MISSION ABBOTSFORD TRANSIT COMMITTEE Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. Mission City Hall – Conference Room AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES .1 Minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting held Thursday, April 24, 2014 (attached) (p 2.) 3. DELEGATIONS .1 None 4. BUSINESS OUT OF MINUTES .1 Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee Follow-up Sheet-June 2014 (attached) (p.5) .2 CFV Efficiency Review - Next Steps (as per recommendations and Implementation) (J. van Schaik and R. Mammel) (attached) Abbotsford Exchange – Jubilee Park (R. Mammel) Google Transit Update (J. van Schaik) Scheduling Elements (J. van Schaik) BC Transit Correspondence 3 Year Expansion Initiatives (attached)(J. van Schaik) (p.7) (p.11) 5. REPORTS .1 Central Fraser Valley Transit System Revenue and Ridership Report: 1 st Quarter, 2014 (J. van Schaik) (attached) (p.13) 6. NEW BUSINESS .1 UPASS Agreement and Extension– Update (J. van Schaik) .2 West Coast Express and Bus connections with trains (G. Colusso) .3 Transit Funding - Update (J. van Schaik) 7. ADJOURNMENT .1 Motion to adjourn the June 26, 2014, Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting
Transcript
MISSION ABBOTSFORD TRANSIT COMMITTEE
Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. Mission City Hall – Conference Room
AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
.1 Minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting held Thursday, April 24, 2014 (attached)
.2 CFV Efficiency Review - Next Steps (as per recommendations and Implementation) (J. van Schaik and R. Mammel) (attached)
Abbotsford Exchange – Jubilee Park (R. Mammel) Google Transit Update (J. van Schaik) Scheduling Elements (J. van Schaik) BC Transit Correspondence 3 Year Expansion Initiatives (attached)(J. van Schaik)
(p.7)
(p.11)
5. REPORTS
.1 Central Fraser Valley Transit System Revenue and Ridership Report: 1st Quarter, 2014 (J. van Schaik) (attached)
(p.13)
6. NEW BUSINESS .1 UPASS Agreement and Extension– Update (J. van Schaik) .2 West Coast Express and Bus connections with trains (G. Colusso) .3 Transit Funding - Update (J. van Schaik) 7. ADJOURNMENT .1 Motion to adjourn the June 26, 2014, Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee
meeting
Minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting held April 24, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room of Mission City Hall Page 1
Members Present: Councillor Braun (Chair) (Abbotsford); Councillor Loewen (Abbotsford); Councillor Jewell (Mission); and Councillor Luck (Mission) Staff Present: Director of Transportation & Projects – R. Mammel (Abbotsford); Traffic Engineer – J. Sun (Abbotsford); Director of Development Services – M. Younie (Mission); Manager of Planning – Dan Sommer (Mission); Recording Secretary – D. Sanderson (Mission) Non-voting Members Present: BC Transit - J. van Shaik; BC Transit - R. Newlove; First Canada - Gabe Colusso; United Way of the Fraser Valley - W. Green Public Present: 0 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:05 a.m. 2. ADOPTION OF MINUTES .1 Minutes of the March 27, 2014 Meeting
Moved by Councillor Loewen, seconded by Councillor Jewell, that the minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting, held March 27, 2014, be adopted. MATC 13-2014 CARRIED.
3. DELEGATIONS None. 4. BUSINESS OUT OF MINUTES .1 Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee Follow-up Sheet – April 2014
Moved by Councillor Jewell, seconded by Councillor Loewen, that the Monthly Follow-up Sheet - April 2014, be received. MATC 14-2014 CARRIED.
.2 CFV Efficiency Review Next Steps – April 2014 R. Newlove presented the BC Transit Service Efficiency
Review Engagement Results and Next Steps report dated April 24, 2014 with the following recommendation that MATC approve Option 2 and delay service change recommendations and expansion until early 2015 and direct BC Transit to report back to MATC in May 2014 with updated schedules and cost implications.
Minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting held April 24, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room of Mission City Hall Page 2
Considerable discussion ensued regarding the 3 Options that were presented in the BC Transit Service Efficiency Review Engagement Results and Next Steps report and the following recommendations were presented.
Moved by Councillor Loewen and seconded by Councillor
Jewell to defer the any decision on the options presented until the City of Abbotsford Council and staff have had an opportunity to review the various Options.
MATC 15-2014 DEFEATED.
Moved by Councillor Luck, seconded by Councillor Jewell,
to refer Option 3 from the BC Transit Service Efficiency Review Engagement Results and Next Steps report is the recommended option to City of Abbotsford Council with an accompanying staff report for Abbotsford Council consideration.
