HomeMy WebLinkAbout17. 12-311
JUNE 12, 2012 12-311 RESOLUTION
(CARRIED___7-0___ LOST_______ LAID OVER_______ WITHDRAWN_______)
PURPOSE: ADOPT REVISED OSHKOSH TRANSIT SYSTEM ROUTES
(ROUTES 1-9)
INITIATED BY: TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT (TRANSIT ADVISORY BOARD
RECOMMENDS APPROVAL)
WHEREAS the Common Council of the City of Oshkosh adopted the 2011 Oshkosh
Transit System Transit Development Plan on July 13, 2011 (Resolution 11-294) with the
understanding that the major route system changes from the current system be approved
by Common Council following a recommendation from the Transit Advisory Board, and
WHEREAS the Transit Advisory Board, on May 18, 2012, following review and
revisions of the route system by transit staff, recommended adoption of the new route
system for all City routes (Routes 1-9), with re-evaluation within six months of going into
service;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY the Common Council of the City of
Oshkosh, that the Oshkosh Transit System’s routes be revised according to the
recommendation of the Transit Advisory Board, for implementation by January 2, 2013.
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City of Oshkosh - Transportation Department D H
926 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 232 -5342 (920)232 -5343 fax
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council
FROM: Christopher Strong, P.E., Director of Transportation � e,
DATE: June 6, 2012
RE: Resolution to Adopt Revised Oshkosh Transit System Routes (Routes 1 -9)
Background
The 2011 Transit Development Plan, approved by the Common Council on July 13, 2011
(Resolution 11 -294), proposed an overhaul of the Oshkosh Transit System's fixed routes. The
Council referred the proposed route system back to the Transit Advisory Board and staff for
further review and analysis.
Analysis
Staff s recommendation is as follows:
Adopt a new route system for Routes 1 through 9, modeled according to the 2011 Transit
Development Plan, with the following changes:
o Modifications to proposed Routes 1 and 2 with respect to how the Eastman Street area is
served.
o Modification to proposed Route 4 to go into the parking lots at St. Vincent de
PauUOslikosh Area Community Pantry and Piggly Wiggly. It appears regular trips into
each property can be accommodated within the proposed schedule.
o Modifications to Route 9 to improve the service frequency to 30 minutes by alternating
service between the YMCA and the Southwest Industrial Park/Outlet Mall.
City routes will operate on a 30- minute frequency essentially within our current hours of
operation. There may be opportunities to modify the service hours based on how ridership
responds to the new system.
Keep Route 10 as is for the time being. Staff will continue to discuss potential improvements
to this route with Winnebago County and Valley Transit.
The new route system is similar to the existing system in keeping the same basic service
frequency and hours of service, and can be accommodated within existing staffing and capital
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
Resolution to Adopt Revised Oshkosh Transit System Routes (Routes 1 -9) / June 6, 2012
resources. The new system differs in that it moves from a single -hub system (i.e. all routes go to
and from the downtown transit center), to one which has scattered transfer points throughout the
City, in order to promote more direct service. Three of the nine City routes under the new system
would only provide transfer opportunities at locations other than the downtown transit center.
The radial routes will also start and end from the outside of the service area, instead of the
downtown transit center as they currently do, which should improve route efficiency.
The new route system offers the following benefits to our customers.
• New access to highly requested stops The new route system provides service to the 20th
Avenue YMCA, Southwest Industrial Park, North Industrial Park, and Outlet Mall, all of
which were commonly requested destinations for transit service in the TDP public input
process.
• Shorter_ trips. The multi -hub approach supports more direct service which should decrease
trip times for between frequently used origins and destinations.
• More frequent access to high demand stops The new route system increases the frequency of
service to 29 of the 88 most frequently used stops in the system, including two stops on
Route 10 (Lakeside Packaging and Logan Drive) which would be covered by more frequent
service with a City route. The new route system maintains current access frequency for other
frequently used stops.
• Fewer stops in parking lots Driving through parking lots reduces route efficiency, limiting
the amount of the City that can be served, and brings up other issues related to ADA
accessibility, parking lot wear and tear, and operator and pedestrian safety. As such, the
proposed route system reduces access into parking lots. Currently, 93 percent of the
passengers at the 88 most highly used stops in the system do not access the system in parking
lots. This increases to 96 percent of passengers.
• Increased ridership According to ridership forecasting models used by the East Central
Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, the new route system should carry 1 -2 percent
more passengers than the current system. (It may take a while for these numbers to
materialize as people adjust to the new route system.)
It should be noted that the proposed route changes reduce access to some areas where transit is
currently available. These locations, where ridership levels are generally not too strong, include:
• The neighborhood north of Murdock Avenue and east of Algoma Boulevard
• Residential areas along N. Sawyer Street
Fiscal Impact
The new route system was designed to use the same amount of staffing and capital resources that
are used in our current system. It is uncertain whether other operations related costs, such as fuel,
maintenance and insurance, will change significantly with the new routes. It is anticipated that
the new route system will attract increased ridership, which should result in increased farebox
revenue.
City of Oshkosh -- Transportation Department
Resolution to Adopt Revised Oshkosh Transit System Routes (Routes 1 -9) / June 6, 2012
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of this resolution. Pending Council approval, the intention is to
implement the new route system on January 2, 2013.
Respectfully submitted,
hristopher Strong, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Approved:
Mark A. Rohloff
City Manager
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department