Lake County Transit Development Plan – Existing Conditions
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Lake County Transit Development Plan – Existing Conditions 1. LakeXpress Fixed Route Service ...................................................................................... 1 1.1. Operating Characteristics 1 1.2. Fare Schedule 3 1.3. Transportation Budget 5 2. Lake County Connection Paratransit Service ................................................................. 9 2.1. Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) Program 9 2.2. Performance Measures 10 2.3. CTC Peer Review Analysis 13 3. Other Transportation Providers in Lake County ......................................................... 20 4. Public Transportation Funding in Lake County ............................................................ 21 4.1. Funding Sources for Operations and Capital 21 4.2. National Peer Comparison 22 5. Lake County Transportation Function .......................................................................... 24 6. Public Transportation Facilities ...................................................................................... 25 6.1. Maintenance Facilities 25 6.2. Park-and-Ride Locations 25 6.3. Shelters 25 6.4. Transit Vehicles Inventory 26 6.5. On-Board Technology 27 7. Adjacent Area Providers ................................................................................................. 28 8. Public Survey .................................................................................................................... 34 9. Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 35 Existing Conditions in Lake County This memo presents an overview of existing public transportation services offered in Lake County. The Lake County Board of County Commissioners contract with a private entity, MV Transportation, Inc., to provide both fixed route service, LakeXpress, as well as Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) and ADA Complementary Paratransit service, known as the Lake County Connection (LCC). Lake County currently operates a fleet of 13 fixed route and 67 paratransit vehicles throughout its 71 square mile service area. In addition to the LakeXpress/LCC service, Lake County is served by LYNX Link 44, Link 55, Link 427, and the Clermont Express (Link 204). There are three FDOT owned Park-and-Ride locations within Lake County, two of which are currently in use. The Clermont Park-and-Ride, located near the intersection of US Highway 27 and Hook Street can accommodate 128 vehicles and is served by LYNX route 204 (Clermont Express) in the AM and PM peak periods. The Minneola Park-and-Ride, also located along US Highway 27, just south of Lake Minneola Shores, can hold 89 vehicles and is not currently served by any public transit routes. The Mascotte Park & Ride lot is a Shared-Use Park & Ride lot. Ten spaces at the Mascotte Civic Center can be used for carpool/vanpool parking by commuter groups. Designated for commuter use in 2011, this lot was formed through a partnership with the City of Mascotte and the reThink program. In order to illustrate opportunities for transit service connectivity, a discussion of adjacent-area transit services in Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia counties is also included in this section. 1. LakeXpress Fixed Route Service Public, fixed route bus service was initiated in Lake County on May 21, 2007 and is known as LakeXpress. Current service is comprised of four, fixed routes traveling through the County along the U.S. Highway 441 Corridor, serving the major hub cities of Lady Lake, Fruitland Park, Leesburg, Tavares, Eustis, Mount Dora, Umatilla, and Zellwood. Currently, there are three transfer points between LakeXpress local routes; one transfer point allowing access to LYNX Link 44; and one transfer point between LakeXpress and Sumter County Transit service (Table 1.1). Table 1.1 - Public Transit Transfer Points in Lake County Transfer Location LakeXpressRoutes Other Providers 14th St. & Citizens Blvd. 1, 2 Lake Tech 1, 3, 4 Anthony House @ Holly St. 4 LYNX Link 44 Spanish Springs Station 1 SCT Village Shuttle 1.1. Operating Characteristics LakeXpress provides fixed-schedule service on four routes, two base routes and two circulator routes in Leesburg and Mount Dora, respectively. LakeXpress routes operate on weekdays between the hours of 6 AM and 7:45 PM on 60 minute headways. Service is not available on weekends or federal holidays. Lake County Transit Development Plan 2013 Major Update Existing Conditions Page 1 Table 1.2 – LakeXpress Fare Schedule Fare Type Cost One-way Trip Regular Reduced Adult $1.00 $0.50 Student (with valid ID) $0.50 Veteran (with a DD-214) $0.50 Senior $0.50 Medicare cardholder $0.50 ADA Eligibile $0.50 Multi-Trip Pass 1-Day Pass (unlimited rides) $3.00 $1.50 30-Day Pass (unlimited rides) $30.00 $15.00 10-Ride Pass $8.00 $4.00 Source: Lake County Figure 1.1 below provides an overview of the LakeXpress fixed route system. Route 1 The Villages to Eustis: LakeXpress Route 1 operates in an east-west alignment, traveling between Spanish