impacts Another means of comparing the service alternatives is to graph the two key impacts of each: the change in annual ridership and the change in annual subsidy requirements. As shown in Figure 8, each of the service alternatives were plotted with the impact on annual operating subsidy on the X axis versus the impact on annual ridership on the Y axis. The two alternatives falling in the upper left quadrant (the Route 2 / 8 modification and the Route 4 modification) represents the best outcome, in that ridership increases while operating subsidy decreases. Those falling in the upper right quadrant represent alternatives that increase ridership while increasing subsidies, while those in the lower left represent subsidy savings that result in a loss of ridership. Summary In sum, this review provides useful information for making decisions regarding the individual routes, and ultimately the City Coach network as a whole. The appropriate alternatives to work into the overall plan will depend on the relative balance between the desire for ridership growth and the financial realities of available operating funding. It is also important to consider that there are many other factors (in particular, the ability to provide a dependable and safe transit service) beyond these financial and performance measures. Nonetheless, the following are key overall findings that result from this evaluation: The Routes 2 / 8 revisions are a clear benefit with regards to overall ridership, in that they result in a substantial increase in ridership (an 8 percent increase over the current sum for Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 30

37 these two routes), while also yielding a reduction in subsidy requirements. The revisions also expand the area of transit service. The Route 4 revisions also would generate a net benefit, providing an 8 percent increase in ridership at a negligible impact in subsidy requirements. This option also provides the benefit of expanding the area of transit service. Of the other modifications that increase ridership, the most effective is extending the weekday span of service by one additional hour, which provides a relatively high 10.9 passengers per vehicle hour at a relatively low cost of $3.14 per additional passenger trip (if implemented system wide). The least effective of these alternatives (system wide) is the provision of Sunday service. Among the alternatives increasing the span of service, Routes 5 and 6 are substantially more effective than improvements to the other routes. A potential option would be to extend the span of service (particularly weekday evening service) on these key routes only. Of those alternatives reducing service frequency, reducing Saturday service to hourly (system wide) and reducing weekday service in summer on Routes 2 and 8 both are relatively advantageous in that they yield substantial cost savings at a relatively low loss of ridership. Hourly service on Saturdays on Routes 2, 4, 6 and 8 could also be considered. It should also be noted that route realignments should be checked regarding actual running times before final decisions are made. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 32

38 FIGURE 8: Service Alternatives Annual Operating Subsidy Impact vs. Annual Ridership Impact 50,000 Best Alternatives Increase Ridership While Reducing Subsidy 40,000 30,000 20,000 Ridership Increasing Tradeoffs Increase Ridership But Increase Subsidies Sunday Service 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Extend Weekday Evening Service Until 9:00 PM Routes 2/8 Revisions Reduce Summer Frequency to 60 Minutes Monday to Saturday 10,000 Extend Weekday Evening Service by 1 Hour Route 4 Revisions Scenario <OPERATING SUBSIDY IMPACT > 0 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 Reduce Frequency from 30 to 60 Minutes Monday to Saturday Reduce Saturday Service to Hourly 10,000 < RIDERSHIP IMPACT > "Better" "Worse" Cost Saving Tradeoffs Reduce Subsidy But Reduce Ridership 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 31

39 Chapter 3 Capital Alternatives This chapter focuses on the bus stops served by City Coach. Each route was reviewed with respect to bus stop location, focusing on the spacing between stops. In addition, overall stop locations for the downtown areaa and the Outlets area were reviewed. The locations of shelters were reviewed, focusing on stops that that warrant a new shelter. Finally, the capacity of the two transit centers was reviewed. Bus Stop Spacing/Location Typical recommended bus stop spacing guidelines pertinent to the City Coach service area are as follows 4 : Urban areas (such as commercial or downtown areas) 500 to 1,200 feet, with a typical spacing of 750 feet. Suburban areas (such as residential areas) 600 to 2,500 feet, with a typical spacing of 1,000 feet. Stop spacing should also reflect the geography of the area. Locations adjacent to key transit generators can warrant additional stops. Long stretchess of suburban arterial streets without intersecting cross streets can result in longer distances between functional stops. In addition, the ability to install stops given physical constraints and safety consideration is often limited. Route 1 While the spacing between stops along Yellowstone Drive is relatively short (600 in some places), this is probably appropriate given the high proportion of elderly. Route 2 There is a long distance between the existing stops at Elmira/Shasta and Mason/Depot (3,400 feet). A stop on westbound Mason Streett or Elmira Street near Peabody Road would serve the surrounding commercial and residential area. A stop on northbound Cernan south of Buck Avenue would better serve downtown, and address the 2,400 distance between Elizabeth/Mason and the Transit Plaza. It is 3,400 feet between the stops on Alamo Drive at Big Lotss and at the Church of Latter Day Saints. A northbound stop near Edgewood Drive or Grandview Drive would benefit 4 Source: Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops, Transit Cooperativee Research Program Report 19. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 33

