Wausau Area Transit System Transit Development Plan

Prepared for

County of Marathon and Wausau Area Transit System

Draft Final Report

Prepared by

Urbitran Associates, Inc. in association with Abrams-Cherwony & Associates

May 2006

Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: SOCIOECONOMIC AND LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS ...... 1 Introduction...... 1 Population...... 1 Income...... 5 Households below Poverty Level ...... 6 Zero-Car Households...... 7 Senior Citizen Population...... 7 Youth Population ...... 9 Employment...... 11 Major Generators ...... 11 Journey to Work ...... 21 CHAPTER 2: WATS SERVICE OVERVIEW ...... 22 Introduction...... 22 Organizational Structure ...... 22 Fixed Route Service Description...... 23 WATS Fare Structure ...... 31 WATS+ Paratransit Service Description...... 32 Financial Information...... 33 Capital Resources...... 34 Historical Trend 1999 – 2004...... 36 Service Changes Since the Previous TDP ...... 38 CHAPTER 3: PEER GROUP AND TREND ANALYSES ...... 39 Introduction...... 39 Peer Group Analysis...... 39 Financial Efficiency ...... 40 Service Effectiveness...... 41 Cost Effectiveness ...... 42 Service Provided per Capita...... 43 Service Span Comparison...... 43 Conclusion...... 44 Trend Analysis ...... 45 Service Baseline ...... 45 Financial Efficiency ...... 46 Service Effectiveness...... 46 Cost Effectiveness ...... 46 Amount and Use of Service ...... 47 Conclusion...... 47 CHAPTER 4: PUBLIC OUTREACH ...... 49 Introduction...... 49 Drop-In Sessions...... 49 Service Area Expansion...... 49 Expanded Days...... 50 Service Hour Expansion...... 50 Service Quality ...... 50

i Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Other Comments ...... 50 Summary...... 51 Stakeholder Interviews...... 51 WATS Bus Service: General Perceptions ...... 53 Unmet Needs ...... 54 Regional Cooperation ...... 54 Regional System Growth: Key Factors for Success...... 55 Stakeholder Summary...... 56 CHAPTER 5: OPINION SURVEYS ...... 57 Rider Survey...... 57 Introduction...... 57 Survey Description ...... 57 Survey Results ...... 58 Summary...... 72 Wausau West Industrial Park Survey ...... 73 CHAPTER 6: SERVICE EVALUATION, ISSUES, AND OPPORTUNITIES ...... 74 Introduction...... 74 Performance Evaluation...... 74 Service Coverage...... 74 Patron Convenience...... 78 Fiscal Condition...... 79 Passenger Comfort...... 80 Summary...... 80 Route Diagnostics...... 81 Service Effectiveness...... 81 Financial Efficiency ...... 84 Cost Effectiveness ...... 85 Route Ranking ...... 87 Time of Day Analysis...... 89 Route Issues and Opportunities...... 90 Issues and Opportunities...... 139 CHAPTER 7: RECOMMENDED FIVE YEAR SERVICE PLAN...... 143 Service Plan ...... 143 Service Plan: Year 2 (2007)...... 148 Service Plan: Year 3 (2008)...... 162 Service Plan: Year 4 (2009)...... 168 Service Plan: Year 5 (2010)...... 169 Capital Requirements...... 170 Fare Structure ...... 170 Marketing Efforts ...... 170 Implementation Schedule...... 172 Financial Plan...... 173

ii Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

List of Figures

Figure 1-1: Total Population...... 2 Figure 1-2: Population Density...... 3 Figure 1-3: Median Household Income ...... 5 Figure 1-4: Population Below Poverty Level ...... 6 Figure 1-5: Number of Zero-Car Households...... 7 Figure 1-6: Total Population Over Age 65 ...... 8 Figure 1-7: Percent of Population Over Age 65 ...... 8 Figure 1-8: Total Population Under Age 18 ...... 9 Figure 1-9: Percent of Population Under Age 18 ...... 10 Figure 1-10: Major Traffic Generators ...... 12 Figure 1-11: Location of Employers with Greater than 100 Employees...... 20 Figure 2-1: WATS Organizational Chart...... 22 Figure 2-2: WATS Regular Route Network ...... 25 Figure 2-3: WATS Express Route Network ...... 28 Figure 6-1: WATS Regular Route Network (1/4 Mile Buffer) ...... 76 Figure 6-2: Wausau Area Transit System (WATS) Weekday Ridership by Time of Day...... 89 Figure 6-3: Wausau Area Transit System (WATS) Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 90 Figure 6-4: Route A Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 92 Figure 6-5: Route A Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 92 Figure 6-6: Route A Weekday On/Off Activity ...... 94 Figure 6-7: Route A Saturday On/Off Activity ...... 95 Figure 6-8: Route B Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 97 Figure 6-9: Route B Saturday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 97 Figure 6-10: Route B Weekday On/Off Activity...... 99 Figure 6-11: Route B Saturday On/Off Activity...... 100 Figure 6-12: Route C Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 102 Figure 6-13: Route C Saturday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 102 Figure 6-14: Route C Weekday On/Off Activity...... 104 Figure 6-15: Route C Saturday On/Off Activity...... 105 Figure 6-16: Route D Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 107 Figure 6-17: Route D Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 107 Figure 6-18: Route D Weekday On/Off Activity ...... 109 Figure 6-19: Route D Saturday On/Off Activity ...... 110 Figure 6-20: Route E Weekday Ridership by Time of Day...... 112 Figure 6-21: Route E Saturday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 112 Figure 6-22: Route E Weekday On/Off Activity...... 114 Figure 6-23: Route E Saturday On/Off Activity...... 115 Figure 6-24: Route G Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 117 Figure 6-25: Route G Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 117 Figure 6-26: Route G Weekday On/Off Activity ...... 119 Figure 6-27: Route G Saturday On/Off Activity ...... 120 Figure 6-28: Route H Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 122 Figure 6-29: Route H Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 122 Figure 6-30: Route H Weekday On/Off Activity ...... 124

iii Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Figure 6-31: Route H Saturday On/Off Activity ...... 125 Figure 6-32: Route I Weekday Ridership by Time of Day...... 127 Figure 6-33: Route I Saturday Ridership by Time of Day...... 127 Figure 6-34: Route I Weekday On/Off Activity...... 129 Figure 6-35: Route I Saturday On/Off Activity...... 130 Figure 6-36: Route J Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 132 Figure 6-37: Route J Saturday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 132 Figure 6-38: Route J Weekday On/Off Activity...... 134 Figure 6-39: Route J Saturday On/Off Activity...... 135 Figure 6-40: Route X4 Weekday Ridership by Time of Day ...... 137 Figure 6-41: Route X4 Weekday On/Off Activity ...... 138 Figure 7-1: Year 1 – New Route K Weston...... 145 Figure 7-2: Year 1 – Revisions to Route G...... 146 Figure 7-3: Suggested Logo...... 147 Figure 7-4: Year 2 Weekday Route Network ...... 149 Figure 7-5: Year 2 – Revisions to Route D...... 150 Figure 7-6: Year 2 – Revisions to Route I ...... 151 Figure 7-7: Year 2 – New Hospital Shuttle ...... 153 Figure 7-8: Year 2 Saturday Route Network ...... 155 Figure 7-9: Saturday North Route...... 156 Figure 7-10: Saturday South Route...... 158 Figure 7-11: Saturday West Route...... 159 Figure 7-12: Saturday Southwest Route ...... 160 Figure 7-13: Year 3 Weekday Route Network ...... 163 Figure 7-14: New Rib Mountain Route ...... 165 Figure 7-15: Year 3 – Revisions to Route J...... 166 Figure 7-16: Year 3 – Route C Downtown Re-Alignment...... 167

iv Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

List of Tables

Table 1-1: Population Projections by Minor Civil Division (MCD) ...... 1 Table 1-2: Population Change by Minor Civil Division (MCD)...... 4 Table 1-3: Number of Jobs in Minor Civil Divisions within Wausau MPO Planning Area ...... 11 Table 1-4: Government Centers...... 13 Table 1-5: Hospitals...... 14 Table 1-6: Recreation Generators ...... 14 Table 1-7: Major Retailers...... 15 Table 1-8: Social Services and Charitable Organizations...... 16 Table 1-9: Schools ...... 17 Table 1-10: Major Employers...... 18 Table 1-11: Origin Location for Wausau Employees...... 21 Table 1-12: Work Locations for Wausau Residents...... 21 Table 2-1: WATS Employee Roster...... 23 Table 2-2: Frequency and Span of Service...... 24 Table 2-3: Round Trip Route Mileage...... 30 Table 2-4: Average Daily Vehicle Hours and Mileage ...... 31 Table 2-5: Fare Structure ...... 32 Table 2-6: Operating Statistics...... 33 Table 2-7: Operating Expense Summary (2005 Estimated) ...... 33 Table 2-8: Revenue Summary (2005 Estimated)...... 34 Table 2-9: Shelter Locations...... 34 Table 2-10: Wausau Area Transit System Vehicle Roster ...... 35 Table 2-11: Capital Program (2004 – 2009)...... 35 Table 2-12: Ridership Trends ...... 37 Table 2-13: Service Trends...... 37 Table 2-14: Financial Trends...... 37 Table 3-1: Wausau Area Transit Peer Systems...... 40 Table 3-2: Financial Efficiency ...... 41 Table 3-3: Service Effectiveness ...... 42 Table 3-4: Cost Effectiveness ...... 42 Table 3-5: Amount of Service Provided per Capita...... 43 Table 3-6: Service Span Comparison ...... 43 Table 3-7: Trend Analysis ...... 45 Table 4-1: Participating Stakeholders...... 52 Table 5-1: Weekday Survey Responses by Route ...... 59 Table 5-2: Saturday Survey Responses by Route...... 59 Table 5-3: Mode of Accessing Bus...... 60 Table 5-4: Weekday Transfers From Another WATS Bus ...... 60 Table 5-5: Saturday Transfers From Another WATS Bus ...... 61 Table 5-6: Mode to Complete Trip ...... 61 Table 5-7: Weekday Transfers to Another WATS Bus...... 62 Table 5-8: Saturday Transfers to Another WATS Bus...... 62 Table 5-9: Length of Time Riding WATS...... 63 Table 5-10: Trip Purpose ...... 63

v Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 5-11: Frequency of Use...... 64 Table 5-12: Riding Trend...... 64 Table 5-13: Fare Payment Options ...... 65 Table 5-14: Weekday Service Rating ...... 65 Table 5-15: Saturday Service Rating ...... 66 Table 5-16: Information Source...... 66 Table 5-17: Weekday Influencing Factors...... 67 Table 5-18: Saturday Influencing Factors...... 67 Table 5-19: Able to Make Trip without WATS Service...... 68 Table 5-20: Drivers License...... 68 Table 5-21: Car Available for Trip ...... 69 Table 5-22: Vehicles Owned by Household ...... 69 Table 5-23: Age Group ...... 70 Table 5-24: Annual Family Income Range...... 71 Table 5-25: Location of Residence...... 71 Table 5-26: Most Important Improvement ...... 72 Table 6-1: Service Standards and WATS Result...... 75 Table 6-2: Route Level Ridership, Operating Data, Cost, and Revenue ...... 82 Table 6-3: Passengers per Mile...... 83 Table 6-4: Passengers per Hour ...... 84 Table 6-5: Cost per Mile...... 85 Table 6-6: Cost per Passenger...... 86 Table 6-7: Farebox Recovery...... 87 Table 6-8: Weekday Route Ranking...... 88 Table 6-9: Saturday Route Ranking...... 88 Table 6-10: Route A Indicators...... 91 Table 6-11: Route B Indicators...... 96 Table 6-12: Route C Indicators...... 101 Table 6-13: Route D Indicators...... 106 Table 6-14: Route E Indicators...... 111 Table 6-15: Route G Indicators...... 116 Table 6-16: Route H Indicators...... 121 Table 6-17: Route I Indicators ...... 126 Table 6-18: Route J Indicators...... 131 Table 6-19: Route X4 Indicators...... 136 Table 6-20: Route X9 Indicators...... 139 Table 7-1: Five Year Service Plan Recommendations ...... 144 Table 7-2: Five Year Financial Projection 2006-2010 ...... 173

vi Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

CHAPTER 1: SOCIOECONOMIC AND LAND USE CHARACTERISTICS

Introduction

The Wausau Metropolitan Area is located in Marathon County, which is located in central Wisconsin. In terms of land area, Marathon County is the largest county in the state. Wausau is located approximately 175 miles east of Minneapolis and 140 miles north of Madison. The Wausau Metropolitan Area includes the urbanized areas of Marathon County. Wausau Area Transit Service (WATS) service is provided in the City of Wausau, as well as he Village of Rothschild and Schofield, all within the urbanized area. This chapter provides an overview of socioeconomic and land-use characteristics, based upon data collected from the 2000 United States Census, the State Demographic Center, and the County of Marathon.

Population

According to the 2000 census, a total of 125,834 people live in Marathon County, with 90,439 of them living in the urbanized area. The largest municipality in the county is the City of Wausau, which in 2000 had 38,426 people. Table 1-1 presents the population history and projections for all the Minor Civil Divisions that make up the Wausau area.

Table 1-1: Population Projections by Minor Civil Division (MCD) Municipality 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Town of Bergen 478 499 615 697 778 Town of Berlin 820 849 887 980 1,073 Town of Guenther 297 258 302 328 355 Town of Knowlton 1,153 1,414 1,688 1,940 2,191 Town of Maine 2,163 2,206 2,407 2,500 2,635 Town of Marathon 1,114 978 1,085 1,127 1,171 Town of Mosinee 1,464 1,638 2,146 2,553 2,958 Town of Rib Mountain 5,344 5,605 7,556 8,535 9,515 Town of Stettin 4,436 2,191 2,191 2,155 2,147 Town of Texas 1,634 1,643 1,703 1,787 1,874 Town of Wausau 2,215 2,133 2,214 2,337 2,512 Town of Weston 11,342 11,450 514 619 702 Village of Brokaw 298 224 107 93 79 Village of Kronenwetter 5,012 4,850 5,369 6,056 6,743 Village of Rothschild 3,338 3,310 4,970 4,960 4,962 Village of Weston 0 0 12,079 13,926 15,786 City of Mosinee 3,015 3,820 4,063 4,312 4,566 City of Schofield 2,226 2,415 2,117 2,162 2,210 City of Wausau 32,426 37,060 38,426 39,813 41,154 MPO Communities 78,775 82,543 90,439 96,880 130,411 Marathon County 111,270 115,400 125,834 134,504 143,308 Source: Demographic Service Center, Division of Intergovernmental Relations, Wisconsin Department of Administration, March 2004

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 1 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

The City of Wausau has always been and will continue to be the biggest municipality in the region. It should be noted that the Village of Weston was incorporated from portions of the Town of Weston between 1990 and 2000. Figure 1-1 provides a graphic representation of population distribution throughout the area.

Figure 1-1: Total Population

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 2 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

The areas of Marathon County where the population density is highest typically are in the incorporated urban area. Figure 1-2 presents the population density of Marathon County and of the Wausau Urbanized Area, which shows that the highest population density is located within the City of Wausau. Other dense population concentrations exist in the City of Mosinee, the Town of Rib Mountain, the Village of Kronenwetter, the Town of Weston, the Village of Weston, the City of Schofield, and the Village of Rothschild.

Figure 1-2: Population Density

From 1990 to 2000 Marathon County grew by about 9.0%, as shown in Table 1-2. This is faster than the previous 10-year growth of the county between 1980 and 1990, which grew by 4,130 people, or 3.7% in that decade. In the ten year period between 1990 and 2000, the City of Wausau grew by just under 4%, gaining 4,634 people. Two minor civil divisions saw a significant loss in population between 1990 and 200 -- the Village of Brokaw lost 117 people or 52% of its population, and the City of Schofield lost 298 people or 12.3% of its population. The population loss in the Village of Brokaw continues a trend of population loss from the previous decade. The portion of Marathon County that the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) serves grew by almost 8,000 people between 1990 and 2000.

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 3 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 1-2: Population Change by Minor Civil Division (MCD) Municipality 1980 to 1990 1990 to 2000 2000 to 2010 2010 to 2020 Town of Bergen 4.4% 23.2% 13.3% 11.6% Town of Berlin 3.5% 4.5% 10.5% 9.5% Town of Guenther -13.1% 17.1% 8.6% 8.2% Town of Knowlton 22.6% 19.4% 14.9% 12.9% Town of Maine 2.0% 9.1% 3.9% 5.4% Town of Marathon -12.2% 10.9% 3.9% 3.9% Town of Mosinee 11.9% 31.0% 19.0% 15.9% Town of Rib Mountain 4.9% 34.8% 13.0% 11.5% Town of Stettin -50.6% 0.0% -1.6% -0.4% Town of Texas 0.6% 3.7% 4.9% 4.9% Town of Wausau -3.7% 3.8% 5.6% 7.5% Town of Weston 1.0% -95.5% 20.4% 13.4% Village of Brokaw -24.8% -52.2% -13.1% -15.1% Village of Kronenwetter -3.2% 10.7% 12.8% 11.3% Village of Rothschild -0.8% 50.2% -0.2% 0.0% Village of Weston 0.0% 0.0% 15.3% 13.4% City of Mosinee 26.7% 6.4% 6.1% 5.9% City of Schofield 8.5% -12.3% 2.1% 2.2% City of Wausau 14.3% 3.7% 3.6% 3.4% MPO Communities 4.8% 9.6% 7.1% 34.6% Marathon County 3.7% 9.0% 6.9% 6.5% Source: Demographic Service Center, Division of Intergovernmental Relations, Wisconsin Department of Administration, March 2004

A major change that occurred between 1990 and 2000 was the incorporation of the Village of Weston from portions of the Town of Weston. One result of the incorporation of the Village is that Table 1 and 2 show that the Town of Weston has lost a large portion of its population while the Village of Weston has grown from a population of 0 to over 10,000. Thus, when looking at these two minor civil divisions together, the Town and Village of Weston has actually grown from 11,450 people in 1990 to 12,593 people in 2000, a growth of almost 10%.

Marathon County as whole is not expected to grow as fast over the next two decades. Growth is projected to be, 6.9% between 2000 and 2010, and 6.5% between 2010 and 2020. The MPO area is expected to grow at a slightly faster rate, growing by 7.1% between 2000 and 2010, an increase of 6,441 people. In the decade from 2000-2010, the City of Wausau is expected to grow by 1,387 people or 3.6%. The minor civil division that is expected to have the highest growth rate is the Town of Weston, which will grow by 20.4%. The minor civil division that will add the most people will be the Village of Weston which will add 1,847 people. Two minor civil divisions are expected to lose population, with the Village of Brokaw expected to continue losing population, and the Town of Stettin losing 36 people.

From 2010 to 2020, the MPO area is expected to gain more people than Marathon County as a whole. Details for that decade can be found in the table.

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 4 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Income

The median household income in Marathon County is higher than the median household income throughout Wisconsin and the rest of the United States1. For Marathon County, the median household income in the year 2000 was $45,185, versus $43,791 throughout Wisconsin, and the nationwide median of $42,151. In Marathon County, the areas with lower median household incomes are located within the City of Wausau, and a few of the other incorporated cities in the county. The block group with the lowest median household income is located adjacent to Downtown Wausau. Higher median income areas are located in the towns and rural areas located near Wausau. Figure 1-3 provides an overview of median household income in Marathon County.

Figure 1-3: Median Household Income

1 Source: FOCUS 2003 to 2005 - LIFE in Marathon County Indicator 21

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 5 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Households below Poverty Level

As of the 2000 Census, there were a total of 8,163 people living in poverty2. The areas that have the highest number of people who are below the poverty level are areas located in the urban areas. Wausau has a few census block groups that have over 250 people that are below the poverty level. Other municipalities that have census block groups that have a high population of persons below the poverty level include the Village of Weston and the City of Mosinee. Many of the other municipalities and rural areas have less than 100 people per census block group below the poverty level. This is shown on Figure 1-4.

Figure 1-4: Population Below Poverty Level

2 Source: FOCUS 2003 to 2005 - LIFE in Marathon County brochure

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Zero-Car Households

There are very few zero-car households in Marathon County. Zero-car households are almost completely dependant on the transit system to get around, making these households “captive’ riders. As shown on Figure 1-5, rural areas of Marathon County have very few zero-car households, while areas within the City of Wausau have much higher numbers.

Figure 1-5: Number of Zero-Car Households

Senior Citizen Population

Senior citizens tend to locate in the more urban areas, where access to health and activities are readily available. This trend is confirmed by Figure 1-6 which shows that there are larger numbers of senior citizens located in Wausau and the urban areas versus the more rural areas. Figure 1-7 shows the percent of the population in each census block group that is senior citizens. This figure reinforces the notion that seniors are locating more in the urbanized areas of Marathon County. There are a few rural areas that have a high number and proportion of senior citizens.

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Figure 1-6: Total Population Over Age 65

Figure 1-7: Percent of Population Over Age 65

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 8 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Youth Population

Youth population is another market that is dependent on transit services. WATS does add service for the youth population by providing weekday express tripper service. Figure 1-8 shows the number of individuals under 18 for each census block group. This figure shows that there are a very high number of youths located in the minor civil divisions surrounding the City of Wausau in the vicinity of the Towns of Wausau, Rib Mountain and Weston. However, some of the block groups within the City of Wausau have a high percentage of people under 18, some approaching 40%, as shown on Figure 1-9. Figures 1-8 and 1-9 show that the youth population is spread out throughout Marathon County.

Figure 1-8: Total Population Under Age 18

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Figure 1-9: Percent of Population Under Age 18

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 10 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Employment

Almost 84% of Marathon County employment is located within the Wausau Metropolitan Area. The single largest employment municipality in the county is the City of Wausau, which is the home to over 47% of all jobs in the county (31,832 jobs). Information on number of jobs for each minor civil division within the Wausau MPO Planning Area is presented in Table 1-3. This table shows that most jobs are located in or round Wausau in the urban area.

Table 1-3: Number of Jobs in Minor Civil Divisions within Wausau MPO Planning Area Minor Civil Division Number of Jobs Percent of County Jobs City of Wausau 31,832 47.2% Village of Weston 4,512 6.7% City of Schofield 4,318 6.4% City of Mosinee 3,845 5.7% Village of Rothschild 3,596 5.3% Town of Rib Mountain 2,547 3.8% Town of Stettin 1,320 3.0% Town of Maine 787 1.2% Town of Kronenwetter 719 1.1% Town of Wausau 676 1.0% Village of Brokaw 592 0.9% Town of Mosinee 555 0.8% Town of Texas 308 0.5% Town of Marathon 261 0.4% Town of Knowlton 218 0.3% Town of Berlin 155 0.2% Town of Weston 52 0.1% Town of Bergen 51 0.1% Wausau Metropolitan Area Jobs 56,344 83.6 Total Marathon County Jobs 67,375 100.0% Source: 2000 Census Journey to Work Data

Major Generators

Major generators are single point locations that produce a lot of traffic, and can also produce a lot of transit riders. Such major generators include major employment locations and employers (containing at least 100 employees in one location), business districts, commercial areas, shopping centers, schools, hospitals, medical clinics, senior centers, government, and social service agencies. Figure 10 presents the location of major generators in and around the City of Wausau. This map shows that major generators are clustered in downtown Wausau, and the along major corridors leading into and out of the city. There are six categories of major generators described for the Wausau area, government centers, hospitals, major retailers, schools, social services, and recreation generators which are all presented on Figure 1-10.

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 11 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Figure 1-10: Major Traffic Generators

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 12 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Government centers are the seats of government at a municipal, state, and federal level. Government centers are located near the center of each of the minor civil division that they serve. Federal and state governments have local outposts within Marathon County. Government Centers are presented below on Table 1-4.

Table 1-4: Government Centers Government Center City Employees County of Marathon Wausau 825 US Postal Service – Wausau Wausau 302 City of Wausau Police Department Wausau 87 City of Mosinee Mosinee 80 City of Wausau Department of Public Works/Engineering Wausau 70 Village of Weston Weston 62 City of Wausau Fire Department Wausau 58 City of Wausau Administration Wausau 57 Village of Rothschild Rothschild 53 Town of Rib Mountain Wausau 46 Marathon County Child Development Wausau 40 City of Wausau – Wausau Area Transit Wausau 39 City of Schofield Schofield 25 City-County Data Center Commission Wausau 23 City of Wausau Water Department Wausau 22 US Postal Service – Schofield Schofield 18 US Treasury Department – Internal Revenue Service Rothschild 18 Village of Brokaw Brokaw 15 City of Wausau – Wausau Community Development Wausau 13 City of Wausau – Wausau Sewer Department Wausau 12 Town of Knowlton Mosinee 11 Wisconsin Supreme Court – Wausau Wausau 9 City of Wausau Parks Department Wausau 6 US Postal Service - Rothschild Rothschild 5 Town of Stettin Marathon 5 City of Wausau City Attorney Wausau 4 Town of Maine Wausau 3 Township of Marathon Wausau 3 US Postal Service – Marathon Marathon City 3 US Postal Service – Brokaw Brokaw 2 US Department of Transportation – Federal Aviation Administration Mosinee 2 Source: Marathon County Planning Department

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Health services are very important generators as they have a lot of employees, as well as generate a lot of visitors. One major segment of the population that use hospitals a lot are the elderly. In Wausau, there is a concentration of hospitals located in the western part of the city near Highway 51 and Highway 29. Also, Saint Clare’s Hospital is set to open near Highway 29 in Weston in fall 2005. Table 1-5 presents the hospitals in the Wausau area and the number of people they employ.

Table 1-5: Hospitals Hospital City Employees Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Inc. Madison 2,149 North Central Health Care Facilities Wausau 859 Aspirus Clinics, Inc. Wausau 512 Wausau Medical Center SC Wausau 500 Radiology Associates of Wausau, Inc. Wausau 170 Aspirus Specialists, Inc Wausau 26 Saint Clare’s Hospital, Ministry Health Care Weston Not Available Source: Marathon County Planning Department

There is one major recreational generator in the Wausau area, the Granite Peak Ski area located in Rib Mountain. This ski area provides jobs for 161 people and is a major traffic generator along North Mountain Road in Rib Mountain. Table 1-6 provides information about this recreational generator.

Table 1-6: Recreation Generators Recreation Site City Employees Granite Peak Ski Area Rib Mountain 161 Source: Marathon County Planning Department

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Major retailers are major traffic generators due both to the commerce that occurs and the number of people that they employ. Many of the major retailers shown on Figure 1-10 and on Table 1-7 are located in newer strip developments outside of Wausau, along major highway corridors in locations such as Rib Mountain, Schofield, and Weston. The address listed for many of the major retailers is the corporate offices located outside of Marathon County.

Table 1-7: Major Retailers Retailer City Employees Wal Mart Rib Mountain 270 JC Penney Company – Wausau Wausau 181 Cross Roads County Market Wausau 177 ShopKo Wausau Wausau 157 Pick-N-Save Wausau 154 Menard Inc. Wausau 146 Springs Window Fashions Wausau 145 ShopKo Rothschild Rothschild 145 Target Stores Weston 140 Pick-N-Save Schofield 140 Sam’s Club Rib Mountain 133 JC Penney Company Wausau 131 Cedar Creek Foods LLP (Pick-N-Save) Rothschild 121 Kohl’s Department Store Wausau 121 Best Buy Rib Mountain 116 Sears Roebuck Wausau 112 Quality Foods Wausau 108 IGA – Rib Mountain Wausau 102 IGA – Schofield Schofield 101 K-Mart – Wausau Wausau 66 Big Lots Stores Weston 27 Wal Green Comp. Wausau 26 Petco Supplies Rib Mountain 25 Sears Roebuck Wausau 11 Source: Marathon County Planning Department

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Social service and charitable organizations are important members of the community that are mainly utilized by lower income people in Marathon County. Most of the social service organizations are located within the City of Wausau, some in downtown and others in the various neighborhoods. Table 1-8 gives an overview of the social service and charitable organizations in Marathon County.

Table 1-8: Social Services and Charitable Organizations Social Service and Charitable Organizations City Employees YMCA of Wausau Wausau 170 North Central Community Action Wisconsin Rapids 38 United Way of Marathon County Wausau 12 Volunteer Center of Marathon County Wausau 4 Special Olympics of Wisconsin, Inc. Madison 3 Central Wisconsin Indian Centers, Inc. Wausau 3 March of Dimes Birth Defects White Plains 3 Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Milwaukee 2 Apirus YMCA Weston Not Available Source: Marathon County Planning Department

Schools in the Wausau area are located primarily in residential areas in order to serve the local student population. In Marathon County there are a total of two urban school districts and seven rural school districts. In the 2001-2002 school years total kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment totaled 20,322 students3 Table 1-9 presents information on the number of employees at area schools, ranging from elementary schools up to college level schools in Marathon County.

