2020 Comprehensive Operational Analysis of YCTD
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2020 Comprehensive Operational Analysis of YCTD DRAFT FINAL REPORT January 31, 2020 Yolo County Transportation District Comprehensive Operational Analysis Executive Summary This Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) of YCTD public transportation services, funding, and administrative policies and practices is a thorough review of YCTD transit services, based on extensive data collection and analysis and on public input. Yolo County is large and diverse, with urban, suburban, and rural areas, a world-class university, and changing residential and employment patterns. Across the river, the City of Sacramento is the capital of California and the region’s historic employment center. To the south, Solano County and the City of Vacaville includes educational and medical facilities important to County and City of Winters residents. Chapter 2 documents existing conditions in Yolo County with regard to the transit network, population demographics, and transit usage and productivity. Specific demographic variables include population density, households with incomes below the poverty level, and zero-vehicle households. This chapter also provides detailed findings related to ridership, productivity, levels of service, and cost efficiency at the route level, based primarily on the May 2019 Yolobus ridecheck, and provides route profiles of each YCTD transit route. Chapter 3 describes and assesses the cost allocation methodology used by YCTD to distribute costs among the five jurisdictions that comprise the district and recommends a new method to allocate costs. The recommended cost allocation method uses the three-year average as the basis for distributing fixed costs among the jurisdictions. The percentages are stable over this period. In the future, fixed-cost averages and subsequent allocations could be updated at the conclusion of the “base” term of YCTD’s service contract. Chapter 4 assesses current administrative policies and practices at YCTD. Recommendations include: • Add a Grants and Management Specialist position and consolidate grant management and reporting responsibilities to this employee. • Continue the intern program in Operations, Planning, and Special Projects and explore use of interns in Finance, Grants, and Procurement. • Revamp the YCTD website and explore increased use of real-time information via the website and/or mobile applications. • Change the locations and procedures for operator reliefs. • Develop new operator assignments with local review in conjunction with the proposed service changes. Chapter 5 documents the current performance of YCTD’s Yolobus Special program that provides ADA paratransit service throughout the service area. Potential actions suggested by this analysis include: • Review the Yolobus Special beyond-the-ADA policies • Meet with the primary destination programs • Review specifics of the Customer Opportunities log for the past year for Yolobus Special customer comments and suggestions Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc. Page ES-1 Yolobus Comprehensive Operational Analysis Executive Summary • Review the driver/ vehicle dispatch schedule • Review customer information • Revise regular contractor reporting and establish opportunity for joint YCTD/ contractor review of the Yolobus program parameters Chapter 6 describes the outreach efforts in Phase 1 of this project, including a meeting with stakeholders, pop-up meetings at various locations throughout Yolo County and a virtual community workshop. Appendix D includes materials used at the pop-up meetings. Appendix D includes all comments received in the virtual community workshop. The public input obtained through these efforts informed the service concepts and recommendations detailed in Chapter 7. Recommendations were developed under two scenarios: the current budget envelope and a 10 percent increase in operating funds. Major recommendations include: • Increase weekday frequency on Routes 42A/42B to every 30 minutes • Streamline Routes 42A/42B in downtown Sacramento and consider streamlining Routes 42A/42B in Davis • Discontinue unproductive service to reduce the financial impact of 30-minute service on Routes 42A/42B. Single-trip express/commute routes, local Route 35 in West Sacramento, and other express/commute routes are proposed for discontinuation depending on the financial scenario. • Restructure local routes in Woodland to be more direct, provide cross-city connections, and enhance connections to the County Courthouse and downtown Woodland. • Streamline routes wherever possible to speed service (Route 39 between Southport and downtown Sacramento is one example) and make other changes to simplify service. • Change running times to improve on-time performance • Establish a single path through downtown Sacramento for express routes from Woodland and Davis. A second phase of public outreach is scheduled after the YCTD Board has had an opportunity to review this draft report and offer comments and suggestions. Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc. Page ES-2 Yolo County Transportation District Comprehensive Operational Analysis Chapter 1: Introduction 1.0 Introduction This Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) of YCTD public transportation services, funding, and administrative policies and practices is a thorough review of YCTD transit services, based on extensive data collection and analysis and on public input. Yolo County is large and diverse, with urban, suburban, and rural areas, a world-class university, and changing residential and employment patterns. Across the river, the City of Sacramento is the capital of California and the region’s historic employment center. To the south, Solano County and the City of Vacaville includes educational and medical facilities important to County and City of Winters residents. The purposes of the COA are to create increased operational efficiencies, enhanced local and regional connectivity, increased customer satisfaction, ridership, and improved key performance indicators. The analysis will build on the strengths of the existing transit network while mitigating any weaknesses identified throughout the project. Community and stakeholder outreach will help us define what “success” looks like in the YCTD network, encompassing enhanced service, current and future transit customers, and regional partners. Specific purposes for undertaking this study include: • Provide significant opportunities to engage community members in transit planning to improve all YCTD transit services; • Consider type of transit service appropriate for future planned developments, communities, and economic zones; • Undertake a comprehensive analysis of YCTD’s existing local, commuter, express, and intercity bus routing, usage, and performance; • Provide implementable recommendations for restructuring YCTD’s bus services to provide greater system operational efficiency and regional connectivity; • Assess and recommend improvements to existing YCTD member funding and budgeting structure; • Assess and recommend improvements to YCTD administrative functions and personnel resources; • Fulfill regional, state and federal goals by improving YCTD services to support greater transit use, increased regional travel options and connectivity, and associated benefits for reduced single occupant vehicle use and congestion. The YCTD transit network includes regular, commute, and express bus service, as shown in Figure 1.1. Routes 42A and 42B connect Davis, downtown Sacramento, the Sacramento Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc. Page 1-1 Yolobus Comprehensive Operational Analysis 1. Introduction International Airport, West Sacramento, and Woodland. As the heart of the network, these routes account for approximately one-third of ridership and operating cost. Figure 1.1 YCTD Peak-Hour Route Network The network also features many commute and express routes that operate during peak hours only. Regular local routes provide circulation in West Sacramento and Woodland. Local circulation in Davis is handled primarily by Unitrans, supplemented by YCTD Routes 42A/42B. The City of Winters and unincorporated areas of Yolo County are also served by bus routes. YCTD recently began a pilot MicroTransit project in Knights Landing. The City of West Sacramento independently oversees MicroTransit within its city limits. 1.1 Organization of This Report Chapter 2 documents existing conditions in Yolo County with regard to the transit network, population demographics, and transit usage and productivity. Specific demographic variables include population density, households with incomes below the poverty level, and zero-vehicle households. This chapter also summarizes findings related to ridership, productivity, levels of service, and cost efficiency at the route level, based primarily on the May 2019 Yolobus ridecheck, and provides route profiles of each YCTD transit route. Detailed charts and graphs are included for each route in this chapter, with additional information provided in Appendix A. Chapter 3 describes and assesses the cost allocation methodology used by YCTD to distribute costs among the five jurisdictions that comprise the district and assesses possibilities for a simpler, easier to understand methodology to allocate costs. Chapter 4 assesses current administrative policies and practices at YCTD and identifies opportunities to enhance efficiency and to improve the customer experience, based on staff input and experience elsewhere. Chapter 5 documents the current performance of YCTD’s Yolobus Special program that provides ADA paratransit service throughout the service