SamTrans  Service  Plan  Briefing  Book    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table  of  Contents  Introduction  .............................................................................................................................................  2  

System  Overview  .....................................................................................................................................  6  

Peer  Review  ...........................................................................................................................................  11  

 

Introduction  SamTrans   is   conducting   the   SamTrans   Service   Plan   (SSP),   and   analysis   of   its   transit   services.   The  objective  of   the  SSP   is   to   create   the  best   transit  network  possible   for   SamTrans   customers  within   the  available  budget.  The  analysis  will  help  to  maximize  the  impact  of  taxpayer  funding  for  transit  by  gaining  better   knowledge  of   our   customers,   improving  efficiency,   and  directing   transit   investment  where   it   is  most  needed.    

The  study  will   include  a  comprehensive  public  outreach  plan  that   includes  community  meetings  and  a  number  of  ways   for   SamTrans   customers   and   stakeholders   to  provide   their   input   throughout   the   SSP  process.  

What  is  the  SSP?    SSP  stands  for  “SamTrans  Service  Plan.”    It  is  an  in-­‐depth  study  of  a  transit  system  designed  to  identify  strengths,  areas  for  improvement,  and  provide  suggestions  to  improve  efficiency  and  increase  ridership.  During  this  study,  the  following  issues  will  be  addressed:  

• What/where  are  the  markets  for  transit  service  is  San  Mateo  County?  • How  is  the  overall  system  performing  and  what  are  areas  for  improvement?  • How  can  SamTrans  best  integrate  with  regional  Bay  Area  transit?  • How  can  SamTrans  best  serve  its  markets  within  its  financial  and  operational  capabilities?    

The  intent  of  the  SSP  is  to  respond  to  the  evolving  mobility  needs  of  the  county,  consider  new  types  of  transit  service,  and  identify  opportunities  for  more  efficient  and  effective  use  of  resources  and  increased  public  involvement  in  transit.  The  result  of  the  SSP  is  not  a  document  but  improved  transit  service  on  the  street.    

How  will  the  SSP  study  SamTrans  and  its  customers?  

The  SSP  will  study  SamTrans  transit  services  including  Local,  Limited-­‐Stop  and  Express  bus  services  using  the  following  information:  

• Complete   system   ridership   information   (passenger   on-­‐off   counts   for   each   trip   SamTrans  operates)  

• Survey  information  reflecting  of  SamTrans  customer  travel  and  transfer  patterns  • Measuring  SamTrans’  service  performance,  reliability  and  customer  travel  times  • Analyzing  projected  county  population  growth  trends  and  commute  patterns  over  time  

3    

What  are  the  outcomes  of  the  SSP?  

The   SSP  will   deliver   a   plan   for   improved   transit   service   in   San  Mateo   County.     The   plan  will   address  recommendations  in  the  short  (2-­‐5  year)  and  longer  (15  year)  terms  in  order  to:  

• Invest  resources  where  they  will  have  the  maximum  benefit  to  customers  • Increase  efficiency  and  effectiveness  of  SamTrans  service  • Deliver  service  that  is  financially  sustainable  over  the  long  term  

Who  makes  up  the  SSP  team?  

The  SSP  process  is  an  inclusive  and  collaborative  effort  which  involves  key  stakeholders  throughout  the  study.   The   study   includes   SamTrans   staff,   transit   and   public   outreach   consulting   groups   (led   by  Transportation   Management   &   Design,   Inc.),   and   will   seek   input   from   elected   officials,   employers,  community   leaders,   social   service   providers,   community   groups,   transit   riders,   transit   advocates,   and  other  members  of  the  public.    

What  will  the  SSP  not  study?  

While  the  SSP  studies  most  aspects  of  SamTrans  service,  there  are  certain  elements  that  are  not  covered  within  the  scope  of  the  SSP.  

• The  SSP  focuses  on  SamTrans  fixed-­‐route  bus  service,  and  does  not  include  analysis  of  Caltrain  or  paratransit  (Redi-­‐Wheels  and  RediCoast).  

• The   SSP   focuses   on   service   on   the   street   and   does   not   study   SamTrans’   internal   staffing  structure  or  operations.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4    

The  SSP  Process    The  SSP  process  contains  five  primary  steps.    Stakeholder  input  will  be  solicited  at  multiple  points  in  the  process,  as  described  below.  