3 Source: FOCUS 2003 to 2005 - LIFE in Marathon County School Indicators

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Table 1-9: Schools School City Employees DC Everest Area School District Schofield 672 North Central Vocational Technical Wausau 587 Mosinee Public School Mosinee 306 Wausau West High School Wausau 207 Wausau East High School Wausau 156 Horace Mann Middle School Wausau 145 John Muir Middle School Wausau 142 University of Wisconsin Colleges Wausau 121 Wausau School District Substitutes Wausau 113 Lincoln Elementary School Wausau 62 Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Wausau 61 Franklin Elementary School Wausau 57 Wausau School District Wausau 57 Riverview Elementary School Wausau 53 GD Jones Elementary School Wausau 53 John Marshall Elementary School Wausau 53 Hawthorn Hills Elementary School Wausau 50 Rib Mountain Elementary School Wausau 46 Grant Elementary School Wausau 42 Wausau School District Wausau 33 Wausau School District Maintenance and Operations Wausau 32 Maine Elementary School Wausau 26 AC Kiefer Educational Center Wausau 23 Stettin Elementary School Wausau 21 Upper Iowa University Wausau 18 Hewitt Texas Elementary School Wausau 18 University of Wisconsin-Marathon County Wausau 19 Little Scholars Preschool Wausau 13 Montessori School of Wausau Wausau 11 Saint Michael’s School Wausau Not Available Saint Anne’s School Wausau Not Available Trinity School Wausau Not Available Newman Middle School Wausau Not Available Newman High School Wausau Not Available Source: Marathon County Planning Department

Table 1-10 and Figure 1-11 present major employers in Marathon County (employers that employ at least 100 people). As most of the major employers are located in the Wausau area, no map of the county is provided. The larger employers are typically located in Downtown Wausau or corridors leading into and out of town. In many instances, the major generators listed in the previous section are also major employers in Wausau. Figure 1-11 does show all of the major employers however Table 1-10 does not repeat information listed in Tables 1-4 through 1-9.

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 17 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 1-10: Major Employers Major Employer City Employees Liberty Mutual Insurance Company Wausau 1,451 Kolbe & Kolbe Millworks Company, Inc. Wausau 1,442 Greenheck Fan Corp. Schofield 1,245 Apogee Wausau Group, Inc. Wausau 1,009 SNE Enterprises, Inc. Mosinee 973 Wausau Benefits, Inc. Wausau 967 Marathon Electric Manufacturing Corp. Wausau 808 Marathon Cheese Corp. Marathon 768 Wausau-Mosinee Paper Corp. Mosinee 710 Weyerhauser Company Rothschild 516 Mosinee Paper Corp – Pulp and Paper Division Mosinee 483 Federal-Mogul Piston Rings, Inc. Schofield 435 Land O’Lakes, Inc. Wausau 406 Wausau Homes, Inc. Wausau 372 SNE Enterprises, Inc. Mosinee 334 Graphic Packaging Corp. Wausau 308 Van Ert Electric Company, Inc. Wausau 300 Fulton Performance Products, Inc. Mosinee 273 Gordon Aluminum Industries, Inc. Schofield 272 Kraft Foods North America, Inc. Wausau 261 Wausau Coated Products, Inc. Wausau 252 Wausau Tile, Inc. Wausau 241 W-H Transportation Company, Inc. Wausau 232 Oldcastle Glass, Inc. Schofield 212 Mesaba Aviation, Inc. Mosinee 208 Green Bay Packaging, Inc. Wausau 201 Lemke Packaging, Inc. Wausau 194 Moduline Windows, Inc. Wausau 189 US Filter/Zimpro, Inc. Rothschild 189 Gannett Satellite Information – Wausau Daily Herald Wausau 182 Source: Marathon County Planning Department

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 18 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 1-10: Major Employers (cont.) Major Employer City Employees 3M Company Wausau 173 QTI Human Resources, Inc. Wausau 170 United Parcel Services, Inc. Wausau 155 Norlen, Inc. Schofield 152 Parisian, Inc. Wausau 149 Wausau Steel Corp. Wausau 143 Rivers Hotels Company, Inc. – Holiday Inn Rothschild 141 Graebel Companies, Inc. Wausau 133 Hammer Blow, Inc. Wausau 131 Wire Maid Manufacturing Limited Schofield 127 Imperial Industries, Inc. Wausau 125 Crystal Finishing Systems, Inc. Schofield 123 Cedar Creek Foods LLP (Pick-N-Save) Rothschild 121 17th Avenue Limited, Inc. – Ramada Inn Wausau 120 Indiger Limited – 2510 Restaurant Wausau 118 Merrill Iron & Steel, Inc. Schofield 116 The Agency, Inc. Wausau 111 Schofield Enterprises, Inc. Schofield 110 Jarp Industries, Inc. Wausau 107 Wausau Supply Company Wausau 107 PDM Bridge LLC – Steel Bridges Wausau 105 Krueger Wholesale Florists, Inc. Mosinee 104 Marathon Communications Group, Inc. Wausau 103 Hereford & Hops of Wausau LLC Wausau 102 Source: Marathon County Planning Department

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 19 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Figure 1-11: Location of Employers with Greater than 100 Employees

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 20 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Journey to Work

Journey to work information is displayed on Table 1-11 and 1-12 for the City of Wausau, which is the largest minor civil division in Marathon County in terms of residents and number of jobs. . Table 1-11 presents the number of people who commute to the City of Wausau for the 15 largest origins. Table 1-12 presents the workplace destinations for Wausau residents. Both tables show that 12,572 people live and work in Wausau, and this is the single largest commuter pattern in the metro area. Table 1-11: Origin Location for Wausau Employees Home Minor Civil Division Total Transit Service City of Wausau 12,572 WATS – Multiple Routes Village of Weston 2,869 None Town of Rib Mountain 2,325 None Village of Kronenwetter 953 None Village of Rothschild 948 WATS Route C Town of Maine 757 None Town of Stettin 668 None City of Merrill 660 None Town of Wausau 608 None Town of Texas 481 None City of Mosinee 477 None City of Schofield 476 WATS Route C Town of Mosinee 442 None Village of Marathon City 301 None Town of Ringle 286 None Source: 2000 Census Journey to Work Data Table 1-12: Work Locations for Wausau Residents Work Minor Civil Division Total Transit Service City of Wausau 12,572 WATS – Multiple Routes City of Schofield 847 WATS Route C Village of Weston 830 None Town of Rib Mountain 711 None Village of Rothschild 516 WATS Route C Town of Stettin 424 None City of Mosinee 372 None City of Merrill 230 None Town of Maine 182 None Village of Brokaw 135 None City of Stevens Point 122 None Village of Marathon City 115 None Village of Kronenwetter 101 None City of Wisconsin Rapids 66 None Town of Wausau 63 None Source: 2000 Census Journey to Work Data

Socioeconomic and Land Use Characteristics 21 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

CHAPTER 2: WATS SERVICE OVERVIEW

Introduction

Wausau Area Transit (WATS) operates bus and paratransit service in the Wausau Metropolitan area, providing service throughout the City of Wausau, as well as to parts of the Village of Rothschild and the Town of Schofield. WATS provides 18 fixed routes, including 9 regular routes, and 9 express routes. WATS+ paratransit provides “curb to curb” service to ADA-eligible passengers who are unable to use the fixed route bus system due to physical or mental disabilities. The WATS+ paratransit service area includes all locations within ¾ of a mile of a WATS fixed route. This memo provides an overview of the WATS Program.

Organizational Structure

WATS is a department of the City of Wausau. Figure 2-1 presents an organization chart for WATS. It is governed by a 7 member transit commission, which includes five members from Wausau, and one each from Rothschild, and Schofield. WATS is headed by a transit director, and organized into 3 departments -- operations, paratransit, and maintenance -- each headed by either a supervisor or coordinator. There is also an administrative specialist who reports directly to the transit director. The operations manager is responsible for the fixed route bus operations, the paratransit coordinator is responsible for the WATS+ paratransit service, and the maintenance supervisor is responsible for maintenance of the buses.

Figure 2-1: WATS Organizational Chart

WATS Service Overview 22 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-1 presents the number of employees by each organizational category.

Table 2-1: WATS Employee Roster Labor Classification Full Time Employees Part Time Employees Vehicle Operations 18 10 Vehicle Maintenance 3 0 Non-Vehicle Maintenance 1 0 General Administration 5 0 Total by Category 27 10 Total Employees 37 Employees Source: WATS Organizational Chart

Fixed Route Service Description

Fixed route bus service is provided on 9 regular routes and 9 express routes throughout the City of Wausau, as well as in the Village of Rothschild and Town of Schofield. Regular routes provide service throughout the service day from 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM weekdays, and 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM Saturdays during the school year. WATS does not provide service on Sundays or during evening and overnight periods. Express routes are open to the general public and are geared towards providing supplemental services during peak school periods. For the most part, the express routes operate only one or two trips in the morning, and afternoon to coincide with school arrival and dismissal times. Two of the express routes provide more extensive service hours. The first is route X4 which operates all day service every 30 minutes. The second is route X9 which provides service every 30 minutes between 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM.

WATS Service Overview 23 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-2 provides an overview of frequency and span for all of the fixed routes.

Table 2-2: Frequency and Span of Service Route Weekday Saturday Frequency Span Frequency Span Regular Bus Service A 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM B 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM C 60 Minutes 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM 60 Minutes 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM D 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 60 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:00 PM E 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 60 Minutes 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM G 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM H 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM I 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM J 30 Minutes 6:15 AM to 6:30 PM 30 Minutes 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM Express Service (operated only on school days) X1 2 Trips 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM, 2:55 PM to 3:30 PM No Service X2 2 Trips 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM, 2:55 PM to 3:35 PM No Service X3 2 Trips 7:05 AM to 7:25 AM, 3:05 PM to 3:28 PM No Service X4 30 Minutes 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM No Service X5 2 Trips 6:50 AM to 7:28 AM, 3:00 PM to 3:38 PM No Service X6 2 Trips 7:03 AM to 7:26 AM, 3:00 PM to 3:15 PM No Service X7 3 Trips 7:00 AM to 7:25 AM, 2:55 PM to 3:16 PM No Service X8 2 Trips 7:55 AM to 8:10 AM, 3:25 PM to 3:35 PM No Service X9 30 Minutes 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM, 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM No Service Source: Local and Express bus route guide and schedule

The 9 regular routes operate on a “pulse system,” with pulses occurring every 30 minutes in Downtown Wausau at the Transit Center. Figure 2-2 presents the Wausau regular route network. Eight of the nine regular routes operate on a 30 minute headway, meeting every pulse at the Transit Center. The ninth route, Route C, operates on a 60 minute schedule and meets every other pulse.

WATS Service Overview 24 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Figure 2-2: WATS Regular Route Network

Bus stop signs are located at every other block and at major traffic generators, and are the only locations where buses stop.

WATS Service Overview 25 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Below is a description of each of the regular bus routes:

• Route A – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and North Central Health Care Facilities in southeast Wausau via South Grand Avenue. Generators served by this route include North Central Health Care Facilities, Mount View Care Center, Wausau Municipal Airport, John Marshall Elementary School, Sturgeon Bluff Apartments, Riverview Towers East, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

• Route B – This route is operated between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and North Central Technical College in the northern part of the city, via 1st Avenue North and 3rd Avenue North. Generators include North Central Technical College, Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Grant Elementary, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

• Route C – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center, and the Town of Schofield and Village of Rothschild, operating along South Grand Avenue and Business Highway 51. Generators served by this route include Rothschild Elementary School, ShopKo, Schofield Elementary School, Sturgeon Bluff Apartments, the Social Services Office in Wausau, Riverview Tower, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 60 minutes, allowing one bus to operate this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

• Route D – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and Kanneberg Plaza via 6th Avenue North and 10th Avenue North. Generators served by this route include Kanneberg Plaza, Wausau West High School, Randolph Court Apartments, Newman High School, Saint Anne School, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes allowing one bus to operate all day on weekdays. On Saturdays this route is interlined with Route E, providing 60 minute service.

• Route E – This route operates Downtown Wausau Transit Center and Marshfield Clinic via West Bridge Street. Generators served by this route include Marshfield Clinic, Wausau Insurance Companies, Aspirus-Wausau Hospital, Wausau Insurance Regional, Newman High School, Saint Anne School, Grant Elementary School, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes allowing one bus to operate all day on weekdays. On Saturdays this route is interlined with Route D, providing 60 minute service

• Route G – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and ShopKo in West Wausau via West Sherman Street. Generators served by this route include ShopKo, John Muir Middle School, Trinity Elementary School, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

WATS Service Overview 26 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

• Route H – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and North Wausau via North 6th Street and Center Street. Generators served by this route include Riverview Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School, Franklin Elementary, Saint Michael’s School, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

• Route I – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and CHC Rehab Clinic via West Stewart Avenue. Generators served by this route include CHC Rehab Clinic, CHC Hospice House, VNA, Wausau Manor, Westhill Professional Center, Saint Mathew’s School, University of Wisconsin-Marathon Campus, Trinity School, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

• Route J – This route operates between the Downtown Wausau Transit Center and southwest Wausau via East Thomas Street. Generators served by this route include G.D. Jones Elementary School, Our Savior’s School, Wausau Social Services, Riverview Tower East, and Downtown Wausau. Roundtrip travel time on this route is 30 minutes, allowing one bus to operate on this route all day on weekdays and Saturdays.

The nine express routes enhance the regular route network by accommodating increased passenger loads on school days. These routes only operate when school is in session. Most of these routes do not serve the Wausau Transit Center, bypassing downtown Wausau to provide direct service between neighborhoods around the community and Wausau schools. All but two of these routes provide one or two trips timed to arrive at Wausau schools before the “opening bell” and depart once schools let out. The exceptions, as noted earlier, are the X4, which provides all day service, and the X9 which operates during peak periods.

Express bus stops are signed differently than regular routes. The express bus route network is presented on Figure 2-3, with route descriptions provided below:

• Route X1 – This route operates between Southeast Wausau and Wausau East High School via Grand Avenue and North 7th Street. Schools served by this route include the John Marshall School, Horace Mann Middle School, and Wausau East School. This route provides additional capacity to routes A, C, and H as well as providing a direct connection between the southeast and northeast areas of Wausau. The PM trip does serve the Wausau Transit Center.

• Route X2 – This route operates between Southeast Wausau and Wausau East High School via North 10th Street. Schools served by this route include the John Marshall School, Horace Mann Middle School, and Wausau East High School. This route provides additional capacity to routes A, C, and H as well as providing a direct connection between the southeast and northeast areas of Wausau. This route does not serve the Wausau Transit Center.

• Route X3 – This route operates between Northeast Wausau and Wausau East High School. Schools served by this route include the Riverview School, Horace Mann Middle

WATS Service Overview 27 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

School, and Wausau East High School. This route provides additional capacity to route H and provides connections to areas of Wausau that are not served by route H. This route does not serve the Wausau Transit Center.

Figure 2-3: WATS Express Route Network

WATS Service Overview 28 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

• Route X4 – This route operates between the Wausau Transit Center in Downtown Wausau and East High School. This route provides 30 minute service all day, with midday service paid for by the Board of Education. One bus is necessary to run this route all day. This route meets every pulse at the Wausau Transit Center. While this route does operate all day service, it does not operate on Saturdays and summer months. This route provides service to the Franklin School, Saint Michael’s School, and Wausau East High School.

• Route X5 – This route operates between Southwest Wausau and John Muir Middle School. This route provides service to G.D. Jones School, John Muir Middle School, Newman Middle School, Newman High School, Wausau West High School, and Saint Anne School. This very indirect route provides additional capacity to routes D, E, G, I, and J and provides connections between the areas of Wausau that are west of the Wisconsin River. This route does not serve the Wausau Transit Center.

• Route X6 – This route operates between Northwest Wausau and John Muir Middle School. This route provides service to Wausau West High School, Newman High School, and John Muir Middle School. This route provides additional capacity to routes B and D while providing a direct connection through Northwest Wausau. This route does not serve the Wausau Transit Center.

• Route X7 – This route operates between the Wausau Transit Center and Horace Mann Middle School via North 6th Street. Schools served by this route include Saint Michael, Franklin School, and Horace Mann Middle School. This route provides additional capacity to route H, providing a more direct route to Horace Mann Middle School from the Wausau Transit Center.

• Route X8 – This route provides service between North 7th Street and Franklin Street and Hawthorn Hills School via North 7th Street, Prospect Street, and North 10th Street. The only school served by this route is Hawthorn Hills School. This route does not augment any other route rather it provides service to a school that is not along any other WATS route.

• Route X9 – This route follows the routing of the former route F between the Wausau Transit Center and Terrace Heights Apartments. Service is provided only during peak periods when school is open. This route operates to the Wausau Transit Center, meeting every peak period “pulse.” Generators served by this route include Terrace Heights Apartments and Downtown Wausau. Service is provided using one bus.

The average roundtrip route length for WATS regular routes is approximately 8.2 miles. The average route length is skewed, however, by route C which is a one-hour route and thus has the longest roundtrip route length: 16.2 miles. The average route length for the eight 30 minute routes considered is 7.2 miles long. The shortest route is route D with a roundtrip mileage of 6.3 miles. Route lengths are presented on Table 2-3, which also presents the average scheduled speed for each route (e.g. route miles divided by scheduled running time). The average speed for

WATS Service Overview 29 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

WATS regular routes is 14.6 miles per hour, ranging from 16.2 miles per hour for route C to 12.6 miles per hour for route D.

Table 2-3: Round Trip Route Mileage Route Route Miles Average Speed (MPH) A 6.50 13.00 B 7.70 15.40 C 16.20 16.20 D 6.30 12.60 E 7.30 14.60 G 6.60 13.20 H 8.10 16.20 I 7.80 15.60 J 7.30 14.60 Average 8.20 14.60 Source: WATS

On an average weekday, WATS regular route vehicles travel 1,650.6 miles over 112.19 hours. On Saturdays, WATS regular route vehicles travel 1,060.2 miles over 71.36 hours. The average number of revenue miles and hours are presented on Table 2-4. The longer routes operate more revenue miles each day, while the shorter routes operate fewer miles. This is because all routes have, for the most part, the same span of service and, with the exception of route C, the same number of trips per day as well as the same number of revenue hours. Saturday shows a similar pattern to the weekday pattern, with the exception being routes D and E, which are interlined. These routes operate half the number of trips as the other routes on Saturdays, thus have half the number of miles and hours as the other routes.

WATS Service Overview 30 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-4: Average Daily Vehicle Hours and Mileage Route Weekday Saturday (School Year) Revenue Miles Revenue Revenue Miles Revenue Hours Hours Regular Route A 162.5 12.42 117.0 8.92 B 192.5 12.42 138.6 8.92 C 210.6 12.83 145.8 8.92 D 157.5 12.42 56.7 4.46 E 182.5 12.42 65.7 4.46 G 165.0 12.42 118.8 8.92 H 202.5 12.42 145.8 8.92 I 195.0 12.42 140.4 8.92 J 182.5 12.42 131.4 8.92 Total 1,650.6 112.19 1,060.2 71.36 Express Route X1 41.6 5.33 No Service No Service X2 17.3 2.17 No Service No Service X3 39.9 3.50 No Service No Service X4 130.6 11.50 No Service No Service X5 30.1 2.08 No Service No Service X6 48.2 3.50 No Service No Service X7 19.8 2.25 No Service No Service X8 11.2 1.33 No Service No Service X9 80.4 6.00 No Service No Service Total 419.0 39.84 -- -- Grand Total 2,069.6 152.03 1,060.2 71.36 Source: WATS Operator schedules

WATS Fare Structure

WATS has a straightforward fare structure, as seen on Table 2-5. The base fare for fixed route services is $1.00, with 10 tokens available for $6.00. A monthly bus pass is available for frequent riders, costing $26.00 a month for adults. Half fare or a half-priced monthly pass is available to senior citizens and disabled passengers. Students ride for $0.75, or pay $13.00 for a monthly pass. Students also have the option of buying 10 tickets for $4.50. Passengers can transfer for free between two routes, however transfers are only available at the downtown Transit Center or at locations where multiple bus routes intersect. Transfers are valid only for the next trip on leaving the Transit Center. The fare for WATS+ paratransit is $2.00 per trip. In recent years two fare changes have raised the base fare from $0.85 to $1.00, with corresponding changes to other fare categories. The fare increases occurred in 1990, when the base fare rose from $0.85 to $0.90, and in 2001 when the fare went from $0.90 to $1.00.

WATS Service Overview 31 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-5: Fare Structure Fare Category Cash Tokens Tickets Monthly Pass Adults $1.00 10 for $6.00 NA $26.00 Senior Citizen/Disabled $0.50 NA NA $13.00 Student $0.75 NA 10 for $4.50 $13.00 WATS+ Paratransit $2.00 NA NA NA Source: WATS

WATS+ Paratransit Service Description

WATS+ paratransit is the ADA service provided by WATS. Service is available within ¾ of a mile of any bus route, and operates only when regular bus routes are in operation. The service is operated by Badger Care-A-Van under contract to WATS. It is a shared ride service, which means the van may not necessarily take passengers non-stop to their destination, rather the paratransit van may make other drop-offs and pick-ups along the way. The service is available for patrons who because of mental or physical disabilities are not able to use regular WATS buses, all of which are ADA accessible. The service is a curb-to-curb service, which means that drivers can only assist passengers getting into and out of the paratransit vehicle; operators can not assist patrons in getting to the vehicle.

Eligibility for paratransit service is determined by WATS. Passengers can be certified to use the service for a maximum of two years, after which it is the passenger’s responsibility to apply for re-certification. Passengers are notified 60 days prior to the expiration of certification. “Conditional eligibility” may be granted to some riders where only ADA eligible trips may be made on paratransit, with the fixed route bus service providing all other trips. To be certified to use paratransit, passengers need to contact WATS and provide documentation of disability and duration of the disability if it is a short term condition.

Certified riders are allowed to carry packages and bring guests on paratransit trips. Riders are allowed a maximum of three packages of grocery bag size or similar. Personal car attendants may ride for free when traveling with a certified passenger. One passenger may ride with a certified passenger, but must pay full fare if an adult, or for free if the passenger is a child. ADA eligible guests from out of town must contact WATS to obtain a 21-day WATS+ certification. Service animals can ride for free, but the passenger needs to inform WATS before riding.

A no-show is recorded if the passenger who has scheduled a ride fails to ride. If a passenger intends not to take the ride, he or she must contact WATS at least one hour before the scheduled pick-up time. After 3 no-shows in a 60 day time period, a passenger will be suspended from WATS+ paratransit for 30 days. A 60 day suspension will occur if a passenger accumulates an additional 3 no-shows within a 12 month period after the previous suspension.

Table 2-6 presents the operating statistics for the paratransit service. In FY 2003 the service carried a total of 18,061 passengers, averaging around 69 per weekday and 13 on Saturdays. A total of six vehicles are dedicated to the service, with a total of one vehicle in operation on Saturdays. On an average weekday, paratransit service operates 16 revenue hours and travels 255

WATS Service Overview 32 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

miles. On Saturdays the one paratransit vehicle is in service for about 3 hours, traveling an average of 47 miles. In FY 2003 paratransit operated over 4,064 hours, traveling 66,833 miles.

Table 2-6: Operating Statistics Category Average Weekday Average Saturday Annual Total Ridership 69 13 18,061 Peak Vehicles 6 1 6 Revenue Hours 16 3 4,064 Revenue Miles 255 47 66,833 Source: 2003 National Transit Database Reporting

Financial Information

WATS finances are made up of its operating expenses and its revenue sources. The capital program is presented in later in this chapter. Operating expenses include vehicle operations, which represents the largest portion of operating expenses, costs paid for paratransit operation, vehicle maintenance, non-vehicle maintenance, and general/administration costs. Table 2-7 provides an overview of the WATS 2005 estimated operating expenses.

Table 2-7: Operating Expense Summary (2005 Estimated) Expense Object Class Amount Percent of Budget Vehicle Operations $1,807,879.87 53.7% Paratransit $616,910.90 18.3% Vehicle Maintenance $325,864.18 9.7% Non-Vehicle Maintenance $108431.11 3.2% General Administration $510,271.35 15.1% Total $3,369,357.39 100.0% Source: 2005 WATS Operating Budget

WATS Service Overview 33 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-8 provides a summary of 2005 estimated revenue sources. Approximately 12.5% of revenue is projected to come from the farebox, with another 60 percent from Federal and State Operating Assistance. The remaining 28 percent comes from local sources including the municipalities served by WATS, Marathon County, and the Wausau school district.

Table 2-8: Revenue Summary (2005 Estimated) Revenue Source Amount Percent of Revenue Federal Operating Assistance $943,420.07 28.0% State Operating Assistance $1,096,458.99 32.5% Marathon County Surcharge $73,290.32 2.2% Marathon County Local Share $101,473.78 3.0% Net Local Share of Operating Expenses (municipal) $706,060.86 21.0% Operating Revenue/Farebox $422,117.37 12.5% Wausau School District $24,486.00 0.7% Other Income $2,050.00 0.1% Total $3,369,357.39 100.0% Source: 2005 WATS Operating Budget

Capital Resources

WATS capital resources include its vehicle fleet, bus stop signs, administrative and maintenance base, Transit Center, and shelters located throughout Wausau. The paratransit vehicle fleet is owned by the contract operator. The WATS administration and maintenance facility is located at 420 Plumer Street in Wausau. The Transit Center, is located near the Wausau Center Mall and several government buildings in Downtown Wausau, on city-owned land, and has space for about 10 buses. Plans are underway to upgrade and expand this facility.

WATS also has installed nine bus shelters at the locations shown on Table 2-9.

Table 2-9: Shelter Locations Shelter Location Routes Served North Central Health Care Center A Surgeon Bluff Apartments – Elderly Housing A Riverview Towers Apartment – Elderly Housing A North Central Technical College B Kannenberg Plaza – Elderly Housing D Aspirus Wausau Hospital E Marshfield Clinic E YMCA – Wausau E Horace Mann Middle School. H Source: WATS

WATS Service Overview 34 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-10: Wausau Area Transit System Vehicle Roster Number in Year Make Model Seats/Stands Projected Fleet Replacement Fixed Route Revenue Vehicles 2 1995 Bluebird* Q-Bus 23 NA 12 1995 Gillig Phantom-35 Foot 37/21 2007 2 1996 Gillig Phantom-35 foot 37/21 2008 6 1998 Gillig Phantom-35 foot 37/21 2010 4 1998 Gillig Phantom-40 foot 45/38 2010 Non-Revenue Vehicles 1 1990 Dodge Ram 150 NA NA 1 1990 Dodge Power Ram 350 NA 2006 1 1999 Chevy Venture NA NA 1 1989 Ford Aerostar NA 2005 1 1998 Chevrolet Cheyenne 3500 NA NA *Leased from the City of Merrill Source: WATS

The five year capital program is presented below in Table 2-11. This program provides for the replacement of vehicles and other critical components used for the operation of WATS and WATS+ paratransit service. The total cost of the capital program is almost $7.4 million dollars over five years. Of that amount the federal share is approximately $5.9 million, with the local share responsible for the rest. The year with the highest capital expenditure will be in 2008, when vehicle replacements will begin with replacement of 10 fixed route buses and six paratransit vehicles.

