REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF NIAGARA Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Study
Guiding Principles Customer- Driven Unconventional Solutions Integrated Economically Responsible Fair Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Niagara Region Transit Pilot Project will expire in May 2017 Service Ability of governance • Design structure to support the Next evolution of NRT • guiding principles of the routes, including integration service design and delivery with post-secondary and plan local services Service Service Structure Delivery Customer service aspects of service delivery, • including fare structure and technology integration, trip planning, customer service Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Why is Inter-municipal transit important? Provides cross-boundary mobility (connecting residents that may not have access to an • automobile to places of work, school and health services within Niagara Region) Supports GO service in Niagara (inter-municipal connections to future GO Stations will • help build ridership and support future GO Rail to the Region) Facilitates youth retention and economic development (addressing unemployment • issues in the Region by providing access to jobs in adjacent municipalities) Contributes to a high quality of life for Niagara residents (including potential reduction • of household income spent on the purchase and operation of automobiles) Provides service to a growing population and employment base (15% growth by 2023) • Supports sustainable community development (by providing a sustainable travel option • for residents) Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
The Strategy Develop an Integrated Service Plan Develop Common Customer Service Tools • • Increase service levels and overall transit Trip planning software – – ridership Customer service functions – Optimize and integrate local, inter- – Identify Efficiencies • municipal, and post-secondary transit services Route optimization and consolidation – Develop Integrated Fare Strategy Dynamic transit solutions • – Identify Appropriate Governance Structure Simplify and integrate fare structure in • – Niagara Region Shared vision / guiding principles – Recommend appropriate smart-card – Fare sharing and revenue generation – technology Appropriate structure to support vision – Integrate policies and procedures – Evaluate benefits of change – Recommend options – Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Service Guidelines Design Performance Guidelines Guidelines Basic set of parameters by which transit • agencies aim to provide service Proximity/Walking Distance Passenger Comfort Uniform standards across all participating Service Hours Schedule Reliability • systems Headway Service Productivity Service Integration Service Expansion Based on route typology, not operating • agency Route Directness Transit Stops Not dependent on governance model • chosen Fare Policy Customer Service Provides reliable, customer-focused service • Trip Planner Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Existing Transit Service Niagara Region Transit 4 Core Routes connecting St. • Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls 2 LINK services connecting Fort • Erie and Port Colborne Post-Secondary IMT Shuttles Services connecting to Niagara • College and Brock University Significant duplication with NRT • Urban Area Not using existing resources to • Niagara Region Transit Route full potential Post-Secondary Route Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Proposed 2019 Route Optimization St. Catharines – Niagara Falls Route 40/45 (via Niagara College) • Route 50/55 (via Brock University) • Expand evening and provide Sunday • service, increase weekday peak service St. Catharines – Welland Optimize post-secondary and NRT routes • Route 70/75 (via BU and NC) • Expand evening and provide Sunday • service, increase weekday peak service Maintain NOTL LINK (Welland campus – • Glendale campus) Niagara Falls – Welland Urban Area Route 60/65 (reduced hours) • Niagara Region Transit Route Maintain Niagara College Shuttle • Post-Secondary Route Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Proposed 2019 Route Optimization (cont …) Niagara Falls – Fort Erie New terminus at Municipal Centre • Future stop at South Niagara Hospital • (2023) Welland – Port Colborne Integrate route at downtown Welland • terminal Route change to add 7 th daily run • Urban Area Niagara Region Transit Route Post-Secondary Route Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Proposed 2019 Service Enhancements GO Transit Route 12 Integration Fare integration between St. Catharines, • Beamsville, and Grimsby on existing GO service Only trips that actually occur are • subsidized West Lincoln (Smithville) LINK (2019 New service connecting Grimsby GO to • Smithville Connections to Niagara, Hamilton, GTA • Urban Area Wainfleet LINK and Crystal Beach LINK Existing NRT Route Dynamic service using taxis and/or • Proposed NRT Transit Route Niagara Specialized Transit Proposed Dynamic Transit Local Transit Integration GO Transit Integration Better integration with WEGO, Pelham • Local Transit Integration Transit, and Niagara-on-the-Lake Post-Secondary Route Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance Transit
Proposed Transit Plan – Annual Service Hours Base Year Existing Service Year 1-3 Year 4-7 (2015) (2016)* Overall IMT ridership Core Urban Area of St. Catharines/Thorold, Niagara Falls and Welland change: Route 40/45 - 9,800 12,500 12,500 Route 50/55 8,500 9,300 12,500 12,500 +16% by 2019 (compared Route 60/65 8,500 8,500 4,000 7,000 to 2015) Route 70/75 8,500 8,500 12,500 12,500 Post-secondary services 17,500 14,000 9,000 9,000 +19% by 2023 (compared Sub-Total 43,000 50,100 50,500 53,500 to 2015) Inter-municipal Connections to Urban Niagara 2,000 Port Colborne LINK 2,000 2,100 2,100 Fort Erie LINK 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 Grimsby / Beamsville Inter-Municipal LINK - ** ** West-Lincoln Inter-Municipal LINK - 2,900 3,200 Wainfleet Inter-Municipal LINK - *** *** Crystal Beach Inter-Municipal LINK - *** *** Sub-total 4,100 4,100 7,100 7,400 TOTAL 47,100 54,200 57,600 60,900 *Note: New services that were implemented in September 2016 have been annualized for comparative purposes. **Note: Service hours not indicted as the plan makes use of existing service provided by GO Transit ***Note: No defined annual service hours as service provision is dynamic and based on demand
Integrated Fare Strategy Local Trip (within one municipality) – Move towards standardized local fares to improve simplicity for customers Develop an Integrated Fare Strategy for the following IMT Trips (all include fare integration with local transit): Zone 1 IMT Trip (flat fare) – Flat fare for Zone 1 one IMT Trip within Zone 1 (e.g. Welland to St. Catharines) Zone 2 IMT Trip (flat fare) – Flat fare for Zone 2 one IMT Trip within Zone 2 or connecting to / from Zone 1 (e.g. Fort Erie to Niagara Falls) Zone 1 to/from Zone 2 IMT Trip using 2 or more IMT routes – Fare supplement on top of flat fare for passengers taking two or more IMT routes to complete a trip between Zone 1 and Zone 2 (e.g. Beamsville to Welland) IMT Trip = Inter-municipal Transit trip between two municipalities Local Trip = Transit trip within one local municipality
Fare Payment Technology Implementation Alternatives 1. Upgrade current NFT Trapeze/Fare Logistics stored value smart card system 2. Implement PRESTO 3. Implement a Smart Card system from a different provider Recommendation Solicit budget proposals from smart card system vendors including Trapeze and PRESTO
Integrated Trip Planning 1. Metrolinx’s Triplinx – triplinx.ca Integrated trip planning platform providing information on schedules, fares, connections, ridersharing, and paratransit throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area 2. Google Maps – maps.google.ca Some Niagara Region transit systems already provide information to Google, only effective if all systems provide timely data that reflects system changes Recommendations In order for trip planning tools to be effective, data needs – to be up-to-date and reliable Transit agencies are responsible for providing accurate – information to both platforms Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
Challenges of Delivering Service Plan Under the Status Quo Model Different priorities between each local municipality and the Region • Distribution of U-Pass revenue for post-secondary services (also • supports local transit) Gas tax reporting (ridership allocation between local municipalities and • the Region) Difficult to track ridership and which system ridership should be • allocated to Regional Municipality of Niagara: Niagara Transit Service Delivery and Governance
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