BaltimoreLink Implementation Status Report

Transcription

1 BaltimoreLink Implementation Status Report February 218 Joint Chairmen s Report JH1

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3 Executive Summary BaltimoreLink, implemented on June 18, 217, is the complete overhaul and rebranding of the core transit system operating within Baltimore City and the greater Baltimore region. The purpose of this document is to provide the Maryland State Legislature with a summary of BaltimoreLink performance in its first full six months of operation (July 217 to December 217) based on three key metrics:, On-Time Performance, and Customer Satisfaction. An analysis of safety has also been provided. The analysis begins with July 217 when a full month of data was available. The performance analysis consists of an evaluation of performance at an MDOT MTA system-wide level as well as an evaluation of performance at the route and route category level (CityLink, LocalLink, Express BusLink). Further, the systemwide analysis also includes a comparison to data for the same six-month evaluation period in 216. Executive Summary ES-1

4 Performance Snapshot Average Daily 216 vs. 217 Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday ridership declined in 217 when compared to 216 for the six months evaluated. The weekday ridership decline between 216 and 217 was approximately 1%, the Saturday ridership decline was approximately 9%, and the Sunday ridership decline was approximately 5%. Consistent with other system redesigns throughout the country, declines were expected due to the transition to the new system, but also reflect national trends such as less expensive gas and the greater use of car-share services. is down 5% nationally during the same time period analyzed in this report. Similar systems throughout the country have also seen declines in ridership including Washington, D.C. (-9%), Cleveland (-11%), Philadelphia (-12%), and Miami (-13%). Out of the top 2 bus systems in the country, 19 out of 2 experienced ridership declines. Average Daily July Through December: Comparison of 216 to , 2, Average Daily Months of July Through December 216 vs ,776 29,916 Average Daily by Month: 216 vs. 217 Monthly ridership declines in 217 compared to 216 reflect the overall declines in ridership during the 6-month evaluation period. However, there is a growing convergence in monthly ridership between 216 and 217 in the later months of the year, especially for weekend ridership. Average Daily Weekday by Month - July Through December vs , 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 2, 19, Average Daily Weekday July Through December 216 vs ,16 225, ,759 JUL 194,114 AUG 252, ,891 SEP 241,282 22,983 OCT , ,46 NOV 222,547 23,343 DEC Source: MDOT MTA Onboard Automatic Passenger Counting System Average Daily Weekend by Month - July Through December vs. 217 The forecasted December 217 average weekday ridership contained in the January 24, 218 Overview and Status Update presented to the Legislature by MDOT MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn is higher than the actual presented above. Forecasted data was utilized in the presentation because actual data was not yet available as the presentation was being developed. The forecasted number used in the presentation was based on detailed analysis of ridership numbers on individual routes as well as overall ridership trends from previous months. 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 2, 19, 18, 17, Average Daily Weekend July Through December 216 vs ,439 26,879 JUL 233,91 211,923 AUG 231,96 219,69 SEP 21,976 24,985 OCT ,37 191,37 NOV 187,95 178,755 DEC Source: MDOT MTA Onboard Automatic Passenger Counting System 15, 134, ,321 1, 5, Weekday Saturday ,372 Sunday 79,936 Other Findings CityLink Daily Average by Route CityLink routes were designed to be the backbone of the BaltimoreLink system, with high service frequencies throughout the day, extensive hours of service, and direct routing that connects major activity centers throughout the Baltimore region. Average daily weekday CityLink ridership ranges from 6,1 to 11,6. The highest ridership CityLink routes include the CityLink (11,6 riders), running between Towson and downtown Baltimore, the CityLink (9,6 riders), which runs between Walbrook Junction and Canton via North Avenue and Wolfe and Washington Streets, and the CityLink (9,5 riders), which runs between downtown Baltimore and Essex via Eastern Avenue. LocalLink Daily Average by Route LocalLink routes provide service to a wide range of different transit markets and the service design of LocalLink routes reflect the markets they serve. A key trend identified in the LocalLink ridership analysis was that the highest ridership LocalLink routes (LocalLink routes 22 (8,3 riders), 8 (7,5 riders), and 54 (7,2 riders)) actually have average daily ridership that is comparable to, or exceeds, ridership on many CityLink routes, highlighting their importance within the BaltimoreLink system. Other LocalLink routes have ridership under 1, riders per day, highlighting the wide differences between individual LocalLink routes. ES-2 Executive Summary

5 On-Time Performance On-Time Performance Snapshot Average System-Wide On-Time Performance Six-Month Evaluation Period On-time performance in 217 exceeds on-time performance in 216, for the six month evaluation period, showing the benefits of multiple elements of the overall BaltimoreLink redesign. esign elements helping the improvement in on-time performance include more proactive service management, changes to route structures to improve reliability, implementation of dedicated transit lanes, and implementation of transit signal priority. On-time performance improved 7 percentage points when comparing the 216 and 217 evaluation periods. System-wide Bus On-Time Performance Comparison - July through December: 216 vs. 217 System-wide On-Time Comparison: July 216 through December 216 (Pre-Baltimore Link) to July 217 through December 217 (BaltimoreLink) Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 18.4 % 59.5% % Early On-Time Late 12.9 % 66.4% % System-wide on-time performance improved by approximately 7 percentage points in the first six months of BaltimoreLink operations compared to the same six months in 216. CityLink Service Reliability High frequency CityLink routes are scheduled differently than LocalLink and Express BusLink routes. CityLink reliability performance monitoring is focused on how well the scheduled intervals between CityLink buses are maintained. The data shows that the average number of CityLink trips arriving at the scheduled interval over the evaluation period is 76%. Other On-Time Performance Findings On-Time Performance On On time performance on LocalLink routes ranges from a low of approximately 4% to a high of approximately 75%. The average across all LocalLink routes in 217 was 66%. This compares to an average on-time performance on local routes in the same months of 216 of 6%, an improvement on LocalLink routes of 6 percentage points. CityLink Headway Reliability Percent of Trips Arriving at Scheduled Intervals Between Buses 9% 85% 8% 75% 7% 65% 6% Source: Field Data Collection CityLink Routes Headway Reliability July 217 through December 217 Week Ending 7/2/17 Week Ending 7/9/17 Week Ending 7/16/17 Wed. 8/16/17 Tues. 8/22/17 Mon. 8/28/17 Wed. 9/6/17 Thurs. 9/14/17 Thurs. 9/21/17 Tues. 9/26/17 Mon. 1/2/17 Thurs. 1/12/17 Wed. 1/18/17 Tues. 1/24/17 Mon. 1/3/17 Mon. 11/6/17 Thurs. 11/16/17 Tues. 11/21/17 Wed. 11/29/17 Percentage of Trips Arriving at Scheduled Headway Trend Wed. 12/6/17 Tues. 12/12/17 Mon. 12/18/17 Tues. 1/9/18 Thurs. 1/18/18 Wed. 1/24/18 Thurs. 2/1/18 Wed. 2/7/18 Changes in On-Time Performance Due to Route Restructurings and Capital Improvements Such as Dedicated Transit Lanes Comparison of the on-time performance of pre- BaltimoreLink routes to new redesigned BaltimoreLink routes shows an improvement in on-time performance due to route restructuring, capital improvements, and reducing the number of bus stops on a route. esign examples include splitting long routes, restructuring routes serving large regional job centers, and providing dedicated transit lanes and transit signal priority Executive Summary ES-3

