Bus Pilot Project

[Pete]

I've been asked by someone at the City to start a discussion on the broader topic of how to increase bus ridership, specifically to those who have other transportation choices.


Currently, it seems the only bus riders are those with no other option. But with the hundreds of millions to be poured into the streetcar and Santa Fe Station, it begs the question: How can we best spend a fraction of that amount to get people out of cars and onto the bus?

When I was approached with this, my first thought was to pick a small area and test various ideas. I was also reminded that there will be a significant streetscape project for N. Western between about 36th & 50th and it seems that might be a good place to start.

However, the idea here is to brainstorm and get people talking about this subject. I know there is a bus system thread and perhaps some of the ideas discussed there could be repeated here.

The desired outcome would be several ideas that could be tested on a smaller scale and measured for increased ridership. From that point, system-wide upgrades could be prioritized and hopefully funded. (And of course, increased ridership is like found money since the buses are operating mostly empty anyway.)


So, what would get more people on the bus?? Nicer shelters? Promotion? Express routes? Incentives? Improvements to the buses themselves?



Below is the current system map. Again, the objective here is not to try and rework the entire system, but to identify a prime area and some key ideas that could be implemented and tested without tremendous cost.

[Pete]

Here's an idea I've seen work well in other cities:

Employers provide substantial financial incentives for those who take mass transit.


For example, companies located downtown typically pay for their employees to park to the tune of about $100 per month. Instead of paying the parking garage, they could give a similar amount directly to the employee AND pay for a bus pass. Thus, the only money out of pocket for the employer is the bus cost but they could easily negotiate a good group deal through COPTA and buy at a discounted rate.

This would also help alleviate the downtown parking crunch, and decrease the need for companies like Devon and SandRidge to build more spaces for their ever-growing workforce.


If we could get enough downtown companies to do this, COPTA could look into some strategically placed park-and-ride lots with express service to downtown.

[ou48A]

I like the idea of “Express routes” to high destination places.
An Express route from the Airport to downtown if operating every 20 minutes or so would attract riders.
Experiment with express routs from the suburbs to places like downtown OKC, Tinker, state capital complex area and the OU HS center,

There are a lot of people who hate fighting parking and traffic problems at sporting events. Express service to sports in downtown OKC and Norman would probably work provided they are given time saving priority and close drop offs.

A better shuttle system may be worth a look… The metro area transit systems should pool its resources for large weekend events, particularly for OU football games. They could shuttle in fans from places like Cross Roads mall and Bricktown.

[kevinpate]

Better route coverage and/or hours for express buses.
Example A - Norman -OKC route. If I need to come in before 8, that's easy. But if I only need to be downtown until 10 or 11, there is no bus back to Norman until 3ish. I've made that work via a long lunch with a friend and then hole up for some paperwork that could be done anywhere, but I've also driven in just so I could get gone when I was done.

Example B - when I worked in south okc for a few years, I could catch a bus into the transit center, and hop another to south okc. But I couldn't get where I needed to be before 9 usually, and there was no way to use the bus to go back if I ended up with a long day. Sometimes rode the bus in, and my lovely came up in the evening and we'd go out and about the metro before returning to Norman. But unless we were date nighting it, I drove in and then back out. Maybe this was never a hindrence to others, but it kept me off the system most days.

[Pete]

Ironically, they recently cut the airport / downtown route due to low ridership.

However, we all know there is need so it's a matter of understanding what is needed to make that route work. More frequency and express service would be good starts.

[ou48A]

If people know they can be taken closer to their destination by transferring to the trolley then an express bus route from the Airport and even other places to downtown becomes more viable for more people.

[ou48A]

You have to meet a minimum requirements or of course you will lose ridership. Yeah, it is even worse now but even before, I tried and it was really infrequent. I wasn't going to sit at the airport for 2 hours and wait for the next bus (which is what the average time was before). And it is also only an inbound catch so it takes longer to get out there than get back.

