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JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC TRANSIT STRATEGIC PLAN Project Summary April 2019 RPC Task JPTSP | FTA No. LA-2017-018-00 Partners Consultants The contents of this document reflect the views of the author(s) who is (are) responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of policies of the RPC, the State or the Federal Transit Administration. This document does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. 2 Jefferson Transit Strategic Plan CONTENTS Welcome to JeT What is the purpose of this document? 4 What is not part of this plan? 4 What are the plan’s Goals and Objectives? 4 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) 6 What types of service scenarios/concepts did we look at? 7 What has been the planning process? 9 JeT’s at the Gate What does the current JeT look like? 10 What is the perception of JeT? 12 What community needs does JeT not currently address? 14 What are some of JeT’s challenges? 17 JeT’s Boarding Now What’s the outlook and opportunities for JeT? 20 Review of population groups reached 26 See JeT Fly Visionary Ideas 28 JeT in Action What is the process of implementation? 32 How will JeT meet community needs? 33 3 WELCOME TO JeT What is the purpose of this document? What are the plan’s Goals and Objectives? This strategic plan is designed to provide guidance Mission Statement over the next 20 years. Suggestions in the strategic plan Provide high-quality public transportation services that remain flexible in order to incorporate the findings of the meet the mobility needs of Jefferson Parish’s residents Comprehensive Operations Analysis being completed and workers. through the RPC. Decisions about future development will be based upon this plan in the following areas: Goals 1. A mission based upon the needs of the business The Future of Jefferson Transit is: and transit-riding communities in Jefferson Parish Connected – JeT reaches a greater share of the population who need improved services; and takes them places they need to go, when they need 2. A vision of what JeT could become, given a to go. reduction of available funding, as well as options Convenient – JeT is easy to find, easy to ride and meets for growth based upon funding to expand customer expectations on every trip. service in a manner consistent with the needs of passengers and local community. Innovative – JeT is on the forefront of technology and technological applications to inform and to serve riders 3. Goals that set forth those items required to reach and the public. the future and provide improved services; Collaborative – JeT is an integral part of the New Orleans 4. Strategies and actions to accomplish all goals, regional transit network. including a phase-in of changes and updates to broaden service to the local community; Financially stable – JeT is sufficiently funded to sustain its current system and to grow its future operations. 5. Series of performance measures identify how future service will meet the needs of the parish’s Objectives changing population. Goal #1: Connected – JeT reaches a greater share of the What is not part of this plan? population and takes them places they need to go, when they need to go: Y Detailed analysis of traveler demands or Increase transit to be within ½ mile of jobs and ridership; Y households; Y Review of engineering or financing options for Increase early morning, late evening, and individual projects; Y weekend service; Y Review of system governance or evaluation of Encourage transit-supportive land use administrative capacities; Y development along transit lines; Y Detailed plan for funding services; Y Offer transit service alternatives in areas of Resolution of funding needs for transit system Y Jefferson Parish that lack enough density for development. traditional corridor-based fixed-route transit service; 4 Jefferson Transit Strategic Plan MISSION STATEMENT: Provide high-quality public transportation services that meet the mobility needs of Jefferson Parish’s residents and workers. Y Work cooperatively with JEDCO, Chamber and Goal #3: Innovative – JeT is on the forefront of technology other partners to encourage ridership and transit and technological applications to inform and to serve options for enhancing mobility and access to riders and the public: jobs. Y Provide mobile operating system-based Goal #2: Convenient – JeT is easy to find, easy to ride and applications which offer customers the option for meets customer expectations on every trip: real time vehicle tracking, fare purchase and trip planning; Y Improve on-time performance on all routes, but especially those operating on corridors that are Y Provide real-time arrivals and departure part of the region’s congested arterial roadway, information at terminals (Walkertown, Wilty) and freeway, and interstate highway network; transfer locations (JeT to RTA Transfer Points); Y Establish a seamless system for providing riders Y Utilize electric and dual fuel buses, solar cells with information on available JeT services and with shelters, LEED facility upgrades, etc. to trip planning; reduce Carbon Emissions and Carbon Footprint. Y Increase frequency of service in areas within key Goal #4: Collaborative – JeT is an integral part of the New employment and population centers during peak Orleans regional transit network: commute periods (at least every 20 minutes); Y Support regional initiatives to improve mobility Y Establish standard design and placement criteria by transit across parish lines and to key regional for stop area designation and development educational and employment centers including (include facilities – shelters, benches, signs, the New Orleans CBD, Elmwood, and Fairfield/ connections to bicycle routes, etc.); Avondale; Y Improve safety at bus stops, on bus routes, Y Streamline system development to include and on the last mile connection (sidewalks, enhanced connectivity with RTA routes in Orleans crosswalks, bicycle route/path connections to and Jefferson Parish; transit systems) for passengers; Y Work collaboratively with RTA to establish a Y Increase trip speed by consolidating redundant model for service, cost and revenue sharing stops, implementing transit signal prioritization on for key regional routes connecting major job key corridors and cashless fare collection where centers and transit hubs in Orleans and Jefferson practicable. parishes. Introduction 5 Goal #5: Financially stable – JeT is sufficiently funded Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, to sustain its current system and to grow its future operations: Threats (SWOT) Representatives of JeT, the RPC and project team Y Maximize current resources to provide the best service possible; worked through a collaborative SWOT exercise to identify the major challenges and opportunities present to JeT Eliminate routes that are not financially feasible & Y within the context of the strategic plan. The project team serve few riders; assigned statements consisting of actions, ideas, and Y Establish threshold/standard of performance to needs into one of four defined categories: help determine financial feasibility; Strengths, a generally positive element, or attribute; Maintain the established local millage and find Y Weaknesses, a generally negative element, or attribute; ways to grow the amount collected for support of Opportunities transit operations and facilities development; , an external measure, or factor which can be used to JeT’s advantage; Y Supplement existing resources with innovative Threats funding techniques (tax or improvement districts) , outside opportunities or events which could and grants. undermine the strategic plan. Figure1: Existing transit route within Jefferson Parish. 6 Jefferson Transit Strategic Plan Figure 2: SWOT Analysis Findings Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Serves a community No standards of service Dedicated funding Diminished bus/fleet need Operations funded from source (millage) capacity Parish/region’s densest reserves to close gap Development boom Millage collection is population clusters between expenses and will increase potential dependent on Council Parish is a strong revenues ridership authorization employment center Flat ridership Economic development Public misperceptions JeT connects to the Outdated fixed-route districts might be an about transit and JeT airport network untapped funding source Lack of funds to market Coordination between Fewer vehicles and Capital replacement and promote services RTA and JeT hours of revenue service schedule has new buses Public fear of scale of on-order Regional day-ride fare than prior to Hurricane financing required for Katrina Working to increase bus bus fleet renewal Potential government speeds and reduce the support Many riders lack digital Current federal and banking access number of stops with preferences for funding Renewed millage few/no riders Lack of digital platform rural and small urban Region’s strong public for schedule and ticket Trend to cashless fare area projects transit advocacy information payment could reduce ecosystem some administrative Low quality infrastructure Business community costs and increase and amenities speeds Millennials Planned implementation of mobile-friendly bus tracking in real-time Potential may exist for partnerships with major employers What types of service scenarios/concepts Late-Night and Overnight Service: Buses every 45 to 90 minutes (off-peak); condensed route network including did we look at? East and West Bank Circulators;