6 Customer Satisfaction Customer Satisfaction Snapshot Total Bus-Related Complaints vs passenger complaints covering all bus-related complaint types declined over the first six months of BaltimoreLink operations and also fell below 216 in four of the six months evaluated. 217 total bus-related complaints fell 49% between a high in September to the low in December. This trend shows the BaltimoreLink redesign changes resulted in greater passenger satisfaction. 216 to 217 Comparison - All Bus-Related Complaints Between July and December 1,6 1,4 Total Bus-Related Complaints Between July and December vs ,392 Other Customer Satisfaction Findings Late, Early, No-Show Complaint Evaluation Complaints related to early buses, late buses, and no-shows over the six month evaluation period were lower in 217 than in 216 in each complaint category. Complaints related to early buses fell by 44%, complaints related to late buses fell by 3%, and complaints related to no-show buses fell by 32%. 216 to 217 Comparison - Complaints Related to Early and Late Bus Arrivals and Bus No-Shows Operating-Related Complaints 2,5 2, 1, ,26 Operating-Related Complaints July Through December 216 vs ,368 No Show 33 Early Late 784 Complaints 1,2 1, , Source: MDOT MTA Customer Complaint Database 4 2 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Source: MDOT MTA Customer Complaint Database Customer complaints were lower in 217 in four of the six months evaluated. Compaints also consistently declined between September and December 217, falling by 49% over the four month period. ES-4 Executive Summary

7 Safety Safety Performance Snapshot Bus Accident and Mileage Run by Division: 217 Total Bus Accidents Comparison: 216 vs. 217 The number of total bus accidents in 217 was lower than 216 in each of the six months evaluated. The biggest difference between the two years occurred in November, where 217 accidents were lower than 216 by 3%. In addition, total accidents over the six month period in 217 fell by 2% when compared to total accidents in the same period in 216. Bus Accident Comparison: 216 vs Six Month Evaluation Period 217 bus accidents have declined during the six month evaluation period at each of the four MDOT MTA bus divisions. This positive trend is bolstered even further by the fact that miles run from three of the four divisions have increased after BaltimoreLink implementation (while miles run at Eastern Division fell 5.1%, accidents there fell by more than 3%). Bus Accidents and Mileage Comparison By Division: 217 Bus Accident and Mileage by Division Comparison: July 217 through December 217 1% % -1% 7.9 % -5.1 % 4.1 %.7 % 25 2 Bus Accident Comparison: July 216 through December 216 vs. July 217 through December % -2% -3% -31.4% -4% Bush Eastern Mileage Source: MDOT MTA Accident Database -14. % Kirk Accidents -2.4 % Northwest Bus Accidents Other Safety Findings 5 JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC System-Wide Mileage and Accidents Comparison The data in the table below shows system-wide accidents during the six month evaluation period fell by approximately 2% between 216 and 217, even while mileage run increased by 2.3% Source: MDOT MTA Accident Database Change Mileage 13,832,439 14,153, % Total accidents over the 217 six month evaluation period fell by 2% compared to total accidents in the same period in 216. Accidents 1,358 1, % Executive Summary ES-5

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9 Table of Contents Introduction...1 A....3 Average Daily By Day Of Week July Through December: 216 vs Average Daily Weekday By Month July Through December: 216 vs CityLink Routes Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December Express BusLink Routes Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December Top 1 Routes Average Weekday Daily : July 217 Through December Average Weekday Daily by Route Category July Through December B. On-Time Performance and Headway Reliability...11 System-wide Bus On-Time Performance Comparison July Through December: 216 vs CityLink Route Headway Reliability July 217 Through December LocalLink On-Time Performance Comparison July 217 through December On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 35 to BaltimoreLink 56 and On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink Service and BaltimoreLink Service to Regional Job Centers...16 On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink Service to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Service...17 C. Customer Satisfaction...19 Total Bus-Related Complaints July Through December: Comparison of 216 to Operating-Related Complaints Comparison Early and Late Bus Arrivals, and Bus No-Shows vs D. BaltimoreLink Capital Improvement Status...23 Appendices...27 Table of Contents i

