ROCKLAND COUNTY 50 Sanatorium Road Pomona, NY 10970 (845) 364-3434
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ROCKLAND COUNTY 50 Sanatorium Road Pomona, NY 10970 (845) 364-3434 State Legislative Districts: Senate: 38 Assembly: 92 - 94 Base Fare (TOR): $.90 Last Increase: $.30 in May 1996 Public Transportation, supported by STOA, in Rockland County is comprised of five distinctly different services, provided in a variety of institutional and market settings. The range of services include local services within towns and within the County, and commuter services to Westchester County and to Manhattan. Each of these five service categories is described below. Transport of Rockland (TOR): Rockland County economy, increased to 20 percent which is still contracts with two private operators to provide fixed somewhat low for a suburban system. This rate is route bus service under the name Transport of Rockland driven to a large degree by stable fare levels, supported (TOR). The Fixed Route operators are Rockland in turn, by the County’s use of funds it receives from Coaches and Hudson Transit, both subsidiaries of MTA pursuant to an agreement from the 1980's. Coach USA. Passenger revenue increases of 36.4 percent coupled STOA eligible TOR passengers increased 13.5 percent with a proportionally smaller increase of 13.1 percent from 2000 to 2001, and over the five year period from for operating expenses caused the cost recovery ratio to 1997 to 2001 there was an 10.5 percent annualized increase 20.6 percent in 2001 for the Transport of increase in ridership. This consistent growth in Rockland Fixed-Route system. This significant one year ridership is largely due to increases in Rockland increase in the cost recovery ratio from 2000 to 2001 County’s population, employment, as well as service reversed the previous five year trend analysis (1996 to improvements and the maintenance of stable fares. 2000) which had been represented with an annualized 3 percent decrease. TOR’s cost recovery ratio, a measure of system Rockland County Sponsored Services Rockland County Sponsored Services Revenue Passengers Revenue Vehicle Miles 8,500 5,400 8,250 5,200 8,000 7,750 5,000 7,500 4,800 7,250 4,600 7,000 Thousands Thousands 6,750 4,400 6,500 4,200 6,250 4,000 6,000 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Year III-54 Rockland County Fixed Route Paratransit Tappanzee Commuter Municipal Total 2001 Characteristics TOR TRIPS Express Bus Bus Revenue Passengers 1,823,389 55,887 291,834 2,583,831 226,314 4,981,255 Number of Vehicles 43 18 29 170 12 272 Number of Employees 33 22 33 297 15 400 Revenue Vehicle Miles 1,248,375 382,281 603,907 5,245,069 420,806 7,900,438 Revenue Vehicle Hours 65,486 28,521 29,506 12,139 30,643 166,295 Total Operating Revenue 1,185,344 45,326 252,088 20,054,878 98,882 21,636,518 Total Operating Expense 5,971,664 1,543,005 3,216,900 24,642,713 1,509,543 36,883,825 Operating Expense /Rev. Vehicle Mile 4.78 4.04 5.33 4.70 3.59 4.67 Operating Expense / Rev. Vehicle Hour 91.19 54.10 109.03 2,030.04 49.26 221.80 Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Mile 1.46 0.15 0.48 0.04 0.54 0.63 Rev. Passengers / Rev. Vehicle Hour 27.84 1.96 9.89 212.85 7.39 29.95 Total Operating Revenue / Op. Expense 0.20 0.03 0.08 0.81 0.07 0.59 Operating Expense / Revenue Passenger 3.28 27.61 11.02 9.54 6.67 7.40 Total Op. Revenue / Revenue Passenger 0.65 0.81 0.86 7.76 0.44 4.34 The efficiency of the TOR fixed route system, as suburban market as well as a very low fare structure for measured by cost per revenue vehicle mile, decreased commuter express services using Over-the-Road from 2000 to 2001. The cost per mile increased from Coaches. $4.67 to $4.78, a 2.4 percent increase. This change in efficiency is due to operating costs increasing at a The objective of the service consolidation is to reduce greater rate than the revenue vehicle miles. Over the the number of trips across the Hudson River to five year period from 1997 to 2001 the cost per mile Westchester County, increase the occupancy of increased at an annualized rate of 2.5 percent. services, and provide faster more direct services. By using a transfer point at Palisades Center, having shuttle The effectiveness of the fixed route system increased feeder buses, and having buses to White Plains operate 2.7 percent over 2000 because of a greater increase in directly without a stop at the Tarrytown MNR station, ridership in proportion to revenue vehicle miles. Over this service has been reoriented to provide better the five year period, service effectiveness increased at service at lower cost. Preliminary operating results are an annualized rate of 4.8 percent. very