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Step  1  –  Establish  SSP  Goals  and  Objectives  

The  SSP  process  begins  with  an  understanding  of  the  project  direction.  

• Confer  with  internal  and  key  external  stakeholders  to  identify  transit  needs,  opportunities,  and  challenges  

• Develop  strategic  project  goals  and  objectives  • Develop   key   guiding   principles   that   are   responsive   to   the   community’s   mobility   needs   and  

concerns,  yet  balance  the  agency’s  need  to  set  investment  priorities  

Step  2  –  Analyze  Market  Conditions    

The  SSP  process  analyzes  both  service  demand  and  supply.    The  key  Market  Analysis  outcome  is  a  strong  understanding  of  the  current  and  future  service  area  demand  patterns.      

• Collect   and   analyze   market   demand   information   including   current   and   future   land   use  development,  demographics,  and  employment/school  uses  and  their  travel  needs.  

• Identify  population  markets  most  likely  to  use  different  transit  options.  • Identify  where  growing  congestion  and  higher  densities  present  opportunities  for  transit.  

Step  3  –  Analyze  Service  Performance  

The  Service  Analysis  studies  the  supply  side  of  transit  and  analyzes  service  operating  data,  ridership,  and  financial  information  to  determine  how  SamTrans’  various  services  perform.  

Step 1 Establish SSP Guiding Principles

Step 2 Analyze Market Conditions

Step 3 Analyze Service Performance

Step 4 Develop Draft Service Plan

Step 5 Develop Final Service Plan

5    

• Analyze  ridership  at  the  network,  route,  and  route  segment  level  to  determine  travel  patterns.  • Identify  levels  of  service  performance  as  compared  to  the  resources  required  to  provide  service.  • Identify  levels  of  service  quality  such  as  on-­‐time  performance,  speed,  and  travel  times.  • Identify  necessary  changes  based  on  data  analysis,  such  as  altering  existing  routes,  adjusting  bus  

frequency  and  service  span  to  match  demand,  and  reducing  customer  delay.  

Stakeholder  input  will  be  solicited  to  review  the  results  of  Steps  2  and  3  and  inform  the  draft  service  plan  (Step  4).  

Step  4  –  Develop  Draft  Service  Plan  

The  results  of  Steps  1-­‐3  form  the  basis  for  developing  a  draft  plan  for  improved  transit  service.  

• Develop  set  of  service  recommendations  that:  o Build  on  what  currently  works  well.  o Match  transit  service  type  and  level  with  each  market.  o Improve  the  customer  experience.  o Make  services  fast  and  direct.  o Make  services  simple  and  easy  to  use.  o Are  more  efficient  in  delivering  transit  service.  o Make  SamTrans  part  of  people’s  daily  travel  experience.    

Stakeholder  input  will  be  solicited  to  review  draft  service  concepts  and  inform  the  final  plan  (Step  5).  

Step  5  –  Develop  Final  Service  Plan  

The   final   service  plan  builds  on  all  previous   steps   to  deliver  a   comprehensive  plan   for  developing  and  implementing  a  strong,  financially  sustainable  transit  network.  

SSP  Schedule  The  SSP  is  anticipated  to  be  completed  by  February  2012.    While  exact  dates  are  not  finalized,  the  approximate  timeline  for  key  milestones  in  the  process  includes:  

• Results  of  Service  and  Market  Analyses:  May  2011  • Public  outreach  meetings  –  Round  1:  July  2011  • Development  of  Draft  Service  Plan:  August  2011  • Public  outreach  meetings  –  Round  2:  September  2011  • Development  of  Final  Plan:  December  2011  • Final  Plan  Adoption  February  2012  

 

System  Overview  SamTrans   provides   daily   fixed-­‐route   and  paratransit   service   to   Peninsula   travelers.     The  SamTrans   service   area   encompasses   97   square  miles   in  the  20  cities  and  unincorporated  areas  of   San  Mateo  County.     SamTrans   also  provides  weekday   commute   service   for   downtown   San  Francisco   work   trips   and   serves   Palo   Alto   in  Santa  Clara  County.  

