FY2 013 ANNUAL REPORT

Transcription

1 FY2 03 ANNUAL REORT

2 INTROUCTION The new and improved ART had been years in the making when, last fall, it burst into full view. ART Central Station opened in downtown A redesigned network of bus routes went into effect Fixed-route service grew by 3 percent Few times have been as transformative in the history of public transit in Greater, and it was the result of creating Iowa s first regional transit authority in 200. Since then, the region has rallied around a vision, the ART Forward 203 lan, to take transit to more places, more often, more quickly and better serve more people. The budget is stable. The quality of the service continues to improve. And ridership is following our projection of an initial dip in the early months as people acclimate to the new system, followed by a period of steady, sustained growth. Sincerely, STEVE VAN OORT Commission Chair 2 The Area Regional Transit Authority (ART) will be a leader in improving Central Iowa citizens quality of life by placing the customer first while providing safe, innovative and efficient public transportation service to the region.

3 FY203 COMMISSION MEMBERS L-R, T-B Steve Van Oort, Chair istrict : Ankeny,, olk City, Sheldahl Steve Brody, Vice Chair istrict 2: Clive, West, Windsor Heights Bob Mahaffey, Secretary/Treasurer istrict :, leasant Hill Skip Conkling istrict : Altoona, Bondurant, Carlisle,, Elkhart, Mitchellville, Runnells Christine Hensley istrict 3: Tom Gayman istrict : Granger, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale Angela Connolly At Large: olk County Gaye Johnson At Large: olk County ART AMINISTRATION Elizabeth resutti ART General Manager 3

