FINAL REPORT Cobb Community Transit Service and Marketing Study December 2011 Prepared By: HDR Engineering, Inc. Prepared For: Cobb County Department of Transportation 1890 County Services Parkway Marietta, GA 30008 Cobb Community Transit Service and Marketing Study Draft Final Report Prepared by: HDR Engineering, Inc. Prepared for: Cobb County Department of Transportation 1890 County Services Parkway Marietta, Georgia 30008 Cobb Community Transit Service and Marketing Study Table of Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... ES-1 ES-1. Public Involvement Summary .................................................................................................................... ES-1 ES-2. Fixed Route Services Review and Recommendations .......................................................................... ES-2 ES-3. Paratransit Services Review and Assessment ........................................................................................ ES-9 ES-4. Transit Marketing Plan ........................................................................................................................... ES-10 ES-5. Transit Advertising Plan.......................................................................................................................... ES-11 ES-6. Financial Plan ........................................................................................................................................... ES-11 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Study Methodology and Approach .............................................................................................................. 1 2. Public Involvement Summary ................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Fixed Route Services Review and Recommendations ......................................................................................... 4 3.1. Market Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 4 3.1.1. Historic Trends and Current Conditions ............................................................................................... 4 3.1.2. Future Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.3. Transit Propensity Indicators .............................................................................................................. 11 3.2. CCT Fixed Route Services Description ....................................................................................................... 19 3.2.1. Local Fixed Routes ............................................................................................................................... 19 Route Profiles........................................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2.2. Express Routes ...................................................................................................................................... 21 3.3. Description of Existing Facilities and Infrastructure ................................................................................ 23 3.3.1. Administrative, Operations, and Maintenance Facilities .............................................................. 23 3.3.2. Transfer Centers ................................................................................................................................... 23 3.3.3. Park and Ride Lots ............................................................................................................................... 23 3.4. Peer Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 24 3.4.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 24 3.4.2. Peer Group Selection .......................................................................................................................... 24 3.4.3. System Performance Measures ......................................................................................................... 25 3.4.4. Motor Bus Peer Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 26 3.5. System-wide and Route-level Service Modification Strategies ........................................................... 37 3.5.1. Service Performance Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 38 3.5.2. Service Level Standards ..................................................................................................................... 39 Final Report Page i Cobb Community Transit Service and Marketing Study 3.5.3. Service Design Standards .................................................................................................................. 39 3.5.4. Service Delivery Models ..................................................................................................................... 40 3.6. Fixed Route Service Plans ............................................................................................................................ 41 3.6.1. Route-Level Modifications by Service Plan Period ........................................................................ 43 3.6.2. System-Level Service Plan Summary ................................................................................................ 60 3.6.3. Ridership Estimates ............................................................................................................................... 64 3.6.4. Capital Investments and Infrastructure Improvements................................................................... 64 4. Paratransit Services Review and Assessment .................................................................................................... 68 4.1. Introduction and Approach .......................................................................................................................... 68 4.1.1. Purpose and Approach ....................................................................................................................... 68 4.2. Description of Existing Paratransit Service ............................................................................................... 68 4.2.1. Organizational Structure .................................................................................................................... 70 4.3. Operations Analysis of Peer Transit Systems .......................................................................................... 71 4.4. CCT Paratransit Evaluation.......................................................................................................................... 74 4.4.1. Organization’s Strengths .................................................................................................................... 77 4.4.2. Opportunities for Improvement ......................................................................................................... 78 4.4.3. Paratransit Alternatives ...................................................................................................................... 82 4.5. Five and Ten Year Paratransit Plan........................................................................................................... 85 4.5.1. Projection of Future Service Area Population ................................................................................. 85 4.5.2. Projection of Future Service Levels and Operating Costs ............................................................ 86 5. Transit Marketing Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 89 5.1. Situation Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 89 5.2. Brand Assessment and Overview ............................................................................................................... 89 5.3. Key Challenges .............................................................................................................................................. 89 5.3.1. Marketing Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 89 5.3.2. Strategies to Meet These Objectives ............................................................................................... 90 5.4. Target Audiences ........................................................................................................................................... 90 5.5. The Message(s) .............................................................................................................................................. 91 5.6. An Integrated Marketing