Ride On: Strategies for promoting transit ridership at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Capstone Paper In Partial Fulfillment of the Master’s Degree Requirements The Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs The University of Minnesota Authors: Pang Moua Patrick Haney Victoria Dan May 3, 2019 Instructor: Lyssa Leitner Clients: Kelly Morrell Jessica Cross RIDE ON Strategies for promoting transit ridership at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Prepared by: Pang Moua Patrick Haney Victoria Dan Humphrey School of Public Affairs University of Minnesota Spring 2019 Cover photo © 2014 Peter Erhlich Contents Where Are We Now? . 4 Problem Statement . 6 Adapting to Rapid Change . 6 Background . 7 U-Pass Over the Years . 7 Sales & Ridership . 10. UMN Today . 16 Enrollment . 16 Changing Land Uses . 17 Transportation on Campus . 20 What Are Others Doing? . 30 Applications and Outcomes . 30 Barriers and Motivators . .32 Vision & Strategies . 34 Our Community in 2039 . .34 . A Multimodal Future . 36 Transit as a Lifestyle . 44 . Integrated Techology . 48 . Lasting Partnership . 52. Where do we go from here? . 58 Appendix A . .. 60 Stakeholders . 60 . Appendix B . 64 SWOT Analysis . 64. Appendix C . 66 New Apartment Development . 66 Appendix D . .. 68 Glossary . 68 . References . 73 RIDE ON | Where Are We Now? Where Are We Now? Image Source: Metro Transit Nearly two decades ago, Metro sold in 2009 (which includes Transit and the University of Spring, Summer, and Fall Semester Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMN-TC) purchases). In the following years, came together in a partnership to sales began a downward descent. develop a mutually beneficial and By 2018, sales declined by 34% from forward-thinking transportation 2009 levels. Two highly localized solution. A sizeable portion of factors seem to be working in students at UMN-TC commuted tandem to influence this decline: to class, and the campus faced a parking shortage. A transit-based • The addition of new housing strategy was a natural solution on campus and in surrounding to reducing parking demand, and neighborhoods together Metro Transit and UMN • The popularity of increasingly created the U-Pass in 2000. convenient transportation options like UMN circulator buses, bikes, A deeply discounted transit pass for electric scooters, ride hailing, and students enrolled at the Twin Cities walking . campus, U-Pass is available for individual purchase each semester. In Fall 2018, students purchased Since 2002, the campus added 14,136 U-Pass cards; with 50,943 2,193 bedrooms in UMN-managed students enrolled, about 28% of apartments. Today, 88% of first-year students held a U-Pass. While this students live on-campus,1 estimated number reflects the importance at over five thousand freshmen of U-Pass and transit access for in Fall 2018.2 Within a half-mile students, historic trends point to a of campus, private developers more troubling pattern of decline. constructed at least 44 apartment buildings, providing 4,914 new From 2001 to 2009, the U-Pass rental units between 2001-2017. experienced 189% sales growth While first-year students largely with just under 50,000 U-Passes choose on-campus housing, many 4 Image Source: University of Minnesota upperclassmen undergraduates outlines a series of recommended continue to live nearby in actions that Metro Transit can neighborhoods like Dinkytown, take to reinforce student ridership Tip: Check out the Como, Marcy Holmes, and Prospect and support service at UMN-TC. Glossary Park. Each recommendation focuses on one of four themes: multimodal Unfamiliar with a term, entity, or Given that more students can now transportation, lifestyle, acronym? Appendix D on pages 68-72 contains a glossary of 60 live closer to campus than in prior technology, and partnership with words and names that appear years, students are also changing UMN. By orienting transit service in this report. While most terms the way they get around for their at UMN-TC as an integral piece of are briefly defined within the trips to class, recreation, work, a wide and shifting transportation report, for some terms the internships, and shopping. Walking landscape, Metro Transit can glossary provides supplemental information that may be helpful and biking are feasible options for plan for both greater resiliency to the reader. many students who live on or near and impact on a rapidly evolving campus, especially given recent campus. improvements to the campus walking and biking infrastructure. The explosive popularity of ride- hailing, bikeshare, and electric scooters also present students with new and exciting travel opportunities. Finally, UMN- operated buses provide free rides to convenient locations around the Twin Cities campus. Metro Transit’s ability to impact 1 UMN . Why University Housing . these factors is limited; instead, https:// housing .umn .edu/why the agency can plan for adaptation 2 UMN . Official Enrollment Statistics . and responsiveness to these https://www .oir .umn .edu/student/ changing conditions. This report enrollment 5 RIDE