Table 2-11: Capital Program (2004 – 2009) Project Description Year Total Cost Federal Local Share Share Purchase Supervisor Van 2004 $26,000 $20,800 $5,200 Snow Removal for Transit Center 2004 $23,000 $18,400 $4,600 Security System 2004 $10,000 $8,000 $2,000 Replace Bus Washer Brushes 2004 $10,000 $8,000 $2,000 Telephone System 2004 $18,250 $14,600 $3,650 Annual Total $87,250 $69,800 $17,450 Brake Lathe 2005 $12,000 $9,600 $2,400 Fleet Boss AVL System 2005 $38,900 $31,120 $7,780 Purchase Rebuilt Buses 2005 $50,000 $40,000 $10,000 Engine/Transmission Replacement (6 each) 2005 $132,000 $105,600 $26,400 Wheelchair Lift Replacement (6) 2005 $99,600 $79,680 $19,920 Bus Shelters 2005 $40,000 $32,000 $8,000 Seal Concrete Floor in WATS garage 2005 $10,000 $8,000 $2,000 Waste Oil Heater 2005 $5,000 $4,000 $1,000 Annual Total $387,500 $310,000 $77,500

WATS Service Overview 35 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-11: Capital Program (2004 – 2009) (continued)

Project Description Year Total Cost Federal Local Share Share Asphalt Paving – WATS Parking Lot 2006 $30,00 $24,000 $6,000 Wheelchair Lift Replacement (6) 2006 $99,000 $79,680 $19,920 Engine/Transmission Replacement (6 each) 2006 $132,000 $105,600 $26,400 Purchase ¾ Ton Service Truck 2006 $33,500 $26,800 $6,700 Small Parts Storage Drawers 2006 $3,300 $2,640 $660 Annual Total $298,400 $238,720 $59,680 Wheelchair Lift Replacement (6) 2007 $99,600 $79,680 $19,920 Radio System 2007 $70,000 $56,000 $14,000 Annual Total $169,600 $135,680 $33,920 Paratransit Vehicles (6) 2008 $440,000 $352,000 $88,000 Purchase Buses (10) 2008 $3,000,000 $2,400,000 $600,000 Annual Total $3,440,000 $2,752,000 $688,000 Purchase Buses (10) 2009 $3,000,000 $2,400,000 $688,000 Capital Plan Total $7,382,750 $5,906,200 $1,476,550 Source: WATS Capital Improvement Plan 2004-2009

Historical Trend 1999 – 2004

The historical trend below is based on National Transit Database reports from 1999 to 2003, the last year they were available, and WATS data for 2004. Total ridership declined 13 percent over the period but rebounded in 2004 with an increase of 2 percent over 2003. Some of the decline is clearly correlated with the implementation of two fare increases during the period as the fares rose from a base of 85 cents to $ 1.00.

Paratransit ridership declined faster than fixed ridership, by 45.4% between 1999 and 2004, largely due to operating and policy changes aimed at containing paratransit cost increases without negatively affecting the travel needs of the ADA population. These changes were implemented on the basis of the Marathon County Paratransit Study. Table 2-12 presents the ridership trends between 1999 and 2004.

During the same period, there was a reduction of service for both fixed route services and paratransit services, which may have also affected ridership. Fixed route services showed a revenue hour reduction of service by about 1% in the six year period, mainly due to the elimination of route F, which became an express tripper, while none of the expansion recommendations of the 1999 plan were implemented. Paratransit saw a more dramatic revenue hour decrease of almost 48%, again largely due to the implementation of operating and policy changes to control costs. The largest decrease in paratransit hours occurred between 2003 and 2004. The number of peak paratransit vehicles in operation stayed the same, while there was an elimination of one vehicle in the last five years for fixed route services. There was a slight net loss of fixed route revenue miles, around 1.5%, in 6 years, while paratransit mileage was reduced by over 47%. Most of the paratransit mileage decrease occurred between 2003 and 2004.

WATS Service Overview 36 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 2-12: Ridership Trends Year Base Fare Fixed Route Paratransit Total 1999 $0.85 849,843 21,657 871,500 2000 $0.85 827,930 23,982 851,912 2001 $0.90 805,668 21,539 827,207 2002 $0.90 758,583 20,876 779,459 2003 $1.00 725,188 18,076 743,264 2004 $1.00 746,239 11,822 758,061 Total Change 17.6% -12.2% -45.4% -13.0% Annual Change 2.9% -2.0% -7.6% -2.2% Source: NTD Reporting FY 1999 to 2003 and WATS 2004

Table 2-13 presents the service trends over the last 6 years.

Table 2-13: Service Trends Year Revenue Hours Revenue Miles Peak Vehicles Fixed Route Paratransit Fixed Route Paratransit Fixed Route Paratransit 1999 38,827 5,350 564,311 80,811 21 6 2000 38,327 5,758 556,607 87,538 21 7 2001 37,961 4,738 556,023 77,700 21 6 2002 37,887 4,781 557,006 77,450 21 6 2003 38,072 4,064 559,926 66,833 20 6 2004 38,386 2,712 555,801 42,354 20 6 Total Change -1.1% -49.3% -1.5% -47.6% -4.8% 0.0% Annual Change -0.2% -8.2% -0.3% 7.9% -1.0% 0.0% Source: NTD Reporting FY 1999 to 2003 and WATS 2004

The financial trends for the six year period between 1999 and 2004 are presented below in Table 2-14. The cost to operate the fixed route system grew by 27%, while fixed route revenue stayed constant. Over the six year period paratransit costs grew until 2002, and then with the implementation of the new policies dropped back to 1999 levels. Paratransit farebox revenue declined due to the loss of ridership from service and policy changes.

Table 2-14: Financial Trends Year Fixed Route Paratransit Fixed Route Paratransit Modal Cost Modal Cost Farebox Revenue Farebox Revenue 1999 $2,047,091 $228,620 $345,380 $36,666 2000 $2,116,818 $250,499 $328,763 $29,768 2001 $2,219,677 $257,203 $333,427 $38,617 2002 $2,251,820 $304,576 $320,378 $37,580 2003 $2,432,306 $290,345 $328,864 $36,122 2004 $2,599,187 $228,950 $348,655 $23,644 Total Change 27.0% 0.1% 0.9% -35.5% Annual Change 4.5% 0.0% 0.2% -5.9% Source: NTD Reporting FY 1999 to 2003 and WATS 2004

WATS Service Overview 37 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Service Changes Since the Previous TDP

Since the previous TDP was completed in 1999, WATS has made a number of changes to the bus network. The changes made addressed minor service pattern adjustments and selected reductions as recommended in that study, but did not include any of the service expansion recommendations due to a combination of funding constraints and inter-jurisdictional issues.

Regular service on Route F has been discontinued, replaced with tripper service that operates during the peak periods when schools are in session, now called the X9. Since the new Wausau East High School has opened, a new all day express route, the X4, was developed to serve this school, with midday service funded by the Board of Education. Minor route changes to routed D, E, and H have also been implemented in order to improve route productivity. On Saturdays, routes D and E have been interlined to provide 60 minute service on each route, utilizing one vehicle.

A major change to paratransit service has been the change from a door-to-door service to a curb- to-curb service, where paratransit personnel assist passengers getting into and out of the vehicle, not into and out of the destination.

The last major change since the previous TDP has been a change in the base fare from $0.85 to $1.00, with corresponding changes to other fare categories. The fare increase occurred in two increments, with the base fare going from $0.85 to $0.90 in 1990 and from $0.90 to $1.00 in 2001.

WATS Service Overview 38 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

CHAPTER 3: PEER GROUP AND TREND ANALYSES

Introduction

This chapter presents a peer and trend analysis, comparing Wausau Area Transit (WATS) to similar systems. The two peer groups --- a nationwide peer analysis and a Wisconsin systems peer group -- were developed originally for the 1999 TDP, and are used once again for this analysis, to provide both continuity and an excellent trend analysis between the two studies.

Data for the peer analyses herein were taken from the 2003 National Transit Database (NTD) summary reports, the last full year for which data on all the peer systems is available. The trend analysis, to determine how the performance of WATS has changed over time versus the changes in both the nationwide and Wisconsin peer groups, compares 2003 data with the data from the 1998 NTD reports as contained in the previous TDP.

Peer Group Analysis

The criteria used to select system peers use characteristics including service area population, climate, the amount of vehicle miles and hours of service provided and number of peak vehicles. Other criteria used to a lesser degree include annual ridership and operating cost.

The systems for the nationwide peer group selected in 1999 were all located in northern climates and were a similar size as WATS. The seven systems that make up the nationwide peer group include:

• Battle Creek, MI • Billings, MT • Bloomington, IN • Missoula, MT • Great Falls, MT • Rochester, MN • Sioux City, IA

The selected Wisconsin peers are all Wisconsin cities with less than 70,000 people. The one Wisconsin peer that was dropped since the previous TDP is Waukesha, which is a fast growing suburban area and is no longer under 70,000 in population. The five Wisconsin cities that are peers to Wausau are:

• Beloit • Eau Claire • Janesville • La Crosse • Oshkosh

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 39 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 3-1 presents an overview of both the nationwide and Wisconsin peers. Data presented on this table includes the service area population, operating statistics, and financial data.

Table 3-1: Wausau Area Transit Peer Systems System Service Revenue Revenue Peak Unlinked Operating Farebox Area Miles Hours Vehicles Passengers Cost Revenue Population Nationwide Peers Battle Creek, MI 83,000 452,947 29,951 10 503,685 $2,242,305 $276,766 Billings, MT 89,847 628,365 38,728 20 650,567 $2,589,190 $184,197 Bloomington, IN 69,921 833,352 77,520 26 2,041,469 $3,538,159 $880,359 Missoula, MT 65,930 600,442 39,131 16 663,933 $2,059,034 $304,666 Great Falls, MT 64,387 420,369 33,179 14 496,980 $1,759,637 $156,761 Rochester, MN 104,230 798,332 51,328 27 1,231,920 $2,877,072 $1,245,996 Sioux City, IA 106,119 643,117 56,443 19 1,200,387 $2,727,231 $424,526 Average 83,258 625,27546,611 19 969,849 $2,541,804$496,182 Wisconsin Peers Beloit 35,871 292,699 18,329 9 283,987 $1,349,559 $153,545 Eau Claire 69,300 802,957 53,847 16 1,129,386 $2,791,178 $471,698 Janesville 61,110 452,57029,260 14 477,019 $2,004,337$320,046 La Crosse 65,000 755,475 55,344 16 959,923 $3,211,142 $345,567 Oshkosh 64,327 575,47838,599 13 893,098 $2,277,064 $257,946 Average 59,122 575,83639,076 14 748,683 $2,326,656 $309,760 Wausau, WI 45,513 556,501 37,946 20 725,188 $2,432,306 $328,864

Financial Efficiency

Financial efficiency, or how well resources are used to put out service, is measured based on three key indicators: cost per mile, cost per hour, and cost per peak vehicle. These indicators present the total cost to provide the service divided by specific unit of service.

Generally speaking, WATS is in the mid-range for financial efficiency when expressed in terms of cost per mile or cost per hour, for both groups. On a cost per mile basis, WATS service is 6.3% more expensive to provide than the nationwide peer group, however it is only 5.5% more expensive than the Wisconsin peer group. This places WATS 6th of 8 for the national peers and 4th of 6 for the Wisconsin peers.

In terms of cost per hour, WATS is 12.9% more expensive to operate than the nationwide peers but only 3.1 percent more expensive to operate than its Wisconsin peers. Again, WATS is among the middle of both groups, 5th of 8 for the national peer group, and 3rd of 6 for the Wisconsin group.

WATS does rank exceptionally well in terms of cost per peak vehicle, costing 14% less than the nationwide peer average and almost 30% less than the Wisconsin peer average. WATS is second best among its national peers in terms of cost per peak vehicle, while it has the lowest cost per

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 40 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

peak vehicle among the Wisconsin peers and therefore ranks number 1. WATS operates 20 peak vehicles, including regular and express routes, which is the highest number of peak vehicles in the Wisconsin peer group, though it ranks third among the national peers.

Overall, WATS costs are comparable its Wisconsin peer systems, although lagging on cost per hour and cost per mile against the national peer group.

Financial efficiency indicators are presented on Table 3-2.

Table 3-2: Financial Efficiency Statistic Cost per Mile Cost per Hour Cost per Peak Vehicle Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Lowest $3.43 $3.48$45.64 $51.84 $106,558 $143,167 Highest $4.95 $4.61$74.87 $73.63 $224,231 $200,696 Average $4.11 $4.14$56.77 $62.20 $142,035 $168,684 WATS $4.37 $4.37$64.10 $64.10 $121,615 $121,615 Percent Difference 6.3% 5.5% 12.9% 3.1% -14.4% -27.9% Rank* 6 of 8 4 of 6 5 of 8 3 of 6 2 of 8 1 of 6 Note: Lower cost is better

Service Effectiveness

Service effectiveness measures the amount of service that is consumed per unit of service that is provided. The service effectiveness measures, which include passengers per mile, passengers per hour, and passengers per peak vehicle, are presented on Table 3-3.

WATS service effectiveness lags about 10 percent below the average for the nationwide peers, but exceeds the average for its Wisconsin peers by about 3 percent for passengers per vehicle mile or hour . When compared to either group on passengers per mile and passengers per hour, WATS ranks in the middle, 4th of 8 on both measures for the national group and 3rd of 6 for the Wisconsin group. WATS carried 1.3 passengers per mile in 2003 compared to 1.25 for its Wisconsin peers but 1.47 for the national peers. WATS carried 19.11 passengers per hour compared the national peer average of 21.27 but again exceeded the Wisconsin peer average of 18.65.

In terms of passengers per peak vehicle, WATS lags further behind both peer groups, carrying about 27 percent fewer passengers per peak vehicle than the nationwide peers and almost 32% fewer for the Wisconsin peers. This reflects the high number of peak vehicles in the system needed to provide express services but average overall ridership level achieved by the system as a whole. WATS ranked 5th of 6 for the Wisconsin peer group on this statistic, and 6th of 8 for the national peer group.

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 41 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Table 3-3: Service Effectiveness Statistic Passengers per Mile Passengers per Hour Passengers per Peak Vehicle Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Lowest 1.04 0.9714.98 15.49 32,528 31,554 Highest 2.45 1.5526.33 23.14 78,518 70,587 Average 1.47 1.2521.27 18.65 49,602 52,982 WATS 1.30 1.3019.11 19.11 36,259 36,259 Percent Difference -11.4% 4.2% -10.1% 2.5% -26.9% -31.6% Rank* 4 of 8 3 of 6 4 of 8 3 of 6 6 of 8 5 of 6 Note: Higher is better

Cost Effectiveness

Cost effectiveness measures tie the two previous sets of measures together by looking at how well resources are utilized to produce trips, and how much of the cost of those trips is being covered by fare revenue. There are two key indictors for cost effectiveness -- cost per passenger and farebox recovery.

Cost per passenger is the ratio of the total cost to provide WATS service and the number of passengers carried. The cost effectiveness indicators are presented on Table 3-4. For cost per passenger, WATS costs are almost 10% higher than the nationwide peers, and it ranks 6th out of 8 systems. WATS fares better against the Wisconsin peers; in this group its cost per passenger is about 3% lower than the peer average and it ranks 3rd of 6 systems.

Table 3-4: Cost Effectiveness Statistic Cost per Passenger Farebox Recovery Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Lowest $1.73 $2.47 7.1% 10.8% Highest $4.45 $4.75 43.3% 16.9% Average $3.06 $3.46 18.1% 13.3% WATS $3.35 $3.35 13.5% 13.5% Percent Difference 9.6% -3.2% -25.4% 1.9% Rank 6 of 8 3 of 6 (tie) 5 of 8 3 of 6 Note: Lower cost is better, higher farebox recovery is better

Farebox recovery measures the percent of the operating cost recovered by fares paid by passengers. This ratio is guided not only by the number of passengers carried and operating costs for the system, but by policy determinations made locally regarding fare policy – e.g., the base fare level, the types and percent discounts given, etc.

WATS collects about 13.5% of its cost from passengers, which is about 25% lower than the nationwide peer average; however it is 2% better than the Wisconsin peer average of 13.3 percent.

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 42 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Once again, WATS performs as an average system in both groups, although its performance is much closer to the average of the Wisconsin peer group than the national peer group.

Service Provided per Capita

WATS, with is combination of regular and express routes, exceeds both peer group averages on the amount of service provided per capita. In fact WATS ranks number one on miles per capita and peak vehicles per capita, and second in both groups on hours per capita. This performance is excellent, particularly given that the WATS system performed strongly on passengers per hour and mile of service provided against its Wisconsin peers which demonstrates that the service in the aggregate is well-received and used by the community. Even while lagging by about 10 percent against the national peers, WATS ranked 4th of 8th on these same two service effectiveness measures, an average performance.

Table 3-5: Amount of Service Provided per Capita Statistic Miles per Capita Hours per Capita Peak Vehicles per 10,000 People Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Lowest 5.46 7.410.36 0.48 1.20 2.02 Highest 12.03 11.621.12 0.85 3.75 2.51 Average 7.69 9.540.58 0.64 2.31 2.32 WATS 12.23 12.230.83 0.83 4.39 4.39 Percent Difference 59.0% 28.1% 44.3% 29.5% 90.3% 89.6% Rank 1 of 8 1 of 6 2 of 8 2 of 6 1 of 8 1 of 8 Note: More service is better

Service Span Comparison

Service span refers to the number of hours that revenue service operates. The peer service span is presented on Table 3-6 for weekday, Saturday, and Sunday. The weekday and Saturday span does not compare very well with the peers, as both the Wisconsin and nationwide peers provide a wider span of service on both weekdays and Saturdays. A few of the peers do provide service on Sunday, something WATS does not.

Table 3-6: Service Span Comparison Statistic Weekday Span Saturday Span Sunday Span Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Nationwide Wisconsin Lowest 12.00 11.508.00 7.00 0.00 0.00 Highest 18.50 17.4715.00 12.00 0.00 11.00 Average 14.05 14.6910.42 10.20 0.00 11.00 WATS 12.50 12.509.00 9.00 0.00 0.00 Percent Difference -11.1% -14.9% -13.6% -11.8% 0.0% -100.0% Rank 6 of 8 4 of 6 5 of 8 5 of 6 N/A N/A Note: Wider span is better

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 43 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Furthermore, WATS does not provide Saturday service during the summer, further eroding the system’s performance against its peers on the Saturday span measure.

Conclusion

WATS provides more service per capita than almost all of its peers in both groups, and the service is generally effective, although more so against its Wisconsin peers than the national peer group. On service effectiveness measures, WATS is average among its peers, with its 19.11 passengers carried per hour or 1.3 passengers carried per hour, and lags with respect to passengers per peak vehicles.

The cost of operating service (financial efficiency) is roughly average based on vehicle hours and miles of service provided, and exceptional on a peak vehicle basis due to the size of the peak express bus network.

A significant concern is the span of service, which is lower than almost all of its peers both on weekdays and Saturdays, with no summer Saturday service. Only one system from either peer group operates Sunday service, so having no service on Sundays is not unusual among WATS and its peers.

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 44 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Trend Analysis

The trend analysis indicators are presented in Table 3-7. Five sets of data provide a comparison of how WATS has performed over time compared to its peers. The data sets include the service baseline, financial efficiency, service effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and amount and use of service. Data in the trend analysis compares data from the 1998 and 2003 National Transit Database reports.

Table 3-7: Trend Analysis Statistic Percent Change (1998 to 2003) WATS Wisconsin Peers National Peers Total Annual Total Annual Total Annual Service Baseline Ridership -23.2% -4.6% 7.0% 1.4% 26.3% 5.3% Farebox Revenue 4.9% 1.0% 2.4% 0.5% 19.4% 3.9% Operating Expense 30.6% 6.1% 34.8% 7.0% 47.5% 9.5% Revenue Hours 0.1% 0.0% 11.4% 2.3% 15.5% 3.1% Revenue Miles -0.4% -0.1% 17.1% 3.4% 13.1% 2.6% Peak Vehicles -4.8% -1.0% 3.0% 0.6% 5.6% 1.1% Service Area Population 2.3% 0.5% 9.2% 1.8% 12.5% 2.5% Financial Efficiency Cost per Revenue Mile 31.2% 6.2% 14.1% 2.8% 30.7% 6.1% Cost per Revenue Hour 30.6% 6.1% 22.1% 4.4% 30.1% 6.0% Cost per Peak Vehicle 37.2% 7.4% 26.1% 5.2% 45.7% 9.1% Service Effectiveness Passengers per Revenue Mile -22.9% -4.6% -9.5% -1.9% 7.2% 1.4% Passengers per Revenue Hour -23.3% -4.7% -3.2% -0.6% 4.3% 0.9% Passengers per Peak Vehicle -19.4% -3.9% -23.9% -4.8% -23.0% -4.6% Cost Effectiveness Cost per Passenger Trip 70.1% 14.0% 21.5% 4.3% 27.0% 5.4% Farebox Recovery -19.7% -3.9% -23.9% -4.8% -23.0% -4.6% Revenue per Passenger Trip 36.6% 7.3% -4.1% -0.8% -7.4% -1.5% Amount and Use of Service Revenue Hours per Capita -2.2% -0.4% -0.5% -0.1% 3.6% 0.7% Passengers per Capita -25.0% -5.0% -3.4% -0.7% 15.1% 3.0%

Service Baseline

The service baseline includes the basic data upon which the groups were selected and measured, using ratios derived from the information.. A number of trends are immediately evident in the baseline data set:

• WATS ridership dropped by 23.2 percent over the period, while ridership grew by 7 percent for the Wisconsin peer group and 26.3 percent for the national peers. Among the factors affecting WATS are two fare increases during the period, constrained state and

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federal funding, and an inability to implement service expansion recommendations as outlined in the 1999 TDP. • Despite the ridership drop, farebox revenue increased by 4.9 percent, double that of the Wisconsin peers but less than the 19.4 percent for the national peer group. Still, this indicates that the fare increase implemented in the period, while resulting in lower ridership, did meet the objective of increasing revenues. • WATS held the line on operating cost better than either of the two peer groups. While demonstrating solid business practices as well as a reduction of selected low- effectiveness segments, this is also in part due to the inability of WATS to implement any of the expansion projects called for in the TDP. • WATS did not expand between 1998 and 2003 and in fact shrunk slightly, while both peer groups increased service. • Finally, the WATS service area population only grew by 2.3 percent in the period, indicating little or no expansion, while the peer groups service ares grew by 9.2 percent for the Wisconsin peers and 12.5 percent for the National peers.

Taken as a whole, it is clear that the last five years have been a difficult period for WATS in comparison to its peers.

Financial Efficiency

WATS unit costs rose faster than those of its Wisconsin peers, but slightly slower than those of the National peer group. The cost per mile and cost per hour of service rose by about 30 percent, almost identical to the national peer group, while in Wisconsin the average increase for the group was held to 14.1 percent for the cost per mile and 22.1 percent for the cost per hour. Without specific data on the actions of each system in both peer groups, it is hard to make definitive conclusions on these trends, but from prior knowledge of WATS from the 1999 TDP and later Management Performance Review (MPR), WATS had very little excess if any in its cost structure and limited options for reducing operating costs.

Service Effectiveness

The service effectiveness indicators refer to the amount of passengers per unit of service provided. Due to fare increases, little change in the service area population, and no implementation of the service expansion proposals contained in the 1999 TDP, WATS ridership per unit of service ---vehicle mile, hour, and peak vehicle -- dropped by about the same amount that ridership dropped (23.2 percent). The Wisconsin peer group also saw reductions in service effectiveness, while the national peer group saw a modest increase of passengers per hour and mile. All three groups had almost identical drops in passengers per peak vehicle.

Cost Effectiveness

WATS had a significant jump in its cost per trip, as costs rose by about 30 percent and ridership dropped by about 20 percent during the period. Again, the cost increase was not out of line with the increases seen by the national peer group and even the Wisconsin peer group had significant cost increases. Rising fuel costs, wages, vehicle insurance rates, and general cost increase for

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 46 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

services and parts were just a few of the inflationary items that the entire transit industry experienced during the period. Ridership losses can be attributed to the fare increase and lack of expansion to new markets that were identified in the TDP.

The cost per passenger trip rose for the peer groups by 21.5 percent in Wisconsin and 27 percent nationally.

The fare increase resulted in an increase of 4.9 percent in total fare revenues, but the increase of 30.6 percent in operating costs in the same period resulted in a drop in farebox recovery of 19.7 percent. In fact, this was better than the performance of the two peer groups --- Wisconsin peers saw a drop of 23.4 percent and national peers saw a drop of 23 percent. Furthermore, WATS did see a jump of 36.6 percent in the amount of revenue generated per passenger as the result of the increases, versus drops of 4 and 7 percent respectively for the Wisconsin and National peer groups.

Overall, WATS did a good job balancing rising costs and the need to generate additional farebox revenues during the period, although with no new services to attract additional riders the fare increase did contribute to a noticeable loss of passenger trips.

Amount and Use of Service

Two per capita numbers summarize quite simply the situation which WATS has faced in the past five years. The number of revenue hours per capita droped by 2.2 percent during the period, effectively indicating a system that made very few changes in its services, and clearly no expansions. Tight budgets at all levels of government affected not only WATS but its Wisconsin peers, which also remained stagnant, with a total change of less than 1 percent in the revenue hours per capita. The national peer group had a modest increase in service over the period of 3.6 percent.

With not expansion of service, the number of passengers per capita was greatly influenced by the two fare increases that WATS implemented, with passengers per capita dropping by 25 percent. The Wisconsin peers saw a drop of 3.4 percent, but the national peers saw an increase of 15.1 percent.

Conclusion

The past five years have clearly been difficult ones for the transit industry in general and WATS in particular. Limits on spending due to reduced government subsidies, two fare increases, and no service expansions, particularly to several key commercial centers around the area all contributed to the trends described above.

Preliminary 2004 data, not used in peer group comparisons indicate that the situation is beginning to turn, with a modest increase in fixed route ridership and continued cost containment of both the fixed route and WATS plus program. Going forward with this study, the data suggest that WATS, like its peers, who expanded on average about 14 percent over the same 5 year

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 47 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

period, needs to look closely at its operations to identify changes in its regional travel market, and needs to identify services which will serve these markets.

Peer Group and Trend Analyses 48 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

CHAPTER 4: PUBLIC OUTREACH

Introduction

The Wausau Area Transit System Transit Development Plan includes an extensive community participation program designed to elicit input from members of the general public, current users of the system, community leaders, key policy decision makers and other transportation stakeholders in Janesville.

This chapter reports on two aspects of the program, the stakeholder meetings held on April 20- 21, 2005 and two public drop-in sessions held April 20th at the downtown transit center and April 21st at the Wausau Mall.

Other efforts to be conducted and reported on in subsequent reports include discussions from the steering committee for the project, information from employees including the driving staff, and data from the on-board surveys distributed in May.

Drop-In Sessions

A “drop-in” session is a session where the public talks directly to the consultant team on a one- on-one basis and offers suggestions for improvements or comments on the system. As noted above, the two drop-in sessions were held on April 20th and 21st at the downtown WATS transit center and the Wausau Mall respectively. Together, the two sessions produced comments from 49 individuals.

Comments from the meetings are grouped into several categories for this summary, as follows:

• Service Area Expansion • Extended Service Hours • Extended Days of Service • Quality of Service • Other Comments

Service Area Expansion

The expansion of WATS service into new markets was by far the biggest area of comment among the 49 respondents. Three areas, or locations within those areas, were mentioned repeatedly --- Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain. Specifically,

• 22 of the 49 respondents (45 percent) mentioned either Rib Mountain in general or Walmart specifically, • 16 (33 percent) mentioned Cedar Creek, and • 16 (33 percent) mentioned Weston in general, or Target, Goodwill, or the new hospital specifically.

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The majority of the respondents mentioned all three when they talked about expanding the system.

Expanded Days

Weekend services were of concern to many people, with 11 (22 percent) asking for Saturday service to be extended into the summer, thus becoming a year round service. Only 5 people (10 percent) were interested in Sunday service, and of the five, 2 were fairly ambivalent about requesting it.

Service Hour Expansion

Seven people (14 percent) wanted service hours to be extended into the evenings during the week, and 4 others (8 percent) asked for extended hours on Saturdays. More of the respondents were interested in the extended hours for work purposes than for recreational activities, and several talked about opportunities to obtain jobs at Cedar Creek or in Rib Mountain.

Service Quality

Of the 12 who mentioned service quality all but one were happy with WATS (10 of 49, 22 percent), citing things like on-time performance, cleanliness of the buses, ability to get places, and the drivers. One individual said the service costs too much, and one said the drivers were rude, but these opinions were very much in the minority among those with whom we spoke.

Other Comments

There were a number of other comments as well pertaining to specific issues:

• Three people said Route D should operate every half hour on Saturdays • One person suggested running the Stewart Avenue bus into K-Mart, unaware that K-Mart was actually located outside the city boundaries and therefore could not be directly served. • One person thought cars should not park on 10th Street as it made it hardfor the buses to get through. • One person wanted a stop relocated on Route E on the west side of the bridge due to safety concerns. • One person thought that the service should be provided by “super shuttles” like those operating airport services. • One person though the X4 should be a regular all day service and not a school day service, and that the X9 should run during the midday and not just on school days. • One person said that kids are disturbing the seniors at several stops, citing the K-Mart and Walgreen Stops • One person wanted racks on the buses for bicycles. • One person thought that WATS had to pursue more funding.

