Suburban Transit Opportunities Study

Suburban Transit Opportunities Study A report produced by the Central Transportation Planning Staff for the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Suburban Transit Opportunities Study Author Steven D. Santa Maria, AICP Project Principal Karl Quackenbush Project Manager Clinton Bench Contributing Authors Thomas J. Humphrey Jonathan Belcher Paul Reim Cartography Ken Dumas Mary McShane Design Jane M. Gillis Photography Carol Gautreau Bent The preparation of this report was supported by EOTC 3C Section 5303 Transportation Planning Contract EOTC #MA-80-2014. Central Transportation Planning Staff Directed by the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO is composed of state and regional agencies and authorities, and local governments. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Providing successful suburban transit service is not an easy task. With the vast majority of work and non-work related trips being made by automobiles and land use policies that generally do not support conventional transit service, providing alternatives in the suburbs is always very difficult. However, as research and experience have shown, it is not impossible. Route deviation/point deviation, demand response, employer shuttles, and feeder systems have shown the ability to provide effective service and successfully compete for small markets in the suburban environment. The Suburban Transit Opportunities Study was undertaken with the primary goal of identifying characteristics of successful suburban transit services, especially as they may apply to the Boston region. To this end, the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) performed an exhaustive review of the national and local literature, and conducted four case studies of local suburban transit agencies. Additionally, CTPS hosted a round-table discussion between suburban transit providers and state transportation agencies, and conducted passenger surveys of all suburban systems cur- rently operating within the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) region. Across the nation and here in Massachusetts, analysts and transit providers have begun to look at the challenge of providing suburban transit in new ways. Rather than attacking the problem only by trying to change its root cause – automobile-oriented land use – planners and scholars now argue that transit itself must also change in order to be successful in the suburban environment. Planning techniques, service types, and in fact, the very way in which suburban systems view themselves, must adapt. Conventional cost-effectiveness metrics cannot be used as the sole means of measuring success. As such, this report describes methods, techniques, and lessons learned by transit agencies about operating sustainable suburban transit systems that fulfill the goals and objectives identified by their public or private stakeholders. The key aspects of these, which are more fully explored in Chapter 5, are to: Think Like a Business Establish a goal for the system that is focused on one or two niche markets, develop a mission statement based on that goal, determine through mission analysis the necessary steps to achieve that goal, and develop a “culture” of customer service throughout the agency. Conduct Thorough Service Planning Analyze all aspects of the service, starting with the mission statement. Determine all needed resources. Develop courses of action (that include well-planned potential routes) and choose the one that best serves the customer while remaining within budget constraints. Develop and Maintain an Aggressive Marketing Strategy Effectively “sell” the service to the general public, who may be supporting the system with tax dollars, to private sponsors, and to potential customers who need the service. Create a “brand” ES-1 identity for the service. Mark and maintain inviting bus stops, hang posters, and place ads in papers. Above all, think outside the box, and continuously seek new ways to get the system’s “message” out. Develop and Maintain Partnerships A vital form of sponsorship and subsidy, seeking and forming partnerships should be an ongoing part of any system’s management. Likely part- ners are Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), Regional Planning Councils (RPCs), local employers, major transit agencies such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and local real estate developers. Compete with the Automobile Seek to emulate those aspects of cars that make them popular, including direct routings between origins and destinations. Ensure that the service is above reproach in terms of reliability and that the system’s vehicles project a clean and com- fortable image. Continue to Influence Land Use Change Ensure that representatives of the transit service attend local and regional meetings where land- use decisions are made (including those of Boards of Selectmen, planning boards, etc). Investigate and/or create transit-friendly and transit-oriented development guidelines and share them with local officials and developers. Seek to implement local ordinances that oblige new developments to support suburban transit. SUBURBAN TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES STUDY ES-2 INTRODUCTION As part of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) commitment to support the provision of transit service in suburban areas, the Boston MPO Transportation Plan Update 2004– 2005 contains a program to fund suburban mobility projects out of the 70% of the region’s expect- ed revenues that will be devoted to maintenance and improvement projects. That program will fund equipment and other capital-related expenses associated with services that aim to improve mobility in suburban areas. Fixed-route transit services operating in suburban-to-suburban and reverse-commute markets, employer-based van/carpools, and flexible-route transit services are among the services that this program seeks to support. Eligible applicants include local or regional public entities, Transportation Management Associations, and other appropriate non-profit organi- zations capable of implementing transit services. In an effort to ensure that only the most qualified applicants are chosen for funding, the MPO began conducting the Suburban Transit Opportunities Study in the spring of 2003. This report is the result, and was compiled from research that included: • An exhaustive review of the current literature, including national and local sources • A round-table discussion with Boston-area suburban transit providers • Case studies of Boston-area suburban transit systems • A survey of suburban transit service passengers, conducted on all suburban transit systems in the Boston region • An analysis of National Transit Database information on the operating costs of suburban transit systems nationally and in Massachusetts • Progress-update meetings with both the Boston MPO Regional Transportation Advisory Committee (RTAC) and Transportation Planning and Programming Committee (TPPC). This report would not have been possible if not for the timely and willing cooperation of the Boston area suburban transit agencies that were selected to participate in this study. Their time, assistance, and cooperation are greatly appreciated. I-1 CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW SUMMARY As is well known, the years following World War II saw a significant shift of residential land use away from the immediate area around large cities to land located many, many miles from a city or town center. Over the last several decades, and becoming increasingly more commonplace, this pattern now includes all forms of land use. No longer the sole domain of “bedroom communities,” the suburbs are increasingly self-contained, with their own centers of employment, education, shopping, and entertainment (Minerva et al., 1996). This process of suburbanization, which has generated new jobs and increased economic activity, was made possible by the proliferation of the automobile. Now the dominant form of transportation in America, automobiles account for 90% of work trips nationally and 79% of work trips within eastern Massachusetts (U.S. Census). This increasing trend has resulted in significant traffic congestion and a reduction in basic mobility for certain segments of the population that lack automobiles or the ability to use one. Moreover, the nation has seen a shift in commuting patterns. Nationally, suburb-to-suburb travel is becoming the dominant commuting pattern, and central business districts (CBDs) are no longer the principal place to do business in metropolitan areas (Hooper, 1995). This economic expansion of employment and housing to the suburbs has led to activity centers and trip generators that are poorly tied together and have indirect, very dispersed travel patterns (Falbel, 1998; Minerva et al., 1996; Biemborn et al., 1992). Given these conditions, improving suburban mobility is a difficult national challenge that is partic- ularly acute for transit (TCRP 55, 1999). Issues involving land use suitability for transit are well known and difficult to overcome. However, municipalities and transportation agencies still have a responsibility to provide some degree of mobility for all segments of society and to attempt to reduce congestion. Thus, the question becomes, how can service be provided in this environment, and what innovative methods can communities or agencies employ to enhance suburban mobility? The focus of this chapter is to provide an exhaustive review of the current literature for information on what techniques have been employed around the nation and here in Massachusetts to

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