Support Material Agenda Item No. 16
Board of Directors
October 3, 2018 10:15 a.m.
Location: San Bernardino County Transportation Authority Santa Fe Depot, First Floor Lobby 1170 W. 3rd Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410
CONSENT Transportation Programming and Fund Administration
16. Omnitrans Transportation Development Act Triennial Performance Audit for Fiscal Years 2014/2015 - 2016/2017
Receive the Transportation Development Act Triennial Performance Audit Report for Fiscal Years 2014/2015 through 2016/2017 for Omnitrans.
Attached is the Omnitrans 2014/15 – 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Performance Audit Report.
July 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ...... i
Section I ...... 1
Introduction ...... 1 Overview of the Transit System ...... 1
Section II ...... 9
Operator Compliance Requirements ...... 9
Section III ...... 17
Prior Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations ...... 17
Section IV ...... 19
TDA Performance Indicators ...... 19
Section V ...... 32
Review of Operator Functions ...... 32
Operations ...... 32 Maintenance ...... 40 Administration and Management...... 42 Marketing & Planning ...... 47 Human Resources & Safety and Security ...... 50 Finance ...... 52 Procurement ...... 53 Information Technology (IT) ...... 53
Section VI ...... 55
Findings ...... 55 Recommendations...... 58
List of Figures, Tables & Graphs
Figure I-1 Omnitrans Service Area Map ...... 3
Figure V-1 Organization Chart ...... 44
Table I-1 Omnitrans Service Area Demographics ...... 2
Table I-2 Omnitrans Fixed Route Summary ...... 4
Table I-3 Omnitrans Fare Structure ...... 6
Table I-4 Access Fare Structure ...... 6
Table I-5 Vehicle Fleet ...... 7
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix ...... 9
Table IV-1 TDA Performance Indicators - Systemwide ...... 20
Table IV-2 TDA Performance Indicators - General Public Services (Direct/Contracted) ...... 21
Table IV-3 TDA Performance Indicators - Fixed Route, Directly-Operated ...... 22
Table IV-4 TDA Performance Indicators - Fixed Route, Contracted (OmniGo) ...... 23
Table IV-5 TDA Performance Indicators – Demand Response ...... 24
Table IV-6 TDA Performance Indicators - Access ADA Service ...... 25
Table IV-7 TDA Performance Indicators - OmniLink ...... 25
Table V-1 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators - Directly Operated Fixed Route ...... 36
Table V-2 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators - Contracted Fixed Route ...... 37
Table V-3 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators - Demand Response ...... 38
Table V-4 Maintenance Performance Indicators - Directly Operated Fixed Route ...... 41
Table V-5 Maintenance Performance Indicators - Demand Response ...... 41
Table V-6 Administration Performance Indicators - Directly Operated Fixed Route...... 46
Table V-7 Administration Performance Indicators - Demand Response ...... 46
Table V-8 Customer Complaints ...... 48
Graph IV-1 Operating Costs - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 27
Graph IV-2 Ridership - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 27
Graph IV-3 Operating Cost per Passenger - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 28
Graph IV-4 Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 28
Graph IV-5 Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 29
Graph IV-6 Fare Recovery Ratio - Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted) and Demand Response ...... 29
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) engaged Michael Baker International (Michael Baker) to conduct the Transportation Development Act (TDA) triennial performance audit of the five public transit operators under its jurisdiction. The performance audit serves to ensure accountability in the use of public transportation revenue. This performance audit is conducted for Omnitrans covering the most recent triennial period, fiscal years 2014–15 through 2016–17.
The audit includes a review of the following areas:
• Compliance with TDA Requirements • Status of Prior Audit Recommendations • System Performance Trends • Functional Review
Based on the audit review process, recommendations were developed to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of Omnitrans.
Compliance with TDA Requirements
Omnitrans fully complied with all nine applicable requirements. In addition, new state legislation was passed (AB 1113, Bloom) on July 21, 2017, that changes the timeline to submit the annual Transit Operators Financial Transaction Reports to the State Controller effective reporting year FY 2017. Two additional compliance requirements did not apply to Omnitrans (rural and blended farebox recovery ratios).
Status of Prior Audit Recommendations
Omnitrans implemented the two prior audit recommendations. The recommendations pertained to SAP implementation and increasing ridership on the sbX line.
System Performance Trends
1. Omnitrans’ farebox recovery ratio remained above the required 20 percent standard for general public operations and 10 percent for Access ADA paratransit. The farebox recovery ratio for the general public service was 23.70 percent in FY 2015, 22.30 percent in FY 2016, and 25.50 percent in FY 2017. The three-year farebox average was 23.83 percent. The farebox recovery ratio for Access was 13.85 percent in FY 2015, 18.77 percent in FY 2016, and 33.91 percent in FY 2017. The three-year farebox average was 22.17 percent. Farebox ratios are audited figures from the TDA fiscal audits and include local support revenue such as Measure I.
Michael Baker International – i Executive Summary
2. Operating costs based on audited data increased 19.2 percent systemwide from $64.6 million in the FY 2014 base year to $77 million in FY 2017, the result of necessary business activities. General public service operating costs increased 24.3 percent from $51.7 million in the FY 2014 base year to $64.3 million in FY 2017, whereas costs on the demand response services decreased 0.9 percent over the same period from $1.87 million in FY 2014 to $1.86 million in FY 2017. Systemwide costs increased due to factors such as higher wages, salaries, and benefits (release of a wage freeze), increase in cost attributed to pension increase for the union employees, and O&M and security costs for the relatively new San Bernardino Transit Center.
3. Ridership systemwide exhibited a decrease of 25.7 percent, mirrored by a comparable 26.1 percent decrease on the general public services. Demand response services exhibited a smaller decrease of 7.4 percent. Systemwide, ridership decreased from 15.7 million passengers in FY 2014 to 11.6 million in FY 2017. The decline in ridership is attributed to lower gas prices, the issuance of more drivers’ licenses, and increased automobile ownership and telecommuting.
4. The provision of vehicle service miles increased 5.7 percent systemwide during the audit period from 10.7 million miles in FY 2014 to 11.4 million miles in FY 2017. Vehicle service miles increased 10.7 percent on the general public services yet decreased 8 percent on the demand response service. Expansion of service on the fixed route modes resulted in increased miles of travel in revenue service.
5. The provision of vehicle service hours increased 4.1 percent systemwide from 799,816 hours in FY 2014 to 832,323 hours in FY 2017. Vehicle service hours increased 6.8 percent on the general public services and decreased 4.9 percent on the demand response service during the same period.
6. Operating cost per passenger, a measure of cost effectiveness, increased 60.5 percent systemwide from $4.12 in FY 2014 to $6.61 in FY 2017. For general public services, cost per passenger increased 68.3 percent, whereas on demand response, cost per passenger increased a modest 7.4 percent. The trend in this indicator is attributed to the increase in operating costs compared to the decrease in passenger trips.
Functional Review
1. Omnitrans eliminated OmniLink service and redirected operating funds to Freeway Express service with Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Funding. The elimination of OmniLink, a low productivity general public dial-a-ride service that was duplicative with OmniGo and had flat ridership for several years, allowed for the seed funding for the development of Route 290 Freeway Express service between San Bernardino and Montclair, which has been Omnitrans’ second fastest-growing route over the last three years.
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Executive Summary
2. In September 2014, Omnitrans implemented a fare increase. The fixed route base fare changed from $1.50 to $1.75, and the Day Pass fare changed from $4.00 to $5.00. Omnitrans did not implement a planned fare increase in FY 2017.
3. Omnitrans opened the San Bernardino Transit Center in September 2015. Built in partnership with SBCTA, the $25 million center is a LEED Gold facility that serves 5,000 passengers daily and provides a safe environment, amenities, real-time arrival technology, and convenient connections. This multimodal transportation hub is utilized by Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, the Victor Valley Transit Authority, Pass Transit, the Riverside Transit Agency, and Metrolink.
4. Omnitrans completed construction of its new state-of-the-art maintenance facility in 2015. The facility is located at Fifth Street and Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino and can accommodate the 60-foot articulated buses used on sbX Bus Rapid Transit service. Omnitrans continued to enact cost-cutting measures while seeking new revenue streams. The agency cut $15 million over a five-year period pursuant to findings in the Comprehensive Operational Analysis that offset the loss of fare revenues due to the decline in ridership. Omnitrans implemented the following cost-cutting measures:
• Consolidated four administrative departments into two, Human Resources and Security & Safety, and Marketing and Planning. • Restructured the senior leadership team by eliminating the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Safety positions. • Placed administrative staff on a four-year wage freeze and had staff pay 10 percent of their healthcare premium. • Initiated a process to bill the state for trips made by Medi-Cal eligible Access riders, generating approximately $1.8 million annually. • Transitioned the Access fleet from gasoline to lower cost CNG fueling • Transitioned from trucked in Liquefied National Gas (LNG) to pipeline CNG, which has allowed Omnitrans to purchase Renewable National Gas (RNG) and generate approximately $1.5 million annually from the sale of Cap and Trade credits. • Utilized four years of federal alternative tax credits for LNG/CNG purchases that since expired but were retroactively extended by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and are expected to generate approximately $1.5 million annually. • Negotiated contracts with the Teamsters and ATU that kept average annual wage increases below 3 percent and required employees to pay a larger share of healthcare costs.
5. Omnitrans introduced online mobile ticketing through the Token Transit platform. Users can download the app from Google Play for Android devices or the Apple Store for iOS devices. The app allows passes to be purchased and stored on a smartphone.
6. Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare for veterans in January 2015, which is the same fare as for senior and disabled riders. Veterans simply need to show retired military ID when
Michael Baker International – iii
Executive Summary
boarding any Omnitrans route to take advantage of the discounted fare. The fare media consists of a separate pass. In concert with the veterans’ fare, Omnitrans offered free fares for uniformed active military, firefighters, and police officers.
7. Omnitrans continued to improve its departmental integration with SAP. In 2015, Omnitrans retained a consultant to assess and conduct a landscape review of SAP processes. In addition, Omnitrans hired a new information technology manager and has committed an investment of $1.2 million toward SAP’s successful implementation.
8. Omnitrans implemented Route 61, which operates direct service to Ontario International Airport. Schedules on the route initially had 60-minute headways, which were shortened to 15 minutes in September 2017. The Ontario Airport service is seen as a precursor to the West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
Recommendations
Performance Audit Recommendation Background Timeline 1. Show farebox Omnitrans’ Comprehensive Annual Financial High Priority calculation in audited Reports (CAFR) does not provide a breakdown or financial reports. backup to statement notes for the farebox recovery calculation in Note 3, even though the CAFR does state that to be eligible for TDA funds, Omnitrans must maintain a ratio of passenger fares to operating costs of not less than 20 percent for general public transit service and 10 percent for specialized service for the elderly and handicapped. The farebox recovery ratios for each service mode are presented for that fiscal year but without showing the calculation. In light of Senate Bill (SB) 508 that makes provisions for farebox recovery, it is recommended that the auditor show the breakdown of which revenues and operating expenses are included and what cost exemptions are made.
2. Identify auxiliary The recent Local Transportation Fund (LTF) High Priority sources of revenue to revenue forecast conducted by an independent support farebox consultant firm indicates the 3 percent LTF recovery and cover funding growth through FY 2027 may be operating costs. unattainable. Omnitrans developed a Financial Whitepaper in May 2018 that outlines cost efficiencies and revenue streams, and will be working with SBCTA on funding strategies to bring funding projections in line with future
Michael Baker International – iv
Executive Summary
Performance Audit Recommendation Background Timeline operational needs. Omnitrans has already taken measures to cut costs without sacrificing service or laying off personnel.
State SB 508, passed in October 2015, makes changes to how farebox recovery is calculated. Consistent with current practice, transit systems can boost their farebox recovery through inclusion of local revenues generated by the transit service. Under the new law, other local revenues can prop up the farebox. In addition to local Measure I contributions, examples of local fund revenues include advertisements on buses and bus shelters, alternative fuel sales to the general public, gains on the sale of capital assets, lease revenues generated by transit-owned property, and fare revenue agreements in lieu of individual fare payment with entities that have regular riders. On the flip side, the state legislation also allows exclusion of certain operating costs above the annual rate of inflation.
3. Continue to implement Omnitrans has implemented several innovative Medium Priority and optimize technological tools, such as the Token Transit technologies. mobile ticketing app and NextBus. The agency is also upgrading its Trapeze dispatching system that will allow for the creation of reports to track route delays and to reduce overtime. In addition, Omnitrans is considering using Trapeze for online booking of trips on Access. This feature would make it easier for paratransit passengers to book and cancel trips from their mobile device or telephone. The benefits would be reduced cancellations and wait times. Omnitrans should continue along this path of integrating value-added technologies that improve operational performance and efficiency with the focus being on customer service. This recommendation encourages Omnitrans to continue its commitment in leveraging technology to improve efficiencies and customer amenities, and delivering a higher level of customer service.
Michael Baker International – v
Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Section I
Introduction
California’s Transportation Development Act (TDA) requires that a triennial performance audit be conducted of public transit entities that receive TDA revenues. The performance audit serves to ensure accountability in the use of public transportation revenue.
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) engaged Michael Baker International (Michael Baker) to conduct the Transportation Development Act (TDA) triennial performance audit of the five public transit operators under its jurisdiction in San Bernardino County. This performance audit is conducted for Omnitrans covering the most recent triennial period, fiscal years 2014–15 through 2016–17.
The purpose of the performance audit is to evaluate Omnitrans’ effectiveness and efficiency in its use of TDA funds to provide public transit in its service area. This evaluation is required as a condition for continued receipt of these funds for public transportation purposes. In addition, the audit evaluates Omnitrans’ compliance with the conditions specified in the California Public Utilities Code (PUC). This task involves ascertaining whether Omnitrans is meeting the PUC’s reporting requirements and is endeavoring to implement prior audit recommendations made to the agency. Moreover, the audit includes calculations of transit service performance indicators and a detailed review of the agency’s departments and organizational functioning. From the analysis that has been undertaken, a set of recommendations has been made for the agency which is intended to improve the performance of transit operations.
