TS-2021-03 March 2, 2021
REPORT TO: Mayor James M. Diodati and Members of Municipal Council City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
SUBMITTED BY: Transit Services Department
SUBJECT: TS-2021-03 WEGO Visitor Transportation Services Operational Review
RECOMMENDATION
1. That the WEGO Visitor Transportation Services Operational Review prepared by IBI Group dated January 12, 2021 be approved by Council; and
2. That the recommendations provided in Table 2 not requiring budgetary approval or public input at this time be endorsed by Council; and
3. That Council direct Staff to bring an extension agreement forward for Council’s approval within the terms of the agreement’s timeframes to extend the term of the existing 10-year agreement by two years.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The WEGO service has been in operation since 2012 and provides over one-million rides annually (pre-pandemic). The service is jointly operated between the City of Niagara Falls (CNF) and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC).
The systems’ operation is governed by a 10-year operating agreement that outlines the goals, responsibilities, financial arrangements and roles of the service. As an operational requirement in the terms of the existing agreement, the attached WEGO Operational Review was initiated in 2019 by the NPC and CNF. The Consultant’s final report outlines recommendations for both agencies in successfully continuing and growing the service. NPC staff have provided and their Property & Infrastructure Committee and their Commission have received the attached review and recommendations.
BACKGROUND
The WEGO system replaced the 26-year old People Mover service and integrated three City operated Falls Shuttle routes to provide service to the provincially-designated parks along Niagara Parkway and in the tourism and service cores/ corridors of Niagara Falls. Staff from CNF and NPC meet regularly to address needed service adjustments or operational issues to continue to improve performance and to plan for opportunities or promotions to meet our visitor’s needs. 2 TS-2021-03 March 2, 2021
Ridership has been consistently strong (see Table 1) on the system but had plateaued due to service levels being provided at capacity, traffic congestion and routing issues which were identified in the review and addressed in recommendations from the Consultant.
Table 1:
This technical report identifies key recommendations for both agencies to coordinate operationally and to identify projects or opportunities for each agency to enhance and improve the service. The report is divided into three main sections:
The summary and key findings of the review overall in Section 2; Recommendations are included in each section and are structured as: o Section 3 provides service level and routing options to serve the community and visitors better overall; o Section 4 speaks to the need for traffic congestion mitigation and how to achieve that with enhanced WEGO service and traffic management; o Section 5 identifies needs and opportunities in any new operating agreement, operational policies and practices by providers and how to improve service consistency between CNF and NPC; 3 TS-2021-03 March 2, 2021 o Section 6 looks at fare integration, technologies and administrative process; and The next steps for consideration in delivering WEGO in the future are addressed in Section 7.
As WEGO ridership and service levels recover post-pandemic in 2021 and 2022, both the NPC and CNF staff have identified low to no-cost options within the key recommendations to focus on. Some of these are as elementary as aligning operating policies (like pets or service animal criteria onboard buses) and others are more significant in joint input but not reflecting high cost (like making the WEGO website more accessible). Both agencies have agreed to focus on initiating work on recommendations as follows during recovery:
Table 2:
Congestion Mitigation Enhanced parking/ stopping & platform enforcement; Schedule & headway enhancement to prevent arrival buses ‘bunching’ at Tablerock. Installing low cost ‘Transit Priority Measures’ along Niagara Parkway (i.e. line painting); Improve procedures for real-time internal communication between supervisory teams and for events; System Management & Policies Update operating agreement to include policies developed to be consistent between the parties (i.e. accessibility); Enhanced customer service at Tablerock; Signage review and planning; Develop a plan to update and relaunch the WEGO website; Improve performance monitoring with existing ITS equipment onboard; Capital fleet management & replacement planning. Fares Streamline fare categories; Plan for ana fare reader system to replace the existing farebox.
The review provides further route and service recommendations based on key trip generators in the future and potential changes to routing to address pinch-points in 4 TS-2021-03 March 2, 2021 corridors (i.e. pressures from development, safety issues on particular roads). The recommendations and opportunities also speak to the need for changes on NPC property needed to enhance system performance and increased ridership. These recommendations require further budget commitments from both the CNF and NPC and/or would benefit from a full public process. These recommendations are not being brought forward for endorsement at this time. Staff would undertake either or both the budget and/or public process and provide a separate report to Council on these items which would affect the City financially and or its stakeholders.
Further to this review and with regard to the existing term of the agreement, actions and investments required in capital purchases of fleet and infrastructure to maintain, secure and enhance the WEGO system will need to be undertaken by CNF and NPC staff as well. Again, the plan for capital replacement or enhancement of the fleet will be brought to Council under separate report.
As the current agreement term ends in 2022, staff from both agencies are recommending to their Commission and Council respectively that the parties enter into a two-year extension of the terms. This will allow the WEGO system to start to recover out of the COVID-19 impact period and would provide staff the time to plan and budget more intricate, costly and long-term work identified as needed to grow and make the system even more successful.
ANALYSIS/RATIONALE
Council received a presentation and staff report in January 2021 regarding the future state of transit in Niagara.
The Regional Municipality of Niagara’s transit governance issue is slated to be decided by local and regional governments in early to mid-2021. Council’s intention at the time of this report is understood that CNF intends to maintain the WEGO system partnership with the NPC save and separate from any assets or operation they may contemplate uploading regionally. An extension of the existing agreement would stabilize any transition of the service to another provision model.
With a desire to continue to meet the transportation needs and requirements of the public and visitors to the Niagara Parks and within the tourism core and in our service industry corridors, this comprehensive operational review provides an action plan to follow for WEGO as Council considers the future of transit overall in Niagara Falls. Staff is providing a listing of low to no-cost recommendations that can be achieved with its partner, the NPC, while the WEGO VTS system ridership recovers.
FINANCIAL/STAFFING/LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
Within the terms of the existing agreement, parties are required to notify each other of their intent to extend or take no action to extend/ terminate the agreement by the 9th 5 TS-2021-03 March 2, 2021 anniversary of the existing ‘in operation’ date (August 2012). Any extension must be of mutual consent by the CNF and NPC.
The financial impacts of COVID-19 on our 2021 Operating Budget and revenues were presented to Council through budget deliberations. Recommendations to be undertaken in partnership with the NPC that are identified as low to no-cost within the WEGO Visitor Transportation Services Operational Review Recommendations report dated January 12, 2021 will be achieved within the budget approved.
CITY’S STRATEGIC COMMITMENT
Committed to employing a safe, accessible, convenient, integrated and fiscally responsible transportation system that provides realistic travel options to the auto, thereby, creating a City that is truly accessible to locals and visitors.
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS
WEGO Visitor Transportation Services Operational Review Recommendations
Recommended by: Carla Stout, General Manager of Transit Services
Respectfully submitted: Ken Todd, Chief Administrative Officer
FINAL REPORT
WEGO Visitor Transportation Services Operational Review Recommendations
Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls by IBI Group January 12, 2021
IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT WEGO VISITOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPERATIONAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ...... 3
2 Results of Operational Review ...... 4 2.1 Service Levels and Performance ...... 4 2.2 Congestion Mitigation ...... 5 2.3 System Management and Policies ...... 5 2.4 Fares ...... 6
3 Service Levels and Route Re-structuring ...... 8 3.1 Evaluating Service Levels ...... 8 3.2 Routing Improvements ...... 10 3.3 GO Connection ...... 13 3.4 Key Recommendations ...... 14
4 Congestion Mitigation ...... 15 4.1 Transit Operations Management ...... 15 4.2 Traffic Management ...... 17 4.3 Events and Road Closures ...... 23 4.4 Key Recommendations ...... 24
5 System Management and Policies ...... 27 5.1 Operating Agreement ...... 27 5.2 Operating Policies ...... 29 5.3 Communications ...... 30 5.4 Key Recommendations ...... 31
6 Fares ...... 33 6.1 Fare Administration ...... 33 6.2 Fare Technology ...... 34 January 12, 2021 i IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT WEGO VISITOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPERATIONAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls
Table of Contents (continued)
6.3 Key Recommendations ...... 45
7 Next Steps ...... 47
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 3-1: Average WVTS Ridership by Month, Excluding City Rides (2013- 2018) ...... 9 Exhibit 3-2: Proposed Red Line Re-structuring ...... 11 Exhibit 3-3: Proposed Blue Line Re-structuring ...... 12 Exhibit 4-1: Informal PUDO Activity at WVTS Stop on the Niagara Parkway .... 18 Exhibit 4-2: Right-turn Only Lanes on Ferry Street ...... 19 Exhibit 4-3: Northbound Left Turn onto Clifton Hill ...... 19 Exhibit 4-4: Northbound Left Turn onto Murray St ...... 20 Exhibit 4-5: Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway ...... 20 Exhibit 4-6: Typical Stop Location Options ...... 22 Exhibit 4-7: Recommended Stop Zone Dimensions for Standard and Articulated Buses ...... 23 Exhibit 6-1: Needs Identification ...... 35 Exhibit 6-2: Needs Prioritization ...... 36 Exhibit 6-3: Fare Technology Options ...... 37
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1 Introduction
The WEGO Visitor Transportation Service (WVTS) provides a convenient travel experience for area residents and visitors to the Niagara parks and tourist destinations and accommodations within the city of Niagara Falls. The WVTS has been in operation since 2012 and serves over one million rides annually. It is jointly operated by the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) and the Corporation of the City of Niagara Falls (CCNF). This system replaced the Parks Commission’s 26-year old People Mover service and integrated it with three Falls Shuttle routes operated by the City of Niagara Falls serving the provincially-designated parks along the Niagara Parkway adjacent to the Niagara River and Horseshoe Falls. The system’s operation is governed by a ten (10) year operating agreement outlining the goals of the WVTS, and the shared roles and responsibilities of the NPC and CCNF. As the operating agreement nears the end of its term (August 2022), an operational review and analysis of the WVTS was conducted to identify areas for improvement in the operations and to update the agreement. This technical report builds on the operational review of existing WVTS to identify opportunities to improve the operations and governance of the service and meet the objective for convenient transportation access to the Falls and other tourism areas within the Niagara parks. The report is divided into three main sections: • the summary and key findings of the results of the operational review, in section 2; • the recommendations are included in each of the sections, and are structured as follows: − Section 3 outlines service level and opportunities for route re- structuring to better serve customers; − Section 4 provides options to mitigate congestion through transit operations and traffic management; − Section 5 identifies additional considerations for the new operating agreement, as well as operational policies and practices to improve consistency between the two agencies; − Section 6 provides considerations to improve fare administration processes and fare technology; and • The next steps for the WVTS are outlined in section 7.
