Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 – Introduction At the time of the 2001 Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the Town of Cary had no service other than Route 301 operated by the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA). Since then, Cary has expanded its transit Transit services considerably, with a new local fixed-route service for the public and demand-responsive for seniors and persons with disabilities. TTA has added routes as well. As the Town’s Element population continues rising and demand increases, the Town plans to expand its local service, capturing riders coming from and going to planned residential and commercial developments. Situated amidst the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, Cary is served today by multiple transit providers. Fixed route bus services within Cary are provided by C-Tran and TTA. C-Tran, Wake Coordinated Transportation Services (WCTS), and the Center for Volunteer Caregiving provide demand-responsive paratransit services. WCTS also provides rural general public transit via its TRACS service program; however, services are not provided for urban trips within Cary. Amtrak operates daily service. This chapter describes current fixed-route transit and paratransit conditions, projected growth in the Town, and proposed future service changes. C-Tran Overview C-Tran is the Town of Cary’s sponsored transit service which originated as a door-to-door service for seniors and disabled residents in 2001. In July 2002, door-to-door services were expanded to include the general public, which made the Town eligible for federal and state transit operating funds. Due to the growing demand for this premium level of paratransit service and high cost of door-to-door service, the Town Council approved fixed route service for the general public in December 2005 (three routes named East-West, North-South, and Maynard Loop) and concurrently limited its on-call service to registered disabled or senior riders for in-town trips, to senior riders for medical out-of-town trips, and to disabled riders for out-of-town employment trips. In July 2006, the Town Council approved the addition of a counter-clockwise route on the Maynard Loop. C-Tran’s mission is to provide clean, safe, reliable, and efficient transit service to the community by being responsive to changing needs and focusing on customer service as the highest priority.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-1 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

CTP Goals and Objectives: Transit Objectives Create a safe, convenient, and efficient multimodal transportation system. Objectives:  Design a thoroughfare system that comprehensively incorporates a variety of transportation modes for adequate access, flow, connectivity, safety, and mobility.  Proactively plan, in conjunction with other agencies, for public transportation for travel within Cary and between Cary and other Triangle locations.  Increase share of non-single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips by providing and promoting opportunities for travel by transit, cycling, and walking.  Reduce rates of injuries and fatalities for each mode and ensure that transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists feel safe and comfortable at all times when waiting for and riding transit, walking, bicycling, or driving.

Coordinate transportation and land use planning. Objectives:  Plan and support transportation improvements that enhance developments and neighborhoods that are providing alternative transportation choices.  Encourage transportation improvements that increase access to jobs, services, and affordable housing and reduce reliance on SOV travel. Provide safe and convenient facilities and service for people who choose not to use an automobile. Objectives:  Ensure all streets are “complete streets,” safe and comfortable for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, and other users.

Ensure serviceable operation of existing facilities and services. Objectives:  Establish and achieve multimodal quality of service goals that focus on minimizing person delay across modes rather than vehicle delay. Proactively plan in conjunction with other agencies to improve intermodal travel and transportation linkages to other parts of the Triangle region and beyond. Objectives:  Integrate local transportation facilities and transit services with those of neighboring jurisdictions to enhance regional connections.  Facilitate regional intermodal travel by air and rail with transit connections to services at Raleigh-Durham International via TTA and transit, private for-hire, and parking options at the Cary .

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-2 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Community Views Residents provided input on their goals and vision for Cary’s transit system via a telephone survey of 405 people conducted in spring 2007. Citizens offered their opinions on many transportation issues, including walking and bicycling habits, street design, and quality of transit service. Respondents were asked a series of questions rating bothsystem quality and the importance of specific issues on a scale of 1 to 9; a rating of 9 represented the most pressing or highest quality rating. The overall quality of C-Tran service ranked as a 5, with 58 percent of respondents answering the question. Respondents were also asked to rate the applicability of certain transportation problems in Cary. Responses ranged from a ranking of 7.1 for unsafe driving to a ranking of 5.7 for limited public transportation options. This indicates that the provision of more varied transit service is of medium-level urgency to the public. One question focused solely on how often respondents use C-Tran. A large percentage of respondents have never used C-Tran fixed-route service. Of the 2.7 percent of respondents who have, more than half ride monthly, with the remaining respondents split between weekly and daily riders. This indicates that C-Tran primarily serves occasional uses and does not function as a daily commuter service. C-Tran customer surveys and system drivers, however, indicate that half of all trips are employment-related, meaning C-Tran does support the Town’s commuting population. Trends in door-to-door service were similar, with riders who use the system approximately once a month making up more than half of the total C-Tran riders. In the case of paratransit, weekly riders make up a much larger share than daily riders. Questions also focused on how improvements to the transportation system could encourage more transit use. The issues that received the highest rankings in terms of importance were on-time performance, more print and online transit information, and links to RDU airport. Interestingly, responses were polarized on both the “least important” and “most important” rankings. For example, 126 people felt that on-time performance is the most important thing that can get more people to ride transit, yet 139 respondents said that was the least important issue. Across the board, the range of responses are polarized, with a large number of people finding improvements both the least and most effective way to improve ridership (Figure 6.1 on following page). Thus, opinions of residents do not clearly point out factors that decisively keep them from using transit. Finally, the survey asked respondents to rank the importance of transportation issues like sidewalks, greenways, and streetscaping. Results clearly show that street maintenance, neighborhood traffic safety, and streets occupy the highest importance in the public’s minds, with responses generally in the 9 and 8 ranges. In terms of transit service, respondents showed mixed feelings, with responses spread fairly evenly from the “not important” to “most important” range.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-3 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Importance of Improvements to Encourage Transit Use

1 - Least important 2 3 4 5 - Neutral 6 7 8 9 - Very Important 100%

62 59 90% 79 91 88 91 84 97 102 97 93 111 125 126 130 19 80% 20 19 24 33 34 29 36 31 21 12 13 70% 30 25 26 17 33 28 21 26 21 16 22 24 29 7 33 26 26 11 7 60 60 60% 18 23 23 11 17 12 17 12 20 19 58 47 7 13 10 45 7 5 11 44 8 9 50% 52 52 48 34 50 50 1 3 2 13 10 44 42 6 7 2 7 41 12 10 7 3 4 5 17 4 6 9 9 8 4 10 10 7 6 10 12 40% 6 2 3 9 9 10 8 11 7 3 4 12 5

30% Cumulative % of Survey Respondents 179 180 166 175 154 20% 146 147 146 134 139 137 137 138 143 139

10%

0%

RDU Airport Lower cost Higher fuel costs On-time performance More frequent service More Park & Ride locations Later service in the evening Benches/shelters at bus stops Environmental considerations Earlier service in the morning More print or online information More areas served by fixedAll-day route service to/from RaleighOne for C-Tran/TTA Employer-sponsored transit passes

Figure 6.1. Cary residents have split opinions on the importance of ways meant to encourage increased transit use

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-4 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Existing Conditions Table 6.1. C-Tran Ridership, March 2008 Ridership on C-Tran’s routes has steadily C-Tran Fixed Route increased over the years, from 16,517 trips in FY Average Daily Ridership 264 2002 to 61,779 trips on C-Tran’s fixed routes in FY 2006-2007. C-Tran estimates continue to Average Weekday 250 increase. For FY 2008, C-Tran budgeted 45,000 Average Saturday 190 door-to-door trips and 69,000 fixed route trips for a total of 114,000 trips. Table 6.1 presents a C-Tran Door-to-Door summary of ridership on C-Tran fixed route and Average Daily Ridership 138 door-to-door services for March 2008. Figure 6.2 Average Weekday 159 presents the upward trend in total trips on C- Average Saturday 51 Figure 6.2. Total C-Tran Tran’s fixed route and door-to-door services. Trips,February 2006-July 2007 7,000 Fixed Route

6,000 C-Tran and TTA provide daily fixed route bus service. All fixed route service is available to the general public. 5,000 C-Tran 4,000 C-Tran provides local bus service with over 150 signed bus stops along three fixed routes

Ridership 3,000 operating from approximately 6 a.m. to 7:30

2,000 p.m. Monday through Saturday (see Figure 6.3). These three routes include:

1,000 x North/South route from Weston Parkway Fixed Route Paratransit to Crescent Commons 0 x East/West route from Preston Corners to Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Maynard Road and south to Cary Towne 2006 2007 Center Month

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-5 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

x Maynard Loop routes (clockwise and counterclockwise) along Maynard Road – includes service to Cary Towne Center Mall and Crossroads Plaza C-Tran currently employs the following modern technology systems to improve the efficiency and customer experience for C-Tran riders: x Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)–Navtrak. AVL technology uses a location sensing device like GPS with a wireless communication link so that from a home location, dispatchers can know the exact location of a vehicle. Navtrak offers services such as vehicle status, reports, and playback. AVL-Navtrak supports on-time performance and fleet management, and it features a user- friendly interface. x Drivecam. Drivecam helps predict and prevent crashes by alerting drivers to risky behavior and by recording what happens on the road and inside the vehicle just before and after an incident. The Drivecam is a palm-sized camera placed on the windshield. When incidents such as sudden braking, swerving, or collisions occur, the Drivecam records 20 seconds of audio and video on either end of the incident. The driver and supervisor can then review the recording and work to minimize this type of driving behavior in an effort to prevent future crashes. x Telephone Reservation System. C-Tran’s reservation system records all telephone calls so that a record of reservations is available. This function helps the agency confirm scheduling details, and it offers the public a way to ensure the Town is providing accurate and appropriate customer service. x ADEPT StrataGen Routing and Scheduling Software. The ADEPT system helps manage the operations of door-to-door service by combining customer registration and eligibility, trip reservations, automated scheduling, reporting, communications, and database management into one integrated system. This greatly improves scheduling efficiency by using ADEPT’s routing optimization software, freeing up staff from determining all the logistical details of daily door-to- door scheduling. Ongoing assessment and evaluation of these technology tools should be undertaken by the Town to ensure their effectiveness. Keeping an eye out for new technology options and replacing current practices as better options arise are also important measures in keeping the system up to date. To further enhance C-Tran technologically, the system should invest in electronic fareboxes in the near future. They have already been installed on TTA in Raleigh and Durham. C-Tran fareboxes should be compatible with TTA boxes, so that a smart pass system eventually can be used on both services, making transit a user-friendly regional transportation option.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-6 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update Existing

Figure 6.3 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-8 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Table 6.2. Summary of C-Tran Fixed Route Bus Service The Town has included an electronic farebox project in the CAMPO Transportation Weekday Service Improvement Program (TIP). The new Operating electronic farebox and ticketing system will Route Route Destinations Frequency Hours maintain valuable statistics on all aspects of ridership, including but not limited to Route operates from Harrison Square in the Peak: 30 min. 6:07 AM - North/South passenger counts, and alighting north to Crescent Commons Off-peak: 60 min. 7:17 PM data, and revenue reports. It also will allow for seamless use of regional Route operates from Preston Corners east to Peak: 30 min. 6:11 AM - between all systems in the Triangle region. East/West Chatham Square and south to Cary Town Off-peak: 60 min. 7:46 PM Center The North/South and East/West routes Maynard Loop follows Maynard Road, with a spur to Peak: 60 min. 6:10 AM - converge at the Cary Train Station, located at Loop Crossroads Plaza and movie theater Off-peak: 60 min. 8:29 PM 211 North Academy Street. They operate every 30 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods, and they operate every 60 minutes during off-peak periods. The Maynard Loop operates a clockwise and counterclockwise bus every 60 minutes at all operating times (see Table 6.2). Passengers pay $1.00 each way to board C-Tran buses or purchase unlimited-use monthly passes for $30.00. All passengers receive a free transfer pass between C-Tran routes. A TTA monthly pass is also acceptable as C-Tran fare. Seniors over 55 years old pay $0.50 to board between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and children under 6 years of age ride free at all times. The Town currently is working with other local transit agencies in the region to establish a regional standard fare structure. All fixed route buses are wheelchair accessible and contain bicycle racks as part of the Town’s Rack-N-Roll program.