4 NW 0th Ave NW 2nd Ave 230th St E True kwy Mills Civic kwy 23rd Ct City Hall 20th St Vista r E True kwy SW 0th St NW 0th Ave NW 2nd Ave ETrue kwy Cres ahl s Vine NW 2nd Ave view 9th NW th St Northview th 9th 9 NW 2nd Ave WILLOW CREEK GOLF COURSE 9 City Hall Airport South st st Urbandale Ave 3st UnitedH Methodist NW th Ave Army ost Rd Vatterott College Havens W st St High St MLK Jr kwy SW Magazine Rd SE Oralabor Rd 9th Cherry St Faith Baptist College & Seminary Westside th th th Locust St Walnut St Vine Tuttle Blank Margo Frankel Woods State 9 Sunset NE 0th Ave E Grand E Locust MLKkwy AH BLANK GOLF COURSE County Line Rd Army ost Rd Hawkeye SW 3rd St Area Community College WOOSIE GOLF COURSE E Grand / ollar Tree Heritage Mercy H E st St North Quik Trip State River Lions Access Goodwill Industries Wal-Mart Broadway Ave Broadway Ave Broadway Meredith r Meredith r 99 Meredith r Meredith r Broadway Home The epot/ Campus Haymarket NE th Ave Link Target Square/ Associates Urbandale ahl s Westchester Westchester Aquatic Gloria ei Urbandale 9 Evangelical Woodlawn Lutheran Aurora Ave Aurora Ave Aurora Merle Hay Free Church Church Aurora Aurora Ave Aurora Lyons Mall Hoover Meredith olk County Sargent River lace ouglas Ave ouglas Ave ouglas Ave ouglas E ouglas E ouglas Ave ouglas kwy ouglas Ave (OT) E Euclid Ave Walker City Veteran s Euclid Ave Euclid E Euclid Ave E Euclid Ave wood Johnson Administration laza Northside Harding ahl s Fair Goodrell Ashby Beaverdale Mall City Hall (Urbandale) 3 Urbandale Ave Urbandale Ave NE th Ave Hull Ave Hoyt Leado Grand View GRANVIEW GOLF CLUB Beaverdale Broadlawns Sheridan Ave North Clive 9 Ice NE 23rd Ave Hotel Arena Guthrie Ave Eastside ahl s ahl s Sherwood Tower Union ublic Fourmile Greenbelt Campbell Clive ublic Forest East Community Recreation Franklin Ave Town Service Area Mercy Franklin Wildwood College r Witmer Greenbelt College Ave E Washington Ave Mercy West Indian Hills Agri Clark Junior Industries Forest Ave Iowa Forest Ave Forest Ave Lutheran Hiatt COER CREEK King Hospital Middle GOLF COURSE Wellington Indian Hills rake Evelyn H Sch Ridge Shopping Ctr Clock Tower & avis E Valley Governor s West Mall Square Mconald s 3 Wells Fargo 3 0 H Mercy West Mid- Apple Walmart Uptown Shopping Main ost Home Morgatage Lakes Hospital America MACC Mercy East Iowa laza HyVee Valley Good remier a 3 Urban 3 leasant Farm Methodist Kingman Blvd owling WAVELAN Campus Bowling Alley Bureau Hill West Jennifer r Hospital H Westown kwy Catholic 9 GOLF COURSE Roosevelt IOWA 3 9 Westown 0 Shopping 0 STATE Sunrise Sears 9 Regency & 2 Shopping Ctr Colby rake Credit Roosevelt Crocker FAIRGROUNS 9 West Corporate Observatory 9 lace Grimes & Lucas Iowa Methodist ean Ave Crossroads Callanan H West Towers 9 leasant Hospital Vista Jaycee Woodland Ave. Woodland Ave 9 Valley Univac Wells Fargo Card Services Ingersoll Ave Ingersoll Ave Hoover State Sunset Norwood laza r 0 Rd Rd Merrill Central oanes 0 Campus. Grand Greenwood Terrace Hill Lutheran Church Historic of Hope rincipal Site Maury St 9 Osteopathic ahl s Art Legion ete Crivaro Vine Salisbury Normandy Terrace House ahl s Apts Holiday Elm 9 9 Jordan 9 Valley Junction Railroad Ave Hartford Ave Hamlet Creek Apts onald Water Works MacRae Stone ioneer Town WM olice ept West Soldier s City Hall Field American enman Institute of Super Valley Business Lincoln Target Southwoods AVIVA Wells Fargo Freshman