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2 Results of Operational Review
The operational review of the existing WVTS provided the key directions that shaped the recommendations for the service. These key findings, outlined in this section, will inform the update to the operating agreement between the NPC and the CCNF. The key findings are related to four main topics: service levels and performance, congestion mitigation, system management and policies; and fares. Sections 3 to 6 explore opportunities to address these issues in detail.
2.1 Service Levels and Performance The WVTS ridership is driven by visitors to the park, and dominated by the summer peak, when service levels are highest. Ridership grew by 17% between 2013 and 2018, but has plateaued in recent years. To address this plateau, the operational review identified the following key findings, which are opportunities to improve service. • The low service levels offered in the off-peak seasons result in longer wait times for users. Despite this, ridership on all the routes is growing in the shoulder seasons, particularly in June and September. • The Blue Line is the only WVTS route to have lower ridership in 2018 than in 2013. Its alignment and low average operating speed result in lengthy travel times, making the route unattractive to riders. • Ridership on the Red and Blue Lines has two markets: tourist trips, and regular public transit users. On the Red Line and Red Express Pilot, public transit (NFT) ridership has grown to eclipse WVTS-only rides indicating a need to review the service delivery arrangement and route structure which may not be adequately meeting the needs of the travel markets it serves. • The WVTS shuttle providing a complementary connection between the GO train and Table Rock Centre is unadvertised, resulting in limited use and confusion for riders. The ad hoc nature of the shuttle and the unpredictable ridership on the GO train make it difficult to quantify the resources needed to meet demand. Demand for the shuttle is expected to increase as GO service to the Falls expands. The GO connection should be formalized, and its resource requirements accounted for in order to continue to provide a reliable service.
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2.2 Congestion Mitigation Traffic and pedestrian congestion are a significant challenge for the WVTS during the summer tourist season, late May to early September with high traffic volumes in the tourist core. This negatively impacts the on-time performance and schedule adherence for the transportation service. The operational review included field visits to evaluate critically congested locations, identified in collaboration with WVTS staff, supplemented by a review of available traffic count data. To develop options for mitigating delays caused by congestion, the operational review identified the following key findings. • Many of the intersections in the core tourism area operate above capacity especially on typical summer weekends, resulting in traffic congestion and delays for WVTS operations. This issue is compounded by high pedestrian volumes and is particularly challenging after big events at the Falls, or on big event days. • Private vehicle pick-up and drop-off activity is a common occurrence at stops and in the terminal, despite the existing signage. The restricting signage is not always visible, and there is no enforcement to deter the activity. • There are bunching issues on the Green Line with multiple buses arriving at once rather than on schedule especially at some high volume stops, such as Table Rock Centre. The high volume of riders boarding and alighting compounds delays and increases dwell times at these stops. • Schedule adherence is challenging on the Red Line, particularly in the afternoon peak period due to its routing along Clifton Hill. A realignment or re-structuring of the route should be considered.
2.3 System Management and Policies Although the WVTS is operated by two separate agencies, the two share a common goal for an efficient, safe, reliable and sustainable operation. As such, there is a need to adopt consistent policies to minimize conflict and inconsistencies from both a staff and a user perspective. Some policies should be considered in the update to the operating agreement while others can be considered through the adoption of operating policies and procedures. The operational review identified the following key findings to improve consistency between the two agencies and to be included in the update to the operating agreement. • Policies that are not outlined in the operating agreement but are relevant for the consistent management and administration of the WVTS include:
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− The use of Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) which requires balancing the need to ensure the safety of employees and riders with the individual right-to-privacy. − The provision of on-street supervision which is necessary to monitor service and ensure reliability and efficient delivery of the service. − Improved on-street infrastructure, specifically signage, which is inconsistent along the Red Line and Red Express Pilot routes. • Policies and procedures relevant to the day-to-day operations that require clarification include: − Accessibility: Wheelchair securement policies and practices differ between the NPC- and CCNF-operated WVTS routes. Given the common territory and customer base, as well as for risk management considerations, there should be a common practice and policy between the two services. − Strollers: Although specified on the WVTS website, the application of the stroller policy is not consistent throughout the system, which can cause confusion for riders. − Pet Policy: The application of the pet policy is not consistent throughout WVTS and with the connecting GO service, creating potential confusion for riders. • There are significant communications challenges both internally and externally for WVTS, primarily due to the lack of formal procedures to coordinate key activities, including: − Internal communications regarding service changes, road closures, performance monitoring, and passenger feedback; and − External communication through the website, which does not meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as required by the AODA and has limited staff resources dedicated to its maintenance.
2.4 Fares The WVTS faces challenges in its fare administration that can be confusing for users and costly for the system to maintain, as well as issues in its fare technology that result in delays for the service. The key findings below indicate opportunities for improving WVTS’s fare administration and technology.
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• The WVTS 24-hour pass is significantly more popular than the 48- hour pass, and it offers a “grace period” allowing users access to the WVTS until midnight the day after its activation. This grace period takes away the advantage of the 48-hour pass for overnight visitors. In addition, 48-hour access to the service is provided through the Adventure Pass, the Adventure Pass Classic, and the Wonder Pass. • There is an opportunity to streamline the fare categories available, given the high cost of each fare card ($0.65) and the administrative burden to program and distribute fare cards. This will be particularly necessary as the Niagara Region explores a regional model for transit service delivery. • The slow fare validation time when boarding increases the dwell time for the service, causing delays at high volume stops. • The fare equipment data is unreliable and regularly experiences failures • The lack of vendor support for the maintenance of the fare collection system.
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3 Service Levels and Route Re- structuring
This section builds on the key findings of the operational review, summarized in Section 2.1, to identify opportunities to address the plateauing ridership of the WVTS through improvements to the service levels and routing. It also provides recommendations for the GO shuttle to improve the connectivity of the service and plan for its resource needs.
3.1 Evaluating Service Levels To accommodate the high demand for service in the summer and on weekends and holidays, the WVTS operates three distinct schedules, by season: winter, spring/fall, and summer. The dates for the seasonal schedules are: • Winter – Thanksgiving until the Friday before Victoria Day (Mid- October to mid-May); • Spring/Fall – The Friday before Victoria until Canada Day (mid-May to July 1st) and Labour Day until Thanksgiving (early-September to mid-October); and • Summer – Canada Day until Labour Day (July 1st to early- September). Within the Winter and Spring/Fall schedules, service levels also differ based on day of the week, and service time period, with higher service levels from Friday to Sunday, and on holidays. The result is a wide variation between the service levels during the peak season and the remainder of the year, and a high degree of complexity for the service. A key finding of the operational review was that this discrepancy can result in longer wait times for users during the off-peak seasons of Winter and Spring/Fall. Despite the variation in service levels, the operational review also noted growth in ridership on all the routes in the off-peak seasons. Exhibit 3-1 illustrates these ridership trends. The highest growth in ridership between 2013 and 2018 was in the month of April, which had nearly twice as many riders in 2018 as it did in 2013. November and March have the next highest increases in ridership during the same period, with a 76% and 69% increase respectively. Ridership in July and August is hardly growing, with both months only seeing a 3% increase in the same time period. The rate of growth in the off-peak seasons necessitates revisiting the level of service offered, which has not changed significantly for the winter and spring/fall schedules.
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Exhibit 3-1: Average WVTS Ridership by Month, Excluding City Rides (2013-2018)
500 K
400 K
300 K
200 K
100 K
K
Avg Monthly Ridership 2013 2018
To address the growth in demand in the shoulder seasons and reduce the complexity of the schedules, the next schedule updates should streamline the service periods. As Niagara Falls becomes more of a year-round destination, the WVTS should reflect this trend in its service levels to accommodate the new demand being generated. WVTS should consider two seasonal schedules to accommodate increasing demand in the shoulder seasons: • A peak season schedule that mirrors the current summer schedule, running from Canada Day until Labour Day (July 1st to early- September); and • An off-peak season schedule that combines the winter and spring/fall schedules, running from Labour Day until Canada Day (early- September to July 1st), maintaining the existing spring/fall level of service. These revised service schedules avoid the steep drop in level of service experienced in the winter and maintain a higher level of service on weekends and holidays to accommodate the ridership growth in the off-peak seasons. The new off-peak schedule will require approximately 10,000 additional annual service hours. Eliminating the spring/fall schedule and extending the summer schedule to run from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving is not proposed because the low service levels in the winter may not adequately address the growing demand in ridership. The implementation of the revised schedules should be accompanied by a monitoring program to assess ridership and demand. Ridership should be reviewed annually to determine whether the service levels of each of the January 12, 2021 9 IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT WEGO VISITOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPERATIONAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls
seasonal schedules adequately serve demand and to determine whether additional service may be required.