40 this residential area. Given the traffic volumes and the presence of four lanes on Alamo Drive, a pullout would not be required. A stop northbound on N. Alamo Drive south of W. Monte Vista Avenue would address the existing 3,200 between Alamo Creek Park stop and Food Fair stop. A stop eastbound on E. Monte Vista near McClellan St. is needed to address the 3,400 between Transit Plaza and Prime Time Nutrition. Route 4 A stop westbound on Orange Drive/Orange Tree Circle (western intersection) would address the 4,000 feet between DMV and Lawrence Drive. A stop could be placed at the clinic building at Kaiser Hospital, as this is unofficially used as a drop off location, and can confuse passengers when they wish to return to the bus. This stop is 1,300 from the front entrance stop. Route 5 Bus stop spacing along southbound Nut Tree Road between Marshall Road and Alamo Road would be improved if the existing stop at Bel Air were removed and replaced with new stops at Stirling Drive and Woodbridge Drive. This would reduce the existing maximum distance between stops from the current 2,300 feet to a maximum of 1,500 feet. Route 6 A stop westbound on E. Monte Vista Avenue at Vine Street would address the 2,600 feet between the stop at Lucky s and the Transit Plaza. Route 8 A stop westbound on Alamo Drive near Bedford Way is needed to address the 3,400 feet between Vanden/Harvest and Alamo / Nut Tree. A stop northbound on Peabody Road near Caldwell Drive would address the 3,000 feet between Morning Glory Drive / Larkspur Drive and Peabody / California Drive. A stop northbound on Peabody Road north of Marshall Road is needed to address the 2,500 feet between Will C. Wood High School and the Shell Station stop north of Hume Way. Finally, the northbound stop on Peabody south of Alamo (Taco Bell) could be removed as it is close to the stop at Lucky s and has low ridership. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 34

41 Bus Stops Serving the Outlets Area Figure 9 depicts the location of existing City Coach stops in the Outlets / Nut Tree commercial center. In general, stop locations are appropriate, and yield reasonable walk distances to and from all commercial properties. It is important to note that while providing more stops directly in front of additional commercial establishments could be convenient to passengers bound to and from the individual store, overall too many stops slows the operation of the routes for all passengers and adds to the existing on time performance challenges. Bus Stops Serving Downtown Vacaville As shown in Figure 10, there are only a few bus stops serving downtown Vacaville. While Routes 2, 5, 6 and 8 all service the Transit Plaza, this is a several block walk to and from the commercial core of downtown. While the Senior Center stop is closer to the commercial core, it is served only by Routes 5 and 8. Overall, the western portion of downtown (along with adjacent residential areas) would be better served if northbound and southbound stops were established along Cernon Street near Main Street. Shelters Based on the boarding counts conducted for this study and applying a standard of 10 or more boardings per day, new shelters are warranted at the following locations West side of N. Orchard Avenue at Food Fair West Side of Nut Tree Road at Vaca Pena Middles School. (Due to limited right of way, one or two half shelters that overhang the sidewalk may be appropriate). North side of Alamo Drive at Creekside Garden (Bel Air) Southwest side of Alamo Drive at Alamo Court South side of Alamo Drive at AM PM (Alamo Lane) South side of Alamo Drive at Mariposa Avenue South side of Alamo Drive at Walgreens (Peabody) East side of Brown St at Mobile Home Park East side of Brown St. at Bennett Hill Example of a Half Shelter Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 35