Brody 3 Walgreens Fuller Rd Mid-America Business Ave Ave WAKONA Southgate Shopping Brown s Woods CLUB GOLF Ctr/ County COURSE Weeks Middle 3 Sch. Hubbell Watrous Ave Watrous Ave Watrous Ave Yellow Banks County Wakonda Shopping Walnut Woods McKinley Ave McKinley Ave Easter Lake County State Cloverleaf Wal-Mart Southside Ewing ublic oubletree by Hilton Hotel Airport Inn & Suites Airport Blank Zoo 9 Sunrise 9 HyVee rug Store SE Magazine Rd SE Oralabor Rd Springwood Shopper s Supply NE th Ave Kohl s Target Home epot Walmart NE th Ave NE th Ave olk County Fort Regency Manor Fort es Southridge Mall/ Moines County McCombs 9 Jail Iowa OT Facility Army ost Rd Easton Mally s Weh-Weh Neh-Kee County NE th Ave Fourmile Greenbelt Scott Ave NE 2nd Ave Fairview r Vandalia Rd Adventureland rairie Meadows Adventureland r 99 FY203 th St th St 0 NW nd St 2nd St Jordan Creek kwy Jordan Creek Jordan Creek kwy GRIMES ON CALL ZONE 3 FLEX ZONE FLEX ZONE Westown kwy th System Map N James St NW 2th St 0th 0th 0th 0th St NW th St 0th 0th 0th NW Urbandale r 2nd 2nd Stonebridge Rd George Mills Civic kwy NW 00th St 39th 00th St 00th St 39th 00th St Swanson Blvd SW 3th St Valley West r Valley West r 3st cent th St th St th St th Westown kwy 22nd Twana Blvd 3th nd nd 3rd St th St 0th ioneer kwy 0th St 0th St 0th th St 3rd 3rd st St SW 3rd St Merele Hay Rd 9th th th SW th St Franklin th Franklin laza NW Beaver r th th st olk Blvd Lower Beaver Rd Beaver Ave Beaver Ave 2nd 2nd 2nd George Flagg kwy Beaver 3th 3th 3th 30th St 30th St Harding Hills 2th St rake Field House MLK Jr. kwy rake Stadium Knapp Cottage Gro ve Fleur r MLK Jr kwy MLK Jr MLK Jr Fleur r ANKENY ON CALL ZONE Extends North to th Ave NOVEMBER 202 Local Routes are expanded and improved as part of ART Forward 203 lan and ART Central Station opens. th 9th th 9th NW th St 0 3 th Thomas Beck Rd SW th SW th St SW th St 3th Co Rd R Arlington th St 0th St Mulberry St 9th St th th St th Ave SW 9th St SW 9th SW 9th St SW 9th SW State St NW 2nd St SW th 2nd Ave 2nd Ave 3rd St 2nd Ave S Union S Union Cornell Cornell Saylor Rd E Court Ave MACC Blvd ennsylvania Ave E th E th Indianola Ave SE th St SE th St SE th St S Ankeny Blvd NE th St E th St E th St E E Court Ave Scott Ave Maury St th th SE th St SE th St SE th St SE eleware Ave Indianola Ave eleware Ave eleware Ave E 2th St E 2th Hubbell Ave Hartford Ave NE 29th St E 29th St E 29th St E 29th St E 30th St Hubbell Ave SE 30th St E 33rd St E 33rd St Easton Blvd E 3th St E 3th St Hubbell Ave E 2nd St E 2nd St SE th St E th St Sherrylynn th 3th Ave NE th St th Ave th Ave NW st Ave L o c a l FAIRGROUNS 3 UNIVERSITY E TH ST FRANKLIN AVE INIANOLA AVE SW 9TH ST FLEUR R INGERSOLL / VALLEY JUNCTION 3 SE ARK AVE BEAVER AVE TH AVE OUGLAS AVE HUBBELL AVE / ALTOONA MERLE HAY CROSSTOWN VALLEY WEST / JORAN CREEK CROSSTOWN 0 UNIVERSITY / INGERSOLL F lex/express WEST ES MOINES / CLIVE FLEX ROUTE 3 URBANALE FLEX ROUTE 9 MERLE HAY EXRESS HICKMAN EXRESS NW TH ST EXRESS 9 WESTOWN EXRESS VISTA EXRESS 9 E TRUE ARKWAY EXRESS 9 ANKENY EXRESS 99 ALTOONA EXRESS ART Central Station (Between th St/th Ave and Cherry St) & Ride Express Route Express Route (No Stops) Local Routes Multiple owntown Routes Select Trips Only Flex Route 3 FLEX ZONE ( MI. RAIUS) H Hospital School Government Building Golf Course Shopping Attraction /College Housing AUGUST 202 ART provided more than 200,000 rides to and from Iowa State Fair.