10 Table of Contents Figures A. Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7: Average Daily July Through December: Comparison of 216 to Average Daily Weekday by Month July Through December vs Average Daily Weekend by Month July Through December vs Average Weekday Daily by CityLink Route July through December Average Weekday Daily by LocalLink Route July 217 through December Express BusLink Daily Average by Route July 217 through December Top 1 BaltimoreLink Routes July 217 through December Figure 8: Average Daily Weekday by Route Category... 1 B. On-Time Performance and Headway Reliability Figure 9: System-wide Bus On-Time Performance Comparison July through December: 216 vs Figure 1: CityLink Headway Reliability Percent of Trips Arriving at Scheduled Intervals Between Buses Figure 11: LocalLink On-Time Performance by Route July 217 through December Figure 12: Express BusLink On-Time Performance by Route July 217 through December Figure 13: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 35 to BaltimoreLink 56 and Figure 14: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 7 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route Figure 15: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 17 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route Figure 16: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 2 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route Figure 17: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 11 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route C. Customer Satisfaction Figure 18: 216 to 217 Comparison All Bus-Related Complaints Between July and December... 2 Figure 19: 216 to 217 Comparison Complaints Related to Early and Late Bus Arrivals and Bus No-Shows ii Table of Contents

11 Introduction BaltimoreLink, implemented on June 18, 217, is the complete overhaul and rebranding of the core transit system operating within Baltimore City and the greater Baltimore region. The purpose of this document is to provide the Maryland State Legislature with a summary of BaltimoreLink performance relative to three key metrics:, On-Time Performance and Customer Satisfaction. The analysis and evaluation of each metric is based on the first full six months of BaltimoreLink operations (July 217 to December 217). The analysis begins with July rather than June because July was the first month of BaltimoreLink operations where a full month of data was available. In addition, there was concern that June data would be skewed by the fact that a free fare was in effect for the first two weeks of BaltimoreLink operations (the free fare was instituted as an incentive for existing riders as well as potential riders to become familiar with the redesigned system). The analysis of each metric begins with a system-wide comparison of July through December data for 217 versus data in the same months in 216. This allows for a quick assessment of how BaltimoreLink ridership and operations compare to pre-baltimorelink ridership and operations. This high-level snapshot is followed by more detailed data for individual routes and route categories, summarized for the six months of operations. This more detailed analysis includes an analysis of 217 data only as well as comparisons between 216 and 217. Finally, even more detailed data breakdowns are contained in report appendices, with the summary data provided in the body of the report broken out by each month of BaltimoreLink operations. It is important to note that the evaluation completed for this report is only a small part of the BaltimoreLink evaluation and monitoring process that has been undertaken by multiple MDOT MTA departments. This monitoring work has focused on: åå åå åå åå åå On-time performance for LocalLink and Express BusLink routes Assessing whether the scheduled interval between highfrequency CityLink buses was being maintained (e.g. buses that are scheduled to arrive at a stop every 1 minutes are, in fact, arriving every 1 minutes) Ongoing interviews with passengers and drivers to assess potential operational issues Reviewing the impacts of Transit Signal Priority and other methods for providing transit exclusivity on travel times and reliability Tracking of passenger loads and potential overcrowding Short-term modifications have been made where feasible and larger scale modifications were also made in the September 217 and February 218 schedule changes to reflect monitoring results. The first metric requested for evaluation by the Legislature,, is outlined in Section A. On-time Performance and Passenger Satisfaction evaluations are presented in Sections B and C respectively. A summary of capital improvements to support BaltimoreLink is provided in Section D. Introduction 1

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13 A. The ridership evaluation contained in this section focuses on two levels of data detail. The first evaluation provides a snapshot of ridership performance by comparing average daily ridership (for weekday, Saturday, and Sunday) for the first full six months of BaltimoreLink operations (July 217 to December 217) to the same months in 216. This high-level snapshot allows for a quick assessment of how BaltimoreLink ridership compares to pre-baltimorelink ridership. This high-level snapshot is followed by more detailed data for individual routes and route categories, summarized for the six months of BaltimoreLink operations. Some of the analysis in this more detailed evaluation involves comparisons between 216 and 217 while others rely just on a review of 217 data. Also available in Appendix 1 is weekday ridership data at an even more detailed level, showing ridership data broken out by month. Comparable data for weekends is provided in Appendix 3. 3

14 Average Daily By Day Of Week July Through December: 216 vs. 217 Figure 1: Average Daily July Through December: Comparison of 216 to , 2, 15, 1, Average Daily Months of July Through December 216 vs ,776 29, , ,321 84,372 79,936 The data in Figure 1 provides a high-level analysis of ridership performance before and after BaltimoreLink implementation. The figure presents average daily ridership over the six month evaluation period (July to December) for the years 216 (pre-baltimorelink implementation) and 217 (the first full six months of BaltimoreLink operations). The data in the Figure shows that daily average weekday ridership is lower in 217 than in 216, with the same holding true for Saturday and Sunday service. The data reflects expected declines in the first six months of operations as riders became used to the redesigned system as well as declines in transit ridership overall because of less expensive gas and the increased use of alternative transportation modes such as car share services. These declines in transit ridership constitute a national trend. 5, Weekday Saturday Sunday Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday ridership declined in 217 when compared to 216 for the six months evaluated. Some declines were expected due to the transition to the new system but the declines also reflect national transit trends

15 Average Daily Weekday By Month July Through December: 216 vs. 217 Figure 2: 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 2, 19, Average Daily Weekday by Month - July Through December vs. 217 Average Daily Weekday July Through December 216 vs Figure 3: 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 2, 19, 18, 17, 226,16 225, ,759 JUL 194,114 AUG 252, ,891 SEP 241,282 22,983 OCT Average Daily Weekend by Month - July Through December vs , ,46 NOV Average Daily Weekend July Through December 216 vs ,439 26,879 JUL 233,91 211,923 AUG 231,96 219,69 SEP 21,976 24,985 OCT ,37 191,37 NOV 222,547 23,343 DEC 187,95 178,755 DEC The evaluations contained in the following pages provide a more detailed analysis of ridership trends both for 217 alone as well as in comparison to 216. The data in Figure 2 provides more detail on weekday average ridership for each of the months evaluated, for both 216 and 217. The data in Figure 2 underscores the lower ridership in 217 compared to 216, though it is important to note the trend of ridership between the two years more closely converging at the end of the analysis period. For example, the difference in ridership between the two years in September was approximately 23,, but this declined to 19, in December. We believe this reflects riders becoming more comfortable with the system as they use it and learn how to gain the most benefit from it. Figure 3 is a companion to Figure 2 and shows average daily weekend ridership (Saturday and Sunday combined) for the months July through December, for the years 216 and 217. As with weekday ridership, the data underscores the lower ridership overall in 217, but also highlights the trend of convergence in ridership at the end of the analysis period, again reflecting, we believe, increased rider comfort with the redesigned system. While 216 ridership is higher than 217, there is a convergence in monthly ridership between 216 and 217 in the later months of the year, especially for weekend ridership. 5