promising. Tappan Zee Express: Rockland County contracts with Starting in October 2001 the Tappan Zee Express the same two private carriers that operate TOR, to started a temporary Thruway bypass service. This provide the Tappan Zee Express suburban commuter premium service was put into place to avoid delays at bus service. These services were consolidated on April the Exit 8 renovation construction area and ensure a 1, 2001 to provide a more efficient and effective quicker ride for transit users. The Thruway By-pass operation. TZX 2, 3 and 5 became feeder shuttles to the uses a 16 passenger bus that is able to exit I-287/I-87 TZX 1 and TZX4 which crosses the Tappan Zee Bridge near the Tappan Zee toll booth, and go under the bridge to serve Tarrytown and White Plains. to Route 119. This vehicle type, unlike conventional commuter buses, can negotiate the turns of the By-pass The bulk of the TZX ridership is on the TZX 1 which route. There are six by-pass runs in the morning from carries 87 percent of the revenue passengers and Suffern through Nyack into White Plains. The service accounts for 88 percent of the total revenue. The cost carries about 1,000 passenger per month. The Thruway recovery ratio of the Tappan Zee Express increased bypass service is expected to terminate in the late fall of 15.8 percent from 2000 to 2001. The reason for this 2003 once the construction of the I-287 / I-87 corridor increase in Operating Ratio is passenger revenue is complete. increased 17.7 percent while operating costs only increased 1.6 percent. Despite this increase, the cover TRIPS: The TRIPS countywide complementary ratio of this service is relatively low, due to strong paratransit service is operated directly by the County. In competition from the private automobile in this 2001 TRIPS had an increase of Revenue passengers of III-55 2.6 percent while the Revenue Vehicle Miles increased of the STOA eligible passengers and 66 percent of the 6.8 percent. Given that the origins/destinations of STOA eligible revenue vehicle miles of the Rockland people using the TRIPS system is more dispersed, the County system. Revenues decreased 8.4 percent while level of service increases necessitated to sustain this expenses decreased 8 percent causing the Operating ridership growth is nearly twice that of the fixed route Ratio of these pass-through systems to remain virtually system. Although the cost recovery ratio on paratransit unchanged at 81.3 percent. In 2000 the operating ratio service is lower than the general fixed route services was 81.6 percent. The commuter bus operations this is an important component of the services offered decreased their expenses in anticipation of decreasing for the mobility of handicapped individuals who can not passenger revenue to maintain the 81 percent operating be transported on the fixed route system. ratio for 2001. The Rockland County also sponsors a series of “Pass These services achieve a high operating ratio, the Through” Local and Private Transit Services for highest observed in the STOA Program, because of the Statewide Mass Transportation Operating Assistance high demand in Rockland County for commuter (STOA) funding that do not receive County financial services and an appropriate fare charged for the ride to support. Manhattan. This is an important component of the Rockland County Transportation System because of the Municipal Bus “Pass-Through” Systems: The pass efficiency of moving passengers and meeting the through public transit systems (“Municipal Pass demands of the commuters on a daily basis. These are Throughs”) are operated by the towns of Clarkstown efficient services run without local operating assistance. and Spring Valley. The towns provide additional financial support for these systems. The Spring Valley In 2001 Revenue passengers for these largely New Jitney and Clarkstown Mini Trans comprise 4.5 percent York City oriented services declined by 5.5 percent of the passengers and 5.3 percent of the revenue vehicle which may in part reflect a short term reduction of trips miles in proportion to the Grand Total Rockland immediately following the terrorist attacks of County Systems. September 11th. The Operating Ratio of these public transit systems was 6.6 percent for 2001 versus 7.3 percent for 2000. STOA eligible revenue passengers decreased 12.4 percent from 2000 to 2001. The decrease in the Operating Ratio is attributable to the decrease in revenues of 10 percent while Operating expenses remained stable. There was a decrease in “efficiency” for the Muncipal Pass throughs due to stable operating costs that corresponded with a decrease in revenue miles, equating to a 8.0 percent increase in cost per mile.