Public Outreach 50 Wausau Area Transit System – Transit Development Plan

Summary

The comments received at the drop-ins for the most part were similar to those at the drop-ins during the last study, particularly with regard to providing service to Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain; and all day on Saturdays. The single most common response was the need for service to Rib Mountain, expressed by nearly half of those with whom we spoke.

The interest in evening service appears to be growing, with more job opportunities opening up at night as the area’s retail and service economy expands.

Stakeholder Interviews

Extensive “one-on one” interviews (in some cases the consulting team met with multiple individuals) were conducted with various community leaders, policy makers, and decision makers throughout the Greater Wausau area who have a “stake” in both the future of the community as well as in the mobility of Wausau area residents. The 33 individuals who were interviewed over the two day period April 20-21 are listed in Table 4-1. The meetings lasted up to one hour, during which the open discussion focused on such topics as the quality of and services provided by the current WATS system, the transportation needs of the community and/or the clientele/residents represented by the individual being interviewed, the perceived future transportation needs of the community, and the reasons why the recommendations of the 1999 TDP were, for the most part, not implemented.

All of the interviews were conducted with the understanding that the comments by individuals would be kept in confidence by the consulting team and only used to create a summary of findings based on the inputs from all 33 participants.

The discussions were wide ranging and covered a great many topics related to the geographic, jurisdictional, and historic context within which it is being conducted, and within which WATS operates its service. As we discovered during the two days of interviews, these considerations, coupled with the quantitative analyses of operations, finance, et al., will play a very significant role in the development of a successful five year transit plan from this project.

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Table 4-1: Participating Stakeholders April, 2005

Name Position Affiliation

Neil Marciniak Economic Development Director The Chamber, Wausau Region James Krause Mayor City of Schofield Charles Altman III Manager, Environmental Services Marshfield Clinic Gary Wojciechowski Director – Facilities and Projects Aspirus Wausau Hospital Jim Tipple Mayor City of Wausau Joseph M. Pribanich City Planner City of Wausau Dean Zulegar Administrator Village of Weston Kristine Gilmore Administrator DC Everest Schools Gary Barto Facility Manager Liberty Mutual Group Joanne Kelly Executive Director United Way of Marathon Co. Bill Creske Developer Wausau Tile/Cedar Creek Pam Kopp Manager Cedar Creek Vilas Machmueller President Village of Weston Wayde Kreager Vice Chairman Rib Mtn. Business Association John Otterbacher Board Member/Walmart Store Mgr. Rib Mtn. Business Association Neal C. Torney President Village of Rothschild Gaylene S. Rhoden Administrator Town of Rib Mountain Wade Rudolph Director, Environmental Services NCHC- Marathon County Kristen Fish Business Development Director City of Wausau Brian Franks Owner Badger Care-a-Vans Cherna A. Gorder Ass’t Superintendent for Business Wausau School District Amy Altenburgh Director Wausau Area Events Tammy Stezenski Publisher City Pages Rick LaFrombois Reporter Wausau Daily Herald Carolyn Michalski Director of Student Services North Central Technical College Bonnie Bissonette Director of International Education North Central Technical College Linda Schlitz Director Job Center Jim Kaetterhenry, Case Manager Midstate Indep. Living Center Karen Lorge, Senior Aide Job Center Joshua Swatosh, Co-Founder Blind Outreach Center Mary Lontkowski, Director, Co. Employment. and Training Michelle McCarthy, Transportation Coordinator, Co. Employment and Training Mary Krueger President/CEO St. Claire’s Hospital

One topic generally dominated the discussions, and was voiced by the majority of those with whom we spoke:

WATS should be a regional system, serving the most densely populated parts of the region as it is today and will be over the next five years – Wausau, Weston, Schofield, Rothschild, and Rib Mountain – with the potential to expand to Stettin, Kronenwetter, and Moisenee when and if those locations reach appropriate densities for service.

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Interestingly, most of the same people recognize that this was reflected as an objective of the 1999 TDP as well, and that recommendations were made to expand serve to Weston and Rib Mountain, and to expand service in Rothschild to Cedar Creek. Thus, the discussions were not so much aimed at identifying the area’s needs, which were generally clear to most with whom we spoke, but rather identifying why WATS service has not expanded its service area and how it can do so as an outcome of this plan.

WATS Bus Service: General Perceptions

The majority of the stakeholders had positive feelings concerning the services that WATS currently provides, the professionalism with which the services are delivered, and the need to maintain a bus system as a part of the urban infrastructure.

At the same time, few identified WATS bus service as a pivotal element in business relocation decisions, economic development planning, or even in residential location choices among residents. Rather, most see WATS as a service for students and the transportation dependents in the community.

To become the kind of resource that most envision bus service should be for the Wausau Urbanized Area, WATS needs to do several things according to most with whom we talked:

• It needs to provide service to “all the places that it should” which implies expansion into communities which currently do not have bus service; • It needs to provide later service during the week and service on every Saturday during the year; • It needs to broaden its image to be the region’s bus service and not the City of Wausau’s bus service. • Finally, WATS has to be more flexible in its approach to developing new services, which to those with whom we spoke meant considering the use of smaller buses in some communities, tailoring schedules and levels of service to community needs and financial constraints, and considering low-density non-fixed route solutions where they may be applicable.

In summary, there were no negative remarks about the system and its current operations, other than a couple of comments regarding ridership levels and “empty buses” (which we hear frequently in all communities), only positive comments about what WATS is doing today and a desire to expand its services to meet the needs of the entire community. As noted above, this is very much in keeping with the five year program which came out of the 1999 TDP, so the real key for this project is identifying those impediments which prevented that plan from being implemented, and developing a plan for overcoming them as the outcome of this study.

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Unmet Needs

The stakeholder discussions also identified a series of unmet needs related to individual population groups and/or specific programmatic needs among those with whom we spoke. That is, in addition to the general consensus that the greatest unmet needs were service to Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain; and extended weekday hours and year-round Saturday service, the following needs were noted:

• A number of those with whom we spoke feel that there is a need for more bus service for entry level workers in the service industry, retail, and also to obtain jobs in the West Wausau Industrial Park. • With regard to the West Wausau Industrial Park, as a result of these discussions, the consulting team, in cooperation with the City of Wausau Business Development office, is conducting a survey of all West Wausau Industrial Park employers to better understand this potential market. • Several individuals mentioned a need for service for new refugees to the area, specifically among the Hmong and a growing Hispanic population. • After-school work programs and alternative high school programs were also mentioned, as were later hours for those attending NTC late afternoon and evening classes. • Service industry and retail jobs at Cedar Creek and along Rib Mountain Drive were identified by a number of individuals. • Finally, those working with clients among the developmentally disabled, in the W2 program, on food stamps or other forms of assistance, said the majority of the people they see rely exclusively on the bus, and that more extensive bus service would be valuable in placing many of these people in jobs.

Regional Cooperation

Given that the needs of the community for expanded bus service are generally recognized by those with whom the consulting team spoke, the rest of the comments focus on two things – what are the barriers that have prevented growth?, and what changes, other than those noted above would be critical in achieving change?

The issue most frequently cited as the impediment to change was the inability to get all of the communities in the Wausau Urbanized Area to work together to implement the 1999 plan recommendations, followed by the tightening of funding for transit at the Federal and State levels. The perceptions regarding why these impediments were so difficult to overcome varied, but a number of issues seemed to dominate the discussion:

There is a lot of competition among the communities in the Wausau area for development, some historic rivalries, and some long held perceptions that can get in the way of substantive discussions. Old notions were mentioned -- Wausau wants to dominate the region and dictate things, the southern communities, as they grow and mature, don’t want to work with Wausau – but almost everyone with whom the consulting team spoke said that these issues were more historical than real, and that they are becoming rapidly out of date as the communities begin to

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communicate better, cooperate on ventures involving the fire department, water and sewers, and education.

The community leaders now clearly recognize that the success of the Wausau Urbanized area depends upon the success of all of its communities, and while some competition is inevitable, there must be more cooperation. In citing this, many talked about the need for the entire community to access the new St. Claire’s Hospital in Weston (and in fact the entire medical complex including Aspirus and Marshfield Clinics), and, on the retail side, to access Walmart and other stores, both for jobs as well as shopping, along Rib Mountain Drive.

People are increasingly talking about the Wausau trade area and how to keep it growing, and of the trade-offs implied in working together rather than as competitors for every new development, every new tax dollar, etc.

Finally, and specifically in regard to WATS bus service, the consensus is that the discussions regarding expansion into new communities has to be done at the highest level among the chief elected officials and town/city managers, as the decisions that will be made will be governed as much, if not more so, by policy decisions rather than technical service issues. Mayor Tipple of Wausau was mentioned specifically as the individual who should guide these discussions, working closely with the WATS administrator on technical matters as the discussions take place and service plans are being developed.

Regional System Growth: Key Factors for Success

Assuming that regional discussions are and will take place regarding bus service and its role in each community within the Urbanized Area, those with whom we spoke had some specific items that need to be a part of those discussions.

Image - First, a number of individuals from both the public and private sectors, including individuals representing the interests of the City of Wausau, feel that a key to success will be to change the bus system’s image, with several individuals suggesting that the system be renamed to emphasize its regional nature. Transit needs to be more visible in the community, with an emphasis on what it can do for the choice rider, like the individuals we spoke with at the drop-ins who use the bus to get to their jobs at the Mall rather than driving, despite having a car readily available. A new image, new marketing, and new services to Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain --- this is a vision shared by many with whom we spoke.

Another way to improve the system’s image is to bring new ideas and services to the community, and bike on bus racks were specifically mentioned as something relatively low cost that could enhance the system’s image and increase its use by discretionary riders. Another idea was to have local sponsors in the business community to sponsor free midday services, or a ride home for patrons of their establishments.

Public/Private Partnering - Second, the consensus is that the regionalization of the system has three key players --- Wausau, Weston, and Rib Mountain – and that, while service to Weston is likely to happen soon given the opening of St. Claire’s and interest expressed by Goodwill and

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others, service to Rib Mountain Drive will require a great deal of discussion as it for the most part will be beginning from ground zero. The Rib Mountain Business Association was identified by many as a key group with regard to discussions with the Town; businesses and agencies working with employment issues and the transit dependent population were identified in general around the community as key players in discussions about new services, longer hours, Saturday service in the summer, etc. It was felt that these are the people who represent the end users, who can speak best to the public needs, and who conceivably could provide some of the local financial support needed to expand bus service.

Stakeholder Summary

WATS is recognized by the stakeholders as an important service in the community which needs to be expanded into a truly regional program, which needs to upgrade and broaden its image as a service for everyone and not just the transit dependents, and which needs to flexibly address the individual challenges posed by different community needs and environments.

Since these same statements applied to the 1999 plan and its recommendations, the key to success for this project rests very clearly on the region’s policy makers, spearheaded by the Mayor of Wausau. These individuals should participate fully in the development of the operating and financial plan which will emerge from this study to ensure that their individual community’s interests are met even as a regional system is created, and must direct the develop of the agreements which will translate these recommendations into reality during the next five years.

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CHAPTER 5: OPINION SURVEYS

This chapter presents the results of two opinion surveys: the onboard passenger survey and a survey of employers at the Wausau West Industrial Park. The onboard passenger opinion survey is a tool used to allow bus passengers the opportunity to provide input to this Transit Development Plan (TDP) and communicate their needs as riders. The Wausau West Industrial Park survey was a special survey designed to allow businesses in this industrial park to provide input on their transit service needs, and was conducted in association with the City of Wausau Economic Development Department.

Rider Survey

Introduction

The study to determine the most effective ways to improve WATS transportation services in the City of Wausau includes an extensive community participation program designed to elicit input from current and potential passengers, the general public as well as community leaders and key policy decision makers. The community participation program includes three separate components, including an opinion survey of current WATS riders, interviews with community leaders and stakeholders as well as public drop-in sessions at the Wausau Center Mall and the downtown bus transfer facility. This interim report presents the findings from the opinion survey of current WATS riders.

Survey Description

A survey of WATS fixed route riders was undertaken over a four day period: Thursday May 12th, Friday May 13th, Saturday May 14th, and Monday May 16th. The survey was conducted on WATS nine regular routes as well as on one WATS express service route (X4 middays only). This express service route was surveyed because it provides more extensive service than the other express routes, which operate only one or two trips in the morning and afternoon to coincide with school arrival and dismissal trips. The X4 route operates all day service every 30 minutes. Nearly 100 percent of all WATS regular route weekday and Saturday trips were surveyed, as well as nearly 100 percent of the X4 weekday express trips.

A key dimension of the survey was the use of survey workers to issue and collect survey cards from patrons. Survey workers were instructed to issue a survey card to all boarding passengers.

The survey effort was intended to serve two purposes. First, while survey workers were aboard WATS buses distributing survey cards, they recorded passenger boarding and alighting activity by stop location. This information has been processed in terms of boarding and alighting activity by bus route and by bus stop for both inbound and outbound directions. Tables and graphic displays of this information will be used in developing service improvement recommendations and will also be submitted to WATS for their continuing use.

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The second component of this effort was the survey questionnaire that gave riders an opportunity to provide input on WATS services and ideas for service change proposals. This section describes the conduct and content of the survey.

Survey Method - Due to the participation of the survey workers, a major effort was undertaken before the survey to assure a complete understanding of the survey procedures. Survey workers were required to attend a training session at which the survey procedures were explained in detail. On each day of the survey, survey workers were issued a survey kit that included a supply of survey cards and pencils. The survey materials were placed in an envelope that also contained survey instructions.

Survey cards were issued to riders on both the inbound and the outbound direction. Riders were provided the option to complete the survey card while on the bus or to take the card with them to complete it later. If the rider did not complete the survey while on the trip they were issued the card, they could return it to any other survey worker or a bus driver on a subsequent trip. Completing the survey while on the bus was facilitated by providing pencils to riders and printing the survey forms on hard card stock paper. Riders were also instructed to complete only one survey throughout the survey period.

Survey Questions - The survey card, which is presented in Figure 1, consisted of 20 questions. With the exception of two open-ended questions, riders were only required to check off a box to answer most questions. The first group of questions concerned the riders’ riding habits. This included questions related to what bus route they were on when they received the survey, how bus stops were accessed, length of time riding, trip purpose, frequency of riding, and payment method. The next group of questions requested attitudinal information regarding their view of the existing bus service and potential improvements. The final group of questions focused on socioeconomic characteristics of the respondent. These questions asked for information pertaining to key factors influencing travel habits including age, automobile ownership, automobile availability and family income.

Survey Response - During the survey period, about 1,000 forms were issued and 375 weekday and 118 Saturday or a total of 493 valid surveys were returned. This is a response rate of about 50 percent that is extremely high for this type of survey. Typically, response rates between 20 and 25 percent are attained.

Survey Results

After the completion of the survey, responses from the 493 completed surveys were tabulated. Responses for the weekday and Saturday were evaluated separately. Results from each of the survey questions are presented in this section of the report. The key findings for each question are identified and discussed.

Bus Route and Survey Response - Riders were asked to identify the route that they received the survey on. As seen in the chart below, the survey responses were fairly evenly distributed between the weekday routes, with Route A providing the largest percentage of survey responses (16.0%). For the weekday routes, the portion of each routes daily ridership to the total daily

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ridership of the weekday routes, were reviewed. The total daily ridership includes all nine of the regular routes as well as express route X4. As seen in the chart below, the percent of total ridership on the weekday routes is similar to the proportion of the percent of riders that completed the survey forms. Thus, it can be concluded that the survey results are representative of WATS entire weekday ridership.

Table 5-1: Weekday Survey Responses by Route Routes Percent of Daily Systemwide Ridership Percent of Total Survey Responses A 11.7% 16.0% D 10.1% 14.2% G 13.0% 13.1% H 10.9% 12.0% C 8.6% 11.5% B 12.4% 10.5% J 9.3% 9.1% I 7.6% 5.6% E 8.0% 5.1% X4 8.3% 2.9%

For the Saturday service, as seen in the chart below, Route E provided the highest percentage of survey responses (17.8%), while also having the lowest percentage of total ridership. Further, Route G carried the highest percentage of ridership compared to the Saturday routes, but provided the third lowest percentage of survey respondents. The remaining Saturday routes are fairly consistent in terms of their share of total ridership and survey responses.

Table 5-2: Saturday Survey Responses by Route Routes Percent of Daily Systemwide Ridership Percent of Total Survey Responses E 3.2% 17.8% C 9.8% 16.1% I 7.8% 16.1% J 15.5% 11.9% A 11.5% 10.1% G 23.9% 9.3% B 10.5% 6.8% H 12.5% 6.8% D 5.7% 5.1%

Mode of Accessing Bus - Riders were asked to identify how they got to the bus they were riding. They were given several choices from which to select their response. One possible response was “walked”, which if selected, the rider was asked to list number of blocks they had to walk. Responses are presented in the chart below for both weekday and Saturdays. The chart breaks down the group of riders who walk to the bus by the length of their walk and provides the percentage for the subgroup.

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As the chart below shows, about 71 percent on weekdays and nearly 70 percent on Saturday of WATS riders walk to the bus stop to access their bus. Of this group, 84.3 percent of weekday riders and 66.7 percent of Saturday riders who walk to the bus, walked only two blocks or less to access WATS service. This represents a relatively short walking distance for this group of WATS riders. It also indicates that residents have to walk further on Saturday to access the bus. From the weekday survey, only 8.3 percent of the riders who walked to the bus they were on had to walk four blocks or more. This is a relatively small percent of the users and indicates extensive coverage of bus routes throughout the City. On Saturday, nearly 22.2 percent of the users of bus service that walk to the bus stop must walk four blocks or more.

Table 5-3: Mode of Accessing Bus Mode to Access Bus Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Another Bus 22.8% 21.4% Walked 70.5% 69.2% Subgroup Subgroup Walked less than 1 block 9.2% 5.6% Walked 1 block 53.9% 37.0% Walked 2 blocks 21.2% 24.1% Walked 3 blocks 7.4% 11.1% Walked 4 or more blocks 8.3% 22.2% Subtotal 100.0% 100.0% Automobile 1.6% 1.7% Other 5.1% 7.7% Total 100.0% 100.0%

A total of 22.8 percent of weekday and 21.4 percent of the Saturday riders indicated that they accessed the bus they were on by transferring from another WATS bus. Those riders who transferred from another WATS bus were asked to identify the route from which they transferred. The charts on the following page provide the results for the weekday and Saturday routes and indicate the number of people and the percent of total transfers.

Table 5-4: Weekday Transfers From Another WATS Bus Route Transferred From Number of People Percent of Total Transfers A 9 16.7% D 8 14.6% X4 6 11.1% J 6 11.1% B 5 9.3% G 5 9.3% C 4 7.4% E 3 5.6% I 3 5.6% X9 3 5.6% H 2 3.7%

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Table 5-5: Saturday Transfers From Another WATS Bus Route Transferred From Number of People Percent of Total Transfers J 4 23.6% A 3 17.6% H 3 17.6% I 3 17.6% G 2 11.8% B 1 5.9% D 1 5.9%

Mode to Complete Trip - Riders were asked to identify how they would complete their trip after leaving the bus. They were given several choices from which to select their response. As in the above question, one possible response was “walk”, which if selected, the rider was asked to list number of blocks. Responses are presented in the chart below for both weekday and Saturday.

Table 5-6: Mode to Complete Trip Mode to Access Bus Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Another Bus 60.6% 47.0% Walked 33.0% 46.2% Subgroup Subgroup Walked less than 1 block 7.5% 4.5% Walked 1 block 41.9% 29.6% Walked 2 blocks 18.3% 20.5% Walked 3 blocks 14.0% 20.5% Walked 4 or more blocks 18.3% 24.9% Subtotal 100.0% 100.0% Automobile 1.4% 1.7% Other 5.0% 5.1% Total 100.0% 100.0%

As the chart shows, 33 percent of weekday and 46.2 percent of Saturday WATS riders walk to their final destination after they leave the WATS bus. This is less than the 70.5 percent of weekday riders and 69.2 percent of Saturday riders who walk to access the bus. The distances that WATS riders walk to complete their trip is longer than the distances walked to access the bus. Approximately 68 percent of weekday riders and 55 percent of Saturday riders walk two blocks or less to complete their trip. This is lower than the 84.3 percent of weekday riders and 66.7 percent of Saturday riders who walk less than two blocks to access the bus. Further, 18.3 percent of weekday riders and 24.9 percent of Saturday riders walk four or more blocks to complete their trip, which are higher compared to the percentage of weekday and Saturday riders who had to walk four or more blocks to access the bus.

On weekdays, the number of people that used another bus to complete their trip is nearly 61.0 percent compared to 22.8 percent that used a bus to get to the bus that they received a survey card on. This result indicates that the WATS weekday system has an overall transfer rate of approximately 42 percent that is a normal rate for a bus system that operates a “pulse system” in

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which all the routes arrive and depart from the downtown transit facility. On Saturday, 47.0 percent of the riders used another WATS bus to complete their trip compared to 21.4 percent that used a bus to get to the bus that they received a survey card on. This result indicates that WATS Saturday routes have an overall transfer rate of 34.2 percent.

Those riders who transferred to another WATS bus were asked to identify the route that they transferred to. The accompanying charts provide the results for the weekday and Saturday routes and indicate the number of people and the percent of total transfers.

Table 5-7: Weekday Transfers to Another WATS Bus Route Transferred To Number of People Percent of Total Transfers G 24 16.1% X4 19 12.8% A 18 12.1% D 18 12.1% H 15 10.1% E 14 9.0% B 12 8.1% I 11 7.0% C 9 6.0% J 6 4.0% X9 4 2.7%

Table 5-8: Saturday Transfers to Another WATS Bus Route Transferred To Number of People Percent of Total Transfers A 12 33.3% H 6 16.7% J 5 13.9% I 4 11.1% C 3 8.3% G 3 8.3% E 2 5.5% D 1 2.9%

Length of Time Riding WATS - The next question asked how long the passenger has been riding WATS buses. The accompanying chart shows that about 42 percent of weekday riders and about 49 percent of the Saturday users have been riding for five years or more. This is a large number of long-term riders. Surveys performed by the consultant at other systems generally indicated that less than one third of the riders had been riding for that extended length of time. However, even with the large number of long time users, there is a significant number of riders (19.6% weekday and 20.5% Saturday) that have been riding for less than a year. This indicates that transit ridership in the City of Wausau is not stable and experiences significant turnover, that is, each year some people stop riding while others become new riders. This emphasizes the need to

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continually provide public information on transit services and perform marketing activities to attract new riders.

Table 5-9: Length of Time Riding WATS Length of Time Riding Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Less than a year 19.6% 20.5% 1-2 years 19.6% 12.0% 3 to 4 years 19.0% 18.8% 5 years of more 41.8% 48.7% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Trip Purpose - Riders were asked to identify the purpose of the trip they were making that day. The chart on the following page shows that school is the most common trip purpose on weekdays on the WATS system and comprises about 31 percent of the weekday riders. Work is the second most common weekday trip purpose among WATS riders representing 27.8 percent of the trips. Personal Business (13.4%) and Shopping (10.2%) are the third and fourth most common weekday trip purposes. The remaining weekday trip purposes are relatively minor with none exceeding nine percent. In fact, all other trip purposes account for about 18 percent of the total weekday trips.

The trip purposes on Saturday are different. Shopping is the dominant trip purpose with 28.8 percent of the total trips. Trips for work purposes represent 16.1 percent of the total Saturday trips on the WATS system. On Saturday, Medical/Dental and Other are both important trip purposes.

Table 5-10: Trip Purpose Trip Purpose Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Work 27.8% 16.1% School 30.7% 13.5% Personal Business 13.4% 8.5% Shopping 10.2% 28.8% Medical/Dental 6.1% 14.4% Social/Recreation 3.5% 5.1% Other 8.3% 13.6% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Frequency of Use - The next question asked how many trips the passenger makes on WATS services in a week. The chart below shows that on weekdays 28.4 percent ride WATS buses 10 or more times per week. An additional 24.3 percent ride six to nine times a week for a total of 52.7 percent of riders who could be considered frequent riders. This is consistent with the fact that about 59 percent of riders indicated in the previous question that their trip is work or school. Those traveling to and from work or school tend to make two one-way trips on several days throughout the week. Only 14.1 percent are infrequent riders, or those who make one trip or less per week. The remaining 33.2 percent are occasional riders who ride WATS service two to five

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times per week. Again, these findings are consistent with the number of riders indicating trip purposes other than work or school. Riders traveling for purposes other than school or work tend to travel on fewer days throughout the week.

As seen below, on Saturday frequent use of the bus service is much less with the dominant ridership group using the service five times or less per week (56.4 %).

Table 5-11: Frequency of Use Frequency of Use Weekday Percent Saturday Percent 1 or Less 14.1% 13.7% 2 to 5 Times 33.2% 42.7% 6 to 9 Times 24.3% 20.5% 10 or More 28.4% 23.1% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Riding Trend - Riders were asked how the frequency at which they are currently riding WATS compares with the previous year. The chart below shows that 51.4 percent of weekday and 51.8 percent of Saturday users are riding more now than last year, while only 11.9 percent weekday and 11.4 percent Saturday said less. The remainder, 36.7 percent weekday and 36.8 percent Saturday indicated that they are riding about the same.

Table 5-12: Riding Trend Riding Habit Compared to Last Year Weekday Percent Saturday Percent More 51.4% 51.8% Less 11.9% 11.4% About the Same 36.7% 36.8% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Fare Payment Options - The next question on the survey asked the riders how they paid for the bus trip they were currently making. As seen in the chart below, the most frequently cited fare payment method for weekday riders was the Adult Monthly Pass (21.6%), which was followed by Adult Cash (16.8%) and Student Ticket (14.9%). On Saturdays, Adult Cash (23.7%) and Adult Monthly Pass (17.5%) were the most frequently cited fare payment methods.

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Table 5-13: Fare Payment Options Fare Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Adult Cash 16.8% 23.7% Adult Token 8.0% 8.8% Adult Monthly Pass 21.6% 17.5% Transfer 3.5% 2.6% Student Cash 4.5% 11.4% Student Ticket 14.9% 12.3% Student Monthly Pass 10.9% 5.3% Elderly & Disabled Cash 5.3% 4.4% Elderly & Disabled Monthly Pass 14.5% 14.0% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Service Evaluation - The next question asked riders to rate the performance of WATS in seven different categories. The chart below provides a breakdown of the responses for weekday services. The chart shows that differences occur between the specific responses in the various categories. For example, “interior cleanliness” receives the smallest percentage of excellent responses (30.9%) with “driver courtesy” receiving the largest percentage of excellent responses (44.6%).

For this type of survey, a response is considered favorable if the combined total of responses in the excellent, very good or good categories is greater than or equal to 90 percent of all responses.

The accompanying chart also provides the total for these three ratings for each of the nine categories. The chart shows that five of the seven categories attain this threshold for a favorable rating. “Places served” receives the lowest total score in the excellent, very good and good categories of 83.2 percent. This rating implies the need for bus service to places like Wal-Mart, Weston, and Cedar Creek. The next lowest score for these three ratings was “interior cleanliness” with a rating of 88.4 percent. The best score was 96.1 percent for “service in general” followed by “service frequency” (93.8%).

Table 5-14: Weekday Service Rating Category Weekday Rating – All Figures in Percent (%) Excellent Very Good Good Total Favorable Fair Poor Interior cleanliness 30.9% 30.4% 27.1% 88.4% 9.4% 2.2% Driver courtesy 44.6% 32.8% 15.2% 92.6% 6.0% 1.4% Service information 45.3% 29.7% 18.4% 93.4% 5.5% 1.1% Buses are on-time 40.7% 31.8% 19.3% 91.8% 7.1% 1.1% Service frequency 37.0% 30.9% 25.9% 93.8% 5.1% 1.1% Places served 36.4% 26.1% 20.7% 83.2% 12.3% 4.5% Service in general 39.4% 34.8% 21.9% 96.1% 3.9% 0.0%

A similar evaluation was developed for Saturday service with the results listed on the following page.

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Table 5-15: Saturday Service Rating Category Saturday Rating – All Figures in Percent (%) Excellent Very Good Good Total Favorable Fair Poor Interior cleanliness 33.6% 29.3% 25.9% 88.8% 6.0% 5.2% Driver courtesy 43.6% 18.8% 26.5% 88.9% 8.5% 2.6% Service information 49.5% 20.5% 24.8% 94.8% 2.6% 2.6% Buses are on-time 46.6% 27.1% 19.5% 93.2% 5.1% 1.7% Service frequency 43.8% 28.1% 18.4% 90.3% 7.9% 1.8% Places served 33.7% 26.3% 24.6% 84.6% 5.1% 2.5% Service in general 41.5% 26.3% 24.6% 92.4% 5.1% 2.5%

The riders using Saturday services were more critical of the bus services, although most rating were still very favorable. Again, places served received the lowest number of the excellent, very good and good ratings. Interior cleanliness and driver courtesy also had total rating below the 90 percent threshold

Best Place for WATS Information - To assist WATS in their efforts to market new or existing services, the survey asked riders to indicate the best way for WATS to reach them with information. The riders were given several options to choose from and were asked to identify only one source. The accompanying chart provides the results.