C-Tran Ridership C-Tran’s routes directly serve the local community, wheras TTA’s routes (discussed below) serve Cary and regional residents as a regional commuter system. C-Tran has experienced significant Saturday ridership that compares with weekday use, especially on the East/West and Maynard Loops, which demonstrates that C-Tran is being used beyond Monday-Friday commuting patterns (see Figure 6.4 and Figure 6.5). This data confirms travel patterns provided through the public input survey. The very high weekend ridership numbers for April reflect the annual “Spring Daze” event, which occurred Saturday, April 28, 2007. During this event, people can ride the East/West route free. Ridership on the day of the event totaled 1,169 people, boosting the overall weekend ridership to far above the usual numbers.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-9 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

500 In terms of ridership by route, Maynard Loop ridership was well below Weekday Saturday that of the North/South and East/West routes during much of 2006. 450 TheNorth/South route averaged 63 riders and the East/West route 400 averaged 55 riders per weekday from February through October 2006. The Maynard Loop, on the other hand, only averaged 41 riders during 350 that period (Figure 6.6). However, by November 2006, ridership on the 300 Maynard Loop slightly surpassed East/West ridership, and by July 2007, the loop experienced the highest ridership numbers of all three routes 250 with 86 average daily customers. At that time, the North/South route 200 averaged 76 riders, while the East/West route averaged 73 riders. The

AverageDaily Ridership 150 growth in Maynard Loop ridership most likely resulted from the addition of the counter-clockwise loop, which was initiated in July 2006. 100

50

0 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr* May Jun July

2006 2007 Month 120 East/West Maynard Loop North/South Figure 6.5. C-Tran Average Weekdayand Saturday Ridership 100 (April ’07 spike reflects inclusion of Spring Daze Shuttle)

80

60

40 Average Daily Ridership 20

0 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr* May Jun July Figure 6.6. C-Tran Average 2006 2007 Daily Ridership by Route, February 2006-June 2007 Month

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-10 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Figure 6.4 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-12 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

C-Tran Budget C-Tran operates through a mix of funding sources, as detailed in Table 6.3.

The total overall cost per rider decreased slightly as a result of fixed route implementation from $32.42 in FY 2005 to $31.19 in FY 2006. In FY 2006, each fixed route ride cost $26.76, and each paratransit trip cost $33.81. By FY 2008, the Town’s goal is to provide fixed route rides at a cost of $19.49 each and paratransit rides at $39.10 each, averaging out to $27.23, by an increase in the number of passengers. C-Tran operated with fixed route expenses of $973,727 in FY 2006. The service runs 304 days per year and clocks an average of 73.8 revenue hours per day, totaling a cost per revenue hour of $43.39.1

Triangle Transit Authority The Triangle Transit Authority, a regional public transportation agency, provides bus service through Cary every half hour during morning and evening peak periods and every hour midday, with no weekend service (see Table 6.4). TTA operates 4 full routes and 5 shuttle routes within Cary (see Figure 6.7). Staff for the Town of Cary had been aggressively seeking the addition of TTA mid-day service between Cary and Raleigh since 2004, and Route 303 began midday operation in July Table 6.3. C-Tran Funding Breakdown by Percentage 2007. At the start, the route has generally FY07 FY08 carried 15 people per day, but TTA expects Funding Sources FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 (estimate) (budgeted) this number to increase greatly as general Federal Transit awareness of the new route is raised and the Administration 0% 0% 35% 48% 8% 24% 22% North Carolina State University (NCSU) community learns of its availability.2 State Maintenance Assistance Route 301 runs in a rough “Z” shape from Program 0% 4% 10% 16% 12% 9% 8% Research Triangle Park, through Cary, to the $5 Vehicle License Moore Square Transit Center in Raleigh. The Fee 0% 18% 28% 23% 22% 16% 15% route operates on a north/south axis through central Cary on Kildaire Farm Road, Academy C-Tran Ticket Sales 10% 6% 7% 6% 5% 4% 5% Street, and North Harrison Avenue. Town General Route 303 runs from downtown Raleigh on Fund Subsidy 88% 72% 21% 6% 53% 38% 51% Western Blvd to the Cary train station. The

1 Ray S. Boylston, C-Tran Transit Services Administrator 2 Patrick McDonough, TTA Transit Service Planner, e-mail message 7.17.07 Chapter 6 - Transit 6-13 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Table 6.4. TTA Routes and Shuttles Serving Cary route also serves NC State University and the Weekday Service Government Loop in Raleigh. Route Route Destinations Frequency Operating Hours Route 305 serves Cary’s perimeter, with buses running along the northern boundary of the Town from Apex Research Triangle Park, Cary Train Peak only: 6:15-8:15 AM 301 to downtown Raleigh. As of August 2007, this route Station, Moore Transit Station (Raleigh) 30 min 3:20-6:20 PM shortened slightly - it previously extended into Apex, Apex, Colodades Way at Waverly Place, Peak only: 6:23-8:23 AM but now terminates just west of the Cary town 305 downtown Raleigh 55 min 4:24-6:24 PM border. Cary Train Station, NCSU, downtown Off-peak only: 60 Route 310/303 formerly ran to the west along 303 9 AM – 2 PM Raleigh, State Government Loop min Southwest Cary Parkway. Routes 310 and 305 previously operated as one route, Route 302, but TTA Research Triangle Park, western Cary, 6:15-8:45 AM 311 Peak: 30 min split this run in January 2006 to alleviate on-time downtown Apex 3:50-5:50 PM performance issues.3 Ridership on route 310 Peak: 30 min Off- 6:15 AM - 10:20 PM remained low, with just 3.5 passengers per hour, so 747 Airport Shuttle peak: 60 min Sat. 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM TTA ceased operation of the route in the spring of Sat.: 60 min 2007 and, in July 2007, began the 303 mid-day 42, 45, Peak only: 6:45-9:15 AM express from Cary Train Station to NC State and Commuter Shuttle 26, 248 30 min 3:20-6:20 PM downtown Raleigh. Route 303 is already serving about 50 passangers a day. Route 311, which connects the Research Triangle Park with Apex, runs along NC55, serving western Cary. TTA also began running express routes in August 2005 for commuters traveling between Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, but these routes do not serve Cary.

3 Patrick McDonough, TTA Transit Service Planner Chapter 6 - Transit 6-14 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Figure 6.7 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-16 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

C-Tran & TTA Fixed Route Fare Structure (2008) TTA offers shuttle services from key transfer points to major employers and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (see Table 6.4) during morning and evening Cash Fares peak periods, Local routes – $1.00 Regional Routes – $2.00 (twice local fare) Cary commuters can take Route 301 to Research Triangle Park, where they can Express Routes – $2.50 (50¢ premium) board one of four shuttles that circulate workers to the many employers based in Half-fare discount rate for persons with disabilities Research Triangle Park. Riders must request a transfer upon boarding the bus or and age 65 & older shuttle. Transfers are no longer available between transit agencies – for instance, Free fare discount rate children age 10 & younger riders cannot get a free transfer from a C-Tran bus to a TTA shuttle. (6 & younger for C-Tran) The Research Triangle Park also is the transfer point for riders traveling to the airport. Daypass The airport shuttle operates Monday through Saturday, and riders on TTA buses can Daypasses are sold at twice the cash fare, bulk request a free transfer and use that to board the shuttle at Research Triangle Park. purchases (6 or more) receiving a 5% discount, no Via route 301, this TTA service provides Cary residents with access to the airport with transfers are issued one transfer. Local Daypass – $2.00 Regional Daypass – $4.00 TTA’s one-way fares on regional routes increased from $1.50 to $2.00 in March 2005, All Route Daypass – $5.00 with an unlimited-use monthly pass costing $72.00. Express route fares cost $2.50. TTA Half-fare daypass rate for persons with disabilities also sells daily and monthly unlimited passes that allow riders to transfer to buses operated in Raleigh (Capital Area Transit) and Durham (Durham Area Transit 5-day pass Authority). Senior citizens, and disabled citizens, and children under the age of 10 5-day passes are sold at a 15% discount off the ride free. daypass price Ridership on TTA routes dipped slightly as a result of the March 2005 fare increase, Local 5-day Pass – $8.50 but slowly rose again to surpass its former levels (see Figure 6.8). Regional 5-day Pass – $17 All Route 5-day Pass – $21.25 Route 301 has the highest number of riders, with 289 average weekday customers (as of September 2007). Overall, routes operating through Cary comprised roughly 31-day pass 31-day passes will be sold at the cost of 18 16 percent of total TTA ridership in March 2007 (Table 6.5). daypasses TTA’s new midday route is anticipated to eventually boost C-Tran ridership by 10 to Local 31-day Pass – $36.00 today 15 percent.4 This route has the potential to provide service to over 3,000 Regional 31-day Pass – $72.00 and faculty that live in Cary and attend classes or work at NCSU. Midday service All Route 31-day Pass – $90.00 had been a top request from constituents, as Cary is the only municpality in the Triangle region with a population over 100,000 and no midday TTA service. Since Stored Value Card ridership through Cary is relatively low compared to other TTA service areas, TTA has Stored value cards are accepted on TTA, CAT, and opted DATA vehicles. Stored Value card – $24.00 value sold for $18.00

4 Ray S. Boylston, C-Tran Transit Services Administrator Chapter 6 - Transit 6-17 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Table 6.5. TTA Weekday Ridership, September 2006-March 2007

Average Weekday Boardings not to construct large park & ride facilities to support its Cary 2006 2007 routes. Instead, TTA riders can park in lots shared with local Cary Routes Sep Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar businesses. Parking facilities at Big Lots (formerly Kroger), Waverly Place, and South Hills Mall are shared between All TTA Routes 3,785 3,256 2,899 3,335 3,119 3,016 business patrons and bus riders. One formal lot exists at the 301 295 270 239 257 235 246 Cary Train station. 305 96 73 70 79 76 78 TTA’s GoBulls XPress Shuttle 310 48 38 37 34 33 44 The GoBulls XPress Shuttle is a free bus from Raleigh and Cary 311 132 96 82 97 94 111 to events at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Riders park for free Total 571 477 428 467 438 479 at the Cary Train Station or the Shelley Lake in % all TTA Boardings 15.1% 14.6% 14.8% 14.0% 14.0% 15.9% Raleigh. The shuttles are scheduled with one pick-up time and two drop-off times. For example, if a game starts at 5:00 p.m., buses depart Cary and Raleigh at 4:15 p.m. and buses return Figure 6.8. TTA Average Weekday Ridership, February 2006-September 2007 from the stadium at 6:30 p.m. and 10 minutes after the game ends. The shuttle began running in 2005 with pick-up locations 350 in Cary, Chapel Hill, and Durham. During the 2006 season, TTA Route 301 Route 311 Route 305 Route 310 Route 303 transported a total of 596 riders to 18 games. Ridership from 300 Cary comprised a substantial portion of the trips, with 460 boardings. When taking into account return trips and the 19.2- 250 mile one-way distance from the pick-up location in Cary to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the shuttle reduced vehicle 200 miles traveled by 17,664 miles.

150 Ridership Comparison of Fixed Route Bus Services 100 Figure 6.9 illustrates the proportion of riders on C-Tran versus TTA routes. A boarding and alighting survey along Route 301 50 from August 2007 showed that the Cary Train Station, Big Lots, and Harrison Avenue/Weston Parkway stops are the busiest in 0 Cary. On a typical round trip, 29 riders boarded at the train Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept station, 21 riders boarded at Big Lots, and 7 riders boarded at 2006 2007 Harrison/Weston.5 Stop by stop data has become available Month through TTA’s new Automatic Passenger Counters, which went into effect in fall 2007.

5 Erik Landfried, TTA Transit Service Planner. E-Mail message 10/26/07. Chapter 6 - Transit 6-18 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Figure 6.9

50 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-20 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Rail Table 6.6. Amtrak Scheduled Stops in Cary Route Time Direction Train # Amtrak 5:11 am. Northbound 92 Cary is located along three of Amtrak’s routes: Silver Star 9:27 pm Southbound 91 x Piedmont - between Charlotte and Raleigh 7:16 am Southbound 73 Piedmont x Carolinian - between New York City and 8:21pm Northbound 74 Charlotte 10:43 am Northbound 80 Carolinian x Silver Star - between Miami and New York 5:03 pm Southbound 79 City One-way tickets from Cary to Charlotte cost $26.00, and one-way tickets from Cary to Raleigh or Durham cost $4.00 and $5.00, respectively. The three routes currently offer six daily stops in Cary (see Table 6.6). The Silver Star service in Cary started in April 2006 when the Town built a new platform to support the service. Ridership at the Cary station in FY 2006 totaled 20,682 boardings and alightings, an increase from FY 2005 ridership of 15,639.6 Ridership between January and June 2006 totaled 9,624, indicating an increase in ridership from 2005 should numbers remain at similar levels for the second half of 2006. Of the 16 Amtrak stations in North Carolina, Cary is the 9th busiest.