3.2 Routing Improvements The operational review identified plateauing ridership on the Red and Blue Lines, despite the increasing visitors to the Niagara Parks. Although WVTS ridership on the Red Line has plateaued, regular transit ridership on the route has grown to eclipse WVTS ridership. For the Blue Line, the Falls Incline Railway operated by the NPC provides a more direct alternative for users wanting to access the hotels on Fallsview Boulevard. To address this issue, consideration should be given to revising the Blue Line route alignment to better serve the travel needs of users and operate more efficiently. The Green Line is routed along the Niagara Parkway providing direct access to various attractions and, as such, no routing issues were identified for the route. Therefore, this section outlines recommended routing improvements for the Red and Blue Lines only.
3.2.1 Red Line The main issues identified in the operational review for the Red Line are related to the challenges of serving its two distinct travel markets: tourists and city public transit users. The Red Line initially replaced a local route serving Lundy’s Lane, and was intended to serve as a combination WVTS and NFT route. Its alignment along Lundy’s Lane connecting various motels and plazas to the core tourist areas serves both city rides and tourist trips. The growth of city rides on the Red Line suggest a need to provide a parallel local service that better meets the needs of its two distinct travel markets. In 2019, a Red Express route was piloted, travelling between Campark and Table Rock Centre, to alleviate some of the schedule adherence issues on the Red Line. NFT is currently conducting a review of its transit services that involves exploring a parallel NFT route to serve Lundy’s Lane. These two activities present an opportunity to revise the routing of the Red Line within the core tourism district. The Red Line experiences significant delays along Clifton Hill, and partially duplicates the alignment of the Blue Line along Victoria Ave. This change was implemented with the elimination of the Purple Line. To reduce this service duplication and provide bi-directional service within the core tourism area, the Red Line should operate in a counter-clockwise loop along Victoria Avenue, Bender Avenue, Falls Avenue, and on to Table Rock Centre. This revised routing is shown in Exhibit 3-2.
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Exhibit 3-2: Proposed Red Line Re-structuring
The revised routing provides the added benefit of bi-directional service in the core tourism area, which improves access between attractions and accommodations for tourists. It also removes the problematic routing along Clifton Hill which is a source of significant delays for the route. During events and road closures on the Niagara Parkway, this routing can be modified to short turn at Table Rock Centre maintaining service to Lundy’s Lane for riders while avoiding the some of the congestion hotspots along its route. The revised route length is similar to the current routing meaning that this change would not affect operating costs but would require the installation of additional stops. With the NFT providing parallel service along Lundy’s Lane, the Red Line can focus on providing more options and improving mobility within the core tourism areas. The parallel NFT service along Lundy’s Lane also provides an opportunity to rationalize the service on the Red Line, eliminating the Red Express Pilot and decreasing service spans to be more in-line with the Blue Line and the Green Line.
3.2.1 Blue Line The Blue Line is the only WVTS route to have lower ridership in 2018 than in 2013, likely due to its low average operating speeds and its lengthy travel times. On outbound trips from Table Rock Centre, travel time on the route is comparable to walking. In addition, the Falls Incline Railway provides a direct connection from Niagara Parkway to Fallsview Boulevard that has the added benefit of being a tourist attraction. These factors present a unique challenge for improving the service on the route. Given the scheduled layover time at Table Rock Centre for the Blue Line, there is an opportunity to improve operations with some minor revisions. The Blue Line has two main segments:
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• The northern segment, currently serving the core tourism area in a single-directional counter-clockwise loop; and • The southern segment, currently serving attractions along Fallsview Boulevard, as well as to Marineland in the summer. With the segments combined as they are, the scheduled layover occurs midway through the route often with riders aboard the bus. In addition, riders boarding at Table Rock Centre wishing to access the attractions served by the southern segment of the route experience very long travel times. To address these issues, the route can be split into two segments, with the northern segment terminating at Table Rock Centre, before beginning its trip back up Murray Hill to serve the southern segment as shown in Exhibit 3-3.
Exhibit 3-3: Proposed Blue Line Re-structuring
During events and road closures on the Niagara Parkway, the southern segment can continue operating to provide riders with access to accommodations along Fallsview Blvd, while avoiding the congestion hotspots on the northern segment. This change can be accommodated within the existing schedule with no additional service hours, given the low operating speeds of the route. Combined with the recommended routing changes on the Red Line, this change will decrease travel time to the attractions along Fallsview Boulevard for riders in the core tourism area.
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3.3 GO Connection The WVTS Green Line and three NFT routes currently serve the GO/VIA terminal (routes 102, 104, and 108). These routes do not have the capacity to accommodate riders from the GO train, particularly during the peak season. The increasing use of the GO train to access the Niagara Parks prompted the provision of a complimentary unadvertised WVTS shuttle connection between the GO/VIA terminal and Table Rock Centre. With the planned year-round expansion for GO train service to Niagara Falls and the increasing use of the complimentary shuttle identified in the operational review, it is necessary to formalize the connection. Formalizing the connection will make it easier to account for its resource requirements. It will also make it easier to promote the connection to GO riders and visitors to Niagara Parks. Based on the current demand, a minimum of two articulated buses are needed per GO train, at a cost of approximately 70 annual service hours. Operating the GO connection year-round to serve GO train arrivals on Fridays, weekends, and holidays will require approximately 250 additional annual service hours (for a total of 320 annual service hours). This only accounts for GO train arrivals on Fridays, weekends, and holidays, and assumes that train departures are adequately served by scheduled services. During the off-peak season, particularly the winter, this might not be the case due to the shorter Green Line service spans. Adopting the spring/fall schedule for the winter months, as described in Section 3.1, would address this issue. Another limitation of the complimentary GO connection is the lack of customer communication advertising the service. This can lead to confusion for riders as they try to board NFT buses with their combination WVTS/GO fares, or board WVTS buses with their paper passes. The confusion can cause delays and present a challenge for operators who have to answer questions while attempting to maintain operating schedules. Advertising the shuttle as complimentary for holders of the combination WVTS/GO pass can limit confusion for riders. Marketing resources will be required to provide information about the shuttle wherever the WVTS/GO passes are sold. This strategy can be paired with ticket vending options at the GO/VIA terminal to allow other users of the GO train to purchase WVTS fare products and use the Green Line, reducing questions directed at operators. Some combination WVTS/GO pass holders may also opt to pick up their WVTS passes at the GO/VIA terminal, reducing the passenger loads on the complimentary shuttles, and potential long waits to pick up fare cards once they arrive at Table Rock Centre. The addition of ticket vending options will require additional operating resources, either by staffing the GO/VIA terminal, or by providing ticket vending machines. Should mobile ticketing be explored as an option for WVTS, information on the shuttle can be provided through the ticketing platform, and the need for ticket vending options at the GO/VIA terminal may be reduced.
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3.4 Key Recommendations The service levels and routing improvements are classified as recommendations for immediate action and recommendations for short-term consideration. All service and route changes should be accompanied with marketing to inform users and stakeholders about the service and monitored for performance. The monitoring program should assess ridership and demand. Ridership should be reviewed annually to determine whether the service levels of each of the seasonal schedules adequately serve demand, and whether the routing changes face any significant operational challenges.
3.4.1 Immediate Action Recommendations for immediate action have the potential for significant benefits for WVTS and can be undertaken with limited additional resources. They are: • Implement the route revisions on the Blue Line to eliminate the mid- route layover, creating more direct connections to the hotels along Fallsview Blvd from Table Rock Centre. • Formalize and promote the GO connection, operating it year-round to match expanded GO train service for approximately 320 revenue hours annually.
3.4.2 Short-term Action Recommendations for short-term consideration also have the potential for significant benefits but require a higher investment of resources. They are: • Streamline the service periods by extending the spring/fall schedule to the entire off-peak season and eliminate the winter schedule to maintain higher service levels as Niagara Falls becomes more of a year-round destination. The new off-peak schedule will require approximately 10,000 additional service hours. Recommendation for the Red Line outlined below should be implemented with consideration for the NFT plans for service changes along Lundy’s Lane, to prevent service gaps or duplication. • Implement the route revisions on the Red Line, which does not increase the annual revenue hours needed for the route but requires stop relocations in the core tourism area, and marketing to promote the changes. • Eliminate the Red Express Pilot once the parallel NFT service along Lundy’s Lane is implemented to further separate the tourist and local travel markets.
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• Decrease the service spans on the Red Line to match the Blue and Green Lines can also be considered once the parallel NFT service is running if the demand on the Red Line decreases in the late evening.
4 Congestion Mitigation
The operational review involved field visits to evaluate four critically congested locations for WVTS operations. These locations are pinch points for the service, and cause schedule adherence issues, magnified during peak periods. Congestion can be partly mitigated with the recommended routing revisions discussed in Section 3.2, however, a significant source of congestion is due to the popularity of Niagara Falls as a tourism destination, which results in the volume of tourists exceeding the capacity of the transportation infrastructure. This section provides recommendations for three key areas that can help improve the mobility of tourists: transit operations management; traffic management; and event and detour management.
4.1 Transit Operations Management The main transit operations issues identified in the operational review that contribute to delays for WVTS are “bus bunching” (multiple buses travelling together) due to challenges with maintaining headways, and dwell times at stops due to fare technology issues and high passenger volumes.
4.1.1 Headway Control Strategies During the field visits, the most significant bus bunching was observed in both directions on the Green Line, at Table Rock Centre. Bunching was also observed on the Red Line and Red Express in the afternoon and evening, due to the cascading effect of earlier delays. The operational review identified that delays on the Red Line are mainly due to its routing within the core tourism area, particularly along Clifton Hill. Recommendations to revise its routing, described in Section 3.2.1, should address this issue. For the Green Line, whose routing is already direct, there are limited opportunities to address bunching through routing changes. However, it was observed that most delays on the Green Line are due to high volume boarding and alighting activities at three main stops: Table Rock Centre, Hornblower Stop, and the GO/VIA terminal. This is compounded by the route’s high frequency (10 minutes or better between buses) during the peak season. High frequency services allow riders to arrive at stops at random, without the need to consult a schedule. Given the high frequencies on the Green Line in the peak season, evenly spacing the buses is more important than schedule adherence.