Table 5-16: Information Source Information Source Percent Weekday Responding Percent Saturday Responding Newspapers 13.6% 12.8% Radio 14.8% 20.2% Television 20.2% 26.6% Drivers 17.5% 14.7% Telephone 3.3% 5.5% Website 8.3% 1.8% Schedules/Brochures 12.2% 11.0% Friends/Relatives 10.1% 7.4% Total 100.0% 100.0%

The chart shows TV as the best source for both weekday and Saturday riders. On weekdays, five other sources had very similar responses that ranged from 17.5 percent to 10.1 percent and included Newspapers, Radio, Drivers, Schedules/Brochures and Friends/Relatives. On Saturday, Radio was the second choice followed by Drivers and Newspapers.

Influencing Factors - Riders were then asked to provide their judgment on whether or not they agreed that certain service improvements would influence more people to use WATS service. Riders were presented with seven improvement categories and were asked if they were very important, important or not important in influencing more people to use WATS. The results provide a useful gauge in determining the areas in which service improvement proposals should focus. The chart below provides the results for weekday service.

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Table 5-17: Weekday Influencing Factors Influencing Factors Very Important Important Total Important Not Important More frequent service 52.6% 41.1% 93.7% 6.3% More information 38.8% 50.6% 89.4% 10.6% Better connections 44.1% 48.6% 92.7% 7.3% More weekend service 72.5% 22.9% 95.4% 4.6% More evening service 71.3% 23.9% 95.2% 4.8% Service to more places 73.0% 23.0% 96.0% 4.0% Lower fares 42.4% 37.2% 79.6% 20.4%

The influencing factor that draws the most agreement from weekday riders is “service to more places”. Again, this implies the need for bus service to Wal-Mart, Weston, and Cedar Creek. A total of 96.0 percent of the riders state that this service improvement is either very important or important. “Lower fares” is listed as the least important influencing factor.

Riders were also given the opportunity to specify any other service improvements that would increase WATS ridership. A total of seven weekday riders offered additional improvement suggestions. The only improvement suggestion mentioned by more than one rider was to improve driver courtesy. Other improvement suggestions included night service, cleaner buses, serve more places, and service to Wal-Mart. One rider commented that the high price of gas may help increase WATS ridership.

The chart below provides the results for Saturday service.

Table 5-18: Saturday Influencing Factors Influencing Factors Very Important Important Total Important Not Important More frequent service 49.1% 44.3% 93.4% 6.6% More information 39.6% 49.1% 88.7% 11.3% Better connections 49.6% 44.0% 93.6% 6.4% More weekend service 70.5% 23.2% 93.7% 6.3% More evening service 66.3% 27.3% 93.6% 6.4% Service to more places 74.1% 23.2% 97.3% 2.7% Lower fares 34.3% 42.2% 76.5% 23.5%

The Saturday riders also indicated that “service to more places” was the most important factor to influence more usage of bus service. In fact, 74.1 percent indicated that “service to more places” was very important. Similar to the weekday results, “lower fares” is listed as the least important influencing factor.

Only three riders on Saturday provided additional service improvement suggestions. The suggestions included improving driver courtesy, cleaner buses and weekend service during the summer.

Extent of Transit Dependency - The next series of questions related to the dependency of WATS riders on transit service. This series of questions helps to determine the level at which

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WATS ridership base is made up of discretionary (i.e., choice riders) or non-discretionary (i.e., captive) riders. A ridership base that is heavily transit dependent indicates that only certain population groups are using the service rather than a cross-section of the population in the service area.

The first of these questions asked riders to indicate whether or not they could have made their trip if transit services were not available. The chart on the following page shows that only 16.4 percent of the weekday riders and 21.4 percent of the Saturday riders indicated that they could have made the trip without WATS. A total of 50.3 percent of the weekday riders and 48.7 percent of the Saturday riders stated that they could not have made the trip without WATS. The remaining 33.3 percent weekday and 29.9 percent Saturday said that they could have made the trip without WATS service, but it would be inconvenient.

The last group and part of the middle group can be considered dependent or “captive” users. The results indicate that a high percentage of riders using WATS are “captive” riders.

Table 5-19: Able to Make Trip without WATS Service Able to Make Trip without Percent Weekday Percent Saturday WATS service Responding Responding Yes 16.4% 21.4% No 50.3% 48.7% Yes, but with inconvenience 33.3% 29.9% Total 100.0% 100.0%

The next question designed to further gauge the level of transit dependency among WATS riders asked whether or not the rider has a valid driver’s license. The chart below shows that 66.7 percent weekday and 79.5 percent Saturday riders of WATS riders do not have a valid driver’s license. This is consistent with the high percentage of “captive” riders noted in the above question.

Table 5-20: Drivers License Driver License Percent Weekday Responding Percent Saturday Responding Yes 23.0% 20.5% No 66.7% 79.5% Total 100.0% 100.0%

Riders were then asked if a car was available to them to make their trip. The following chart shows that approximately 81.3 percent of weekday users and 77.6 percent of Saturday WATS users did not have a car available to them to make their current trip. This confirms the response to the question which asked the riders if they could have made their trip without WATS service to which 50.3 percent of weekday riders and 48.7 percent of Saturday riders stated that they could not have made the current trip at all.

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Table 5-21: Car Available for Trip Car Available for Trip Percent Weekday Responding Percent Saturday Responding Yes 18.7% 22.4% No 81.3% 77.6% Total 100.0% 100.0%

The final question in the transit dependency area requested information regarding the number of automobiles owned by the rider’s household. As seen in the accompanying chart, 65.9 percent of the weekday user’s households and 64.1 percent of the Saturday user’s households have no more than one car. This is another indicator of the high level of transit dependency of both the weekday and Saturday WATS riders.

Table 5-22: Vehicles Owned by Household Vehicles Owned by Percent Weekday Percent Saturday Household Responding Responding None 40.1% 48.7% One 25.8% 15.4% Two 21.7% 22.2% Three or More 12.4% 13.7% Total 100.0% 100.0%

This series of questions consistently demonstrated that about 80 percent of the weekday riders and Saturday riders could be considered transit dependent in the traditional sense. The level of transit dependent ridership on weekdays and on Saturday is comparable with the levels of transit dependency found at other similar size transit systems for their entire service (i.e., weekday and weekend).

Socioeconomic/Demographic Measures - The final series of questions concerned the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the rider. This information allows for comparisons with the WATS ridership base to the population of City of Wausau as a whole.

The first of these questions asked the rider to identify their sex. According to the survey results, 65.7 percent of weekday and 56.5 percent of Saturday WATS users are female and 34.3 percent weekday and 43.5 percent Saturday are male. A decisive female majority is typical of the make up of the ridership base at transit systems.

The next question asked the rider to identify the age group in which they belong. The chart provides the breakdown of WATS weekday and Saturday riders compared to the results from the 2000 U.S. Census for Wausau residents. Weekday and Saturday ridership age group are similar with both reflecting relatively low over 65 ridership groups. The highest single weekday age group among WATS riders is the population under 18 years of age with 30.8 percent of the weekday riders. This is higher than the rate of that age group in the City overall where the population under 18 years of age comprises 25.0 percent of the population. The percentage of 30 to 44 year olds among WATS weekday riders is similar to the percentage of the overall City population made up by this group.

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It is surprising that the senior citizen population segment (65 years old and above) accounts for only 10.0 percent of the weekday riders. This group generally comprises a much larger segment of the typical transit ridership. In fact, the percentage of WATS riders in this age group is lower than the rate of the overall City population that senior citizens comprise. These results indicate that, on average, WATS ridership base is younger than the population of the City as a whole – 47.3 percent of the weekday riders are under 30 years old while 40.9 percent of the total population is in this age group.

Table 5-23: Age Group Age Group Weekday Percent Saturday Percent City of Wausau Overall Under 18 30.8% 29.1% 25.0% 18 to 29 16.5% 17.1% 15.9% 30 to 44 20.5% 13.6% 20.9% 45 to 64 22.2% 27.4% 20.9% 65 and Over 10.0% 12.8% 17.3% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

The high percentage of younger riders on the WATS system can be attributed to the fact that many students in the City of Wausau use WATS as their means of transportation to and from school.

Riders were then asked to note their total family income. The survey provided a series of income ranges and riders were asked to mark the appropriate box. Approximately 21 percent of the weekday survey respondents did not answer this question. For those that did respond, the chart below summarizes the results. The major finding was that 35.8 percent of the respondents have total annual family incomes of less than $10,000. This is over four times as high as the eight percent of the City of Wausau population overall which is comprised of households with similar annual family incomes. Further, the rider survey indicated that 11.0 percent of the riders have annual family incomes of $45,000 or more. This is approximately one-fourth the percentage of households with such incomes in the City overall. The only income range among riders which is similar to that in the City overall is the $20,000 to $29,999 range. These findings indicate that lower-income households make up a disproportionately larger percentage of the WATS ridership base than of the City population as a whole. This further demonstrates the strong transit dependency of WATS riders.

As shown in the chart below, the income levels for the Saturday survey are very similar to the weekday income levels.

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Table 5-24: Annual Family Income Range Annual Family Weekday Percent Saturday Percent City of Wausau Income Range Overall Under $10,000 35.8% 37.4% 8.0% $10,000 to $19,999 26.1% 22.2% 14.9% $20,000 to $29,999 16.4% 15.2% 16.5% $30,000 to $44,999 10.7% 13.1% 20.8% More than $45,000 11.0% 12.1% 39.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Where Do Riders Live – This question asked riders to indicate where they live. Not surprising, almost 95 percent of weekday riders and almost 86 percent of Saturday riders live within the City of Wausau, which is the primary service area for the WATS system. This response rate is consistent with the fact that a significant number of riders walk less than two blocks to access the WATS system.

Table 5-25: Location of Residence Location of Residence Weekday Percent Saturday Percent Wausau 94.6% 85.5% Schofield 1.4% 3.4% Rothschild 1.6% 6.8% Weston 1.1% 3.4% Stettin 0.3% 0.9% Other 1.0% 0.0% Total 100.0% 100.0%

WATS Improvements - The final question was an open-ended question that asked the rider to identify the single most important improvement that they would like to see WATS accomplish. A total of 294 comments were received representing approximately 59.6 percent of the 493 respondents. This is a significant high rate of response given the open-ended nature of the question and clearly indicates the areas of concern among riders. The chart below lists improvements that were identified by 10 or more people.

As the chart shows, evening service is listed most frequently (73 responses) as the most important improvement among riders. The next highest response related to more weekend service (70 responses). In addition, service to Cedar Creek (23 responses) and service to the Rib Mountain area (14 responses) were also cited by many riders as being important.

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Table 5-26: Most Important Improvement Most Important Improvement Number Evening service 73 More weekend service 70 Service to Cedar Creek 23 Service to Rib Mountain area 14 Cleaner buses 13 Service to Wal-Mart 10 Year around weekend service 10 Total 294

There are a few other points worth mentioning from these results. First, with the exception of the need for cleaner buses (13 responses), few riders complained about WATS services. On-time performance (five responses), service frequency (two responses), driver behavior (four responses), public information (three responses) and the transit center (one response) received few complaints or suggestions for improvement. In addition, the need for Sunday service (six responses) did not seem to be a major issue of concern for the riders. The suggestions provided by the riders are consistent with the service evaluation questions listed above. Based on those questions, WATS received overall favorable ratings for both its weekday and Saturday services.

Summary

Key findings from the rider survey include the fact that WATS ridership base is disproportionately female and is comprised of a significantly lower income level when compared to the population of the City of Wausau overall. Most walk to get to their bus or to complete their trip to their final destination. About 40 percent of WATS riders transfer from or to another bus to complete their trip. Also, while school and work are the dominant trip purposes for weekdays, WATS riders frequently use the system for many other trip purposes on Saturday. While many of the riders have been using the bus service for five years or more, there is a large group of new riders that have been riding for less than one year. The results of the survey also indicate an overall level of favorable satisfaction among riders with various attributes of WATS. Two of the seven service attribute categories rated by weekday riders attained a score below the threshold of a favorable response which is a combined total of excellent, very good and good ratings equal to or greater than 90 percent of all responses. The two categories were “interior cleanliness” (88.4%) and “places served” (83.2%). In terms of Saturday riders, three of the seven service attribute categories attained a score below the threshold of a favorable response. The three categories included “interior cleanliness” (88.8%), “driver courtesy” (88.9%), and “places served (83.6%). Ridership is made up by a large “captive” ridership group that comprise over three- quarters of the weekday and Saturday riders. Results from the survey show that 81.3 percent of the weekday riders and 77.6 percent of the Saturday riders did not have a car available to them during the bus trip in which they completed a survey on. Further, 40.1 percent of weekday riders and 48.7 percent of Saturday riders do not own an automobile. Riders also identified their highest service improvement priorities as evening service and more weekend service.

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Wausau West Industrial Park Survey

The City of Wausau Economic Development Coordinator conducted an employer survey of businesses in the Wausau West Industrial Park about their transit needs. The survey instrument was a mail-back form prepared by the consulting team. The survey form is presented in Figure 2. Only 18 of the 80 businesses in the park responded to the survey (22%), which shows a general lack of interest in transit service. Of the businesses that responded to the survey, smaller employers showed a lack of interest in bus service, while some of the larger employers -- Eastbay, Major Industries, Northern Valley Industries, and Northern Valley West -- feel that bus service to their facilities would be beneficial. Northern Valley Industries already contracts for bus service with WATS. Northern Valley West and Major Industries also stated that they may be willing to share some of the costs of providing WATS bus service.

Most of the companies who responded to the survey responded that transit service is not very important to them. Only three employers of the 80 (3.7%) stated that transit service to their location was either important or very important. The same three employers also stated that transit service is either important or very important to their current employees. Four employers (5%) stated that it is either likely or very likely that current employees would use transit service if provided. The same four employers stated that transit service would likely or very likely improve their ability to hire and retain workers. These four employers are the same employers that stated that transit service to their facility would be beneficial.

Thirteen employers responded to the question asking if transit service were provided when would it be needed. Of these thirteen companies, eight stated that service would only be needed to match shift changes. An additional four companies stated that service would be needed during shift changes with some additional midday trips provided. One company stated that service should be provided every hour, although this company did not state that they had a need for transit service. None of the companies stated that 30 minute service would be necessary. As many of the companies, especially the ones that stated that transit service would be beneficial, did provide shift start and end times, there is enough information to tailor service to those employers. Other important findings from the Wausau West Industrial Park questionnaire are provided below:

• Most employers provide free parking for all employees • Very few employers operate on Sundays • Only 3 employers stated that they would need service until midnight • Very few employers feel that a lack of transit service impacts their ability to hire and retain employees • A small number of employers did state that they see no benefit of transit service to their facility

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CHAPTER 6: SERVICE EVALUATION, ISSUES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction

Previous technical memoranda provided an overview of the environment in which Wausau Area Transit (WATS) operates, the service provided by WATS, and public outreach process. This chapter presents an analysis and evaluation of the WATS fixed routes, identifying the issues and strengths of each route. This chapter is divided into three parts -- performance evaluation, route diagnostics, and issues and opportunities. Two of the express routes, the X4 and X9, have similar operating characteristics to the regular routes and will be analyzed in this Tech Memo as regular weekday routes.

Performance Evaluation

Evaluating the WATS system against a set of service standards or goals is the first step in the evaluation process. The process allows one to deal with a variety of issues related to the quality and quantity of bus service. This section presents proposed service standards and lists WATS performance for each standard. This provides an initial guidance for the development of service strategies. It should be noted that viewing any system with regard to a set of standards or goals requires an understanding of local conditions as well as the trade-offs associated with providing service. In the Wausau Urbanized area, for example, WATS cannot meet the coverage standards because several key communities do not participate in the system, which by Wisconsin state law prohibits WATS from providing services to those communities. As another example, in some cases, it will be acceptable to be below the target; e.g., while it is desirable to provide 30 minute peak service on all routes, doing so on routes in less productive areas might mean not meeting the standards for fiscal condition. The analysis discusses these issues and the competing requirements of providing extensive coverage and frequent service while meeting the need to maintain cost effectiveness and stay within a limited budget. It will identify where standards should be met and where standards should be used as goals for WATS to use in planning future service changes.

Table 6-1 provides a summary of the standards/goals and the results for WATS, which are discussed below.

Service Coverage

This broad category covers standards for availability, frequency, span, and directness.

Availability - One of the key decisions in providing transit is determining where service should be provided and the spacing of bus routes. Figure 6-1 shows an overlay of the WATS fixed routes on a map showing jurisdictional boundaries, population densities, and trip generators.

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Table 6-1: Service Standards and WATS Result Category Standard WATS Result Service Coverage Availability • Residential areas • Key residential areas served within Wausau • Major activity centers • West Wausau Industrial Park not served • Public investment • Rib Mountain not served • Cedar Creek not served • Weston not served Frequency • 30 Minute peak • Route C does not meet peak standard • 60 Minute off-peak • Route X9 does not meet off-peak standard Span • 6 AM to 6 PM all routes • Local routes start service at 6:15 AM • 6 PM to 10 PM selected services • No evening service Directness • Maximum 30 percent of • WATS appears to meet standard passengers transfer Patron Convenience Speed • Average 15 MPH • System average of 13.8 MPH • Local routes average 14.7 MPH Loading • 25 percent standees for short • Meets Standard periods acceptable Bus Stop Spacing • 5 to 7 blocks per mile in core • Generally meets standard (every other block) • Fringe 4 to 5 per mile, as needed based on land uses Dependability • No missed trip • No missed trips observed • 95 percent on-time service (0 to 5 • All observed trips on-time minutes late) • No trips leaving early Road Call Ratio • 4,000 to 6,000 miles per road call • 26,500 miles exceeds standard Fiscal Condition Fare Structure • Qualitative criteria • Meets criteria Farebox Recovery • Significantly alter routes less than • Route I falls between 60 percent and 80 60 percent of average (14.4 percent of average on weekdays and percent average) Saturdays • Review and modify routes • Route X9 falls between 60 percent and 80 between 60 percent and 80 percent of average on weekdays percent of average • Route E falls below 60 percent of average on Saturdays Productivity • Significantly alter routes less than • Route I falls between 60 percent and 80 (Pass./Hr.) 60 percent of average (20.8 percent of average on weekdays and pass/hr average) Saturdays • Review and modify routes • Route X9 falls between 60 percent and 80 between 60 percent and 80 percent of average on weekdays percent of average • Route E falls below 60 percent of average on Saturdays Passenger Comfort Waiting Shelters • 25 or more boardings • Review Shopko stops on Routes C and G Bus Stop Signs • Denote WATS and route • Signs do not denote route Revenue Equipment • Clean and good condition • Meets Standard Public Information • Timetable, maps, advertising • Meets Standard

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Figure 6-1: WATS Regular Route Network (1/4 Mile Buffer)

The standard for WATS regarding the coverage of residential areas has two dimensions. First, WATS should provide service within 3/4 mile to all residents in at least 95 percent of the populated area within the existing WATS service area, based on participation in the system. Second, WATS should strive to incorporate other communities in the urbanized area, with a goal of bringing 80 percent of the urbanized area population within ¾ of a mile of WATS service as long as there are sufficient residential densities for providing fixed route service.

On this basis, WATS meets or exceeds the applicable route coverage standard for its current service area in regard to the residential (production) trip end component, but falls short for the urbanized area due to the non-participation of communities other than Wausau, Schofield, and Rothschild.

Routes are spaced well, with most having well defined territories, although there is some overlap and potential issues regarding the routes on the northwest side of Wausau (Route D, E, I, and G).

As the map shows, most of the City of Wausau is within ¼ mile of a bus route, which includes many of the residential areas, important destinations, and major employers. Most of the areas that are outside the coverage of the route network are located in the fringes of the city in areas that are just out of reach of the current route network. The main area within the City of Wausau that has no transit service is the Wausau West Industrial Park and its surrounding areas. It should

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be noted, however, that Route X9 only operates during peak periods, leaving areas in the eastern part of Wausau without coverage during middays.

Service is also provided into Rothschild and Schofield, both of which provide a local share of the operating subsidy for service. The elected officials of these two communities meet and discuss service needs and coverage for their communities with WATS and therefore, while there are gaps in the overall coverage to these communities, these gaps are not perceived to be an issue for either community, with the exception of service to Cedar Creek.

There are other non-participating communities, however, that have large employers and major destinations that are not served by WATS buses, specifically Weston and Rib Mountain. Among these destinations are some of the most attractive trip generators for transit (as seen in many other communities), most notably Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and other big box stores on Rib Mountain Drive, and Target and St. Claire’s Hospital in Weston

Finally, regarding public investment, to meet WisDOT requirements, the WATS service standards should state that service outside of the city limits can be provided only when the jurisdiction or institution(s) served provides the local share of the operating investment via a written agreement.

Frequency - For a city of Wausau’s size, the proposed headway/frequency is 30 minutes during peak periods, and 60 minutes during off-peak periods. Tripper services should be operated on an “as needed” basis. All routes, except Route C, exceed this standard, operating 30 minutes all day. Route C operates 60 minutes all day. The headways need to be examined in concert with the trip generation and potential of each route to balance ridership and resource utilization to achieve productivities and unit costs that are within acceptable bounds for the system. This means looking at routes that exceed the off-peak 60 minute headway standard with 30 minute frequencies in addition to reviewing peak frequencies.

Span - The duration of service needs to consider both need/demand and the availability of funds. The standard for WATS for regular route service should be 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (12 hours) on weekdays, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays. Trippers once again should be provided as needed.

During the weekdays, WATS meets the 12 hour span, although the first pulse is at 6:15 AM and service runs to 6:30 PM rather than 6 AM to 6 PM. This does not appear to present a problem for early morning work trips and may not require an adjustment. Saturday hours exceed the standard, with the last pulse at 5:30 PM.

Mid-sized cities are increasingly looking to restore evening hours, especially in light of access to work programs, and the growth of evening retail and service industry jobs. Thus, WATS should have a standard of selected evening service to 10:00 PM, and should base the decision to provide such service on transportation need, community support, and fiscal resources.

Directness - The identified standard for directness for this project is the percentage of transfers being made by bus riders. For a pulse system with radial routes, transferring is usually high, and

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a standard of 30 percent (transfer trips/revenue trips) is the maximum rate for transferring. WATS appears to meet the standard.

The pulse system is designed to allow the maximum number of people the opportunity to easily transfer between routes, and to allow a trip in the system to be made with not more than one transfer. This allows WATS to provide a simple and more frequent service than might be possible with a grid network, and makes efficient use of resources while providing excellent coverage.

While a percentage transfer rate was not calculated as part of the analyses for this project, the observed rate as well as the number of bus to bus transfers identified from the rider survey indicates that WATS operates within the standard.

A second measure of directness evaluates the number of one-way loops and the directness of the bus route in comparison to an auto trip. The more loops and jogs in a route, the less likely the route provides a direct, timely trip to the transfer center. Loops are generally used to spread service and increase coverage in areas where there are insufficient resources or demand potential for additional services. WATS has a few looped sections within its route network which spread coverage; the penalty paid by riders may be a short trip duration in one direction and a long trip in the other. These sections need to be examined with regard to their ridership productivity on a case by case basis, which is covered subsequently in this chapter, particularly for the loops on Routes J, H, and D.

Patron Convenience

This section looks at WATS’ performance in areas related to patron convenience. It includes a review of speed, loadings, bus stops, and service dependability including road call/breakdown frequency.

Speed - Based on work in other small cities, the average system speed should not exceed 15 miles per hour. Since routes operate in a range of environments, this standard can be broken down to set standards for routes operating in core areas, fringe areas, and between cities. The standards by these types of areas are 8 to 12 miles per hour in the core, 10 -18 miles in the fringe areas, and 20 -25 miles per hour for intercity services.

Based on NTD data, the average speed for all WATS routes is 13.8 mph, and 14.7 for the urban routes (excludes Route C), which meets the system standard. Individual routs vary and will be discussed below.

Loading - The service standard should be that every passenger gets a seat except for short periods of time associated with peak load periods (typically the end of school), during which time there should be no more than 25 percent standees for only a limited duration. Based on field observations and the on/off count program this standard is being met.

At the same time, while there is no minimum load factor, e.g. loads should not fall below a given number of riders, observations of the ridership by trip indicate that there are significant portions

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of the day when peak loads rarely exceed 10 passengers on a given route, which may be an indicator of an over-supply of service to these routes for selected time periods. Again, the route by route studies will look at these conditions in detail to determine which routes, if any, may require less service than is presently being provided.

Bus Stop Spacing - The spacing of stops should balance patron convenience and speed of operation. The core standard calls for a stop every other block; in fringe areas, stops can be as far apart as .2 to .25 miles (4 to 5 per mile), based on need. Field observations of all WATS routes indicate that the stop placements in Wausau meet the standard.

Dependability - Riders require dependable service, defined as service that arrives on time and gets them to their destination on time, particularly if they are going to work, to school, or to an appointment. The standard should be two-fold: 100.0 percent of all trips should be operated (e.g., no missed trips), and 95.0 percent of the trips should run on-time (e.g., not more than 5 minutes late). Finally, no trip should run ahead of schedule at any point along a route. During field observations, WATS operated on-time with no missed trips Fiscal Condition

These standards assess financial situation, the use of the WATS system, and the relationship of service used to the amount of service provided. While there are any number of possible criteria that van be used to define fiscal condition, many of which will be studied in detail in the route diagnostics, for the purpose of defining general standards and overall condition, three were selected: fare structure, farebox recovery, and productivity.

Fare Structure - The fare structure should meet qualitative considerations set by board policy. It should be simple to understand, offer convenience to the user, and generate reasonable revenues for the system.

With regard to equity issues, the fare policy offers a number of discounts based either upon age or disability, or upon the use of a variety of media. Free transfers are provided so that those needing to use two buses for a trip are not penalized. All routes are priced the same, using a $ 1.00 base fare.

Farebox Recovery - In 2003 WATS performance was slightly lower than the national peer group as reported in the peer group chapter, and slightly above the Wisconsin peer group average of 13.3 percent.

The standards for individual routes relate to the system average. Thus, for this plan routes achieving less than 60 percent of the system average, or 8.6 percent, should be studied and significantly altered; routes falling between 60 and 80 percent of the system average, or 8.6 percent and 11.5 percent, need to be carefully reviewed and possibly modified. On this basis, Route E falls below 60 percent on Saturdays, and Route I and X9 fall in the 60-80 percent range on weekdays.

Productivity - Similar to farebox recovery, this measure relates individual route performance to the overall performance of the system. Overall, WATS carried 20.8 passengers per vehicle hour

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during the survey period. In 2003 WATS performed well against its national peers, which averaged 21.27 passengers per hour, and exceeded the Wisconsin peers, which averaged 18.65 passengers per vehicle hour. As above, further examination needs to focus on the three routes that fall below the 80 percent threshold – Routes E, I, and X9, as well as for all routes in general.

Passenger Comfort

Passenger comfort standards pertain to the passenger environment that WATS provides. These standards examine the placement and condition of shelters and bus stop signs, the comfort and condition of the revenue equipment, and the quality of public information.

Waiting Shelters - The standard for waiting shelters for a system of this size is to place one at any location having 25 or more daily boardings, generally spread throughout the day (e.g., not 25 boardings for a single load and no boardings for the remaining part of the day). Under this standard, WATS has shelters in all appropriate locations except two --- at both the Shopko in Wausau and Rothschild.

Bus Stop Signs - WATS signs identify the WATS system but not the individual route serving the stop, which should be an element of the bus stop standard. The quality and condition of many of the signs could be updated and used more aggressively to market the system.

Revenue Equipment - The buses are well-maintained and clean and comfortable. The public image is very good, and we received no negative comments about the buses’ age or condition.

Public Information – The public “Bus Route Map & Schedule” is very easy to read and shows the relevant information including phone numbers, fares, and route information. The one issue with the route schedules is that having no intermediate time points along the route may make it difficult for people to judge when the bus will stop at intermediate stops.

