LAKE COUNTY TRANSIT DIVISION P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, Florida 32778 2440 U.S. Highway 441/27, Fruitland Park, Florida 34731 Telep
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LAKE COUNTY TRANSIT DIVISION P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, Florida 32778 2440 U.S. Highway 441/27, Fruitland Park, Florida 34731 Telephone: 352.323.5733; Facsimile: 352.323.5755 www.ridelakexpress.com 2016 TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN ANNUAL UPDATE TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2016 TDP Annual Update Requirements 3 Organization of Report 4 SECTION 2. 2016 TDP ANNUAL UPDATE OVERVIEW 4 Public Involvement Summary 4 Regulatory & Legislative Context 5 Mission, Goals & Objectives 6 PROPOSED New Mission, Goals & Objectives 11 SECTION 3. SERVICE OVERVIEW & PAST YEAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS 13 Service Overview 13 FY 2016 Accomplishments 15 FY 2015 LakeXpress and Lake County Connection Operating Statistics 20 SECTION 4. EMERGING ISSUES 25 Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation (NEMT) 25 Use of For-Hire & Car Sharing Services for Last-Mile/First-Mile Transit Trips 25 SECTION 5. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR 2017-2026 & VARIANCE BETWEEN 2015 PLAN UPDATE 26 2016-2025 Implementation Plan 26 2017-2026 Implementation Plan and Variance Between 2015 Update 26 SECTION 6. 2016 TDP ANNUAL UPDATE FINANCIAL PLAN 29 APPENDIX A. Lake-Sumter MPO Public Involvement Plan (Link) 30 Lake County Transit DRAFT 2016 Transit Development Plan Annual Update 2 SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION The Transit Development Plan (TDP) serves as the strategic guide for public transportation services in Lake County over a 10-year horizon. Development of the TDP includes the development of goals and objectives for transit service in Lake County based on land use plans, demographic and economic development changes and engagement with the public, to identify transit priorities and trends in public transit use and demand. The TDP is developed within the context and framework of regional transportation goals and objectives with an eye to- wards maximizing federal, state and local funding to enhance LakeXpress fixed route and Lake County Connec- tion paratransit services. All of the goals and objectives of the TDP should reflect the current climate and prior- ities of our federal, state and local sponsoring agencies which have oversight of our delivery of safe, compliant, and efficient public transit services to the citizens, employees and visitors of Lake County. The 2016 TDP Annual Update serves as the first TDP Update completed independently by the Lake County Transit Division. This Annual Update will build upon past TDP Updates developed by the Lake-Sumter MPO, while out- lining new goals and objectives that reflect the trends in federal and state oversight priorities and specific transit development priorities of Lake County. 2016 TDP Annual Update Requirements In addition to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements promulgated in 49 CFR Section 5303 and the most recent reauthorizations (2005 – 2016) of the federal transportation act (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST), all public transit service providers are required to develop and adopt, within the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) process, a 10-year TDP. The requirement for a TDP is consistent with the State of Florida Public Transit Block Grant (PTBG) program which provides public transit funding support. Additionally, the development of the TDP is consistent with the TDP requirements adopted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on February 20, 2007, as out- lined in the Florida Administrative Code, Rule 9J-5, the Chapter 14-73.001 , and all applicable State and Federal requirements. An additional requirement for the TDP was added by the Florida Legislature in 2007 when it adopted House Bill 985. This legislation amended Section 341.071 of the Florida Statutes (FS), requiring transit agencies to “… specifically address potential enhancements to productivity and performance which would have the effect of increasing farebox recovery ratio.” FDOT subsequently issued guidance requiring the TDP and each annual update is required to include a summary report on the farebox recovery ratio, and strategies implemented and any plans to improve (raise) the ratio. This Annual Update is developed as a progress report on the adopted TDP and includes the following elements as specified in the Florida Administrative Code: Rule 14-73.001: 1. Past year's accomplishments compared to the original implementation program; 2. Analysis of any discrepancies between the plan and its implementation for the past year and steps that will be taken to attain original goals and objectives; 3. Any revisions