This TDA audit is intended to provide Omnitrans with an independent, constructive, and objective evaluation of the organization and its operations. The methodology for the audit included in- person interviews with transit management, telephone interviews, collection and review of agency documents, data analysis, and on-site observations. The Performance Audit Guidebook for Transit Operators and Regional Transportation Planning Entities, September 2008 (third edition) published by the California Department of Transportation was used to guide the development and conduct of the audit.
Overview of the Transit System
Omnitrans is the largest transit operator in San Bernardino County. The agency was established as a regional transit authority in 1976 through a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that included the 10 cities of Chino, Colton, Fontana, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Upland and the County of San Bernardino. Since that time, the cities of Chino Hills, Grand Terrace, Highland, Rancho Cucamonga, and Yucaipa have joined the JPA. San Bernardino County and all 15-member cities are represented on the Omnitrans Board of Directors.
Michael Baker International – 1 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Omnitrans serves a 456-square-mile service area in southwest San Bernardino County with a population of about 2.0 million. In addition to San Bernardino County, Omnitrans provides service to parts of Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Omnitrans carries about 15 million passengers per year.
A demographic snapshot of the incorporated cities within the Omnitrans service area is presented in Table I-1.
Table I-1 Omnitrans Service Area Demographics 2018 2010 US Change from Department Land Area Census 2000 US Population 65 of Finance (in square City Population Census Years & Older Estimates miles) Chino 77,983 12.6% 7.27% 86,757 29.64 Chino Hills 74,799 11.6% 7.04% 83,159 44.68 Colton 52,154 10.4% 7.02% 53,724 15.32 Fontana 196,069 35.8% 5.65% 212,000 42.43 Grand Terrace 12,040 3.2% 12.46% 12,524 3.50 Highland 53,104 18.7% 7.71% 54,761 18.75 Loma Linda 23,261 21.3% 13.93% 23,946 7.52 Montclair 36,664 8.7% 8.41% 39,326 5.52 Ontario 163,924 3.8% 6.74% 177,589 49.94 Rancho Cucamonga 165,269 29.2% 7.89% 176,671 39.85 Redlands 68,747 7.5% 13.06% 71,196 36.13 Rialto 99,171 7.4% 6.96% 107,041 22.35 San Bernardino 209,924 11.4% 7.88% 221,130 59.20 Upland 73,732 7.5% 12.07% 77,017 15.62 Yucaipa 51,367 24.4% 13.30% 54,651 27.89 Total 1,358,208 1,451,492 Source: 2010 US Census; California Department of Finance, 2018 Population Estimates
Based on data from the 2010 US Census, the total population of the incorporated cities in the Omnitrans service area during the audit period is 1,358,208, with San Bernardino, the county seat, being the largest. The 2018 population of the incorporated cities in the Omnitrans service area was estimated to be 1,451,492 as reported by the California Department of Finance. Notable Census-designated places and unincorporated communities served by Omnitrans include Bloomington, Devore, Mentone, and Muscoy. Figure I-1 provides a geographic overview of the Omnitrans service area.
Michael Baker International – 2 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Figure I-1 Omnitrans Service Area Map
Source: Omnitrans
Transit Services
Omnitrans has both directly operated services and contracted services. The services provided by Omnitrans include 26 local fixed routes, three freeway express routes, one bus rapid transit route, three OmniGo community circulator routes, and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant Access service. OmniGo and Access ADA paratransit service services are operated under contract by MV Transportation, a private transportation company. An overview of each service follows.
Rapid Transit Route: Omnitrans operates one rapid transit route, the sbX bus rapid transit line, which operates every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. The primary destinations along the 16-mile route include California State University San Bernardino, the Downtown Civic Center, San Bernardino High School, San Manuel Stadium, Inland Center Mall, the Orange Show Events Center, Hospitality Lane, Loma Linda University & Medical Center, and the VA Hospital. The sbX service operates from 6:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and began operation in April 2014.
Local Fixed Routes: Omnitrans operates 26 local traditional fixed routes. All routes operate Monday through Friday beginning at 3:33 a.m. and ending at 11:31 p.m. On Saturdays, there are 24 routes in operation with service beginning at 5:35 a.m. and ending at 10:35 p.m. On Sundays, there are 22 routes in operation with service beginning at 5:18 a.m. and ending at 8:25 p.m. Omnitrans coordinates scheduling with neighboring transit agencies such as Foothill Transit,
Michael Baker International – 3 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Mountain Transit, the Orange County Transportation Authority, Pass Transit, the Riverside Transit Agency, and the Victor Valley Transit Authority under cooperative or joint agency agreements.
Freeway Express Routes: Omnitrans operates three freeway express services with limited stops. Route 215 runs between the San Bernardino Transit Center and the Riverside Transit Agency’s Downtown Riverside Terminal on a 30- and 60-minute frequency daily. Route 290 is a San Bernardino Valley express route that runs along the I-10 corridor between the San Bernardino Transit Center and the Montclair Transit Center in the West Valley. Route 208 was implemented in May 2017 to provide freeway express service between Redlands and Yucaipa.
OmniGo Routes: Omnitrans operates three OmniGo routes (Route 308/309/310 in Yucaipa; Route 325 in Grand Terrace; and Route 365 in Chino Hills), which provide circulator services within designated local areas. Service frequencies range from 30 to 60 minutes.
Table I-2 Omnitrans Fixed Route Summary Route Service Days/Frequency (minutes) Number Route Name Weekday Saturday Sunday 1 ARMC – San Bernardino – Del Rosa 15 30 30 2 Cal State – E Street – Loma Linda 60 20 20 Baseline – Highland – San Bernardino 3 (Counter-clock wise) 15 20 20 Baseline – Highland – San Bernardino 4 (Clockwise) 15 20 20 5 South Waterman – Del Rosa – Cal State 30 60 60 N. San Bernardino – Sierra Way – San 7 Bernardino 30/60 60 60 8 San Bernardino – Mentone – Crafton Hills 30/60 60 60 10 Fortuna – Baseline – San Bernardino 30/60 60 60 11 San Bernardino – Muscoy – Cal State 30/60 60 60 14 Fontana – Foothill – San Bernardino 15 15 15 Fontana – San Bernardino/Highland – 15 Redlands 30 30 30 19 Fontana – Colton – Redlands – Yucaipa 30 60 60 20 Fontana Metrolink – Via Hemlock – Kaiser 60 60 60 22 North Rialto – Riverside Ave – ARMC 30 60 60 29 Bloomington – Valley Blvd – Kaiser 60 60 * 61 Fontana – Ontario Mills – Pomona 15 15 15 66 Fontana – Foothill Blvd – Montclair 15/30 30 30 67 Chaffey – Baseline – Fontana 60 * * Ontario International Airport – Vineyard – 80 Chaffey College 60 60 60 81 Chino – Haven – Chaffey College 30/60 60 * 82 Rancho Cucamonga – Fontana – Sierra Lakes 60 65 65 83 Upland – Euclid – Chino 60 60 60
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Route Service Days/Frequency (minutes) Number Route Name Weekday Saturday Sunday 84 Upland – Mountain Ave – Chino 60 60 60 85 Chico – Montclair – Chaffey College 30 60 60 86 S. Ontario – Campus – San Antonio Hospital 60 * * 88 Chino Hills – Ramona Ave – Montclair 60 60 60 208 Yucaipa – Redlands – San Bernardino Peak Only * * 215 San Bernardino – Riverside 20/30 30/60 30/60 San Bernardino – ARMC – Ontario Mills – 290 Montclair Transit Center 30/60/120 * * 308/309 OmniGo: Yucaipa 30/60 30 60 310 OmniGo: Yucaipa 30/60 * * 325 OmniGo: Grand Terrace 70 70 70 365 OmniGo: Chino Hills 60 60 60 sbX Green Line 10/15 * * Source: Omnitrans CAFR
OmniLink Service: OmniLink was a demand-responsive service providing general public curb-to- curb transportation. Due to low ridership and riders switching from OmniLink to OmniGo service, OmniLink service was discontinued in September 2014.
Access Service: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Omnitrans provides wheelchair lift equipped vans for curb-to-curb, shared-ride transportation services. Reservations for service must be made at least 24 hours in advance, with the option to call up to 7 days in advance. Access operates during the same days and hours as fixed route buses within a 0.75-mile range of routes. Pickup times are scheduled within one hour before or one hour after each rider’s requested pickup time.
Omnitrans implemented a new eligibility process for Access featuring in-person interviews and physical assessments in September 2015. All Omnitrans Access riders are issued a free identification card when they become eligible. Riders must show their valid Omnitrans Access Service identification card to the driver each time they board the Access vehicle. Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) and companions are also able to ride Access (additional companions beyond the first guest may ride if space is available).
Access is also available to pick up ADA-certified residents living outside the 0.75-mile boundary but still within the city limits of the 15 cities that comprise the Omnitrans service area for a $5.00 surcharge. Trips must originate or end within the ADA service area. Beyond ADA boundary service is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
TransCenters: The Omnitrans service operates using transportation hubs called TransCenters, which offer timed transfer connections throughout the network and to Metrolink train service and other neighboring transit systems. TransCenter locations include the Chaffey College Transit Center in Rancho Cucamonga, the Chino Transit Center, the Fourth Street Transfer Center in San
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Bernardino, the Fontana Metrolink Station, the Montclair Transfer Center, the Ontario Transfer Center, the Pomona Transfer Center, the Redlands Mall, the South Fontana Transfer Center, and the Yucaipa Transit Center. In September 2015, Omnitrans opened a new San Bernardino Transit Center (SBTC) on Rialto Avenue between E and F streets in downtown San Bernardino.
Omnitrans provides connections to six Metrolink stations in the service area. These stations are San Bernardino, Rialto, Upland, Fontana, Montclair, and Rancho Cucamonga.
Fares
Omnitrans’ fares are structured accordingly to passenger category and fare media type. Certain passenger categories, such as children under 46 inches in height and uniformed active military personnel, allow free rides. The GoSmart Program provides unlimited rides for students at participating schools, colleges, and universities with valid student identification. The fares for these trips are paid on a contracted basis through the schools. Day passes are good for one day of unlimited travel, whereas 7-day and 31-day passes are valid for consecutive days, beginning on the first day of use. The Omnitrans fare structure is shown in Table I-3.
Table I-3 Omnitrans Fare Structure Fixed Route / OmniGo/sbX Cash Day Pass 7-Day Pass 31-Day Pass Full Fare $1.75 $5.00 $18.00 $55.00 Youth $1.75 $5.00 $14.00 $41.00 Senior (62+)/Disability/Medicare/ Veterans $0.75 $2.25 $8.00 $27.50 GoSmart Student Pass Program n/a n/a n/a n/a Uniformed Active Military Free Free Free Free Children under 46 Inches Free Free Free Free Source: Omnitrans
In addition, a one-way Metrolink ticket is good for one ride on a connecting Omnitrans bus. A round-trip Metrolink ticket or multiday pass is good on Omnitrans to and from a Metrolink station. The Metrolink ticket or pass must be valid for the date of travel.
The Access fare structure is based on the number of zones traveled. Reservationists will inform the customer of the fare at the time of booking the trip. Fares are one-way and cover the eligible rider and companion. The Access fare structure is shown in Table I-4.
Table I-4 Access Fare Structure Zone Categories Standard Service (per trip) Beyond Access Service (per trip) 1–3-zone trips $3.25 $8.25 4-zone trips $4.25 $9.25
Michael Baker International – 6 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Zone Categories Standard Service (per trip) Beyond Access Service (per trip) 5-zone trips $5.25 $10.25 6-zone trips $6.25 $11.25 Source: Omnitrans
Vehicle Fleet
The Omnitrans fleet comprises a total of 302 revenue vehicles, including spare and contingency vehicles. Fixed route vehicles total 200 (187 for directly operated service and 13 for contracted service), while 102 are Access vehicles. The fixed route fleet utilizes compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. The contracted fixed route vehicles and Access vehicles are operated by MV Transportation. Table I-5 shows the Omnitrans vehicle fleet.
Table I-5 Vehicle Fleet Number of Vehicle Type Year Vehicles Fixed/Access Seating Fuel Directly Operated Fixed Route (187 vehicles) New Flyer SR-674 2001 20 Fixed 39 CNG New Flyer SR-813 2003 22 Fixed 39 CNG New Flyer SR-842 2005 23 Fixed 39 CNG New Flyer SR-1337 2009 27 Fixed 39 CNG New Flyer SR-1563 2011 9 Fixed 37 CNG New Flyer SR-1564 2011 8 Fixed 37 CNG New Flyer SR-1677 2012 20 Fixed 39 CNG New Flyer XN60 2012 14 Fixed 37 CNG New Flyer SR-1820 2014 16 Fixed 36 CNG New Flyer SR-1965 2015 15 Fixed 36 CNG New Flyer SR-2029 2016 13 Fixed 36 CNG Contracted Fixed Route (13 vehicles) Starcraft Allstar 2015 13 Fixed 16 CNG Contracted Demand Response (102 vehicles) El Dorado National Aerotech 2006 5 Access 16 Gas Starcraft Allstar 2006 9 Access 16 Gas Starcraft Allstar 2008 31 Access 16 Gas El Dorado National Aerotech 2009 9 Access 16 Gas Starcraft Allstar 2010 6 Access 16 Gas Starcraft Allstar 2013 16 Access 16 Gas Starcraft Allstar 2015 26 Access 16 CNG Source: TransTrack, Omnitrans
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Fleet Facilities
Omnitrans operates fixed route service out of two facilities: the Metro Division in San Bernardino (East Valley Division) and the Hayes Transit Center in Montclair (West Valley Division). While operations and maintenance are provided at both facilities, administration is primarily handled in the San Bernardino office. The San Bernardino facility occupies approximately 13 acres, while the Montclair facility is situated on about 6 acres. All Omnitrans vehicles are parked at one of the two facilities. Liquefied compressed natural gas (LCNG) is available at both facilities for the agency’s alternative-fueled fleet.
MV Transportation operates Access paratransit services out of two facilities: the I Street facility in San Bernardino and the West Valley Paratransit Facility on Feron Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga. The I Street site encompasses some 4.7 acres and includes the vehicle maintenance garage (including 10 bus bays), fueling, and bus washing. A 4,500-square-foot office building houses the Access administration, trip reservations, scheduling, dispatch office, and training facilities. The West Valley facility occupies 1.3 acres and provides for vehicle storage and general vehicle cleaning.