42 Harbison Dr I Figure Miles Outlets Area Bus Stops!( I!( O Browns Valley Pky Inbound Stops to the Transportation Center Outbound Stops from the Transportation Center 505 Route 1 Route 2 Route 5 Route 6 Route 8 Transportation Center!( I I!( I!( Allison Dr!(!( I O Nut Tree Pky!( O I!( 80 O!( I!( I!(!( O!( I!( O I!( O!(!( I Burton Dr I!( Orange Dr I!( O!(!( O I!(!( O!( O Nut Tree Rd O!( I!(!( O Ulatis Dr O!( Stanford St!( I Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 36

43 Williams St Parker St Dobbins St I Figure Miles Downtown Area Bus Stops!( I O!( Inbound Stops to the Transit Plaza Outbound Stops from the Transit Plaza Route 2 Route 8 Route 5 Route 8 Monte Vista Ave Virginia St Transit Plaza Chandler St Kendal St I!( Town Sq Cernon St!( I Buck Ave Main St 4 Trianon Way 2 Catherine St Peach Tree Ave Magnolia Ave West St Mason St Merchant St!( O I!( Davis St Luzena Ave!(!( I O Stevenson St Elizabeth St St Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 37

44 North side of Meadows Drive west of Rocky Hill Road West side of Peabody Road at Marshall Rd. North side of Marshall Road at Will C. Wood HS There are also several existing shelters along Yellowstone that are not warranted by passenger activity, such as at Glacier, Lassen, McKinley Olympic and Rainier. The shelter on the south side of Alamo at Marna (Route 5) is also not warranted, as well as the shelter on the east side of Nut Tree Road at Elmira Road (also Route 5). Transportation Center City Coach benefits from the modern Transportation Center, which is the key hub location in the system. This facility currently provides bus bays for up to 10 buses at one time. The current schedule provides up to five City Coach buses in active service at peak times, though if Route 5 is running late a sixth in service bus can be on site. In addition, up to two buses can be on site making vehicle or driver trade outs. In addition, FAST Route 30 and 40 buses are on site at the peak activity time several times a day, for a total of up to nine buses. The number of buses on site will depend on the service alternatives selected. The service alternative with the greatest potential impact is the Routes 2 / 8 modification, which could add one peak bus for the additional hourly routes, and a second peak bus for the tripper routes. This could potentially result in up to 11 buses at peak times, depending on specific scheduling. This issue should be revisited once service strategies are finalized. Provide a Pedestrian Path From the Transportation Center To Harbison Drive The Transportation Center is the single most transit accessible location in the City Coach service area. While it is physically close to (backs up with) the Vacaville Commons shopping area (including Target and Safeway) the shortest official pedestrian route via Allison Drive, Ulatis Drive and Harbison Drive requires a 0.4 mile walk. This could be replaced by a 300 yard walk if a pedestrian path were provided between the northeast corner of the park and ride lot and Harbison Drive (along the northern edge of the vacant parcel just to the east of the Transportation Center parcel). While three of the City Coach routes provide a transit connection between these stops, many passengers would find it more convenient to walk between these activity centers, particularly if they are traveling in or out of the area on another route. Transit Plaza The downtown Transit Plaza can accommodate up to five City Coach buses at a time. The current schedule typically results in two buses at peak times, though three buses are onsite at times when Route 5 is off schedule. Depending on the service alternatives selected, up to one Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 38

45 additional bus could be added (for the Route 2 / 8 modifications). This would still be within the bus capacity of the Transit Plaza. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 39

