Framework Summary July 2018 - DRAFT Information found in this dcoument can be provided in an alternative format upon request. Please contact the Regional Transit Authority at 313-402-1020 to speak to a representative or email [email protected]. The RTA will do its best to provide the requested alternative format within a reasonable time CONTENTS THE VISION .......................................... 1 Improve Frequency and Reliability ............................................2 Modernization and Innovation ..................................................3 Local Input on Expanded Local Services .................................3 Seamless Rider Experience ......................................................3 STATE OF TRANSIT IN THE REGION .... 4 DELIVERING VALUE ............................. 5 THE PLAN ............................................ 6 15 Routes @ 15-Minute Frequencies ......................................6 15 New Express Regional Routes Connecting Major Destinations Across the Four Counties ..........................7 Commuter Rail Service Connecting Ann Arbor and Detroit ..............................................................8 Hometown Service and Core Area Flexible Mobility ................8 Technology, Infrastructure and Systems Investments ..............9 THE PLAN UPDATES .......................... 16 THE VISION Connect Southeast Michigan builds on and mod- ifies the 2016 plan with those insights. The plan provides $175 million per year in operations fund- An effective regional transit system is essential to ing (in 2019 dollars) – a total investment of $723 the economic vitality of Southeast Michigan and the million over 20 years in transit supporting infra- quality of life for our residents. The vision for transit structure – and addresses the feedback to provide in the region is to go beyond the services and infra- a more robust, regional solution to transit and structure we have today to create the foundation for mobility for Southeast Michigan. A voter-approved an innovative system for tomorrow. tax of 1.5 mill in 2018 will raise $5.4 billion over Since the 2016 transit referendum’s narrow loss, 20 years and leverage an additional $1.4 billion in elected, business and philanthropic leaders have farebox, state and federal revenues. worked diligently with transit advocates, out- Connect Southeast Michigan will connect people side experts and the Regional Transit Authority of to jobs and services efficiently. The plan leverages Southeast Michigan (RTA) to review and update the a holistic regional planning approach to increase 2016 Regional Master Transit Plan (RMTP), adopted efficiency and reduce redundancy. It increases the by the RTA. We began by listening and taking into number of regional “one-seat” rides by upgrading account the most consistent feedback to the 2016 successful routes delivered today. These route Master Plan. We heard residents repeatedly ask for upgrades, new regional services and innovative the following: programs will deliver the transit system that our • More service in more places; residents deserve, and that our region requires • Local, nontraditional transit service in less urban- to be truly competitive on the national and global ized areas; stages. With Connect Southeast Michigan, we will be poised to integrate new technologies and • A seamless customer experience in a system that services to compete with – and lead – our peers. unifies disparate transit providers; • A larger role for local leaders to influence service in their communities; and • Acknowledgment that technology is evolving, and the mobility systems of today must be flexible enough to evolve during the course of the plan’s implementation. | p 1 Four-Part VISION 1 | Improve Frequency signal improvements and dedicated transit lanes that benefit transit mean improvements for driv- and Reliability ers as well as transit riders. Connect Southeast Michigan will add the fol- • Fifteen Express Routes. New regional express lowing transit routes and services across the four- routes for commuters and airport travelers. county region: • Commuter Rail. Leverage existing rail line for • 15 @ 15. Fifteen routes with at least 15-minute more frequent service between Ann Arbor and rush-hour frequency across the region. The 15 Detroit, with new complementary feeder bus routes dramatically expand the current frequent service to rail stations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. transit network and improve job access by Connect Southeast Michigan will also provide an providing an additional 1,400 hours of frequent additional $25 million per year investment to reduce service every weekday, which is a 62 percent chokepoints through transit supporting infrastruc- increase in service on these corridors. ture across the region. Other capital investments • Six Premium Routes. Mound/Van Dyke Road will include a single, universal smart fare card, and Gratiot, Woodward, Grand River, Michigan, technology to reduce congestion at intersections and Washtenaw avenues will receive $238 mil- and stops, new bus maintenance facilities, and lion. in infrastructure upgrades to make transit enhanced shelters and transit centers to provide faster and improve the flow of traffic. Traffic safe, comfortable transit waiting areas. July 2018 | p 2 2 | Modernization 3 | Local Input on Expanded and Innovation Local Services Mobility innovation is happening rapidly. Our region Traditional fixed-route transit services do not meet is a national leader in connected and autonomous the needs of all communities in Southeast Michigan. vehicle technology. The future of how we move As a result, individual communities now spend will completely change during the next 20 years, millions providing necessary local paratransit, offering safe, efficient travel and expanded mobility senior and other non-traditional mobility services benefits. Transit service will also benefit greatly to their residents. Connect Southeast Michigan’s from this emerging technology. Connect Southeast Advanced Mobility, Hometown Service and Core Area Michigan will deploy a ground-breaking program Flexible Mobility programs will all be locally designed called Advanced Mobility to ensure our region is based on the needs of each community. Connect at the leading edge of technology by investing $20 Southeast Michigan’s support for these programs million per year to implement tomorrow’s mobility will increase more than seven-fold, from $10 million strategies to solve today’s mobility challenges. to $70 million, compared with the 2016 RMTP. Building off the lessons learned from our Amazon proposal and recognizing that today’s fixed-route 4 | Seamless Rider Experience transit needs will need to change as our socioeco- nomic base evolves over time and new economic A seamless transit experience for riders begins with opportunities present themselves, the revised plan a new level of support for and coordination between also includes $143 million to plan and design future the current transit providers. Connect Southeast high-quality transit solutions that are needed to Michigan proposes aggregation of administrative, support regional economic prosperity. planning and procurement functions of all agencies through joint operating agreements. This will allow for the reduction of redundancy and optimization of service to drive efficiency and enhance cus- tomer service. Ultimately, this regional approach will achieve financial savings that will allow them to reinvest into additional transit service. Also included is a unified regional fare system, a new regional transit call center, common branding opportunities, and consistent service policies. | p 3 STATE OF TRANSIT their equipment, expanded services and taken their coordination to unprecedented levels. IN THE REGION Despite these improvements, support for transit in our region lags behind almost every other region During the past five years, the Detroit Department with which we compete for economic development of Transportation (DDOT), the Suburban Mobili- (see chart below). A quality regional transit system ty Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) requires additional investment to meet our commu- and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority nities’ core mobility needs, provides better access to (TheRide) have dramatically improved their system jobs, improves our economic vitality and makes our performances. The agencies modernized much of region attractive to new residents and businesses. Transit Operation Investment per Capita Southeast Michigan: $67 Indianapolis** $82 Nashville* $83 Columbus* $93 SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN $110 with 1.5 MILL FUNDING INCREASE Atlanta* $123 Cleveland $158 Austin* $159 Denver* $206 Pittsburgh* $242 Chicago* $293 Boston* $380 Seattle $409 * = Finalist for Amazon H2Q ** = Estimated per capita operating costs in Indianapolis include a recently approved income tax to expand transit by up to 60 percent over existing 2016 service levels. Source: 2016 National Transit Database July 2018 | p 4 DELIVERING VALUE It is not just about the dollars. CONNECT SOUTHEAST We need a cohesive vision that galvanizes the MICHIGAN ... broad desire for improved regional transit to greater connectivity and economic prosperity. Connect Southeast Michigan provides more fixed-route Supports 67,000 new jobs service, smarter infrastructure investment and more commuter support. It encompasses “for- ward-flexibility” to adapt to future mobility solu- Generates $6.6 billion in additional tions. It proposes localized transit solutions to drive Gross