16 CityLink Routes Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December 217 Figure 4: Average Weekday Daily by CityLink Route - July through December 217 Average Weekday Daily by CityLink Route July Through December 217 The next set of data provides more detail on how daily ridership is distributed among the routes in the BaltimoreLink system. The data in Figure 4 shows average daily weekday ridership for each CityLink route for the months July 217 to December 217, the first full six months of BaltimoreLink operations. 14, 12, 11,637 CityLink routes were designed to be the backbone of the system, with high service frequencies throughout the day, extensive hours of service, and direct routing that connects major activity centers throughout the Baltimore region. 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 9,598 9,513 8,724 8,142 7,648 7,173 CityLink Routes 6,464 6,462 6,453 6,149 6,146 Purple Silver Yellow Lime Pink The data shows the highest ridership line during the period evaluated is CityLink, which runs between the University of Maryland Transit Center in downtown Baltimore and Towson via mount Avenue and York Road and generally mirrors the 8 route from the pre-baltimorelink system. The second highest ridership CityLink route over the six months evaluated is CityLink, which runs between Walbrook Junction and Canton via North Avenue and the Wolfe/Washington one-way pair. It generally mirrors the pre-baltimorelink 13 route. The third highest ridership CityLink route is CityLink which generally mirrors the eastern portion of the pre- BaltimoreLink 23 route. More detail on weekday ridership on each CityLink route for each of the six months evaluated is provided in Appendix 1. Comparable data for weekends is provided in Appendix 3. The highest ridership CityLink route during the evaluation period is the CityLink, which runs between Towson and downtown Baltimore and mirrors the pre-baltimorelink 8 route. 6

17 Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December 217 Figure 5: Average Weekday Daily by LocalLink Route July 217 through December 217 Average Weekday Daily by LocalLink Route July Through December 217 1, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, The data in Figure 5 is a companion to the data in Figure 4 and shows average daily weekday ridership on LocalLink routes over the time period July 217 through December 217. LocalLink routes provide service to a wide range of different transit markets and therefore differ in their service frequencies, route directness, and hours of service. The highest ridership LocalLink routes have service characteristics comparable to CityLink routes while other LocalLink routes have lower frequencies and shorter hours of service. In each instance, the service design reflects the markets being served. One key trend in the data is that the three highest ridership LocalLink routes (LocalLink routes 22, 8, and 54) actually have average daily ridership that is comparable to, or exceeds, ridership on many of the CityLink routes, highlighting their importance within the BaltimoreLink system. The highest ridership LocalLink route, the 22, is a crosstown route that runs between the Mondawmin Metro Station and the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus. This high ridership highlights the importance of providing transit connections between job and activity centers outside of downtown Baltimore, a key focus of the BaltimoreLink redesign. The second highest ridership LocalLink route is the 8, which runs between the Rogers Avenue Metro Station and downtown through northwest Baltimore. The 54, which is the third highest ridership LocalLink route, runs between the Loch Raven area and downtown Baltimore, predominantly via Harford Road. More detail on weekday ridership on each LocalLink route for each of the months evaluated is provided in Appendix 1. Comparable data for weekends is provided in Appendix 3. The highest ridership LocalLink route during the evaluation period is the LocalLink 22, which is a crosstown route between Mondawmin and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus. 7

18 Express BusLink Routes Average Daily Weekday : July 217 Through December 217 Figure 6: Express BusLink Daily Average by Route July 217 through December 217 Average Weekday Daily by Express BusLink Route July Through December 217 The data in Figure 6 shows ridership by route for the final bus route category in the BaltimoreLink system, Express BusLink. These routes are commuter services that are run by the MDOT MTA in the Baltimore area (in contrast to commuter services such as routes between Southern Maryland and Washington DC that are run by contract operators) The data shows the highest ridership Express BusLink route over the six months evaluated is the 12 route, which runs between White Marsh and downtown Baltimore via Interstate 95. The second highest ridership route over the six months evaluated is the 154, which runs between the Carney Park and Ride and downtown Baltimore, predominantly via Harford Road (the Express BusLink 154 follows the same routing as the LocalLink 54 route, which is among the highest ridership LocalLink routes). The third highest ridership Express BusLink route is the 13, which runs between the Cromwell Bridge Park and Ride in Towson and downtown Baltimore, predominantly via Loch Raven Boulevard. More detail on weekday ridership on each Express BusLink route for each of the months evaluated is provided in Appendix 1. Express BusLink Routes 8

19 Top 1 Routes Average Weekday Daily : July 217 Through December 217 Figure 7: Top 1 BaltimoreLink Routes July 217 through December 217 Average Top 1 Highest Weekday Routes July through December , The data in Figure 7 shows the top 1 highest ridership routes for the July 217 to December 217 evaluation period. The data in Figure 7 shows that seven of the top 1 routes in the evaluation period are CityLink routes, while the top three highest ridership LocalLink routes round out the top 1. This data highlights that while the CityLink routes are designed to be the backbone of the system, LocalLink routes also play an important role in supporting ridership demand. Riedership 12, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 11,637 9,598 9,513 8,724 8,297 8,142 7,648 7,493 7,219 7,173 More detail on the top 1 ridership routes for each of the months evaluated is provided in Appendix 1. Comparable data for weekends is provided in Appendix 3. Seven of the 1 highest weekday ridership routes are CityLink routes, but three are LocalLink routes, highlighting LocalLink routes importance in meeting passenger demand BaltimoreLink Routes 9

