Steve HemingerExecutive Director,MTC

AMPO Annual ConferenceWashington, D.C. – October 23, 2003

Playing in Traffic: A New Look at Management

and Operations

Playing in Traffic: A New Look at Management

and Operations

Bay Area at a Glance

• Nine counties

• 101 municipalities

• Total area: over 7,100 square miles

• Population: nearly 7 million (2000 census)

• Employment: 3.7 million jobs (2000 census)

0 20 40 60 80 100

Key Bay Area trends over the Next 25 years?

Projected Growth from 2000-2025

Population

Jobs

Auto Trips

22%

40%

27%

43%

27%

RTP provides for:

% % % % %%

77%Out-of-Region Work Trips

Transit Trips

Transit Capacity (seat miles/hour)

Road Capacity (lane miles)5%

MTC Responsibilities for Regional Operations

Planner• Incorporate System Management and Operations

into the Regional Transportation Plan• Evaluate system performance

Funder• Implement flexibility of ISTEA/TEA 21• Commit funding for regional system management

programs

Operator/Coordinator of Regional Programs• TransLink® Fare Collection System• 511 Traveler Information• FasTrak™ Electronic Toll Collection• Freeway Service Patrol• Regional Rideshare Services

Flexible Funds Foster a Diversity Of Projects

Objectives

• Make transit more convenient and accessible

• Boost highway and local road efficiency

• Provide timely, accurate information to travelers

System Management

• Every day, 1.5 million people ride Bay Area buses, rail and ferry services provided by 20+ different transit agencies

• Focus on improving connections between systems and modes

• Highest customer priority – single fare card

Make Transit More Convenient and Accessible

TransLink®

• Successful pilot in 2002

• Region wide implementation• Multi-agency governance

• Phase 2 Approved

• Installation 2004-2006

• Coordinate with parking, electronic tolls, non-transportation uses

TransLink® (continued)

511.org Transit Page

• Convenient seamless transit information for the public

• Features a regional transit trip planner, schedules, routes, fares and more

• TakeTransitsm Trip Planner: Over 8,100 itineraries per weekday; 32% growth in last year

Boost Highway and Local Road Efficiency

• FasTrak Electronic Toll Collection System

• Incident Management — Freeway Service Patrol/Call Box

• Arterial Management and Signal Timing

• Region wide communications network for freeways and major arterials

FasTrak

• Electronic toll collection on 7 state-owned bridges and Golden Gate Bridge

• 325,000 Tag holders

• Used for 35% of Total Trips

• Caltrans management through 2003

• MTC assumes management 2004

Strategic Objectives• Consolidate all bridges under

a single operation – 2005• Increase usage and dedicated

lanes• Coordinate with TransLink®,

other electronic payment• Potential HOT lane applications in future

Provide timely, accurate information to travelers…

• Combines traffic, transit and rideshare information on the phone and on the web

• Phone number operational since December 2002

• 136% growth in phone calls since shift to 511

511 Web Portal

• Rideshare and Bicycle Pages December 2002

• Transit Page November 2003

• Traffic Page November 2003

• Driving times feature using toll tag data

Lessons Learned

• Partnerships are only as strong as the weakest link

• Some technology still in adolescence

• Keys to funding success:

• who controls money and

• who runs program

• Incentive-based contracts a mixed bag

Metropolitan Transportation Commission