Some of the stakeholders felt that WATS needs to be more aggressive with regards to its public outreach and marketing program, with more promotional materials or advertising. The existing transfer center was seen as a negative from the point of view of public image, while its replacement, now in the planning process, was seen as an opportunity to enhance the system image.

The name WATS, which connotes ownership by the City of Wausau, was seen as a drawback to the development of a truly regional system by some.

Summary

Overall, WATS meets most of the proposed standards as set in the opening of this section, and is well-managed and well-received in the community. There are issues to be addressed concerning coverage and participation in the system, and a few minor issues related to physical elements and the overall marketing program and system identity.

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Although the overall performance statistics are acceptable against the WATS peers, there is some concern at the route level, specifically pertaining to individual ridership levels, load factors, and productivity. These statistics are reviewed and analyzed in the next section on route diagnostics.

Route Diagnostics

Five important data factors were collected or calculated to create the database and calculations for the route diagnostics: average daily ridership, daily revenue hours, daily revenue miles, daily operating cost, and daily farebox revenue. Average daily ridership for regular routes was taken directly from the ridership counts taken between May 12 and May 16, 2005 for both weekday and Saturday. Revenue hour figures were taken from the scheduled driver hours sheets provided at the beginning of the study. Revenue miles were provided by WATS staff for both local and express routes. Daily operating cost was calculated by determining an average cost per hour based on 2004 operating cost and revenue hours4. Daily farebox revenue was calculated based on 2004 total operating revenue and total passengers,5 multiplied by average daily ridership. Table 6-2 presents the five factors used for the route diagnostics.

The table shows that the express routes, while for the most part operating only a few trips a day, represent a significant portion of the WATS operation. Express buses carry approximately 37 to 38 percent of weekday riders, while operating only about 25 percent of total revenue hours and 20 percent of revenue miles, and are thus responsible for about 22 percent of operating cost and almost 38 percent of farebox revenue.

The express bus network in not under review in this study, with the exception of the X4 and X9 services, which provide more service than the other seven routes are more closely linked to the local bus network. However, based solely on the numbers presented, it is clear that the express bus network is highly cost-effective and productive, and highly beneficial to the overall statistical profile of the WATS program.

By the same token, this means that the regular routes, benefiting as a whole statistically from the impact of the express buses, may operate at somewhat lower levels in relation to the overall system average, and that each route needs to be closely examined to account for this impact.

Service Effectiveness

Service effectiveness describes the amount utilization of service per unit of transit service provided. Service effectiveness is measured based on two indicators, passengers per mile and passengers per hour. While both passengers per mile and passengers per hour are presented, only passengers per hour is included in the route scoring and ranking presented at the end of the route diagnostics section to avoid duplication.

4 2004 total operating expense of $2,599,187.38, 2004 total revenue Hours of 38,385.75 hours, for an average cost per hour of $67.71 5 2004 total operating revenue of $348,655.00, 2004 total passengers totaled 746,239, for an average revenue per passenger of $0.47

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Table 6-2: Route Level Ridership, Operating Data, Cost, and Revenue Route Average Daily Daily Daily Daily Daily Revenue Revenue Operating Farebox Ridership Hours Miles Cost Revenue Weekday A 306 12.417 162.50 $840.78 $142.97 B 323 12.417 192.50 $840.78 $150.91 C 224 12.833 210.60 $868.95 $104.66 D 264 12.417 157.50 $840.78 $123.35 E 209 12.417 182.50 $840.78 $97.65 G 338 12.417 165.00 $840.78 $157.92 H 284 12.417 202.50 $840.78 $132.69 I 199 12.417 195.00 $840.78 $92.98 J 242 12.417 182.50 $840.78 $113.07 Regular Route Total 2,389 112.169 1,650.60 $7,595.22 $1,116.18 X1 241 5.334 41.59 $361.18 $112.60 X2 98 2.167 17.27 $146.73 $45.79 X3 215 3.500 39.92 $236.99 $100.45 X4 217 11.500 130.64 $778.69 $101.39 X5 111 2.083 30.06 $141.04 $51.86 X6 254 3.500 48.18 $236.99 $118.67 X7 141 2.250 19.76 $152.35 $65.88 X8 73 1.333 11.19 $90.26 $34.11 X9 91 6.000 80.40 $406.27 $45.52 Express Total 1,441 37.667 419.01 $2,550.52 $673.26 Weekday Total 3,830 149.836 2,069.61 $10,145.74 $1,789.44 Saturday A 80 8.917 117.00 $603.79 $37.38 B 73 8.917 138.60 $603.79 $34.11 C 68 8.917 145.80 $603.79 $31.77 D 40 4.458 56.70 $301.86 $18.69 E 22 4.458 65.70 $301.86 $10.28 G 166 8.917 118.80 $603.79 $77.56 H 87 8.917 145.80 $603.79 $40.65 I 52 8.917 140.40 $603.79 $24.30 J 108 8.917 131.40 $603.79 $50.46 Saturday Total 696 71.335 1,060.20 $4,830.26 $36.13

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Passenger per Mile – This passenger per mile figures and rankings are presented below on Table 6-3 for both weekdays and Saturdays. This indicator measures the number of passengers carried each day by each route versus the number of miles per day the route operates. This table shows that Route G carries the most people per mile of service provided. The route that carries the fewest passengers per mile during weekdays is Route I, picking up 1.02 passengers per mile. The route with the highest passengers per mile on Saturdays is also Route G, while Route E is has the lowest number of passengers per mile on Saturdays.

Table 6-3: Passengers per Mile Route Weekday Weekday Saturday Passengers Saturday Passengers per Mile Rank per Mile Rank G 2.05 1 1.40 1 A 1.88 2 0.68 4 B 1.68 3 0.53 6 D 1.68 4 0.71 2 X4 1.66 5 No Service H 1.40 6 0.60 5 J 1.33 7 0.82 3 E 1.15 8 0.33 9 X9 1.13 9 No Service C 1.06 10 0.47 7 I 1.02 11 0.37 8 Average 1.45 0.66

Routes E, X9, C, and I all require review based upon not meeting the 80 percent target, with particular attention to the level of ridership per mile on Saturdays.

The systemwide passenger per mile figure is 1.45 on weekdays and 0.66 on Saturdays, the latter figure indicating a cause for concern for the system. One significant factor affecting Saturday ridership levels is clearly the lack of service to Rib Mountain, Target/Weston, and Cedar Creek, trip generators which all generate significant use on weekends for shoppers as well as employees.

Passenger per Hour – The passengers per hour figures, which include rankings, is presented for both weekdays and Saturdays on Table 6-4. This indicator measures the number of passengers carried each day by each route versus the number of hours per day the route operates. This table shows that Route G has the highest passengers per hour on both weekdays and Saturdays. On weekdays the lowest performing route in terms of passengers per hour is the X9, while Route J is the lowest performer on Saturdays. The average passenger per hour on weekdays is 20.80, while the Saturday average is 9.45 passengers per hour, which at less than half of the weekday average requires further analysis.

Two routes, Route I and X9, fall between 60 percent and 80 percent of the system average on weekdays. Route I also falls between 60 percent and 80 percent of this standard on Saturdays while Route E falls below 60 percent of this standard on Saturdays. Each will be studied in more

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depth to determine what changes, if any, can improve performance. Note that the X9 service is jointly provided with the school district and has to be treated differently than the regular fixed routes.

Table 6-4: Passengers per Hour Route Weekday Passengers Weekday Saturday Passengers Saturday per Hour Rank per Hour Rank G 27.22 1 18.62 1 B 26.01 2 8.19 5 A 24.64 3 8.97 4 H 22.87 4 9.76 2 D 21.26 5 8.97 3 J 19.49 6 1.11 9 X4 18.87 7 No Service C 17.45 8 7.63 6 E 16.83 9 4.93 8 I 16.03 10 5.83 7 X9 15.17 11 No Service Average 20.80 9.45

The productivity of the regular routes on weekdays ranges from 16 to 27 passengers per hour. Because all but Route C operate with 30 minute headways, this means that the average loads are between 8 and 13.5 for these routes, an indication that there may be too much service offered during parts of the day on any or all of the routes. Saturday levels are even lower and need to be studied as well. These data also relate to the perception that there are always “empty buses” even though the overall productivity is generally solid on weekdays. Ultimately, there is a need to investigate each route by time of day along with data on key stops and generators along each to determine the best trade-off between service levels and resource utilization.

Financial Efficiency

Financial efficiency measures the cost of providing transit service per unit of service provided. Two indicators; cost per mile and cost per hour can be used to determine financial efficiency. Since the daily operating cost was determined using an average cost per hour figure for the system as a whole and not for each individual route, only the cost per mile indicator varies from route to route in this analysis and therefore is presented for the review of financial efficiency.

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Cost per Mile – Table 6-5 presents the cost per mile for each route and the route rankings for both weekdays and Saturdays. This indicator presents the total daily route cost per revenue of mile operated, and is an indicator of how well resources are being used to produce a unit of service. The WATS average cost per mile is $4.72 on weekdays and $4.63 on Saturdays. The nationwide per average for cost per mile is $4.14, a level at which only the Routes C on both weekdays and Saturday, and Route H on Saturday perform.

Table 6-5: Cost per Mile Route Weekday Cost per Weekday Saturday Cost per Saturday Mile Rank Mile Rank C $4.13 1 $4.14 1 H $4.15 2 $4.14 1 I $4.31 3 $4.30 3 B $4.37 4 $4.36 4 E $4.61 5 $4.59 5 J $4.61 5 $4.60 6 X9 $5.05 7 No Service G $5.10 8 $5.08 7 A $5.17 9 $5.16 8 D $5.34 10 $5.32 9 X4 $5.96 11 No Service Average $4.72 $4.63

The route with the highest cost per mile on weekdays is Route X4, while Route D is the route with the highest cost per mile on Saturdays. Because all routes but Route C operate on a uniform headway with the same number of hours of service, there is a direct correlation between average route length and cost per mile, with longer routes having a lower cost per mile than shorter routes.

The objective is to maximize the number of miles operated per hour without creating routes that are too long with consistently poor on-time performance. Each route will be reviewed with this perspective in mind as suggestions are made for small changes, realignments, or new routes.

Cost Effectiveness

Cost effectiveness measures the effectiveness of the system from a financial standpoint. The cost effectiveness indicators are cost per passenger, subsidy per passenger, and farebox recovery. The cost effectiveness indicators that are calculated for the route score and ranking at the end of the route diagnostics section are cost per passenger and farebox recovery.

Cost per Passenger – Table 6-6 presents the cost per passenger and ranking for each route on both weekdays and Saturdays. This indicator divides the route operating cost among all passengers that use the route. This table shows that the route with the lowest cost per passenger (e.g., the best performance) on both weekdays and Saturdays is Route G. Route X9 has the highest cost per passenger on weekdays, while Route E has the highest cost per passenger on

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Saturdays. The average cost per passenger is $3.26 on weekdays and $8.19 on Saturdays. The nationwide peer average cost per passenger is $3.46. The X9 has a cost per passenger that is between 60 percent and 80 percent of the peer average on weekdays. On Saturdays most routes have a cost per passenger that is over 60 percent of the peer average.

Table 6-6: Cost per Passenger Route Weekday Cost per Weekday Saturday Cost per Saturday Passenger Rank Passenger Rank G $2.49 1 $3.64 1 B $2.60 2 $8.27 6 A $2.75 3 $7.55 4 H $2.96 4 $6.94 3 D $3.18 5 $7.55 4 J $3.47 6 $5.59 2 X4 $3.59 7 No Service C $3.88 8 $8.88 7 E $4.02 9 $13.72 9 I $4.23 10 $11.61 8 X9 $4.46 11 No Service Average $3.26 $8.19

Once again, it is Routes C, E, I and X9 which need the most attention regarding this factor.

Farebox Recovery – The farebox recovery for each route is presented on Table 6-7 for both weekdays and Saturdays. Farebox recovery measures the percent of operating cost covered by fares, and is an outcome heavily influenced by the ridership productivity of a route against its total operating cost. It is calculated by dividing fare revenue, calculated by multiplying ridership by the WATS average fare, by operating cost.

Table 6-7 shows that Route G has the highest farebox recovery on both weekdays and Saturdays, which would be expected based on its rankings on productivity and operating cost. Route X9 has the lowest farebox recovery on weekdays, while Route E has the lowest farebox recovery on Saturdays. The average farebox recovery for WATS is 14.4 percent on weekdays and only 6.5 percent on Saturdays, again indicating concern regarding the provision of Saturday service. Two routes are between 60 percent and 80 percent of the service standard on weekdays for farebox recovery, Route I and X9. On Saturdays Route E is below 60 percent below the farebox recover standard, while Route I is between 60 percent and 80 percent of the standard.

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Table 6-7: Farebox Recovery Route Weekday Subsidy per Weekday Saturday Subsidy Saturday Passenger Rank per Passenger Rank G 18.8 percent 1 12.8 percent 1 B 17.9 percent 2 5.6 percent 6 A 17.0 percent 3 6.2 percent 4 H 15.8 percent 4 6.7 percent 3 D 14.7 percent 5 6.2 percent 4 J 13.4 percent 6 8.4 percent 2 X4 13.0 percent 7 No Service C 12.0 percent 8 5.3 percent 7 E 11.6 percent 9 3.4 percent 9 I 11.1 percent 10 4.0 percent 8 X9 10.5 percent 11 No Service Average 14.4 percent 6.5 percent

Route Ranking

The rankings of each of the routes for three indicators can be used to calculate a cumulative rank score for each route on both weekday and Saturdays. The three indicators include passenger per hour to rate service effectiveness, and cost per passenger and farebox recovery to rate cost effectiveness. Financial efficiency was not rated because the ratings of the routes in this category correlated directly to route length, which does not measure performance. Routes with a higher score are indicative of poorer performing routes which need to be addressed. Routes with a lower score better performing routes that may only require monitoring or minor adjustment in order to integrate better into the WATS network or serve new generators.

Weekday Route Ranking – Table 6-8 presents the weekday route rankings. All of the routes have the same ranking across all categories considered which would be expected given the preceding discussion but is not always the case in these studies. . Route G is the best performing route on weekdays while Route X9 ranks the lowest. Routes C, E, I, and X9 are the four poorest performers and need the most discussion and study. These lower ranking routes may require redesign, restructuring, or elimination, all of which will be considered.

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Table 6-8: Weekday Route Ranking Route Passengers Cost per Farebox Cumulative Rank per Hour Passenger Recovery Rank Score Rank Rank Rank G 1 113 1 B 2 226 2 A 3 339 3 H 4 4 4 12 4 D 5 5 5 15 5 J 6 6 6 18 6 X4 7 7 7 21 7 C 8 8 8 24 8 E 9 9 9 27 9 I 10 10 10 30 10 X9 11 11 11 33 11

Saturday Route Ranking – Table 6-9 presents the Saturday route rankings. As has been noted in earlier sections, the overall performance of WATS on Saturdays is not good and needs review. The overall productivity of less than 10 riders per hour is indicative of a need to address the levels of service provided and the need to focus attention on obtaining agreements to provide service to the unserved trip generators in surrounding communities.

Table 6-9: Saturday Route Ranking Route Passengers Cost per Farebox Cumulative Rank per Hour Passenger Recovery Rank Score Rank Rank Rank G 1 113 1 H 2 338 2 D 3 4 4 11 3 J 9 2 2 13 4 A 4 4 4 16 5 B 5 6 6 17 6 C 6 7 7 20 7 I 7 8 8 23 8 E 8 9 9 26 9

Within that context of change, the table shows that on Saturdays Route G and Route H are the best performing routes, and that Routes B, C, I and E. The poorest performer need the most attention, even as the entire Saturday program needs attention given its overall performance in relation to the standards and weekday ridership levels.

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Time of Day Analysis

An analysis of ridership by time of day is key to understanding some of the dimensions of the performance described above. Looking at the system as a whole and each route by time of day, essentially by each trip, provides details that help to understand productivity levels, cost per trip data, and other quantifiable results. Furthermore, looking at each route on a per trip basis provides a profile to study ridership levels in relation to operating headways, and ultimately allows one to determine is current levels of service are appropriate to the results.

On weekdays all routes provide 30 minute service except for Route C, which operates all day on 60 minute headways. On Saturdays Route D and E, are interlined, which results in 60 minute service for each route; Route C continues to operate on 60 minute headways.

Figure 6-2 shows the ridership trend throughout the day. The weekday time of day ridership profile of the regular route network shows a generally flat ridership pattern with the exception of two pulse times -- 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM – which correspond to school opening and closing times and carry significantly higher numbers of passengers. The first morning trip and last two trips of the day have significantly lower ridership, which is a common pattern with any transit system and does not necessarily require attention.

Figure 6-2: Wausau Area Transit System (WATS) Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

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The Saturday time of day ridership profile (Figure 6-3) is hump backed, with the peak ridership occurring in the late morning and early afternoon.

Figure 6-3: Wausau Area Transit System (WATS) Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

Route Issues and Opportunities

The following section provides an overview of the individual fixed routes that run all or most of the service day. This section includes data collected for each route from the route diagnostics section and the ridership counts taken for this project. This section compares the performance of each route to the standards identified in this chapter.

The routes are reviewed in alphabetical order and not by the rankings presented above.

Route A – Route A is a solid route, ranking third in the system on weekdays and fifth on Saturdays. It provides service to The North Central Health Care facilities campus, senior housing, and other key trip generators along Grand Avenue. This route has a 30 minute headway all day on weekdays and Saturdays. Table 6-10 presents the indicators and operating statistics for this route.

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Table 6-10: Route A Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 306 80 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 162.50 117.00 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $142.97 $37.38 Passengers per Mile 1.88 0.68 Passengers per Hour 24.64 8.97 Cost per Mile $5.17 $5.16 Cost per Passenger $2.75 $7.55 Subsidy per Passenger $2.28 $7.08 Farebox Recovery 17.0 percent 6.2 percent Cumulative Rank Score 9 16 Rank 3 5

Figure 6-4 presents the weekday time of day ridership profile for Route A, while the Saturday time of day profile for this route is presented on Figure 6-5. Peak period ridership is not much higher than midday ridership on this route. The round trip that carries the most passengers is the 2:00 PM trip which recorded 24 boardings during the survey period, followed by the 7:00 AM trip, which is likely related to student ridership. The first and last trips of the day are the trips with the lowest ridership. Average weekday loads per trip generally run between 10 and 15 passengers, and overall there are no long periods of low utilization. Route C takes some load off of Route A on Grand Avenue north of Kent Street, but not in significant numbers according to the Route C on/off profile.

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Figure 6-4: Route A Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-5: Route A Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

On Saturdays the ridership pattern is consistently low all day, with all trips ranging between 2 and 9 passengers per trip. About half of the roundtrips board less than 5 passengers through the entire roundtrip, which brings into question the need for 30 minute service on Saturdays. Route C covers the Grand Avenue section of Route A from Kent Street to downtown, so there may be opportunities to maintain at least some 30 minute service on the route if such a change is considered.

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As with all routes, most of the boarding and alighting activity on this route occurs at the Downtown Transit Center. Other stop locations that had significant (over 20 boardings or alightings on weekdays) boarding and alighting activity during the survey period include the intersection of Grand Avenue and Sturgeon Eddy, and the North Central Health Care facilities. There was activity along all segments of the route with many stops having modest levels of activity. In-bound activity on Grand was a bit lower than the outbound activity, likely due to the use of Route C along the corridor for inbound trips. Figure 6-6 presents the weekday ridership activity. Saturday boarding and alighting activity is presented on Figure 6-7, and it is noticeable that ridership activity drops off at the North Central Health Care stop.

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Figure 6-6: Route A Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-7: Route A Saturday On/Off Activity

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The average running time observed for this route is 27.7 minutes on weekdays and 24.2 minutes on Saturdays per roundtrip. The weekday running time is sufficient for the 30 minute schedule, while the Saturday time is very generous and needs to be reviewed in context with an overall look at the Saturday WATS network.

Overall, Route A has a well defined service area with some overlap on Grand Avenue with Route C, consistent ridership throughout the day on weekdays, activity spread throughout the route, and appropriate running times. On the other hand, ridership is poor on Saturdays while service is still provided every 30 minutes.

Route B – Route B is a very strong weekday route, but only a modest performer on Saturdays. Clearly, one reason for the difference is that this route serves provides service to Northcentral Technical College, a commuter campus, as well as to other public schools within Wausau. This route operates with a 30 minute headway all day on weekdays and Saturdays. Table 6-11 presents statistics and indicators for Route B.

Table 6-11: Route B Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 323 73 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 192.50 138.60 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $150.91 $34.11 Passengers per Mile 1.68 0.53 Passengers per Hour 26.01 8.19 Cost per Mile $4.37 $4.36 Cost per Passenger $2.60 $7.55 Subsidy per Passenger $2.14 $7.08 Farebox Recovery 17.9 percent 5.6 percent Cumulative Rank Score 6 17 Rank 2 6

Time of day ridership for Route B is presented on Figure 6-8 for weekdays and Figure 6-9 for Saturdays. Figure 6-8 shows steady ridership all day with a strong midday performance. Most trips carry in excess of 10 passengers, with 9 carrying at least 15 passengers. Only the first and last trips have very low ridership levels. On Saturdays ridership is very low and only had one strong trip (1:00 PM). Most trips carried fewer than 5 passengers. The influence of the Community College is evident in the numbers and in the difference in the weekday and Saturday on/off ridership patterns.

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Figure 6-8: Route B Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-9: Route B Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-10 shows the bus stops outside of downtown that have a good amount of boarding and alighting activity on weekdays are at North Central Technical College and at Campus and 10th

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Avenue. The area of this route that shows little boarding and alighting activity is along Randolph Street, Burek Avenue, portions of East Campus Drive, and areas of 3rd Avenue inbound along this route. On Saturdays, Route B sees sporadic boarding and alighting activity at most stops as shown on Figure 6-11.

Route B has an observed average roundtrip running time of 25.5 minutes on weekdays and 27.3 minutes on Saturdays. The roundtrip running time allows a small amount of room for improving route coverage, if needed. However, since running times through the college can be unpredictable, it may not be beneficial to increase service coverage by increasing the running time of this route.

Overall, Route B is a strong weekday route anchored by the Northcentral Technical College campus which performs poorly on Saturdays. The route has a loop using Randolph Street, Burek Avenue, and E. Campus Drive which is unproductive and only served outbound. Ridership northbound along 1st Avenue N and southbound along 3rd Avenue N is solid on weekdays and provides the only Saturday activity.

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Figure 6-10: Route B Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-11: Route B Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route C – Route C performance has mixed results. Table 6-12 presents the operating statistics and indicators for Route C. While not strong with regard to passengers per mile, the route does produce 17.45 passengers per hour, which, while ranking only 8th in the system, is solid with respect to the system average of 20.8. The discrepancy is because Route C operates at a higher speed than the others in the system – 16.4 miles per hour – as it links Wausau with the surrounding communities using principally major arterial roadways. The route connects Rothschild and Schofield to downtown Wausau, and services the Grand Avenue corridor and Business Highway 51, providing links to many significant generators.

Table 6-12: Route C Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 224 68 Daily Revenue Hours 12.833 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 210.60 145.8 Daily Operating Cost $868.95 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $104.66 $31.77 Passengers per Mile 1.06 0.47 Passengers per Hour 17.45 7.63 Cost per Mile $4.13 $4.14 Cost per Passenger $3.88 $8.88 Subsidy per Passenger $3.41 $8.41 Farebox Recovery 12.0 percent 5.3 percent Cumulative Rank Score 24 20 Rank 8 7

Another difference which influences ridership is that Route C is the only route that operates on 60 minute headways at all times, which keeps its resource utilization (number of hours and miles of service per day) within the same range as all other routes in the system, albeit at a lower level of service. Howe this influences ridership and operating cost and efficiency will be reviewed as options are developed and reviewed and discussed.

The time of day ridership profile for Route C is presented on Figure 6-12 for weekday ridership and on Figure 6-13 for Saturday ridership. The weekday ridership profile shows no morning or late afternoon peaking, but rather a route dominated by midday ridership between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. This is characteristic of a 60 minute headway, which limits peak AM and PM work and school trip opportunities, and instead functions best as a service for midday shopping, medical, recreational, and other non-work trips. In this respect Route C functions well, with peak on/offs recorded at Shopko and other commercial locations along the route, and consistent albeit modest pick ups and drop-offs along the entire route. On Saturdays, there are only 8 trips, three of which produced between 12 and 16 passengers, and 3 of which had fewer than 5 passengers. Saturday use is very limited, with Shopko and downtown Wausau being the major attractions. Route C productivity ranks 6th on Saturdays and is very similar to the productivity of Routes B, A, H, and D, which rank 2nd through 5th.

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Figure 6-12: Route C Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-13: Route C Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

The boarding and alighting activity by stop for this route are constant with no truly weak segments. Figure 6-14 presents the boarding and alighting profile for Route C on weekdays and shows that most stops do generate ridership, with the Shopko stop and the Transit Center as particularly busy stops. Ridership is weaker on Saturdays and concentrated at fewer stops than on weekdays, as shown on Figure 6-15.

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The observed average roundtrip on weekdays is 56.6 minutes and on Saturdays is 59.6 minutes. The weekday running time is ideal for providing adequate driver recovery time; the Saturday performance was tight during the survey period and needs to be discussed. Note that the route enters the Shopko Shopping Center in both directions.

Route C has both strengths and weaknesses. It provides a critical service along Grand Avenue in Wausau as well as the only linkage to Schofield and Rothschild. It links many residents to key shopping areas along the route, and provides two way service to the Riverview Towers East and Sturgeon Bluff apartments. The headways need to be reviewed and discussed, along with issues related to extensions to Cedar Creek, or new services to Weston. While tight, the running times seem acceptable. The future of this route is clearly tied to some of the major issues of this project, particularly the development of new services to Weston, Cedar Creek, and even Rib Mountain, which would significantly increase opportunities for bus riders throughout Wausau.

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Figure 6-14: Route C Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-15: Route C Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route D – Route D is a solid performer in the WATS system in terms of its operating statistics and indicators. This is shown below on Table 6-13, which shows that the route ranks fifth on weekdays and third on Saturdays. This route serves both Wausau West High School and Newman High School, while also providing service to a number of apartment complexes.

Table 6-13: Route D Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 264 40 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 4.458 Daily Revenue Miles 157.50 56.70 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $301.86 Daily Farebox Revenue $123.35 $18.69 Passengers per Mile 1.68 0.71 Passengers per Hour 21.26 8.97 Cost per Mile $5.34 $5.32 Cost per Passenger $3.18 $7.55 Subsidy per Passenger $2.72 $7.08 Farebox Recovery 14.7 percent 6.2 percent Cumulative Rank Score 15 11 Rank 5 3

Route D ridership is highly peaked on weekdays, with major spikes between 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Given the early afternoon peak generally associated with school hours, and low ridership from 3:30 PM onward, it is clear that these two peaks are school-related and not work-related, further evidenced by the on/off profile to be discussed below. The passenger loads during the peaks exceed 15 passengers per trip, while the loads at all other times are below 10 passengers per trip, indicating an opportunity to review the off-peak headways.

Route D is interlined with Route E on Saturdays and has 60 minute service, a recommendation from the last TDP that was implemented due to low ridership. The nine Saturday trips carry 40 passengers and produce 8.97 passengers per our, but there are never more than 9 riders on any given trip, and often fewer than five. Saturday service once again needs to be reviewed in light of this performance.

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Figure 6-16: Route D Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-17: Route D Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

Outside the downtown stop, the stop that has the highest boarding and alighting activity on weekdays is Wausau West High School. There is a weak ridership segment on this route on

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weekdays along 6th Street and Stevens/Randolph Street that needs to be reviewed. Figure 6-19 presents the boarding/alighting profile for this route on Saturdays. The Saturday profile shows that the strong segment of this route is along Strowbridge Street, with very little activity occurring on other segments; again, this profile is based on only 40 boardings.

The observed average roundtrip travel time for this route is 27.9 minutes on weekdays and although reported as 30 minutes on Saturdays was more likely also 28 minutes with 2 minutes of recovery. These times are tight and will be reviewed with WATS staff.

Overall, Route D is a particularly good weekday route because it provides service to two high schools as well as apartment complexes along Merrill Avenue and Strowbridge Drive. Saturday ridership is very low but the adjustment to 60 minute headways keeps the average hourly productivity reasonable, though the actual loads for each trip are also very low. Route D runs parallel to Route B and is crossed by Route E on Bridge Street, which somewhat diminishes the impact of Newman High School on the route. There is a major loop above Wausau Avenue that needs to be explored further, as it appears to be generating little ridership.