MATC 16-2014 DEFEATED.
Moved by Councillor Loewen, seconded by Councillor
Luck, to refer Option 2 and 3 as recommended options in the BC Transit Service Efficiency Review Engagement Results and Next Steps report to City of Abbotsford Council for their consideration. Pending Abbotsford Council’s decision the report to be brought back to MATC for approval.
MATC 17-2014 CARRIED.
New Build Canada Plan Mike Younie presented a verbal overview of the New
Build Canada Plan program being offered by the Federal Government. The report was received for information only.
.3 Whistler Advertising Strategy J. van Schaik presented information regarding the
Whistler Transit Advertising Program. He explained the revenue cost sharing arrangement between the local advertising agency and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
Moved by Councillor Luck, seconded by Councillor Loewen that: 1. the Whistler Advertising Strategy presentation be
received 2. that MATC when the RFP for Provincial Contract is up
for renewal in 2015 that they lobby BC Transit and the
Minutes of the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting held April 24, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in Conference Room of Mission City Hall Page 3
Provincial Government to contract the Advertising on the exterior of the buses and the advertising on the interior of the buses be managed by the local government.
3. that MATC would like to embrace the latest technology that Smart Buses offers.
MATC 18-2014 CARRIED.
5. REPORTS .1 None 6. NEW BUSINESS .1 UPASS Agreement – Update J. van Schaik provided a verbal update on the UPASS
Agreement. A new agreement is to be reached by September 2014. The UPASS agreement will identify the price and extent of services available. The update was received for information only.
.2 Review BC Transit Lease Fee Consultation White Paper Mike Younie and J. van Schaik gave a review of the BC
Transit Lease Fee Consultation White Paper from the 2014 BC Transit Annual Workshop. The report was received for information only.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Councillor Loewen, seconded by Councillor Jewell, that the April 24, 2014, Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee meeting, be adjourned (11:35 a.m.)
MATC 19-2014 CARRIED.
The next MATC meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 22, 2014, at the District of Mission. Certified Correct: Mayor Adlem D. Sanderson, Recorder
MISSION ABBOTSFORD TRANSIT COMMITTEE Follow-up Sheet – June 2014
Note: Items marked “Complete” will be removed from list for next meeting
Action to be initiated by Lead will be indicated by an * Page 1 of 2
Subject Decision and/or action required Action to be initiated by:
Target Date
BUSINESS OUT OF MINUTES
Funding Strategy Staff to prepare a more detailed Funding Strategy report with top four funding options. Advertising strategy should be included as an alternative funding option.
- New Abbotsford Exchange - Google Transit Update - Scheduling elements - BC Transit Improvement Correspondence
Downtown Exchange Selection – New Build Canada Bus Stop at West Coast Express – Ownership & permanent stop
J. van Schaik* R. Mammel J. van Schaik J. van Schaik Complete Complete
Ongoing Ongoing June 2014 June 2014
MATC Terms of Reference Review
MATC staff to prepare a draft Terms of Reference for MATC D. Sommer
Dec 2014
CORRESPONDENCE
REPORTS
MISSION ABBOTSFORD TRANSIT COMMITTEE Follow-up Sheet – June 2014
Note: Items marked “Complete” will be removed from list for next meeting
Action to be initiated by Lead will be indicated by an * Page 2 of 2
Ridership & Revenue Report
Ridership and Revenue Report (provided quarterly) (Summary of customer correspondence to be included) Staff to provide information on ridership comparison with other communities, expenses/costs and the past five year ridership information. 1st Quarterly Report (Jan to March 2014) 2st Quarterly Report (April to June 2014) 3st Quarterly Report (July to September 2014)
J. van Schaik J. van Schaik J. van Schaik
June 2014 August 2014 November 2014
NEW BUSINESS
UPASS Agreement Agreement ends July 14, 2014, renewal needs to worked on (update) UPASS Agreement and extension
J. van Schaik June2014
Lease Fee Consultation
Review white paper Complete April 2014
West Coast Express and Bus connections trains
G. Calusso June 2014
DRAFT COUNCIL REPORT (for MATC Discussion)
Report No. ENG 0XX - 2014 Executive Committee July 7, 2014 File No: 0540-20 To: Mayor and Council From: Russ Mammel, Director of Transportation and Projects Subject: Transit Efficiency Review
RECOMMENDATION 1. THAT the proposed transit improvements listed in BC Transit’s Transit Service
Efficiency Review Options report (Attachment A) at an estimated Capital cost of $208,500 and an estimated annual Operating cost of $166,100 be approved in principle and forwarded to the Abbotsford 2015 Financial Plan process.
SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE A transit efficiency review was conducted for the City, with the objective of reallocating existing resources to grow ridership and revenue, improve system reliability and ease of use, and begin transitioning the system to the route structure envisioned in the 2013 Abbotsford Mission Transit Future Plan. The Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee (MATC) recommended that the efficiency review proceed, but only with the guiding principle of no increased transit spending. Although implementation of the proposed optimized transit plan will require Capital and Operating costs totalling $375,000, MATC recommends that the City include the proposed service changes and associated cost, for consideration in the 2015 budget submission. BACKGROUND The Transit Future Plan, approved in January 2013, recommended that in the short term, a system-wide efficiency review be conducted to determine service adjustments, which would:
identify routes that are underperforming;
add, eliminate or change bus routes;
adjust the printed schedules to match the actual trip running times;
match the type of Transit vehicles used, with the rider demand;
improve the maintenance schedule to decrease vehicle breakdowns;
increase the functionality of schedule information and Riders Guides; and
improve advertising and promotion to increase brand awareness and ridership. MATC at its May 2013 meeting recommended that an efficiency review proceed and be guided with the following three principles:
no increased transit spending. Any service changes must work using the existing service hours and number of vehicles;
Improve system efficiency and ridership; and
Report No. ENG 0XX - 2014 Page 2 of 4
Provide equitable service so that areas with similar density and land use will receive a similar level of service.
DISCUSSION Based on the efficiency review recommendations in the Transit Future Plan and the MATC recommended principles, proposed service changes were developed to optimize the system. Proposed transit route changes are shown in Attachment B. The proposed service changes include:
reallocating service hours and bus frequency from areas of low ridership demand to areas of higher demand;
bus routing changes to redirect high-frequency buses away from some Local residential roads and onto Collector/Arterial roads;
replacing school-only routes with rescheduled standard bus routes, which will reduce fleet demands, simplify the scheduling and still meet the student requirements;
scheduling changes, which will improve bus reliability and on-time performance;
relocating the primary transit exchange from Bourquin to the Downtown Montrose Exchange, to increase service efficiency and allow for more direct travel;
improvements to the Downtown Montrose Exchange, including additional on-street bus bay installations, pedestrian safety installations, bus shelter upgrades and a washroom facility for drivers, with an estimated capital cost of $208,500;
the use of light-duty community buses on selected low demand routes, replacing or reallocating large buses, for lease fee savings and better neighbourhood compatibility. Annual savings to the City are estimated between $11,600 and $57,600, depending on the final number of vehicles replaced;
an overall ridership increase of 31,600 annual passenger trips has been estimated by BC Transit, due to the proposed service changes, with an annual revenue increase of $23,800; and
a required increase of between 3000 and 4000 annual revenue service hours to implement the proposed service changes, which would represent an annual operating increase to the City of between $151,200 and $200,500. This increase in service hours could be reduced to zero by removing service time or frequency on selected routes; however, this would result in a less than optimal service being provided to the riders.
Public Engagement The public was engaged to invite feedback on the proposed service changes, with transit riders targeted in particular for their comments. Details of the public input are reported in Attachment C. Over 200 people were engaged at several open house sessions around the City, and 416 responses were received from the online/hardcopy survey. The public response was generally supportive of the proposed transit changes, and many of the minor concerns regarding individual trip requirements can be addressed by amending the proposed schedules. The most significant concern was for personal safety, road safety and lack of facilities at an expanded Downtown Montrose Exchange. Some transit users surveyed also requested increased frequency and later operating hours, on multiple routes. Although this level of expansion cannot be accommodated at
Report No. ENG 0XX - 2014 Page 3 of 4
this time, it should be noted that the City normally receives very few requests for routing changes or expanded transit service, which indicates some level of satisfaction with the existing system. Downtown Exchange – Future Off-Street Option A future, well designed off-street transit exchange could provide benefits over the Downtown Montrose Exchange, and a potential site was previously identified for the parking area off McCallum Road, south of Jubilee Park. Due to the OCP update currently in progress; however, staff feel that any decisions regarding an off-street exchange location would be premature and should wait until the OCP update is complete. Significant expansion and upgrades to the Downtown Montrose Exchange would be required, as the proposed service changes would redirect many of the City’s bus routes through the Downtown Exchange, rather than through the Bourquin Exchange. Staff consider the Downtown Montrose Exchange to be viable as both an interim location or permanent location if a future off-street option is not chosen. MATC Guiding Principles MATC recommended that the transit efficiency review proceed following the principle of no increased transit spending. The resulting review has proposed an optimized transit network; however the principle of no increased spending is not met. A total estimated cost of $375,000 is required to implement the proposed transit service changes. It was determined that isolated efficiency changes in the network are not practicable due to the interconnected nature of all the bus routes and schedules. Improving isolated efficiency issues across the City effectively required an optimization plan for the entire transit network. The proposed transit network optimization is essentially a service expansion that requires Council approval for implementation and to have the required funding budgeted. MATC has recommended that Abbotsford Council include the proposed service changes and the estimated $375,000 cost for consideration in the 2015 budget process. FINANCIAL PLAN IMPLICATION Annual Operating Cost
Reduced vehicle lease fees $11,600
Additional 4000 service hour cost (201,500)
Increased ridership revenue $23,800 Subtotal ($166,100) Capital Cost
Downtown Montrose Exchange upgrades ($208,500) Total ($374,600) CWF funding for the Capital portion??