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47 Fare and Chapter 4 Marketing Alternatives Fare Alternatives Several fare alternatives were evaluated, as discussed below. A summary of the fares that would be charged in the various categories is presentedd as Table 7. TABLE 7: City Coach Fare Alternatives Fare Category Existing Raise All Fares Proportionately Fare Alternative Raise Single Free Ride Fares Only Transfers Eliminate Transfers Single Ride Adult Single Ride Youth Single Ride Senior Child Transfers Day Pass Adult Day Pass Senior/Disabled Half Month Pass Adult 30 Ride Senior/Disabled Monthly Pass Adult Monthly Pass Youth/ /College Monthly Pass Senior/Disabled $1.50 $1.25 $0.75 Free $0.15 $3.25 $2.00 $18.00 $19.00 $36.00 $21.00 $18.00 $1.75 $1.50 $0.85 Free $0.15 $3.75 $2.30 $21.00 $22.00 $42.00 $24.50 $21.00 $1.75 $1.50 $0.85 Free $0.15 $3.25 $2.00 $ $ $ $ $ $1. 50 $1. 25 $0. 75 Free Free $3. 25 $2. 00 $18.00 $19.00 $36.00 $21.00 $18.00 $1.50 $1.25 $0.75 Free $3.25 $2.00 $18.00 $19.00 $36.00 $21.00 $18.00 Increase Base Fare to $1.75 and Raise Other Fares Proportionately The appropriate base fare for a public transit program iss a balance between the goals of providing mobility to as many persons as possible and the need to generate farebox revenues. In particular, the California Transportation Development t Act, which provides much of the funding used to operate City Coach, also imposes requirements thatt a minimumm of 20 percent of operating costs are funded through fare revenues. City Coach is currently only slightly above this figure, which may necessitate either service reductions or fare increases. At $1.50, the base one way fare for the general public on City Coach is low in comparison with other similar systems. Base fares for other transit systems in the region are currently as follows: FAST (Fairfield And Suisun Transit) $1.75 Yolobus $2.25 SolTrans $1.75 Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 41

48 Sacramento RT $2.50 County Connection (Contra Costa County) $2.00 One option would be to increase the base adult general public fare to $1.75 (or 16.6 percent), and also raise other fare categories by roughly the same proportion (keeping in mind the need for senior/disabled fares to remain no more than 50 percent of the base fare). An elasticity analysis (based on the observed change in ridership resulting from past fare increases at similar transit systems) indicates that this would reduce annual City Coach fixed route ridership by an estimated 22,900 passenger trips per year. As shown in Table 8, this is equivalent to 5.3 percent of annual ridership. Considering both the increase in fare per passenger and the loss of passengers, revenues would be increased by $35,400 per year, or 11 percent. This would increase the overall farebox return ratio by approximately 1.6 percent. TABLE 8: Fare Alternative Impacts Values Achieving Performance Standards Shaded Alternative Existing Annual Passengers With Alternative # Change Fare Revenues % Change in Total Fixed Route Existing Alternative # Change % Change in Total Fixed Route Subsidy/ Psgr Raise All Fares (Base to $1.75) Raise 1 Way Fare Only Provide Free Transfers Eliminate Transfers 435, ,600 22, % $336,400 $371,800 $35,400 11% $ , ,100 5, % $131,659 $145,500 $13,800 4% $ , ,800 1, % $3,300 $1,200 $2, % $ ,000 20,100 2, % $38,000 $51,200 $13, % $4.55 Increase the Base Fare to $1.75 With Proportionate Increases on Other 1 Way Fares Only Another option would be to raise the base fare, but not raise the cost of day, half month, monthly and 30 ride passes. This option has the advantage of encouraging a shift away from cash fares and towards pass use. This shift benefits on time performance (as passengers board quicker on average when using a pass) and also reduces the time needed for fare revenue counting. As shown in Table 8, this would reduce overall ridership by an estimated 5,700 passenger trips per year, or 1.3 percent. Overall farebox revenues would be increased by $13,800, or 4 percent. Make Transfers Free The City Coach fare structure currently imposes a $0.15 charge for a paper transfer. In public input, this was identified by passengers as an inconvenience and hassle that tends to discourage people from using the transit system. At present, approximately 5 percent of City Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 42