6 Jeff Mann, Senior Director of State Contracts (Amtrak), and Amtrak web site Chapter 6 - Transit 6-21 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

C-Tran Paratransit

In August 2001, C-Tran began as a door-to-door transportation service for C-Tran Door-to-Door Fare Cary citizens of age 55 years or older as well as for disabled citizens. As of Structure (2008) July 2002, the service was expanded to serve all citizens of the Town with the understanding of no reduction in service for senior citizens and Tier I: Trips wholly within 3/4 disabled citizens. In December 2005, the Town of Cary began operation mile of the fixed route of a new system design consisting of both fixed route and door-to-door corridors – $2 per one-way transit service. The door-to-door service was once again reserved for trip senior citizens (55+) and disabled citizens, and the fixed routes were Tier II: Trips not wholly within open to the general public. the 3/4 mile corridor of the fixed routes but within Town The motivation for implementing the fixed route service was to improve limit –$4 per one-way trip overall cost effectiveness of trasnit operations by shifting the general public onto fixed routes. In order to encourage this shift, the new fixed Tier III: Out-of-town trips (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel route service (comprised of a North-South Route, an East-West Route, Hill, Apex, and Morrisville): and the Maynard Loop Route) was free to all riders from the start of $6 per one-way trip operations (December 16, 2005) through February 1, 2006.

Registered senior and disabled citizens can use the door-to-door service Discount fares of $1 per one- to travel to out-of-town medical appointments or to work anywhere in way trip are provided during Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Morrisville on a space-available off-peak hours (10 a.m. to 3 basis. The hours of operation for both services are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.) for Tier I and Tier II trips p.m.Monday through Saturday. Trip reservations for the door-to-door only. service can be made from two hours to two weeks prior to the trip. Reservations are recommended at least 24 hours in advance to ensure a seat. C-Tran offers subscription service (for regularly recurring trips) from 6 a.m. to approximately 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The overall effect of the shift was a reduction in the number of paratransit trip for a short period of time in 2006. Prior to the initiation of fixed route service, there were approximately 4,000 trips per month on the door-to-door service. This was reduced to approximately 2,500 trips per month immediately after the changeover (January to February 2006). Afterwards, ridership fluctuated between approximately 2,700 and 3,600 trips per month with the highest ridership (3,629) reached in March 2007. Ridership during theseven-month period of January to July 2007 averaged 3,029 trips per month. Fixed route ridership began at 2,600 trips per month in February 2006, immediately after the free fare period ended, and has increased to approximately 5,900 trips per month as of July 2007.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-22 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

The actual cost of providing both fixed route and door-to-door trips increased during 2006 and then decreased by March 2007. Figure 6.10 presents the ridership and cost per trip for selected months in 2006 and 2007.

When looking at the system with an overall basis in mind (combining fixed route and door-to-door ridership and costs), the systemwide average cost per trip has actually decreased by about 5.5 percent from May 2006 to June 2007 ($23.10 vs. $21.84), while the overall cost of the combined services increased by 14 percent during the same time period ($165,281 versus $188,187). This continuing increase in the costs of providing C-Tran service has caused the Town of Cary toconsider various options to reduce the overall cost of service. This assessment of C-Tran operations, and the door- to-door service in particular, is intended to assist the Town in making near-term decisions regarding C- Tran service.

Figure 6.10. C-Tran Cost per Transit Trip in relation to Ridership

7,000 $40.00 Human Service Agencies $36.40 $33.43 $33.80 Demand-responsive service is also provided in 6,000 $35.00 $30.19 $31.40 Cary by two human service agencies. $30.00 5,000 Wake Coordinated Transportation $25.00 4,000 Services (WCTS)

$16.51 $20.00 $16.88 $15.86 3,000 $15.34 The Wake County Department of Human $15.00 Services operates transportation services (WCTS) $15.92 MonthlyRidership

Average Cost per TripAverage for eligible persons living in non-urbanized areas 2,000 $10.00 in Wake County. Agencies providing human services subscribe to the transportation service. 1,000 $5.00 Wake County riders are eligible if sponsored by an agency recognized by WCTS, such as the 0 $0.00 Health Department or Medicaid. The County’s May Sep Dec Mar Jun 15-passenger vans also will pick up members of 2006 2007 the general public for $2.00 if traveling within Month of Service one zone (see Figure 6.11) or for $4.00 if traveling between zones if space is available. Cary, being Fixed route trips Door-to-door trips Cost per fixed route trip Cost per door-to-door trip an urbanized area, is not in a zone, but

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-23 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

passengers requesting rides to or from Cary may be accommodated if space is available. Passengers using the service as public transportation must pay the driver, whereas those using it through human services agencies do not pay because their agencies pay the fare. In FY 2005, WCTS provided 6,582 general public trips as part of the Transportation and Rural Access program (TRACS). A very small number of trips were made from a WCTS zone to Cary because the service is designed to serve rural populations. WCTS recently suspended its Job Access Reverse Commute program to address funding issues.

Center for Volunteer Caregiving The Center for Volunteer Caregiving is an interfaith nonprofit organization that provides a number of free services to elderly and disabled citizens, including on-call transportation services. Volunteers use their own vehicles to provide round-trip, door-to-door transportation to customers for any reason, from shopping trips to medical appointments. The service is different from C-Tran’s door-to-door service in that volunteers assist passengers beyond the doors of the destination and will, for example, help a person into a medical office. The service began through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and funding from the Town of Cary, and it continues through donations from volunteers and businesses, along with government grants. In FY 2006, the center provided a total of 2,380 rides, 1,240 of which originated or ended in Cary. This translates into 72 Cary residents using the service, assuming the average rate of 17 trips per person.. The center’s van completed 600 trips for non-Cary residents going to Cary during FY 2006.

Figure 6.11. Wake Coordinated Transportation Services Zone Map

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-24 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Land Use & Growth Transit services are most effective when they are coordinated with land uses and development patterns. The following section outlines Cary’s existing and planned land use patterns, and how existing bus operations serve these areas.

Table 6.7. Existing Land Uses The Town of Cary follows a rough Y-shape and covers approximately 24,300 acres. The Town Council adopted the Town of Cary Land Use Plan in November 1996 and amended % of Total Land Use Acres it in 2003. The plan details the supply of existing land in the Town and patterns of land use Area but does not provide year-by-year population projections. The Town’s total planning area Residential contains five separate sub-areas: 9,966 41% - Low Density 7,366 30% x Area within Cary’s current Town limits - Medium Density 1,467 6% x Area within Cary’s Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction (ETJ) - High Density 718 3% - Estate/Very Low x Areas in Cary’s Perimunicipal Planning Area (PPA), including 415 2% Density - West of Davis Drive - East of Davis Drive Vacant 4,660 19% x Upper Middle Creek Study Area, including Natural/Greenspace 3,415 14% - Portion south of Optimist Farm Road designated very low density residential - Park, Open Space, 2,698 11% (“unserved”) Golf - Remainder of area (“served”) 717 3% - Lake, Water Bodies x Chatham County Study Area, including Public Rights of Way 2,106 9% - Chatham County study area outside the municipal service boundary (“unserved”) Agriculture / Forestry 1,744 7% - Chatham County study area inside the municipal service boundary Institutional 873 4% (“served”) For the purposes of this report, the land uses only within Cary’s town limits will be Commercial 796 3% described. Office 720 3% More than 40 percent of Cary’s land has a residential use, with 30 percent used for low- density housing. Cary’s portion of vacant land is fairly high at 19 percent. Developable Industrial 557 2% land (vacant land plus agriculture and forestry uses as well as residential estates) totals Total 24,288 100% nearly 16,900 acres in Cary and the ETJ. Table 6.7 presents a breakdown of land uses in Cary by acreage. Source: Town of Cary Land Use Plan, Page 4-5 Note: Plan says “24,288”, though column totals “24,837” The Land Use Plan puts forth two different scenarios for future growth in Cary: the

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-25 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

“Business as Usual Scenario” and the “Compact Development Scenario.” The second scenario relies upon the following assumptions: x 20 percent more land per capita needed for office/industrial uses

x 20 percent less land per capita for commercial uses (as a result of more vertical development and compact communities) x Decrease in low-density housing Table 6.8. Future Land Use Development Scenarios x Increase in medium- Compact density housing to 4.5 Business as Usual Development dwellings/acre % of Total % of Total x Increase in high-density Acres Acres Area Area housing to 12 dwellings/acre Developable Land Supply 16,891 16,891 Table 6.8 presents future land Potential Land Development by Use use patterns using the Business Residential 9,407 56% 8,639 51% as Usual and Compact - Low Density 7,161 42% 5,471 32% Development Scenarios. - Medium Density 1,426 8% 2,205 13% Under the no change scenario, - High Density 698 4% 827 5% Cary’s population could grow - Very Low Density 122 1% 136 1% to 200,600, while in the compact growth scenario this Natural/Greenspace 2,926 17% 3,262 19% number could reach 214,900. - Park, Open Space, Golf 2,331 14% 2,599 15% The Town’s devotion to smart - Lake, Water Bodies 595 4% 663 4% growth is evident in its visions Public Rights of Way 1,689 10% 1,689 10% and goals, which include encouraging mixed-use infill Institutional 849 5% 946 6% development, avoiding strip Commercial 773 5% 690 4% development, and promoting pedestrian-scaled Office 700 4% 936 6% neighborhoods. Another Town Industrial 542 3% 725 4% goal involves providing a comprehensive multi-modal Remaining Unused Land 5 <1% 4 <1% transportation system, achieved Supportable Pop. Increase 73,892 82,373

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-26 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan through proactive planning across agencies. This multi-modal system is directed to emphasize pedestrian-oriented development and thoroughfares with adequate flow, connectivity, safety, and mobility. The Town hopes to create denser development through “Mixed-Use Centers,” which provide retail space, employment opportunities, and medium-to-high density housing. The Town has targeted 35 favorable locations for new mixed-use centers and determined the appropriate zoning and form for each site.7 Of those centers, Crossroads and Alston cover the largest geographic areas. Crossroads consists of 2 million square feet of commercial space and 550,000 square feet of office space on nearly 500 acres of land. The project has an assessed value of $284.5 million.8 Alston, on the other hand, encompasses 250,000 square feet of school space, along with primarily medium-density homes, over 816 acres. The center sits along NC 55 from Green Level Road to McCrimmon Parkway and the railroad tracks, and it has an assessed value of $51 million. These two major mixed-use centers should include multi-modal access as a way of increasing circulation to and from each site. Both sites cover large geographic areas and should incorporate both C-Tran and TTA routing as a way of maneuvering through the sites. Crossroads currently is served by the Maynard Loop; Alston currently is not served by C-Tran fixed route services but thus far has not been adequately developed to warrant service. Providing bike lanes and secure bike facilities, as well as safe and comfortable pedestrian amenities, will encourage foot and bike traffic. A well-planned multi-modal development also includes interesting activities with front doors facing the sidewalks and parking concealed underground or behind . Cary recognizes the need for smart growth planning — the Town currently ranks as North Carolina’s seventh most populous municipality, with more people and jobs expected to keep coming. Volume 4 of the Town’s comprehensive plan deals specifically with growth management.9 As Cary’s population increases, a key to improving quality of life and reducing congestion lies in building homes and jobs not just near to transit, but focused on transit. For instance, if an office building’s back door faces a , it’s not likely that many employees will know about or use the stop. Or, if a shopping center sits close to a but a vast parking lot separates the storefronts and the stop, the shopping is merely transit-adjacent and not transit-oriented. Bus service should be a focal point around which user activity revolves, with paths clearly connecting uses and crossing the bus stop. The Town should include transit-oriented development policies in its

7 See complete list at http://www.townofcary.org/depts/ dsdept/P&Z/mixedusecenters.htm. Viewed 5.7.07. 8 http://www.townofcary.org/depts/dsdept/P&Z/mixedusecenters.htm 9 Complete Growth Management Plan available at http://www.townofcary.info/depts/dsdept/GrowthManagementPlan/gmpfinalcolor.pdf Chapter 6 - Transit 6-27 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan comprehensive plan as a way to encourage healthy and sustainable lifestyles for residents and atmospheres for businesses. Town staff are currently seeking Council approval for a Land Development Ordinance that develops and describes transit access and amenities standards for future growth. The Town currently is seeking council approval for transit access and ammenities standards for existing and future development. Current population and employment clusters in central Cary, southeast Cary, and the southwest portion of Cary bordering Apex. North Cary and Morrisville also contain several large high-population areas (Figure 6.12). Much of the area served by current C-Tran routes contains at least medium-density employment and population. A map showing where residential and commercial developments have already been approved illustrates the direction Cary is expanding (Figure 6.13). A growth rate of 6.6 percent since January 2007 yields an estimated January 2008 Town population of 127,640 residents. Approved residential and commercial growth is particularly concentrated in northwest Cary.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-28 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Population Figure 6.12 Employment Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-30 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Figure 6.13 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-32 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan C-Tran Operations