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To maintain consistent spacing between high-frequency buses especially during the peak season, headway control strategies need to be implemented together with more on-street supervision. One on-street supervisor working with the dispatcher using the real-time vehicle location (AVL) information, can provide a more effective level of on-street supervision, going between the high volume stops, and recommending actions to mitigate bunching. These actions may include: • “holding” buses at a control point until the preferred minimum headway is restored; • “drop-off only” service for one bus when two buses arrive together at one location, allowing one bus to “leap-frog” the loading bus and fill the gap in service caused by the bunched arrival; and • “short-turning” buses along the route to restore headways and fill gaps in service. To limit confusion and resources required, headway control strategies are best applied at one or two control points where there is adequate space to accommodate operational needs such as holding or short-turning buses. Table Rock Centre and the GO/VIA terminal are ideal locations for this purpose because they’re terminals for the route and typically have high boarding and alighting activity. Headway control strategies can be limited to the Green Line which provides 10- minute or better service in the peak season, and can be fulfilled with a dedicated on-street supervisor on duty from 11am to 7pm each day during the peak season. This would require the equivalent of 1.5 full-time positions.
4.1.2 Dwell Times The long dwell times for buses observed at high volume stops is due to a combination of slow fare validation and questions from tourists. Options to address the slow fare validation are discussed in Section 6.2. Lengthy dwell times are most prevalent at Table Rock Centre. As a result, strategies to address delays due to lengthy dwell times focus on this location. In conjunction with the fare technology options discussed in Section 6.2.3, an operational fare collection policy change that should be implemented would be to allow fare validation prior to boarding at Table Rock Centre. By making the bus platforms at Table Rock Centre “fare-paid zones” passengers could board at all doors thereby expediting the boarding process and decreasing dwell times. In support of this change, signage would be required on the platform directing people to fare validation machines. Announcements can be made to direct people to board from all doors. Since there are no barriers on the platforms, this policy change would be “honour-based”. Typically, this approach is accompanied by fare enforcement, carried out by fare inspectors on-board the transit vehicle. However, given the passenger loads on the Green Line during
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the peak seasons, on-board fare inspectors may not be practical. Instead, the on-road supervisor proposed in the previous section or other supervisory staff could conduct spot checks to monitor compliance. Questions from tourists also contribute to dwell time delays on the WVTS. Given the nature of the service, this is unavoidable, but can be mitigated with the presence of Parks staff at key locations during the peak season to field questions. The Parks’ Ambassador Program run by NPC is a successful example of this type of initiative and can be utilized to help minimize delays related to questions. Parks’ ambassadors can be stationed at Table Rock Centre to answer questions, and can direct passengers on where to wait for and board buses. They can also provide assistance with fare validation should the option for a fare validation prior to boarding buses be considered. During the operational review, one Parks’ ambassador was spotted at Table Rock Centre, but the information kiosk was unstaffed. With the high passenger volumes during the peak season, an increased presence of Parks’ ambassadors is advisable as well as consistent staffing of the information kiosk.
4.2 Traffic Management Managing traffic operations is the most effective way to mitigate congestion delays to the WVTS. The City of Niagara Falls commissioned a Core Area Transportation (CAT) Management Plan (2019) to address transportation challenges in the core tourism area as a result of the crowds. The plan addresses all modes of transportation on big event days, small event days, and typical summer weekends. The main recommendations identified in the CAT plan that are directly related to issues observed during the WVTS operational review are included in this section. These recommendations include transit priority measures intended to improve WVTS operations and opportunities to expand enforcement of traffic control measures and car parking. To effectively meet the needs of the WVTS, NPC and CCNF will need to work closely together to implement the recommendations of the CAT plan and those identified in this report.
4.2.1 Transit Priority Measures Transit priority measures (TPM) can address delay issues and improve the overall performance of the WVTS. TPM include regulatory, transit signal priority (TSP), and physical actions. Regulatory measures include legislation or regulations such as parking restrictions, lane-use restrictions, and transit- exemptions-to-movement restrictions (e.g. allowing through movements for buses on “right-turn only” lanes). The application of regulatory measures generally occurs through by-laws and requires signage for enforcement. TSP measures are the adjustment of signal phase times and/or phase sequences to prioritize transit movements at signalized intersections. Physical measures are dedicated infrastructure intended to minimize interaction between transit
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vehicles and other vehicles, and can include dedicated transit lanes, queue jump lanes, or high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Combining regulatory and physical TPM with TSP is considered to be the most effective approach. To improve WVTS operations, physical TPM can be applied locally at specific intersections and stops, supported by regulatory measures and TSP where applicable. The CAT plan includes TPM that can be considered in the core tourism area. Further study by NPC and CCNF is recommended to assess the opportunities to implement transit priority measures in the core tourism area. Specific TPM to consider implementing permanently or during peak seasons subject to further analysis, include: • Implementing a bus-only or HOV lane on the southbound section of the Niagara Parkway between Murray Street and the southern entrance of Table Rock Centre to create time-savings for all WVTS routes. • Implementing bus-only signage, or the application of red paint on bus stops along the Niagara Parkway, may be a more visible deterrent to informal pick-up drop-off (PUDO) activity at stops, and can create time-savings for the Green Line (Exhibit 4-1).
Exhibit 4-1: Informal PUDO Activity at WVTS Stop on the Niagara Parkway
• Designating PUDO locations and restricting on-street parking at locations recommended in the CAT plan can reduce the informal PUDO and illegal stopping observed to improve WVTS operations. The locations specified in the CAT plan are Table Rock Centre, Clifton Hill, and Queen Victoria Park, near the Park Police building. • Exempting buses from turn restrictions using regulatory signage at the intersection of Ferry Street and Stanley Avenue would allow the Red Line to use the right-turn lane to jump queues at the intersection (Exhibit 4-2). This exemption would benefit the existing westbound Red Line or the proposed eastbound Red Line.
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Exhibit 4-2: Right-turn Only Lanes on Ferry Street
Source: Google Maps • Restricting northbound left turns to allow buses only at the Clifton Hill and the Niagara Parkway intersection during peak seasons can create time-savings for the existing westbound Red and Blue routes (Exhibit 4-3). This regulatory measure can be accompanied with a transit signal. This change would have no effect on the proposed Red Line route revision. It could also provide an overall benefit to traffic flow.
Exhibit 4-3: Northbound Left Turn onto Clifton Hill
• Restricting northbound left turns to allow buses only at the Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway intersection during peak seasons can create time-savings for the existing westbound Red Express and for the proposed westbound Red Line and the proposed southbound Blue Line (Exhibit 4-4). This regulatory measure can be accompanied by a transit signal but would require signalization of the intersection.
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Exhibit 4-4: Northbound Left Turn onto Murray St
The intersection of Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway is a pinch point due to the lack of a traffic signal and the access point for the Queen Victoria parking lot (Exhibit 4-5). This location would benefit from further analysis to explore opportunities to prioritize the safe and efficient movement of people over motorized traffic.
Exhibit 4-5: Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway
Similarly, Clifton Hill, with its many accesses, on-street parking and high pedestrian volumes would benefit from the restriction of motorized traffic. The proposed removal of the Red Line from Clifton Hill addresses the operational pinch points for the route along that corridor.
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4.2.2 Stop Placement The placement of transit stops can improve access for riders and create efficiency for operations through better positioning and consolidation. In general, the placement of stops is dictated by: • the operational requirements of the service offered (typically high- coverage services versus rapid and express services), which determine the spacing of stops; and, • safety of operations. For the WVTS, whose primary purpose is convenience and access to attractions for riders, the spacing of stops prioritizes coverage meaning more stops are provided to allow riders many opportunities to access the service. However, given the congestion issues in the core area, consideration should be given to rationalizing or consolidating stops. While this would moderately increase access distances, major trip generators would still be well-served. Locations that may benefit from a stop rationalization process include Lundy’s Lane and Fallsview Blvd. To rationalize stops while maintaining a minimal walking distance to attractions and safe operations, it is recommended that WVTS review its stop placement procedures. Although the WVTS will still have to maintain a high coverage service, reconsidering the placement of some stops can help improve the operating speeds of its routes and address schedule adherence issues. A typical stop placement procedure for new or relocated stops would involve: • Identifying major trip generators, signalized intersections, and intersecting routes along the route or corridor for major stops; • Identifying minor trip generators, intersecting roadways and pedestrian pathways that can connect trip generators to the route or corridor for additional stops as needed to avoid placing stops too closely together, keeping in mind the operational needs of the route; and • Reviewing site conditions to identify the appropriate location and dimensions of the stops, once a general stop spacing pattern has been identified.
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The site conditions determine the location of the stop in relation to an Exhibit 4-6: Typical Stop Location Options intersection (near-side, far-side, or mid-block, as illustrated in Exhibit 4-6), and the dimensions of the stop zone to accommodate boarding and alighting activities. High-coverage services such as the WVTS, typically provide a mix of near-side, far-side and mid-block stops whereas express services typically utilize far- side stops combined with TPM. Near-side and far-side stops are preferred because they reduce the walking distance at signalized intersections and discourage mid- block crossings by transit users. Mid-block stops are generally only used to provide access to major trip generators. Rationalizing stops to reduce the instances of mid-block stops where there are no major trip generators can improve operations for the service. To accommodate the TPM as recommended in Section 4.2.1, the stops on Ferry Street and Stanley Avenue should be relocated to the far-side. The bus stop “zone” is the area along the curbside reserved for bus boarding and alighting activities, and includes three elements: • A pull-in zone which the bus uses to manoeuvre to the curb; • The bus stop itself, the length of the transit vehicle, with a sign/marker and information signage, includes the curb and sidewalk or platform area for transit riders where they wait for, board, or alight from the vehicle; and • A pull-out zone, ahead of the bus stop sign to allow the bus to pull away from the curb. The minimum dimensions of the stop zone are a combination of these three elements and can vary based on whether the stop is located on the near-side, far-side, or mid-block, and whether the stop is in a bus bay. Note, bus bays are not favoured except for locations that may involve lengthy bus dwell times (such as on the Niagara Parkway) or layovers. All bus stop zones should be signed for “no parking”. Exhibit 4-7 shows the typical bus stop zone dimensions for near-side, far-side, and mid-block stops to accommodate both standard and articulated buses.