20 Average Weekday Daily by Route Category July Through December 217 The final ridership metric evaluated is the breakdown in ridership among the three BaltimoreLink bus categories over the six-month evaluation period. The data in Figure 8 shows that the highest percentage of average daily weekday ridership occurs on the LocalLink routes at 53%, followed by the CityLink routes at 45%. Express BusLink routes carry about 1% of daily weekday riders. The data shows that while CityLink routes carry a smaller portion of overall BaltimoreLink ridership, the 45% of the daily ridership they do carry occurs on only 12 routes, while there are 42 LocalLink routes. This highlights the fact that while the LocalLink routes carry a larger percentage of ridership, the CityLink routes do play an substantial role in carrying people relative to the number of CityLink routes. This reflects the original focus of the BaltimoreLink redesign, which was to concentrate resources on those routes serving the largest rider markets and carrying the highest ridership by providing high service frequencies throughout the day, direct routing, and longer hours of service. More detail on the breakdown of weekday ridership between route categories is provided in Appendix 1. Comparable data for weekends is provided in Appendix 3. Figure 8: Average Daily Weekday by Route Category Average Daily Weekday by Route Category July through December % 46 % 53 % CityLink LocalLink Express BusLink 1

21 B. On-Time Performance and Headway Reliability On-time performance and headway reliability is the second performance metric requested by the Maryland State Legislature for evaluation. The on-time performance and reliability evaluation contained in this section focuses on two levels of data detail. The first evaluation provides a snapshot of on-time performance by comparing ontime performance for the first full six month of BaltimoreLink operations (July 217 to December 217) to the same six months in 216. This high-level snapshot allows for a quick understanding of how BaltimoreLink on-time performance compares to pre- BaltimoreLink on-time performance. This high-level snapshot is followed by more detailed data for individual routes and route categories, summarized for the six months of BaltimoreLink operations. Also available in Appendix 2 is on-time performance data at an even more detailed level, showing on-time data broken out by month for different types of routes. It should be noted that the CityLink routes are scheduled differently than LocalLink and Express BusLink services and therefore their reliability is also measured differently. More detail is provided in the discussion of Figure 1. On Time Performance 11

22 System-wide Bus On-Time Performance Comparison July Through December: 216 vs. 217 Figure 9: System-wide Bus On-Time Performance Comparison July through December: 216 vs. 217 System-wide On-Time Comparison: July 216 through December 216 (Pre-Baltimore Link) to July 217 through December 217 (BaltimoreLink) Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 18.4% 59.5 % % Early On-Time Late 12.9% 66.4% % åå åå åå Outlined first in Figure 9 is a comparison of average system-wide on-time performance over the first six months of BaltimoreLink operations (July 217 to December 217) to on-time performance in the same six months in 216. The data shows that on-time performance in 217 has improved compared to 216. This improvement reflects a range of factors, including: åå More proactive management of service through the Operations Control Center and on-street supervision Changes to route structures made during the BaltimoreLink redesign such as cutting overly long routes in half to make them more reliable Implementation of dedicated transit lanes through downtown Baltimore to improve transit speeds and reliability Implementation of transit signal priority, also focused on improving transit speeds and reliability Service reliability and buses arriving when they are supposed to was a primary complaint of pre-baltimorelink riders and thus was a key focus of the redesign. The improvement in on-time performance is a positive trend that the MDOT MTA will continue to work on to achieve even greater improvements. On-time performance has improved by approximately 7 percentage points since BaltimoreLink implementation due to more proactive line management, changes to route structure to improve reliability, dedicated transit lanes, and transit signal priority. 12 On Time Performance

23 CityLink Route Headway Reliability July 217 Through December 217 Figure 1: CityLink Headway Reliability Percent of Trips Arriving at Scheduled Intervals Between Buses 9% 85% 8% 75% 7% 65% 6% Week Ending 7/2/17 Week Ending 7/9/17 Week Ending 7/16/17 Source: Field Data Collection CityLink Routes Headway Reliability July 217 through December 217 Wed. 8/16/17 Tues. 8/22/17 Mon. 8/28/17 Wed. 9/6/17 Thurs. 9/14/17 Thurs. 9/21/17 Tues. 9/26/17 Mon. 1/2/17 Thurs. 1/12/17 Wed. 1/18/17 Tues. 1/24/17 Mon. 1/3/17 Mon. 11/6/17 Thurs. 11/16/17 Tues. 11/21/17 Wed. 11/29/17 Percentage of Trips Arriving at Scheduled Headway Trend Wed. 12/6/17 Tues. 12/12/17 Mon. 12/18/17 Tues. 1/9/18 Thurs. 1/18/18 Wed. 1/24/18 Thurs. 2/1/18 Wed. 2/7/18 The next set of data provides headway maintenance data for the CityLink routes. As noted in the introduction to this section, CityLink routes are scheduled differently than LocalLink and Express BusLink routes, and therefore their reliability performance is monitored differently. Specifically, CityLink routes are scheduled such that a person waiting at a stop would see a bus arrive at their stop at specific scheduled intervals, usually 1 minutes apart in the peak periods (this scheduled interval is also called a headway). This scheduling approach is in contrast to LocalLink and Express BusLink routes, where passengers use a timetable to understand the specific time they should arrive at a stop to board the bus. This CityLink scheduling approach reflects higher service frequencies on CityLink routes, which allows passengers to arrive at a CityLink stop without a timetable, based on the understanding that a bus will arrive within a reasonable time given the highly frequent service. Because the CityLink routes are scheduled with a focus on maintaining the correct scheduled intervals between buses, the data presented in Figure 1 focuses on how well these scheduled intervals are maintained. The detriment of not maintaining the scheduled interval is that if buses arrive at a stop at an interval less than the scheduled interval (also known as bunching), there will be a large gap after the trailing buses in the bunch, meaning passengers who arrived at a stop after the bunch has passed will have to wait longer than the scheduled headway for a bus to arrive. The data in Figure 1 shows the percentage of CityLink trips arriving correctly separated between the bus in front and the bus behind based on field data collected over the evaluation period. The average number of trips arriving at the scheduled interval during this period was approximately 76%. The MDOT MTA has already implemented a number of initiatives to maintain and improve reliability and correct scheduled intervals, including dedicated bus lanes, stricter enforcement of traffic and parking regulations, transit signal priority, and more proactive management of bus separation through a combination of onstreet supervision and the Operations Control Center (OCC). In an effort to achieve reliability improvements, the MDOT MTA is expanding the network of dedicated transit lanes and transit signal priority and also evaluating the supervision efforts of the OCC and on-street supervisors to identify potential improvements in their methods. On Time Performance 13