C-Tran fixed route and door-to-door services are provided by First Transit under a five-year contract that started on October 1, 2005 and extends to September 30, 2010. This is a turn-key contract wherein First Transit supplies nearly all personnel, vehicles, equipment, facilities, and materials with the exception of fuel, which is provided by the Town of Cary at the Public Works Department fueling station. The service operates 23 vehicles, four of which the town owns. Payment for both fixed route and door-to-door services are based on an hourly rate. The fixed route rate base is platform hours, which is defined to include fixed route revenue hours, hours, and deadhead hours. The original rate at the beginning of the contract was set at approximately $43.00 per platform hour. There is a provision in the contract for adjustments to that rate, but the 2006-2007 records demonstrate very minor adjustments in the rate, as shown in Table 6.9. The table demonstrates the reason for the increase in fixed route cost per trip during 2006: a substantial increase in platform hours without a proportionate increase in ridership The decrease in fixed route cost per trip from December 2006 ($16.88) to June 2007 ($15.92) was due to the large increase in ridership without any change in platform hours. Payment for door-to-door services is based on vehicle revenue hours, which is defined as the time from a vehicle’s first pick-up until its last drop-off, less any time during the day when the vehicle is not required for service due to reduced demand. Vehicle revenue hours specifically exclude deadhead hours, including time for travel to and from the operations facilityas well as downtime for road calls, road tests, fueling, vehicle inspections, driver training, driver meals/breaks, and missed trips. The original rate for door-to-door services at the Table 6.9. C-Tran Operating Costs, May 2006 – June 2007 beginning of the contract was set at $60.42 per Fixed Route Door-to-door hour for the first year of the contract and $62.23 for the second year. These rates were subsequently Month Platform Revenue Rate Cost Rate Cost adjusted downward by $0.63 per hour in June 2006 Hours Hours due to a decision to install AVL technology on all May 2006 $43.18 1,544 $66,687 $51.36 1,920 $98,594 door-to-door vehicles instead of the MDT units as originally planned. September 2006 $43.39 1,847 $80,122 $58.29 1,835 $106,944 December 2006 $43.39 1,950 $84,611 $58.29 1,673 $97,510 The rates that are used by First Transit are subject to adjustment up or down according to a sliding cost March 2007 $43.39 2,025 $87,865 $58.29 1,880 $109,569 matrix. For example, if the demand for door-to-door June 2007 $43.39 1,950 $84,611 $58.29 1,777 $103,576 services increases, requiring vehicle revenue hours to increase by 10 percent over the original estimate

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-33 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan of 9,700 annual hours, then the rate is adjusted down by approximately 1.4 percent; for a 20 percent increase, the rate reduces by approximately 2.5 percent. Consequently, there is greater fluctuation in the monthly rates charged for the door-to-door service than for the fixed route service, as shown in Table 6.9. The contract between Cary and First Transit includes a series of performance standards that are used to calculate incentive (greater) and disincentive (lesser) payments for each invoice. These performance standards include: x Safety (accidents per 1,000 revenue miles — fixed route and door-to-door) x On-Time Performance (within 30 minute pick-up window — door-to-door) x Missed Trips (disincentive only — door-to-door) x Customer Satisfaction (complaints per 1,000 passenger trips — fixed route and door-to-door) x Vehicle Cleanliness (percent of scheduled cleanings on time — fixed route and door-to-door) There also is a financial penalty for failing to submit required reports and documentation on time. In general, First Transit has been able to receive a financial incentive payment on the order of 2 percent to 4 percent of the base invoice amount for exceeding performance standards.

C-Tran Door-to-Door Operational Performance Many criteria exist for measuring operational performance of a paratransit system, but passenger trips per revenue hour is consistently the most useful. In the case of C-Tran, where payment is based on the number of revenue hours, an increase in productivity will have the favorable result of either satisfying the existing demand with fewer revenue hours (lower overall cost), or handling increasing demand without a proportionate increase in revenue hours (more trips at a lower cost per trip). The monthly reports provided by First Transit to C-Tran include a Monthly Operational Summary that provides details on revenue hours, revenue miles, and total trips. The ridership statistics include trips per revenue hour (productivity) and trips per revenue mile. Figure 6.14 presents C-Tran door-to-door productivity from February 2006 to July 2007.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-34 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

The range of productivity values varies considerably from a Figure 6.14. C-Tran Monthly Door-to-Door Productivity (Trips per Revenue Hour) low of nearly 1.5 in April and May 2006 to a high of 1.93 in 2.00 March 2007. As the trend line shows, there has been a significant increase in productivity in more recent months, 1.90 with the exception of December 2006 and January 2007. The 1.80 average productivity from January to July 2007 was 1.78. Figure 6.15 presents the trip data for the same period. In this 1.70 case the low point for ridership occurred in February 2006 1.60 (about 2,600 trips), and the high point occurred in March 2007 (approximately 3,600 trips). The average for July 2006 to 1.50 July 2007 was approximately 3,213 trips per month, or about 1.40 38,556 trips per year.

1.30 A comparison of the two figures indicates that there is some direct correlation between monthly trips and productivity. 1.20 Normally, productivity is expected to decrease as ridership Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul fluctuates downward because of the difficulty of adjusting

2006 2007 revenue hours; scheduling software typically tries to distribute trips based on the driver shifts/runs that have been entered into the system. Figure 6.15. C-Tran Monthly Door-to-Door Trips The figures for March, April, and May 2006 show the number of trips starting at about 3,000, reducing to about 2,800, and 4,000 then returningto nearly 3,000. Meanwhile, the productivity starts at 1.65, reduces to 1.53, and then continues to 3,500 reduceto 1.52. The vehicle revenue hours (not shown) are 3,000 approximately the same for March and April (about 1,800) 2,500 and then increase to slightly more than 1,900 hours for May. 2,000 Therefore, the productivity drop from March to April was due to ridership reducing while the number of revenue hours 1,500 remained the same. In May, adjustments were made that 1,000 resulted in an increase in revenue hours; however, the 500 adjustment was large enough that the productivity continued to decreaseeven though the ridership increased 0 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul to the March level.

2006 2007 The productivity improvement from January to March 2007 is significant. The increase from January to February is due to a

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-35 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan substantial decrease in vehicle revenue hours (1,845 to 1,698) while the number of trips increased slightly. The increase from February to March is due to a large increase in ridership (3,182 to 3,629) that outweighed the increase in vehicle revenue hours (1,698 to 1,880). Productivity was very stable from April to June 2007 (1.87/1.88/1.86). A slight dip in July down to 1.75, indicates that the contractor was able to adjust the vehicle revenue hours to maintain a high productivity relative to the period before January 2007. The changes in productivity described above are relatively small when compared to the average over a given period of time. For example, for the seven-month period from January 2007 to July 2007, the variation in monthly productivity ranged approximately +/- 10 percent around the mean of 1.84 trips per revenue hour. It is important to note that C-Tran offers out-of-town transportation to seniors and the disabled for employment and medical purposes. These long-distance trips, which account for about 25 percent of the total door-to-door trips, have a dramatic impact on service performance in terms of passengers per hour. The longer distance trips to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill are more difficult to analyze.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-36 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Peer System Comparisons In order to provide context for evaluatingC-Tran door-to-door service, its operational and financial performance data are compared with those of other systems with similar demographics, ridership, and operating characteristics. The data for the other paratransit systems was drawn from recent paratransit studies and peer system evaluations conducted by Nelson/Nygaard. Paratransit operations are very complex systems involving numerous functions ranging from the initial determination of a citizen’s eligibilityto the of a passenger. Paratransit systems often perform these functions differently. Some elect to hire a contractor to perform all of the functions under a turn- key contract, while others retain the responsibility for certain functions or handle everything in-house. As a result, making a specific comparison of all costs involved in providing service is difficult. Therefore, the study’s objective of establishing context is accomplished with a more limited comparison recognizing that not all factors match (and should not be applied) between systems. The details of the Peer System Comparisons are presented in Appendix A. The results of the comparisons indicate that the C-Tran paratransit service is operating efficiently, particularly under conditions where they have to provide a relatively large portion of trips to out-of-town locations. These long-distance trips make it much more difficult to establish efficient vehicle schedules. C-Tran also provides a higher service quality by transporting passengers door-to-door, which is inherently less efficient than curb-to-curb service provided by four out of the five peer paratransit systems. The contracted rate (cost per revenue hour) for the C-Tran paratransit service is higher than some of the peer systems. The rate is based on the particular operating conditions for C-Tran door-to-door service and is the result of a competitive bid process. The contracted rate reflects the collective assessment of the bidders regarding all costs that would be incurred in providing the service according to the requirements of the Town of Cary. Under the current conditions, any effort to reduce the overall cost of operations (other than changes in eligibility, fares, and other service policies) should be focused on efforts to increase the productivity of C-Tran door-to-door service. Any increase in productivity will result in a directly proportionate decrease in the cost per trip. The next section examines a potential means of improving the overall efficiency of service by considering the use of non-dedicated vehicles (taxis) to handle a portion of C-Tran’s door-to-door trips.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-37 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Proposed Fixed Route Transit Service Recommendations The following section highlights fixed route service changes recommended for C-Tran and TTA.

C-Tran Future transit services are proposed to serve the areas of Cary which are projected to become the densest neighborhoods and most significant trip generators. In this way, buses have the potential to provide the biggest “bang for the buck” for connecting the most people to the places they want to go. While development is projected to occur throughout the Town, overlapping concentrations of both population and employment are projected to be located to the east and north areas. Population with interspersed commercial and office development also is anticipated to increase in the northwest area of the Town, as numerous site plans have been submitted and approved by planning staff.

Population and employment density figures (number of residents and jobs per square mile) relate better to transit ridership than overall forecasted population and employment increases. Bus service is most effective serving residents and employees within ½ mile of routes. This half-mile “catchment area” generally translates into a maximum 10-minute walk and is an estimate of how far people are willing to walk to get on a bus. To determine these densities, socio-economic conditions for the Transportation Analysis Zones (TAZ) within the C-Tran service area were analyzed for the current existing Table 6.10. Current and Projected to 2035 10 Population and Employment Catchment Data and projected population and employment data. Population Density As presented in Table 6.10, C-Tran’s overall route structure currently serves a Catchment Population (per sq mile) Area with a population density of approximately 2,400 people per square mile and an employment density of approximately 1,650 people per square mile. Currently, nearly Current Projected Current Projected 44,500 residents live within easy walking distance of C-Tran routes; according to CAMPO 102,417 3,178 population projections, this number will more than double by 2035 to a total of 44,482 2,493 (+57,935) (+685) approximately 90,000 residents. Employment near transit routes will also more than double, from 30,235 current workers to 79,214 workers by 2035. Employment Density Employment (per sq mile)

Current Projected Current Projected 76,039 2,369 30,235 1,695 (+45,804) (+674)

10 Analysis based on Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization TAZ data, 2007 Chapter 6 - Transit 6-38 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Recommendation: C-Tran service should add two new routes and expand existing routes. Lengthening routes means longer round trip times, which may negatively affect on-time performance. The following are the proposed route expansions, in order of priority: - Split the North/South and East/West routes to lessen route times, with the four routes originating at the Cary Train Station. - Create a new route, beginning at the train station, to travel southwest, cross into Apex, and deliver riders to the Beaver Creek Commons shopping area located near the intersection of Interstate 64 and Route 55. - Operate the South route to Ten Ten Road to serve the western Wake Technical Community campus as well as new higher density developments under construction. - Extend the West route to Route 55 to provide a new transfer point from C-Tran to TTA, since TTA’s bus route 311 runs along Route 55. - Extend the East bus to Jones Franklin Road to connect with the CAT bus system. - Extend Maynard Loop to Walnut and Tryon Roads to capture extensive commercial development planned for that corridor. - Create new Cary Parkway Route, running from Harrison Avenue westward and southward to Tryon Road. - In the long term, Town staff should eventually plan for a fixed-route connection from the northwest area to the future West route.

The new routes are presented in Figure 6.16 on the following page.

Recommendation: C-Tran should add shuttle services for the general public to events like NC State sports events, Carolina Hurricanes games, and the NC State Fair, similar to the successful TTA GoBulls shuttle service.