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Exhibit 4-7: Recommended Stop Zone Dimensions for Standard and Articulated Buses
Near-side Mid-block Far-side Bus Zone Pull-in Total Pull-in Pull-out Total Pull-in Pull-out Total Length (Behind) Length (Behind) (In Front) Length (Behind) (In Front) Length (Bus Type) 12.2m 12.2m 24.4m 12.2m 7.6m 32m 3.0m 7.6m 22.8m (Standard) 18.3m 18.3m 36.6m 18.3m 7.6m 44.2m 3.0m 7.6m 28.9m (Articulated)
The near-side stop dimensions do not include a pull-out zone because the bus can use the intersection to manoeuvre from the curb. This helps to minimize the amount of curb space required for near-side stops, as well as the distance to the intersection for transit riders. WVTS should review its stops to make sure they meet these stop zone dimensions to avoid conflict with other modes and clearance issues as observed at the Clifton Hill and Hornblower stop. WVTS should also add “No Stopping” signage for the entire length of its stop zones to deter informal PUDO activity at stops.
4.2.3 Enforcement Due to the volume of out-of-town visitors to Niagara Falls, enforcement can play a large role in mitigating congestion and deterring informal PUDO and illegal stopping. During the field visits, passenger PUDO activity and parking violations were observed as significant sources of delay at WVTS stops and at various stops, including Table Rock Centre. The existing signage prohibiting such activity was not enough of a deterrence and little enforcement was observed. The TPM recommendations should be supplemented with increased enforcement to make them more effective. Parks Commission police were observed helping with traffic control during the field visits, but a presence to educate motorists and enforce traffic infractions may be beneficial.
4.3 Events and Road Closures Congestion in the core tourism area is unavoidable during big event days due to the popularity of the Falls and other attractions. Delays for the WVTS are compounded by high pedestrian volumes and vehicular traffic. The increasing popularity of existing events, a well as a variety of new year-round programs at the Falls necessitate greater coordination during events and road closures between NPC and CCNF to maintain operational efficiency for the WVTS. A set of standard event detour plans, to the extent possible, and internal and external communications procedures can help maintain effective WVTS operations even with the congestion caused by events. Typically, events result in higher pedestrian volumes along the Niagara River, and restrictions or closures for the Niagara Parkway which, in turn, affects all the
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intersecting streets. The northbound lane reduction from Table Rock to Murray Street was implemented to mitigate the pedestrian network capacity constraints and reduce the need for full closures during events. However, without measures to improve transit priority during events, WVTS buses are subject to significant delays on streets adjacent to the roads closed as a result of events. The standard detour routing used for big event days, such as New Year’s Eve, reduces the coverage of the network in order to maintain essential connections while avoiding the most congested areas. If the detour routing is combined with temporary TPM, WVTS buses will have priority on surface streets to move more people efficiently through the service area. Temporary TPM for events would include: • exemptions for WVTS buses on closed roads where possible; • bus-only lanes for the duration of events along minor roads where the WVTS is detoured; and • designating park and ride locations outside of the core area supplemented by shuttle connections to key destinations to reduce private vehicle use in the core area. A key consideration in managing operations for big events is communications. For all major events, CCNF facilitates operational planning meetings with various stakeholders including NPC staff, emergency services, and business owners. These meetings inform stakeholders about road closures, the location of barriers, and traffic management plans. WVTS travel information is communicated through these operational planning meetings, and can be further disseminated through stakeholder communications channels to inform a wider audience.
4.4 Key Recommendations The foregoing congestion mitigation measures and actions are presented below as recommendations for immediate action, for short-term consideration, and for long-term consideration.
4.4.1 Immediate Action Recommendations for immediate action have the potential for significant benefits for WVTS and can be undertaken with limited additional resources. These recommendations are outlined below. • Headway control strategies, specifically holding buses and limiting bunched buses to drop-offs only, should be applied to the Green Line at Table Rock Centre during the peak season. This strategy would be the responsibility of the existing on-street supervisor.
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• Provide an increased presence of Parks Ambassadors on platforms at Table Rock Centre to answer passenger questions, as well as consistent staffing of the information kiosk to assist with fare related questions. • Implement bus-only signage and the application of red pavement paint at bus stops along the Niagara Parkway to provide a more visible deterrent to informal pick-up drop-off (PUDO) activity at stops. • Designate PUDO locations and restricting on-street parking at the locations recommended in the CAT plan to reduce the informal PUDO and illegal stopping observed during this study. • Add clear “No Stopping” signage for the entire length of the WVTS stop zones to deter informal PUDO activity at stops. • Increase enforcement of no stopping or parking restrictions at WVTS (and NFT) bus stops through collaboration between NPC and CCNF police. • Communicate WVTS event detours and temporary TPM through stakeholder channels to reach a wider audience about route changes during events.
4.4.2 Short-term Consideration Recommendations for short-term consideration also have the potential for significant benefits but require a higher investment of resources. These recommendations are outlined below. • Allow fare validation prior to boarding at Table Rock Centre by making the bus platforms “fare-paid zones” and allow all-door boarding to decrease dwell time. This option has further dependencies, discussed in Section 6.2.3. • Implement a bus-only or HOV lane on the southbound stretch of Niagara Parkway between Murray St and the southern entrance of Table Rock Centre to create time-savings for all WVTS routes. • Exempt buses from turn restrictions using regulatory signage at the intersection of Ferry Street and Stanley Avenue to allow the Red Line to use the right-turn lane to jump queues at the intersection. • Review bus stop locations to ensure they meet the recommended stop zone dimensions and avoid intersection clearance issues. • Combine the standard detour routing used for big event days, such as New Year’s Eve, with temporary TPM to give WVTS buses priority on surface streets in order to move more people efficiently through the service area.
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4.4.3 Long-term Consideration Recommendations for long-term consideration also have the potential for significant benefits but incur higher costs and depend on buy-in from multiple stakeholders outside the WVTS to implement. These recommendations are outlined below. • Further analysis of the intersection of Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway to explore opportunities to prioritize the safe and efficient movement of people over private motorized traffic given the challenging configuration and lack of a signal. • Restrict northbound left turns to allow buses only at the Murray Street and the Niagara Parkway intersection during peak seasons to create time-savings for the proposed westbound Red Line and the proposed southbound Blue Line. This regulatory measure can be accompanied with a transit signal but would require signalization of the intersection. • Restrict northbound left turns to buses only at the Clifton Hill and Niagara Parkway intersection during peak seasons. This would produce time-savings for the Blue Line. This regulatory measure could be accompanied by a “transit-only” signal.
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5 System Management and Policies
The NPC and CCNF operate the WVTS independently but have common goals for the service as defined and governed by an operating agreement. The goals of the WVTS are to: • Support and encourage public and private investments in tourism; • Relieve traffic congestion and create convenient connections between tourist attractions in the City and the Parks; and • Operate in an efficient, safe, reliable and sustainable manner. During the operational review, three areas for improvement were identified for the better management of the WVTS and its operating policies and procedures. These opportunities, described in this section, relate to new considerations for the future operating agreement, consistent operating policies for the service, and improved communication procedures.
5.1 Operating Agreement As service on the WVTS has evolved so has the need to update the operating agreement and develop new policies. Through this operational review, four new policies have been identified for inclusion in the update to the operating agreement. These are: • Use of Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) on WVTS buses. The policies regarding CCTV on the WVTS should be consistent for both the CCNF and the NPC, and should balance the safety of employees and riders with the individual right-to-privacy. The operating agreement should include guidelines to ensure consistency on the use, maintenance, access, documentation and storage of records, in accordance with the privacy provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The operating agreement should also outline the roles and responsibilities of CCNF and NPC staff regarding the CCTV policy. Roles and responsibilities to be defined include staff or contractors trained and authorized to: − Operate and maintain the video equipment; − Respond to privacy complaints and investigate security or privacy breaches; − Process access requests for video recordings; and − Review and update policy as required.
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• Increased On-street supervision of the WVTS to monitor service delivery and reliability. The Red and Blue Lines are supervised by NFT staff, along with other NFT routes, but the Green Line has dedicated supervision. To mitigate congestion-related delays for the WVTS, this report recommends increased responsibility for on-street supervisors in managing headways. This role should be consistent for all WVTS routes, and the operating agreement can provide guidance for allocating resources to maintain service reliability, responding to incidents and communicating with dispatch. • Improved On-street infrastructure, specifically signage and accessibility. The visual identity of the system is inconsistent outside of the core tourism area, which can make it difficult for users to identify stops. In addition, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) legislates that public services should be accessible to people with disabilities, outlining a goal of a fully accessible province by 2025. As extensions of the WVTS service, all transit stops must therefore be accessible. According to the operating agreement, the NPC was responsible for the upgrade of the People Mover stations in the Parks to be used by the WVTS. The responsibility for other stops is not outlined in the operating agreement. Given the recommended routing changes and related capital costs for stop changes to ensure accessibility, the updated operating agreement should provide guidance for the providing and maintaining on-street infrastructure. Consideration should also be made for seeking infrastructure funding opportunities through the provincial and federal government. • Fleet management, with consideration for the capital costs of refurbishment and/or replacement. As the WVTS fleet nears its planned life-cycle of 15 years, the cost to maintain the fleet will increase. Multi-year budgetary planning will be required to provide for the capital costs to refurbish and/or replace the fleet. The current operating agreement places the responsibility of upgrading, modifying, purchasing or replacing the fleet on the party that elects to undertake the effort. This might result in inconsistent investment in the WVTS fleet as CCNF and NPC may have different priorities. The updated operating agreement should provide consistent guidance for fleet upgrades and maintenance and cost sharing considerations to undertake the required work or actions. A fleet management plan with capital costs for replacement based on a targeted life-cycle suited to the needs of the WVTS, and a mid-life refurbishing program, should be prepared to inform the update to the operating agreement. A fleet management plan for the WVTS would also put the service in a better position to consider transit infrastructure funding opportunities through the provincial and federal government.
