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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2023 0517 CCSA REG ITEM 09ACITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of May 17, 2023 ACTION RECEIVED PRESENTATION. BY A. Hurtado. A. Consider Presentation on Ventura County Transportation Commission Transit Integration and Efficiency Study (TIES). Staff Recommendation: Receive presentation. (Staff: Michelle Woomer, Management Analyst) Item: 9.A. Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Update on Draft Study ITEM: 9.A. 1 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Why Study Transit Integration? •TIES was initiated by Commission discussion in summer 2020 •Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on transit ridership and finance •Underscored race and equity issues nationwide, and challenges for ‘essential workers’ and general public to access jobs and services without a car •Ridership nationally has been falling despite growing population and strong economy •Challenges facing transit have only increased •Inflation and escalating costs, fewer contractor bids •Increased congestion and more competition with transit 2 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study TIES Background •Similar study previously in 2010-2012 •Some changes followed, including formation of GCTD and ECTA •Current study began in 2021 •Examined data about every transit service in Ventura County •Held six “operator working group” sessions •Interviewed Commissioners •Interviewed staff and city managers •Collaborated with “Coordinated Services Plan” •Focus group outreach for critical rider groups 3 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Can Integration Improve Transit Service and Rider Experience in Ventura County? 4 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study What are the Issues? •9 different operators that do not form a strong regional network •Highly local focus on service delivery limits interest in improving regional connectivity, barriers to providing interagency service •“Behind the scenes” issues •Increased expenses •Less competitive contracts •Driver retention and employer competition •Changing local priorities 5 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study What are the Issues? •Wide variation between communities in •Rider policies •Fares and passes •Program eligibility •Quality of published information •Online presence •Variation can reflect “local community” but can also hamper interoperability and connectivity 6 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study 7 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Recommended Actions/Strategies •Improve financial resilience by coordinating administrative functions •Centralize demand-response call-taking and scheduling •Align rider policies, fares, and eligibility •Standardize surveying, marketing, and online presence 8 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternatives Summary Integrating recommended actions and strategies into delivery 9 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Approach to Alternatives •Created three scenarios ranging from •Mostly collaborative •Partial consolidation along functional boundaries •Full consolidation to a county-level agency •Other variations and alternatives are possible •Alternatives provide framework for stakeholders to respond to and adapt moving forward 10 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternative 1 •Subregional consolidation of demand-response service •Increased and formalized interagency coordination •Fixed-route service planning •Group procurements and operating contracts, where possible •Standardize rider policies •Regional marketing, surveying, institutional partnerships 11 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternative 2 •Creation of a countywide demand-response agency •Includes all paratransit and dial-a-ride programs •Probably housed within another agency initially •Subregional consolidation of fixed-route service into twoagencies •Gold Coast Transit + Ojai, Valley Express, VCTC (bus) •Thousand Oaks + Kanan Shuttle, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Camarillo •Three agencies simplifies coordination, focuses all staff on“transit” and subregional responsiveness •VCTC remains as RTPA, transfers all bus operations to GoldCoast 12 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternative 3 •All public transit services integrated into Gold Coast Transit District •Board structure of GCTD changes to accommodate a more regional makeup •Most operating bases (Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Ojai, Valley Express) would remain as operating divisions •VCTC remains as RTPA, transfers all bus operations and transit planning to Gold Coast 13 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternatives Comparison •Alt 1 requires an action plan andvoluntary commitment todevelop improvements •Alt 2 balances risk by relying onexisting partnerships, createssubregional platform for change •Alt 3 is ambitious with thegreatest ability for the resultingagency to enact regionalchange, but the most difficult toexecute Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3 How it improves passenger experience 1 3 4 How it reduces operating and capital costs 1 3 4 How it integrates existing operating systems 1 3 4 How it enhances regional service coverage 1 2 4 How it provides more community- responsive and equitable transit service 0 2 3 Risks and challenges of this approach 3 1 0 Implementation Complexity 4 2 0 14 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Alternatives Comparison •Alt 1 likely has least benefit for cost efficiency, protects city revenues for transit and roads •Alt 2 could be more expensive than existing initially due to creation of 1-2 new agencies, will likely take some time to realize cost efficiencies •Alt 3 has greatest potential for administrative cost efficiency and increases revenue to transit through TDA, but has negative effect for some city budgets 15 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Roadmap for the Future •TIES defined the issues and practical strategies to improve •Alternatives provide a roadmap for how to implement strategies •Alternative 1 codifies actions mostly agreed-on already, sets the stage for future integration 16 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Stakeholder Concerns 17 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Key Concerns and Issues Funding •Partial or full consolidationshould result in cost efficiency •Significant loss of roadmaintenance funds for certaincities •Increased TDA to a countywideagency benefits riders •Uncertainty about outcomes,assumption that TIES will resultin greater expense Responding to Community Needs A regional agency will be less able or unwilling to maintain local/specialized service •Camarillo Dial-a-Ride •Ojai Trolley •Moorpark Microtransit •Most regional agencies operatespecialized local services 18 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Key Concerns and Issues Service could be reduced Consolidation will result in reduction or elimination of “underperforming” service in smaller communities •“Do no harm” sentiment •Not recommending majorservice changes linked to TIES –service analysis would need tobe completed before anychanges made •Regional agencies must balancedifferent definitions of successfor urban and suburban/ruralareas •Resulting agency wouldcontinually monitor all local andregional needs 19 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Next Steps •Solicit public input •Present to agencies •VCTC to conduct regional Short Range Transit Plan, which willinclude TIES strategies Future Steps •Collaborate with represented groups •Staff begin implementing “low-hanging fruit” actions •Stakeholders develop working groups (finance, operations, etc.) andlegal counsel to proceed based on adopted alternative 20 Ventura Transit Integration & Efficiency Study Questions? 21