Service  Attributes  The  SamTrans  system  consists  of  48  fixed-­‐route  services   in   addition   to   Redi-­‐Wheels/RediCoast  demand  response  paratransit  service.    10  of  the  fixed-­‐route   services   are   contracted   out   to   a  private  operator,  while  the  remaining  38  routes  are  operated  by  internal  SamTrans  staff.      

The  SamTrans   fleet  consists  of  322  vehicles   for  fixed-­‐route  service  and  83  vehicles  (buses,  vans,  and   sedans)   for   Redi-­‐Wheels/RediCoast   service  (see  Table  1).    The  peak  fleet  requirement  is  220  vehicles.  

Table  1.  SamTrans  Fleet  Requirements  

Vehicle  Type   Fleet  Articulated  Coaches   60  Standard  Coaches   43  Low-­‐floor  Coaches   191  Mini  Coaches   4  Contingency  Coaches   29  

Total  SamTrans  Fixed-­‐Route  Fleet   322  Redi-­‐Wheels  Vehicles   83  RediCoast  Vehicles   9  

Total  SamTrans  Paratransit  Fleet   92  Source:  SamTrans  Facts  and  Figures  Brochure  

           

   

Ridership  Currently,  SamTrans  fixed-­‐route  services  generate  approximately  50,000  daily  passenger  boardings  and  an  additional  1,100  daily  passenger  boardings  on  Redi-­‐Wheels/RediCoast  services.    Current  fixed-­‐route  and   paratransit   ridership   measures   around   15.5   million   passenger   boardings   annually.     Historically,  annual   ridership   neared   20   million   passenger   boardings   in   the   mid-­‐1990s,   but   has   experienced  substantial  decreases  through  the  2000s  (see  Table  2).    SamTrans  ridership  has  rebounded  recently  since  reaching  a   low  of  below  15  million  annual  passenger  boardings   in  2005.    Continuing  to  grow  ridership  based  on  recent  successes  will  be  a  key  goal  of  the  SSP.  

Table  2.  Historical  SamTrans  Annual  Ridership:  1991  -­‐  2008  

 Source:  National  Transit  Database  

 

Fixed-­‐Route   Redi-­‐Wheels/RediCoast  

8    

SamTrans  Rider  Profile  Data  from  the  2009  SamTrans  On-­‐Board  Survey  reveals  characteristics  of  the  typical  SamTrans  customer.  

Who  rides  SamTrans?  

Residence  of  SamTrans  Riders  City   Percentage  

Daly  City/Colma   19%  San  Mateo   14%  South  San  Francisco   10%  Redwood  City   8%  San  Bruno   5%  Pacifica   4%  Burlingame   3%  Menlo  Park   2%  Belmont   2%  Millbrae   2%  San  Carlos   1%  Half  Moon  Bay   1%  Unincorporated  San  Mateo  County   1%  Brisbane   <1%  

San  Mateo  County  Total   71%  San  Francisco  City  and  County   7%  

East  Palo  Alto   3%  Palo  Alto   <1%  San  Jose   <1%  Mountain  View   <1%  Sunnyvale   <1%  Los  Altos   <1%  Cupertino   <1%  Santa  Clara   <1%  

Santa  Clara  County   4%      

   

Income  of  SamTrans  Riders  

 

Age  of  SamTrans  Riders  

   

9    

How  do  riders  use  SamTrans?  

Frequency  of  Use    

Method  of  Fare  Payment    

Purpose  of  Trip  

 

 Access  to  SamTrans  Bus  Stop  

 

Number  of  Vehicles  to  Complete  Trip  

 

Other  Available  Travel  Mode  

10    

Where  do  San  Mateo  County  Residents  and  Employees  Travel?  

Travel  Patterns  for  San  Mateo  County  Residents  (Work  Trips)  

Source:  US  Census  Journey  to  Work  

Travel  Patterns  for  San  Mateo  County  Employees  (Work  Trips)  

Source:  US  Census  Journey  to  Work  

11    

Peer  Review  The  purpose  of   the  peer   review   is   to   evaluate   SamTrans’   service   and  operational   performance   in   the  context  of  the  region  as  well  as  compared  with  peers  across  the  country.  