Crappy service = crappy ridership numbers.
Seems like common sense or a cab company’s influence?

[Just the facts]

Step 1 - reduce service area. If they aren't willing to do that then everyone is wasting their time.

[Pete]

Again, we are not talking about how to completely rework the entire system.

The point here is to come up with several ideas that would be somewhat easy to implement on a limited basis and then measure for increased ridership.

[ou48A]

Step 1 - reduce service area. If they aren't willing to do that then everyone is wasting their time.

why?

[Just the facts]

why?

Because they don't have enough money to serve the area they are trying to serve.

[Just the facts]

Again, we are not talking about how to completely rework the entire system.

The point here is to come up with several ideas that would be somewhat easy to implement on a limited basis and then measure for increased ridership.

Then that is simple - they could triple ridership tomorrow. Remove the fare.

They made the Jacksonville Skyway free and it has resulted in 6 straight months of record ridership.

http://downtownjax.firstcoastnews.co...ast-six-months

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- More people have been riding the Skyway than ever in the six months since it became free. Now, the JTA board has to decide whether to keep it that way.

According to Clinton Forbes, Director of Mass Transit for JTA, the ridership numbers have consistently been sixty percent higher than they were when the system cost fifty cents per ride.

"For transit, that is huge and so I think our customers and the community has, has recognized and now appreciate what a great community benefit the Skyway has become," said Forbes.

Forbes said he has heard from many people who have used the system for the first time since it became free. He said projections show that ridership would go back down if fares were reinstated.

Forbes explained that the Skyway only made about $130,000 in fares each year before the change. That amount was not very significant, considering the transportation system has a budget in the millions. He said the increase in people using the Skyway could help balance out the cost of running it because the more people who use it, the more money the state will offer JTA in grants.

"There's a formula that the state uses for the public transit systems based on increased ridership," Forbes explained. "As our ridership increases, we get more formula funding, which offsets some of that lost in revenue."

...

May had the biggest jump from just 45,000 riders in 2011 to almost twice that many this year.

[Pete]

This is all chicken-and-egg.

One approach is to try and go after a huge amount of funding and rework the entire system. That's worthwhile but for another thread.


The idea here is more along the lines of the Better Block approach: What are quick and dirty things we can try without a lot of money, red tape and approval?

The assumption is that we can get a little money to try some things and quickly determine the impact on ridership. Increased ridership is a funding source in itself and will help fuel future stages.

At the same time, macro level issues can be addressed but again, that is a separate subject.

[betts]

Sid pretty much covered it. I still think one of the major problems is the routes, which are illogical. Second major problem is bus stops. I don't know if the city is prevented by their contract from creating their own city owned stops in conjunction to existing ones, but stops would lend themselves to an experiment while changing the entire route would not.

So, I would pick one route that seems to cross population centers that might contain potential new bus riders. Create several new bus stops or improve existing stops. Put in a concrete slab, a bench and some sort of covering. Then, put up a large sign that has a map of the route of that particular bus, in addition to signage that lists times when the bus can be expected at that particular stop. Ask bus drivers to attempt to adhere to the schedule as much as possible. You could then measure how ridership on that particular route changed and determine cost-benefit.

If I had a bit of extra money, and I have no idea how much it would cost, I'd put wifi in the buses on that route and see what happens as well.

But, until we stop forcing people to go to the bus transfer center, I don't see us significantly increasing ridership among those who have other forms of transit.

[shane453]

I think they should reach out to CBD workers who also live along a bus route. Then give specific counseling on how they could use the bus to get to work. This would basically be people who live south of 63rd Street and work downtown. A lot of people just don't know how they could use the bus or what it would mean for them. Basically, bus awareness. But not sure if we want to do this before we make the system better. WiFi, GPS, etc that I know they are already working on.

[boscorama]

Yes, "bus awareness" and some media campaigning might help.

