REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF NIAGARA Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Study Guiding Principles Customer- Driven Unconventional Solutions Integrated Economically Responsible Fair Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Niagara Region Transit Pilot Project will expire in May 2017 • Ability of governance Service structure to support the Design • Next evolution of NRT guiding principles of the routes, including integration service design and delivery with post-secondary and plan local services Service Service Structure Delivery • Customer service aspects of service delivery, including fare structure and technology integration, trip planning, customer service Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Why is Inter-municipal transit important? • Provides cross-boundary mobility (connecting residents that may not have access to an automobile to places of work, school and health services within Niagara Region) • Supports GO service in Niagara (inter-municipal connections to future GO Stations will help build ridership and support future GO Rail to the Region) • Facilitates youth retention and economic development (addressing unemployment issues in the Region by providing access to jobs in adjacent municipalities) • Contributes to a high quality of life for Niagara residents (including potential reduction of household income spent on the purchase and operation of automobiles) • Provides service to a growing population and employment base (15% growth by 2023) • Supports sustainable community development (by providing a sustainable travel option for residents) Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance The Strategy • Develop an Integrated Service Plan • Develop Common Customer Service Tools – Increase service levels and overall transit – Trip planning software ridership – Customer service functions – Optimize and integrate local, inter- municipal, and post-secondary transit • Identify Efficiencies services – Route optimization and consolidation • Develop Integrated Fare Strategy – Dynamic transit solutions – Simplify and integrate fare structure in • Identify Appropriate Governance Structure Niagara Region – Shared vision / guiding principles – Recommend appropriate smart-card – Fare sharing and revenue generation technology – Appropriate structure to support vision – Integrate policies and procedures – Evaluate benefits of change Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance – Recommend options Service Guidelines Design Performance • Basic set of parameters by which transit Guidelines Guidelines agencies aim to provide service Proximity/Walking Distance Passenger Comfort • Uniform standards across all participating Service Hours Schedule Reliability systems Headway Service Productivity • Based on route typology, not operating Service Integration Service Expansion agency Route Directness • Not dependent on governance model Transit Stops chosen Fare Policy • Provides reliable, customer-focused service Customer Service Trip Planner Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Existing Transit Service Niagara Region Transit • 4 Core Routes connecting St. Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls • 2 LINK services connecting Fort Erie and Port Colborne Post-Secondary IMT Shuttles • Services connecting to Niagara College and Brock University Urban Area • Significant duplication with NRT Niagara Region Transit Route • Not using existing resources to full potential Regional MunicipalityPost-Secondary of Niagara: Route Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Proposed 2019 Route Optimization St. Catharines – Niagara Falls • Route 40/45 (via Niagara College) • Route 50/55 (via Brock University) • Expand evening and provide Sunday service, increase weekday peak service St. Catharines – Welland • Optimize post-secondary and NRT routes • Route 70/75 (via BU and NC) • Expand evening and provide Sunday service, increase weekday peak service • Maintain NOTL LINK (Welland campus – Glendale campus) Niagara Falls – Welland Urban Area • Route 60/65 (reduced hours) Niagara Region Transit Route • Maintain Niagara College Shuttle Regional MunicipalityPost-Secondary of Niagara: Route Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Proposed 2019 Route Optimization (cont…) Niagara Falls – Fort Erie • New terminus at Municipal Centre • Future stop at South Niagara Hospital (2023) Welland – Port Colborne • Integrate route at downtown Welland terminal • Route change to add 7th daily run Urban Area Niagara Region Transit Route Regional MunicipalityPost-Secondary of Niagara: Route Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Proposed 2019 Service Enhancements