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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTrasnit Advisory Mtg Minutes 10_15_2014 Please contact the Transit Advisory Board at TAB@ci.oshkosh.wi.us with any questions or concerns. TRANSIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES OCTOBER 15, 2014 PRESENT: Diane Hoffman, Diane Lowe, Caroline Panske, Evelyn Meuret, Troy Monday and Mike Norton ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Jim Collins, Transportation Director David Vickman, Transit Manager Lynn Lorenson, City Attorney Marlene Binder, Secretary Chairperson Caroline Panske called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Ms. Hoffman moved to accept the minutes of the August 20, 2014 meeting. Ms. Lowe seconded the motion. Motion carried (6-0). CITIZEN’S STATEMENTS Chuck Hodge, of 202 Oxford Street, submitted a letter he requested be distributed to the Board members. OLD BUSINESS 1. SHELTER UPDATES Mr. Collins said the shelters are now up by Pick ‘n Save and Carl Traeger School. The shelter by the Aurora Clinic was moved across the street by Festival Foods. The shelter by the Kwik Trip on Westhaven Drive will be moved across the street on Witzel Avenue soon. We have received positive feedback on Facebook and the princip al of Carl Traeger complimented the shelter by the school. NEW BUSINESS 2. DISCUSSION OF ROUTE 3 Mr. Collins stated Route 3 duplicates service in some of the areas of its route and has low ridership. The objectives we want to achieve with the changes to Route 3 are to increase ridership, alleviate some of the overcrowding on Route 6 at school dismissal time at West High and improve access to North Sawyer Street. He explained this change would give access to Titan Stadium and Roosevelt School. Ms. Meuret stated that she believes the stop lights on Congress Avenue could add time to the route. Ms. Meuret suggested turning right onto High Avenue and then left onto New York Ave. She mentioned most UW-O students she talked to didn’t have a west side destination and if the Route 3 bus stopped at New York Avenue and Algoma Boulevard, these students could go to the Transit Center and connect with other buses. Mr. Collins explained that the rationale behind routing the bus on Congress Avenue to Elmwood Avenue was to pick up potential riders from the Paine Art Center and participants of the Arts for Kids program. TAB MINUTES 2 OCTOBER 2014 Please contact the Transit Advisory Board at TAB@ci.oshkosh.wi.us with any questions or concerns. Ms. Hoffman suggested turning onto Summit Street and then turning onto New York Avenue to avoid having to change lanes so quickly on High Avenue. Mr. Collins replied Summit Street is a narrower street with parking. Ms. Meuret suggested implementing the change for Route 3 at semester break. She also suggested connecting with the Route 5 on New York Avenue at Algoma Boulevard. She understood passengers would need to cross Algoma Boulevard to get the other bus, however she also noted that vehicles must yield to pedestrians at the intersection. Mr. Collins said the two options were timed with simulated passenger boardings and arrived at Washington Avenue and Court Street at 26 or 27 minutes past the hour which is right on time. He explained that with Option 3 the bus would turn on Dempsey Trail, right on Witzel Avenue, and then right again on Sawyer Street. Lee Williams, 331 Broad Street, suggested Route 3 turn right out of the Senior Center and continue on Campbell Road to Taft Avenue, then turn onto Josslyn Street. He agreed the southeast corner of New York Avenue and Algoma Boulevard would be a good place to transfer to Route 5. Ms. Meuret said it would be more difficult to deviate to West High School from Josslyn Street. Ms. Panske pointed out there was on street parking on Josslyn Street. Mr. Collins said Josslyn Street was the preferred street for dropping off and picking up Lourdes students. Ms. Panske added that businesses on Sawyer Street could be destinations for riders. Ms. Hoffman moved to accept Option 2 changes for Route 3. Mr. Norton seconded the motion. Ms. Meuret moved to amend Option 2 to turn right on High Avenue and then left on New York Avenue. Mr. Norton seconded the motion to amend. Amended motion carried (6-0). STAFF STATEMENTS 3. MALLARD & GROVE TRANSFER POINT Mr. Collins told the Board the department is exploring options where passengers would not have to cross the street to get to the other bus at this east transfer point. Mr. Norton inquired what the preliminary options were. Mr. Vickman replied one option being explored is the buses pulling behind one another on Grove Street by the bowling alley, however it is unknown if Route 4 has enough time to add this and there is a parking issue that would need to be resolved for this option to be viable. Another option being considered is the buses meeting perpendicular to each other on Evans Street. This issue will be discussed at the next TAB meeting. 4. TRANSIT DEMAND AT NORTH HIGH AND WEST HIGH Mr. Collins wanted the Board to know that at dismissal time occasionally there is overcrowding at both high schools. Occasionally some North High students are asked to wait for the next bus. He explained there are two buses that service North High but the majority of students take the Route 2 bus. Mr. Collins said signs were put up to inform passengers of the two routes that serve this stop. He also said the bus drivers are encouraging students to utilize Route 4. He continued to say that the problem at West High will be potentially alleviated with Route 3 deviating there at dismissal time. Mr. Norton inquired if passengers in a wheelchair were denied service because of this issue. Mr. Vickman replied this information is tracked, however he couldn’t recollect if this ever occurred at dismissal time at these locations. Mr. Norton inquired if Route 3 could deviate to West High multiple times. Mr. Vickman replied that while it is possible for Route 3 to recover from one deviation, he did not believe the route could recover from more than one deviation to West High School. TAB MINUTES 3 OCTOBER 2014 Please contact the Transit Advisory Board at TAB@ci.oshkosh.wi.us with any questions or concerns. 5. FREEDOM TO GO PROGRAM Mr. Collins says the Freedom to GO Program is designed to increase ridership on Saturdays (a day that typically does not have a lot of ridership). The Freedom to GO Program is designed to encourage the elderly and disabled who are able to give the bus a try and maybe encourage some riders to use the fixed route service vs. paratransit. Mr. Vickman explained that this was tried in the fall of 2012 into the spring of 2013 and this program increased ridership 100%. The program will begin the first Saturday in November so we will promote this during the last week of October. Mr. Norton requested that the Board be informed and kept up to date on the meeting about Route 10 with Winnebago County. Mr. Collins replied that the Route 10 is not performing well and that Winnebago County partnered with GO Transit to leverage transit funding for the route. Mr. Vickman added that ridership is very low on Saturdays. Mr. Norton wondered if Neenah and Menasha could do more to promote Route 10 to increase ridership. Mr. Collins said he plans to communicate with Valley Transit and East Central to see what can be done to help build ridership for this route. Ms. Panske said she would like to see this item on the next agenda. Mr. Norton inquired about the remaining vacancy on the Transit Advisory Board. Mr. Collins replied there are currently two applicants for the open position and that the mayor makes the appoint ment. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Norton moved to adjourn at 4:40 p.m. Mr. Monday seconded the motion. Motion carried (6-0).