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Mid-life bus refurbishing costs can be in the range of $150,000 depending on the extent of the work undertaken and, in particular, whether major components like the engine, transmission and Heating/Ventilation system need to be replaced. Typically, these systems are replaced as the need occurs such that mid-life refurbishing focuses on exterior body, underframe and interior repairs, upgrading and painting. For vehicle replacement based on a 15-year life-cycle, and given that the current fleet was purchased essentially at one time, the NPC/CCNF should plan to replace the fleet on a gradual basis in order to even out the capital funding requirement as well as future fleet maintenance work. Combined with a program of mid-life refurbishment for part of the fleet, given that the buses are now 10 years old, a phased approach combining early and delayed replacement should be developed. Depending on the vehicle technology (fuel, vehicle length) selected and other specifications, new 12.2 metre and 18 metre vehicle prices for clean diesel are approximately $550,000 and $750,000 respectively. Hybrid diesel- electric would be approximately $150,000 to $200,000 more while battery-electric buses would be in the range of $900,000 to $1.1 million.
5.2 Operating Policies Although the WVTS and NFT services have different priorities and markets, they operate in the same geographic environment with many riders using both services. As such, there is a need to adopt consistent policies related to day-to- day operations of the WVTS to minimize conflict and inconsistencies from both a staff and a user perspective. The three main policy differences found during the operational review are related to accessibility and wheelchair securement, strollers, and pets. • Accessibility: Wheelchair securement policies and practices differ between the NPC and NFT operated WVTS routes. The Green Line buses have a different seating configuration to allow more standing room and higher capacity, which can be challenging to navigate with a more prescriptive wheelchair securement policy. However, the higher policy standard, as practised by the NFT is preferred for risk management considerations. It is recommended that the NPC update their wheelchair securement policy, in accordance with the AODA to require mobility devices be secured, with assistance provided upon request (O. Reg 191/11, s. 44(1)). Signage to that effect should be posted on the WVTS routes, and operators should be provided with training to assist with mobility devices when requested.
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• Strollers: Although specified on the WVTS website, the application of the stroller policy is not consistent throughout the system, mainly due to the differences in ridership on the routes. The Green Line, which is more often operating at or near capacity is required to apply the stroller policy more often than the Red and Blue Lines. Communicating that unfolded strollers are only permitted if space is available on-board using signage on all WVTS buses is recommended to limit confusion. • Pet Policy: The application of the pet policy is not consistent throughout WVTS and with the connecting GO service, creating potential confusion for riders. Communicating that non-certified small dogs and animals are only allowed on board WVTS buses when placed in animal carriers is recommended to minimize confusion for users and for risk management purposes.
5.3 Communications The main communications challenges identified through the operational review are primarily due to limited formal procedures to coordinate key activities. To address these issues, internal communications procedures should be identified and implemented for: • The implementation of service changes, including routing realignments and changes in service levels; • Non-emergency road closures and detour plans that differ from the standard detour plans for big events; • Performance monitoring, including the collection of statistics about the operation of the service to establish a clear picture of system’s operational needs; and • Passenger feedback, including sharing complaints and coordinating responses. These topics should be included in the discussions during the bi-monthly WVTS planning meetings to keep all parties up-to-date on any changes. External communications for the WVTS is mainly done through the stand-alone WVTS website, the primary customer interface. This presents a significant challenge as there are no dedicated staff resources to maintain the website. This is a significant challenge as the website does not provide any real-time updates for detours and significant delays. More critically, it is not designed to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as required by AODA. It is recommended that the WVTS undertake the task of updating the website to meet accessibility guidelines and provide real-time rider alerts, particularly during big events. January 12, 2021 30 IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT WEGO VISITOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPERATIONAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls
Dedicated staff resources should be considered for performance monitoring, reviewing and responding to passenger feedback, and for maintaining the WVTS website.
5.4 Key Recommendations The foregoing system management and policy actions are classified below as recommendations for immediate action and for short-term consideration.
5.4.1 Immediate Action The recommendations for immediate action will inform the update to the operating agreement and clarify day-to-day operating policies for both parties, as well as improve communications. The following actions are required for inclusion in the operating agreement: • Create a CCTV policy for the WVTS that outlines its use and the roles of the NPC and CCNF staff; • Update the role of on-street supervisors to apply to all WVTS routes and to include the added responsibilities of headway management (as discussed in Section 4.1.1); • Review and update the responsibilities for upgrading on-street infrastructure to meet AODA requirements, and for maintaining stop infrastructure; and • Develop a fleet management plan with capital costs for replacement based on a targeted life-cycle suited to the needs of the WVTS, and a mid-life refurbishing program. The following actions can be undertaken with limited additional resources, including: • Update signage on buses to clarify the wheelchair securement, stroller, and pet policies; • Provide training for operators on assisting with mobility devices if requested; and • Update internal communication procedures and assign dedicated staff resources to keep all parties up-to-date on specific topics, such as service changes, road closures, performance trends, and passenger feedback.
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5.4.2 Short-term Consideration Recommendations for short-term consideration also have the potential for significant benefits but require a higher investment of resources. These recommendations are outlined below. • Update the WVTS website to meet accessibility guidelines as required by the AODA. • Assign dedicated staff resources to maintain the website and keep content up-to-date, including real-time updates for detours and significant delays during big event days
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6 Fares
During the operational review, a number of fare administration and technology issues were identified through meetings with NPC and CCNF and through independent field visits. This section proposes opportunities to address fare administration and technology needs so that resources can be focused effectively.
6.1 Fare Administration WVTS fares are smart card-based, allowing users to ride any WVTS bus and transfer between WVTS lines in an unlimited, hop-on/hop-off manner for the duration of the pass. This timed access begins when a user validates their pass upon boarding their first WVTS bus. The fare cards are programmed by CCNF and distributed by NPC. Between 2013 and 2018, WVTS pass sales have increased significantly. The Adventure Pass, which includes a 48-hour pass, is the most popular fare product. This is followed by the Host Card, which includes a 24-hour pass, then the standalone 24-hour pass and finally the standalone 48-hour pass. Overall, this results in a relatively even split between 24-hour and 48-hour passes. The 24-hour pass includes a grace period that allows riders to access the WVTS until midnight the day after its activation. This grace period is not provided for the 48-hour pass which creates confusion for riders and messaging challenges for WVTS staff. Further, the grace period on the 24-hour passes limits differentiation between the two pass types; in practice most riders have access to the service for about two days regardless of which pass they acquire. To ensure consistency and differentiation between these products, WVTS should consider: • Removing the grace period on the 24-hour passes, which may result in slightly higher fare revenue; or • Extending the grace period available on the 24-hour passes to the 48-hour passes. Extending the grace period to the 48-hour pass would have benefits for customers without significant additional costs to the system. Each of these options is supported by existing WVTS fare technology, as well as the fare technology options discussed in Section 6.2.3.
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6.2 Fare Technology This section assesses the WVTS fare collection technology. It identifies fare technology challenges experienced by NFT and NPC, summarizes and prioritizes needs based on those challenges, and proposes opportunities to address those needs so that resources can be focused effectively. Our data sources include: • Background documentation provided by WVTS stakeholders; • Field visits and observations conducted over several days, including the August 2019 long weekend; • Prior experience with WVTS deployment and operations; • Onsite interviews with NPC stakeholders (September 16, 2019); and • Onsite interviews with NFT stakeholders (October 3, 2019).
6.2.1 Existing Fare Equipment WVTS on-board fare equipment is provided by Trapeze; the specific on-board equipment differs depending on whether the bus is operated by NFT or NPC On NFT operated WVTS buses, the on-board fare equipment is a mix of: • V36 fareboxes; • V36 fareboxes with “upgrade kits”; and • EZFare fareboxes. Because NFT shares on-board fare equipment with their regular fleet, the specific mix of fare equipment can change from time to time. NFT has the ability to change fareboxes between buses to consolidate a single model on the WVTS fleet, if desired. On NPC operated WVTS buses, the on-board fare equipment consists of a talisman smart card reader (front door only). In the past, there have been instances where NFT WVTS buses were informally lent to NPC, this no longer occurs. However, NFT does lease 2 WVTS buses to NPC during the summer peak. Vehicles leased to NPC retain NFT fare equipment.
6.2.2 Fare Technology Needs A number of issues were identified during meetings with NPC and NFT, as well as during independent field visits. The issues are summarized in Exhibit 6-1, and mapped to specific needs and agency affected.