GO Transit Route 12 Integration • Fare integration between St. Catharines, Beamsville, and Grimsby on existing GO service • Only trips that actually occur are subsidized West Lincoln (Smithville) LINK (2019 • New service connecting Grimsby GO to Smithville • Connections to Niagara, Hamilton, GTA Urban Area Wainfleet LINK and Crystal Beach LINK Existing NRT Route Proposed NRT Transit Route • Dynamic service using taxis and/or Niagara Specialized Transit Proposed Dynamic Transit Local Transit Integration GO Transit Integration Local Transit Integration • Better integration with WEGO, Pelham Transit, and Niagara-on-the-Lake Post-Secondary Route Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Transit Proposed Transit Plan – Annual Service Hours Base Year Existing Service Year 1-3 Year 4-7 (2015) (2016)* Core Urban Area of St. Catharines/Thorold, Niagara Falls and Welland Overall IMT ridership Route 40/45 - 9,800 12,500 12,500 change: Route 50/55 8,500 9,300 12,500 12,500 Route 60/65 8,500 8,500 4,000 7,000 +16% by 2019 (compared Route 70/75 8,500 8,500 12,500 12,500 to 2015) Post-secondary services 17,500 14,000 9,000 9,000 Sub-Total 43,000 50,100 50,500 53,500 +19% by 2023 (compared Inter-municipal Connections to Urban Niagara to 2015) Port Colborne LINK 2,000 2,000 2,100 2,100 Fort Erie LINK 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 Grimsby / Beamsville Inter-Municipal LINK - ** ** West-Lincoln Inter-Municipal LINK - 2,900 3,200 Wainfleet Inter-Municipal LINK - *** *** Crystal Beach Inter-Municipal LINK - *** *** Sub-total 4,100 4,100 7,100 7,400 TOTAL 47,100 54,200 57,600 60,900 *Note: New services that were implemented in September 2016 have been annualized for comparative purposes. **Note: Service hours not indicted as the plan makes use of existing service provided by GO Transit ***Note: No defined annual service hours as service provision is dynamic and based on demand Integrated Fare Strategy Local Trip (within one municipality) – Move towards standardized local fares to improve simplicity for customers Develop an Integrated Fare Strategy for the following IMT Trips (all include fare integration with local transit): Zone 1 IMT Trip (flat fare) – Flat fare for one IMT Trip within Zone 1 (e.g. Welland to St. Zone 1 Catharines) Zone 2 IMT Trip (flat fare) – Flat fare for one IMT Trip within Zone 2 or connecting to / Zone 2 from Zone 1 (e.g. Fort Erie to Niagara Falls) Zone 1 to/from Zone 2 IMT Trip using 2 or more IMT routes – Fare supplement on top of flat fare for passengers taking two or more IMT routes to complete a trip between Zone 1 and Zone 2 (e.g. Beamsville to Welland) IMT Trip = Inter-municipal Transit trip between two municipalities Local Trip = Transit trip within one local municipality Fare Payment Technology Implementation Alternatives 1. Upgrade current NFT Trapeze/Fare Logistics stored value smart card system 2. Implement PRESTO 3. Implement a Smart Card system from a different provider Recommendation Solicit budget proposals from smart card system vendors including Trapeze and PRESTO Integrated Trip Planning 1. Metrolinx’s Triplinx – triplinx.ca Integrated trip planning platform providing information on schedules, fares, connections, ridersharing, and paratransit throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area 2. Google Maps – maps.google.ca Some Niagara Region transit systems already provide information to Google, only effective if all systems provide timely data that reflects system changes Recommendations – In order for trip planning tools to be effective, data needs to be up-to-date and reliable – Transit agencies are responsible for providing accurate information to both platforms Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Challenges of Delivering Service Plan Under the Status Quo Model • Different priorities between each local municipality and the Region • Distribution of U-Pass revenue for post-secondary services (also supports local transit) • Gas tax reporting (ridership allocation between local municipalities and the Region) • Difficult to track ridership and which system ridership should be allocated to Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Assessment of Service Delivery Models Status Quo Consolidation Regional • Local transit funded by • St. Catharines, Niagara • Region plans, funds and each municipality Falls and Welland Transit delivers all local and • Inter-municipal transit combine services into one inter-municipal transit, services funded by the consolidated transit system with the absorption of Region (post-secondary • Region continues to the multiple local services provided by local participate and fund inter- municipal transit systems transit) municipal services