Carbon County Transit Development Plan Prepared for: (This page intentionally left blank.) Carbon County Transit Development Plan Final Report Prepared for: Red Lodge Community Foundation 122 Hauser Avenue South Red Lodge, MT 59068 Prepared by: LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. 545 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Suite 210 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (719) 633-2868 LSC #184760 February 27, 2019 (This page intentionally left blank.) -ii- CONTENTS Chapter Title Page I INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................... I-1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. I-1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. I-6 II REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES ........................................................................................ II-1 Red Lodge Mountain Transit Feasibility Study (2012) ............................................................ II-1 Carbon County Growth Policy (2015) ..................................................................................... II-2 Red Lodge Growth Policy (2015) ............................................................................................ II-4 Community Health Needs Assessment (2016) ....................................................................... II-5 Age-Friendly Carbon County Survey Results (2018) .............................................................. II-6 Carbon County Connect .......................................................................................................... II-7 III COMMUNITY CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. III-1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ III-1 Demographic Characteristics ................................................................................................. III-1 Community Economic Characteristics ................................................................................. III-13 Travel Patterns ..................................................................................................................... III-17 Commuter Patterns .............................................................................................................. III-19 Visitation Data ...................................................................................................................... III-20 Existing Transportation Services .......................................................................................... III-27 IV STAKEHOLDER INPUT ........................................................................................................ IV-1 Initial Outreach ...................................................................................................................... IV-1 Community Survey Analysis ................................................................................................. IV-4 V TRANSIT NEEDS AND DEMAND ASSESSMENT ................................................................ V-1 Mobility Gap ........................................................................................................................... V-2 Greatest Transit Needs Index ................................................................................................ V-4 General Public Rural Non-Program Demand ......................................................................... V-6 Small City Fixed-Route Demand ............................................................................................ V-8 Commuter Transit Demand .................................................................................................... V-8 Potential Origin-Destination Locations ................................................................................... V-9 VI TRANSIT SERVICE OPTIONS ............................................................................................. VI-1 Overview ............................................................................................................................. VI-1 Transit Service Options ......................................................................................................... VI-2 Service Options Workshop .................................................................................................. VI-12 VII RECOMMENDED SERVICE PLAN ..................................................................................... VII-1 Overview ............................................................................................................................ VII-1 Recommended Service ........................................................................................................ VII-1 Capital Needs ..................................................................................................................... VII-10 -iii- Funding Alternatives .......................................................................................................... VII-12 Financial Plan ..................................................................................................................... VII-19 VIII STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................................... VIII-1 Governance and Oversight ................................................................................................ VIII-1 Staffing ........................................................................................................................... VIII-4 Partnership Development .................................................................................................. VIII-5 Vehicles ........................................................................................................................... VIII-6 Marketing Plan ................................................................................................................... VIII-7 Cooperation and Collaboration Efforts ............................................................................. VIII-10 Long-Term Vision: 10 Years and Beyond ........................................................................ VIII-12 Timeline and Next Steps.................................................................................................. VIII-13 Appendix A: Supplemental Visitation Data Appendix B: Community Survey Analysis Appendix C: Community Survey Appendix D: Community Survey Comments -iv- LIST OF TABLES Table Title Page III-1 Estimated Population Characteristics .......................................................................... III-5 III-2 Employment by Sector .............................................................................................. III-15 III-3 Means of Transportation to Work .............................................................................. III-17 III-4 Travel Time to Work .................................................................................................. III-18 III-5 Time Leaving Home to Go to Work ........................................................................... III-19 III-6 Employment Location of Carbon County Residents .................................................. III-20 III-7 Residence Location of Carbon County Workers ....................................................... III-20 III-8 Community Care Program Calls ................................................................................ III-28 IV-1 Purpose for Using Public Transit within Carbon County ............................................ IV-6 IV-2 Purpose for Using Public Transit to Areas Outside Carbon County ........................... IV-6 V-1 Mobility Gap Transit Need ........................................................................................... V-2 V-2 Greatest Transit Need Model ...................................................................................... V-5 V-3 Census Block Groups with Greatest Transit Need ...................................................... V-6 V-4 Commuter Transit Demand ......................................................................................... V-9 VI-1 County-Wide Demand Response Service .................................................................. VI-4 VI-2 3-mile Demand Response Service Area Along Hwy. 212 and 310 ............................ VI-4 VI-3 Connection to Billings ................................................................................................. VI-7 VI-4 Fixed-Route Service Between Joliet and Red Lodge ................................................. VI-7 VI-5 Winter Fixed-Route Service Between Red Lodge and Red Lodge Mountain .......... VI-10 VI-6 Summer Fixed-Route Service Between Red Lodge and West Fork Trailhead ........ VI-10 VI-7 Service Options Workshop Coin Vote Results ......................................................... VI-19 VII-1 Recommended Service Plan – Phase 1 .................................................................... VII-2 VII-2 Recommended Service Plan – Phase 2 .................................................................... VII-5 VII-3 Schedule for Winter Fixed-Route Service Between Red Lodge & Red Lodge Mtn. .. VII-8 VII-4 New Transit Service Fares .....................................................................................