Presentation on Comprehensive Transit Reform

Civic Academy SeriesFebruary 2012

Chronic budget crises have created system-wide uncertainty for the last three years.

The transit system faces a $2.1 million deficit in 2012 and is set to run out of funding and shut down in July 2012.

The East Baton Rouge Parish transit system is in crisis

Transit Reform Process & Dates

February 2011: Together Baton Rouge & Baton Rouge Area Chamber formed Blue Ribbon Commission on Transit

June 2011: Blue Ribbon Commission submits final recommendations for comprehensive transit reform. Mayor, Metro Council & CATS endorse its findings.

January 2012: CATS calls for transit election and legislative strategy to implement Blue Ribbon Commission proposal.

April 21st, 2012: Election Date for Transit Reform

Traffic CongestionAvg. delay per year

22 hours

Baton Rouge rank for congestion among mid-size U.S. cities (2010)?

U. S. Avg for Mid-size Cities

Baton Rouge 37 hours

33rd

# of mid-size cities studied? 33

The System Today

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30

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Traffic Delay per Capita

Projected Traffic CongestionFuturEBR projects traffic congestion will increase

to over 70 hours per year in 20 years

FuturEBR prediction of congested routes

in 20 years

Projected Traffic Congestion

What does mass transit have to do with traffic?

Average wait time between buses?

75 minutes

The System Today

Average total trip time? 2 hours, 20 minutes(Time it takes to drive to Biloxi, MS.)

Outdated “spoke” route structure built for cities of 40 years ago.

Essen to Bluebonnet:5 – 10 minutes by car, over 2 hours by bus

High-demand areas not covered by transit system.

O’Neal Lane, Coursey Blvd, Essen & Siegan Lane

Poor Signage and Stops Shelters are in poor condition or do not exist. Poor and uninformative signage at bus stops: no

route information; no time information.

The System Today

How did it get this bad?

Includes local taxes, fares and federal funding

Source: National Transit Database, 2009

Baton Rouge transit funding vs. other southern cities

Peer Cities (2009)Per capita

funding

AtlantaNew OrleansAustinHoustonCharlotteKnoxvilleLittle RockRaleighMemphisPeer City AverageBaton Rouge (2009)Baton Rouge (2012)

$134

$32

$84$84$70

$133

$27

$59

$253$215$162$138

Is efficiency the problem?

Why not just raise revenue from the riders?

B.R. already has a very high dependence on rider fares for funding

Percent of

Peer Cities (2009) funding from fares

Peer City Average

Baton Rouge (2011) 25%

14%

Akron, OHAlameda, CAAlbuquerque, NMAmes, IAAnn Arbor, MIAntioch, CAArlington, VAAsheville, NCAtlanta, GAAustin, TXBakersfield, CABatavia, OHBay City, MIBellingham, WABenton Harbor, MIBillings, MTBirmingham, ALBismarck, NDBloomington, IN

Bradenton, FLBremerton, WABrunswick, OHBuffalo, NYBurlington, WACanton, OHCedar Rapids, IAChapel Hill, NCCharleston, SCCharleston, WVCharlotte, NCCharlottesville, VAChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCleveland, OHColorado Springs, CO

Columbus, GAColumbus, OHCommerce, CAConcord, CACorpus Christi, TXCorvallis, ORCulver City, CACumberland, MDDallas, TXDavenport, IADavis, CADayton, OHDenver, CODetroit, MIDuluth, MNEl Paso, TXElk Grove, CAEverett, WAFairfield, CAFlagstaff, AZFlint, MI

Fond du Lac, WIFort Collins, COFort Myers, FLFort Smith, ARFort Wayne, INFort Worth, TXFredericksburg, VAGardena, CAGary, INGlendale, AZGrand Forks, NDGrand Rapids, MIGrand River, OHGranite City, IL

Other cities with dedicated revenue for transit …

Great Falls, MTGreensboro, NCGretna, LAHanford, CAHesperia, CAHighland Falls, NYHolland, MIHouston, TXHuntington, WVIndianapolis, INIowa City, IAJackson, MIJacksonville, FLJefferson City, MOKalamazoo,

MIKansas City, MOKent, OHLa Mirada, CALaCrosse, WILafayette, INLakeland, FLLancaster, CALansing, MILaredo, TXLargo, MDLas Cruces, NMLawrence, KS Lewisville, TXLexington, KYLivermore, CALogan, UTLompoc, CALong Beach, CA

Los Angeles, CAMedford, ORMiami, FLMinneapolis, MNMissoula, MTMoline, ILMontebello, CAMonterey, CAMurfreesboro, TNNapa, CANew Orleans, LANew York, NYNorwalk, CAOakland, CAOceanside, CAOlympia, WA

Omaha, NEOrange, CAOxnard, CAPeoria, ILPetaluma, CAPhoenix, AZPinole, CAPittsburgh, PAPompano Beach, FLPort Huron, MIPort Washington, WIPorterville, CAPortland, ORProvidence, RIRedondo Beach, CARichland, WARiverside, CARockville, MD