Springs Station in The Villages to the west and Palmetto Street at Getford Road, Eustis, in the east. Timepoints along the route include major destinations such as Wal-Mart, Lake-Sumter Community College, Lake Square Mall, the Tavares government complex, Eustis Square, and the Waterman Hospital. In Leesburg, the route makes a loop through Lake Street and Newell Hill Road before continuing east toward Tavares and Eustis. Once into Eustis, the route traverses local routes to serve downtown destinations. There are three transfer points along Route 1. At Spanish Springs Station, the western route terminus, riders can connect to the Sumter County Transit shuttles. At 14th Street and Citizens Boulevard, riders can transfer to LakeXpress Route 2. Finally, at Lake Tech, riders are able to transfer between route 1, 3, and 4. The LakeXpress system operates Monday through Friday. The Villages to Eustis route begins at 6 AM and runs until 7:50 PM. In the eastbound direction, three express/altered alignment runs leave in the morning from US Highway 27 and Citizens Boulevard: at 6 AM direct to Lake Square Mall; at 6:32 AM direct to Main Street in Tavares; and also at 6 AM to the eastern terminus in Eustis. Beginning at 6:30 AM, buses run the entire route, east to west, on 60-minute headways. The last two eastbound runs operate between The Villages and Wal-Mart, only; the last timepoint occurring at 7:50 PM. In the westbound direction, there are three alternative, AM alignments, departing at 6 AM, 6:25 AM, and 6:53 AM, respectively. Beginning at 7:14 AM, the west bound route leaves Palmetto Street and Getford Road, serving all timepoints on 60-minute headways. The last two runs of the day, leaving at 6:14 PM and 7:14 PM terminate at Lake Square Mall and Waterman Hospital, respectively. Route 2 City of Leesburg: The Leesburg Circulator operates through the City of Leesburg from Wal-Mart in the north to the Southside Shopping Center in the south. There are various important destinations Lake County Transit Development Plan 2013 Major Update Existing Conditions Page 2 along and adjacent to this circulator, including various subsidized housing complexes, Beacon College (for developmentally delayed persons), a One-Stop Center, and the Leesburg Recreation Center. From 6 AM until 7 PM, the route operates 13 complete runs on 60-minute headways. At 14th Street and Citizens Boulevard, riders can transfer to LakeXpress Route 1. Route 3 Mount Dora Circulator: Like the Leesburg route, the Mount Dora route is also a circulator. It operates between Eustis Square in the east, also a transfer point to Route 1, and downtown Mount Dora surrounding City Hall in the west. City Hall and Wal-Mart are among the primary destinations along the route. Beginning at 6:38 AM, the route operated on hourly headways with the last departure occurring at 6:38 PM. Route 4 Altoona/Umatilla to Zellwood: Route 4 is the only LakeXpress route that travels outside of the county to its terminus. In the north, the route originates at the Altoona post office. In the south, the route originates at Anthony House in Zellwood, Orange County. The majority of the route travels on state and US highways and there are limited stops at destinations such as Umatilla City Hall, Eustis Square, and the Mount Dora Wal-Mart. A complete one-way trip takes approximately 69 minutes to complete. In the soutbound to Zellwood direction, there are three AM and three PM departures: 7:11 AM, 9:11 AM, 11:11 AM, 1:11 PM, 3:1, and 5:11 PM. In the northbound direction, there are two AM and four PM departures: 8:20 AM, 10:20 AM, 12:20 PM, 2:20 PM, 4:20 PM, and 6:20 PM. 1.2. Fare Schedule A detailed fare schedule is presented in Table 1.2. Fares have not increased since service inception, in 2007. The regular full cash fare is $1. Seniors, students, Medicare cardholders, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are eligible for a reduced fare of $0.50. Children five years of age and younger are provided free passage throughout the system when accompanied by a paying adult. Multi-ride regular and discounted passes (Daily, 30-Day, and 10-Ride) are available for purchase at the Tavares City Hall and various Lake County Public Library locations. Bus-to-Bus transfers within the system are free. Diamond manual fareboxes are used on all vehicles. Table 1.2 – LakeXpress Fare Schedule Fare Type Cost One-way Trip Regular Reduced Adult $1.00 $0.50 Student (with valid ID) $0.50 Veteran (with a DD-214) $0.50 Senior $0.50 Medicare cardholder $0.50 ADA Eligibile $0.50 Multi-Trip Pass 1-Day Pass (unlimited rides) $3.00 $1.50 30-Day Pass (unlimited rides) $30.00 $15.00 10-Ride Pass $8.00 $4.00 Source: Lake County Lake County Transit Development Plan 2013 Major Update Existing Conditions Page 3 Figure 1.1 - LakeXpress System Map Lake County Transit Development Plan 2013 Major Update Existing Conditions Page 4 1.3. Transportation Budget The 2012 operating budget for LakeXpress was $1,790,832; Capital costs were $816,238. Compared to previous years, operating expenses remained relatively steady; an increase of only 11 percent from 2010 to 2013.