Report No. ENG 0XX - 2014 Page 4 of 4
Reviewed and approved by the: Chief Financial Officer IMPACTS ON COUNCIL POLICIES, STRATEGIC PLAN AND/OR COUNCIL DIRECTION SUBSTANTIATION OF RECOMMENDATION Russ Mammel, P.Eng. Jim Gordon, P.Eng. Director of Transportation and Projects General Manager of Engineering and
Regional Utilities Attachment “A”: BC Transit – Transit Service Efficiency Review Options Attachment “B”: Proposed Transit Route Changes Attachment “C”: Public Engagement Report
May 26, 2014 File: CFV.23 George Murray City Manager City of Abbotsford 32315 South Fraser Way Abbotsford, BC V2T 1W7
Ken Bjorgaard Chief Administrative Officer District of Mission 8645 Stave Lake Street PO Box 20 Mission, BC V2V 4L9
Dear Messrs. Murray and Bjorgaard Re: 3 Year Expansion Initiatives As part of BC Transit’s effort to secure expansion funding from the province, we are seeking commitments from local governments on proposed expansion initiatives for transit systems. This letter is to inform you that your transit systems (both conventional and custom) have not been identified for expansion for the Annual Operating Agreement periods of 2015-2016 through to 2017-2018. Expansion initiatives are primarily derived from recent planning initiatives (e.g. the Transit Future Plan) and service plans approved by your local government. If you feel you have not been identified in error, or your community has an interest in pursuing expansion funding not identified in a service plan, please contact me to discuss. Otherwise, we will not be seeking expansion funding on your behalf and will be unable to deliver service expansion in your community in the coming 2015/16 year. By communicating proposed expansion initiatives as far in advance as possible we are trying to achieve three important goals:
Ensure that the proposed 3 year expansion initiatives are aligned with the expectations of your local government.
Attain a commitment from your local government that will allow BC Transit to proceed with the procurement and management of resources necessary to implement your expansion.
To allow BC Transit to provide local government partners with enhanced 3 year budget forecasts that identify longer term funding requirements.
I also wish to take this opportunity to bring to your attention a major constraint with regards to any future expansion initiatives in the Central Fraser Valley. A review of the existing operations and maintenance facility conducted by BC Transit found that it is operating in excess of its designed capacity. Therefore, the existing facility cannot sustain any additional parking or vehicle maintenance thereby limiting expansion of service without any additional capital investment. This review was shared with the Mission Abbotsford Transit Committee (MATC). Further to the facility review, in early 2013, a draft Terms of Reference was developed between BC Transit and the MATC in order to address the functional requirements of a facility, high level cost estimates and priorities for expansion of the Operations and Maintenance Facility for the Central Fraser Valley Transit System. The objective of this review was to identify short and long term solutions for both local as well as regional transit systems (e.g. Chilliwack, Agassiz-Harrison and the future Fraser Valley Express).
To support understanding of the initial review’s findings, a familiarization tour of the existing facility in Abbotsford with council and staff members of the MATC was conducted. Despite the fact that no further expansion could be accommodated in the existing facility and that a significant lead time is involved in establishing a new or improved facility, the committee communicated to BC Transit that in the short term it did not support any further work on the development of a new or expanded Operations and Maintenance Facility. With that direction, BC Transit has stopped work on developing the functional requirements of a new or expanded facility and is not engaged in identifying high-level cost estimates or options. BC Transit is keen to support our partners to meeting the growing needs of their community and respect the financial challenges faced by local government. However, I wish to reiterate that any delay in addressing the facility constraints will negatively impact the development of transit in your region. With this in mind, I welcome and encourage the opportunity to have further discussions with you to address any concerns you may have and to find a mutually agreed upon way forward. I look forward to working with you on the continued improvement of your transit service and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions. Yours truly, Johann van Schaik Senior Regional Transit Manager: South Coast BC Transit Cc: Russ Mammel, Director of Transportation & Projects, City of Abbotsford Mike Younie, Director of Development Services, District of Mission
Peter Monteith, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Chilliwack Paul Gipps, Chief Administrative Officer, Fraser Valley Regional District.