C-Tran could use surplus vehicles for the service or could lease or contract out shuttle services with other vendors. Since many sports events take place in the evening, when C-Tran is not running, the agency could likely use its own vehicles for shuttle service. Adding this element will not only generate revenue and maximize the use of existing transit assests, but it will increase the profile of the agency among the community and will boost overall annual ridership.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-39 Town of Cary Comprehensive Figure 6.16. Proposed Future C-Tran Routes Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-40 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Table 6.11. Catchment Area Data for Current and Proposed C-Tran Systems Attributes of Area within one-half mile of C-Tran Route Square Average Population Average Employment Miles Population Density (per sq. mile) Employment Density (per sq. mile) Current System 25.6 65,650 2,552 41,952 1,639 - North/South 8.0 20,098 2,498 16,081 1,999 - East/West 6.4 16,257 2,549 9,059 1,420 - Maynard Loop 11.2 29,295 2,609 16,812 1,497 Proposed System 48.6 136,498 2,680 121,946 3,077 - North/South 22.4 71,075 3,175 45,337 2,027 - East/West 6.4 11,548 2,084 19,592 4,282 - Apex Route 7.7 21,047 2,743 26,879 3,503 - Maynard Loop 12.1 32,828 2,719 30,138 2,497

The TAZ analysis of socio-economic data discussed above was conducted for each proposed route. As shown in Table 6.11 each of the new routes will serve an average of about 2,700 residents and 3,000 workers per square mile, compared to 2,500 residents and 1,600 workers today11. This growth in potential ridership within C-Tran’s catchment area is a result of both population and employment growth, as well as the expansion of C-Tran’s routes. The coverage area within half a mile on either side of C-Tran routes nearly doubles in the future scenario, greatly extending the reach of C-Tran’s bus routes. Appendix B includes a complete list of TAZs along C-Tran routes, including population, employment, and density data. As shown, the West Route would be extended along areas with heavier residential densities beyond the current service area. This proposed route extension would travel beyond Cary’s borders, reflecting the Town’s situation within a greater metropolitan region. The new route, combined with the East Route and streching southwest, would capture future densities in Apex and Raleigh (see Figure 6.17). The proposed new Cary Parkway route would connect the parkway from Harrison Ave in the north down to Kildaire Farm Road and areas in northwest Cary projected to have high employment and population by 2035.

11 Note: The reason why population and employment numbers are higher for the individual routes table (Table 6.13) compared to the overall system (Table 6.12) is due to the overlapping areas served by multiple routes in the densest portions of Cary. Chapter 6 - Transit 6-41 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

This proposed reorganization of C-Tran routes will serve many jobs located along NC 55 between Routes 64 and 1 in Apex as well as the cluster of jobs located along the West route at the border of Apex and Cary. The Town of Cary should pursue a funding partnership with the Town of Apex to offset operating, capital, and administrative oversight expenses associated with the new Apex-Cary route. The South Route will provide service to the growing job base in Cary as well as the Wake Technical Community College campus just south of Routes 64 and 1. The extended East Route will serve workers in Raleigh. The 1.7-mile Maynard Loop extension will provide access to the many new commercial developments planned in the area, such as a large shopping and apartment complex to be built at the northwest corner of Tryon and Walnut Roads. Continued operation of the existing route bus stops will be necessary in the long term, as the employment centers served today are projected to continue increasing in density over time. This trend is particularly expected for areas at the north end of the North Route, around Crossroads Plaza, and at the central axis of the routes, the Cary Train station. A Northwest Route in the Alston and RTP areas may come online further in the future to serve an area that is currently seeing increased residential and commercial development. A western route would provide service along Alston Avenue, Green Level to Durham Road, Green Level Church Road, and Green Level West Road; an eastern route would travel along Kit Creek Parkway and Davis Drive.

Route Times and Costs Modified route times based on future service were calculated to determine scheduling, revenue hours, and operations estimates. Round-trip running times, with time factored in for picking up and dropping off passengers, ranged from 25 minutes on the North route to 78 minutes on the extended West route. With 30- and 60-minute frequencies on the North, South, East, West, and Apex routes, timed transfers remain feasible at the Cary Train Station with a maximum of 12 minutes of layover time (for the West route). Buses on the Apex route will layover at Beaver Creek. Total round trip time on the new Cary Parkway route, with recovery time, totals 53 minutes; thus, this route will require just one vehicle. Operating costs for the proposed routes are shown in Table 6.12, based on current costs per revenue hour ($43.39) provided by C-Tran. Costs for the West route are highest because it has the longest route running time, while costs for the short North route are lowest. The Maynard Loop’s running times are more than one hour, but since the loop only runs every hour, its costs are comparable to the East and West routes, which run every half hour. In FY 2006, total operating costs for the three routes were $973,727. Expansion of the East, West, and South routes, plus additional destinations served on the Maynard Loop, will increase operating costs by nearly $400,000. Adding the Cary Parkway and Apex routes will increase operating costs by $146,268. In the beginning, these routes will be kept at hourly headways at all times, while the other routes will run

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-42 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update Population

Employment Figure 6.17 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-44 Town of Cary Comprehensive Table 6.12. Costs for New Routes/Extensions (based on existing frequencies) Transportation Pllan Roundtrip Annual Revenue Hours Total Route Time Annual Weekday Saturday Total at 30-minute headways during peak hours. In (minutes) Cost total, the new system will cost $543,144 more East 48 4,266 870 5,136 $223,000 than the current system to operate annually. When factoring inflation costs of 5 percent West 78 6,936 1,414 8,350 $362,000 per year into route costs, expenses for the North 25 2,244 458 2,702 $117,000 next fiscal year equal $1,592,715. A proposed South 50 4,470 912 5,382 $234,000 timeline for implementing the new and extended services is presented in Table 6.13. Maynard - Clockwise 65 4,310 879 5,189 $225,000 Proposed Route Modifications Not - Counter Clockwise 60 4,011 818 4,829 $210,000 Recommended Apex 65 1,319 771 2,090 $91,000 In 2003, TTA investigated providing a transit Cary Parkway 50 686 595 1,281 $56,000 link of some type between the proposed TOTAL 27,556 6,122 33,678 $1,517,000 and RDU. Consultants studied various alignments and modes for this link, Table 6.13. Implementation Timeline And Funding including , , bus , , and automated Financial Responsibility Total options. In all cases, the study concluded that Route FY Town State, Un- Annual Federal Fares insufficient ridership and funding made the of Cary Fees decided Cost link impractical. Transit service from Cary to Apex Target 2009 $91,000 the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is East/West 2009 -- currently provided by TTA Route 747. In Extend East Route 2009 $223,000 addition, shuttle van and private taxi services 51.13% 21.52% 22.84% 4.51% offer fares of less than $20 per ride between Extend West Route 2009 $362,000 the airport and Cary. With low parking fares Cary Parkway Route 2010 $56,000 at the airport (as low as $5 per day) and short Extend South Route 2010 $234,000 walks or quick shuttle rides between parking 3-year TDP 2010 100% $75,000 facilities and airport terminals, personal Extend Maynard vehicles remain an attractive option. On the Loop (both 2010 $435,000 roadway network, the lack of significant directions) vehicular traffic outside of peak hours limits Consider 30-minute 51.13% 21.52% 22.84% 4.51% the traffic-reducing benefits of transit service. 2011 $315,000 headways all day For these reasons, implementing a C-Tran North/South Split 2011 -- airport link is not recommended at this time. Instead, an education campaign regarding

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-45 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

the transportation choices for traveling to the airport, including the current C-Tran Route, should be publicized. In addition, the Town should continue to encourage and lobby TTA to provide direct RDU express service from Cary with designated park-n-ride lots.

Frequencies More frequent bus service spreads out existing ridership to prevent significant peaking on any one run and also attracts more riders by increasing the convenience of transit. Currently, buses operate at half- hour intervals on the North/South and East/West routes during peak periods and at hourly intervals during midday periods. The Maynard Loop operates with hourly intervals at all times. Headways are recommended to be decreased to 30-minute intervals during all service hours, six days per week (except on the Maynard Loop).

Recommendation: To improve service, C-Tran should consider running buses every half hour throughout service hours.

Table 6.14 presents the costs for these increased revenue Table 6.14. Operating Costs per Revenue Hour with Improved Headways hours on C-Tran routes. When using current costs per Annual Revenue Hours revenue hour, total expenses are $425,352 higher than at Total Annual Route Cost current headways. (minutes) Weekday Saturday Total Improved headways have proven to raise ridership East 30 5,536 1,129 6,665 $289,000 levels, especially for suburban bus systems undertaking West 30 9,017 1,839 10,856 $471,000 carefully planned expansions. A study by the Transit Cooperative Research Program showed that the North 30 2,917 595 3,512 $152,000 average elasticity of rider response to a 1 percent South 30 5,801 1,183 6,984 $303,000 increase in service frequency is +0.5. For urban systems, elasticity generally measures +0.3, while suburban Maynard systems might experience ridership increases of +1.0.12 - Clockwise 60 4,310 879 5,189 $225,000 Suburban systems experience highest ridership increases - Counter Clockwise 60 4,011 818 4,829 $210,000 when paired with a generally positive system image and Apex 30 2,638 1,541 4,179 $181,000 strong local economy. Ridership also exhibits the most Cary Parkway 30 1,365 1,183 2,548 $111,000 elasticity when frequencies are improved on hourly or half-hourly routes, particularly those serving middle and TOTAL 34,230 7,984 42,214 $1,942,000

12 TCRP Report 95: Transit Scheduling and Frequency: Traveler Responses to Transportation System Changes. Chapter 9. 2004. Pages 15, 16, 20, 44.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-46 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Table 6.15. Santa Clarita Fixed Route Performance and Log Arc Service Elasticities upper income areas. For that type of market, Annual Annual Annual service frequency matters more to riders than fare Fiscal Bus Hours Bus Miles Revenue Bus Revenue Bus Revenue Bus changes. Year Elasticity Elasticity Hours Miles Rides The same study’s report cites the example of Santa 1992-1993 48,778 787,807 769,137 ------Clarita Transit, a primarily suburban system in 1993-1994 53,391 1,018,021 915,869 +1.93 +0.68 California. During a five-year period, the system 1994-1995 60,028 1,163,607 1,107,587 +1.62 +1.42 increased its revenue hours by 66 percent and its revenue miles by 99 percent, yet ridership 1995-1996 62,750 1,179,140 1,366,537 +4.74 +15.84 increased by 120 percent. The ridership elasticity, 1996-1997 66,947 1,389,082 1,527,253 +1.72 +0.68 which measured more than +1.0 for the five-year 1997-1998 81,216 1,569,891 1,693,173 +0.53 +0.84 period, is significant because it indicates that 5-Year ridership increased more than service. By improving +66% +99% +120% +1.55 +1.14 Summary headways from 60 to 30 minutes, Santa Clarita experienced a bus hours elasticity of +1.55, meaning that every 1 percent increase in service hours brought about a 1.55 percent increase in ridership (see Table 6.15).

Fares No changes are recommended to the current fare structure other than what is planned as part of the proposed regional fare structure.

Park & Rides At this time, limited opportunities exist to provide valuable park and ride facilities. The informal lots currently used by C-Tran patrons should continue to serve their current purpose. All major trip generators, such as the downtown area, malls, hospitals, and employment centers, have plenty of excess parking capacity to accommodate new riders. In general, parking in Cary is free, and the Town experiences minimal congestion. These factors make provision of new park and ride lots unnecessary.

Recommendation: Cary should investigate the long-term development of two park and ride locations at NC 55 near High House Road and at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Two locations, however, stand out as long-term potential sites for park and rides. Heavy commuter traffic the NC 55 corridor on a daily basis. In fact, NC 55 is the primary route for commuters traveling to Research Triangle Park from Holly Springs, Apex, and parts of Cary. Construction of a park and ride facility will increase mode choice for commuters, have positive air quality benefits, and

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-47 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan encourage multiple occupancy travel. TTA and C-Tran will both be able to use this lot as a transfer point (this project is included in the CAMPO Transportation Improvement Program). The second potential location for a successful park and ride lot is at the WakeMed Soccer Park for those passengers desiring to ride the new TTA 303 route. This facility, and the recommended shuttle service, can mirror the existing GoBulls service and provide alternative access to multiple sporting events occurring in the region: Carolina Hurricanes hockey games at the RBC Center in Raleigh, college events, the North Carolina State athletic events, and the North Carolina State Fair. By establishing one fare to park and ride that is comparable to the price to park on-site for any of these special events, Cary will offer residents a convenient option and reduce vehicular congestion on the regional roadway network. Down the road, C-Tran may partner with TTA to provide bus service from Cary to RDU Airport. Thus, initial scoping of sites for a park and ride could be useful; however, it should be stressed that TTA must be the lead agency on this effort. C-Tran has neither the resources nor the local demand to operate the route alone.