5 JUNE 203 Operators demonstrated their driving ability during the annual Bus Roadeo. MILESTONES ARIL 203 ART provided more than 32,000 rides on the new Local Route 0 as part of the Ride for a Reason campaign.

6 Local Routes Express Route 2N 9 NW 2N AVE 9 23R CT MEREITH R MEREITH R 3 MEREITH AURORA AURORA AVE 3 OUGLAS AVE OUGLAS AVE 9 0 MINUTES URBANALE 0 MINUTES HICKMAN R HICKMAN R HICKMAN R HICKMAN HICKMAN R JEFFERSON AVE FRANKLIN AVE FRANKLIN AVE WINSOR HEIGHTS MINUTES CLARK FOREST AVE UNIVERSITY AVE UNIVERSITY AVE UNIVERSITY AVE 9 BUFFALO R 0 MINUTES 0 MINUTES 0 9 WESTOWN KWY 9 9 VISTA R WOOLAWN AVE 9 OFFICE ARK OFFICE ASHWORTH ASHWORTH 9 HIGH INGERSOLL AVE INGERSOLL AVE 0 GRAN 3 ASHWORTH GRAN AVE LOCUST E TRUE KWY E TRUE KWY 0 MINUTES 9 9 ELM E TRUE KWY MILLS CIVIC KWY TH Express Route (No Stops) Select Trips Only (Consult Individual Schedules) Flex Route FLEX ZONE ( MI. RAIUS) 0TH 0TH 0TH Time oint to/from owntown City Served by Surrounding Routes ART Central Station (Between th St/th Ave and Cherry St) & Ride 39TH 3TH TH 9TH N 3R 0TH TH 0TH 9TH TH 3TH 3TH MLK TH TH WOOLAN AVE HIGH ST 0 MINUTES TH LEASANT ST LOCUST ST TH CHERRY ST WATROS AVE ARMY OST R OUGLAS OUGLAS E EUCLI AVE E EUCLI AVE TH COUNTY LINE R ARMY OST R UNIVERSITY AVE GRAN LOCUST ST VINE ST E LOCUST E EUCLI AVE E GRAN AVE E TH E TH 3 ARK AVE EVERGREEN AVE WATROS AVE E ST ST 9 SW 3R ST 9 SE ORALABOR R 9 BROAWAY AVE GRAN AVE OUGLAS E EUCLI AVE 2TH 29TH ACCESS ROUTES EAST SOUTH NORTH WEST EASTON UNIVERSITY AVE AVENTURELAN R 99 TH ST NW 99 BROAWAY BROAWAY 99 TH TH BY THE NUMBERS. MILLION TOTAL ANNUAL RIERSHI 2 TOTAL EMLOYEES,2 BUS STOS,0,0 on Fixed-Route 20, on RideShare 0,0 on aratransit Operators Administrative 39 Maintenance 2 TOTAL SERVICE VEHICLES fixed-route buses ( diesel-electric hybrids) 3 Flex/On Call buses 2 aratransit buses RideShare vans SERVICES Local Routes 3 2 Flex Routes On Call Services Express Routes RideShare vanpools County-contracted aratransit service L 2 Shuttles Crosstown Route AA-complementary aratransit service 20 MEMBER GOVERNMENTS olk County Alleman Altoona Ankeny Bondurant Carlisle Clive Elkhart Granger Grimes Johnston Mitchellville leasant Hill olk City Runnells Sheldahl Urbandale West Windsor Heights TH JORAN CREEK KWY LAZA WESTOWN 9 3 System iagram JOHNSTON GRIMES CLIVE VALLEY WEST 3 TH TH WESTOWN WEST ES MOINES GRAN AVE JOHNSTON URBANALE TH ST 3R ST 3R ST IONEER TH ST MERLE HAY R MERLE HAY R BEAVER AVE LOWER BEAVER R BEAVER AVE 0 2N ST LOWER BEAVER MLK JR WKY MLK JR WKY 9TH ST 0 MINUTES 9TH ST TH ST ES MOINES 2TH KEOSAUQUA 2TH ST 3TH ST 0TH GRAN AVE 9TH ST WALNUT ST MULBERRY ST TH ST ES MOINES 0TH ST FLEUR R FLEUR R 9TH ST TH ST 9TH ST SW TH ST TH ST 9TH ST TH ST TH AVE TH AVE TH ST TH ST TH ST SW 9TH THOMAS BECK R SW 9TH SW 9TH ST SW 9TH ST TH AV 3R ST TH TH ST TH AVE TH AV SW TH INIANOLA AVE SE TH ST SE TH ST CORNELL WALNUT ST COURT AVE ANKENY SE TH ST 0 MINUTES MACC BLV 3 E KING AVE SE 22N ST E 3TH S ANKENY BLV E TH ST E TH ST E TH ST E TH ST ELEWARE AVE HUBBELL AVE E 30TH E 33R EASTON E 3TH CENTRAL STATION 3 0 HUBBELL AVE E 2N ALTOONA LEASANT HILL TH AVE NW

7 ERFORMANCE REORT CAR ART had a balanced budget in Fiscal Year 203. Standard & oor s conducted a thorough surveillance of ART finances and affirmed the AA ratings of its general obligation bonds and gave ART a stable financial outlook. 2.% Local roperty Tax FY203 Revenues $2.9 MILLION TOTAL OLLAR AMOUNT 0.% Miscellaneous.% State Funding 29.% Fares & Contracts 22.% Federal Funding 0.% Salaries, Wages & Fringes FY203 Expenses 3.% Fuels & Lubricants $23. MILLION TOTAL OLLAR AMOUNT.2% Services.% Equipment Repair arts 3.% Local Match 2.% Supplies & Materials 2.3% Insurance 2.3% Miscellaneous.% Utilities. MILLION TOTAL MILES TRAVELE ART s Fixed-Route, RideShare and aratransit departments have carried people more than million miles. 2,3,2 on Fixed-Route,9,90 on RideShare 3,0 on aratransit ART s safety record remains strong, with Fixed-Route and aratransit operators driving an average of 9,0 miles between preventable accidents.