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Exhibit 6-1: Needs Identification N N Item Issue Need F P T C Slow card validation (up to 3 seconds per card) delays boarding and/or results I.1 Faster boarding ✓ ✓ in riders being “waved aboard” without validation. Card validators are installed at front of I.2 buses, limiting all boarding to front-door Faster boarding ✓ ✓ only Riders with questions blocks other riders I.3 Faster boarding ✓ ✓ from boarding. Vendor supported Fare equipment data is unreliable and I.4 and maintained fare ✓ ✓ regularly experiences failures. collection system Fare system software not well Vendor supported I.5 maintained by Trapeze (e.g. still runs and maintained fare ✓ ✓ Windows XP). collection system Vendor supported Fare system support from Trapeze is I.6 and maintained fare ✓ ✓ limited and slow. collection system Trapeze cannot provide consistent fare Vendor supported I.7 collection equipment (e.g. V36 and maintained fare ✓ ✓ fareboxes no longer available). collection system Riders pre-purchase packages that Provide fare media I.8 include WVTS passes, but have no valid with online ✓ ✓ fare media until they get to Table Rock. packages WVTS fare media is expensive for Sustainable fare I.9 something that is not re-used. ✓ ✓ media ($0.65/Card) Long queues to purchase/collect WVTS Additional fare I.10 fare media at NPC kiosks during peak media acquisition ✓ periods options Limited and dated communication of Comprehensive and I.11 fare options, polices and information to ✓ ✓ maintained website riders Inconsistent fare products between NFT Consistent fare I.12 operated red/blue lines and NPC ✓ ✓ products operated green/orange lines. Ridership and performance reporting Improved data tools I.13 are not available in an easily ✓ ✓ and resources understandable format. NPC and NFT have limited resources to Improved data tools I.14 ✓ ✓ utilize collected data. and resources
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Issues identified in Exhibit 6-1 have been grouped into specific functional needs. This recognizes that sometimes several issues speak to similar underlying needs and should be addressed together in developing solutions. Exhibit 6-2 summarizes the identified needs and assigns an initial priority based on our understanding from discussions with NFT and NPC.
Exhibit 6-2: Needs Prioritization Item Need Priority N.1 Faster boarding High N.2 Vendor supported and maintained fare collection system High N.3 Provide fare media with online packages High N.4 Sustainable fare media Medium N.5 Additional fare media acquisition options Medium N.6 Comprehensive and maintained website Medium N.7 Consistent fare products Low N.8 Improved data tools and resources Low
6.2.3 Fare Technology Options Fare technology options for consideration are identified in Exhibit 6-3, along with a mapping to specific needs addressed. This is followed by a discussion of each option including a description, relevant benefits and risks, and high-level costing information. Identified options consider industry best practices as well as the current state of the market. Some options represent alternate paths to the same end goal, as such it is not anticipated that WVTS would proceed with all options. Rather, this list should be seen as a starting point to a guided fare technology plan that ensures investments directly align with identified needs.
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Exhibit 6-3: Fare Technology Options
and and
re media re
Item Options
packages
resources
Comprehensive
acquisition options acquisition
maintainedwebsite
N.1 Faster N.1 Boarding
N.6 N.6
N.5 Additional N.5 fare media
N.2 Vendor N.2 supportedand
N.4 Sustainable N.4 fa
N.8 Improved N.8 data tools and
N.7 Consistent N.7 fare products
maintainedfare collection system N.3 Provide N.3 fare mediaonline with Trapeze remediation O.1 ✓ efforts O.2 Mobile ticketing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Smart card system O.3 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ replacement Additional validators (all O.4 ✓ doors) Updated governance O.5 ✓ ✓ procedures Advanced reporting O.6 ✓ tools
Option 1: Trapeze Remediation Efforts Description Fare validation times regularly approach 3 seconds. This represents a considerable degradation from past performance, and is not typical on other smart card systems or at other agencies using Trapeze fare systems. As such it represents a system defect that should be corrected by Trapeze. Questions to consider as part of troubleshooting this defect with Trapeze include: • What is the impact on validation times from the student card list that is loaded on each device (estimated to exceed 300,000 student cards)? Can the list be reduced? Are old cards being removed as new ones are added? • When did validation delay become noticeable and what changes were implemented around that time? • Is validation delay consistent across fare media and fare types? • Is validation delay consistent across all vehicles? January 12, 2021 37 IBI GROUP FINAL REPORT WEGO VISITOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES OPERATIONAL REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS Prepared for Niagara Parks Commission and City of Niagara Falls
Benefits and Risks Benefits • Covered by existing contract • No additional hardware Risks • Inability to resolve: Previous troubleshooting has been unsuccessful. Although Trapeze has a responsibility to rectify this problem, there is a risk they lack the capability, resources, and/or commitment to do so. Costing As this represents a system defect, it is anticipated that troubleshooting efforts would be covered within the existing service contract.
Option 2: Mobile Ticketing Description Mobile ticketing allows rider to purchase fares using their phones. Prior to boarding the rider activates the fare, which is then validated upon boarding the bus. Typically, fare purchasing is done through either a dedicated smartphone app, a website, or integration with other trip planning apps (e.g. Transit). This option deploys a standalone mobile ticketing system that supplements the smart card system. Mobile ticketing may be considered using simple visual validation, or with automated mobile ticket validators. • Visual validation is a fast and simple method of validation. When the ticket is activated the rider shows the ticket to the operator. These tickets will have embedded security features that make them difficult to forge or duplicate and would be easily verifiable by the operator. • For automated validation the ticket will include an electronic id (typically a QR code) and the onboard validator would read this code to confirm the ticket is genuine. There are many providers of mobile ticketing systems in the market (including some that have provided systems in the Niagara region) and they all work similarly, although some may provide additional functions over others. A key advantage of mobile ticketing is that these systems are typically hosted and already operational, and require minimal (if any) infrastructure investment, so they can be rapidly deployed.
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Some agencies, including St. Catharines Transit, initially implement visual validation due to the potential for rapid deployment and the low capital cost, and transition to automated validation over time. Benefits and Risks Benefits • Fast: Fare validation, whether visual or automated, occurs quickly. Some riders may board without their fare activated on their phone, this would be the most significant source of delay. • Rider convenience: − Riders purchase and manage fares directly from their phone. − An internet connection is typically not required for a rider to activate a ticket, allowing them to purchase tickets in areas with data coverage but not requiring them to have data coverage to activate it. • Flexibility: Since most system processing occurs in the rider’s phone and in the cloud, upgrades are simpler to deploy. • Reduced sales infrastructure: Moving a portion of the sales online reduces resourcing requirements and line-ups at sales kiosks. • Supports occasional and tourist riders: No need to obtain physical fare media to take advantage of WVTS service. • Package integration: Potential for WVTS fares that are included as part of online packages to be provided and loaded onto mobile phones ahead of time. • Improved reporting: Mobile ticketing would include its own reporting tools. • Straightforward implementation: As a standalone system, mobile ticketing would be straightforward to implement. This is particularly the case for WVTS which has a relatively simple fare structure. • Integration opportunities: Potential for integration with widespread customer information and trip planning apps to promote uptake. Also, typically can have multiple agencies sell fares on a single platform. Risks • System fragmentation: Mobile ticketing would be a separate system from the smart card system, further increasing the number of systems that must be maintained and then queried for data.
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• Fraud risk (if visually validated): Visually validated tickets rely on operators checking all tickets, somewhat increasing WVTS exposure to fraud. • Additional onboard hardware (if automatically validated): While automated validators are small and reliable, they remain another hardware item requiring physical space and maintenance on each vehicle. • Potential barriers for rider uptake: − Requires rider to have a smartphone. Smartphones are common but not universal, and this will limit access for some. − Typically requires the rider to download an app, sign-up for the service, and provide a credit card or debit card on file for payment. Costing Many mobile ticketing providers are moving toward the fare payment as a service model. In this model there would be no appreciable capital costs for central software. In the more traditional model capital costs for software would be estimated to be about $150,000 to $300,000. Operating costs for mobile ticketing typically involve a transaction fee. The size of the fee depends on vendor business model, with low upfront implementation costs often correlating with higher ongoing costs. Typically, we see costs of these fees as being 4%-6% on top of the credit card processing fees, for a total of about 7%-9%. Credit card processing fees may be offset by current fare purchase credit card transactions that are avoided. If automated validation is desired, this will require physical validators installed on each vehicle. Costs for validators have typically been in the $2,500 - $5,000 range (installed).
Option 3: Smart Card System Replacement Description This option replaces the existing Trapeze smart card functionality with a new standalone smart card system. This system would work in a similar fashion to the current smart card system. New functionality that should be considered includes internet revaluing. This would allow riders to manage media value themselves, making it more convenient for them and reducing strain on physical resources for selling fares. New functionality that may also be considered would include open payment. Open payment would allow riders to tap on the bus to pay their fare using their
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existing debit or credit cards. This would reduce the need for purchasing smart cards and provide particular convenience for occasional and tourist riders. On the NFT portion of the WVTS fleet, the existing fareboxes may remain; farebox use would be limited to cash and existing NFT fare media to maintain interoperability. Benefits and Risks Benefits • Fast: Typical smart card fare validation time are well under a second, significantly quicker than the three second timing experienced today. • Rider convenience: − Although riders still must obtain physical fare media, their value can be managed online. − If an open payment solution was implemented riders would not need to obtain physical fare media but could use their own credit or debit cards. • Supports occasional and tourist riders: Paper based temporary smart cards are typically in the $0.20 price range, representing a more sustainable approach for occasional and tourist riders. Open payment solutions expand further the support for occasional and tourist riders. • Improved reporting: A replacement smart card system would include its own reporting tools Risks • Consistency with conventional NFT fleet: Requires NFT to choose between upgrading conventional NFT buses in parallel, maintaining two systems in parallel, or accepting incompatibility between WVTS and conventional NFT vehicles. • Complex implementation: Replacing an in-use smart card system with a new one while maintaining service is a more complex implementation path. • Funding: Costs for this alternative are high. Securing funding for this solution could risk delaying implementation. Costing Estimated capital costs include: • Central system software: $250,000-$300,000 • On-board hardware: $4,000-$6,000 per vehicle
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• Implementation services: $50,000-$100,000 • Point of sale machines: $2,000-$4,000 per machine Assuming 25 vehicles and 4 point of sale locations total capital cost is estimated as $408,000-$566,000 Operating costs are estimated at approximately 10% of capital costs. This includes hardware and software maintenance, hardware replacements, and software licencing fees. This is estimated to be $40,000-$56,000 per year.
