Transit Forward: Transit Master Plan 2040 Workshop Series #2 September/October 2019 Feedback Overview Date/time: Tuesday September 17th, 2019 Date/time: Wednesday September 18th, 2019 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Noon to 1:30 PM Location: Warwick Public Library Location: URI Multicultural Center Warwick, RI Kingston, RI Date/time: Tuesday September 17th, 2019 Date/time: Wednesday September 18th, 2019 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Location: RIDOA/1 Capitol Hill Location: Blackstone Valley Visitors Center Providence, RI Pawtucket, RI Date/time: Thursday October 10th, 2019 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Location: Middletown Town Hall Middletown, RI In December 2018 an initial series of workshops for the Transit Master Plan were held to introduce the plan, provide an assessment of existing transit services in Rhode Island, and solicit public feedback on existing needs and experiences. These workshops were held in Providence, Woonsocket, and Newport. This second series of workshops were held in September and October 2019 to provide attendees with an overview of several future potential scenarios and along with improvement strategies to address Rhode Island’s transit needs. These workshops were held in Warwick, Providence, Kingston, Pawtucket, and Middletown. The same agenda and activities were completed at each workshop. All materials are available on the Transit Master Plan website (https://transitforwardri.com). 1 November 15, 2019 The workshop was set up in an open house format, allowing visitors to freely circulate and visit stations that described each scenario along with a dot voting station on priorities. Stations used dot voting, open comment boards, and activities to gain feedback from participants. Each workshop included a formal presentation explaining the project, providing background on the existing network and details on each scenario. Documentation of the workshop feedback is attached. In advance of the workshops, 25 pop-up events were conducted at numerous bus stops and transit hubs. The pop-up events included informational boards and flyers to inform riders about the project and encourage them to engage with the project team at these workshops. Over 1,000 interviews were conducted at these 25 pop-up events. Each workshop was comprised of the following components: • Overview Presentation - A 30 minute presentation highlighting the scenarios. • Station 1 Welcome- Overview of the plan and outreach efforts to date • Station 2 Low Scenario - Statewide and metro boards illustrating the low scenario along with a scenario briefing book. • Station 3 Medium Scenario - Statewide and metro boards illustrating the medium scenario along with a scenario briefing book. • Station 4 High Scenario - Statewide and metro boards illustrating the high scenario along with a scenario briefing book. • Station 5 Priorities – Dot voting exercise on top priorities for a range of strategies. The major differences by scenario is as follows: • Scenario 1: Address Most Pressing Needs – Focused on addressing largest gaps between provided service and customer demand. 2 November 15, 2019 • Scenario 2: Improve & Expand Transit – Take transit steps further to make it more compelling. • Scenario 3: Comprehensive Statewide Network – Develops a robust transit services in all parts of the state where there is transit demand. 3 November 15, 2019 The scenarios are intended to give a sense of what can happen at varying levels of investment, provide a framework for continued public discussion, and broaden discussion to other policy decisions to move towards a more seamless system. The scenarios are not intended to offer a forced choice among scenario or represent packages that must be chosen or implemented in total (instead possible to pick and choose). The Transit Master Plan Scenario Briefing Book was prepared to provide an overview of the various transit improvement scenarios and all materials were posted on the Transit Master Plan website (https://transitforwardri.com/documents.asp). A brief overview of the feedback received at the workshops follows. Participation Over 100 people in total attended the five workshops. These participants represented a wide variety of stakeholders from agencies, state and local government, and members of the public. Over 1,000 interviews were conducted at the pop-up events leading up to the workshops with over 400 comments and ideas received. Additionally, 90 online comments were received at the time of the workshops, and an online interactive transit input map was used. Over 150 recommendations for potential transit improvements were provided, and over 30 4 November 15, 2019 general comments were provided offering feedback about the workshop experience and opportunities to improve future outreach. A