8 NW nd St 2nd St Jordan Creek kwy Jordan Creek Jordan Creek kwy E True kwy Westown kwy th Mills Civic kwy NW 2th St 0th 0th 0th 0th St 23rd Ct 20th St Vista r E True kwy Super major suburban areas Target AVIVA Wells Fargo 3 0th 0th SW 0th St 0th NW Urbandale r 2nd 2nd Stonebridge Rd Cloverleaf George Mills Civic kwy Walgreens NW 00th St 39th 00th St 00th St 39th 00th St Valley Southwoods Freshman Swanson Blvd SW 3th St Valley West r Valley West r 3st ETrue kwy Fuller Rd es cent th St ahl s th St th St Westown kwy Vine 22nd Walnut Woods State view th 9th NW th St Twana Blvd 3th th nd nd 3rd St 9th th St 0th ioneer kwy olk County Jail Shopper s FLEX ZONE ART Northview Supply 3 State River 0 3 Access Goodwill Industries Broadway Ave Meredith r Meredith r Meredith r Meredith r 3 3 FORWAR Haymarket NE th Ave Link Square/ Associates Aurora Ave 203 Urbandale ahl s Westchester Westchester Gloria ei Urbandale 9 Evangelical Woodlawn Lutheran Aurora Ave Aurora Merle Hay Free Church Church Aurora Aurora Ave Aurora Lyons Mall Hoover Meredith olk County River lace ouglas kwy ouglas Ave ouglas Ave ouglas Ave ouglas Ave (OT) ouglas The ART Forward 203 Walker City Veteran s Euclid Ave Euclid E Euclid Ave E Euclid Ave wood Johnson Administration laza Northside Harding lan is the blueprint for Fair City Hall Ashby Beaverdale Mall (Urbandale) 3 expanding and improving Urbandale Ave Urbandale Ave NE th Ave Hull Ave 0 Leado Grand View public transit for the Greater Beaverdale Broadlawns Sheridan Ave North 3 Clive 9 region. Ice Hotel Arena Guthrie Ave ahl s Sherwood Tower Adopted in September ahl s Union Greenbelt Campbell Forest Clive ublic Recreation Franklin Ave Area 20, the plan was put into Mercy Franklin Wildwood College r Witmer Greenbelt College Ave E Washington Ave action in Fiscal Year 203. Mercy West Indian Hills Agri Clark Junior Industries Forest Ave Iowa Forest Ave FLEX ZONE Forest Ave Lutheran Hiatt King Improvements include: Hospital Middle Wellington Indian Hills rake Evelyn H Sch Ridge Shopping Ctr Clock Tower & avis E Valley Governor s West Mall Square 3 Wells Fargo 3 0 H Mercy West Mid- Apple Walmart Uptown Shopping Main ost Home Morgatage Lakes Hospital America MACC Mercy East Iowa laza HyVee 3 Valley Good Urban 3 Reverse commutes Farm Methodist Kingman Blvd West owling WAVELAN Campus Bureau Hospital H Westown kwy Catholic 9 GOLF COURSE Roosevelt 3 9 Westown 0 Shopping 0 added Sears to Express Routes 9 Regency & 2 Shopping Ctr Colby rake Credit Roosevelt 9 Crocker West Corporate Observatory lace 9 Grimes & Lucas Iowa Methodist Vista 9 Strengthen core Crossroads Callanan H West Towers leasant Hospital Jaycee Woodland Ave. Woodland Ave 9 Wells Fargo Valley Univac Card Services Ingersoll Ave Ingersoll Ave Hoover routes with higher State Norwood laza r 0 Rd Rd Merrill Central 0 frequency service 0 Campus. Grand Greenwood Terrace Hill Lutheran Church Historic of Hope rincipal Site Maury St 9 Osteopathic New Crosstown ahl s Art Legion ete Crivaro Vine Route Salisbury Normandy Terrace House ahl s Apts Holiday Elm New Local Route Jordan 9 Valley Junction Railroad Ave Hartford Ave Hamlet Creek Apts onald in urban core Water Works MacRae Stone ioneer Town WM olice ept West New Flex Routes in City Hall 0th St 0th St 9 0th th St 3rd 3rd st St SW 3rd St Brown s Woods County 9th 9 th th SW th St th Mid-America Business Franklin Franklin laza NW Beaver r th th st olk Blvd enman Lower Beaver Rd Beaver Ave Beaver Ave 2nd 2nd 2nd st st George Flagg kwy Urbandale Ave Beaver 3th 3th 3th 3st 30th St 30th St Ave Harding Hills 2th St rake Field House MLK Jr. kwy Cottage Gro ve Brody rake Stadium Knapp American Institute of Business Fleur r MLK Jr kwy MLK Jr McKinley Ave MLK Jr Fleur r th 9th th 9th th Thomas Beck Rd WAKONA CLUB GOLF COURSE Watrous Ave Wakonda Shopping SW th St 3th High St Co Rd R Arlington 9th 9th St Mulberry St Cherry St MLK Jr kwy 0th St th St th Lincoln th th SW 9th SW 9th St Southside ublic th th St th Ave Locust St Walnut St SW 9th NW 2nd St SW th 2nd Ave 2nd Ave 3rd St 2nd Ave Vine Tuttle Watrous Ave S Union S Union Cornell NE 0th Ave Cornell Saylor Rd E Grand E Locust E Court Ave MLKkwy Ave Indianola Ave McKinley Ave ennsylvania Ave E th E th SE th St SE th St SE th St NE th St E th St E th St E E Grand E Court Ave Scott Ave Maury St th Watrous Ave SE th St SE th St Weeks Middle Sch. SE th St th NE th Ave NE th Ave Indianola Ave eleware Ave eleware Ave Southgate Shopping Ctr/ 3 Wal-Mart Ewing Soldier s Field 3 Hy ea Ea