Michael Baker International – 8 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Section II
Operator Compliance Requirements
This section of the audit report contains the analysis of Omnitrans’ ability to comply with state requirements for continued receipt of TDA funds. The evaluation uses the guidebook, Performance Audit Guidebook for Transit Operators and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies, to assess transit operators. The updated guidebook contains a checklist of eleven measures taken from relevant sections of the Public Utilities Code and the California Code of Regulations. Each of these requirements is discussed in the table below, including a description of the system’s efforts to comply with the requirements. In addition, the findings from the compliance review are described in the text following the table.
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements The transit operator submitted Public Utilities Code, Section Completion/submittal dates: annual reports to the RTPA 99243 (For General Public and Specialized based upon the Uniform Service Submissions) System of Accounts and Records established by the FY 2015: October 14, 2015 State Controller. Report is due FY 2016: October 17, 2016 90 days after end of fiscal year FY 2017: January 18, 2018* (Sept. 28/29), or 110 days (Oct. 19/20) if filed electronically *Note: New state legislation was (Internet). passed (AB 1113, Bloom) on July 21, 2017, that changes the timeline to submit the annual Transit Operators Financial Transaction Reports to the State Controller effective reporting year FY 2017. The submittal date has been extended from within 110 days after fiscal year end to 7 months after fiscal year end, or end of January. This is an extension of about 100 days from the original deadline. With the change in dates, these reports are required to contain underlying data from audited financial statements.
Michael Baker International – 9 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements Conclusion: Complied
The operator has submitted Public Utilities Code, Section Completion/submittal dates: annual fiscal and compliance 99245 audits to the RTPA and to the FY 2015: January 28, 2016 State Controller within 180 FY 2016: January 10, 2017 days following the end of the FY 2017: December 27, 2017 fiscal year (Dec. 27), or has received the appropriate 90- The annual fiscal and compliance day extension by the RTPA audits for FY 2015 and FY 2016 allowed by law. were submitted within the 90-day extension period by the RTPA as allowed by law.
Source: FY 2015–2017 Omnitrans Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR)
Conclusion: Complied
The CHP has, within the 13 Public Utilities Code, Section Omnitrans and its contract months prior to each TDA 99251 B operator participate in the CHP claim submitted by an Transit Operator Compliance operator, certified the Program in which the CHP has operator’s compliance with conducted inspections within the Vehicle Code Section 1808.1 13 months prior to each TDA claim. following a CHP inspection of the operator’s terminal. Terminal inspections were conducted at Omnitrans’ operation facilities located in the East Valley at 1700 West 5th Street, San Bernardino, and in the West Valley at 4748 Arrow Highway in Montclair.
Inspections were also conducted at the contract operator facilities located at 243 South I Street, San Bernardino, and at 9421 Feron Blvd. #101, Rancho Cucamonga.
Michael Baker International – 10 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements
Omnitrans – East Valley: Inspection dates applicable to the audit period were July 8–11, 2014; November 4, 2014 (reinspection); November 17–19, 23 & 24, 2015; and March 13–15, 2017.
Omnitrans – West Valley: Inspection dates applicable to the audit period were March 22 & 23, 2016; and March 14–16, 2017.
MV Transportation – San Bernardino: Inspection dates applicable to the audit period were September 10 & 11, 2014; September 29 & 30/October 1, 2015; November 30, 2015 (reinspection); and December 5 & 6, 2016.
MV Transportation – Rancho Cucamonga: Inspection dates applicable to the audit period were December 30 & 31, 2013; July 24 & 28, 2014; November 20, 2014 (reinspection); December 29 & 30, 2014; January 25–27, 2016; and January 17 & 18, 2017.
Inspections were found to be satisfactory by the CHP, with the exception of the July 2014 and November 2015 East Valley inspections; the September/October 2015 MV Transportation – San Bernardino
Michael Baker International – 11 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements inspections; and the July 2014 MV Transportation – Rancho Cucamonga inspections.
Unsatisfactory ratings were given to Omnitrans and the contract operator for violations relating to the discrepancies in the DMV Pull Notice program, drug and alcohol testing procedures, and minor maintenance defects. Both Omnitrans and the contract operator were able to resolve these violations, and upon subsequent CHP follow-up inspections, received satisfactory ratings.
Conclusion: Complied
The operator’s claim for TDA Public Utilities Code, Section As a condition of approval, funds is submitted in 99261 Omnitrans’ annual claims for Local compliance with rules and Transportation Funds and State regulations adopted by the Transit Assistance are submitted in RTPA for such claims. compliance with the rules and regulations adopted by SBCTA.
Conclusion: Complied
If an operator serves urbanized Public Utilities Code, Section This requirement is not applicable and non-urbanized areas, it has 99270.1 to Omnitrans, which only serves an maintained a ratio of fare urbanized area. revenues to operating costs at least equal to the ratio Conclusion: Not Applicable determined by the rules and regulations adopted by the RTPA.
The operator’s operating Public Utilities Code, Section Percentage change in Omnitrans’ budget has not increased by 99266 operating budget:
Michael Baker International – 12 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements more than 15% over the preceding year, nor is there a FY 2015: +5.4% substantial increase or FY 2016: +1.5% decrease in the scope of FY 2017: +0.8% operations or capital budget provisions for major new fixed Source: Adopted Omnitrans facilities unless the operator Budgets for FYs 2013–14 through has reasonably supported and 2016–17 substantiated the change(s). Conclusion: Complied
The operator’s definitions of Public Utilities Code, Section Omnitrans’ performance measures performance measures are 99247 are defined in accordance with PUC consistent with Public Utilities requirements. Omnitrans collects Code Section 99247, including data electronically and employs a (a) operating cost, verification method including auto- (b) operating cost per entry into TransTrack. passenger, (c) operating cost per vehicle service hour, Conclusion: Complied (d) passengers per vehicle service hour, (e) passengers per vehicle service mile, (f) total passengers, (g) transit vehicle, (h) vehicle service hours, (i) vehicle service miles, and (j) vehicle service hours per employee.
If the operator serves an Public Utilities Code, Sections Omnitrans is subject to a 20% urbanized area, it has 99268.2, 99268.3, 99268.12, farebox ratio for general public maintained a ratio of fare 99270.1 transit and 10% for Access. The revenues to operating costs at system’s fare ratios are as follows: least equal to one-fifth (20 percent), unless it is in a General Public Services: county with a population of FY 2015: 23.70% less than 500,000, in which FY 2016: 22.30% case it must maintain a ratio of FY 2017: 25.50% fare revenues to operating costs of at least equal to three- Access: FY 2015: 13.85%
Michael Baker International – 13 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements twentieths (15 percent), if so FY 2016: 18.77% determined by the RTPA. FY 2017: 33.91%
Source: FY 2015–2017 Omnitrans Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports – Note 3
Conclusion: Complied
If the operator serves a rural Public Utilities Code, Sections This requirement is not applicable area, or provides exclusive 99268.2, 99268.4, 99268.5 to Omnitrans, which only serves an services to elderly and disabled urbanized area. persons, it has maintained a ratio of fare revenues to Conclusion: Not Applicable operating costs at least equal to one-tenth (10 percent).
The current cost of the Public Utilities Code, Section As described in the annual fiscal operator’s retirement system 99271 audit, Omnitrans contributes to the is fully funded with respect to California Public Employees the officers and employees of Retirement System (CalPERS) its public transportation under the 2% @ 62 provision. system, or the operator is Participants are required to implementing a plan approved contribute 6.75%–7% of their by the RTPA which will fully annual covered salary. In fund the retirement system accordance with labor union within 40 years. MOUs, Omnitrans has agreed to fund the participants’ contributions. Omnitrans is also required to contribute at an actuarially determined rate calculated as a percentage of payroll.
Conclusion: Complied
If the operator receives state California Code of Omnitrans utilizes federal funds transit assistance funds, the Regulations, Section that are available to the agency, as operator makes full use of 6754(a)(3) reported in the Transit Operator funds available to it under the
Michael Baker International – 14 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table II-1 Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix Operator Compliance Reference Compliance Efforts Requirements Urban Mass Transportation Act Financial Transactions Reports as of 1964 before TDA claims are follows: granted. FY 2015: $10,809,626 (Operations) $27,797,281 (Capital) FY 2016: $10,933,319 (Operations) $24,769,213 (Capital) FY 2017: $10,841,035 (Operations) $24,469,519 (Capital)
Conclusion: Complied
Michael Baker International – 15 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Findings and Observations from Operator Compliance Requirements Matrix
1. Of the compliance requirements pertaining to Omnitrans, the operator fully complied with all nine applicable requirements. In addition, new state legislation was passed (AB 1113, Bloom) on July 21, 2017, that changes the timeline to submit the annual Transit Operators Financial Transaction Reports to the State Controller effective reporting year FY 2017. Two additional compliance requirements did not apply to Omnitrans (rural and blended farebox recovery ratios).
2. Omnitrans’ farebox recovery ratio remained above the required 20 percent standard for general public operations and 10 percent for Access ADA paratransit. The farebox recovery ratio for the general public service was 23.70 percent in FY 2015, 22.30 percent in FY 2016, and 25.50 percent in FY 2017 (inclusive of Measure I supplement). The three-year farebox average was 23.83 percent. The farebox recovery ratio for Access was 13.85 percent in FY 2015, 18.77 percent in FY 2016, and 33.91 percent in FY 2017 (inclusive of Measure I supplement). The three-year farebox average was 22.17 percent. The significant increase in farebox for Access was due to the inclusion of a full year of Medi-Cal revenue in FY 2017 from an agreement with the County of Riverside Department of Public Health for transportation services for Medi-Cal patients.
3. Omnitrans and its contract operator participate in the CHP Transit Operator Compliance Program and received vehicle inspections within the 13 months prior to each TDA claim. Inspections were found to be satisfactory by the CHP, with exception of the July 2014 and November 2015 East Valley inspections; September/October 2015 MV Transportation – San Bernardino inspections; and the July 2014 MV Transportation – Rancho Cucamonga inspections. Unsatisfactory ratings were given to Omnitrans and the contract operator for violations relating to the discrepancies in the DMV Pull Notice program, drug and alcohol testing procedures, and minor maintenance defects. Both Omnitrans and the contract operator were able to resolve these violations, and upon subsequent CHP follow-up, inspections received satisfactory ratings.
4. The operating budget exhibited modest increases and did not exceed 15 percent during the period. After a 5.4 percent increase in FY 2015, the budget increased 1.5 percent in FY 2016. The FY 2017 operating budget increased slightly by 0.8 percent.
Michael Baker International – 16 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Section III
Prior Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations
Omnitrans’ efforts to implement the recommendations made in the prior triennial audit are examined in this section of the report. For this purpose, each prior recommendation for the agency is described, followed by a discussion of the agency’s efforts to implement the recommendation. Conclusions concerning the extent to which the recommendations have been adopted by the agency are then presented.
Prior Recommendation 1
Identify the challenges that staff have working with SAP and make best efforts to improve the program experience and make it as efficient and seamless as possible. (High Priority)
Background: SAP has been successfully integrated into applicable departments such as Finance and Maintenance, but some departments still face challenges with SAP’s efficiency. As a carryover from a prior audit recommendation, Omnitrans should conduct formal staff interviews to identify strengths and challenges associated with the SAP system. For example, some staff members have found SAP to be slow and a challenge to use effectively. To improve staff members’ experience with SAP, Omnitrans should benchmark its findings against specified evaluation criteria, such as functionality and ease of use. Omnitrans should document the results in a centralized location, assess the benefits of those changes, and determine if there are additional business process improvements that could be enabled through SAP.
Actions taken by Omnitrans:
SAP implementation has been an ongoing process since its adoption in 2009 involving two different third-party implementers. In 2015, Omnitrans retained a consultant to assess and conduct a landscape review of SAP processes. In addition, Omnitrans hired a new information technology manager and has committed an investment of $1.2 million toward SAP’s successful implementation. The goal is to minimize customization since the customization features are often overwritten during software upgrades. Omnitrans’ data administrator was the project lead for the massive update of the Procurement SAP system. The administrator’s responsibilities included building the program, testing for quality assurance, and, finally, implementation. The data administrator has been able to take data requests from various internal data systems and combine them into usable reports that are instrumental in making business decisions.
Conclusion:
This recommendation has been implemented.
Michael Baker International – 17 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Prior Recommendation 2
Find ways to increase sbX bus rapid transit ridership over time. (Medium Priority)
Background: The prior audit noted how the sbX bus rapid transit line was a great success for Omnitrans due to its on-time and on-budget delivery. Despite this success, sbX experienced challenges in meeting its ridership forecast of approximately 5,600 riders per day. To leverage this significant investment in sbX service, it was recommended that Omnitrans determine how the line can efficiently serve a greater number of riders. A possible measure involved restructuring bus service to feed ridership to the sbX.
Actions taken by Omnitrans:
In response to this recommendation, Omnitrans has taken several measures aimed at increasing ridership on the sbX, which have included conducting a customer service survey to gauge its marketing efforts, introducing a reduced fare for veterans, implementing the GoSmart Student Pass Program, and opening the San Bernardino Transit Center in September 2015. The GoSmart program is a discounted fare program in which Omnitrans negotiates pricing with partner organizations such as California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino Valley College, Chaffey College, Crafton Hills College, the Art Institute of California, Loma Linda University Health Systems, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, and ASA Charter School and Destination Diploma. Funding for the program comes from student fees and/or administrative sources.
Overall, ridership on Omnitrans systemwide has exhibited a downward trend due in part to lower gas prices, the issuance of more drivers’ licenses, and increased automobile ownership and telecommuting. Since the sbX Green Line commenced service in April 2014, Omnitrans implemented a planned 16 percent fare increase in FY 2015 one year after the implementation of sbX. Nevertheless, average weekday ridership on the sbX Green Line has grown 81 percent since its opening months in FY 2014 according to the sbX Green Line Before and After Study. This represents an increase of 1,309 average daily riders on sbX while systemwide ridership was decreasing. The sbX increases in passenger trips and passengers per vehicle service hour during the audit period were 39 and 34 percent, respectively. On an annual basis, ridership growth on the sbX is summarized as follows:
% Change FY 2015– FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Passenger Trips 544,601 711,934 757,175 39% Passengers per Hour 15.2 19.3 20.3 34% Annual Percentage Change 31% 6% Source: TransTrack
Conclusion: This recommendation has been implemented.