Option 4: Additional Validators Description This option deploys validators at all vehicle entrances to support all-door boarding. Benefits and Risks Benefits • Fast: Reduces boarding times by allowing all door boarding. • Supports occasional and tourist riders: A more straightforward boarding experience. • Reduced contact points: COVID-19 has resulted in a significant decrease in ridership across North American transit agencies; many agencies adjusted their operations for only rear door boarding. While many agencies are currently returning to conventional boarding, it is uncertain how frequently this response may be invoked in the future. Validators at all doors support this approach, and in the long-term also supports a more even distribution of riders. • Straightforward implementation: Adding validators, whether existing Trapeze units or provided as part of a mobile ticketing or smart card procurement, would be straightforward to implement. Risks • Additional onboard hardware: While validators are small and reliable, they remain another hardware item requiring physical space and maintenance on each vehicle. Costing Capital costs depend on which types of validators are deployed: • Trapeze Talisman validators: same as cost in current NFT contract • Mobile ticketing validators: $2,500-$5,000 per vehicle (see O.2)
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• Replacement smart card system validators: $4,000-$6,000 per vehicle (see O.3) The ongoing operating costs associated with additional validators is small. As a relatively simple hardware component, a good rule of thumb would be 5% of the capital costs annually for maintenance and replacements.
Option 5: Updated Governance Procedures Description This option speaks to identified fare needs that rely on technology systems to complete, but are not limited by available technology. Based on stakeholder discussions and review of available documentation, this applies to the following needs: • Comprehensive and maintained website • Consistent fare products Best practices would include a formal approach to regularly review and address each of the above needs, including: • Designated lead • Key stakeholders • Meeting frequency • Meeting agenda and review process • Decision making protocol • Process and timeline for implementing decisions The procedures, and the process that they put in place, do not need to be time consuming or onerous. By ensuring accountability, traceability, and regularity they may ultimately reduce overall effort by minimizing the need for larger scale synchronization efforts down the road. Benefits and Risks Benefits • Accountability: Designates a clear lead and process, so it is quickly apparent if necessary actions are occurring. • Rider experience: Presents WVTS as a seamless unified system to riders.
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Risks • Resourcing: Requires an ongoing resources commitment to make and maintain changes. With a well set-up process, longer-term “maintenance” efforts should be much lower in total than shorter-term “correction” efforts. Costing None. Covered by existing NFT and NPC resources.
Option 6: Advanced Reporting Tools Description This option integrates third-party reporting tools that expand on existing system reporting capabilities to support efficient and effective data analysis. Advanced reporting tools may save time for required reporting and enable WVTS stakeholders to make more data-driven decisions. Benefits and Risks Benefits • Use data more effectively: A dedicated reporting tool could automatically curate and analyze relevant transit data, allowing more effective data use given limited WVTS resources. • Knowledge transfer: Structured, automated reporting facilitates easier knowledge transfer by simplifying workflow and reducing manual processes. • Integrate multiple data sources: Reporting tools can integrate and utilize data from multiple sources and provide otherwise unavailable insights. For example, combining fare system data with CAD/AVL data. • Continuity: If reporting tools are effectively integrated with technology systems, reporting can remain consistent even as components evolve or are changed (e.g. upgrade/replacement of EZFare). Risks • Upfront effort: Advanced reporting tools require initial training effort to learn how to use the tool, rebuild some existing reports, and identify useful new reports. Costing Numerous off-the-shelf solutions are available, and costing models vary depending on reporting tool provider.
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For example, Crystal Reports has a capital cost of $12,500 for one named user license and 5 concurrent access licenses, which includes the first year of maintenance. However, no other maintenance program is available for preplanned ongoing support beyond the initial year, and customers must buy discounted upgrade licenses in order to move to newer versions of the software. Each version of the software is supported, on average, for four to six years. In contrast, cloud-based reporting tools such as MicroStrategy or Tableau have limited or no upfront costs, instead relying on a subscription model. Most suppliers offer many different tiers of subscription access which come with significantly varying costs. Estimates vary from $5,000/year per user to over $200,000/year for enterprise licencing. A user such as WVTS would fall at the low end of this range, with the specific amount depending on scope, requirements, and timelines.
6.3 Key Recommendations The technology options discussed here are classified as options for immediate action, options for short-term consideration, and options for long-term consideration.
6.3.1 Immediate Action Options for immediate action are standalone options with clear potential benefits, which can be done at no cost and with limited resource requirements: • O.1 Trapeze remediation efforts • O.5 Updated governance procedures These options should be formalized and moved forward immediately.
6.3.2 Short-term Consideration Options for short-term consideration have clear potential benefits, but also significant costs and resource requirements: • O.2 Mobile ticketing • O.3 Smart card system replacement • O.4 Additional validators (all doors) For these options, the scale of benefits depends on which other options are exercised. For example: • While mobile ticketing (O.2) and a smart card system replacement (O.3) could both occur, one on its own may be sufficient to address WVTS needs.
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• Additional validators (O.4) benefits rely on: − Trapeze remediation efforts being successful (O.1); or − Being implemented in conjunction with validated mobile ticketing (possible outcome of O.2); or − Being implemented in conjunction with smart card system replacement (O.3). The options having costs or risks that make them impractical may be eliminated from consideration. For example, smart card system replacement would necessitate either (1) a similar replacement on conventional NFT buses, (2) maintaining two parallel systems, or (3) accepting incompatibility between WVTS and NFT conventional vehicles. If none of these are practical the option can be eliminated. The remaining options should be subjected to in-depth assessment that validates required functionality and includes a business case. Once this is complete, and assuming it results in a decision to proceed with one or more options, specifications should be developed to support option procurement.
6.3.3 Long-term Consideration Options for long-term consideration are linked to lower priority needs with potential benefits that depend on other options: • O.6 Advanced reporting tools Other options under investigation (O.2, O.3) will include their own reporting tools. Since these tools may be sufficient for WVTS needs, and the need for improved data tools and resources is itself a low priority, a decision on proceeding with this option should be deferred. Once decisions have been made on the preceding options, the benefits and feasibility of advanced reporting tools should be re-assessed.
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7 Next Steps
This review of WVTS operations provides recommendations to improve WVTS service delivery, policies and infrastructure. Once the NPC and CCNF adopt the report as a guideline, it will inform the update to the operating agreement. The current operating agreement expires in August 2022. To meet that deadline, the foregoing recommendations and options for immediate action should be adopted accompanied by a performance monitoring program to inform the update to the operating agreement. The recommendations for immediate action are outlined below.
Service Levels and Route Re-structuring • Implement the route revisions on the Blue Line to eliminate the mid- route layover, creating more direct connections to the hotels along Fallsview Blvd from Table Rock Centre. • Formalize and promote the GO connection, operating it year-round to match expanded GO train service estimated at approximately 320 revenue hours annually.
Congestion Mitigation • Headway control strategies, specifically holding buses and limiting bunched buses to drop-offs only, should be applied to the Green Line at Table Rock Centre during the peak season. This strategy would be the responsibility of the Green Line on-street supervisor. • Provide an increased presence of Parks Ambassadors on platforms at Table Rock Centre to answer passenger questions, as well as consistent staffing of the information kiosk to assist with fare related questions. • Implement bus-only signage and the application of red paint on bus stops along Niagara Parkway to provide a more visible deterrent to informal pick-up drop-off (PUDO) activity at stops. • Designate PUDO locations and restricting on-street parking at locations recommended in the CAT plan to reduce the informal PUDO and illegal stopping observed. • Add clear “No Stopping” signage for the entire length of the WVTS stop zones to deter informal PUDO activity at stops.
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• Communicate WVTS event detours and temporary TPM through stakeholder channels to reach a wider audience about route changes.
System Management and Policies • Create a CCTV policy for the WVTS that outlines its use, and the roles of the NPC and CCNF staff. • Update the role of on-street supervisors to include all WVTS routes and to specifically include the added responsibility of headway management. • Review and update the responsibilities for upgrading on-street infrastructure to meet AODA requirements, and for maintaining stop infrastructure. • Develop a fleet management plan with capital costs for replacement based on a targeted life-cycle suited to the needs of the WVTS, and a mid-life refurbishing program. • Update signage on buses to clarify the wheelchair securement, stroller, and pet policies. • Provide training for operators on assisting with mobility devices if requested. • Update internal communication procedures and assign dedicated staff resources to keep all parties up-to-date on specific topics, such as service changes, road closures, performance trends, and passenger feedback.
Fares • Implement Trapeze remediation efforts (O.1), including troubleshooting and correcting the system defects with support from Trapeze. • Update governance procedures (O.5), including a formal approach to regularly review and address website maintenance and fare products to ensure accountability and traceability.
Performance Monitoring Performance monitoring activities are recommended upon the implementation of these immediate actions, to measure the benefits of the service and policy changes on operations and the passenger experience. Two main activities are recommended:
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• Collect and review ridership data, comparing route level ridership after implementation of route revisions and headway control strategies to ridership before these changes; and • Collect and review passenger feedback regarding the service. This can be done through the inclusion of a WVTS-specific set of questions in the annual Niagara Parks Customer Satisfaction Survey. Monitoring activities should be conducted annually, including collecting statistics about the operation of the service to establish a clear picture of system’s operational needs to inform the WVTS service delivery and capital planning processes. The WVTS operational review process should be repeated every five years as recommended in the operating agreement to review adherence to the agreement and identify opportunities for improvement.
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