24 LocalLink On-Time Performance Comparison July 217 through December 217 Figure 11: LocalLink On-Time Performance by Route July 217 through December 217 Percentage of Trips On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % LocalLink On-Time Performance July Through December Figure 12: Express BusLink On-Time Performance by Route July 217 through December 217 Express BusLink On-Time Performance July Through December 217 The next set of analyses evaluates data at the route and route category level to provide an understanding of how individual routes are performing. The first set of data, shown in Figure 11, summarizes on-time performance by LocalLink route. The data shows that on-time performance by route ranges from a low of approximately 4% to a high of approximately 75%. The average across all LocalLink routes is 66%. The data in Figure 12 is a companion to the data in Figure 11 and shows on-time performance for each Express BusLink route. The data shows that on-time performance ranges from a low of approximately 47% to a high of 66%. The average across all Express BusLink routes is 56%. Part of the lower Express BusLink on-time performance can be attributed to the fact that many of these routes run at least partially on the interstate highways in the Baltimore region, which experience a wide variability in congestion based on traffic accidents and other incidents, thus impacting average on-time performance. The nature of the network on which these trips run can make it difficult to mitigate poor on-time performance. Percentage of Trips On Time 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 66 % 61 % 61 % 6 % 59 % 58 % 58 % 57 % 52 % 51 % 48% 47 % LocalLink on-time performance in 217 averaged 66%, versus 6% in the 216 six-month evaluation period. This is an improvement of 6 percentage points. % Express BusLink Routes 14 On Time Performance

25 On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 35 to BaltimoreLink 56 and 76 Figure 13: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 35 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Routes 56 and 76 Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% Comparsion of Pre-BaltimoreLink Route 35 On-Time Performance to BaltimoreLink Replacement Routes 56 and % 58.9% 28.5% 63.3% 22.3% 14.3% 13.8% 63.3% 22.9 % The next set of data focuses on the impacts of the BaltimoreLink redesign on specific routes through a comparison of pre-baltimorelink and BaltimoreLink routes serving the same corridor or destination. The first, shown in Figure 13, provides an on-time comparison of the pre-baltimorelink route 35 to the post-implementation BaltimoreLink routes 56 and 76. The 35 route was quite long, and was broken in half in the redesign to improve reliability. This resulted in two routes, the LocalLink routes 56 and 76. The data in Figure 13 shows that on-time performance improved on both of the new routes when compared to the original 35 route. Route restructurings such as this were one method used to improve reliability and on-time performance in the BaltimoreLink development. The split of the pre-baltimorelink 35 route resulted in improved on-time performance on the two BaltimoreLink routes comprising the old route, reflecting the benefits of this type of redesign in BaltimoreLink. % Old Route 35 Current Route 56 Early On-Time Late Current Route 76 On Time Performance 15

26 On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink Service and BaltimoreLink Service to Regional Job Centers Figure 14: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 7 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route 65 Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % Comparison of On-Time Performance Pre-BaltimoreLink Service and BaltimoreLink Service to Amazon 9.7 % 59.6% Old Route % 24.3% Early On-Time Late 62.1% Current Route 65 Figure 15: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 17 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route 75 Percent On Time 13.6 % Comparison of On-Time Performance Pre-BaltimoreLink Service and BaltimoreLink Service to BWI Business District 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 15.2% 59.5% Old Route % 16.2% Early On-Time Late 68.5 % Current Route % The next comparison of Pre-BaltimoreLink routes to new BaltimoreLink routes focuses on services to regional job centers. The first of these, shown in Figure 14, focuses on the Amazon fulfillment center located in southeast Baltimore. Pre- BaltimoreLink Amazon was served by the 7 route. Given the importance of Amazon as a job center, the BaltimoreLink redesign resulted in a more direct and frequent LocalLink 65 route. The data in Figure 14 shows an improvement in overall on-time performance as well as a steep decline in late trips. This data reflects a key focus of the BaltimoreLink redesign, which was to focus on important job centers that have grown over time and which have replaced other legacy job centers that have declined as the region changes. The data in Figure 15 is a companion to Figure 14, and shows a comparison of on-time performance for the pre-baltimorelink and BaltimoreLink service to the BWI Business District. The data shows a significant improvement in overall ontime performance on the LocalLink 75 route when compared to the pre-baltimorelink 17 route. Again, this reflects the redesign s focus on improving transit access to important job centers in the region through more direct and reliable service. BaltimoreLink related redesign of services to major job centers such as the Amazon Fulfillment Center and the BWI Business District resulted in improved on-time performance for riders to these locations. 16 On Time Performance