Michael Baker International – 18 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Section IV
TDA Performance Indicators
This section reviews Omnitrans’ performance in providing transit service to the community in an efficient and effective manner. TDA requires that at least five specific performance indicators be reported, which are contained in the following tables. Farebox recovery ratio is not one of the five specific indicators, but is a requirement for continued TDA funding. Therefore, farebox calculation is also included. Two additional performance indicators, operating cost per mile and average fare per passenger, are included as well. Findings from the analysis are contained in the section following the tables.
Tables IV-1 through IV-6 provide the performance indicators for the following services:
• Systemwide • General Public (total of fixed route directly operated and fixed route contracted) • Fixed Route, Directly Operated • Fixed Route, Contracted • Access ADA Service • OmniLink (service was discontinued September 2014 toward the beginning of the audit period. Charts are also included to depict the trends in the indicators. Data in the tables and charts were derived from several sources, including Transit Operator Financial Transactions Reports submitted to the State Controller and TransTrack reports. This is noted in footnotes below the tables. The fare recovery ratios for general public transit service and for specialized service for the elderly and handicapped, respectively, reflect the audited ratios under Note 3 in the Omnitrans Consolidated Annual Financial Reports (CAFR).
Michael Baker International – 19 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-1 TDA Performance Indicators Systemwide Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014* FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $64,651,147 $70,341,465 $68,385,086 $77,045,297 19.2% Total Passengers 15,689,294 14,393,922 12,817,471 11,652,596 -25.7% Vehicle Service Hours 799,816 821,649 805,736 832,323 4.1% Vehicle Service Miles 10,773,234 11,185,275 11,320,282 11,389,328 5.7% Employee FTE's 761 779 781 806 5.9% Passenger Fares $14,772,715 $15,405,752 $14,805,085 $15,234,574 3.1% Local Measure I Supplemental Revenues $0 $0 $0 $5,480,848 n/a Total Fare Revenues $14,772,715 $15,405,752 $14,805,085 $20,715,422 40.2%
Operating Cost per Passenger $4.12 $4.89 $5.34 $6.61 60.5% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $80.83 $85.61 $84.87 $92.57 14.5% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $6.00 $6.29 $6.04 $6.76 12.7% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 19.6 17.5 15.9 14.0 -28.6% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 1.46 1.29 1.13 1.02 -29.7% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 1,051.0 1,054.7 1,031.7 1,032.7 -1.7% Average Fare per Passenger $0.94 $1.07 $1.16 $1.31 38.9% Fare Recovery Ratio (Includes Measure I Revenues) 22.85% 21.90% 21.65% 26.89% 17.7%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Fare recovery ratios reflect the audited ratios under Note 3 in the Omnitrans Consolidated Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) Source: Omnitrans CAFR, TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports *The data for FY 2014 are understated due to an adjustment in the workers’ compensation account.
Michael Baker International – 20 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-2 TDA Performance Indicators General Public Services (Direct/Contracted) Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $51,738,098 $57,484,995 $55,777,941 $64,320,828 24.3% Total Passengers 15,192,274 13,924,880 12,379,517 11,220,253 -26.1% Vehicle Service Hours 622,736 646,011 635,375 665,353 6.8% Vehicle Service Miles 7,977,527 8,407,852 8,733,290 8,833,289 10.7% Employee FTE's 552 577 580 588 6.5% Passenger Fares $13,162,599 $13,623,518 $12,439,217 $11,577,446 -12.0% Local Measure I Supplemental Revenues $0 $0 $0 $4,823,146 n/a Total Fare Revenues $13,162,599 $13,623,518 $12,439,217 $16,400,592 24.6%
Operating Cost per Passenger $3.41 $4.13 $4.51 $5.73 68.3% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $83.08 $88.98 $87.79 $96.67 16.4% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $6.49 $6.84 $6.39 $7.28 12.3% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 24.4 21.6 19.5 16.9 -30.9% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 1.90 1.66 1.42 1.27 -33.3% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 1,128.1 1,119.6 1,095.5 1,131.6 0.3% Average Fare per Passenger $0.87 $0.98 $1.00 $1.03 19.1% Fare Recovery Ratio (Includes Measure I Revenues) 25.44% 23.70% 22.30% 25.50% 0.2%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Fare recovery ratios reflect the audited ratios under Note 3 in the Omnitrans Consolidated Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) Source: TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports
Michael Baker International – 21 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-3 TDA Performance Indicators Fixed Route, Directly Operated Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $49,861,028 $54,720,771 $53,846,911 $62,455,522 25.3% Total Passengers 15,034,909 13,776,835 12,252,666 11,106,029 -26.1% Vehicle Service Hours 595,026 618,271 607,574 638,620 7.3% Vehicle Service Miles 7,607,906 8,034,875 8,357,734 8,466,583 11.3% Employee FTE's 528 558 562 568 7.6% Passenger Fares $13,022,614 $13,469,804 $12,302,947 $11,454,186 -12.0%
Operating Cost per Passenger $3.32 $3.97 $4.39 $5.62 69.6% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $83.80 $88.51 $88.63 $97.80 16.7% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $6.55 $6.81 $6.44 $7.38 12.6% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 25.3 22.3 20.2 17.4 -31.2% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 1.98 1.71 1.47 1.31 -33.6% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 1,126.9 1,108.0 1,081.1 1,124.3 -0.2% Average Fare per Passenger $0.87 $0.98 $1.00 $1.03 19.1% Fare Recovery Ratio (Does not include Measure I Revenues) 26.12% 24.62% 22.85% 18.34% -29.8%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Operating costs and passenger fare revenue are derived from the National Transit Database Source: National Transit Database, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports
Michael Baker International – 22 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-4 TDA Performance Indicators Fixed Route, Contracted (OmniGo) Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $1,877,070 $2,764,224 $1,931,030 $1,865,306 -0.6% Total Passengers 157,365 148,045 126,851 114,224 -27.4% Vehicle Service Hours 27,710 27,740 27,801 26,733 -3.5% Vehicle Service Miles 369,621 372,977 375,556 366,706 -0.8% Employee FTE's 24 19 18 20 -16.7% Passenger Fares $139,985 $153,714 $136,270 $123,260 -11.9%
Operating Cost per Passenger $11.93 $18.67 $15.22 $16.33 36.9% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $67.74 $99.65 $69.46 $69.78 3.0% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $5.08 $7.41 $5.14 $5.09 0.2% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 5.7 5.3 4.6 4.3 -24.8% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 0.43 0.40 0.34 0.31 -26.8% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 1154.58 1460.00 1544.50 1336.65 15.8% Average Fare per Passenger $0.89 $1.04 $1.07 $1.08 21.3% Fare Recovery Ratio (Does not include Measure I Revenues) 7.46% 5.56% 7.06% 6.61% -11.4%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports
Michael Baker International – 23 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-5 TDA Performance Indicators Demand Response Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015* FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $12,913,049 $12,856,470 $12,607,145 $12,724,469 -1.0% Total Passengers 497,020 469,042 437,954 432,343 -7.8% Vehicle Service Hours 177,080 175,638 170,361 166,970 -4.9% Vehicle Service Miles 2,795,707 2,777,423 2,586,992 2,556,039 -8.0% Employee FTE's 209 202 201 218 7.9% Passenger Fares $1,610,116 $1,782,234 $2,365,868 $3,657,128 105.2% Local Measure I Supplemental Revenues $0 $0 $0 $657,702 n/a Total Fare Revenues $1,610,116 $1,782,234 $2,365,868 $4,314,830 142.1%
Operating Cost per Passenger $25.98 $27.41 $28.79 $29.43 7.4% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $72.92 $73.20 $74.00 $76.21 4.1% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $4.62 $4.63 $4.87 $4.98 7.5% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 -3.0% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.2% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 847.27 869.50 847.57 765.92 -11.9% Average Fare per Passenger $3.24 $3.80 $5.40 $8.46 122.6% Fare Recovery Ratio (Includes Measure I Revenues) 12.47% 13.86% 18.77% 33.91% 144.6%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports *OmniLink services were discontinued effective August 2014
Michael Baker International – 24 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-6 TDA Performance Indicators Access ADA Service Audit Period % Change FY 2014- Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Operating Cost $12,428,243 $12,839,397 $12,607,145 $12,724,469 -0.9% Total Passengers 479,303 466,648 437,954 432,343 -7.4% Vehicle Service Hours 170,822 174,628 170,361 166,970 -4.4% Vehicle Service Miles 2,718,087 2,766,672 2,586,992 2,556,039 -7.6% Employee FTE's 194 200 201 218 9.0% Passenger Fares $1,578,094 $1,777,949 $2,365,868 $3,657,128 105.7%
Operating Cost per Passenger $25.93 $27.51 $28.79 $29.43 7.0% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $72.76 $73.52 $74.00 $76.21 3.7% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $4.57 $4.64 $4.87 $4.98 7.3% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 -3.1% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.3% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 880.53 873.14 847.57 765.92 -12.3% Average Fare per Passenger $3.29 $3.81 $5.40 $8.46 122.0% Fare Recovery Ratio (Does not include Measure I Revenues) 12.70% 13.85% 18.77% 28.74% 107.6%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports- Specialized Service. Employee FTE data are derived from the Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports.
Michael Baker International – 25 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Table IV-7 TDA Performance Indicators OmniLink Audit Period % Change FY Performance Data and Indicators FY 2014 FY 2015* FY 2016 FY 2017 2014-2015 Operating Cost $484,806 $17,073 -96.5% Total Passengers 17,717 2,394 -86.5% Vehicle Service Hours 6,258 1,010 -83.9% Vehicle Service Miles 77,620 10,751 -86.1% Employee FTE's 15 2 -86.7% Passenger Fares $32,022 $4,285 -86.6%
OmniLink services were Operating Cost per Passenger $27.36 $7.13 discontinued effective -73.9% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour $77.47 $16.90 August 2014 -78.2% Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Mile $6.25 $1.59 -74.6% Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour 2.8 2.4 -16.3% Passengers per Vehicle Service Mile 0.23 0.22 -2.4% Vehicle Service Hours per Employee 417.20 505.00 21.0% Average Fare per Passenger $1.81 $1.79 -1.0% Fare Recovery Ratio (Does not include Measure I Revenues) 6.61% 25.10% 280.0%
Consumer Price Index - (CPI-U) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: TransTrack, Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports. Employee FTE data are derived from the Transit Operators Financial Transactions Reports. *OmniLink services were discontinued effective August 2014
Michael Baker International – 26 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Graph IV-1 Operating Costs Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response $90,000,000
$80,000,000
$70,000,000
$60,000,000
$50,000,000
$40,000,000
$30,000,000
$20,000,000
$10,000,000
$- FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Graph IV-2 Ridership Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response 18,000,000
16,000,000
14,000,000
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
- FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Michael Baker International – 27 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Graph IV-3 Operating Cost per Passenger Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response $35.00
$30.00
$25.00
$20.00
$15.00
$10.00
$5.00
$- FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Graph IV-4 Operating Cost per Vehicle Service Hour Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response $120.00
$100.00
$80.00
$60.00
$40.00
$20.00
$- FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Michael Baker International – 28 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Graph IV-5 Passengers per Vehicle Service Hour Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response 30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Graph IV-6 Fare Recovery Ratio Systemwide, General Public (Direct & Contracted), and Demand Response 40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0% FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017
Systemwide General Public Service Fixed Route Contracted Demand Response
Michael Baker International – 29 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Findings from Verification of TDA Performance Indicators
1. Operating costs based on audited data increased systemwide 19.2 percent from $64.6 million in the FY 2014 base year to $77 million in FY 2017. General public service operating costs increased 24.3 percent from $51.7 million in the FY 2014 base year to $64.3 million in FY 2017, whereas costs on the demand response services decreased 0.9 percent over the same period from $1.87 million in FY 2014 to $1.86 million in FY 2017. Systemwide costs increased due to factors such as higher wages, salaries, and benefits (release of a wage freeze), increase in cost attributed to pension increase for the union employees, and O&M and security costs for the relatively new San Bernardino Transit Center.
2. Ridership systemwide exhibited a decrease of 25.7 percent, mirrored by a comparable 26.1 percent decrease on the general public services. Demand response services exhibited a smaller decrease of 7.4 percent. Systemwide, ridership decreased from 15.7 million passengers in FY 2014 to 11.6 million in FY 2017. The decline in ridership is attributed to lower gas prices, the issuance of more drivers’ licenses, and increased automobile ownership and telecommuting.
3. The provision of vehicle service miles increased 5.7 percent systemwide during the audit period from 10.7 million miles in FY 2014 to 11.4 million miles in FY 2017. Vehicle service miles increased 10.7 percent on the general public services yet decreased 8 percent on the demand response service. Expansion of service on the fixed route modes resulted in increased miles of travel in revenue service.
4. The provision of vehicle service hours increased 4.1 percent systemwide from 799,816 hours in FY 2014 to 832,323 hours in FY 2017. Vehicle service hours increased 6.8 percent on the general public services and decreased 4.9 percent on the demand response service during the same period.
5. Operating cost per passenger, a measure of cost effectiveness, increased 60.5 percent systemwide from $4.12 in FY 2014 to $6.61 in FY 2017. For general public services, cost per passenger increased 68.3 percent, whereas on demand response, cost per passenger increased a modest 7.4 percent. The trend in this indicator is attributed to the increase in operating costs compared to the decrease in passenger trips.
6. Operating cost per vehicle service hour, a measure of cost efficiency, increased 14.5 percent systemwide from $80.83 in FY 2014 to $92.57 in FY 2017. At the modal level, there was a 16.4 percent increase for general public services and a 4.1 percent increase for demand response services. Operating cost per vehicle service mile, another measure of cost efficiency, increased 12.7 percent systemwide from $6.00 in FY 2014 to $6.76 in FY 2017, with a 12.3 percent increase for general public services and a 7.5 percent increase for demand response services. Larger growth in operating costs relative to the growth in service hours and miles leads to the trends.