Thirteen  agencies  were  selected  for  a  peer  review  based  on  a  number  of  comparable  systems,  service,  and  performance  factors.    Five  of  these  peers  are  other  Bay  Area  agencies  to  show  SamTrans’  place  in  the  region,  while  the  other  eight   include  agencies  from  across  California  and  elsewhere   in  the  country  that  are  comparable  to  SamTrans  in  terms  of  service  area  characteristics  or  service  provided.    For  each  peer,  industry  standard  performance  indicators  were  selected  from  the  2009  National  Transit  Database  (NTD).    This  data  does  not  include  demand  responsive  (paratransit)  services  for  any  peer  system.  

The  following  systems  were  included  in  the  analysis:  

Bay  Area  Agencies  

• Alameda-­‐Contra  Costa  Transit  District  (AC  Transit)  • Central  Contra  Costa  Transit  Authority  (County  Connection)  • Golden  Gate  Bridge,  Highway  and  Transportation  District  (GGBHTD)  • San  Francisco  Municipal  Railway  (MUNI)  • Santa  Clara  Valley  Transportation  Authority  (VTA)  

Peer  Agencies  

• Foothill  Transit  –  West  Covina,  California  • Long  Beach  Transit  (LBT)  –  Long  Beach,  California  • Sacramento  Regional  Transit  District  (Sacramento  RT)  –  Sacramento,  California  • San  Joaquin  Transit  District  (RTD)  –  Stockton,  California  • Santa  Monica’s  Big  Blue  Bus  (Big  Blue  Bus)  –  Santa  Monica,  California  • Capital  Metropolitan  Transportation  Authority  (CMTA)  –  Austin,  Texas  • Hampton  Roads  Transit  (HRT)  –  Hampton/Norfolk,  Virginia  • Pierce  County  Transportation  Benefit  Area  Authority  (Pierce  Transit)  –  Tacoma,  Washington  

Comparison  Areas  In  order  to  understand  SamTrans’  performance  in  a  regional  and  national  context,  several  variables  were  reviewed  including  market  area,  service  provided,  productivity,  and  financial  effectiveness.    The  results  of  analyzed  variables  are  shown  in  the  tables  on  pages  10  and  11.    

Service  Area    

12    

SamTrans  serves  an  area  of  97  square  miles.    Muni  is  the  smallest  at  49  square  miles,  due  to  its  confined  geographic   area,   while   San   Joaquin   RTD   is   the   largest   as   the   main   service   provider   for   San   Joaquin  County.    While  SamTrans’  service  area  is  fairly  small,  it  serves  a  population  of  over  700,000  residents.  

The  geographic  conditions  of  the  SamTrans  service  area  are  unique,  with  a  long  spine  of  developed  area  served   by   a   few   major   north-­‐south   corridors   including   El   Camino   Real   and   Caltrain,   which   connects  multiple   cities   on   the   peninsula.     With   San   Francisco   just   to   the   north,   there   is   no   major   urbanized  downtown  within  the  SamTrans  service  area;  however,  there  are  multiple  suburban  downtown  centers  that  link  the  service  area,  as  well  as  a  significant  rural  service  base  on  the  coastside.    Within  the  region,  SamTrans  connects  with  other  service  providers  including  Muni,  VTA,  and  BART.      

Many   of   the   national   agencies   selected   as   peers   have   similar   positions   as   a   part   of   overall   regional  transit   networks,   such   as   Foothill   Transit,   Santa  Monica   Big   Blue   Bus,   and   Long   Beach   Transit   which  connect  to  services  in  the  greater  Los  Angeles  area.      

Service  Characteristics  

SamTrans  operates  322  total  vehicles,  and  provides  7.3  million  revenue  miles  and  over  654,000  service  hours  annually.    This  amount  of  service  provided  is  about  average  amongst  the  peers,  with  agencies  serving  major  urbanized  areas  (such  as  Muni  and  CMTA)  providing  more  service  while  agencies  with  more  rural  service  areas  (such  as  County  Connection  and  San  Joaquin  RTD)  provide  less  service.

13    

 

Note:  SamTrans  data  is  based  on  FY2009  NTD  data.  