Planned Transit Improvements – Regional Level According to CAMPO, several transit projects for Cary are recommended in the Transportation Improvement Program 2007-2013.13 These currently “unfunded” projects include bus and shelter purchases as well as x Electronic fareboxes (9) - $120,000 x lanes on Davis Drive - $600,000 x TTA Bus stop lanes - $100,000

Triangle Transit Authority TTA planned to build a new two- regional rail network to connect Research Triangle Park, Cary, Durham, and Raleigh (see Figure 6.18) until recently when the Authority announced that they would not seek federal funding due to insufficient performance projections. The 28-mile route, containing 12 stations, was originally designed to connect with existing transit services and operate on 15-minute headways during peak periods (6 to 9 a.m., 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.), 7 days per week. The TTA hoped to eventually operate at 10-minute headways during peak periods and 20-minute headways during off- peak periods, with service coverage expanding to 18 hours per day. Two passenger rail lines were

13 TIP available at http://www.campo-nc.us/TIP/MTIP-2007-2013_Priority_List_2005-11-23.pdf Chapter 6 - Transit 6-48 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan planned to be built within an existing 200-foot wide freight corridor. TTA considered running its passenger service on the freight tracks, but several factors — including the length and slow speeds of freight as well as the lack of a consistent train schedule — prompted TTA to plan an entirely new passenger rail system adjacent to the freight tracks. Although this option substantially increased the cost of the system, it also helped ensure reliability and allowed for the short headways TTA wished to run. Trips on the rail would range from $1.00 to $3.00 depending on the travel distance (the greatest possible distance, 28 miles, would cost $3.00).14 Two stations would serve Cary — one downtown and one in the northwest. As of early 2006, the TTA had completed all design phases for the 12 stations and acquired 90 percent of the land needed for construction to begin. TTA planned to open the system in 2009. Wherever train service overlapped with bus service, train service would replace service. For example, because the train was planned to run directly along Route 301, that bus service would be reallocated. Other bus routes would then be expanded, either geographically to unserved areas or through extended hours on current service routes. C-Tran is primarily focused on firmly establishing its existing services, thus there are no plans to route service directly to the proposed northwest Cary train station.

14 Joe Huegy, TTA Senior Transportation Planner Chapter 6 - Transit 6-49 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-50 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update

Figure 6.18 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-52 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Transit Amenities and Programs Recommendations Operation of buses should be complemented by measures ensuring rider comfort as well as by marketing and customer service providing accurate information and fostering a positive public image.

Bus Stops While bus operations may be the heart of a transit system, bus stops that are easy to find and use are critical to passengers boarding and alighting buses. Adequate pedestrian accessibility and enhanced passenger amenities at transit stops and stations are critical to attracting people to transit. For the public to continue to perceive Cary’s transit system as a first-class transportation operation, it must include facilities that provide customers with protection from inclement weather and information about service. All stops should include the following features Figure 6.19. Bus Stop Amenities (Figure 6.19): x A level concrete pad, consisting of a 20- by 6-foot clear zone at each stop, unobstructed by street furniture, landscaping, or signage x Reliable pedestrian access with clear sidewalks providing direct access to the bus loading area x Adequate lighting. Some transit agencies have begun utilizing photovoltaic panels to illuminate advertising spaces and bus shelters. Although startup costs appear high, solar power is anticipated to save money for the agency through reduced energy costs in the long run x A bench x A trash/recycling receptacles (optional) x Route, schedule, and system information x TTA and C-Tran bus stop signage where appropriate on a single pole.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-53 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

In Fiscal Year 2008, Cary Town Council approved an update to the Land Development Ordinance that requires developers to install benches and shelters (Figure 6.20) if the development is along an existing fixed route corridor. The Town may also require this work in areas that are identified as future transit corridors. This requirement is an initial step to providing rider amenities for C-Tran’s customers townwide; however, these amenities first should be added along routes where the highest number of boardings and alightings occur as funding becomes available.

Recommendation: The Town should develop a plan to work with existing businesses along fixed route corridors where there is no right-of-way for benches and shelters to be installed. The Town should develop design documents for NCDOT approval and help facilitate correspondence and interaction with property owners to coordinate purchase of spaces or easements where concrete pads with benches and/or shelters can be installed. Figure 6.20. Bus Stop Standard Detail Drawing These amenities support transit service by making the bus riding experience comfortable and convenient. As described in TCRP Report 46: The Role of Transit Amenities and Vehicle Characteristics in Building Transit Ridership, provision of certain physical amenities will draw more riders. The TCRP study was built around the Transit Design Game Workbook, a survey distributed to bus passengers in five cities: Rochester, New York; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Aspen, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; and San Francisco, California. The survey presented respondents a budget of 12 to 18 points to spend on amenities, and it also had them weigh between spending money on amenities or lowering the fare.15 Spending 18 points on amenities roughly equated to $450,000 in annualized costs for a 300-bus system and resulted in a 1.5 to 3 percent increase in ridership. A study recently completed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte also has indicated that improved bus stop amenities does increase ridership. Cary has included a bus stop shelter and bench implementation project in the CAMPO Transportation Improvement Program. This project will install benches

15 TCRP. Transit Design Game Workbook (Part of TCRP report 46). 1999. Chapter 6 - Transit 6-54 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan and/or shelters at 15 of the most used scheduled stops along the C-Tran system. For FY 2008, Cary has budgeted capital funds for the purchase of four bus shelters and installation of 16 benches at bus stops. Another important component of bus stops consists of safety and security measures, which increase transit effectiveness. Safety and security require transit operators to provide a predominantly controlled environment so that riders perceive the agency protecting them. All bus stops should be well-lit and provide clear sight lines with no “blind spots.” Placement of stops in view of active uses is recommended. Wherever possible, stations and stops should be accompanied by clearly marked crosswalks and traffic control devices to provide a safe, controlled roadway crossing. In addition, it requires emergency planning for when uncontrolled events occur so that procedures are in place to respond to unforeseen incidents. These actions provide riders with both an actual and perceived safe environment, preventing public concerns that would limit the effectiveness of the transit system. Bus stops located at the curb are frequently hundreds of feet away from the buildings to which transit riders are traveling. Transit service should maximize customer convenience by minimizing the distance between bus stops and major trip generators, especially employment centers, hospitals, and shopping plazas.

Recommendation: C-Tran should enter negotiation with major trip generators, especially employment centers, hospitals, and shopping plazas, with the objective of securing permission to operate fixed routes bus routes, install bus stop infrastructure, and drop-off/pickup riders at front doors (instead of at the curb).

Recommendation: To aid riders waiting at the bus stops, C-Tran should also procure electronic destination signs for all fixed route buses to clearly display route and route names.

Marketing and Communications Strategy Operating a transit system requires more than providing excellent bus service. For the system to be successful, it must be embraced by the community; its members are those who will ride regularly, make the system part of their predictable behavior, and recommend it to others. The transit system in Cary is still relatively new; thus, the system must continue its efforts to become a recognized Town service of the community by enhancing the quality of life for residents and in return having its value demonstrated by ridership and public support.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-55 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Recommendation: The following elements should be implemented to help increase the community’s familiarity of the C-Tran system: - Prepare all system material in the languages that are spoken and read in the community. For Cary, all outreach should continue to be prepared in both English and Spanish - Host an event targeted specifically to groups of residents who are not effectively reached by current outreach efforts - Improve the C-Tran website to make it easily understandable to all residents - Offer riders the opportunity to improve the initial system through an on-going customer service program - Continue to employ a bilingual staff member at the contractor’s Operation Center for questions about scheduling and other system information

Written Material

Recommendation: To maximize community acceptance of the transit system, all system information (printed, recorded, or electronically published) should be prepared in the languages spoken by the Town’s constituents. In addition, advertising in newspapers, on-line, on the radio, and television should all be multi-lingual.

Recommendation: The following information should always be available to the public: - Schedules - Customer feedback number - Maps - Website address - Fare structures - Online ticket purchases with mail-to-home service

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-56 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Customer Service Program An on-going customer service program provides opportunities for continuous public input.

Recommendation: The Town should regularly survey C-Tran customers to maintain reliable customer service data with which to determine system effectiveness, evaluate past improvements, and prioritize future improvements.

Surveys should question riders about all aspects of their experience, including: x Schedule reliability x Courteousness of agency personnel x Cleanliness of vehicles and facilities x Accuracy and comprehensiveness of the information provided at facilities, via phone, and online x Promptness in response to information requests x Perceived safety and security

Recommendation: The Town should consider joining Raleigh and Durham in the Regional Customer Service Call Center operations. Cary should ensure that TTA propose a fair and equitable cost-sharing arrangement for particpation in the call center based on the size and scope of C-Tran in comparison to other providers in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham.

The goal for fixed route services should be for more than 90 percent of riders to rate transit service quality as satisfactory at minimum, with at least 50 percent rating it as excellent.

Recommendation: As part of the on-going customer service program, Cary should consider providing an e-mail address and telephone number where system users may obtain information and provide comments.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-57 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Targeted Marketing Learning about customers’ needs and communicating their transit options is a critical element in maximizing the system’s effectiveness. C-Tran has already established marketing as an important element of their service.

Recommendation: C-Tran marketing should be expanded to target populations who are traditionally disconnected from current efforts.

For Cary, the Spanish-speaking population and the elderly population are two key groups that should be targeted for outreach. The following specific efforts should be used to reach these populations should include: x Providing all material in Spanish including printed documents, C-Tran’s web site, and continuing to offer a Spanish-speaking dispatcher x Advertising on Cary’s local cable network in both English and Spanish x Sending representatives to present information in Spanish at church meetings x Sending written material in both English and Spanish to public schools in Cary, as backpack flyers for students to take home x Sending representatives to present information at elder-care facilities and senior citizen centers x Advertising on radio stations tailored to intended audiences x Including C-Tran information with any Town presentation to applicable groups, regardless of the focus of the presentation

Transit Advisory Board Maintaining C-Tran’s commitment to customer service requires on-going input and direction.

Recommendation: In addition to the communications strategy described above, C-Tran should establish a Transit Advisory Board that meets at least once per quarter and is open to the public.

For example, the Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) of Cleveland advises the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in matters of fares, long range plans, major projects, and service recommendations. The CAB meets monthly and works to strengthen community relations between RTA

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-58 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan and the public. The organization has 18 members, all of whom must be regular RTA users, who represent the demographic makeup of the RTA service area.16 A similar organization could provide C-Tran with valuable feedback. The TAB could meet at least quarterly, and no more than monthly.

Door-to-Door Transit Service Recommendations

Use of Non-dedicated Service Vehicles A peer-to-peer review, presented in detail in Appendix A, shows that the Town of Cary spends a significantly higher average rate on its transit services by revenue hour and trip than transit agencies in its peer communities. Recent research17 reports the potential use of non-dedicated vehicles as part of the service mix for door-to-door operations. This practice could offer the opportunity for substantial savings in the cost per trip. It is appropriate to first define what is commonly understood as dedicated service and non-dedicated service. These definitions are provided below: x Dedicated Service – This is an operation where the vehicles are dedicated exclusively to the transportation of customers of a transportation program (or coordinated set of programs) during a specified period of time. The trips scheduled or dispatched using dedicated paratransit vehicles are typically controlled by one entity – either the responsible organization, its call center or broker contractor, or its operations contractor (for that system or a specific service area). x Non-Dedicated Service – This is an operation where the vehicles used to provide paratransit service do not exclusively provide transportation for the customers of a particular transportation program (or coordinated set of programs); hence, these vehicles are also used to transport passengers as a part of other programs. The most common example is a operation that can be called upon to serve a particular trip or a set of trips from a transportation program, but is otherwise free to serve general public trips (dispatched from the base office or flagged from the street) or trips from another contract.

16 For details, see http://www.riderta.com/CAB/ 17 TCRP Report B-30: Optimal Split of Dedicated and Non-dedicated Service for Demand-Responsive Paratransit… Chapter 6 - Transit 6-59 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

One of the products of the research report18 is a spreadsheet-based computer model that is intended to assist in answering a number of questions regarding the use of non-dedicated vehicles in a paratransit service delivery system, such as: 1. Is it cost-effective to use non-dedicated vehicles (NDVs) as part of the service delivery system? 2. What roles are most appropriate for NDVs? - Peak service augmentation to level out the dedicated vehicle run structure - Handling longer trips that would otherwise reduce the productivity of dedicated vehicle operations - Providing service during evenings and other low-demand periods 3. Given the dedicated vehicle (DV) cost and operating environment, and estimates of the cost and availability of NDV service, what is the optimal split of trips assigned to DVs vs.NDVs, i.e., what “service mix” results in minimizing the overall cost per trip. Given the availability of the model and the interest in seeking ways to reduce the cost per trip on the C- Tran Door-to-Door service, it was decided to conduct a preliminary assessment using the NDV Model. With the cooperation of the Town of Cary and its C-Tran contractor First Transit, all of the data required by the computer model was assembled. The Town of Cary will be able to use the NDV Model, along with the User’s Guide, in the future for further evaluations of the potential for cost savings. The NDV Model relies upon two components: x A driver/vehicle run optimization component that determines the most cost-efficient vehicle run schedule for dedicated vehicles for a given passenger demand pattern in a service area; x An analytic component of demand responsive transportation (DRT) capacity and quality of service (referred to hereafter as “the DRT analytic model”) and incorporated into the overall optimization approach of the NDV Model. The NDV Model allocates passenger trips to NDVs—subject to constraints on fleet and vehicle type availability—whenever doing so yields a more cost-efficient solution than having these trips transported on DVs. This most typically occurs for peak period trips, trips during low density times of the day, or long trips. The overall result is a minimum cost DRT service delivery system. There are actually 3 optimization modules that are processed during each run of the computer model.