Michael Baker International – 30 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
7. Passengers per vehicle service hour, a measure of service efficiency, decreased 28.6 percent systemwide from 19.6 passengers in FY 2014 to 14 passengers in FY 2017, while passengers per vehicle service mile, another measure of service efficiency, also decreased 29.7 percent systemwide from 1.46 passengers in FY 2014 to 1.02 passengers in FY 2017. For general public services, passengers per hour decreased 30.9 percent and passengers per mile decreased 33.3 percent. For demand response service, passengers per hour decreased 3 percent, whereas passengers per mile increased slightly by 0.2 percent.
8. Vehicle service hours per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, which measures labor productivity, decreased 1.7 percent systemwide from the FY 2014 base year through FY 2017. The trend is the product of revenue hours increasing at a higher rate than that for the number of employee FTEs. The number of employee FTEs increased from 761 in the FY 2014 base year to 806 in FY 2017. This measure is based on the number of employee FTEs using employee pay hours from the State Controller Report and dividing by 2,000 hours per employee.
9. The farebox recovery ratio for general public services increased slightly from 25.44 percent in the FY 2014 base year to 25.50 percent in FY 2017, while the fare recovery ratio for demand response service (which includes Access) increased from 12.47 percent in FY 2014 to 33.91 percent in FY 2017. The TDA minimum requirement is 20.0 percent for general public service and 10.0 percent for Access service. Omnitrans met the minimum requirements in each fiscal year during the audit period. Along with Medi-Cal revenue received from an agreement with the County of Riverside Department of Public Health for transportation services for Medi-Cal patients, Omnitrans also includes Measure I sales tax as a fare revenue supplement for Access in the farebox ratio.
Michael Baker International – 31 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Section V
Review of Operator Functions
This section reviews various functions within Omnitrans. The review highlights accomplishments, issues, and challenges that were determined during the audit period. The following functions were reviewed at Omnitrans’ Headquarters in San Bernardino: • Operations • Maintenance • Administration and Management • Marketing and Planning • Human Resources and Safety & Security • Finance • Procurement • Information Technology
Operations
Audit Period Highlights
Several notable events occurred at Omnitrans during the audit period, including the following:
• Omnitrans eliminated OmniLink service and redirected operating funds to Freeway Express service with Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Funding. The elimination of OmniLink, a low productivity general public dial-a-ride service that was duplicative with OmniGo and had flat ridership for several years, allowed for the seed funding for the development of Route 290 Freeway Express service between San Bernardino and Montclair, which has been Omnitrans’ second fastest-growing route over the last three years.
• In September 2014, Omnitrans implemented a fare increase. The fixed route base fare changed from $1.50 to $1.75, and the Day Pass fare changed from $4.00 to $5.00. Omnitrans did not implement a planned fare increase in FY 2017.
• Omnitrans opened the San Bernardino Transit Center in September 2015. Built in partnership with SBCTA, the $25 million center is a LEED Gold facility that serves 5,000 passengers daily and provides a safe environment, amenities, real-time arrival technology, and convenient connections. This multimodal transportation hub is utilized by Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, the Victor Valley Transit Authority, Pass Transit, the Riverside Transit
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Agency, and Metrolink. The Transit Center will also serve the future Arrow passenger rail service to Redlands by 2021.
• Omnitrans completed construction of its new state-of-the-art maintenance facility in 2015. The facility is located at Fifth Street and Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino and can accommodate the 60-foot articulated buses used on sbX Bus Rapid Transit service.
• Omnitrans combined its Marketing and Planning departments to create the Marketing and Planning Department. Omnitrans combined its Human Resources and Safety & Security departments to create the Human Resources and Safety & Security Department. The Chief Financial Officer and Director of Safety positions were eliminated. In addition, Omnitrans added two new departments: Rail and Special Transportation Services.
• Omnitrans introduced online mobile ticketing through the Token Transit platform. Users can download the app from Google Play for Android devices or the Apple Store for iOS devices. The app allows passes to be purchased and stored on a smartphone.
• Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare for veterans in January 2015, which is the same fare as for senior and disabled riders. Veterans simply need to show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans route to take advantage of the discounted fare. The fare media consists of a separate pass. In concert with the veterans’ fare, Omnitrans offered free fares for uniformed active military, firefighters, and police officers.
• Omnitrans continued to improve its departmental integration with SAP. In 2015, Omnitrans retained a consultant to assess and conduct a landscape review of SAP processes. In addition, Omnitrans hired a new information technology manager and has committed an investment of $1.2 million toward SAP’s successful implementation.
• Omnitrans implemented Route 61, which operates direct service to Ontario International Airport. Schedules on the route initially had 60-minute headways, which were shortened to 15 minutes in September 2017. The Ontario Airport service is seen as a precursor to the West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
• Omnitrans celebrated its 40th Anniversary in the Fall of 2016 including giveaways at its West Valley transit centers (Chino, Montclair, Ontario) and at its East Valley transit centers (Fontana, San Bernardino). A sweepstakes entry was offered for many prizes, and trivia contests and sharing of memories were promoted on social media.
The adopted Omnitrans’ Vision and Mission Statements set the strategic direction and framework for policy and service planning for the agency.
Omnitrans’ Vision Statement
Omnitrans’ vision for Transit in the San Bernardino Valley is a values and customer based vision where:
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• The San Bernardino Valley’s multimodal transit system supports the local economy; • Omnitrans’ service is reliable, not just in the narrow sense of on-time performance, but in a broader manner: Omnitrans’ service is worthy of the customer’s trust; • Customers have a high-quality experience using Omnitrans; and • Omnitrans maximizes value to the community with every transit dollar available.
Omnitrans’ Mission Statement
Omnitrans’ mission is to provide the San Bernardino Valley with comprehensive public mass transportation services which maximize customer use, comfort, safety, and satisfaction, while efficiently using financial and other resources in an environmentally sensitive manner.
In carrying out the vision and mission of Omnitrans, the Operations Department is responsible for delivering transit service for all the agency’s fixed route and demand response operations, provided directly and via private contractors. It is also focused on safety and customer service through ongoing training. The department comprises coach operators, dispatchers, supervisors, and managers who provide the daily interface between Omnitrans and the riding public. Operations works to maintain scheduled service, manage its contracted services, adhere to regulatory requirements, and improve labor relations.
Customer service is one of the key performance indicator (KPI) metrics monitored by the Operations Department. The department’s monthly KPI report tracks other metrics including accidents, on-time performance, uncontrolled absences, complaints, compliments, and preventable accidents. This report is used to help identify concerns and make progress toward strengthening performance.
Coach operators are trained on customer de-escalation skills and how to handle fare evasion. Directors and supervisors ride the routes weekly to gauge customer service and receive feedback from riders. Their findings are reported at the senior leadership meeting. Field supervisors are assigned to the San Bernardino Transit Center. The field supervisors are equipped with body cameras, as are the service vans.
Omnitrans upgraded its fleet and passenger amenities during the audit period. Newer buses have a secondary standee line, which has resulted in fewer driver distractions. In addition, USB ports have been installed on most buses, and the Express and sbX routes have active Wi-Fi. Bike racks on the sbX vehicles were modified with a securement arm. Another safety feature has been the installation of rear-facing wheelchair securement systems known as “Q-Pods.” Wheelchair passengers can independently back into the wheelchair area of the bus. The Q-Pod is composed of a three-point tie-down system that eliminates the potential for the wheelchair to tip over. Other benefits include reduced risks of injury for the coach operators by not having to maneuver the wheelchair and secure it, as well as reduced dwell times for the bus. Vehicles have also been equipped with audible turn signals.
Michael Baker International – 34 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Audiovisual systems on the vehicles were upgraded. The 40-foot New Flyer vehicles are equipped with eight cameras, and the 60-foot articulated vehicles used on the sbX route are equipped with 12 cameras. The cameras are infrared; the front-view camera is high definition quality. The audiovisual system can store up to two terabytes of data.
Two additional freeway express routes were implemented during the audit period. In September 2015, Route 290 commenced service along the I-10 corridor in the San Bernardino Valley. A new and revised version of the old Route 90, Route 290 runs peak morning and evening weekday service with 15 one-way trips. This freeway express service connects downtown San Bernardino and the Montclair Transit Center. Route 208 was implemented in May 2017 to provide Freeway Express service between Redlands and Yucaipa.
Ridership on the sbX continued to increase, aided by focused marketing efforts and the opening of the San Bernardino Transit Center. Omnitrans increased the span of service on the sbX Green Line in September 2017 from 5:00 a.m. through 10 p.m. on weekdays. The sbX system has 16 platforms, and each station along the route is equipped with a public-address system and security cameras. Blue emergency phone boxes are also available.
Coach operators assigned to the sbX route complete special training, which is one week longer than the regular training protocol. sbX operators are also paid a differential but must meet stricter performance criteria. There are 27 full-time and 10 contingency sbX coach operators. Bids for the route are based on seniority.
Omnitrans utilizes Trapeze dispatching software. The agency is upgrading to Trapeze, Version 16. The upgrade will allow for the creation of reports to track route delays as well as reduce overtime. TransitMaster is the ITS component of the software that is connected to the automated vehicle locator (AVL)/GPS platform.
The Operations Department is headed by the Director of Operations, who has been with Omnitrans since 2005. There are two Transportation Managers, two Assistant Transportation Managers (ATM), seven trainers, seven dispatchers, four clerical support staff (two full-time/two part-time), one application specialist, and 427 coach operators (inclusive of full- and part-time). There are also seven relief dispatchers. Omnitrans utilizes a volunteer list to maintain an extraboard.
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Operations Performance
Tables V-1 through V-3 provide several indicators of operations performance for Omnitrans’ directly operated fixed route, contracted fixed route service, and contracted demand response service.
Table V-1 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators Directly Operated Fixed Route
% Base Year Audit Review Period Change Operations Data FY2014- FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2017 Cost for Operations $31,039,120 $33,042,807 $34,003,928 $36,312,209 17.0% Operator Salaries and Wages $14,770,493 $15,646,597 $16,315,759 $17,812,206 20.6% Operator Pay Hours 737,093 789,047 794,389 835,437 13.3% Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) 588,668 618,271 607,574 638,620 8.5% Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) 7,506,286 8,034,875 8,357,734 8,466,582 12.8% Total Vehicle Hours 614,785 645,673 636,027 667,802 8.6% Total Vehicle Miles 8,086,519 8,638,824 9,011,683 9,134,439 13.0% Unlinked Passenger Trips 14,961,757 13,776,835 12,252,666 11,106,029 -25.8% Passenger Miles 74,200,168 65,409,226 63,761,580 57,056,423 -23.1% Preventable Accidents 0 0 0 0 0.0% Non-Preventable Accidents 13 41 236 97 646.2% Performance Indicators Veh Ops Cost per VSH $52.73 $53.44 $55.97 $56.86 7.8% Veh Ops Cost per VSM $4.14 $4.11 $4.07 $4.29 3.7% Veh Ops Cost per Passenger Trip $2.07 $2.40 $2.78 $3.27 57.6% Veh Ops Cost per Passenger Mile $0.42 $0.51 $0.53 $0.64 52.1% Average Wage per Operator Pay Hour $20.04 $19.83 $20.54 $21.32 6.4% VSH per Operator Pay Hour 0.80 0.78 0.76 0.76 -4.3% VSM per Operator Pay Hour 10.18 10.18 10.52 10.13 -0.5% Service Miles per Service Hour 12.75 13.00 13.76 13.26 4.0% Service Hours / Total Hours 95.8% 95.8% 95.5% 95.6% -0.1% Service Miles / Total Miles 92.8% 93.0% 92.7% 92.7% -0.1% Avg Psgr Miles per Psgr Trip 4.96 4.75 5.20 5.14 3.6% Passengers per Revenue Vehicle Hour 25.42 22.28 20.17 17.39 -31.6% Prev Accidents per Million VSM 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.0% Non-Prev Accidents per Million VSM 1.73 5.10 28.24 11.46 561.5% Percentage Change Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Sources: NTD Reports
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Table V-2 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators Contracted Fixed Route
Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Operations Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Cost for Operations $763,895 $784,851 $707,960 $659,985 -13.6% Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) 27,710 27,739 27,797 26,724 -3.6% Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) 369,621 372,977 375,556 366,706 -0.8% Total Vehicle Hours 29,733 29,762 29,824 28,859 -2.9% Total Vehicle Miles 433,776 437,124 439,887 433,983 0.0% Unlinked Passenger Trips 157,365 145,317 126,851 114,224 -27.4% Passenger Miles 602,449 496,618 493,732 356,646 -40.8% Performance Indicators Veh Ops Cost per VSH $27.57 $28.29 $25.47 $24.70 -10.4% Veh Ops Cost per VSM $2.07 $2.10 $1.89 $1.80 -12.9% Veh Ops Cost per Passenger Trip $1.27 $1.58 $1.43 $1.85 45.9% Veh Ops Cost per Passenger Mile $1.27 $1.58 $1.43 $1.85 45.9% Service Miles Per Service Hour 13.34 13.45 13.51 13.72 2.9% Service Hours/Total Hours 93.2% 93.2% 93.2% 92.6% -0.6% Service Miles/Total Miles 85.2% 85.3% 85.4% 84.5% -0.8% Avg Psgr Miles per Psgr Trip 3.83 3.42 3.89 3.12 -18.4% Passengers per Revenue Vehicle Hour 5.68 5.24 4.56 4.27 -24.7% Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Sources: NTD Reports
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Table V-3 Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators Demand Response
Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Operations Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Cost for Operations $6,440,845 $6,181,928 $5,962,524 $5,820,860 -9.6% Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) 176,717 175,638 170,361 166,970 -5.5% Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) 2,795,707 2,777,423 2,586,992 2,556,039 -8.6% Unlinked Passenger Trips 497,020 469,042 433,954 432,343 -13.0% Passenger Miles 6,662,979 6,940,445 6,177,994 6,055,292 -9.1% Performance Indicators Veh Ops Cost per VSH $36.45 $35.20 $35.00 $34.86 -4.4% Veh Ops Cost per VSM $2.30 $2.23 $2.30 $2.28 -1.2% Veh Ops Cost per Psgr Trip $12.96 $13.18 $13.74 $13.46 3.9% Veh Ops Cost per Psgr Mile $0.97 $0.89 $0.97 $0.96 -0.6% Service Miles Per Service Hour 15.82 15.81 15.19 15.31 -3.2% Passengers per Revenue Vehicle Hour 2.81 2.67 2.55 2.59 -7.9% Passenger Miles per Passenger Trip 13.41 14.80 14.24 14.01 4.5% Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Sources: NTD Reports
Findings and Trends from Vehicle Operations Performance Indicators
Vehicle operations cost indicators for directly operated fixed route service saw modest to high growth during the audit period. Operations cost per vehicle service hour increased 7.8 percent, and cost per vehicle service mile increased just 3.7 percent, as compared with the increase in the CPI during the audit period of 18.2 percent. Cost per passenger trip increased 57.6 percent, and cost per passenger mile increased 52.1 percent. The San Bernardino Transit Center, which opened in 2015, accounts for approximately $1 million in annual operations costs for the maintenance and security of the facility.