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Figure 6-18: Route D Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-19: Route D Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route E – Route E performance has declined over time as the Wausau Insurance Companies has been reduced in size, even as the hospitals are expanding. On both weekdays and Saturdays it ranks ninth in the WATS system, which is surprising as routes that serve major hospitals are generally among the best performers in a system. Daily operating statistics and indicators are presented on Table 6-14.

Table 6-14: Route E Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 209 22 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 4.458 Daily Revenue Miles 182.50 65.70 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $301.86 Daily Farebox Revenue $97.65 $10.28 Passengers per Mile 1.15 0.33 Passengers per Hour 16.83 4.93 Cost per Mile $4.61 $4.59 Cost per Passenger $4.02 $13.72 Subsidy per Passenger $3.56 $13.25 Farebox Recovery 11.6 percent 3.4 percent Cumulative Rank Score 27 26 Rank 9 9

Time of day ridership trends for Route E is shown on Figure 6-20 for weekdays and Figure 6-21 for Saturdays. Figure 6-20 shows one AM ridership spike at 6:30 AM and some modest afternoon peaks between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM. From 7:00 AM through the 2:30 PM trip loads never exceeded 10 passengers, indicating that further study is needed regarding the 30 minute off-peak headways. Route E is interlined on Saturdays with Route D and operates hourly, providing 7 trips. Figure 6-21 shows that none of the round trips for this route have more than 7 passengers, with most providing zero to three passenger trips. The need for Saturday service clearly will be discussed in light of this poor performance.

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Figure 6-20: Route E Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-21: Route E Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

The strong segments of this route are along 3rd Street and the stops serving the hospitals. Most of the Bridge Street segment shows very low ridership. Figure 6-22 shows the weekday stop

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activity which shows little activity at the stops along Bridge Street; it appears that people board and alight either downtown or along 3rd Street to ride to and from the hospitals complex. Figure 6-23 presents the Saturday profile which shows almost no activity along Bridge Street, nor at the hospitals.

Route E runs every 30 minutes all day on weekdays and every 60 minutes on Saturdays. The observed average roundtrip running time for this route was 27.9 minutes on weekdays and 30.0 minutes on Saturdays, it is likely that the Saturday observed running time includes recovery. The schedule is tight but appears manageable and will be discussed with WATS staff.

Route E is going to be greatly affected by the reconstruction of the Highway 51 and Highway 29 interchange, and the running times and routing will likely consistently change during the construction period. However, that aside, the route’s performance with regard to ridership generation is very poor, with little or no activity except at the hostpitals complex and east of the Wisconsin River on North 3rd Street. The need for Saturday service is not clear given the activity observed during the survey period.

Routes B, D, and E have to be reviewed together as options and developed and discussed, as they all serve the northwest part of the city and have various strengths and weaknesses which are best looked at together.

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Figure 6-22: Route E Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-23: Route E Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route G – Route G is the strongest WATS route. This route serves major shopping destinations within the City, both downtown and along Stewart Avenue, where the route terminates at Shopko. Furthermore, it is a compact route that also serves a corridor along West Sherman Street, Werle Avenue, and 3rd Avenue South. Table 6-15 presents the route statistics and indicators for Route G.

Table 6-15: Route G Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 338 166 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 165.00 118.80 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $157.92 $77.56 Passengers per Mile 2.05 1.40 Passengers per Hour 27.22 18.62 Cost per Mile $5.10 $5.08 Cost per Passenger $2.49 $3.64 Subsidy per Passenger $2.02 $3.17 Farebox Recovery 18.8 percent 12.8 percent Cumulative Rank Score 3 3 Rank 1 1

Ridership along this route is strong all day with no clear peak. Figure 6-24 presents the weekday ridership by roundtrip time, which shows a spike at 7:00 AM which has been observed on most other routes and is related to school trips. There are some light midday loads between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM, as well as after the 5:00 PM trip. With five loads of over 20 passengers and 4 more at or above 15, this route appears to generate sufficient ridership for its 30 minute all day headways.

Figure 6-25 presents the Saturday ridership by time of day, which shows that ridership is generally strong all day, although the loads only exceed 15 twice during the day, which would suggest a review of the headways in concert with the overall analyses for the entire network.

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Figure 6-24: Route G Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-25: Route G Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

The bus stop activity charts (Figures 6-26 and 6-27) show that the majority of activity outside the transit center occurs at Shopko, with a strong on/off profile generated along all but 17th Avenue. This trend holds for both weekdays and Saturdays, with a more scattered profile on Saturdays

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The 17th Avenue segment between Sherman Street and Stewart Avenue basically provides the best connection between the shopping areas and neighborhoods along West Sherman Street and does not suggest the need to redesign the route.

This route provides all day 30 minute service on both weekdays and Saturdays. The observed average running time for this route was 27.5 minutes on weekdays and 25.4 minutes on Saturdays, sufficient for ensuring enough driver recovery time.

• Overall, Route G is a strong route with sufficient running time, strong trip generators, and a strong residential base. The only issue to review is the 30 minute Saturday headway in light of per trip loads.

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Figure 6-26: Route G Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-27: Route G Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route H – Route H is another good route, ranking fourth on weekdays and second on Saturdays. This is the second longest of all the routes, serving the northeast neighborhoods of Wausau with strong weekday anchors including Horace Mann Middle School, Franklin Elementary School, Saint Michael’s School, and Riverview Elementary School. Table 6-16 presents the operating statistics and indicators for Route H.

Table 6-16: Route H Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 284 87 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 202.50 145.80 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $132.69 $40.65 Passengers per Mile 1.40 0.60 Passengers per Hour 22.87 9.76 Cost per Mile $4.15 $4.14 Cost per Passenger $2.96 $6.94 Subsidy per Passenger $2.49 6.47 Farebox Recovery 15.8 percent 6.7 percent Cumulative Rank Score 12 8 Rank 4 2

Figure 6-28 presents the time of day ridership profile on weekdays. Route H has a slight weekday AM peak for the 7:00 AM trip, and a noticeable PM weekday peak from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM., with the 3:00 PM trip having a load of 35 passengers. Outside of the peaks, the ridership is low, with no trips exceeding 10 passengers and many with ridership below 5 passengers, indicating a need to review the route’s headways. Figure 6-29 presents the Saturday time of day ridership profile, which is scattered, but largely concentrated between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The loads again are low indicating a need to assess the headways on the route.

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Figure 6-28: Route H Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-29: Route H Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

The weekday bus stop boarding and alighting profile in Figure 6-30 shows that most bus stops do have some modest boarding alighting activity, with the highest activity levels occurring at the transit center and at Horace Mann Middle School. The Saturday boarding and alighting profile,

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shown on Figure 6-31, shows that there is solid boarding and alighting activity south of Brown Street, and almost no activity north of Brown Street, indicating a need to assess the route’s Saturday pattern.

Route H provides 30 minute service throughout the service day on both weekdays and Saturdays. On weekdays the observed average roundtrip travel time for this route is 29.2 minutes which does not allow very much recovery time. On Saturdays the average observed roundtrip travel time is 29.1 minutes which again leaves very little recovery time. These data will be; discussed with WATS staff. .

Overall, Route H performs well during the week, relying on student ridership generated all along the route. On Saturdays, the route does comparatively well within the WATS network of routes, but like all other Saturday routes has low loads per trip and significant non-performing segments above Brown Street. The weekday peak ridership is driven by students, which in turn compensates for the low midday loads during the weekday, suggesting a review of the current headways.

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Figure 6-30: Route H Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-31: Route H Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route I – Route I has among the lowest levels of weekday and Saturday ridership in the system and ranks tenth on weekdays and eighth on Saturdays (Table 6-17). This route serves the Stewart Avenue corridor to 32nd Avenue South, turning north to serve a number of medical clinics along Westhill Drive and returning via 28th Avenue. This route provides service to a number of schools including Newman Middle School, John Muir Middle School, University of Wisconsin- Marathon County, and Trinity Elementary School.

Table 6-17: Route I Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 199 52 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 195.00 140.40 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $92.98 $24.30 Passengers per Mile 1.02 0.37 Passengers per Hour 16.03 5.83 Cost per Mile $4.31 $4.30 Cost per Passenger $4.23 $11.61 Subsidy per Passenger $3.76 $11.14 Farebox Recovery 11.1 percent 4.0 percent Cumulative Rank Score 30 23 Rank 10 8

Despite the number of potential generators along the route, the route only carried 199 passengers when surveyed for the on/off counts. Time of day ridership for this route is presented on Figure 6-32 for weekday ridership and Figure 6-33 for Saturday ridership. Figure 6-32 has a very scattered pattern of activity with four active trips with over 15 passengers, and the rest with very scattered activity. Students clearly drive at least two of the peak trips at 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM as they do on many other routes. On Saturdays all but one roundtrip carried 5 or fewer passengers during the survey period.

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Figure 6-32: Route I Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-33: Route I Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

The bus stop activity figures show that most of the ridership activity is concentrated at a few stops. Figure 6-34 shows that on weekdays most of the boarding and alighting activity occurs at the transit center, Stewart and 12th Avenue, and Newman Middle School. Figure 6-35 shows the

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Saturday boarding and alighting activity which shows that the most active locations are at the transit center and at Stewart Square.

This route provides 30 minute service all day on both weekdays and Saturdays. The average observed roundtrip running time for this route on weekdays is 28.8 minutes and 24.9 on Saturday, which provides for a tight recovery weekdays and ample recovery Saturdays.

Overall, Route I has few strengths and needs to be reassessed in concert with the assessment of all services to the Westside from Stewart Avenue north. West Stewart Avenue is a busy, divided highway along much of the route, which limits the route’s ability to adequately service the trip generators located along it in the manner that Route G can by circulating through the shopping area. The clinics and other facilities on Westhill Drive are important and expanding, but even there ridership levels are low, much as they are to the hospitals complex.

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Figure 6-34: Route I Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-35: Route I Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route J – Route J’s performance ranks it in the middle of all WATS routes, sixth on weekdays and fourth on Saturdays. This route serves relatively dense residential areas in the southeast area of Wausau, and dos not have any commercial anchors or major schools along its route. It does provide service to two smaller schools; G.D. Jones Elementary School, and Our Savior’s School. Table 6-18 presents the daily operating statistics and indicators for Route J.

Table 6-18: Route J Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 242 108 Daily Revenue Hours 12.417 8.917 Daily Revenue Miles 182.50 131.40 Daily Operating Cost $840.78 $603.79 Daily Farebox Revenue $113.07 $50.46 Passengers per Mile 1.33 0.82 Passengers per Hour 19.49 12.11 Cost per Mile $4.61 $4.60 Cost per Passenger $3.47 $5.59 Subsidy per Passenger $3.01 $5.12 Farebox Recovery 13.4 percent 8.4 percent Cumulative Rank Score 18 13 Rank 6 4

The weekday time of day figure (Figure 6-36) shows that this route carries a consistent number of passengers all day, with only one load above 15 passengers, four above 10 passengers, and the bulk carrying about 4-6 passengers. These loads suggest a headway review. On Saturdays (Figure 6-37), the roundtrip that carries the most passengers is at 1:00 PM, but it carries only 11 passengers. Figure 6-37 shows that on Saturdays the peak period is during the midday between 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM.

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Figure 6-36: Route J Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Figure 6-37: Route J Saturday Ridership by Time of Day

With no key generators along the route, the only major on/off location is the Downtown Transit Center (Figure 6-38). Otherwise, the route has steady ridership throughout the residential neighborhoods it serves, with modest ons and offs and almost every stop. Figure 6-39 shows that the Saturday pattern is the same but at lower levels.

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Route J has a 30 minute headway all day on weekdays and Saturdays, with the average observed roundtrip travel time was 29.7 minutes on weekdays and 27.3 minutes on Saturdays. This does not allow much time for route recovery and driver layovers either on weekdays or Saturdays, which will be discussed with WATS staff.

Route J is a solid neighborhood route with steady if unspectacular ridership throughout. It connects the neighborhoods it serves to the rest of the community through downtown, which means that is does not provide direct service to the shopping area on the west side nor the hospitals, West High or Newman High. The route, with modifications, would likely provide the link between downtown and Rib Mountain Drive if the Town of Rib Mountain was to join the system, which would significantly change its character and performance. The large loop – outbound on West Thomas and inbound on Imm Street and West Chellis – does not appear to be a problem to residents served by the route. The headways need to be reviewed as apart of the overall system review.

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Figure 6-38: Route J Weekday On/Off Activity

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Figure 6-39: Route J Saturday On/Off Activity

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Route X4 – Route X4 is ranked seventh of all WATS routes on weekdays. Service along this route is not provided on Saturdays. This route is primarily a shuttle between the transit center and Wausau East High School and was developed in concert with the School District. Table 6-19 presents the route statistics and indicators for Route X4.

Table 6-19: Route X4 Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 217 No Service Daily Revenue Hours 11.500 No Service Daily Revenue Miles 130.64 No Service Daily Operating Cost $778.69 No Service Daily Farebox Revenue $101.39 No Service Passengers per Mile 1.66 No Service Passengers per Hour 18.87 No Service Cost per Mile $5.96 No Service Cost per Passenger $3.59 No Service Subsidy per Passenger $3.12 No Service Farebox Recovery 13.0 percent No Service Cumulative Rank Score 21 No Service Rank 7 No Service

Ridership counts by trip and location were taken during the midday trips for this route as a means of assessing its overall utility to the community outside of school arrival and dismissal times. The time of day ridership for the surveyed trips is presented on Figure 6-40. It shows that the off-peak ridership count was 56 passengers, or about 25 percent of the total ridership for the day of 217 passengers.

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Figure 6-40: Route X4 Weekday Ridership by Time of Day

Most of the off-peak boarding and alighting activities occurred at Wausau East High School and the transit center. This is shown on Figure 6-41. A few of the intermediate stops had small boarding or alighting activities.

Route X4 provides 30 minute service on weekdays only, and operates only when schools are open. The average observed roundtrip running time for this route was 23.8 minutes. This allows for plenty of time for driver layover and route recovery.

Route X4 was developed to meet the needs of the new Wausau East High School when it opened because of the site’s location well east of the nearest WATS route. It is a cooperative service arranged by WATS and the Board of Education, and provides not only service to the school but also to residents living along East Wausau Avenue who are also at a distance to Route H. The service is well-designed to meet its primary purpose, but its limited span and days of operation reduce its utility to the neighborhoods it serves. Given its current level of use, however, the potential exists to create new full-service linkages in concert with Route H to the northeast side. In doing so, duplications on the near northeast side from the transfer center to East Wausau Avenue could also be studied and possibly reduced.

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Figure 6-41: Route X4 Weekday On/Off Activity

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Route X9 – Route X9 is a peak only replacement service for the old Route F, which was dropped based on the recommendations of the last TDP. As a peak hour service, the X9 was designed to maintain the key connections from the neighborhoods along 10th Street particularly for school trips. The revised service was developed with the School District. Route X9 was not a part of the on/off count program; the overall ridership data was collected from WATS, and shows that the route ranks poorly against the other routes in the system. The service is tailored to the needs described above and only operates between 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM, and 2:30 PM and 6:30 PM. This route provides service to Saint Michael’s School and Terrace Heights Apartments. Table 6-20 presents the daily service statistics and indicators for this route.

Table 6-20: Route X9 Indicators Factor/Indicator Weekday Saturday Average Daily Ridership 91 No Service Daily Revenue Hours 6.000 No Service Daily Revenue Miles 80.40 No Service Daily Operating Cost $406.27 No Service Daily Farebox Revenue $42.52 No Service Passengers per Mile 1.13 No Service Passengers per Hour 15.17 No Service Cost per Mile $5.05 No Service Cost per Passenger $4.46 No Service Subsidy per Passenger $4.00 No Service Farebox Recovery 10.5 percent No Service Cumulative Rank Score 33 No Service Rank 11 No Service

• Route X9 carried 91 passengers during the operating day, an average of about 15 passengers per hour for the 6 hours of service provided, which is reasonable. The route replaced a previously poor performing all day and Saturday route, so by comparison it is achieving WATS’ and the School District’s objectives at a more affordable cost. The coverage to the area is reduced to only those hours and days when school is in session, but the previous study found that when there was a full-time service it was not used so this does not appear to be an issue.

Issues and Opportunities

This chapter is the third to analyze and discuss issues regarding WATS service and the community, the other two being the memoranda on peers and trends and on public outreach. Three broad themes have emerged which frame the issues, opportunities, and subsequently the development of alternatives and the five year plan:

• The overall quality of the WATS program is excellent, and where service is provided it is done professionally with a high regard for the customer.

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• WATS service has not changed appreciably in the past five years due to a combination of financial constraints and an inability to serve the growth occurring in non-participating communities, which has significantly impacted ridership, productivity, and other service indicators.

• WATS service needs to expand in order for the system to move forward and fully serve the needs of the urbanized area. Without expansion, the system will likely have to reduce service levels to bring them in line with observed and anticipated ridership.

The topic of expansion and the development of a truly regional WATS program dominated the stakeholder discussions, was evidenced by the on-board survey responses, and was voiced by the majority of those with whom we spoke at drop-in sessions. As previously stated in Chapter 4:

WATS should be a regional system, serving the most densely populated parts of the region as it is today and will be over the next five years – Wausau, Weston, Schofield, Rothschild, and Rib Mountain – with the potential to expand to Stettin, Kronenwetter, and Mosinee when and if those locations reach appropriate densities for service.

Furthermore, it was recognized that this was an objective of the 1999 TDP, and of the recommendations of that plan to expand serve to Weston and Rib Mountain, and to expand service in Rothschild to Cedar Creek.

The majority of the stakeholders and riders, speaking on behalf of the community, have positive feelings concerning the services that WATS currently provides, the professionalism with which the services are delivered, and the need to maintain a bus system as a part of the urban infrastructure. This professionalism is reflected in WATS staff’s ability to maintain reasonable performance levels during the succeeding five-year period even as public resources were reduced, fares raised, and services adjusted without implementation of any of the expansion recommendations called for in 1999.

Given this context, the identification of issues related to service levels and individual routes in this chapter have to be considered with a backdrop of two scenarios, one with and one without service expansion to Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain. And finally, this plan needs to address why WATS service has not expanded its service area since these recommendations were made in 1999, and how it can do so as an outcome of this plan.

Therefore, the first and most significant issue/opportunity, along with its corollary opportunities, is as follows:

• The City of Wausau needs to work with its neighbors to develop and implement new services to Weston, Cedar Creek, and Rib Mountain Drive, integrating these services into the current route network. Specific routes, schedules, and forecasted operating costs and subsidies need to be well-defined and developed in a partnership with these communities. The inclusion of any or all of these locations will have an immediate and dramatic impact upon each of the issues identified in this current chapter relating to headways, load factors, productivity, and other service adjustments.

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• In conjunction with the above, the system identity needs to be changed to reflect WATS’ identity as a regional transit system, and a marketing and program needs to be developed to reflect the new image and services to the community.

• An expanded WATS program should also consider the need for evening services to first and foremost provide employment opportunities, but also to provide evening access for shopping and other recreational uses.

• The entire WATS network would be reexamined and revised in light of an expansion, but it is expected that expansion would only have positive impacts on ridership even on the least productive routes. As an example, Route C headways would likely be reviewed and improved, and Route J service revised to serve Rib Mountain, with both routes expected to be big “winners” in an expanded WATS program.

Expansion is clearly the key to an exciting future for WATS and the Wausau urbanized area. However, in the absence of expansion, there are some very basic issues which need to be addressed:

• The WATS ridership base, which is currently heavily based upon school aged riders, who make up 31 percent of the regular route users and nearly 100 percent of the express bus users, has to be expanded in order for WATS to remain stable and/or grow even modestly in the next five years. Providing expanded service is clearly the best option, but others include revisiting services to the hospital, along Stewart Avenue, to the Technical College, and other major generators in the existing service area.

• WATS needs to improve its ridership productivity and trip loads, by either serving new markets or by trimming headways appropriately, be they peak, off-peak, or Saturdays. At present, there are many routes with all-day 30 minute headways that do not appear to require that much service.

• Similarly, the entire Saturday service needs to be reviewed and discussed, as ridership levels and productivity on most of the routes are not up to reasonable standards, service is provided every 30 minutes on most routes, and passenger loads are very low

• Flexible services -- route deviation, flex routes, demand response services -- may be an option for lower density neighborhoods and/or for areas where current fixed route ridership is very low. These type of services travel off route (or do not have a route) and are provided within a specified area to pick up or drop off passengers upon request. Ideally smaller vehicles would operate on route deviated services and the capital program of WATS will be reviewed in conjunction with any such options.

• The survey of the West Wausau Industrial Park (TM # 5) indicates that there is no interest in bus service among all but a handful of the 80 employers contacted – only 18 of 80 employers responded to the survey sponsored by the City of Wausau, and of the 18 only 4 indicated even a mild interest. Only one respondent, Eastbay, appears to a viable

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candidate for bus service, which would therefore mitigate against a regular route to the park and instead suggest discussions to develop a tripper service.

• Service to the northwest areas of Wausau, as provided by Routes E, I, and J, and to a lesser extent Route B, which is more productive, has to be reviewed due to low ridership levels and poor performance statistics.

• All other details discussed on a route by route basis concerning segment analyses, headways, directness, et al need to be reviewed and discussed.

In conclusion, the WATS system is stalled at the same crossroads as it was in 1999, with two alternative futures. Without expansion into surrounding communities, it is likely that the system will need to be trimmed to bring service levels in line with ridership, and that going forward ridership levels will likely remain generally flat. Under such a scenario, WATS will not only not grow but will likely continue to slowly shrink, eventually providing services only to students and those who have no other means of transportation.

With an expansion program, WATS has a dynamic future. Ridership levels would immediately increase on all routes and in all locations served by WATS, most current headways could be maintained, and evening service would become a real possibility in the latter years of the program. With opportunities to reach all of the area’s key commercial centers, hospitals, and schools, the ridership base would grow beyond its student and transit dependent base. Finally, with a new identity, WATS would be perceived as a regional system and significant contributor to the economic growth of the community.

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CHAPTER 7: RECOMMENDED FIVE YEAR SERVICE PLAN

This chapter describes the elements of the recommended five year program for the Wausau Area Transit System Transit Development Plan. The chapter begins with the service plan, which describes a set of operating recommendations phased in over the five year period of the TDP, and is subsequently supported by vehicles, a financial plan, and ancillary recommendations in support of the service recommendations.

The service plan presented in this chapter was created through working sessions between the WATS staff. It was reviewed in draft form by the transit commission in early 2006 and, with one small operating modification to Route K on Saturdays, was accepted as the five year blueprint. The timing of some of the actions is phased somewhat differently than was presented at that time, given circumstances at WATS during the Spring which will delay some of the actions into the Fall or even to the start of 2007. The timetable reflects these shifts, calling for modest changes in Year 1 (2006) with the implementation of the bulk of the route changes beginning in 2007.

Service Plan

The service plan, which forms the core of the program, describes route and service recommendations, including:

• Modifications to Existing WATS Routes • Implementation of New Routes • Schedule Changes • Headway Adjustments • Operating Days • Operating Hours • Fare Policy

The recommendations grow out of the analyses conducted in the earlier phases of the project, and the route studies and issues and opportunities discussions specifically contained in Chapter 6. As a result, they considered all of the inputs to the project provided through the outreach process, community and demographic analysis, operating and financial statistics, and staff input.

The service plan recommendations in each of the categories were developed for phased implementation over a five year period, 2006 – 2010, and are summarized in Table 7-1. A description of these service changes by year follows.

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Table 7-1: Five Year Service Plan Recommendations

Service Plan: Year 1 (2006)

The recommendations for Year 1 include two service changes and one marketing change. Two of these changes have been or are in the process of being implemented already. The new Route K in Weston was implemented in January 2006, and the system name is being changed to MetroRide to reflect its expanding services and role in the metropolitan area.

• Route K Weston (Figure 7-1) – The Weston service, designated as Route K, began operation on January 3, 2006 after several years of planning and discussion. The route is designed as a one way circulator, operating every 30 minutes beginning and ending at the Shopko Plaza on Business 51. Route K provides connections to Route C, which operates on a 60 minute schedule, once every hour. From Shopko Plaza, the route travels clockwise through Weston, serving key destinations including the Aspirus Weston Clinic, Marshfield Clinic, and St. Clare’s Hospital; the D.C. Everest Junior and Senior High Schools; and the businesses along Schofield Avenue including Target, Goodwill, and Mega Pick’n Save. Route K will be integrated with Route C on Saturdays, which will offer a direct connection to downtown Wausau.

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Figure 7-1: Year 1 – New Route K Weston

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• Route G (Figure 7-2) – An adjustment is recommended for Route G. In the inbound direction, as the bus proceeds north on Werle Avenue, it is suggested that it should turn left on Garfield Avenue, right on 6th Avenue South, and then right onto Stewart Avenue where it would pick up the present routing. This small deviation is intended to bring the service one block closer to the UW-Marathon Campus.

Figure 7-2: Year 1 – Revisions to Route G

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• Rename the WATS Bus System – The WATS mission for this five year TDP should be to grow with the Metropolitan area, and the plan clearly heads in that direction with the 2006 implementation of the Weston route, and recommendations for expansion in the five year period to Rib Mountain and Cedar Creek. In conversations with stakeholders, including businesses and elected officials, there was a strong sentiment for this vision, which will require regional cooperation, broad support, and leadership to realize.

One suggestion that was made by many parties was the need to update and broaden the WATS’ image as a regional service that serves the need of all residents and not just the transit dependent. In this vein, it is suggested that WATS should rename its services (while retaining the WATS name as its official organizational name, and retaining its current structure as a department of the City of Wausau) to capture this mission. One suggested name and logo, “The Marathon Runner” was proposed by the consulting team as an example of this approach. The name includes the county name rather than the city name, a marathon runner is a well-known phrase and image to work with, and running suggests movement.

Using this type of name clearly suggests that the service is not just for the City of Wausau but for everybody within the urbanized area, and that it serves multiple needs and destinations.

Figure 7-3: Suggested Logo

Subsequently, the transit commission adopted the name “MetroRide” for the system, which has many of the same characteristics, particularly creating a regional identity for the program. At the time of this report, WATS was in the process of working with a

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marketing agency on the development of a new logo and associated materials to initiate the change from WATS to MetroRide.

Year 1 Summary – The key recommendations for Year 1 have already been implemented, with the January 2nd start of Route K in Weston and the change in names for the system. The remaining recommendation is a minor route change that can be implemented at almost anytime during the year with little surrounding activity required.

Service Plan: Year 2 (2007)

Broadly described, the second year service plan includes alignment and schedule modifications to existing routes for both weekdays and Saturdays; and several proposals for new routes. The proposals for the existing WATS routes are oriented to improving the overall operating efficiency of the network, either by reallocating resources from low performing locations by reducing the overall operating cost, or though a combination of both types of actions; while the expansion recommendations are oriented to serving new markets identified not only through this project but also in the earlier 1999 TDP.

Weekday Modifications to Existing WATS Routes (Figure 7-4) – Based upon the analyses contained in the previous report, alignment changes are recommended for the following routes:

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Figure 7-4: Year 2 Weekday Route Network

• Route E – Route E is recommended for elimination. The route has low and declining ridership, with very low activity along West Bridge Street, and will be significantly impacted by the closure of West Bridge Street during the Route 29/51 reconstruction project. The active parts of the route around Liberty Mutual Insurance and the medical complex will be served by a new shuttle route described below, while the segments along West Bridge Street and North 3rd Street can be served instead by modifying Route D.

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• Route D (Figure 7-5) – Route D should be modified to pick-up some of the parts of Route E, specifically the section of West Bridge Street from 10th Avenue North to North 3rd Street as well as North 3rd Street to the transit center. In order to do so, the southern end of the route would be shortened from Elm Street two blocks to the north to Spruce Street, and the sections on 3rd Avenue South and 1st Avenue South would continue to be served by Route B.

Figure 7-5: Year 2 – Revisions to Route D

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• Route I (Figure 7-6) – The Stewart Avenue route would be modified at its western end to turn north at 28th Avenue, circle the hospital using West Ridge Drive, and terminate at the Hospital main entrance. This change responds to the need to shorten the route’s travel time to ensure better on-time performance, which will be particularly necessary with the on-going construction work for Routes 29/51. The entire hospital/medical complex and Liberty Mutual Insurance campus will be served by a single shuttle route, described below, which will originate from the same bus stop at the main entrance to Wausau Hospital.