ON | Problem Statement Problem Statement Adapting to Rapid Change The U-Pass is a Metro Transit fare To identify potential factors and product offered by University their impact on U-Pass sales, this of Minnesota. It is available for analysis will address the following students to purchase on a semester questions: basis, and it provides unlimited transit rides. This product is valid • How is housing development on regular route buses, bus rapid around the UMN Twin Cities transit (BRT), and light rail (LRT) campus impacting U-Pass sales provided by Metro Transit and and student travel behavior? suburban transit providers. Recent • How do emerging travel options like numbers have shown that while the Transportation Network Companies price of the U-Pass is increasing, and Shared Mobility Devices sales are declining; the result is impact U-Pass sales and student a consistent negative percent travel behavior? change in sales. One implication is that this product is not as • What barriers do students face to effective at attracting student accessing transit? ridership as it was in prior years. • What tools can Metro Transit Metro Transit needs to identify implement to continue to attract factors influencing this decline student ridership? and develop strategies to best serve students at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMN-TC). 6 Image Source: Metro Transit U-Pass Over the Years Background Learn how and why Metro Transit and UMN came together to create the U-Pass, how the product has changed, and what the U-Pass looks like today. U-Pass Over the Years History roles were focused on moving students, staff/faculty, and visitors In the 1990s, UMN began to and from the University and conversations with Metro Transit within the campus boundaries, around bus pass programs that respectively. could alleviate their parking and congestion issues while Both entities are responsible for incentivizing people to choose different actions that enable the riding the bus to campus. UMN sustainability of the program. felt encouraged to pursue a U-Pass UMN’s Parking and Transportation model after studying cases of other Services (PTS) manages the colleges and universities around U-Pass program. PTS’s main role the country who operated similar involves handling customer service, programs. replacing lost cards, collecting fees, and marketing. Metro Transit After several years of negotiations administers processes such as and studies, the U-Pass program coding, distributing, and billing. was implemented in Fall 2000. The partnership continues to The program was a result of a $5.5 explore the travel trends and million Congestion Mitigation Air behavior of students, staff, and Quality (CMAQ) grant from the faculty in order to provide the best federal government. The grant also services that are attractive and initiated a partnership between affordable. Metro Transit and UMN, whose What is the U-Pass? • Deeply discounted semester-long pass • Valid for rides on regional buses and light rail • Available only at UMN Twin Cities campus Image Source: Metro Transit 7 RIDE ON | Problem Statement Current U-Pass program U-Pass are available to purchase at the beginning of each semester. Today, the U-Pass is labeled as The Fall pass begins around the last “deeply-discounted metro-area week of August and runs through transit pass for students at just late January. The Spring semester $114 a semester” (U-Pass). By pass will activate a business day purchasing the pass, students after the end of the Fall pass Guaranteed Ride Home gain unlimited rides on Metro and runs through mid-May. The Transit regular route bus lines and Summer pass starts a business day Adults 18 or older can after the end of the Spring pass register for free to receive light rail (LRT) and it qualifies reimbursement for emergency students for the Guaranteed Ride and runs through the last week car rides home. Participants Home program (GRH). GRH is a of August. According to Parking must carpool, vanpool, ride Metro Transit program that offers and Transportation Services, the transit, walk, or bike at least 3 registered participants rides home dates are strategically determined days per week to be eligible. to allow students to access transit Metro Transit will reimburse for personal emergencies through a up to 4 rides or $100 in value reimbursement process. according to the academic calendar. in a year, whichever comes first. Users can apply their In order to be eligible to purchase The purchasing and renewal emergency ride on transit or the pass, students must meet the process is accessible online. to trips by taxi, car share, car Charges are made to students’ rental, or ride-hailing (e.g. Uber following requirements: or Lyft). University accounts and they • Registered at the Twin Cities can pay electronically by card or campus with financial aid. In order to use the pass, students must have the • Enrolled for a current semester physical card by picking it up at credit either of the Information Desk in • Paid the transportation fee ($25 in Coffman Memorial Union or the 2018-2019 academic year) St.