Directly operated fixed route vehicle service hours per operator pay hour and vehicle service miles per operator pay hour, functions of operator productivity, decreased 4.3 percent and 0.5 percent respectively during the audit period. Service hours per total hour and service miles per total mile decreased 0.1 percent respectively. Omnitrans had implemented a wage freeze prior to FY 2014. The lifting of the wage freeze was attributed to the $6 million increase in the cost for salaries and $1.2 million increase in the cost for benefits. In FY 2016, there was an increase in pension costs for employees represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU).
Service miles provided per service hour, a reflection of average vehicle speed, increased 4 percent and was 12.75 miles in FY 2014, 13 miles in FY 2015, 13.76 miles in FY 2016, and 13.26 miles in
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FY 2017. Passenger miles per passenger trip, a reflection of average passenger trip length, increased 3.6 percent from 4.96 miles in FY 2014 to 5.14 miles in FY 2017.
The number of directly operated fixed route preventable accidents was 64 in FY 2014, 20 in FY 2015, 62 in FY 2016, and 25 in FY 2017. The preventable accident rate per million vehicle service miles decreased 65.4 percent during the audit period, a positive trend. This correlates with Omnitrans’ emphasis on safety and ongoing training which are also reflected in customer survey responses.
With respect to demand response service, vehicle operations cost per vehicle service hour decreased 4.4 percent, vehicle operations cost per vehicle service mile decreased 1.2 percent, vehicle operations cost per passenger trip increased 3.9 percent, and operations cost per passenger mile decreased 0.6 percent. Service hours per total hour decreased 3.2 percent.
Review of Methodology for Collection and Reporting Operations Data
Data collection and reporting of operations data, including hours and miles of service, are performed by several departments within Omnitrans. Hours and miles are computed by taking the scheduled hours and miles and determining variances in hours and miles due to road calls and other factors. Initially hours and miles are estimated by the Planning Department. The Operations Department measures schedule variances and produces an exception report from dispatch logs. The Finance Department, which prepares the final estimated actual hours and miles, adjusts the scheduled units by the number of hours and miles missed according to the exception reports.
Omnitrans’ primary source of ridership and fare revenue data is the GFI fareboxes, which show passengers by fare type. Ridership counts from the automated passenger counters (APCs) are used to validate the farebox data.
Omnitrans formerly outsourced fare collection activities to an outside vendor but has since brought the practice in-house. The Maintenance Department probes the buses daily, which get audited randomly. Fareboxes are loaded into a secure vault, where they are later retrieved for processing. GFI reports are reconciled along with the bank statements by Finance. Adjustments are made when there are obvious errors in the farebox reports. There is a 3 percent allowable variance. Finance reconciles the actual and expected revenues. The ridership number goes into the monthly ridership report produced by Finance.
Operations statistics for the demand-responsive services are provided by the service contractor. Omnitrans retains summary data in its database. The Operations Supervisor, responsible for overseeing Access contractor services, conducts monthly contract compliance reviews where driver training records, maintenance records, and trip sheet data are reviewed.
Michael Baker International – 39 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Maintenance
The Maintenance Department maintains the fixed route fleet. Omnitrans recently hired a new Director of Maintenance in March 2018 in the wake of the passing of the prior director in October 2017. The new director brings two decades of experience in the public transit maintenance field gained while working at the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The prior director had been in the position since 2007, having advanced through the department after starting with Omnitrans in 1985.
Omnitrans completed construction of its new state-of-the-art maintenance facility in 2015. The facility is located at Fifth Street and Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino and can accommodate the 60-foot articulated buses used on sbX Bus Rapid Transit service. Information on the status of the mechanical equipment and fluid levels of each bus is automatically recorded by the Fleetwatch system. The Maintenance Department tracks this data for future procurements. In order to operate the fuel and fluid dispensers, authorized employees must first scan their badge. Fluids are topped off using dispensers that measure the amount of product used. A machine monitors the fluid levels and alerts employees when fluids need to be replenished.
The facility also features a bus wash. Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the water used in the bus wash is reclaimed. The water is captured by ground filters and is then machine-processed to remove sand and other large particles.
The current Preventive Maintenance Vehicle Inspections (PMVIs) are due every 10,000 miles. The inspections are conducted within a variance of 500 miles from the target 10,000 mileage and are different for each 10,000 interval. Omnitrans upgraded its system used to track and schedule PMVIs from Ellipse to SAP, which automated PMVI tracking and enhanced productivity.
The Maintenance Department prepares a monthly maintenance standards and performance indicators report that tracks indicators including attendance, overtime, maintenance expenses, cost per mile, road calls, miles per road call, average miles per gallon, parts inventory value, daily average of buses down for parts, warranty claims, and warranty recovery. The report is prepared separately for the East Valley and West Valley facilities, and is also combined for the total department.
Parts inventories are closely accounted for and monitored through a robust cycle count program, eliminating the need for a full warehouse closure. Parts are classified based on usage or cycles and counted accordingly. The faster the inventory turns, the more frequently they are counted. Instead of counting parts annually, parts are counted quarterly, semi-annually, and annually based on the potential risk to the agency.
Maintenance Performance
Tables V-4 and V-5 show the trends in maintenance performance for directly operated fixed route and contracted demand response service over the audit period.
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Table V-4 Maintenance Performance Indicators Directly Operated Fixed Route
Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Maintenance Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Cost for Maintenance $12,356,736 $13,045,744 $13,420,119 $15,178,668 22.8% Maintenance Pay Hours 170,179 200,318 186,974 202,435 19.0% Total Vehicle Hours 614,785 645,673 636,027 667,802 8.6% Total Vehicle Miles 8,086,519 8,638,824 9,011,683 9,134,439 13.0% Active Vehicles 186 126 141 176 -5.4% Peak Vehicles 136 145 162 147 8.1% Total Vehicle Failures 1,330 1,143 1,030 931 -30.0% Performance Indicators Maintenance Cost per Veh Hour $20.10 $20.20 $21.10 $22.73 13.1% Maintenance Cost per Veh Mile $1.53 $1.51 $1.49 $1.66 8.7% Maintenance Cost per Active Veh $66,434 $103,538 $95,178 $86,242 29.8% Veh Hours per Maint Pay Hour 3.61 3.22 3.40 3.30 -8.7% Veh Miles per Maint Pay Hour 47.52 43.13 48.20 45.12 -5.0% Veh Hours per Active Vehicle 3,305 5,124 4,511 3,794 14.8% Veh Miles per Active Vehicle 43,476 68,562 63,913 51,900 19.4% Spare Ratio 36.8% -13.1% -13.0% 19.7% -46.3% Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: NTD Reports
Table V-5 Maintenance Performance Indicators Demand Response Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Maintenance Data FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY20 17 FY 2014–2017 Cost for Maintenance $2,039,065 $2,145,643 $2,173,203 $2,258,173 10.7% Total Vehicle Hours 217,733 217,404 209,153 200,109 -8.1% Total Vehicle Miles 3,584,043 3,510,969 3,289,625 3,173,879 -11.4% Active Vehicles 111 100 100 100 -9.9% Peak Vehicles 96 96 97 96 0.0% Performance Indicators Maintenance Cost per Veh Hour $9.36 $9.87 $10.39 $11.28 20.5% Maintenance Cost per Veh Mile $0.57 $0.61 $0.66 $0.71 25.1% Maintenance Cost per Active Veh $18,369.95 $21,456.43 $21,732.03 $22,581.73 22.9% Veh Hours per Active Vehicle 1,962 2,174 2,092 2,001 2.0% Veh Miles per Active Vehicle 32,289 35,110 32,896 31,739 -1.7% Miles Between Road Calls 20,220 15,472 15,898 22,809 12.8% Spare Ratio 15.6% 4.2% 3.1% 4.2% -73.3%
Michael Baker International – 41 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Maintenance Data FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY20 17 FY 2014–2017 Percentage Change Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Sources: NTD Report
Findings and Trends from Performance Indicators
Maintenance costs for fixed route directly operated service increased 22.8 percent during the audit period, which was attributed to an aging fleet. Maintenance cost per vehicle hour, per vehicle mile, and per active vehicle increased 13.1 percent, 8.7 percent, and 29.8 percent respectively.
Directly operated fixed route vehicle hours per maintenance pay hour and vehicle miles per maintenance pay hour, functions of maintenance productivity, decreased 8.7 percent and 5 percent respectively. Vehicle hours per active vehicle and vehicle miles per active vehicle increased 14.8 percent and 19.4 percent respectively.
Total directly operated fixed route vehicle failures decreased 30 percent from 1,330 in FY 2014 to 931 in FY2017. The vehicle spare ratio decreased from 36.8 percent to 19.7 percent during the audit period.
For demand response service, maintenance costs increased 10.7 percent during the audit period. Maintenance costs per vehicle hour, per vehicle mile, and per active vehicle increased 20.5 percent, 25.1 percent, and 22.9 percent respectively. Vehicle hours per active vehicle and vehicle miles per active vehicle increased 2 percent and decreased 1.7 percent respectively. The vehicle spare ratio decreased from 15.6 percent in FY 2014 to 4.2 percent in FY 2017.
Administration and Management
Omnitrans is overseen by a 19-member Board of Directors composed of elected representatives from each of its member jurisdictions and four members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, who represent their respective county districts. While each city can have one alternate board member designated by the city council, the County representatives have no alternates.
The Board is tasked with oversight and policy development and meets the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. at Omnitrans’ Headquarters located at 1700 West Fifth Street in San Bernardino. Several board committees and internal staff committees representing each department provide review and feedback on system planning and implementation. These committees include the Executive Committee, Administrative and Finance Committee, Operations and Safety Committee, and Plans and Programs Committee. The Service Planning Committee reviews route performance indicators.
Michael Baker International – 42 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Omnitrans administration is guided by a senior leadership team headed by the CEO/General Manager and several department directors. The Omnitrans CEO/General Manager reports directly to the Board and is the designated Secretary to the Board. The CEO/General Manager has served in this position since June 2013 and was the former Director of Operations.
Other members of the senior leadership team are the Deputy General Manager, Director of Finance, Director of Human Resources & Safety and Regulatory Compliance, Director of Information Technology, Director of Internal Audit Services, Director of Maintenance, Director of Marketing & Planning, Director of Operations, Director of Procurement, Director of Rail Operations, and Director of Special Transportation Services. At the end of the audit period, Omnitrans had a staff of 657 employees.
Figure V-1 shows the Omnitrans management organization chart.
Michael Baker International – 43 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
Figure V-1 Organization Chart
Source: Omnitrans
Omnitrans’ management is focused on the delivery of high quality public transportation services throughout San Bernardino County. During the audit period, Omnitrans continued to enact cost- cutting measures while seeking new revenue streams. The agency cut $15 million over a five-year
Michael Baker International – 44 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017 period pursuant to findings in the Comprehensive Operational Analysis. Omnitrans implemented the following cost-cutting measures:
• Consolidated four administrative departments into two, Human Resources and Security & Safety, and Marketing and Planning. • Restructured the senior leadership team by eliminating the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Safety positions. • Placed administrative staff on a four-year wage freeze and had staff pay 10 percent of their healthcare premium. • Initiated a process to bill the state for trips made by Medi-Cal eligible Access riders, generating approximately $1.8 million annually. • Transitioned the Access fleet from gasoline to lower cost CNG fueling • Transitioned from trucked in Liquefied National Gas (LNG) to pipeline CNG, which has allowed Omnitrans to purchase Renewable National Gas (RNG) the pipeline and generate approximately $1.5 million annually from the sale of Cap and Trade credits. • Utilized four years of federal alternative tax credits for LNG/CNG purchases that since expired but were retroactively extended by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and are expected to generate approximately $1.5 million annually. • Negotiated contracts with the Teamsters and ATU that kept average annual wage increases below 3 percent and required employees to pay a larger share of healthcare costs.
Collectively the aforementioned measures have resulted in savings of $4.5 million annually that offset the loss of fare revenues due to the decline in ridership. In addition there was $1 million savings in gasoline fuel costs in FY 2015-2017 because of the change in non-revenue vehicles from gasoline to electric power.
Omnitrans contracted with an outside management consulting expert to develop the 2019 Management Plan. The 12-month Management Plan was derived from the Fiscal Year 2017–2020 Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Directors in April 2016. The Management Plan aligns with Omnitrans’ Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) for FY 2015–2020 – OmniConnects, as well as with SBCTA’s FY 2015–2019 SRTP.
Omnitrans’ most recent Federal Transit Administration (FTA) triennial review was conducted in 2016 and involved site visits on February 16 and 17, 2016. The review examined compliance in 17 areas; no deficiencies were found with FTA requirement in eight areas. Deficiencies were found in nine technical review areas pertaining to Technical Capacity, Maintenance, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VI, Procurement, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Satisfactory Continuing Control, Public Comment on Fare Increase and Major Service Reduction, and Drug-Free Workplace/Drug and Alcohol Program. Omnitrans was able to take immediate corrective action on three of the deficiencies after the FTA site visit.
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Administrative Performance
Tables V-6 and V-7 show the trends in administration performance for directly operated fixed route and contracted demand response service over the audit period.