Figure 7-6: Year 2 – Revisions to Route I

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One final recommendation, to be implemented only if there are serious running time issues would be to modify the north end of Route B to operate entirely along 1st Avenue North rather than using West Randolph Street and Burek Avenue, which are very sparsely utilized. Because WATS provides express services on West Randolph Street and Burek Avenue, it is preferable to retain those segments to offer greater flexibility to the express route riders. At present, on-time performance for this route is acceptable.

Weekday Schedule Changes to Existing Routes – The recommendation in this section should only be implemented if budgetary constraints are such that all of the other actions to reduce operating costs, particularly on Saturdays, require further cuts. If further savings are required, a further reduction in operating cost could be achieved as follows:

• Pair Routes H and J and adjust off-peak headways - Routes H and J are reasonably good routes overall, but they both perform relatively weakly in the off-peak period. Route H has pronounced peaks associated with school trips, while Route J has a more consistent but modest profile throughout the day. If necessary, service could be reduced in the off- peak period, from 30 minute headways to 60 minute headways, beginning at 8:30AM and ending at 2:30 PM. During the off-peak period, one bus would be interlined to serve both routes, with Route H operating on the half hour from the downtown transit center, and Route J operating on the hour from the downtown transit center. In total, six trips for each route are eliminated, approximately a 25 percent savings in operating hours.

Weekday New Routes – One new weekday routes is proposed for Year 2. It will serve the Wausau Hospital/Liberty Mutual Insurance area to replace the service now provided by Routes E and I.

• Wausau Hospital/Liberty Mutual Campus Shuttle (Figure 7-7) – This shuttle service replaces the services provided today by Route E, which serves the area east of 28th Avenue and is slated for elimination; and Route I, which serves 28th Avenue and the facilities west of it and has running time problems. The proposed route would maintain service to all of the areas currently covered by Routes E and I, would connect the various facilities together on a single route to allow for better inter-building movements, and would have the flexibility to expand as the medical complex expands. The route would start and end at the WATS shelter at Aspirus-Wausau Hospital’s main entrance, and would loop through the entire area. As drawn, the shuttle would operate on a 30 minute headway and would be coordinated with the arrival and departure of Route I to facilitate transfers between the two routes.

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Figure 7-7: Year 2 – New Hospital Shuttle

Saturday Modifications and Schedule Changes – The route diagnostics and issues and opportunity statement in Chapter 6 clearly identified significant issues with the ridership levels and cost-effectiveness of the entire Saturday service network, while at the same time identifying year-round Saturday service as an unmet need according to stakeholders, customer surveys, and interviews during the drop-in sessions. The lack of Saturday service to Rib Mountain, Weston, and Cedar Creek was cited as a reason for low ridership, since these were three of the most significant commercial areas that current as well as potential riders wanted to get to for recreation and shopping.

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Overall, Saturday loads on all routes are poor, resulting in an operating cost per trip that is over 2.5 times that of the operating cost per trip on weekdays. Similarly, farebox recovery is only 6.5 percent, well below the weekday rate of 14.4 percent.

Clearly, Saturday service needs to be pared back to achieve better operating statistics, at least until such time as Weston, Cedar Creek and Rib Mountain are all incorporated into the WATS network. As of January 2, 2006 Weston has joined the WATS system, which should increase activity all around the system with the addition of Target, Goodwill, Pic’n Save, as well as the medical facilities as destinations.

Still, until the system reaches the other commercial centers, Saturday service, with the new Weston route, will need to be reduced in scope to better match the level of resources spent to the ridership.

The plan being recommended has three components:

• The first is to operate an entirely new network of routes designed to maintain coverage to most of the current service area but to do so with fewer resources by extending headways and increasing individual route running times. Route K Weston would be included in this network, and the hours of service would be the same as they currently are. • Second, the new network would include a Saturday demonstration to Cedar Creek as an extension of the Route C service. • Third, Saturday service would be provided all year, rather than suspending it during the summer.

• Revised Saturday Route Network (Figure 7-8) - The revised Saturday network is shown in the attached figure. It consists of 4 routes and uses 5 buses, versus the current system which has 10 routes (including Route K) and uses 9 buses (Routes D and E are interlined and share a single bus). This results in significant reduction in operating cost, which in turn allows for the provision of summer Saturday service. Each Saturday Route, with the exceptoion of Route K, was developed from an aggregation of at least two weekday routes, as will been seen in the following discussion. In each case, the development of the aggregated route was done looking at specific boarding and alighting counts by location to identify the strong and weak segments of each route to ensure as little disruption as possible to the existing WATS ridership base.

Each of the aggregated routes was designed to operate on a 45 minute headway from the downtown transit center. The South route includes a Saturday demonstration to Cedar Creek, as well as the integration of Route K Weston, which allows for the use of 2 buses to maintain the 45 minute schedule.

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Figure 7-8: Year 2 Saturday Route Network

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• North Route (Routes H, B, and D) (Figure 7-9) – The North route is the most complex of the four aggregated routes, requiring a looping alignment on the east side of the river both on outbound and inbound trips. The route picks up all Route H activity south of Brown Street, which is almost the entire activity for Route H on Saturdays; most of Route B north of West Bridge Street, and all of the reconstructed Route D except the segments west of West Wausau High School. The segments which were dropped, particularly north of Brown Street on Route H and west of the high school had little or no activity recorded from the surveys and counts.

Figure 7-9: Saturday North Route

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• South Route (Routes A, C, and K) (Figure 7-10) – The south route basically follows the current path of Route C to the split at Grand Avenue and Schofield Avenue with the addition of the Route A segments west of S. Grand Avenue. From there proceeding south, it has two branches which will provided on alternating 45 minute trips. One of the branches will continue along the pat of Route C with an extension to Cedar Creek as a demonstration project to assess the potential for more extensive service to those businesses. The other will continue the plan started in Year 1, and will pick up a slightly modified Route K, which would continue out Schofield Avenue instead of beginning at Shopko, would make the loop and return to South Grand Avenue. The two branches would have 90 minute headways while the main section would have 45 minute headways. The proposal does not require additional vehicles; rather, it shifts the excess time of the Weston shuttle to the trunk portion of the route.

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Figure 7-10: Saturday South Route

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• West Route (Route I and Hospital/Insurance area Shuttle) (Figure 7-11) – The west route combines Route I and the shuttle, with the shuttle path adjusted to serve only the medical facilities that are active on Saturdays, and not the Insurance company which is closed. Implementation planning of the shuttle route will need to occur during the Fall of 2006 to determine the appropriate pathway through the medical complex to meet Saturday customer needs.

Figure 7-11: Saturday West Route

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• Southwest Route (Routes G and J) (Figure 7-12) – The southwest route is a clockwise loop from downtown, following much of the path of Route J outbound except the section of West Thomas between 3rd and 16th Avenues; and the path of Route G through the Shopko area and back on Sherman Street and 3rd Avenue.

Figure 7-12: Saturday Southwest Route

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• Cedar Creek Demonstration Service – It is proposed above that the South Route be extended on Saturdays to the Cedar Creek area, which may require some adjustments in the pathway through Rothschild if the running time becomes too long. However, route adjustments to the pathway in and out of downtown Wausau should provide some additional running time to initiate the demonstration. Route C currently does a complex set of turns when entering and leaving downtown, largely in order to serve River Drive which is largely an area of offices open on weekdays only. Route C could be simplified to enter and leave downtown via Grand Avenue and 5th Street. This would save significant operating minutes on Route C that would alleviate running time concerns. Test runs and discussions with Rothschild and the Cedar Creek management should occur during the Spring prior to implementation to negotiate any possible changes if necessary and to determine if the Cedar Creek management will participate financially in the service.

• All Year Service – One of the most asked for improvements to Saturday service was to operate it throughout the year, and this should be implemented beginning in 2007. The schedule extension, which adds approximately 12 Saturdays to the service, is made possible by the cost savings associated with the new network, which will still have a net operating cost lower than the current network.

The Saturday changes, which are substantial, are designed to bring the level of service provided more in line with the level of activity observed, while maintaining reasonable coverage, headways, and travel times for those customers who do use WATS on Saturdays. Furthermore, the network changes allow WATS to provide year-round Saturday service in response to the community’s stated needs without negatively impacting its budget.

Other Actions – Two other actions are included in the service plan recommendations which are more related to fare policy.

• Increase Base Fare – By 2007 (Year 2), it will have been six years since the fares were last adjusted in 2001, which would be several years beyond what was recommended in the 1999 TDP. In that plan, it was recommended that the system implement incremental increases every 2 to 3 years, which at a minimum would have triggered an increase in 2004. However, given the need to first stabilize and then increase ridership, a fare increase earlier than Year 2, after all of the recommended changes are put in place, would be inadvisable and likely counter-productive. In Year 2, on the other hand, an incremental change of 10 cents to the base fare, bringing it to $ 1.10, would not be unreasonable with respect to fares around the country for similar sized systems, and would help pay for the cost of the new services.

• Institute a U-Pass Program – WATS has already had preliminary discussions about a U-Pass program for its students, and the same type of program might be extended to the Northcentral Technical College as well. Basically a U-Pass program provides students with a semester pass to the bus system good for rides at all times on all routes. All enrolled students are eligible for the pass program, which is paid for by allocation from the student activity fee paid to the University. The University, its representative student

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organization, and the bus operator generally determine a reasonable allocation per student, and then the University works with the students to obtain approval either implement that rate or negotiate the rate further. The U-Pass monies can be used as part of the community’s local matching funds, which provides an opportunity to fund new services tailored to the needs of the university/college, which could be a service to Rib Mountain but could also be night service, special shuttles, etc.

U-Passes have become particularly popular for all of the parties over the past several years for many reasons:

• Universities and Colleges see the U-Pass as an opportunity to control vehicular circulation and parking capacity on their campuses, as well as a safety measure where services run at night and can be used in lieu of walking.

• Students get a great deal of bus service, with access throughout a community, for a very affordable price, and can use the bus to commute to/and from school instead of a car, can move about freely during the day, and generally can save money and improve their mobility.

• The bus operator can meet its mission of providing better and more affordable access in the community, can obtain a steady income stream with greater predictability, and can obtain a source of funding to make implement additional creative solutions.

WATS, the UW-Marathon, and Northcentral Technical College officials should continue to discuss the U-Pass concept, pricing, and service needs in 2006 with an eye to implementing it for the Spring 2007 semester.

Year 2 Summary – All of the changes are programmed to begin January 1, 2007, with on-going planning in the Fall required to finalize the plan, hold public hearings on all of the changes, and do all of the preliminary work needed to implement them including preparing new maps, timetables, and public information; changing signage both on the routes and at the transit center; obtaining a shuttle vehicle for the Hospital/Insurance route; preparing driver runs and picks; etc..

Service Plan: Year 3 (2008)

With so many changes having been made in Year 2, the activities in Year 3 are more limited in scope, although critical to the long range growth of WATS in the region.

Route Recommendations – The route recommendations for Year 3 (Figure 7-13) revolve around the implementation of a route to Rib Mountain, serving the businesses along Rib Mountain Drive, operating both weekdays and Saturdays. With the implementation of that route would be two minor route modifications to existing routes as well. A description of the changes, which would be done for both weekdays and Saturdays follows:

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Figure 7-13: Year 3 Weekday Route Network

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• Implement Service to Rib Mountain (Figure 7-14) – The Year 3 network includes a route from the downtown transit center to Rib Mountain Drive via Thomas Street, leaving downtown Wausau via River Drive. The route alignment was designed to optimize its directness and travel speed from downtown, to ensure that there would be enough running time to provide doorstep access to the stores set back from the road on the west side of Rib Mountain Drive, and to make the service as convenient as possible for WATS customers, particularly those transferring from other routes. The route would operate every 30 minutes weekdays during regular operating hours; and every 45 minutes on Saturdays, both to correspond to the rest of the system and to add needed running time to account for more congestion.

Implementing a route to Rib Mountain requires a source of local funding, which has held this proposal up in the past. Once this plan is adopted, representatives of WATS, the City of Wausau, and other stakeholders in the system need to begin formal discussions on this proposal in an effort to include it in the 2007 WATS network.

The financial plan will shoe the estimated operating cost impact to the system, along with projected ridership and revenues for the Year 3 program. WATS will use its formula to divide these dollars according to the mileage operated in Wausau versus Rib Mountain, and will need to present them to the town for consideration. Alternative sources other than the Town of Rib Mountain for the local match could come from businesses, including participation by the Rib Mountain Business Association, the UW-Marathon officials (who have cited an interest in service to Rib Mountain), or others with an interest in the service; and possibly a shared local cost scenario could be advanced for implementation much as is occurring in Weston for Route K.

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Figure 7-14: New Rib Mountain Route

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• Modify Route J (Figure 7-15) – Rather than having two routes operating over West Thomas Street between 3rd Avenue and 17th Avenue, Route J would be adjusted to provide two way service instead in the neighborhoods south of West Thomas Street. This would improve the level of service to this area by substantially shortening the outbound trip from downtown. A proposed routing is shown in the attached figure, but this can be modified during 2006 based upon multiple travel time runs at different times of the day or days of the week.

Figure 7-15: Year 3 – Revisions to Route J

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• Modify Route C (Figure 7-16) – Route C currently does a complex set of turns when entering and leaving downtown, largely in order to serve River Drive. With the implementation of the Rib Mountain route, Route C could be simplified to enter and leave downtown via Grand Avenue, with the Rib Mountain route covering River Drive outbound and N 4th Street inbound. This would be the fastest way for the Rib Mountain route to enter and leave downtown, and would save significant operating minutes on Route C that would alleviate running time concerns.

Figure 7-16: Year 3 – Route C Downtown Re-Alignment

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With the changes from Years 1 and 2 in place, it is expected that ridership will have increased dramatically, as the system will be accessible to residents and businesses in all of the identified areas of transportation need as determined in earlier reports. With all of the modifications to routes and route segments made in Years 1 and 2, the actions in Year 3 are oriented to further controlled expansion of the system.

• Weekday Integration of Weston Route K and Route C, including the extension to Cedar Creek – Up to this point, Routes K and C are two separate weekday routes requiring a transfer at Shopko; and the integration of the two and Cedar Creek extension is a Saturday only demonstration. Finally, Route C is still a 60 minute service on weekdays, but a 45 minute service on Saturdays.

With all of the changes to the system and the anticipation of increased ridership, it is recommended that these three services be integrated into a single route operated every 30 minutes weekdays from the downtown transit center in Wausau with two branches, one to Weston and the other to Cedar Creek, doing the same moves as those shown earlier for saturdays. This eliminates the need for a transfer between buses at Shopko for trips to and from Weston and expands the service to Cedar Creek to 6 days a week. However, at the same time the half hourly shuttle service in Weston becomes an hourly service, which we believe is reasonable given that under the current structure Route K only meets Route C once an hour. Route changes may also be needed in Rothschild to accommodate the weekday headway and running times, which is one of the reasons that the revised Route C routing in Year 2 was so important to the system.

No additional units (buses) are needed to increase to this level of service, although the Weston bus may need to be upgraded to a larger vehicle. The added time needed to improve the headway on Route C is actually a reallocation of the non-connecting 30 minute running time of Route K. As a result, the action should be operating cost neutral, although there will be a reallocation of local shares.

The final design of the two branches clearly will take shape in coming years and cannot be exactly determined today, particularly as both communities continue to grow. However, the basic concept should be implemented to provide more frequent service to the south communities, to take the transfer out of the Route K/Route C trip, and to increase service to Cedar Creek.

Service Plan: Year 4 (2009)

There are two recommendation for Year 4:

• Add Evening Service – Evening service was another need identified by the community for a variety of purposes including both employment and recreational trips. Because many of these trips today would be to destinations that are inaccessible from WATS, the institution of a viable evening service needs to wait until the system is reaching more of the community. By Year 3, this service will be in place; therefore, the next expansion would be to provide weekday night services.

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The recommendation is to provide night service beginning at 6:00 PM (replacing the final trips currently provided) using the Saturday route network, including two buses for the south route to Weston/Cedar Creek to maintain 45 minute service on the branches (Alternatively, the South route could operate at a 90 minute headway with alternating branches also getting 90 minute service; however, it is felt at this time that this would not be enough service on the branches, although this can be monitored before a final decision is made at the end of Year 2). Routes would leave the downtown transit center at 6:00 PM, 6:45 PM, 7:30 PM, 8:15 PM, 9:00 PM, 9:45 PM, and 10:30 PM.

• Increase Base Fare – By 2009 (Year 4), it will have been two years since a modest fare adjustment in 2007. In the 1999 plan, it was recommended that the system implement incremental increases every 2 to 3 years, which would be less of an impact than waiting a longer period and making a single, more dramatic change. Given the need to first stabilize and then increase ridership, a fare increase to $ 1.25 in Year 4, after all of the recommended changes are put in place, would not be unreasonable with respect to fares around the country for similar sized systems, and would help pay for the cost of the new services.

Service Plan: Year 5 (2010)

The last recommendation for Year 5 is to extend evening service to Saturdays:

• Add Saturday Evening Service – Just as Saturday ridership in most systems including WATS is lower than weekday ridership due to much lower rates of education and work trips, Saturday night ridership will be lower than weeknight ridership. Thus, only once evening service is established and operating well during the week should WATS expand the service to Saturday evenings. WATS would implement the same network and headways as used on weekdays for this service.

In the final year of the plan WATS should for the most part be solidifying all of the new services and programs, and should also be beginning on a new TDP for the next five year period 2011- 2016. The start of a new TDP process will provide a far clearer picture of what has occurred in the first 4 years of this program, and what the community needs will be at time. Assuming that the plan is implemented as described for the first four years, the system should be stable in 2010 with a steadily increasing ridership base. The only recommendation that may be necessary would be to restore off-peak 30 minute service to Routes H and J if in fact that reduction was made earlier in the plan. With the growth of the system and the WATS service area, the demand for 30 minute service throughout the community should materialize in all areas, an all routes should be operated as such in 2010.

Summary – If this plan is implemented as described during the five year period, at the end of Year 5, WATS will truly be a regional system. It will have:

• Service to Cedar Creek and Rib Mountain, in addition to services already provided in Wausau, Rothschild, Schofield, and Weston

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• 30 minute weekday daytime headways • Year-round Saturday service with 45 minute headways • 45 minute evening headways six days a week • A U-Pass program • A new system identity program

Capital Requirements

WATS has an on-going vehicle replacement schedule, a new downtown transfer center, and good administration/maintenance base for its operations. In discussions with the staff at WATS, it was suggested that this section need only address any requirements for additional vehicles for the system, and that these needs would be integrated into the system’s capital program by staff. It should be noted, however, that there will be a need to significantly change the signage for the system as the system identity is changed, as new routes are established like Route K or a Rib Mountain route, and to sign for Saturday services as distinct from the weekday services. Also, some consideration will need to be given for new shelters at some of the new bus stop locations not already served.

With regard to vehicle needs, WATS will need to purchase three cutaway vehicles that seat up to 25 passengers to provide Route K service and the Hospital shuttle, which would also provide for a new spare vehicle as well as the use of the current older equipment now serving Route K. These vehicles cost about $ 125,000 apiece, for a total of $ 375,000 for the program.

The Rib Mountain route will require a full-size bus, but with the reduction of a bus in operation from the consolidations in Year 2, WATS may already have the equipment to provide the service when it is initiated. Otherwise, the system will need to purchase one heavy duty coach at a cost of approximately $ 350,000 for the new route in Year 3.

Generally speaking, the federal government will pick up 80 percent of the cost of these vehicles, which would be $ 580,000, leaving $ 145,000 to be funded by state and local sources.

Fare Structure

The recommendations for fare changes were highlighted in the service plan, and consisted of a $ 0.10 bump to the base fare in Year 2, and a $ 0.25 bump in Year 4, bring the base fare to $ 1.25. This structured fare change program was first suggested in the 1999 TDP and should be followed, with the array of other media being increased in proportion to these changes.

The impact of the fare changes will be discussed in the financial section of this chapter.

Marketing Efforts

WATS needs to do more marketing of its services, particularly as it becomes a metropolitan system, and particularly with regard to demonstrating to the community that it is a system for everyone, that is, for choice riders as well as the transit-dependent. We met many choice riders during the outreach effort, and some of their stories could be shared to the community in a

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marketing campaign designed around a theme – “Look who rides WATS” or “WATS – Its for Everyone”,etc.

The new name MetroRide will be a great opportunity to latch onto. It will e not only all new materials, but a publicity campaign which will re-brand the system, increase its visibility, and hopefully identify it as a valuable regional resource tied to the economic future of the area.

Bus signage, signage at the transfer center, shelters and other amenities all should be branded with the MetroRide name and symbol and used as an opportunity to demonstrate the MetroRide is everywhere. Flyers and brochures handed out to new residents and businesses along new routes can promote new services, as can displays, public service ads, speaking engagements, and other low cost outreach efforts.

WATS should use the services of the advertising/marketing firm working with it on the name change to help redesign signage, schedules, maps, and brochures; and to develop a long cost marketing and outreach program consisting of special events, speaker’s bureaus, news releases, etc.

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Implementation Schedule

The schedule of implementation activities was described in the service plan by year and shown in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1: Five Year Service Plan

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Financial Plan

The financial plan is based upon projections of various operating statistics, the use of unit operating cost data taken from WATS 2005, and ridership and revenue estimates based upon the impact of the operating changes and fare increases. Each of these factors can be found on Table 7-2 which contains the five year financial plan, and is discussed below.

Table 7-2: Five Year Financial Projection 2006-2010

Baseline Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Category 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 System Characteristics Regular Route Vehicle Miles 464,600 525,500 504,000 557,000 629,000 645,700 Regular Route Vehicle Hours 33,100 36,600 35,500 39,200 44,000 45,000 Total Fixed Route Vehicle Miles 567,000 627,900 606,400 659,400 731,400 748,100 Total Fixed Route Vehicle Hours 44,000 47,500 46,400 50,100 54,900 55,900 Base Fare $1.00 $1.00 $1.10 $1.10 $1.25 $1.25 Passenger Trips 809,500 850,000 860,000 991,000 1,030,000 1,093,000 Passenger Revenues $366,400 $382,000 $428,000 $493,000 $583,000 $619,000 Expenses Operating Cost $2,696,000 $3,150,000 $3,077,000 $3,322,000 $3,641,000 $3,707,000 Deficit $2,329,600 $2,768,000 $2,649,000 $2,829,000 $3,058,000 $3,088,000 Funding Federal/State $1,421,056 $1,688,480 $1,615,890 $1,725,690 $1,865,380 $1,883,680 Local $908,544 $1,079,520 $1,033,110 $1,103,310 $1,192,620 $1,204,320 Total $2,329,600 $2,768,000 $2,649,000 $2,829,000 $3,058,000 $3,088,000

Miles and Hours of Service – The actual miles and hours of service provided in total for the network, as well as for just the regular route system, were used as a base from which all subsequent estimates were made. Charts of miles by route were developed for the base year, and as modifications were made and new routes added, the miles and hours for each were estimated and a new annual total arrived at for each program year.

The miles and hours for the system will increase in Year 1 with the implementation of Route K and possible demonstration on Saturdays, if implemented, of a Cedar Creek extension. The mileage and hours in Year 2 actually decrease over Year 1 with the implementation of the new Saturday network and changes to Routes D, E, and I, even as the new Hospital shuttle is implemented along with all year Saturday service. Year 3 increases with the addition of the Rib Mountain service, Year 4 for weekday evening service, and Year 5 for Saturday evening service.

Base Fare – The base fare is assumed to go to $ 1.10 in Year 2 (10 percent increase), and $1.25 in Year 4 (13.6 percent increase), with similar increase to all of the various media sold by WATS, which will impact both ridership and revenues.

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Ridership – Ridership estimates are influenced by three factors:

• The background growth rate exhibited by the WATS system from 2004 to 2005, and the increase seen in the first quarter of 2006 versus 2005 – The system’s ridership grew from 746,000 trips in 2004 as documented in Chapter 2, to 809,500 in 2005 as documented by WATS reports for 2005, a jump of 8.5 percent. In the first quarter of 2006, WATS reports an increase of 3.5 percent over 2005. Discounting some of the ridership growth in the total ridership number because it was on trippers, plus using the first quarter numbers as a guide, we have input an annual growth rate of 3 percent per year as a background growth rate independent of all changes. From Year 3 on, we have increased the background growth rate to 5 percent to account for the increased utility of the system with the implementation of the Rib Mountain route.

• The impact of fare changes on ridership – In terms of fare change impacts, an elasticity formula was utilized which states that for every 1 percent increase in fares there is a 1/3 percent decrease in ridership. This is the “Curtin rule”, which has been used in transit planning for over 40 years and which provides good estimates of ridership impacts when doing macro-economic analyses such as contained in this plan. Thus, for the Year 32 increase of 10 percent, we have estimated a loss of about 3.3 percent in ridership, effectively a wash with the background growth projection. For the Year 4 increase of 13.6 percent, we are inputting a drop in ridership of 4.5 percent; in combination with the background growth this results in a modest 1.5 percent overall background growth.

• The impact of new routes and schedules – The third element is the impact on ridership of route and schedule changes, which are done individually for each change to the system, then summed to be included as part of the annual total ridership. Estimates of these changes are based on service elasticities, comparisons to similar routes, and the consulting team’s experience with these service changes. In some cases, the modifications were not estimated to produce significant ridership changes. Some assumptions follow:

• The implementation of Route K should produce about 6 passengers per hour in Year 1 and about 8 passengers per hour in Years 2-5, based upon experience with other suburban circulators, the land use patterns in the community, the service frequency, and hours of service.

• The changes to Routes D, E, and I, coupled with the Hospital area shuttle are estimated conservatively to produce a small increase in riders due to better connections and more direct services, but the changes should be viewed as part of the overall 3 percent background growth rate rather than as a significant bump in riders.

• The new Saturday network was developed to reduce the total operating cost of the Saturday network and to retain current ridership, rather than to initially grow ridership, particularly as the routes themselves will be on 45 minute headways rather than 30 minute headways, and will operate for the most part as one-

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directional loops. The expectation is that ridership will stabilize at first, but once the system grows in Year 3 with the addition of the Rib Mountain route, that Saturday ridership on these routes will begin to grow by as much as 10 percent per year, which has already been input into the overall background growth jump above to 5 percent in Years 3-5.

• The Rib Mountain route is expected to be a strong route in the system, and should be as productive as the best routes in the system, which would mean about 25 passengers per our on weekdays, and 18 passengers per hour on Saturdays.

• The Cedar Creek extension ridership should be considered within the overall background growth rate of 5 percent for Year 3, the year it is programmed.

• Evening service in Year 4 should produce about 8 passengers per hour in Year 4, increasing to 10 passengers per hour in Year 5.

• Saturday evening service in Year 5 should produce about 6 passengers per hour to start, and should grow in subsequent years.

The steps in making the ridership estimates are done as follows:

1. Using the base year ridership, calculate the new ridership for the next year using the background growth factor. 2. In a year with a fare increase, estimate the loss in ridership due to the fare change. 3. Add ridership as calculated for each service change 4. Produce the estimated ridership for the year 5. Repeat for succeeding years following the same process.

The resulting annual ridership numbers show a change from 809,500 trips in the base year to 1,093,000 trips in Year 5. The relatively flat ridership between Years 1 and 2 reflect that the service changes that year are largely to reduce operating expenditures and changing the Saturday system, and the implementation of a fare increase, with only some minor offset potentially from a U-Pass program and the Cedar Creek Saturday demonstration. Years 3 and 4 show the most dramatic increase with the implementation of the Rib Mountain route in Year 3, and introduction of weekday night service in Year 4.

Revenue – Revenue was estimated based on average fare calculations from the base year adjusted as the fare increase take place. Thus the average fare in 2005 was $ 0.453, which was used to forecast Year 1; in Years 2 and 3 it was calculated to be 10 percent more reflecting the fare change, or $ 0.498; and in Years 4 and 5 it was calculated to be 13.6 percent more, or $ 0.566.

Operating Expenses – Fixed route operating expenses were provided for the base year by WATS. The budget was increased in subsequent years to reflect the cost of each service change, but also included a small 2 percent per year adjustment to reflect normal cost increases, as well as a significant adjustment in Year 1 to include a significant jump in fuel prices as well as to

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allow for the additional staffing called for in the recently completed Management Performance Review, specifically for a mechanic, supervisor, and utility person.

Funding Estimate – Projecting funding for the operating deficit has been difficult in recent years, with very little certainty in federal and state subsidy programs and levels for transit services. The best estimates that can be made at this time follow historic levels, with about 61 percent of the funding of the operations of WATS from Federal and State funds, and the remainder from local shares from the community, either from the municipalities themselves or other local parties.

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