NESTS Transit Planning Project NESTS Transit Planning Project - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NESTS Transit Planning Project NESTS Transit Planning Project Presentation to TCAT Board of Directors January 30, 2003

Goal of the Study � Provide an attractive transit system that will support the NESTS Livability Goals – Reduce use of personal motor vehicles – Reduce traffic on neighborhood streets – Improve mobility with a multimodal system – Enhance coordination with pedestrian and bicycle modes – Support land use policies and patterns

Phases of the Study � Market research � Service planning � Facilities planning � Policy options � Development of preferred strategy

Market Research � Key issues – Coverage – Hours of service – Travel time – Frequency � Non-Users – 59% receptive to transit, but most would ride infrequently � Users – 79% would ride more if buses ran more often – 64% would ride more with later evening service

Service Enhancement Concepts � Improve service on current routes – Make routes more direct – Improve connections to important trip attractors – Enhance frequency of service � Develop new routes – Serve new areas – Offer faster and more direct service � Improve connections between routes

Service Concept Lansing Ulysses Hub Parking ! City of Ithaca $ Dryden Cornell $ Downtown Legend City or Town Water Street Circulator Zone Express Route Improved Connection $ Parking Lot ! Ithaca College $ Destination Parking ! Town of Ithaca Prepared by Multisystem s, Inc.

Southern Area 32 Downtown Circulator A -- New Rt. 37 30 Counter-Clockwise Direction. 16 Exp. A Downtown to Aldi's and 43 36 Exp B Beebe Lake Southwest Retail Area. (Near term action) D.C. B Cornell 31 37 37 36 32 36 36 Exp. A 30 Exp. A Exp C D.C. A 16 Downtown D.C. A 31 Exp C 37 Exp B D.C. B 30 Exp D 11 15 37 30 D.C. B 31 D.C. A D.C. A 15 Exp C Express C -- New Route. 11 Rt 79 Park-and-Ride Exp D to Cornell. (Near term action) D.C. B D.C. A D.C. B 15 Exp D Downtown Circulator B -- New Rt. 11 Exp C Clockwise Direction. Downtown to Aldi's and Exp D Southwest Retail Area. Lower Reservoir 11 (Near term action) Ithaca Express D -- New Route. College Rt 79 Park-and-Ride Exp C to Downtown. (Mid term action) Exp D Rt 11 -- Modified Route. Through-routed with Exp B. Bethel Grove Legend (Near term action) Exp C Parking Lot Water Town of Ithaca Exp D Ithaca Reservoir City or Town Street Prepared by Multisystems Inc. 11 <

Central Area 35 36 Rt 31 -- Modify. Pyramid Bidirectional service along Transit entire route. Service to Transit Hub. Hub 37 No service along portion of Warren Rd (still served by Route 32). 31 35 36 Operates on Warren Road 36 instead of Pleasant Grove 31 37 31 (still served by Routes 40 & 41). Short Mall Circulator -- New Route. (Immediate term action) Serves Malls, Tops, Transit Hub. 30 31 37 < (Immediate term action) LC 37 36 32 SC Long Mall Circulator -- New Route. Slight modifications to 36 Serves Malls, Tops, Transit Hub, Exp B Routes 40 and 41 to better Exp. A 36 Kendal and Gaslight Village. Exp B serve mobile home parks (Near term action) 32 LC 31 32 in Dryden. Modify Route 43 to serve Kirk Road. Dryden LC (Immediate term action) 37 36 36 31 Exp. A Exp B Express A -- 30 41 40 32 New Route. 31 Transit Hub to Cornell. Express B -- New Route. 32 31 (Near term 32 Transit Hub to Downtown. Exp B Exp. A action) Through-routed with Route 11 30 Rt 32 -- Modify. to Ithaca College. 31 Straighten out. 36 37 (Near term action) No service to Graham Rd/Dart Dr 16 (Served by Routes 31 & 37) Service to Health Care Campus. Cayuga Inlet (Immediate term action) Exp B 30 Exp. A Route 16 43 32 37 Modified to serve 36 Visitor's Center, (Near term action) 16 43 30 31 37 Beebe Lake Exp B 32

Northern Area 37 Rt 35 -- Modified Route. Service to Ludlowville, Myers, 37 Horizon Drive, Hillcrest, Transit Hub, Triphammer, Cornell, Downtown. (Near term action) 37 35 Groton Rt 37 -- Modified Route. Service to Kendal, Mall, Graham and Dart Drive 36 37 via Pleasant Grove. 35 (Near term action) 36 35 Rt 36 -- Modify. Service to Oakcrest & Transit Hub 37 while Mall is open. (Near term action) 35 36 Lansing 37 Ulysses 35 Pyramid 36 Transit 41 40 Hub 31 Exp B < 37 36 LC 36 32