Table V-6 Administration Performance Indicators Directly Operated Fixed Route % Base Year Audit Review Period Change Administrative Data FY2014- FY2014* FY2015 FY2016 FY2017 FY2017 Administration Costs $6,465,172 $9,390,726 $10,444,970 $13,025,274 101.5% Administration Pay Hours 135,580 127,491 141,325 139,627 3.0% Casualty & Liability Costs $1,146,301 $1,982,467 $2,275,030 $5,272,298 359.9% Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) 588,668 618,271 607,574 638,620 8.5% Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) 7,506,286 8,034,875 8,357,734 8,466,582 12.8% Unlinked Passenger Trips 14,961,757 13,776,835 12,252,666 11,106,029 -25.8% Passenger Miles 74,200,168 65,409,226 63,761,580 57,056,423 -23.1% Performance Indicators Admin Cost per VSH $10.98 $15.19 $17.19 $20.40 85.7% Admin Cost per VSM $0.86 $1.17 $1.25 $1.54 78.6% Admin Cost per Psgr Trip $0.43 $0.68 $0.85 $1.17 171.4% Admin Cost per Psgr Mile $0.09 $0.14 $0.16 $0.23 162.0% Casualty & Liability Costs per VSM $0.15 $0.25 $0.27 $0.62 307.8% VSH per Admin Pay Hour 4.34 4.85 4.30 4.57 5.3% VSM per Admin Pay Hour 55.36 63.02 59.14 60.64 9.5% Percentage Change Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% *The data for FY 2014 are understated due to an adjustment in the workers’ compensation account. Table V-7 Administration Performance Indicators Demand Response Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Administration Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Cost for Administration $4,433,139 $4,528,899 $4,471,429 $4,592,367 3.6% Vehicle Service Hours (VSH) 176,717 175,638 170,361 166,970 -5.5% Vehicle Service Miles (VSM) 2,795,707 2,777,423 2,586,992 2,556,039 -8.6% Unlinked Passenger Trips 497,020 469,042 433,954 432,343 -13.0% Passenger Miles 6,662,979 6,940,445 6,177,994 6,055,292 -9.1% Performance Indicators Admin Cost per VSH $25.09 $25.79 $26.25 $27.50 9.6% Admin Cost per VSM $1.59 $1.63 $1.73 $1.80 13.3% Admin Cost per Psgr Trip $8.92 $9.66 $10.30 $10.62 19.1%
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Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Administration Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 2017 Admin Cost per Psgr Mile $0.67 $0.65 $0.72 $0.76 14.0% Percentage Change Consumer Price Index (CPI-All) 2.2% 1.3% 2.1% 2.6% 18.2% Source: NTD Reports
On a modal basis, costs for administration increased notably for the directly operated fixed route but only modestly for demand response. While administration pay hours increased 3 percent on the fixed route, casualty and liability cost increased 360 percent, as premiums and payouts defined by the National Transit Database increased over the three-year period, in particular in FYs 2016 and 2017. The administration cost per vehicle service hour and mile for fixed route increased 85.7 percent and 78.6 percent, respectively. The administration cost per hour and mile for demand response saw more modest increases of 9.6 percent and 13.3 percent respectively.
Marketing and Planning
In July 2014, the Marketing and Planning departments were combined and a Director of Marketing and Planning position was established.
Marketing
The Marketing side of the department is responsible for coordinating and enhancing the flow of information about Omnitrans services, programs, projects, and activities to existing and potential customers, the community at large, and the media. Marketing prepares informational materials to support transit operations, including bus schedules, how-to guides, and fare media information.
Route schedules are published in the Omnitrans BusBook, which is updated three times annually to correspond with the driver route bidding. Omnitrans engages customers through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to reach customers. Marketing spearheaded the sbX bus rapid transit launch campaign by advertising the service through television, radio, and mail advertisements. For the first two weeks of service, sbX ambassadors were available at stations to assist riders.
Marketing is the focal point for customer service, including having a customer call center, implementing reduced fare programs, and conducting pass sales. The customer satisfaction team engages in customer education, rider etiquette, and driver awareness. All customer comments, whether complaints, compliments, or service requests, are collected by Marketing and then are entered into Trapeze and forwarded to the appropriate department for response. The agency is looking to configure Trapeze to allow online booking for trips on Access ADA paratransit.
Omnitrans introduced online mobile ticketing through the Token Transit platform. Users can download the app from Google Play for Android devices or the Apple Store for iOS devices. The
Michael Baker International – 47 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017
app allows passes to be purchased and stored on a smartphone. Purchasing mobile passes requires the use of a credit or debit card. Fare categories include single-ride, 1-day, 7-day, or 31-day passes.
Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare for veterans in January 2015, which is the same fare as for senior and disabled riders. Veterans simply need to show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans route to take advantage of the discounted fare. The fare media consists of a separate pass. Required methods of proof of eligibility for the discounted fare include:
▪ County of San Bernardino Military Veterans ID card ▪ US Department of Veteran Affairs ID card ▪ Department of Defense retired ID card ▪ A transit agency Veterans ID card
In concert with the veterans’ fare, Omnitrans offered free fares for uniformed active military, firefighters, and police officers. Active duty military personnel must wear the appropriate uniform at the time of boarding and present a valid US Unformed Services ID card indicating active service or a Common Access card indicating uniformed services or active duty.
Marketing evaluates marketing effectiveness using several indicators, including ridership, pass sales, Omnitrans customer satisfaction surveys, response rates to advertising coupons, and website activity. Several media outlets are utilized to promote and market Omnitrans service, including radio, television, direct mailings, movie theaters, and the internet. Free ride coupons are distributed via direct mail advertising flyers.
Customer feedback is collected primarily by phone and through the Omnitrans website. Complaint statistics are also tracked and reported in TransTrack. Compliments are also collected and used to encourage positive behavior by Omnitrans staff. Employee recognition is displayed on printed posters and flyers. Those employees with complaint-free records on a quarterly and annual basis are recognized for the exemplary behavior.
The following performance indicators are shown for customer complaints in Table V-8. While data about customer complaints are not a direct reflection of the Marketing and Planning Department, staff that process the comments are located in Marketing and provide lead direction for the complaint resolution process that involves other departments. In addition, unsatisfied customers generally necessitate further marketing activity.
Table V-8 Customer Complaints Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Customer Complaints Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY20 17 2017 Unlinked Passenger Trips – Motor Bus 15,119,122 13,922,152 12,379,517 11,220,253 -25.8% Complaints 1,559 1,585 1,644 1,291 -17.2% Complaints per Million Psgr Trips 103 114 133 115 11.6%
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Base Year Audit Review Period % Change Customer Complaints Data FY 2014– FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY20 17 2017 Unlinked Passenger Trips – ADA Access 497,020 469,042 433,954 432,343 -13.0% Complaints 75 95 70 69 -8.0% Complaints per Million Psgr Trips 151 203 161 160 5.8% Sources: NTD Reports, TransTrack
The ratio of complaints per 1 million passengers increased by 11.6 percent for motorbus service and by 5.8 percent for Access service during the audit period.
The various complaints made by the community are categorized for trend review by Marketing. If three or more complaints are found against a specific coach operator in a quarter, Marketing alerts Operations for further follow-up with that operator.
In October 2014, Omnitrans received an AdWheel Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) for the sbX launch commercial, OmniGo bus shelter posts, and mobile application. Omnitrans received another AdWheel Award in 2016.
Planning
The Planning side of the department’s mission is to develop short- and long-range plans, programs, and funding to accomplish Omnitrans’ mission and vision. The Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) is prepared by Planning and serves as Omnitrans’ primary financial, planning, and service policy document. The most recent SRTP, OmniConnects: Connecting People, Business & Community, covers FYs 2015 to 2020.
Planning was involved with several large-scale planning-related studies and projects during the audit period, with assistance from other departments. Several planning initiatives were implemented during the audit period. They included discontinuation of OmniLink in August 2014 which provided alternative curb-to-curb dial-a-ride service to Chino Hills and Yucaipa, as well as implementation of Route 61, a direct service to Ontario International Airport. Schedules on the route initially had 60-minute headways, which were shortened to 15 minutes in September 2017. The Ontario Airport service is seen as a precursor to the West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The West Valley Connector BRT Corridor is proposed to run between Fontana and Pomona. In November 2017, the Omnitrans Board of Directors approved a cooperative agreement between Omnitrans and SBCTA for the environmental clearance, design, right-of-way, construction, and project closeout phases for the West Valley Connector Project.
The Marketing and Planning Department conducts regular analysis of Omnitrans’ transit services. On a monthly basis, key performance indicators (KPIs) including ridership, on-time performance, running times, service productivity, and farebox recovery are compiled at both a systemwide level and a route level, including by time of day. These KPIs are evaluated and compared to specified performance standards and the overall trend. Marketing and Planning also evaluates KPIs relative
Michael Baker International – 49 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017 to the SRTP in an iterative manner. The KPIs are used to help develop the SRTP, and the SRTP establishes a framework by which performance is evaluated.
Summaries of the KPIs are reported to the Omnitrans Service Planning Committee, which includes representatives from Marketing and Planning, Operations, Maintenance, Finance, and Human Resources. In addition, 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month reviews of major route changes are developed and presented to the Service Planning Committee. Systemwide KPIs are presented quarterly to the Omnitrans Board of Directors.
Most of the regular service evaluations that Omnitrans completes are to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the service provided. In order to gauge customer response to service changes, Omnitrans conducts a customer satisfaction survey on an annual basis that is benchmarked with other agencies by the American Bus Benchmarking Group. Within the next year, Omnitrans will also complete the After portion of a Before and After Study for the sbX service which will include a systemwide rider intercept survey. This study will capture qualitative customer satisfaction information at a route level.
Human Resources and Safety & Security
In July 2014, the Human Resources and Safety & Security departments were combined and a Director of Human Resources & Safety and Regulatory Compliance was established. The Safety and Security Department reports to the Director of Human Resources & Safety and Regulatory Compliance.
The Human Resources side of the department recruits new hires for the agency, including providing initial assessment and screening tests. Recruitment for coach operators is ongoing. Recruitment efforts are advertised in newspapers (local and regional) and trade magazines, on the Omnitrans website, and at job fairs, Employment Development Department offices, and other transit agencies. Job descriptions are reviewed at the time of requisition. There is testing for every position, and a selection is made based on the critical functions of the job.
The department also analyzes turnover by department on a regular basis, which is compiled in the Annual Agency Turnover Report. The report tracks involuntary and voluntary departures. For calendar year (CY) 2015, the turnover rate was 8.59 percent; for CY 2016, turnover was 7.81 percent; and for CY 2017, the turnover rate was 10.09 percent. The average employee age is 49 years, the average length of service is 11 years, and the average age of retirement is 62 years.
New hire orientation is scheduled over one day. Coach operators undergo 5.5 weeks of training. The Bus Operator Selection Survey (BOSS) is used as a screening tool for the coach operator positions. BOSS has been validated by the American Public Transportation Association. A simulator is also used for training and retraining after an incident. Omnitrans assists coach operator candidates with obtaining their Class B license. Candidates receive 75 percent of the “A” step pay scale during training. Omnitrans is planning on releasing a Request for Proposals to update its training module.
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The training program is conducted by the Operation Fleet Safety and Training Section and includes 2.5 weeks of classroom training, with a written test that must be passed with a minimum of 80 percent. After the initial classroom training, coach operator trainees must complete three weeks of behind-the-wheel training with Coach Operator Instructors. Finally, DMV testing is administered by one of Omnitrans certified DMV examiners. Fully credentialed coach operators must obtain a Class B license, with a passenger endorsement, a verification of transit training (VTT), and a current medical certification. Coach operators must receive a minimum of 8 hours of refresher training each year; Omnitrans refers to this training as Annual Training Certification Renewal (ATCR).
Human Resources is also responsible for worker pay and benefits, including workers compensation claims and certain labor issues. Workers compensation claims are one of the KPIs tracked by Omnitrans. According to the Human Resources Director, 70 to 75 claims are submitted annually. Omnitrans’ third-party administrator for workers compensation claims is Pacific Claims Management. The Human Resources Department also implements safety and development courses, including ergonomic training and performance improvement classes. The courses are based on the Bureau of Labor Relations training protocol.
Non-exempt employees are represented by two unions: Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1704 and Teamsters Local 166. ATU Local 1704 represents the coach operators, while Teamsters Local 166 represents skilled maintenance and administrative support personnel. There is a three- year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Omnitrans and the ATU effective from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2019. The five-year MOU between Omnitrans and the Teamsters is effective from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2021. Under the new MOUs, benefits went from a bucket to a percentage-based model. Omnitrans increased wages to cover the 7 percent employee contribution to CalPERS.
Omnitrans reports a good working relationship with the unions, and there have been minimal grievances. Employees are recognized for their performance and years of service to the agency. There are quarterly and annual awards, the One-Million-Mile and Two-Million-Mile awards, ride check citations, and service awards celebrating milestone years of service.
Every coach operator is required to view the plasma screen and flashboard in the drivers lounge daily for important messages. A point system is used to gauge employee discipline. This matrix- based system is composed of three categories: (1) accidents/safety/DMV; (2) customer service; and (3) policy and procedures. The accumulation of 100 points in any category is cause for termination. A 75-point accumulation results in a 3-day suspension and a 125-point accumulation results in a 5-day suspension.
Omnitrans’ internship program seeks candidates from local colleges and universities for career opportunities in all departments. Online recruitment tools have included Indeed and LinkedIn. The agency has a tuition reimbursement policy to encourage further educational advancement. An employee satisfaction survey has been conducted every two years since 1999. The survey is one
Michael Baker International – 51 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017 of the means by which the agency gauges employee morale. Another outlet for employee engagement is the agency’s Toastmasters club that meets twice monthly.
The agency started a succession planning initiative called the Leadership Development Academy (LDA). LDA has several career tracks for director and management positions. There are 28 applications under consideration for the LDA. A compensation study and organizational review in which salary ranges are evaluated is conducted every two years. The study and review help address staff retention and future succession opportunities.
The Safety & Security side of the department is overseen by a safety and regulatory compliance manager to enhance the safety of Omnitrans staff and riders along transit corridors. For staff, Safety & Security focuses on ergonomics and regulatory compliance. For sbX bus rapid transit riders, Safety & Security oversees the operation of security cameras along the corridor, at the San Bernardino Transit Station, and at other station command centers, and maintains a partnership with the San Bernardino Police Department.
