Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................... I RTC PERFORMANCE .......................................................................................................................................................................... I GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ..................................................................................................................................................... I FARE ANALYSIS................................................................................................................................................................................. II TRANSIT SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN ............................................................................................................................................. II FINANCIAL PLAN..............................................................................................................................................................................IV 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1. PURPOSE OF THE SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PROGRAM....................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE........................................................................................................................................ 1-3 1.3. RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES ............................................................................................... 1-6 1.4. REGIONAL PLANNING CONTEXT ...................................................................................................................................... 1-7 2. FIXED-ROUTE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AND PEER REVIEW ..................................................................................... 2-1 2.1. SERVICE AREA AND NETWORK ........................................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2. REVIEW OF INDIVIDUAL RTC RIDE FIXED ROUTES........................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3. PEER AGENCY SURVEY ................................................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.4. SERVICE DESIGN AND STRUCTURE................................................................................................................................... 2-8 2.5. SERVICE EVALUATION AND DECISION MAKING ................................................................................................................ 2-8 2.6. FARE POLICY AND COLLECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 2-9 2.7. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.................................................................................................................................................... 2-9 2.8. LESSONS LEARNED ......................................................................................................................................................... 2-9 3. RECOMMENDED GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1. GOAL 1: ENHANCE MOBILITY FOR RESIDENTS OF WASHOE COUNTY ................................................................................. 3-1 3.2. GOAL 2: DELIVER SERVICE COST-EFFECTIVELY................................................................................................................. 3-2 3.3. GOAL 3: ENSURE THAT SERVICE PROVIDED IS SAFE, RELIABLE, COMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT ........................................ 3-2 3.4. GOAL 4: PROMOTE TRANSIT SERVICE AS PART OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE IN WASHOE COUNTY ........................................ 3-4 4. FARE ANALYSIS................................................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1. EXISTING AND HISTORIC COMPARISON ........................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2. PEER FARE PRACTICES .................................................................................................................................................... 4-4 4.3. FARE COLLECTION AND CONTROL ................................................................................................................................... 4-6 4.4. FARE RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................................................. 4-9 4.5. FURTHER STUDY NEEDS ............................................................................................................................................... 4-11 4.6. PASSENGER SURVEY ..................................................................................................................................................... 4-11 5. TRANSIT SERVICE IMPROVEMENT PLAN ...................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1. DESIGN ELEMENTS AND PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES ........................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2. FIXED ROUTE TRANSIT SYSTEM CONCEPTS .................................................................................................................... 5-12 6. RTC ACCESS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1. SERVICE AREA................................................................................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2. ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ....................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.3. BENEFIT/COST ANALYSIS ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL ADA SERVICE AREA ............................................................................ 6-4 7. TAHOE AREA RAPID TRANSIT AND OTHER SERVICES ................................................................................................ 7-1 7.1. TART............................................................................................................................................................................ 7-1 7.2. TAHOE TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT ................................................................................................................................ 7-1 7.3. VANPOOL PROGRAM ..................................................................................................................................................... 7-1 P a g e | 1 8. FINANCIAL PLAN ................................................................................................................................................................ 8-1 8.1. REVENUE....................................................................................................................................................................... 8-2 8.2. COSTS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8-2 8.3. FINANCIAL PLAN AND PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................. 8-2 8.4. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................................................................................................. 8-6 Figures FIGURE ES-1 – SERVICE HOUR SHIFT ROUTE PRODUCTIVITY RANKING (FEBRUARY 2011) ...................................................................... III FIGURE ES-2 – ROUTE CHANGES PLAN .................................................................................................................................................VI FIGURE 1 – HISTORIC SALES TAX REVENUES ....................................................................................................................................... 1-2 FIGURE 2 – RTC ORGANIZATIONAL CHART ......................................................................................................................................... 1-5 FIGURE 3 – EXISTING SERVICE AREA................................................................................................................................................... 2-2 FIGURE 4 – AGENCIES ANALYZED FROM THE TELEPHONE SURVEY AND NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE.................................................. 2-3 FIGURE 5 – TRANSIT USE: BOARDINGS PER CAPITA IN RELATION TO POPULATION DENSITY................................................................... 2-4 FIGURE 6 – TRANSIT USE: PASSENGER MILES PER CAPITA IN RELATION TO POPULATION DENSITY......................................................... 2-4 FIGURE 7 – TRANSIT PRODUCTIVITY: BOARDINGS PER REVENUE VEHICLE HOUR IN RELATION TO POPULATION DENSITY ........................ 2-5 FIGURE 8 - TRANSIT SERVICE