total of 360 votes were made on the priorities at the workshops. Top Transit Priorities The final station of the workshop involved voting on priorities. A total of 360 votes were made on the priorities at the 5 workshops: > Middletown Workshop 47 votes > Pawtucket Workshop 95 votes > URI Workshop 48 votes > Providence Workshop 99 votes > Warwick Workshop 71 votes The following priorities are ranked from highest priority to lowest priority based on the 360 votes at all workshops. The highest priority strategies are longer and more frequent service and the lowest priority strategies involve light rail and mobility hubs. Summary of All Workshops 5 November 15, 2019 > Longer Hours of Service (highest) - Extended spans of service, plus more weekend service on most routes > More Frequent Service - More frequent service on most routes (with varying improvements) > More Frequent Commuter Rail to Boston - Weekday service between Providence and Boston every 30 to 60 minutes > Improve Crosstown Bus Services - New routes that provide service without having to make connections at Kennedy Plaza > Fare Integration - Ability to use MBTA Zone 8 pass on Amtrak trains > Better Bus Stops - Shelters, seating, travel information and other upgrades > Rapid Bus - R-Line type services in other urban corridors > Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - Bus service that operates like LRT in dedicated lanes with limited stops > Expand Bus Service to New Areas - New local bus routes and more Flex service zones > Faster Commuter Rail to Boston - Reduce Providence to Boston travel time to less than 60 minutes > Regional Rapid Bus - Service from outer hubs via major roads, with priority treatments > Light Rail Transit (LRT) - Rail service in urban areas in exclusive lanes > Add Mobility Hubs (lowest) - Regional and community hubs as a focal point for mobility 6 November 15, 2019 7 November 15, 2019 8 November 15, 2019 Workshop Comments All workshop participants received post-it notes and comment card to leave comments for the project team. All comments are attached to this workshop summary report. There were many comments/feedback on routes, buses, or drivers that were very specific recommendations and these comments have been captured by RIPTA maintenance and scheduling staff for review and action. Comments made at each workshop related to likely Transit Master Plan recommendations were as follows: > Simplify the fare structure to make transferring easier and cost effective > An incremental approach to upgrading the transit network is needed as some strategies will work and other may not > Expanded marketing of the transit services and the long term plan is needed > More frequent service for longer hours is needed as an overall strategy and priority > LRT seems very desirable, but it is not practical or cost effective; focus more on strategies such as BRT or rapid bus like the R-Line which is very successful > Consider a phased approach - first rapid bus then possibly upgrading to BRT as a great incremental step to improve mobility on critical routes without breaking budgets 9 November 15, 2019 > High frequency service and affordable fares are critical for the Commuter Rail to be successful and complement AMTRAK to Boston > Appreciate the use of the existing/abandoned rail tunnel in Scenario 2 and 3, it’s a wise use of an existing asset; more tunnels are not needed (i.e. Kennedy Plaza) > System-wide 10 or 15-minute frequency is needed to major hubs and urban areas > A more defined hub is needed at Green Airport (with marketing of this great service) > Allow service to cross over the state line into Massachusetts and Connecticut > Better branding of the bus stops is needed, system-wide, similar to the R-Line > All buses, system-wide, should indicate the route number on the back of the bus and stops should tell waiting riders when the next bus is coming and the number > Maintenance is needed to be a priority on the system – the rails, bus routes, bus stops, and buses > Electrify the entire bus fleet and equip vehicles and stops with solar panels > The FLEX service needs better marketing as it is a great service and not that far off from Uber/Lyft just a fraction of the cost > Scenario 1 does not extend far enough into Southern RI > Medical services in PVD seem to be moving to the fringes of the network and RIPTA is doing a great job of providing added service to these areas which needs to continue as the plan evolves > Pay close attention to schedule synchronization to students/class schedules to capture more students, faculty and staff across the state > The plan should consider the following service needs: o more frequent Sunday service is needed between West Bay and Newport 10 November 15, 2019 o service to Cumberland library o better service between Kennedy Plaza and Kent County