Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program Plan Update. June 2018 Public Meetings

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Cathleen Haynes
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1 Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program Plan Update June 2018 Public Meetings

2 Today s Agenda Welcome What is the Travel Washington Intercity Program Plan Update? What is Travel Washington? What is Intercity Bus Service? What is Washington s Intercity Bus Network? Discussion of intercity needs and issues Provide input to study team 2

3 About this project Review and assess the four Travel Washington routes Develop, prioritize and recommend future Travel Washington routes Identify unmet intercity bus needs/service gaps Recommend potential near term intercity service expansion to address (possible fifth Travel Washington line) 3

4 Project Schedule June July: Regional public meetings June July: Surveys August: Analysis of Survey Results August: Development of Alternatives/Demand Estimates September: Prioritization October: Draft Final Report December: Final Report 4

5 Opportunities to Provide Input Public survey for everyone who wishes to provide input On board surveys on the four Travel Washington routes Surveys of regional planning agencies Surveys of public transit providers Surveys of other stakeholders human service agencies, colleges, etc. Regional public meetings (this is one of them!) All surveys are available on the project web site: 5

6 What is the Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program? Launched in 2007 to provide intercity connections from rural areas to connect people with urban centers and the national intercity bus network Uses Federal Transit Administration Section 5311(f) rural intercity bus funding with local match provided as in kind by the private carriers (Greyhound) Four Travel Washington routes were developed based on the 2007 Washington intercity bus plan The Travel Washington routes are operated by private firms under contract to WSDOT 6

7 Travel Washington branding for all routes Individual regional route names: Grape Line Dungeness Line Apple Line Gold Line 7

8 Travel Washington Lines Grape Line Dungeness Line Apple Line Gold Line 8

9 Grape Line Walla Walla to Pasco Started in 2007 Three daily round trips Averages 5,000 trips per year 9

10 Dungeness Line Port Angeles to Seattle Started in 2008 Two daily round trips Averages 15,500 passenger trips per year 10

11 Apple Line Omak to Wenatchee/Ellensburg Started in 2008 One round trip daily Averages 5,000 trips per year 11

12 Kettle Falls to Spokane Started in 2010 Two round trips daily Averages 5,000 passenger trips per year Gold Line 12

13 Statewide Intercity Bus Network

Long distance Meaningful connection to national intercity bus network Shared stations Coordinated schedules Interline ticketing if appropriate Fixed route, fixed schedule

14 Long distance Meaningful connection to national intercity bus network Shared stations Coordinated schedules Interline ticketing if appropriate Fixed route, fixed schedule (except feeder services) Has space for baggage think overnight trips To receive Greyhound in kind match must operate five to seven days per week What do we mean by Intercity? 14

15 What long distance services are not Intercity? Not commuter services not designed for daily work trips Long distance medical or other human service trips that are: Demand response pre scheduled Do not service shared intercity network stops BUT Regional services providing for a same day round trip can be considered intercity if they make connections like the Travel Washington routes 15

16 Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network Travel Washington routes connect to the national intercity bus network: Serves same stations Coordinated schedules Interline ticketing Also connect to airports, Amtrak, local transit Services in Google Transit, Greyhound ticketing system 16

17 Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network 17

18 Example of Travel Washington Service in Google Transit 18

19 Example of Travel Washington Service in Greyhound Website 19

20 Coverage of Washington s Intercity Network Washington total population: 7,073,146 Population within 10 miles of intercity stations/stops: 5,421,117 Population within 25 miles of intercity stations/stops: 6,766, % of Washington residents live within 10 miles of intercity stops 95.6% live within 25 miles 20

21 Intercity Network and Population Distribution 21

22 Intercity Network and High Needs Populations 22

23 Now, we need to hear from you. 23

24 Tell us about your intercity travel needs: Where do you go? How often? What modes/services to you use? How well do they work? 24

25 Is there a need for additional service? New routes? Additional schedules? More/better connections with other services? 25

26 How do you access the statewide transit network? Do we need more/better information? Does the ticketing system need improvements? More marketing? 26

27 WSDOT Contacts: Greg Wright: Study Team Contacts: Beth Hamby: Carole Richardson: For more information or to submit comments: Project Website (project information and links to surveys): 27

Technology Solutions: Improving Service Connecting the System

Technology Solutions: Improving Service Connecting the System Stephen Abernathy, AICP Intercity Bus Program Manager Public Transportation Division Paula Hammond, PE Secretary Washington State Department