18 Ibid. Chapter 6 - Transit 6-60 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Table 6.16. Non-Dedicated Vehicle Optimization Model – Detailed Results Results (Representative Weekday) Trip Length Measure Peak Run Leveling Evening Diversion Diversion Driver Hour Scheduling Efficiency Ratio 0.912 1 0.977 Total DV Driver Cost $855 $720 $660 Total DV Driver Hours 57 48 44 Total DV Vehicle Hours 61 52 47 DV Trips 138 110 145 DV Trips per Vehicle Hour 2.26 2.12 3.09 Total DV Service Cost $2,896 $2,468 $2,231 DV Cost per Trip $20.98 $22.44 $15.39 DV Cost per Passenger $20.18 $21.58 $14.80

NDV/Taxi Trips 29 57 27 NDV/Taxi Service Cost $425 $835 $731 NDV/Taxi Cost per Trip $14.65 $14.65 $26.84 NDV/Taxi Cost per Passenger $14.09 $14.09 $25.80 NDV Passenger Trip Split 17.40% 34.10% 15.80%

Total System Service Cost $3,321 $3,304 $2,962 System Cost per Trip $19.88 $19.78 $17.20 System Cost per Passenger $19.12 $19.02 $16.54

Total System Cost DV Only $4,106 $4,106 $4,106 Cost Reduction vs. DVs Only 19.10% 19.50% 27.90%

Total System Cost Current $5,742 $5,742 $5,923 Cost Reduction vs. Current Cost/Trip 42.20% 42.50% 50.00%

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-61 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

1. Core ModulPeak Run Leveling This module, which is used as well by the two accompanying models, seeks to minimize service costs by reducing DV peaking through the use of NDVs at certain times during the day. Leveling out the vehicle run structure tends to minimize driver scheduling inefficiency, and hence provides more cost-effective service than a highly peaked DV run structure. 2. Evening Diversion Module. This module builds on the previousby taking the further step of diverting as many trips as feasible from DVs to NDVs during evening hours and other low demand periods 3. Trip Length Diversion Module. This module optimizes the distribution of trips among DVs and NDVs based on trip length (since longer trips tend to reduce DV productivity) in order to minimize overall service costs. The overall result is to both allocate longer trips to NDVs and to reduce DV service peaking.

NDV Model Results One of the key outputs from the model is a table that presents the results of all three optimization runs making it very easy to see the changes in the cost per trip. Table 6.16 and Figure 6.21 present the results for the C-Tran base run. The key result is an indicated savings (cost reduction) of: x 42.2 percent for Peak Run Leveling, x 42.5 percent for Evening Diversion and x 50 percent for Trip Length Diversion. These are very significant predicted savings, therefore it will be important to understand how these results were achieved. Starting with the Peak Run Leveling results, the calculated productivity is shown as 2.26 trips per vehicle hour. It should be noted that the model uses total vehicle hours for calculation, not revenue vehicle hours as used by C-Tran. The ratio of revenue vehicle hours to total vehicle hours is estimated to be 0.8 based on C-Tran data. This very significant improvement in productivity is due to the changes in driver shift schedules to better match the passenger demand over the course of the day.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-62 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Figure 6.21. Costs per Trip Comparison for the non-dedicated vehicle Model Run Scenarios

$40.00 One of the other model outputs is the driver run DV Cost per Trip NDV Cost per Trip System-wide Cost per Trip schedule resulting from the optimization process. $35.00 $34.38 Figure 6.22 illustrates the driver shift schedule for Peak Run Leveling for the C-Tran base run. The $30.00 figure shows that two 8-hour shifts are started at 5:00 am, followed by two 4-hour shifts at 6:00 am.

$25.00 At 10:00 am, one 8-hour shift and one 9-hour shift are started. At 11:00 am, two more 8-hour shifts $19.88 $19.78 are started, which completes the shift schedules $20.00 $17.20 for the day.

$15.00 A question that can be raised about these results Average Cost per Tripper Cost Average is the impact of taxi trips on the development of

$10.00 efficient driver schedules. In order to test this, the base model was run again without allowing any taxi trips for the Peak Run Leveling. In this case $5.00 the cost savings was 28.5 percent compared to

$34.38 $20.98 $14.65 $22.44 $14.65 $15.39 $26.84 the current cost per trip, therefore approximately $0.00 two-thirds of the savings is due to the Current Operations Peak Run Leveling Evening Diversion Trip Length Diversion development of more efficient driver schedules Scenario and the balance is due to the impact of the Figure 6.22. Driver Shift Types by Start Time Period taxis. The Evening Diversion results are essentially the same as the Peak Run Leveling results (42.5 percent cost reduction vs. 42.2 percent) because the diversion of trips to taxis causes the productivity of the dedicated fleet to fall, resulting in an increase in the dedicated vehicle cost per trip from $20.98 to $22.44. Therefore the savings effect of more taxi trips at a lower cost is almost completely counter balanced by the loss in productivity of the dedicated vehicle fleet. The Trip Length Diversion results show the largest savings by far – cutting the cost of each trip by 50 percent. In this case, placing the longer trips on taxis provides the opportunity to schedule the shorter trips much more effectively with the dedicated fleet – increasing its productivity to 3.09. It should also be noted that the percentage of trips assigned to taxis is lower than the other model runs (15.8 percent vs. 17.4 percent for Peak Run Leveling and 34.1 percent for Evening Diversion).

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-63 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

NDV Model Conclusions The NDV Model results indicate significant potential savings from two courses of action: 1. Productivity improvements based on setting up driver schedules to more accurately reflect the temporal patterns of passenger demand. 2. Entering into agreements with local taxi companies to allow assignment of selected longer distance C-Tran trips to taxis in order to reduce the overall system cost per trip. The process of entering into agreements with local taxi companies is bound to be a time-consuming activity; therefore it makes sense to first examine the potential productivity improvements that are possible using the driver run/schedules developed by the NDV model. This can be accomplished by running simulations using the current scheduling software for C-Tran trips. Depending upon the time and effort involved to set up new driver run/schedules in the software, it is suggested that the simulation runs be conducted as soon as possible after the scheduling process using the existing driver runs/schedules. This way a direct comparison can be made of the results using actual passenger trip data, allowing C- Tran to determine if the actual productivity results from the simulation are in line with the model predictions. As part of this process, it is recommended that C-Tran staff, in conjunction with First Transit personnel, review the data inputs into the NDV model and the optimization factors used in the model runs to ensure that they are consistent with current conditions for C-Tran operations. Once C-Tran is satisfied that some productivity improvement is feasible through adjustments in the driver schedules, then they can proceed with implementing those driver shift changes. An evaluation of the feasibility of working with one or more of the taxicab companies operating in Cary can also proceed. Nelson\Nygaard had some very brief and preliminary discussions with two of the local taxi companies indicating that they would be interested in further discussions about the possibility of providing trips for C-Tran customers.

Working with Taxi Companies The TCRP research included a survey of providers in order to determine the various factors that influence a paratransit system’s decision to purchase non-dedicated service. The survey respondents’ top ten obstacles are listed below in Table 6.17 ranked by the percentage of respondents who stated that the obstacle was a major problem in using or purchasing non-dedicated service. It is noteworthy that no more than 23 percent of the respondents identified any of the problems as a major problem, and that only 54 percent identified any of these issues as any kind of problem.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-64 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

The survey participants were then asked to identify the most significant problem and indicate how it was overcome. Their responses were categorized as follows in Table 6.18.

Other problems mentioned included: (1) ensuring that vehicle maintenance and cleanliness complied with standards of the regular fleet; (2) ensuring service quality and driver training; and (3) keeping costs and service quality in balance. The most prevalent problem among the survey respondents was the amount of oversight that was required to ensure that non-dedicated service providers complied with contractual obligations associated with driver training, drug and alcohol testing, preventive maintenance programs, complaint investigation/resolution, reporting requirements, and record- keeping. Some of these problems were addressed, in part, by hiring additional staff to provide contract oversight and to work to ensure that contractors better understand what is required of them and are more successful in documenting and reporting compliance issues. Another provider had to “revert back to square one” on issues regarding billing, complaint resolution, etc. This provider had the most success with contractors when they have spent more time training the owners of the business given the high turnover of back-office staff.

Table 6.17. Top 10 Obstacles Table 6.18. Survey Respondents’ Top 10 Problems % Responding % Responding Most Significant Problem % of Responses Obstacle “Major” “Minor” Excessive Administrative Oversight Lack of accessible vehicles 23% 23% Required 22% Difficulties in contract compliance and oversight 19% 23% Provider Lacks Accessible Vehicles 19% Substandard on-time performance / service Substandard Driver Training 11% reliability 16% 38% Substandard On-Time Performance 11% Few non-dedicated service providers 16% 26% Non-Equivalent Service Standards 7% Non-dedicated service not available when needed 13% 23% Limited Number of Non-Dedicated Service Providers 7% Substandard driver training / sensitivity / assistance 10% 39% Fraud Control 7% Substandard vehicle quality / maintenance 9% 34% Poor Management Skills 7% Inability to meet insurance requirements 9% 13% Non-Equivalent Levels of Insurance 4% Difficulties with complaint investigation/resolution 7% 33% Union Pressure to Not Contract for Difficulties with invoice reconciliation 6% 32% Service 4%

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-65 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Another type of solution comes from a provider who indicated that their reporting requirements presented quite a challenge for their non-dedicated provider. To address this issue, the provider worked with its funding sources to streamline the requirements as much as possible. As one solution to driver related issues, several respondents mentioned that they require the same training for any driver serving a program trip, whether operating a dedicated or non-dedicated vehicle. Monitoring of contractors also plays an important part of ensuring an equivalence of service quality. Requirements for equivalent training must be backed up by monitoring contractor training records and curriculum (if the training is performed by the contractor) to ensure that all drivers serving program trips have been trained according to contract standards. Monitoring efforts can also produce a marked improvement in customer satisfaction regarding timeliness and in ensuring equivalency in vehicle maintenance and in contract compliance in general. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, it has to be noted that the world of public transit and for-profit non-dedicated service providers are very different. Many problems can result because the two entities look at things very differently. One important example of this is in the payment structure. It is vital for the public entity to try to understand the business aspect, so that the payment structure rewards good service. For example, taxi operators are essentially entrepreneurs. If the taxi operators can make more money carrying for-hire taxi passengers, then the paratransit riders will be treated as second-class citizens. Therefore, there should be incentives built into the taxi fare structure to ensure that the operators consider the paratransit trips to be financially beneficial.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-66 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Drug and Alcohol Testing One very important consideration is the applicability Note that the non-dedicated service provider has of Drug and Alcohol Testing Rules to taxi operations. the option to designate which portion of their service The Federal Transit Administration first published drug is to be used to provide the transit services and only and alcohol testing rules in February 1994, and then that portion need comply. However, if the service is in 2001 revised, updated, and consolidated the rules integrated and the service is provided into one, 49 CFR Part 655. This regulation applies to interchangeably, the taxi operator’s total operation recipients or sub-recipients of Federal financial must be included. This includes not only drivers, but assistance under 49 USC Sections 5307, 5309, and also maintenance and dispatch personnel. 5311 of the Federal Transit Act. This regulation also Maintenance is excluded only if the taxi company applies to any contractor who performs safety- uses an outside contractor, and the company sensitive functions for a covered transit agency. provides service for a grantee that receives funding Safety-sensitive functions include the operation of a under Section 5311 or a grantee that receives revenue service vehicle, operating a non-revenue funding under Sections 5307 and 5309 and has a vehicle that requires a Commercial Driver’s License, designated service area under 200,000 in population. controlling dispatch or movement of a revenue Taxi operators that serve urban systems in large service vehicle, maintaining a revenue service metropolitan areas (> 200,000 population) must vehicle, and providing security while carrying a ensure that their first-tier maintenance contractors firearm. Non-dedicated transportation providers that are also in compliance with the regulation. stand in the shoes of covered transit agencies must FTA considers the fact that taxi services are often comply with the FTA regulation even if their provided by independent contractors as irrelevant. involvement is limited or incidental. Similarly, the fact that in some cases no Federal The preamble to the updated regulation clarifies operating dollars are used to pay for the taxi services applicability to non-dedicated taxicab operators. is irrelevant if the taxi operator is providing public The regulation applies to taxicab operators when the transit service. transit provider enters into a contract (written or otherwise) with one or more entities to provide taxi service as part of the public transit service. Drug and alcohol testing rules do not apply to taxicab operators when service is provided where patrons are allowed to choose the taxicab companies that will provide the services. Thus, if the transit system, broker, etc. assigns trips to non-dedicated service providers, they are covered by the rule. If customers choose between service providers without direction or control of the transit agency, the non-dedicated service provider is exempt.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-67 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

C-Tran Cost Savings Recommendations for Door-to-Door Services C-Tran has been examining other ways to reduce the overall cost of operations. In a document entitled “Recommendations to Operate C-Tran’s Door-to-Door Service More Efficiently and Effectively in FY07- 08,” C-Tran staff made a number of recommendations to achieve cost savings.