27 On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink Service to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Service Figure 16: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 2 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route 78 Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % Comparison of On-Time Performance: Pre-BaltimoreLink and BaltimoreLink Service in Common Corridor 6.2 % 62.1 % Old Route % 15.3 % Early On-Time Late 73.6% Current Route 78 Figure 17: On-Time Performance Comparison Pre-BaltimoreLink 11 to BaltimoreLink LocalLink Route % Comparison of On-Time Performance: Pre-BaltimoreLink and BaltimoreLink Service in Common Corridor The next set of comparisons show the impacts of improvements such as dedicated bus lanes, decreasing the number of stops on a route, and updating scheduled travel times to reflect current operating conditions. The first comparison, shown in Figure 16, is between the pre-baltimorelink route 2 and the current LocalLink route 78. The pre-baltimorelink 2 ran on the west side of Baltimore and through downtown. The new LocalLink 78 route follows the same alignment on the westside as the pre-baltimorelink 2 route but terminates at the West Baltimore MARC station, thus avoiding downtown congestion. Additional redesign elements included fewer stops and adjusted scheduled run times. The data in Figure 17 is a companion to Figure 16, and shows a comparison of the pre-baltimorelink 11 route to the BaltimoreLink 51 route. The pre- BaltimoreLink 11 route ran between Towson and downtown Baltimore and the LocalLink 51 route follows the same alignment. The improvement in on-time performance shows the positive benefits of dedicated bus lanes on Charles Street, a winnowing of the number of bus stops on the route, and adjustment of run times to reflect current operating conditions. Percent On Time 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % 65.1 % 59.1% 31.7 % 2.2 % 14.7 % 9.2% Old Route 11 Current Route 51 Early On-Time Late Improvements such as dedicated bus lanes, removing low ridership stops, and updating schedules, has resulted in improved ontime performance on multiple BaltimoreLink routes compared to the pre- BaltimoreLink system. On Time Performance 17

28 18 On Time Performance

29 C. Customer Satisfaction The final evaluation requested by the State Legislature is an assessment of customer satisfaction after BaltimoreLink implementation. The foundation of this customer satisfaction analysis is complaints received from customers at two different levels. The first involves a comparison of total complaints by month for the first full six months of BaltimoreLink operations (July 217 to December 217) to the same months in 216. The second analysis evaluates just complaints related to bus operations, specifically complaints about late buses, no-shows, and early buses. Customer Satisfaction 19

30 Total Bus-Related Complaints July Through December: Comparison of 216 to 217 Figure 18: 216 to 217 Comparison - All Bus-Related Complaints Between July and December Complaints 1,6 1,4 1,2 1, Total Bus-Related Complaints Between July and December vs JUL AUG 1,392 1,77 SEP OCT NOV DEC The first Customer Satisfaction analysis, shown in Figure 18, evaluates the change in the number of total passenger complaints between 216 and 217 for the July through December evaluation period. The data shows two positive trends. The first is the decline in complaints from a high in September, with total complaints falling to a low of 552 in December 217 (a fall of 525 complaints, or approximately 49% from the September high). The second is that 217 complaints were below 216 complaints in four of the six months evaluated. Both of these trends reflect the positive benefits of all elements of the BaltimoreLink redesign. Customer complaints were lower in 217 in four of the six months evaluated. Compaints also consistently declined between September and December 217, falling by 49% over the four month period. Source: MDOT MTA Customer Complaint Database 2 Cusstomer Satisfaction

31 Operating-Related Complaints Comparison Early and Late Bus Arrivals, and Bus No-Shows vs. 217 Figure 19: 216 to 217 Comparison - Complaints Related to Early and Late Bus Arrivals and Bus No-Shows Operating-Related Complaints 2,5 2, 1, ,26 Operating-Related Complaints July Through December 216 vs ,368 No Show 33 Early Late 784 The second set of Customer Satisfaction data, as shown in Figure 19, provides a comparison of passenger complaints related to early, late, and no-show buses between 216 and 217. The positive trend of declining total complaints as displayed in Figure 18 is also seen here for the subset of complaints related to bus on-time performance. Specifically, the data in Figure 19 shows a decline in complaints regarding early bus arrivals of 45% while complaints related to no-shows declined by 32%. The decline in these complaint types points to progress on one of the key goals of the BaltimoreLink redesign, which was improved service reliability. Passenger complaints related to early, late, and no-show buses declined in each category in 217 compared to 216. Complaints related to early buses fell by 45%, complaints related to late buses fell by 3%, and complaints related to noshow buses fell by 32%. Source: MDOT MTA Customer Complaint Database Customer Satisfaction 21

32 22 Customer Satisfaction

33 D. BaltimoreLink Capital Improvement Status Much of the focus of this Legislative Report has been on the service redesign elements of BaltimoreLink, but the redesign effort also included capital improvement initiatives to support the BaltimoreLink service elements. The purpose of this report section is to outline the implementation status of these capital improvements. Each of the initiatives is summarized below. West Baltimore Enhanced Service This capital initiative involved the evaluation of bus stops along the pre-baltimorelink QuickBus 4 (which has generally been replaced by the CityLink route) in order to identify improvements that would enhance the passenger wait experience. Improvements, which were completed in May 217 prior to BaltimoreLink implementation, included shelter improvements, new trash cans, sidewalk improvements, and some accessibility improvements. New Vehicles MDOT MTA procured 172 new buses in the FY 16/FY 17 procurement as replacements for older vehicles reaching the end of their useful life. All of these buses were in revenue service by the BaltimoreLink launch in June 217. Bus Shelters Funding has been provided for the installation of 2 new bus shelters to help improve the passenger experience at high ridership stops throughout the MDOT MTA bus system. 3 shelters have been installed to date. The selection of installation sites is based on a rating system that considers average daily boardings, transfer volumes, identified Title VI issues, service frequency at stops, operator relief points, and adjacent human service facilities such as doctor s offices or elder care facilities. Phase 2 of this program will include the installation of 5 additional shelters. The remaining shelters will then be installed following the same procedures in batches of 5 shelters. Color Destination Signs 91 buses procured in 213 and 214 have been retrofitted with new destination signs that display the bus s destination in color. In addition, all 216 and 217 buses were delivered with factory installed Color Destination Signs, and this feature will now automatically be part of all new bus purchases. The retrofit project was completed prior to the BaltimoreLink launch. Bus Wraps This initiative involved the installation of bus wraps designating a bus as serving either a LocalLink or CityLink route. 25 buses were wrapped as CityLink buses and 5 were wrapped as LocalLink buses. This initiative was completed prior to the BaltimoreLink launch. BaltimoreLink Capital Improvement Status 23

