Regional Pass Program (EZ Transit Pass) ______________________________________________________________________________ Summary of Policy 17. Santa Clarita Transit 18. Santa Fe Springs MetroExpress The purpose of the Regional EZ Transit 19. Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Pass program is to provide a low 20. South Pasadena Gold Link technology, low-cost, immediately 21. Torrance Transit implementable program, so that transit patrons in Los Angeles County are able to Historical Perspective benefit from seamless transfers in advance of the implementation of the In January 1999, Board adopted a motion Universal Fare System (UFS). directing staff to begin discussions with municipal operators with the objective of The price of the Monthly Regional Pass developing a consensus around a package was set at $58, and Elderly and Disabled of policy changes that would improve $29. The price for Zone premium was set regional services for bus riders, operators, at $15 per zone increment, and Elderly and labor. One of the elements to be and Disabled Zone premium at $7.50. included in that package was to establish All operators sell the pass from their an integrated regional pass and fare current outlets and transit stores, and they system to better serve our customer. market the pass through existing An Operator Taskforce was established programs or through joint marketing consisting of General Managers of the efforts. Each operator is reimbursed at the local transit systems and agency rate of its current average fare per Operations to develop a regional pass boarding multiplied by the operator’s program. The taskforce developed an Regional Pass boardings. implementation plan, a work program, The EZ Transit Pass Program currently major milestones, and implementation consists of 17 transit operators, including schedule and timeline. agency bus and rail, the municipal The program approach included two operators and two locally funded transit phases. The first phase included systems. municipal operators and operators willing Current members include: to participate in this Regional Pass Program. The second phase would 1. Antelope Valley include other operators, local systems, 2. Burbank Local Transit Metrolink, and other counties. 3. City of Commerce 4. Culver City Municipal Bus Line The program principals and framework 5. Foothill Transit included: 6. Gardena Municipal Bus Line Keeping Operators Whole: 7. Glendale Beeline Commitment to keep all operators and 8. LADOT Metro Operations whole. The 9. Long Beach Transit Regional Pass would have no revenue 10. Metro Bus & Rail loss to the participating operators. 11. Montebello Bus Lines 12. Monterey Park Spirit Bus Revenue Sharing: Goal to achieve a 13. Metrolink balance between a methodology, which 14. Municipal Area Express (MAX) would be simple/easy to administer, 15. Norwalk Transit yet fair to all participants. 16. Pasadena ARTS Shuttle Regional Pass Program (EZ Transit Pass) ______________________________________________________________________________ Price of Regional Pass: Keep the price Pass fare media on board participating EZ affordable yet allows some reasonable Transit Pass operators. Participating bus payback to the operators. and rail operators, including the agency, will be reimbursed for the Metrolink fare Use of Regional Funds: Keep the boardings using funding derived from a Regional pass affordable, consider surcharge that Metrolink collects with regional funds to subsidize the each ticket or pass purchase. program participants (if needed) Before the Board adopted the Regional Last Board Action Pass Program in April 2002, transit riders, June 7, 2004 – FY2004 Budget -Regional who used more than one system or Pass Program (Funds were increased to transferred between systems, had to be $3M to reflect the full scope of the aware of multiple fares. This became very program) confusing for transit riders and discouraged new riders from seeking Board adopted: transit, as a means of completing local A. the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05) Budget; travel needs. B. the Reimbursement Resolution to Now with the Regional Pass Program, it authorize the expenditure of funds for allows transit riders to transfer from one capital construction and acquisition system to another without making transfer activities prior to issuance of debt for payments. The Program is a step toward specific activities; the UFS, which will create seamless travel for transit riders through a regional fare C. the life-of-project increases and collection system that includes all modes funding plan changes for capital and operators. projects; and In January 2003, the Board adopted the D. the budgeted number of positions and 2003-2007 Regional Transit Plan. The estimated salary/benefit costs for each Regional Transit Plan is used to guide the agency classification by department. efforts to improve the regional bus system Attachment and to sustain on-going service coordination efforts among the municipal Regional Pass Program operators and agency Operations. The See Related Plan includes promoting seamless fare programs, such as the Universal Fare 2003-2007 Regional Transit Plan System, Regional (EZ) Pass Program, and Smart Card Technology for Transit Access Interagency Transfers. Pass In September 2003, the Board approved an agreement with Metrolink to integrate them into the Regional Pass Program. The purpose of integrating Metrolink into the EZ Transit Pass Program is to promote seamless transfers between Metrolink and transit services. Under the proposed integration, Metrolink fare media will be accepted as valid EZ Transit PROGRAM APPROACH . First Phase: include municipal operatorsand operatorswilling to participatein the Regional PassProgram (RPP) - (all fixed route Municipal Operators except Antelope Valley Transit Authority areparticipating, i.e., 12 transit operatorsincluding MTA Operations) . SecondPhase: Include other operators;local systems,Metrolink and other countiessuch as OrangeCounty B. Pro2ram Principles and Framework . Ke~ing O~rators Whole: Commitmentto keepall operatorsand MT A Operationswhole. In other words, RegionalPass to result in no revenueloss to MT A Operationsor the participatingoperators . RevenueSharing Methodology: Goal to achievea balancebetween a methodologythat would be simple/easyto administer,yet fair to all participants. Price of RegionalPass: Keepingthe price affordableyet sufficient to allow somereasonable paybackto the operators . Use of RegionalFunds: To keepthe RegionalPass affordable, consider regional funds to subsidizethe programparticipants c. Relationship to UFS . Selectrevenue sharing methodology and regionalpass price suchthat it canbe directly transferredto or easilymodified to continuewhen the upcomingUFS is implemented. Everyoneparticipating has the option to sell the pass . Operatorsand MT A sell the passthrough their currentsales outlets . Operatorsmarket the passthrough their own marketingprograms and participatein joint marketingefforts PROGRAM ELEMENTS A. Price of the Regional Pass . Transit riders likely to buy a regionalpass are thesewho transferfrom one systemto anotherto completetheir trips . Currentcost of a trip with transferto anothersystem . $47 - $57 for cashpaying customers (Table I attached) . $52 - $62 for MT A passholders (Table 2 attached) Recommendationto consider$58 as the price of the RegionalPass . A $29 RegionalPass for seniors/disabledor half of the price of the RegionalPass . An Expressmonthly regionalpass with optionsof five or more zones . (Eachzone at a $15 price increment) . An expressmonthly seniorand disabledpass with optionsof five or more zones . (Eachzone at $7.50price increment) B. Methodologywhere revenues are distributedbased on eachoperator's system average fare/boardingmultiplied by the operatorsregional pass hoardings . This methodologykeeps every operator whole, as the operatorsare reimbursed the same averagerevenue/boarding as they arecurrently collecting . Sincethe revenuecollected from the saleof the regionalpasses may be lessthan the revenueto be returnedto the operators,some regional subsidy funds are needed(table 3 attached) c. Cost of the Proeram: FY2003 FundingSource: PropositionA & C/fDA administrativefunds D. Administrative Details . MTA staff will work with the participatingtransit operatorsto executean MOU and developadministrative guidelines to include: . Revenueand datareporting mechanism . Revenuereconciliation and reimbursementprocedures, auditing requirements and other requirementsnecessary to proceedwith the program.