Finance
The Finance Department undertakes many activities including planning for the future in the agency’s short-term and long-term. Short-term planning rarely looks further ahead than the 12 months in the fiscal year. The goal is to ensure that the agency has enough cash to pay its bills. Key performance indicators for short term planning include meeting deadlines for payroll and accounts payables, and completing financial statements in a timely manner. Finance tracks debt and liability amounts and applies interest generated from savings through the local agency investment fund towards these expenses. Budgeting for operations and capital projects are compared to actuals, with an operating cost cushion in place to absorb financial shocks. In the long-term planning process, the planning horizon is typically 2–5 years and focuses on the agency’s long-term goals and the funding that must be secured prior to project implementation. Recent significant projects that have budgeted include installation of natural gas pipeline and infrastructure so that Omnitrans can own the alternative fuel rather than purchase the commodity for cost savings over time while obtaining fuel credits. Solar energy generation on top of agency building rooftops and above the parking lot is another infrastructure project budgeted for procurement. The technology investment in SAP is planned to create more efficient processes for the Finance Department.
It was indicated through a FTA finding that Omnitrans should improve its reporting on aging open grants, in particular those older than three years. Omnitrans conducts an overview of all grants quarterly and the Grant Manager reviews outstanding grants monthly with each department. Omnitrans will continue to be diligent on grant accountability. Omnitrans has $15 million remaining in Proposition 1B Public Transportation Modernization, Improvement and Service Enhancement Account (PTMISEA) grant funds as a match for federal grants as well as for bus procurement. Also, the FY 2016 Federal Transit Administration Triennial Review found that Omnitrans disposed of five FTA-funded buses with values of over $5,000 and did not notify the FTA of the sale or reimburse the FTA for its share of the disposition proceeds, according to the grant conditions. Another finding noted that Omnitrans did not submit Associated Transit
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Improvement reports on an annual basis. Both findings from the FY 2016 Federal Transit Administration Triennial Review were satisfactorily addressed.
Procurement
The Procurement Department is responsible for procuring a wide range of equipment, parts, supplies, and professional services that are used by Omnitrans. Procurement staff solicit Requests for Qualifications, Invitations for Bids, and Requests for Proposals to obtain materials, supplies, equipment, professional and non-professional services, construction (public works projects) services, and designated revenue opportunities in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and the Omnitrans published Procurement Policies and Procedures. Additionally, the Procurement Department uses PlanetBid, an online solicitation website that ensures a larger pool of solicitors.
Omnitrans utilizes the credit card program provided under the State of California CAL-Card contract, whose current P-card contractor is US Bank. The P-Card has been set up with low single transaction limits and is ideally used for small dollar, non-repetitive purchases.
Information Technology
The Information Technology (IT) department is responsible for the provision of Omnitrans’ IT services. During the audit period, Omnitrans focused on the stabilization of the single Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) software system, or SAP, and its complete integration into Trapeze bus device software. SAP is used for such functions as scheduling, dispatch, and fleet management and has significantly improved Omnitrans’ business processes A separate SMS system is used for reporting and analysis of vehicle accidents and injuries. KPIs for IT include system uptime, issue response time, and system efficiency. KPI data is provided on a monthly basis to the CEO.
Cooperation with other departments has been a hallmark of the IT Department and is reflected in the cross-platform nature of their services. IT staff work on projects for specific departments including Administration, Finance, Planning, Human Resources, Operations, and Maintenance. Help desk and server maintenance functions have been outsourced to a vendor.
In 2015, Omnitrans retained a consultant to assess and conduct a landscape review of SAP processes. In addition, Omnitrans hired a new information technology manager and has committed an investment of $1.2 million toward SAP’s successful implementation. The goal is to minimize customization since the customization features are often overwritten during software upgrades. Omnitrans’ data administrator was the project lead for the massive update of the Procurement SAP system. His responsibilities included building the program, testing for quality assurance, and, finally, implementation. The data administrator has been able to take data requests from various internal data systems and combine them into usable reports that are instrumental in making business decisions.
Omnitrans rotates Automated Passenger Counters (APCs) through its vehicle fleet to validate ridership counts from farebox data. Omnitrans uses Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology
Michael Baker International – 53 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017 on the entire fleet to track vehicle locations in real time. AVL is used to measure on-time performance.
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Section VI
Findings
The following summarizes the major findings obtained from this triennial audit covering fiscal years 2015 through 2017. A set of recommendations is then provided.
1. Of the compliance requirements pertaining to Omnitrans, the operator fully complied with all nine applicable requirements. In addition, new state legislation was passed (AB 1113, Bloom) on July 21, 2017, that changes the timeline to submit the annual Transit Operators Financial Transaction Reports to the State Controller effective reporting year FY 2017. Two additional compliance requirements did not apply to Omnitrans (rural and blended farebox recovery ratios).
2. Omnitrans implemented the two prior audit recommendations. The recommendations pertained to SAP implementation and increasing ridership on the sbX line.
3. Omnitrans’ farebox recovery ratio remained above the required 20 percent standard for general public operations and 10 percent for Access ADA paratransit. The farebox recovery ratio for the general public service was 23.70 percent in FY 2015, 22.30 percent in FY 2016, and 25.50 percent in FY 2017. The three-year farebox average was 23.83 percent. The farebox recovery ratio for Access was 13.85 percent in FY 2015, 18.77 percent in FY 2016, and 33.91 percent in FY 2017. The three-year farebox average was 22.17 percent. Farebox ratios are audited figures from the TDA fiscal audits and include local support revenue such as Measure I.
4. Operating costs based on audited data increased 19.2 percent systemwide from $64.6 million in the FY 2014 base year to $77 million in FY 2017, the result of necessary business activities. General public service operating costs increased 24.3 percent from $51.7 million in the FY 2014 base year to $64.3 million in FY 2017, whereas costs on the demand response services decreased 0.9 percent over the same period from $1.87 million in FY 2014 to $1.86 million in FY 2017. Systemwide costs increased due to factors such as higher wages, salaries, and benefits (release of a wage freeze), increase in cost attributed to pension increase for the union employees, and O&M and security costs for the relatively new San Bernardino Transit Center.
5. Ridership systemwide exhibited a decrease of 25.7 percent, mirrored by a comparable 26.1 percent decrease on the general public services. Demand response services exhibited a smaller decrease of 7.4 percent. Systemwide, ridership decreased from 15.7 million passengers in FY 2014 to 11.6 million in FY 2017. The decline in ridership is attributed to lower gas prices, the issuance of more drivers’ licenses, and increased automobile ownership and telecommuting.
6. The provision of vehicle service miles increased 5.7 percent systemwide during the audit period from 10.7 million miles in FY 2014 to 11.4 million miles in FY 2017. Vehicle service miles
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increased 10.7 percent on the general public services yet decreased 8 percent on the demand response service. Expansion of service on the fixed route modes resulted in increased miles of travel in revenue service.
7. The provision of vehicle service hours increased 4.1 percent systemwide from 799,816 hours in FY 2014 to 832,323 hours in FY 2017. Vehicle service hours increased 6.8 percent on the general public services and decreased 4.9 percent on the demand response service during the same period.
8. Operating cost per passenger, a measure of cost effectiveness, increased 60.5 percent systemwide from $4.12 in FY 2014 to $6.61 in FY 2017. For general public services, cost per passenger increased 68.3 percent, whereas on demand response, cost per passenger increased a modest 7.4 percent. The trend in this indicator is attributed to the increase in operating costs compared to the decrease in passenger trips.
9. Operating cost per vehicle service hour, a measure of cost efficiency, increased 14.5 percent systemwide from $80.83 in FY 2014 to $92.57 in FY 2017. At the modal level, there was a 16.4 percent increase for general public services and a 4.1 percent increase for demand response services. Operating cost per vehicle service mile, another measure of cost efficiency, increased 12.7 percent systemwide from $6.00 in FY 2014 to $6.76 in FY 2017, with a 12.3 percent increase for general public services and a 7.5 percent increase for demand response services. Larger growth in operating costs relative to the growth in service hours and miles leads to the trends.
10. Omnitrans eliminated OmniLink service and redirected operating funds to Freeway Express service with Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) Funding. The elimination of OmniLink, a low productivity general public dial-a-ride service that was duplicative with OmniGo and had flat ridership for several years, allowed for the seed funding for the development of Route 290 Freeway Express service between San Bernardino and Montclair, which has been Omnitrans second fastest-growing route over the last three years.
11. In September 2014, Omnitrans implemented a fare increase. The fixed route base fare changed from $1.50 to $1.75, and the Day Pass fare changed from $4.00 to $5.00. Omnitrans did not implement a planned fare increase in FY 2017.
12. Omnitrans opened the San Bernardino Transit Center in September 2015. Built in partnership with SBCTA, the $25 million center is a LEED Gold facility that serves 5,000 passengers daily and provides a safe environment, amenities, real-time arrival technology, and convenient connections. This multimodal transportation hub is utilized by Omnitrans, Mountain Transit, the Victor Valley Transit Authority, Pass Transit, the Riverside Transit Agency, and Metrolink.
13. Omnitrans completed construction of its new state-of-the-art maintenance facility in 2015. The facility is located at Fifth Street and Medical Center Drive in San Bernardino and is able to accommodate the 60-foot articulated buses used on sbX Bus Rapid Transit service.
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14. Omnitrans continued to enact cost-cutting measures while seeking new revenue streams. The agency cut $15 million over a five-year period pursuant to findings in the Comprehensive Operational Analysis that offset the loss of fare revenues due to the decline in ridership. Omnitrans implemented the following cost-cutting measures:
• Consolidated four administrative departments into two, Human Resources and Security & Safety, and Marketing and Planning. • Restructured the senior leadership team by eliminating the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Safety positions. • Placed administrative staff on a four-year wage freeze and had staff pay 10 percent of their healthcare premium. • Initiated a process to bill the state for trips made by Medi-Cal eligible Access riders, generating approximately $1.8 million annually. • Transitioned the Access fleet from gasoline to lower cost CNG fueling • Transitioned from trucked in Liquefied National Gas (LNG) to pipeline CNG, which has allowed Omnitrans to purchase Renewable National Gas (RNG) and generate approximately $1.5 million annually from the sale of Cap and Trade credits. • Utilized four years of federal alternative tax credits for LNG/CNG purchases that since expired but were retroactively extended by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and are expected to generate approximately $1.5 million annually. • Negotiated contracts with the Teamsters and ATU that kept average annual wage increases below 3 percent and required employees to pay a larger share of healthcare costs.
15. Omnitrans introduced online mobile ticketing through the Token Transit platform. Users can download the app from Google Play for Android devices or the Apple Store for iOS devices. The app allows passes to be purchased and stored on a smartphone.
16. Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare for veterans in January 2015, which is the same fare as for senior and disabled riders. Veterans simply need to show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans route to take advantage of the discounted fare. The fare media consists of a separate pass. In concert with the veterans’ fare, Omnitrans offered free fares for uniformed active military, firefighters, and police officers.
17. Omnitrans continued to improve its departmental integration with SAP. In 2015, Omnitrans retained a consultant to assess and conduct a landscape review of SAP processes. In addition, Omnitrans hired a new information technology manager and has committed an investment of $1.2 million toward SAP’s successful implementation.
18. Omnitrans implemented Route 61, which operates direct service to Ontario International Airport. Schedules on the route initially had 60-minute headways, which were shortened to 15 minutes in September 2017. The Ontario Airport service is seen as a precursor to the West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
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Recommendations
1. Show farebox calculation in audited financial reports. (High Priority)
Omnitrans’ Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR) does not provide a breakdown or backup to statement notes for the farebox recovery calculation in Note 3, even though the CAFR does state that to be eligible for TDA funds, Omnitrans must maintain a ratio of passenger fares to operating costs of not less than 20 percent for general public transit service and 10 percent for specialized service for the elderly and handicapped. The farebox recovery ratios for each service mode are presented for that fiscal year but without showing the calculation. In light of Senate Bill (SB) 508 that makes provisions for farebox recovery, it is recommended that the auditor show the breakdown of which revenues and operating expenses are included and what cost exemptions are made.
2. Identify auxiliary sources of revenue to support farebox recovery and cover operating costs. (High Priority)
The recent Local Transportation Fund (LTF) revenue forecast conducted by an independent consultant firm indicates the 3 percent LTF funding growth through FY 2027 may be unattainable. Omnitrans developed a Financial Whitepaper in May 2018 that outlines cost efficiencies and revenue streams, and will be working with SBCTA on funding strategies to bring funding projections in line with future operational needs. Omnitrans has already taken measures to cut costs without sacrificing service or laying off personnel.
State SB 508, passed in October 2015, makes changes to how farebox recovery is calculated. Consistent with current practice, transit systems can boost their farebox recovery through inclusion of local revenues generated by the transit service. Under the new law, other local revenues can prop up the farebox. In addition to local Measure I contributions, examples of local fund revenues include advertisements on buses and bus shelters, alternative fuel sales to the general public, gains on the sale of capital assets, lease revenues generated by transit- owned property, and fare revenue agreements in lieu of individual fare payment with entities that have regular riders. On the flip side, the state legislation also allows exclusion of certain operating costs above the annual rate of inflation.
3. Continue to implement and optimize technologies. (Medium Priority)
Omnitrans has implemented several innovative technological tools, such as the Token Transit mobile ticketing app and NextBus. The agency is also upgrading its Trapeze dispatching system that will allow for the creation of reports to track route delays and to reduce overtime. In addition, Omnitrans is considering using Trapeze for online booking of trips on Access. This feature would make it easier for paratransit passengers to book and cancel trips from their mobile device or telephone. The benefits would be reduced cancellations and wait times. Omnitrans should continue along this path of integrating value-added technologies that
Michael Baker International – 58 Triennial Performance Audit of Omnitrans – FYs 2015–2017 improve operational performance and efficiency with the focus being on customer service. This recommendation encourages Omnitrans to continue its commitment in leveraging technology to improve efficiencies and customer amenities, and delivering a higher level of customer service.
Michael Baker International – 59