34 Signage and Maps BaltimoreLink involved the wholesale rebranding of the Baltimore region s bus system. To that end, new bus stop signs were installed at each of the 4, stops in the BaltimoreLink network (these were all installed prior to the BaltimoreLink launch). The new signs include route destinations and service frequencies. To complement the new bus stop signs, several hundred bus shelters were equipped with new system maps reflecting the new BaltimoreLink system. System maps were also updated at all Metro SubwayLink and Light RailLink stations as were the station name pylons at each of these stations. Finally, downtown transfer stations and busy transfer stops outside downtown were equipped with you are here neighborhood maps that also show connections between modes. All of this work was completed prior to the BaltimoreLink launch. Dedicated Transitways In order to improve vehicle travel times and reliability, the MDOT MTA implemented 5.5 miles of dedicated transitways in the following corridors. Each of these dedicated transitways is now in place. 1. Fayette Street through downtown Baltimore.87 miles of dedicated all-day curb-running transitway. 2. Baltimore Street through downtown Baltimore.87 miles of dedicated all-day curb-running transitway. 3. Charles Street through downtown Baltimore.55 miles of dedicated PM peak curb-running transitway. 4. St. Paul Street through downtown Baltimore.42 miles of dedicated peak period transitway, consisting predominantly of curbside running. 5. Hillen Street/Guilford Avenue/South Street through downtown Baltimore.52 miles of dedicated all-day curb-running transitway. 6. Gay Street/Ensor Street through downtown Baltimore.53 miles of dedicated all-day curb-running transitway. 7. Lombard and Pratt Streets through downtown Baltimore upgrades of dedicated all-day curb-running bus lanes originally installed in 29. Upgrades included painting the dedicated bus lanes on each street red to more strongly communicate that these are dedicated transitway facilities. This initiative also extended the dedicated bus lanes to the blocks between Howard and e Streets. Transit Signal Priority Transit Signal Priority has been installed at 36 intersections along Loch Raven Boulevard (CityLink ) and York Road (CityLink ). In addition, the required TSP equipment on buses has been installed on 251 vehicles to date. The MDOT MTA is currently working on equipping the remaining vehicles in the MDOT MTA fleet. Additional corridors have been identified and MDOT MTA is coordinating with Baltimore City DOT on installation. Transit Transfer Facilities The redesign of the Baltimore bus system into BaltimoreLink relied heavily on transfer facilities throughout the system. Improvements at key transfer locations include the following: 1. Development of an off-street transfer facility at the West Baltimore MARC station, which also included the installation of real-time bus arrival displays, sheltered waiting areas, bicycle parking, additional CCTV cameras, ticket vending machines, emergency phones, and a ZipCar parking spot. 2. Installation of real-time bus arrival information displays, new shelters, bicycle parking, additional CCTV cameras, emergency telephones and ticket vending machines at key transfer locations throughout the system including at Penn-North Metro, Penn Station, Charles Center, Bayview Hospital, State Center, and Lexington Market. 24 BaltimoreLink Capital Improvement Status

35 Car Sharing/Pop-Up Transit Services MDOT MTA has partnered with the Parking Authority of Baltimore City (PABC) to expand its existing car sharing program to transit facilities. PABC has a contract with ZipCar; if PABC puts out a new RFP for car sharing, MDOT MTA will work with PABC on the RFP to piggyback on the new contract. A oneyear License Agreement between MDOT MTA and ZipCar has been executed. ZipCar leases the parking spaces from MDOT MTA for a fee (a tenant-landlord relationship). A total of 18 stations and 32 spaces are planned, with deployment in phases between June 217 and June 218. This partnership provides increased regional mobility and alternatives to car ownership. Fort Meade Connections MDOT MTA, through BaltimoreLink, has developed a transportation shuttle service to connect the Penn and Camden Line MARC lines with Fort Meade, National Business Park, and the National Security Agency. The Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) is providing service on this new route, designated route 54. This initiative is funded for a two-year period at $46, per year, which includes the cost of four shuttle buses, operators, and maintenance expenses. The new service began operating on October 1, 217. is off to a steady start with limited but positive feedback from passengers. The 54 provides an additional layer of service to the Fort Meade internal shuttle and bolsters service to the Savage and Odenton MARC stations, and to the 22 Commuter Bus. Howard Street Audio-Visual Safety Project This project involved the installation of audio-visual warning technology at all 17 intersections along the Central Light Rail Line between the Camden Yards Light Rail Station and the Mount Royal Light Rail Station. Signs along with corresponding audible warnings are activated as a light rail vehicle approaches the intersection. This project adds an additional level of pedestrian safety in downtown Baltimore. Last Mile Investments MDOT MTA has undertaken efforts to improve connections between bicycling and transit to improve the reach of transit and make it easier for people to access transit service by bike. The first MARC Bike Car service was offered on weekend Penn Line trains starting in December 214. While folding bicycles have always been allowed on MARC trains, the conversion of single-level MARC passenger cars to Bike Cars has allowed users to bring full-size bicycles on the train. With the start of the BaltimoreLink process in the fall of 215, additional bike cars were added so that all weekend Penn Line trains can carry full-sized bicycles. Bike Car service has also been run on Bike to Work Day, World Car Free Day, and on other occasional weekdays to improve bicycling access for MARC weekday passengers and those on the Brunswick Line. To allow for the use of full-size bicycles regularly on weekday MARC service, an effort is now underway to install two bike racks in select MARC passenger cars. MDOT MTA has also been working to improve bicycle parking at rail stations throughout the system. Bicycle parking was added to eleven stations around the state. Bike parking and/ or lockers were added at these locations that either had no bike parking or bike parking that did not meet the needs at the site. Bicycle parking is also being added at 16 Light Rail and nine Metro Subway stations. MDOT MTA has also been a partner in the Baltimore Bike Share system, working in partnership with the Baltimore City Department of Transportation to ensure that Bike Share complements the transit system. Of the 25 locations installed to date, seven have been at or adjacent to MARC, Light Rail, or Metro Subway stations and four more are planned at locations at or adjacent to rail stations. BaltimoreLink Capital Improvement Status 25

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37 Appendices Appendix 1 Weekday Detail Appendix 2 On-Time Performance Detail Appendix 3 Weekend Detail Appendices 27