to the implementation program for the coming year; Lake County Transit DRAFT 2016 Transit Development Plan Annual Update 3 4. Revised implementation program for the tenth year; 5. Added recommendations for the new tenth year of the updated plan; 6. A revised financial plan; and 7. A revised list of projects or services needed to meet the goals and objectives, including projects for which funding may not have been identified. Organization of Report The report is broken into seven sections, including the following: 1. Section 1 – Introduction a. Annual Update Requirements b. Organization of Report 2. Section 2 – 2016 TDP Annual Update Overview a. Public Involvement Summary b. Regulatory & Legislative Context c. Mission, Goals & Objectives 3. Section 3 – Service Overview & Accomplishments FY 2016 4. Section 4 – Emerging Issues 5. Section 5 – Implementation Plan for FY 2017-2026 and Variance Between 2016 Plan Update 6. Section 6 – Financial Plan for FY 2017-2026 7. Appendix A – Lake-Sumter MPO Public Involvement Plan (PIP) SECTION 2. – 2016 TDP ANNUAL UPDATE OVERVIEW Public Involvement Summary The 2016 TDP Annual Update for the Lake County Transit Division is occurring late in the calendar year because of several significant events which have required the full time and attention of Lake County leadership and the Transit Division staff, to include: Hiring of new Transit Division Manager, Transit Operations Supervisor and Fixed Route Coordinator; Planning and Implementation of new Routes (1A, 50E and 50W) to address chronic on-time performance issues with LakeXpress fixed route service; Preparation for the first FDOT Triennial Audit and Vehicle Safety Inspection of the County’s 74-vehicle transit fleet; Procurement and transition process for a new operations and maintenance provider to begin in January 2017; and Completion of Phase III ADA bus stop, bench and shelter installations by September 2016. Upon approval by the Lake County Board of County Commissioners (LCBCC), Lake County Transit Division will utilize the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Public Involvement Process (PIP) and its Advisory Committees and Task Forces as the vehicle to engage stakeholders on the proposed DRAFT 2016 TDP Lake County Transit DRAFT 2016 Transit Development Plan Annual Update 4 Annual Update. The MPO’s Public Involvement Plan (PIP) was amended by the MPO Board on January 28, 2015 under Resolution 2015-1. The MPO’s PIP is attached in the Appendix. Representatives of Lake County and Sumter County governments, the 14 municipalities of Lake County, the five municipalities of Sumter County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida Central Railroad, Lake County Schools, Sumter District Schools and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) are involved in the transportation planning process facilitated by the Lake-Sumter MPO. LakeXpress fixed route service op- erates in 10 of the 14 Lake County municipalities which are members of the Lake-Sumter MPO. Lake County Connection service operates in all Lake County municipalities. Lake County Transit has an open comment, complaint and suggestion process whereby patrons and stakehold- ers may submit their concerns regarding LakeXpress and Lake County Connection via email on Lake County’s Official website and at www.ridelakespress.com at any time. We also receive transit service complaints and suggestions throughout the year by telephone and in writing. In the fall of 2014, Lake-Sumter MPO developed a transit survey for passengers on the new Route 50 to glean information on how passengers made their com- mute along this corridor. We have not initiated any additional surveys during the past two years. Supplement- ing the notification process in the MPO plan, notices regarding the 2016 TDP Annual Update will also be posted on the www.ridelakexpress.com and copies of the draft and final plan will also be made available at the Lake County Public Transportation Division Office and local Lake County libraries. Many of the 2016 accomplishments and future recommendations in the TDP Annual Update reflect the feedback we have received through the aforementioned mediums. Regulatory & Legislative Context Since the last major update of the Lake County Transit TDP, there have been two major transportation reau- thorizations which have impacted the priorities and requirements of federally-funded public transit services within the metropolitan planning process. The seminal changes and/or requirements of these reauthoriza- tions and their relationship to transit services are as follows: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) – October 1, 2012 Added new requirement that MPO’s include representation of public transportation providers on pol- icy and governing boards; Established new performance measure and target requirements for MPO’s as part of the planning pro- cess to be developed in