Adjustment in Age of Eligibility for Seniors The initial staff recommendation proposed a change from 55 to 60 years of age in order to be eligible for door-to-door services. This would only apply to those seniors that do not qualify as a person with a disability. This recommendation has been retained. The Town should consider increasing the age criteria to 65 years of age by fiscal year 2010. The staff estimates an approximate annual savings of $39,900 in FY08 due to the age restriction.

Recertification of Eligibility for Persons with Disabilities The initial staff recommendation was to implement a recertification process for all persons that are currently registered with C-Tran as a person with a disability. The ADA authorizes transit providers to recertify passengers no more than once every three years. The recertification process could include consideration of more rigorous methods of certification as a means to ensure that only those who are truly qualified under ADA are found to be eligible. These methods would include in-person interviews and functional assessments, at least for those persons who fall into a grey area regarding eligibility. This recommendation has been retained, although a specific plan for implementation has not been defined. To this end, the Town added a Transit Services Assistant position with responsibility for providing more oversight in the review of medical eligibility determinations for door-to-door services. The staff estimates an annual savings of approximately $36,000 in FY08 due to a reduced number of eligible citizens. This estimate is based on implementing the recertification process using the current procedures.

Pilot Project to Coordinate or Share Trips with Wake Coordinated Transportation Services (WCTS) Wake Coordinated Transportation Services (WCTS) currently provides three round trips to Durham (Duke Hospital) and Chapel Hill (UNC Memorial Hospital) for human service passengers. The WCTS Director of Transit is interested in sharing these trips and the costs of these trips with Town of Cary residents traveling to Duke and UNC Hospitals.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-68 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

The staff estimates an annual savings of $31,250 from the coordination of trips. The anticipated impact on passengers would be that passenger ride time would increase by about 15 minutes per one-way trip and the wait time after appointments could increase by 30-60 minutes depending on the times of medical appointments. To date, there has been no decision to implement coordinated service with WTS.

Roadway Improvements The Town of Cary addressed transportation improvements in northwest Cary in its Northwest Cary Area Plan and Alston Activity Center Area Plan. The documents outlined housing, transportation, parks, schools, and environmental strategies for this 12.7 square mile area. The Council adopted the plan in September 2002, making it a formal amendment to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The transportation section’s transit recommendations include building additional right-of-way into several major roads, which could be used for HOV, transit, or bus lanes in the future (see Figure 6.23). These major roads are: x Louis Stephens Road from Morrisville-Carpenter Road to Kit Creek Parkway x Green Level Church Road/Alston Avenue from US 64 to intersection with NC 55 (in Durham County) x Kit Creek Parkway from Alston Avenue to Davis Drive x Davis Drive from Amberly/McCrimmon Parkway to Kit Creek Parkway x Amberly/McCrimmon Parkway from Green Level-Durham Road to Davis Drive The prior plan recommends an extra 40 to 50 feet of right-of-way on the first four sections and an extra 48 to 50 feet on the fifth section. The wide right-of-way on segments of Alston Avenue, Kit Creek Parkway, Davis Drive, and Amberly Parkway create a potential transit loop connecting Research Triangle Park to northwest Cary. This rough square shape is bounded by Davis Drive to the east, Kit Creek Parkway to the north, Alston Avenue to the west, and Amberly Parkway to the south. Louis Stephens Road, which runs north-south between Alston Avenue and Davis Drive, provides another opportunity for future transit services. Thus far, the Town has secured a 124-foot-wide, 6-lane right-of-way dedication along Green Level-Durham Road from Green Level Church Road to Kit Creek Parkway. A 4-lane right- of-way reservation near the planned Pulte neighborhood on Old Maynard Road has been approved, and another 4-lane right-of-way on McCrimmon Parkway is being planned .

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-69 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan Figure 6.23. Northwest Cary Plan (Yellow highlight indicates proposed wider right-of-way)

The Town designed the routes outlined above as opportunities to prioritize transit services in the long-term. While the ideal plan would be to dedicate contiguous, transit-only lanes along all the routes, such an action may not be feasible.

Recommendation: Implement three technologies along these transit priority routes to offer transit priority: traffic signal priority, queue jump/bus bypass lanes, and bus nubs.

Traffic Signal Priority Traffic signals have a significant effect on bus travel time. Adjusting signals to benefit transit, either passively or actively, can offer a great benefit for transit users. Timing coordinated signals at the average bus speed instead of the average automobile speed can allow transit vehicles to travel with fewer stops.19 A traffic signal priority system uses of a device that makes a traffic signal respond to the approach of a transit vehicle. A signal-mounted priority system requires the installation of a receiving device within the traffic signal cabinet that responds to a remote triggering device attached to the transit vehicle.

19 Federal Transit Administration, (BRT) Demonstration Program Signal Prioritization Reference Guide, http://www.fta.dot.gov/2340_7260_ENG_HTML.htm Chapter 6 - Transit 6-70 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Typically, the signal priority is used to extend the length of green light in the transit right-of-way to allow the vehicle to move through the intersection. Signal-mounted systems generally allow vehicles traveling in the same direction as the transit vehicle to receive a green light. Once the remote signal from the transit vehicle is interrupted or terminated, normal traffic control signal operation continues. Traffic signal priority can be triggered automatically and in some cases manually, depending on the system. A transit operator can use a manual trigger if a vehicle is off-schedule.

Queue Jump/Bypass Lanes Signal priority can be combined with buses using right-turn lanes or short bus-only lanes to enable buses to “jump out” in front of a queue of waiting vehicles. Often called queue jump lanes, these allow buses to bypass traffic and jump to the front to get a green signal. In some systems, the queue jump lane doubles as a right-turn-only lane for other traffic; a queue jump lane also can be installed between the right-turn lane and the other lanes of traffic. In addition, queue jump lanes can be used to help buses better navigate difficult intersections or make left turns. A variation of a queue jump lane is a queue bypass lane in which a bus can access a right-turn or short bus-only lane and proceed through an intersection into a far side stop. The Town has included a queue jump project on Davis Drive at Morrisville-Carpenter Road and High House Road in the CAMPO Transportation Improvement Program. This project will allow queue jump lanes to be used by transit riders and HOV drivers in an effort to reduce travel times for single- occupancy vehicles. The project will include installation of new right-turn lanes, acquisition of additional right-of-way, and installation of transit technology.

Bus Nubs A bus nub is an extention of the curb out to the travel lane on roads with on-street parking.Bus nubs allow buses to stop in the travel lane, preventing them from waiting to pull back into traffic after making a stop. The Town has included a bus stop pullover project in the CAMPO Transportation Improvement Program. This project will include the construction of eight bus nubs along three of the most heavily traveled roadways in Cary: Walnut Street, Kildaire Farm Road, and Harrison Avenue. The pullovers will enable passengers to safely board or exit the buses without negatively impacting other travel modes.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-71 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Planning and Coordination Beyond the route improvements proposed for C-Tran through 2009, the agency can significantly increase transit availability through on-going coordination with other area transit providers. C-Tran should especially focus on coordination with TTA to improve connections between routes and timing of schedules, as well as options for serving developing areas within Cary and other connections to the region. The improvements outlined in this report are proposed to be implemented in varying stages through FY2011. Starting in FY2010, C-Tran should implement a program of developing three-year transit plans with details for priority areas and populations to be served. The transit plans should consider proposed route expansions, costs, and other improvements.

Findings & Conclusions

Fixed Route Based on the analysis of fixed route service, a series of recommendations were developed. Changes and development at C-Tran should occur in phases with goals for each fiscal year.

Fiscal Year 2009 Specific recommendations follow: x Work with other transit providers to develop a regional standard fare structure x Seek partnerships with Apex to help fund the proposed Apex route x Study possible park and ride sites along NC55 or WakeMed Soccer Park x Pursue CAMPO funding opportunities for transit improvements as detailed in the TIP 2007-2013 x Continue pursuing regional rail along with TTA.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-72 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Extend routes as follows: x Split the East/West route - Extend the West route to Route 55 - Extend the East bus to Jones Franklin Road to connect with the CAT bus system x Plan for a fixed-route connection from the northwest area to the future West route x Create a new route from downtown Cary to downtown Apex and Beaver Creek Commons shopping area x Create shuttles to area events and sports games C-Tran should continue making its service more customer friendly and should try to expand its catchment area. Ways of achieving these aims follow: x Improve the quality and availability of transit information regarding including transfers to other services, airport service, and schedules x Reach out to specific groups that may as yet be unaware of C-Tran’s services, specifically elderly and Spanish-speaking populations x Formulate a Transit Advisory Board of regular C-Tran users who can offer insight from the public’s perspective and advise C-Tran on service quality and changes x Install bus shelters and improve passenger safety at stations as funding becomes available x Explore possible service to RDU through a partnership with TTA x Pursue approval from SAS Corporation for direct service to SAS entrance on North-South route.

Fiscal Year 2010 Extend and operate routes as follows: x Operate the North/South route to Ten Ten Road x Extend Maynard Loop to Walnut and Tryon Roads x Begin Cary Parkway Route at 60-minute headways.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-73 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

Other recommendations follow: x Invest in electronic fareboxes compatible with those installed on TTA vehicles x Maintain ongoing customer service program to ensure quality service and to pinpoint any problem areas

Fiscal Year 2011 At this time, efforts should focus on increasing frequency to boost ridership and improving infrastructure to speed buses. Recommendations follow: x Split the North/South route x Improve headways on the North, South, East, and West routes to 30 minutes at all times x Incorporate transit-friendly road improvements like traffic signal priority, queue jump/bypass lanes, and bus nubs into road infrastructure

Door-to-Door The assessment of the Town of Cary C-Tran Door-to-Door Service has resulted in the following findings and conclusions: x The operational performance of the C-Tran door-to-door Service, as measured by productivity (trips per revenue vehicle hour), is considered to be in the middle range, based on comparison to peer paratransit systems. It should be noted that C-Tran has a relatively large number of long- distance out-of-town trips (up to one-third of all trips in a month), which have an adverse impact on productivity. Any attempt to increase productivity by increased grouping of out-of-town trips would result in excessive ride times for passengers that would not comply with C-Tran customer service standards. x The cost per trip on C-Tran is higher than the other peer paratransit systems. This is due to the high cost of providing paratransit service, as measured by cost per vehicle revenue hour, and the large number of long-distance out-of-town trips as discussed above. x The current contract for paratransit services requires the Town of Cary to continue to pay the established rate (dollars per revenue vehicle hour) until the end of the contract period in September 2010. The Town should continue to renegotiate the contract for FY2008-09 if the contractor continues to exceed the original projections of revenue vehicle hours required for C- Tran Door-to-Door service.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-74 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

x Due to the nature of the contract, it is unlikely that any major changes, such as incorporating NDVs (taxis) into the service mix, can be accomplished before a new contract is established in October 2010. However, the Town should begin to further evaluate the feasibility of entering into contractual arrangements, including subcontracts with local taxi companies, well before that date. If the Town determines that it is feasible and advantageous, they can develop an RFP that incorporates the NDV strategy. x In order to achieve a near-term reduction in the cost of door-to-door services, the Town has two options: - Implement changes in the fare structure, senior age eligibility criterion, and recertification procedures as outlined by C-Tran staff - Evaluate the feasibility of increasing the productivity of C-Tran door-to-door operations (as indicated by the results of the NDV Model) by adjusting driver shifts to better meet current trip demand over the course of the day x The implementation of the changes in the fare structure and the age criterion for senior eligibility will yield immediate cost savings; therefore, those changes should be made as soon as possible. x The impact of simple recertification on the demand for door-to-door service is difficult to predict. Before implementing recertification, C-Tran should consider the possibility of moving to a more rigorous certification procedure to ensure that only those who are truly qualified under ADA are found to be eligible.. x The potential cost savings from productivity increases due to adjusting driver shifts are significant. Therefore, it would be worthwhile for C-Tran to examine the NDV Model results in more detail to verify the predicted cost savings. x Assuming that the current contractor has no objection, the Town should examine the feasibility of adjusting driver shifts to improve C-Tran productivity. This examination will require cooperation between the Town and the contractor and will require recognition of the contractor’s right to manage and control its drivers in order to deliver the paratransit services required by the contract.

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-75 Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Pllan

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK

Chapter 6 - Transit 6-76