9 Sargent E ouglas -Vee E Euclid Ave ahl s Goodrell E 2th St n Ave E 2th Hubbell Ave Hartford Ave E 29th St E 29th St E 29th St Eastside ublic East Town Easton E 30th St Mally s Weh-Weh Neh-Kee County NE th Ave Hubbell Ave SE 30th St E 33rd St E 33rd St GRANVIEW GOLF CLUB Fourmile Greenbelt Easton Blvd E 3th St E 3th St Fourmile Community Service IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNS Scott Ave Broadway Ave Hubbell Ave E 2nd St Hoyt E 2nd St Fairview r Sunset Vandalia Rd E th St NE 23rd Ave COER CREEK GOLF COURSE leasant Hill oanes Sherrylynn th Wal-Mart Broadway Broadway Home The epot/ Campus Target E ouglas Ave Mconald s 3th Ave NE th St Adventureland remier a Bowling Alley Jennifer r Sunrise rairie Meadows th Ave Adventureland r 99 Aquatic Lions th Ave NW st Ave 3 MERLE HAY CROSSTOWN VALLEY WEST / JORAN CREEK CROSSTOWN 0 UNIVERSITY / INGERSOLL F lex/expr ess WEST ES MOINES / CLIVE FLEX ROUTE URBANALE FLEX ROUTE 9 MERLE HAY EXRESS HICKMAN EXRESS NW TH ST EXRESS WESTOWN EXRESS VISTA EXRESS E TRUE ARKWAY EXRESS ANKENY EXRESS ALTOONA EXRESS Express Route Local Routes Multiple owntown Routes Select Trips Only ART Central Station (Between th St/th Ave and Cherry St) & Ride Express Route (No Stops) ART CENTRAL STATION ART Central Station opened in November 202 and replaced the Walnut Street Transit Mall as the network s primary transfer point. The station offers the region a visible symbol of the transformation of the public transit system, in addition to the many features and public amenities: Indoor, climate-controlled waiting areas ublic restrooms Customer service window ublic art Sustainable design ZZ ZZ ZZ Geothermal Solar Rainwater recycling Hubbell ster Lake County 9 SE th St Yellow Banks County Flex Route 3 FLEX ZONE ( MI. RAIUS)

10 LOOKING AHEA REAL-TIME Riders will know where their buses are in real-time on MyART s Trip lanner, as well as Google Maps and Bing Maps. The transformation of ART into a modern regional transit authority will continue in Fiscal Year 20 and beyond with new technologies and ongoing service improvements. FY20 and beyond 0 ART FORWAR 203 Service enhancements continue as part of long-range plan. SMART CARS Riders will have more payment options with new fare collection system.

11 CONTACT Area Regional Transit Authority 20 Cherry Street, IA 0309 Area Regional Transit Authority 20 Cherry Street, IA

12 CONNECTING COMMMUNITIES, CONNECTING OORTUNITIES