Central Fraser Valley Transit System
Revenue and Ridership Report: First Quarter, 2014
A: Passenger Revenue Highlights: Conventional revenue decreased by 6.1% in the first quarter of 2014 in comparison to
the same time period in 2013. Custom revenue increased by 9.3% for the first quarter of 2014.
Annually, revenue is up by 6.0% year to date.
Passenger Revenue Summary
Year Conventional Custom Total
First Quarter (Jan to Mar)
2014 $709,160 $50,869 $760,029
2013 $752,401 $46,163 $798,564
Variance -6.1% 9.3% -5.1%
Year to Date
2013/2014 $2,926,266 $199,457 3,125,723
2012/2013 $2,770,857 $167,119 2,937,976
Variance 5.3% 16.2% 6.0%
Note: Revenue reflects actual revenue collected and reported by the City of Abbotsford to BC
Transit on behalf of the transit system, as well as revenue accruing from advertising and the
BC Bus Pass Program. Custom revenue includes all fares from handyDART, taxi supplement
and taxi saver rides.
$160,000
$180,000
$200,000
$220,000
$240,000
$260,000
$280,000
$300,000
$320,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Conventional Revenue
2013/2014
2012/2013
B: Ridership Highlights: Conventional ridership (calculated) shows a 9.0% decrease for the first quarter of 2014
in comparison to 2013.
Custom ridership increased by 3.8% for the first quarter of 2014. Annually, ridership is down by 3.1% year to date.
Ridership Summary
Year Conventional Custom Total
First Quarter (Jan to Mar)
2014 577,877 27,518 605,395
2013 629,912 26,464 656,376
Variance -9.0% 3.8% -8.4%
Year to Date
2013/2014 2,399,915 104,872 2,504,787
2012/2013 2,475,835 105,902 2,581,737
Variance -3.2% -1.0% -3.1%
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
$16,000
$18,000
$20,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Custom Revenue
2013/2014
2012/2013
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
11,000
12,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Custom Ridership
2013/2014
2012/2013
150,000
170,000
190,000
210,000
230,000
250,000
270,000
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
Conventional Ridership
2013/2014
2012/2013
C: Farebox reporting: Cash Revenue and Ridership:
Cash Revenue Summary
Reported Farebox Variance
First Quarter (Jan - Mar) $186,846 $193,763 -3.57%
12 Month Period $856,621 $804,726 6.45%
Reported cash revenue is: o 3.57% lower than farebox revenue for the first quarter of 2014
o higher than farebox revenue by 6.45% year to date
Ridership Summary
Calculated Farebox Variance
First Quarter (Jan - Mar) 577,877 489,375 18.08%
12 Month Period 2,399,915 1,943,816 23.46%
Calculated ridership is higher than farebox reported boardings:
o 18.08% for the first quarter of 2014 o 23.46% year to date
Experience in similar transit systems in the province show that it is normal to report variances between calculated/reported data versus data generated by the farebox. This is
due to the following contributing factors:
Ridership For universal comparative purposes, calculated rides are defined as origin to
destination trips that explicitly excludes transfers. Farebox boardings reflect all
boardings and represent trip portions. Traditionally, calculated rides have been based on the results of two week manual
counts that were undertaken in the past. This data provided a snapshot of fare product utilization and was used as a basis to calculate ridership based on cash, ticket
and pass utilization. The accuracy of farebox ridership is dependent on driver compliance with respect to
recording and “classifying” cash fare rides that represent a fare other than the adult
cash fare. For example, instances of underpayment, overpayment and concession fares (students and seniors).
Driver compliance relating to recording rides in the case of non-swipeable (flash) passes, e.g. UPass, as well as free rides.
Revenue Farebox accuracy: fareboxes do require regular maintenance to ensure bill and coin
classification and counting is accurate. When fareboxes malfunction and are put into “bypass” mode, it only collects revenue
and does not actually count bills and coins, or classifies rides.
Reconciling items that are deposited in the farebox: instances where items such as foreign currency, passes, parking tickets, transfers and tokens are inserted and
counted as revenue (and rides) by fareboxes. Different reporting periods of the farebox and local partner, e.g. cash collected in one
month but reported to the City in the following month.
