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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2001 0502 CC REG ITEM 11J26Y <T� ITEM /f' CT?-1' OF 1401 ?RP N .?,K, r AITT -ORN A of 5 -a- aoo ACT,',0 : T6 AP 5 -16+ To AL DU.) D16CU.SSton 04 WW46. '1- S7tQCGTS Gomm r� t-•° ortli -OI Moorpark City Counc' AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: John Brand, Senior Management Analyst * DATE: April 20, 2001 (CC meeting of May 2, 2001) SUBJECT: Consider VCTC request for $5,000 to support funding of a Next Bus transit information system. SUMMARY The City Council is being asked to consider a financial contribution to the Next Bus Project, a system that provides bus arrival information on an electronic message board at certain bus stops. It is also possible to access the information on line at the Next Bus web site. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $950,000. VCTC requests a $5,000 contribution. VCTC has received commitments for the Next Bus project of $40,000 from the City of Thousand Oaks, $25,000 from the City of Simi Valley, and $150,000 from SCAT (South Coast Area Transit.) There are sufficient funds in the current year budget to make this contribution if approved by the Council. BACKGROUND At the February 2nd meeting, VCTC received a presentation by Next Bus that places GPS (Global Positioning System) transmitters on buses and using proprietary software, predicts in real time when a bus will arrive a given bus stop. Message boards at major stops announce the arrival time at that stop. The information is also accessible from the Internet so riders can check on the bus before leaving school, home, or the workplace. The service is implemented at several transit properties across the nation, including the Muni in San Francisco and the MTD in Santa Barbara. The Beeline in Glendale is currently installing the Next Bus service as well. The information is updated every forty -five seconds. At the March 15th VISTA -East meeting, VCTC Executive Director Ginger Gherardi asked each jurisdiction to contribute toward the Next Bus project. Moorpark was asked to contribute $5,000 for this effort. Moorpark Next Bus Project CC Meeting of May 2, 2001 Page 2 staff asked for the request in writing. Attached is a letter from VCTC requesting that the City consider making a $5,000 contribution toward the Next Bus project. DISCUSSION It is staff's understanding that the Next bus equipment will be installed on all transit buses in the County. The message boards will initially be placed at the two VISTA stops in Moorpark: at Moorpark College and at Moorpark Station. A typical message is "Southbound VISTA -East Bus will arrive in X minutes." A single message board can announce multiple routes. The arrival times of the two Moorpark City Transit route buses will also be announced on the same message boards at the Moorpark College and Moorpark Station. Next Bus may also prove to be a helpful management tool. Next Bus has a mapping interface with the GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment it uses. As a result, staff will be able to determine the location of the City buses on route from a desktop computer. The public may also have this access by logging onto the Next Bus web site at www.nextbus.com and selecting the transit system in which they are interested. There is sufficient money available in the current Fiscal Year transit appropriation (Fund 5000 -7310) to satisfy VCTC's request if approved by the City Council. STAFF RECO10SNDATION Approve VCTC's request for $5,000 for the Next Bus Project and direct staff to make the necessary transfers within the Transit Fund using TDA Article 8c revenue. Next Bus Project.doc i. .� S�� April 9, 2001 Mr. John Brand, Senior Management Analyst City of Moorpark 799 Moorpark Avenue Moorpark, CA 93021 Subject: NextBus Dear nd: 1 APR 1 1 2001 VENTURA COUNTY TRAINSPORTATION COMMISSION 950 County Square Drive, Suite 207 Ventura, CA 93003 (805' 642 -1591 FAX (805) 642 -4860 ht,.p://www.goventura.org The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is in the process of contracting with NextBus Information Systems Inc., which provides "real- time" bus arrival information. Buses are tracked in "real- time" and through the use of Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems and the information is delivered to passengers via electronic message signs located at bus stops as well as on the World Wide Web. The scope of the project includes equipping nearly all of the buses countywide with AVL systems and equipping forty (40) bus stops with electronic message signs. VCTC has included Moorpark in the project design and is planning to provide installation of AVL systems on Moorpark's buses, equipping two bus stops with electronic message signs and providing Internet access for Moorpark to control its message signs and collect bus operation data. This system could be expanded at a later date if Moorpark chose to do so. The total cost for the NextBus project is approximately $950,000. VCTC is providing the bulk of the funding through State Transit Assistance (STA) Funds that were not needed for Metrolink. To help defer some of the project costs, VCTC is soliciting funds from local agencies. VCTC is requesting that the City of Moorpark contribute $5,000 to this very beneficial project. Currently VCTC has received commitments of $40,000 from the City of Thousand Oaks, $25,000 from the City of Simi Valley and $150,000 from SCAT. Thank you for your help with this important project. If you have any questions about this project please feel free to contact Steve DeGeorge at (805) 642 -1591 (ext. 103) or by email at sdegeorge @goventura.org. Sincerely, /4J_ Ginger Gherardi Executive Director C:C� C ►'�— ` 1� C� S C fir'' l 8 2 Stop Selector Frame s I , NiO ""llil^;�, Ii1��TI, Page 1 of 1 Specify your stop and NextBus will display the time the Next vehicles arrive in: 1 minute 17 minutes 31 minutes Prediction valid as of 10:51 AM Friday, April 20 Page that car be bookmarked for this stop , © 2001 NextBus Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. J http: / /www.nextbus.com/ predictor /stopSelectorFrame.htm 4/20/2001 next transit vehicle will arrive. I �1��1 #lili i' Agency: Santa Barbara MTD CA Route: 2- Eastside 1 �9YI EE u n �� Direction: To Downtow �� 6 live map Tonsil schomft jP' [rtrcri"a ]]P 1 ^' Nz+rq ]1 X1:2 tbwt :l iAt ]� °1i' Stop: Carrillo and Anacapa d P -.._._ - schedule. Next vehicles arrive in: 1 minute 17 minutes 31 minutes Prediction valid as of 10:51 AM Friday, April 20 Page that car be bookmarked for this stop , © 2001 NextBus Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. J http: / /www.nextbus.com/ predictor /stopSelectorFrame.htm 4/20/2001