Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program Plan Update June 2018 Public Meetings
Today’s Agenda • Welcome • What is the Travel Washington Intercity Program Plan Update? – What is Travel Washington? – What is Intercity Bus Service? – What is Washington’s Intercity Bus Network? • Discussion of intercity needs and issues • Provide input to study team 2
About this project… • Review and assess the four Travel Washington routes • Develop, prioritize and recommend future Travel Washington routes • Identify unmet intercity bus needs/service gaps • Recommend potential near‐term intercity service expansion to address (possible fifth Travel Washington line) 3
Project Schedule • June‐July: Regional public meetings • June‐July: Surveys • August: Analysis of Survey Results • August: Development of Alternatives/Demand Estimates • September: Prioritization • October: Draft Final Report • December: Final Report 4
Opportunities to Provide Input • Public survey for everyone who wishes to provide input • On‐board surveys on the four Travel Washington routes • Surveys of regional planning agencies • Surveys of public transit providers • Surveys of other stakeholders –human service agencies, colleges, etc. • Regional public meetings (this is one of them!) • All surveys are available on the project web site: http://www.kfhgroup.com/wsdot/travelwashingtonplan.html 5
What is the Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program? • Launched in 2007 to provide intercity connections from rural areas to connect people with urban centers and the national intercity bus network • Uses Federal Transit Administration Section 5311(f) rural intercity bus funding with local match provided as in‐kind by the private carriers (Greyhound) • Four Travel Washington routes were developed based on the 2007 Washington intercity bus plan • The Travel Washington routes are operated by private firms under contract to WSDOT 6
• Travel Washington branding for all routes • Individual regional route names: – Grape Line – Dungeness Line – Apple Line – Gold Line 7
Travel Washington Lines • Grape Line • Dungeness Line • Apple Line • Gold Line 8
Grape Line • Walla Walla to Pasco • Started in 2007 • Three daily round‐trips • Averages 5,000 trips per year 9
Dungeness Line • Port Angeles to Seattle • Started in 2008 • Two daily round‐trips • Averages 15,500 passenger trips per year 10
Apple Line • Omak to Wenatchee/Ellensburg • Started in 2008 • One round‐trip daily • Averages 5,000 trips per year 11
Gold Line • Kettle Falls to Spokane • Started in 2010 • Two round‐trips daily • Averages 5,000 passenger trips per year 12
Statewide Intercity Bus Network‐1983 13
What do we mean by “Intercity”? • Long‐distance • Meaningful connection to national intercity bus network – Shared stations – Coordinated schedules – Interline ticketing if appropriate • Fixed‐route, fixed‐schedule (except feeder services) • Has space for baggage—think overnight trips • To receive Greyhound in‐kind match must operate five to seven days per week 14
What long‐distance services are not “Intercity”? • Not commuter services—not designed for daily work trips • Long distance medical or other human service trips that are: – Demand response—pre‐scheduled – Do not service shared intercity network stops • BUT—Regional services providing for a same‐day round‐trip can be considered intercity if they make connections—like the Travel Washington routes 15
Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network • Travel Washington routes connect to the national intercity bus network: – Serves same stations – Coordinated schedules – Interline ticketing • Also connect to airports, Amtrak, local transit • Services in Google Transit, Greyhound ticketing system 16
Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network 17
Example of Travel Washington Service in Google Transit 18
Example of Travel Washington Service in Greyhound Website 19
Coverage of Washington’s Intercity Network • Washington total population: 7,073,146 • Population within 10 miles of intercity stations/stops: 5,421,117 • Population within 25 miles of intercity stations/stops: 6,766,255 • 76.7% of Washington residents live within 10 miles of intercity stops • 95.6% live within 25 miles 20
Intercity Network and Population Distribution 21
Intercity Network and High Needs Populations 22
Now, we need to hear from you…. 23
Tell us about your intercity travel needs: • Where do you go? • How often? • What modes/services to you use? • How well do they work? 24
Is there a need for additional service? • New routes? • Additional schedules? • More/better connections with other services? 25
How do you access the statewide transit network? • Do we need more/better information? • Does the ticketing system need improvements? • More marketing? 26
For more information or to submit comments: • WSDOT Contacts: – Greg Wright: 360‐791‐1170 WrightG@wsdot.wa.gov • Study Team Contacts: – Beth Hamby: 206‐274‐5996 bhamby@kfhgroup.com – Carole Richardson: 208‐277‐4600 plangineering@comcast.net • Project Website (project information and links to surveys): http://www.kfhgroup.com/wsdot/travelwashingtonplan.html 27
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