49 Coach passengers pay the transfer fee. (Note that this excludes those passengers transferring with a pass.) Transfer fees generate a total of approximately $3,300 in fare revenues annually. One option would be to eliminate the charge, providing transfers upon request as passengers board the bus. This would make City Coach be in line with the Fairfield And Solano Transit (FAST) system, where paper transfers are provided for free, for transfers between local routes. While this would eliminate the current transfer fee revenues, it would also reduce the effective fare for passengers currently paying the transfer fee, yielding small (1,000 per year) increase in ridership. Adjusted for the increase in fare revenue generated by the ridership increase, this alternative would yield an overall reduction in fare revenue of $2,100 annually. It should be noted that one reason that some transit systems charge a small fee on transfers is to reduce the misuse of transfers. At other transit systems, there have been cases of passengers obtaining a free transfer and then handing it out the window to a friend, who then boards using the transfer slip. If this alternative is implemented, passengers and transfer slip use would need to be monitored to ensure that misuse remains within reasonable levels. Eliminate Transfer Slips Another way in which to change the transfer policy would be to eliminate transfer slips. There has generally been a trend in the public transit industry to simplify fares in order to reduce the barriers to use. As a nearby example, Placer County Transit recently eliminated transfers and set the price of a daypass as only 2 times the base fare ($2.50 versus $1.25). This allows passengers to make a round trip that includes transfers at a price that effectively avoids any cost for the second leg in each direction. Another nearby system taking this approach is SolTrans (serving Vallejo and Benecia). Rather, passengers making transfers are encouraged to use day passes. For those passengers currently making 1 way trips that include a transfer, this option would result in a relatively large effective fare increase, from $1.65 (adult) to $3.00 to complete a 1 way trip with transfer. For those passengers that frequently make a single one way withtransfer trip per day, this would encourage a shift to half month, 30 ride or monthly passes (which provide an effective fare per ride lower than $3.00, if used frequently). Assuming that one third of existing 1 way with transfer passengers shift to a pass, this option would reduce overall annual City Coach ridership by an estimated 2,900 (0.7 percent). Revenues would be increased by an estimated $13,200, or 4 percent. This option simplifies the operation of City Coach, as transfer slips would no longer need to be provided or accounted for. This would also speed the operations of the route and reduce conflicts between drivers and passengers regarding appropriate use of transfers. Performance Analysis of Fare Alternatives The ridership and fare revenue impacts can be used to calculate the change in revenue (and thus subsidy) per passenger trip, as shown in the right most column of Table 8. While there is Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 43

50 no adopted standard for subsidy per passenger trip, there is an adopted standard for operating cost per passenger trip equal to $5.00. Using this as a standard, none of the fare options that increase revenues while reducing ridership achieve the standard, in that they do not generate at least $5.00 in revenues for every passenger trip lost. However, pro viding free transfers does meet this standard, as a loss of only $2.10 in revenues results from every additional passenger trip served. Marketing Alternatives While this Service Evaluation Study does not encompass the scope of a full marketing study, two improvements have been identified, as discussed below. Improve the Transit App to Provide Real Time Maps of Bus Locations City Coach provides an on line tool that generates real time bus arrival information using the Clever Devices platform. However, this is limited to key stops only. As an example, information is directly available for only 8 of the total of 60 bus stops served by Route 5. Passengers at other stops must estimate service times based on the limited stop information. While the format would be too cluttered if all stops were to be added, another way to visually provide the information is to show the real time location of the individual buses on the on line route maps. In addition, the availability of real time information could be given a more prominent location on the webpage, rather than being a selection under the Routes / Maps sub page. Improve Printed Maps to Show All Bus Stop Locations Despite the growth of smartphones and on line information, many passengers still rely on paper schedules and brochures. The system map in the existing brochure is relatively simple graphic design, and does not indicate the location of individual stops. Showing individual stop locations can help passengers (and particularly potential new passengers) to understand how close transit service is to their trip origins and destinations, and is common on transit system maps. Figure 11 presents an example of a transit system map (from the Grand Valley Transit system serving Grand Junction, Colorado) that shows the location of specific stops. Additionally, a list of all bus stop locations by route could be provided on the website. Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 44

51 Figure 11: Example of Transit System Map Showing Stop Locations Vacaville Transit Service Evaluation Study Page 45