14    

15    

Service  Productivity  

Boardings   per   Revenue   Hour.     Measuring   boardings   per   revenue   hour   is   a   key   indicator   of   service  productivity   which   can   be   used   to   compare   systems   of   diverse   sizes   and   coverage   areas.     SamTrans  averages  24  boardings  per   revenue  hour.     In   the   regional   context,   SamTrans   falls  below  Muni  and  AC  Transit  which  serve  denser  populations  (Muni  is  the  highest  at  69  boardings  per  hour).    Compared  with  peer  systems,  SamTrans  falls  closer  to  the  middle  but  still  slightly  below  peer  average.  

24

0 20 40 60 80

CC

GGBHTD

SamTrans

VTA

AC  Transit

MUNI

Boardings  per  Revenue  Hour

24

0 10 20 30 40 50

HRT

Foothill

SJRTD

SamTrans

Pierce

Sacramento  RT

CMTA

LBT

BBB

Boardings  per  Revenue  Hour  

Boardings  per  Capita.    Measuring  boardings  on  a  per   capita  basis   (total   annual   system  boardings  per  total  population   served)   shows  an  average  of  annual   transit   trips  per  person.       SamTrans  averages  21  annual  trips  per  person,  while  Muni  is  the  highest  in  the  Bay  Area  at  almost  200  trips  per  person.    Across  the   other   peer   agencies,   the   comparison   is  much   closer  with   agencies   ranging   from   10   to   50   annual  boardings  per  capita.  

21  

0 50 100 150 200

CC

GGBHTD

VTA

SamTrans

AC  Transit

MUNI

Boardings  per  Capita

21

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

SJRTD

Foothill

HRT

Sacramento  RT

Pierce

SamTrans

LBT

CMTA

BBB

Boardings  per  Capita  

 

 

16    

Financial  Effectiveness

Financial   effectiveness   determines   how   effectively   a   transit   agency   uses   limited   funds   to   provide   the  maximum  amount  of  service  to  customers.    This  is  measured  across  several  variables:  

• Operating  cost  per  revenue  hour  • Farebox  recovery  ratio  (revenue  divided  by  total  cost)  • Operating  subsidy  (cost  minus  revenue)  per  passenger  boarding  

Together,   these  variables  determine  how  much   it  costs  agencies  to  run  service,  how  much  of  the  cost  they   recoup   in   fare   revenue,   and   how   costly   it   is   for   agencies   to   transport   passengers.     Subsidy   per  passenger  boarding  is  particularly  valuable  in  determining  the  actual  cost  of  transporting  each  passenger  after  accounting  for  revenue  collected.  

Operating  Cost  per  Revenue  Hour.    In  terms  of  costs  per  hour  of  service,  SamTrans  is  average  in  the  Bay  Area  but  among  the  highest  of  the  national  peers.    This  shows  that  costs  of  providing  service  in  the  Bay  Area   have   become   substantially   higher   than   in   other   parts   of   the   country,   including   other   areas   in  California.      

$156  

$0 $50 $100 $150 $200

CC

VTA

SamTrans

AC  Transit

MUNI

GGBHTD

Cost  per  Revenue  Hour  

Farebox  Recovery  Ratio.    SamTrans  recoups  17.9%  of  its  total  operating  cost  in  fare  revenue.    This  is  slightly  higher  than  average  among  the  Bay  Area  agencies  and  slightly  lower  than  average  amongst  the  national  peers.  

17    

17.9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

VTA

CC

AC  Transit

SamTrans

GGBHTD

MUNI

Farebox  Ratio

17.9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

CMTA

SamTrans

SJRTD

Pierce

Sacramento  RT

BBB

LBT

HRT

Foothill

Farebox  Ratio  

Subsidy  per  Passenger  Boarding.    When  accounting  for  passenger  boardings,  SamTrans  requires  over  $5.00  in  subsidy  to  support  each  passenger  boarding.    This  is  a  relatively  high  amount  even  in  the  Bay  Area.    This  shows  that  increasing  ridership  (and  therefore  fare  revenue)  will  have  a  positive  impact  on  SamTrans’  financial  effectiveness.  

$5.38  

$0.00 $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00

MUNI

AC  Transit

VTA

SamTrans

CC

GGBHTD

Subsidy  per  Passenger  Boarding

$5.38  

$0.00 $1.00 $2.00 $3.00 $4.00 $5.00 $6.00

LBT

BBB

CMTA

HRT

Sacramento  RT

Foothill

Pierce

SJRTD

SamTrans

Subsidy  per  Passenger  Boarding