Facility Enhancement Concepts � Passenger facilities – Transit hub at Pyramid Mall – Park-and-ride lot in Bethel Grove – Additional bus shelters – Improved bicycle facilities � Applications of technology – Real-time bus arrival information at stops – Automated fare collection/smart cards

Pyramid Transit Hub � Excellent collection point for Town and Village of Lansing � Located at intersection of two arterials � Important destination in its own right � Already significant bus service available � Ample existing parking during commuting hours � Mall management receptive to hub � Estimated construction cost: $150,000

Potential Siting at Pyramid Mall

Crossgates Mall Transit Center Note: Pyramid Transit Hub would be about half this size

Potential Service Levels � Basic – Consistent with current level of service – 12 hours of service (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM) – 60-minute headway (new express routes at 30 minutes) – Limited weekend service � Enhanced – 14 hours of service (7:00 AM to 9:00 PM) – 30-minute headways (new expresses at 15 and 20 min.) � High – 16 hours of service (6:00 AM to 10:00 PM) – 20/30-min. peak/off-peak headways (expresses at 10 min.)

Implementation Schedule � Five phases devised – Immediate term (1 to 2 years) – Near term (3 to 4 years) – Mid term (5 to 7 years) – Long term (8 to 10 years) – Future (11 years and beyond) � Phase in recommended service concept over immediate and near term periods � Boost service levels during mid and longer term periods

Immediate Term (Years 1 and 2) 31 • Routes 31 and 32 31 L C 31 31 – Extend Route 31 to SC 31 31 SC 31 L C 32 L C Pyramid Mall via Dart Dr. 32 L C 32 32 – Eliminate “switchback” 31 32 L C L C 31 on Route 32; direct from 32 Sheraton Drive to Mall 31 31 32 • Mall circulators 32 32 31 32 – Long route every 30 min. 32 31 daily 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM Cayuga Inlet 32 – Short route Fall shopping 31 32 season weekends only 31 Beebe Lake • Routes 40, 41, 43 32 32 31 31 – Better service to mobile 32 32 Legend 31 home parks in Dryden Water City or Town – P&R lot at Rts. 13 & 366 31 Street 31 Prepared by Multisystems, Inc. 31

Immediate Term Impacts � Estimated new weekday riders: 210 � Annual fiscal impacts (compared to current) – Gross operating cost increase $242,000 – New fare revenue -$20,000 – Additional STOA funds -$57,000 – Annual local net cost increase =$165,000 � Capital costs for this phase – 2 new vehicles (1 large, 1 small) $385,000 – Pyramid Transit Hub $150,000 – Other shelters and bike racks $31,800

Near Term (Years 3 and 4) 37 Groton � Express shuttles 35 37 35 – Express A from Pyramid 36 36 35 35 37 Transit Hub to Cornell 35 36 – Express B from Pyramid Hub 37 37 36 35 to downtown Ithaca Lansing 35 36 37 – Express C from Route 35 Ulysses 35 36 79/Bethel Grove to Cornell 37 36 36 37 35 � Downtown circulators Exp . A 37 30 36 Exp B 36 Dryden 37 36 – Service to SW retail area, 30 Exp B Exp . A 37 Meadow, Aldi’s, Third St. 36 Enfield 16 30 Exp B Exp . A 37 – Revise Route 16 to serve 36 16 D.C. B Exp C Exp B 36 30 Visitors’ Center 36 D.C. A D.C. B 37 15 11 Exp C D.C. A 15 � Routes 35, 36, 37 Legend D.C. B Water Exp C City or Town – Serve Pyramid Transit Hub Street 11 Prepared by Multisystems, Inc. Exp C Town of Ithaca – 37 via Kendal & Pleasant Gr.

Near Term Service Levels � Most new routes introduced at Basic level – Except for express shuttles • Express A: 15 minutes peak / 30 minutes off-peak • Express B: 20 minutes peak / 30 minutes off-peak • Express C: 15 minutes peak / 30 minutes off-peak – Express B interlined with Route 11 in off-peak periods • Can serve both Longview and The Towers on every trip � Current TCAT Route 13 replaced – By Express B, revised Route 16, and Downtown Circulator � Route 80 eliminated – Due to likely reduced demand at A Lot

Near Term Impacts � New weekday riders over current: 620 � Annual fiscal impacts (compared to current) – Gross operating cost increase $773,000 – New fare revenue -$91,000 – Additional STOA funds -$236,000 – Annual local net cost increase =$446,000 � Capital costs for this phase – 7 new vehicles (1 large, 6 small) $1,010,000 • Includes one spare small bus – Other shelters and bike racks $31,800

Mid Term (Years 5 through 7) � Express D: Bethel Grove to downtown Ithaca – 30-minute peak period service only � Expanded service on Mall circulators – 2 additional evening hours on long route – Full year service on short route � Downtown circulators improved – 30-minute frequency instead of 60-minute � Route 32 improved – 30-minute frequency instead of 60-minute