[CCOKC]

My biggest complaint with the bus service is lack of information at the bus stops. It would be nice to have the route information at least for the specific route at the stops. I find the bus drivers very helpful once on the bus. I have sat at a stop for an hour because I miscalculated the time that the bus would arrive at a stop by 5 minutes and therefore missed a connection. Luckily, I was with my son and we had a nice conversation. He happened to be in a walking cast at the time or it would have been quicker to walk home.

[RadicalModerate]

(i was grabbed by the thread title and just couldn't resist. sorry.)

of course this would be more well-suited for express trips to the airport
as it requires only a landing pad rather than a landing strip.
(and would still require a pilot)

[RadicalModerate]

Yes, "bus awareness" and some media campaigning might help.

I've noticed recently that they have been redecorating the exteriors of city buses.
Perhaps a vinyl wrap along these lines would make bus riding more appealing . . .

Maybe with the slogan, "OKCMetroTrans: You don't need wings to fly" ?

[Just the facts]

If they had an open top like that I would probably ride.

[HangryHippo]

Three simple things that I think would make riding the bus a hell of a lot easier (at least for me):

1) Better maps. Have you looked at a Metro route map lately and tried to figure out which bus you'll need and when it will be there? It's not easy to do.

2) Better on-time performance. If the bus won't get me where I need to go when it says it will, that's a non-starter.

3) Nicer shelters. Have you seen our bus stops? If you haven't, I've included a picture for your enlightenment. They are beyond embarrassing and, with our weather, it is absolutely unacceptable that this is what we have. I cannot find the words to adequately describe how frustrating it is to see these passed off as bus stops.



These three items seem to be *relatively* easy fixes, especially when we're limited from suggesting wholesale changes.

[RadicalModerate]

I'll bet using a sample of this tune in cutting-edge ads on television
(as well as over speakers for the top-riders) would increase ridership.

On the other hand, maybe they should reserve the tune for the express buses only.
(does it need more cowbells?)

All kidding aside, I think OnlyOne nailed it.

[Dubya61]

Three simple things that I think would make riding the bus a hell of a lot easier (at least for me):
1) Better maps. Have you looked at a Metro route map lately and tried to figure out which bus you'll need and when it will be there? It's not easy to do.
2) Better on-time performance. If the bus won't get me where I need to go when it says it will, that's a non-starter.
3) Nicer shelters. Have you seen our bus stops? If you haven't, I've included a picture for your enlightenment. They are beyond embarrassing and, with our weather, it is absolutely unacceptable that this is what we have. I cannot find the words to adequately describe how frustrating it is to see these passed off as bus stops.
These three items seem to be *relatively* easy fixes, especially when we're limited from suggesting wholesale changes.

Agree. It almost appears that the metro bus system is set up to check a box. There's no apparent attempt to make it easy to use. I should be able to walk up to a bus stop and use a sign like Sid attached a picture of to see what bus stops there, where it goes, when it stops there, what lines it interacts with, and where to get a pass or token. Without those, it's a vehicle serving a secret society.

[RadicalModerate]

Agree. . . Without those, it's a vehicle serving a secret society.

Quick show of hands:
How many people contributing suggestions to this thread have actually taken advantage of the services offered by our local bus company, on a semi-regular basis, anytime during the past . . . oh . . . say . . . two years? (one hand up).

Anyone else? . . . I would bet OnlyOne's might be raised . . .
(that sentence was difficult to type one-handed)

(p.s.: okc buses don't use tokens. strictly passes or cash. =)

" . . . and THIS, Alice, is a copy of my new pilot's license!"

[HangryHippo]

[QUOTE=RadicalModerate;591169]Quick show of hands:
How many people contributing suggestions to this thread have actually taken advantage of the services offered by our local bus company, on a semi-regular basis, anytime during the past . . . oh . . . say . . . two years? (one hand up).

Anyone else? . . . I would bet OnlyOne's might be raised . . .
(that sentence was difficult to type one-handed)

(p.s.: okc buses don't use tokens. strictly passes or cash. =)

I have.