Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority WAVE SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Final Report June 2012 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN | FINAL REPORT CAPE FEAR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY Table of Contents Page 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 5 2 Overview and Study Approach .......................................................................................... 7 3 Existing Service ................................................................................................................... 9 Passenger Facilities ................................................................................................................................. 14 Fares ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 Existing Plans and Studies ...................................................................................................................... 15 Agency Goals and Objectives .............................................................................................................. 16 4 Stakeholder and Public Input ............................................................................................ 19 Rider and Non-Rider Survey ................................................................................................................. 19 Stakeholder Interviews ........................................................................................................................... 22 Implications for the SRTP ........................................................................................................................ 24 5 Market Analysis ................................................................................................................ 25 Population ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Employment ............................................................................................................................................... 27 Composite Transit Propensity ................................................................................................................ 29 Implications for the SRTP ........................................................................................................................ 32 6 Service Evaluation ............................................................................................................ 33 System Evaluation .................................................................................................................................... 33 Route-by-Route Service Analysis .......................................................................................................... 36 Benefits of Transit Service ...................................................................................................................... 37 7 Service Improvement Options ........................................................................................... 41 Service design framework ..................................................................................................................... 41 Service improvement options ................................................................................................................. 43 Service improvement option Evaluation Process ................................................................................ 47 Evaluation Results ..................................................................................................................................... 48 8 Preferred Alternative ......................................................................................................... 49 Description of Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................... 49 Passenger Facilities Improvements ....................................................................................................... 52 Ridership Impacts ..................................................................................................................................... 53 Service Expansion Priorities and Unfunded Needs ........................................................................... 54 9 Implementation Plan ......................................................................................................... 57 Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 57 Service Reduction Options ..................................................................................................................... 58 Performance Standards and Evaluation Process ............................................................................... 59 10 Wave Transit Funding ....................................................................................................... 61 Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 61 Federal Funding Programs..................................................................................................................... 62 11 Capital Plan ...................................................................................................................... 67 Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 67 Bus Replacement Program ..................................................................................................................... 67 Passenger Infrasturcture Improvements ............................................................................................... 69 Other Planned Facilities Improvements ............................................................................................... 70 Transit Vehicle Fuel technologies .......................................................................................................... 70 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Inc. | 1 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN | FINAL REPORT CAPE FEAR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 12 Agency Management and Organization .......................................................................... 73 13 Strategies to Strengthen Transit ......................................................................................... 79 Bus Stop Locations and Amenities ......................................................................................................... 79 Pedestrian and bicycle Infrastructure .................................................................................................. 83 Feedback on Service Scenarios ................................................................................................. 97 Written Comments from Drop-In Sessions and Verbal Comments from Public Meeting ........... 97 Written Comments from Public Officials/Agencies And Members of the Public ..................... 101 Ridership Estimation Methods ............................................................................................................. 109 Paratransit Service Evaluation ................................................................................................ 113 Service Overview ................................................................................................................................. 114 Paratransit Performance ..................................................................................................................... 114 Challenges in Paratransit Operations .............................................................................................. 116 Potential Improvement Opportunities ............................................................................................... 117 Appendix A Rider Survey Appendix B Transit Amenity Standards at Other Transit Systems Appendix C Feedback on Potential Service Scenarios Appendix D Development of Ridership Estimates Appendix E Paratransit Service Evaluation Table of Figures Page Figure 1 Overview of Wave Services ................................................................................................ 10 Figure 2 Map of Wave Local Fixed Routes ...................................................................................... 13 Figure 3 Map of Origin and Destination Pairs ................................................................................. 21 Figure 5 Population Growth in Wilmington and New Hanover County ....................................... 25 Figure 6 Population Density .................................................................................................................. 26 Figure 7 Employment Distribution ........................................................................................................ 28 Figure 8 Households with Low Incomes ............................................................................................... 30 Figure 9 Composite Transit Propensity ............................................................................................... 31 Figure 10 WAVE Transit Service Characteristics – Fixed-Route Services (2007-2011) ............ 34 Figure 11