Capital and Strategic Planning Committee - ride METRO...Blogger’s Luncheon June 20, 2017 2 METRO Services and Ridership • Local fixed route bus routes - 58.7 million boardings
• Local fixed route bus routes- 58.7 million boardings per year
• Park & Ride fixed route bus routes- 8.2 million boardings per year
• Light Rail- 18.5 million boardings per year
• METROLift (Paratransit)- 1.9 million boardings per year
• METRO Star (Vanpool)- 2.2 million boardings per year
• HOV/HOT Lanes- 26.5 million users other than METRO bus passengers per
yearTotal System Ridership: 116 million per year
Source: FY 2016 Ridership Numbers
Automatic Passenger Counter
$640 million in bonding authority (never enough to complete the entire plan)
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2003 METRO Solutions Referendum Passed by Voters
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Presentation Notes
METRO’s current long-range plan was approved by voters in 2003. Do you remember the METRO Solutions Transit System plan? It authorized $640 million in bonding authority, which was never enough to complete the entire plan
$640 million in bonding authority (never enough to complete the entire plan) 4
2003 METRO Solutions Referendum Passed by Voters
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Presentation Notes
METRO’s current long-range plan was approved by voters in 2003. Do you remember the METRO Solutions Transit System plan? It authorized $640 million in bonding authority, which was never enough to complete the entire plan
METRO Bond Initiative
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Here is what the ballot looked like in 2003. You probably can’t see this, but there are four rail line segments listed that have a star next to them. This was the first phase of the rail expansion that was to be completed. METRO has built three of the lines – North, Southeast, and East End. Only the “Westpark” line has not been built. METRO later renamed this the University Line, and many of you know METRO took numerous steps to advance this line, but political forces stopped its progress.
We are here
2017 2018
FinishSummer 2018
DELIVER
LaunchJanuary 2017
FRAME
Set Overall Direction
ENGAGE
Public Input
PLAN
Scenario Planning
SHARE
Public Input &Public Education
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Straightforward process 5 phases Will last approximately 18 months. Two major public outreach efforts are anticipated.
One of only four urban transit agencies to show an increase in bus ridership nationally
Red Line is one of the nation's most traveled lines based on boardings per track mile
116 Million System Ridership 2016
Source: METRO 2016 Ridership Report
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Light Rail
Park & Ride
Local Bus
ParatransitVanpool
HOV/HOT
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Overall ridership on the system grew 5% from FY 2015 to FY 2016 Gains in local bus and rail ridership offset by a decline in Park & Ride When compared to other peer agencies: METRO’s cost of operation costs less per revenue hour METRO provides less service per capita METRO has one of the lowest boardings per capita METRO’s relative performance shows that a higher level of investment would be required
Source: H-GAC Population and Employment Forecasts, 2016 8
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55% of Harris County’s total population growth will be outside cities but urban core will densify Labor force is expected to grow steadily, from just 3 million in 2010 to almost 4.7 million in 2040 Share of people 65 years and older will more than double; median age will increase from 33 to 38 Decrease in persons reporting as “white only” from 39% in 2010 to 30% in 2040
2015 – 2040 Activity Density
Increased densities within urban core and high growth areas in north, west and southwest
Source: H-GAC Population and Employment Forecasts, 2016
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Increased densities in multiple activity centers – concentration in north, west and southwest.
Source: H-GAC Travel Demand Model
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Existing and future congestion on roadway network
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Transit travel times and reliability will be impacted by increase in intensity, duration and extent of peak period delay
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
WHERE ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES?
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This slide shows the result of those major investments in terms of annual boardings. The start of service on the Green and Purple lines combined with the implementation of the NBN, has boosted ridership. This graph shows an increase of roughly 4 million boardings since July 2015. The Red Line still serves 100 riders per hour more than the next most productive METRO service.
METRO System Ridership for Local Bus, Rail and Park & Ride(Year over Year Total Boardings) 2011 - 2017
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
This slide shows the result of those major investments in terms of annual boardings. The start of service on the Green and Purple lines combined with the implementation of the NBN, has boosted ridership. This graph shows an increase of roughly 4 million boardings since July 2015. The Red Line still serves 100 riders per hour more than the next most productive METRO service.
IMPROVE TRAVEL TIMES BETWEEN ACTIVITY CENTERS
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• 1/3 of bus and rail boardings occur within major activity centers
• Direct service between activity centers will reduce travel times
Source: H-GAC Population and Employment Forecasts, 2016
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Improve transit travel times between major activity centers to connect more people to more jobs One third of bus and rail boardings occur within eight activity centers 85 percent of those are in Downtown, Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza and Uptown High ridership potential in fast growing activity centers -Greenspoint, Westchase and Memorial City areas Connecting major Activity Centers and dense, mixed-use neighborhoods with reliable and relatively quick transit service that is protected from street congestion is a promising recipe for high ridership.
Source: METRO First Mile Last Mile Plan 2017
TRANSIT NODES AND FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS ARE RELATIVELY LOW INVESTMENTS
WITH HIGH RETURNS
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The ability to connect between routes multiplies the number of destinations available to a transit rider For people with disabilities—who may be predisposed to riding transit but may face different challenges in reaching it—an accessible path is especially critical. The ability to access a fixed route can decrease reliance on paratransit which is a far more costly service for METRO to provide.
• Public meetings − Open house format− Kickoff June 27th
− Followed by series of two dozen open houses-July/August − Solicit ideas for METRO’s next capital projects− Web site is live: www.ridemetro.org (dedicated web launch
on June 27th• Initial meetings with technical stakeholders − Includes Harris County, Texas Department of
Transportation, City of Houston, Houston-Galveston Area Council
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Community stakeholder committee to be composed of community representatives, special interest/needs advocates, local business representatives, other non-service providers. Technical stakeholder committee to be composed of transportation agency representatives (including other transit service providers), management district/TIRZ reps.