MORE cities with dedicated revenue for transit …

Sacramento, CASaginaw, MISalem, ORSan Antonio, TXSan Bernardino, CASan Carlos, CASan Diego, CASan Francisco, CASan Jose, CASan Juan, PRSanta Barbara, CASanta Clarita, CASanta Cruz, CASanta Fe, NMSanta Maria, CA

Santa Monica, CASanta Rosa, CASavannah, GAScottsdale, AZSeattle, WASioux City, IASouth Bend, INSpokane, WASpringfield, ILSt. Cloud, MNSt. Johns, MISt. Joseph, MOSt. Paul, MNSt. Petersburg, FLStockton, CASugar Land, TXTampa, FL

Tempe, AZThousand Oaks, CAThousand Palms, CAToledo, OHTopeka, KSTucson, AZUnion City, CAUrbana, ILVallejo, CAValparaiso, INVancouver, WAVentura, CAVisalia, CAWashington, DCWaterloo, IA

Wenatchee, WAWest Covina, CAWest Palm Beach, FLWheeling, WVWinston-Salem, NCWoodland, CAYakima, WAYoungstown, OH

STILL MORE cities with dedicated revenue for transit …

No dedicatedfunding means

losing millions infederal match-

funding & grants.

How does LSU Tiger Trails do it?

When LSU left the CATS system, it created a dedicated revenue source through a fee on student tuitions.

Funding for LSU tiger trails = $132 per capita for its service area.

(compared to Southern Metro average of $133 and CATS funding of $32)

Election to create dedicated revenue source for transit

Election Date: April 21st, 2012Municipalities included: Baton Rouge, Baker and Zachary Only voters in city limits are eligible to vote on or pay the proposed tax. Each election is held separately. Success or failure in any municipality

does not affect other elections.

Dedicated Revenue Amount

Property Tax rate (mills)

Avg cost per household per

monthAverage house value by area

Baton Rouge $16,663,200 10.6 $14 $157,100 Baker $636,000 10.6 $10 $110,074 Zachary $1,144,800 10.6 $16 $180,518 TOTAL $18,444,000

Rates, Revenue and Cost per Household Value of Home Cost per

month

$50,000 $4.42

$75,000 $6.63

$100,000 $8.83

$125,000 $11.04

$150,000 $13.25

$200,000 $17.67

$300,000 $26.50

Cost depends upon home value

Other EBR-area millage rates Parish Library 11.1 mills BREC 14.46 mills Average for fire districts 18.65 mills Downtown Dev District 10 mills Baker Schools 43.2 mills EBR Schools 43.45 mills Zachary Schools 79.2 mills

Proposed rate for transit: 10.6 mills

How does the proposed rate for transit compare to other dedicated revenue

sources in our City-Parish?

3 Components of Comprehensive Transit Reform

1) Service Improvements

2) Governance Reform

3) Accountability

Decrease wait times between buses from the current average of 75 minutes to 15 minutes (at peak hours)

Build 3 new transfer centers to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system , to allow easy transfers systemwide.

Overhaul bus stops, with new shelters and benches Overhaul all signage for transit stops, providing detailed route and time

information Add GPS tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones Increase service from 19 to 37 routes, including high-demand areas that

currently are not served (eg. O’Neal Lane, Coursey Blvd., Essen and Siegen Lane) Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 57. Create eight new express and limited stop lines:

Express Routes

Serving Southern University, Airport, O’Neal Lane, Mall of Louisiana, Highland / I-110 and Downtown

Limited Stop Routes

Baker/Zachary through Southern University, Florida Blvd, LSU to Downtown

Lay foundation for Bus Rapid Transit system

I. Service Improvements

New route map &

city boundaries

II. Governance Reform Overhaul selection process for CATS board members

(following recommendations of Blue Ribbon Commission) Remove Metro Council from operational decisions such as

routes and fares, in line with best practices nationally. Legislation has been introduced for 2012 legislative

session.

III. Accountability CATS will adhere to and publicize concrete benchmarks and timeline of

deliverables for service improvement. Together Baton Rouge will meet EVERY THREE MONTHS to hold CATS

accountable for delivery according to timeline.

2012July – September: First wave of new bus purchases (10 – 15 buses). GPS system is installed and functional.October – December: Expand bus shelters by at least 25.Install new bus signs with route info.

2013January – March: Expand CATS bus pass sales locations.April – June: Continue expansion of bus shelters.July – September: Second wave of new bus purchases (15 – 20 buses)October – December: Community-wide meetings on new routes and services.

2014January – March: Implement expanded routes and decreased wait times.

How will transit reform affect Baker and Zachary?In addition to general system changes

Better connectivity to jobs and medical facilities in Baton Rouge and between Baker and Zachar.

Decrease wait times from 90 minutes to 30-40 minutes during peak hours.

New Express Service from Baker and Zachary to CATS central terminal, via I-110.

New service to the Metro Airport. New circulator service within Baker and Zachary. Expanded paratransit service for elderly and

disabled (very large demand for this service in Baker).

Proposed Baker and Zachary RoutesNew circulator routes and express line to

Baton Rouge.

The paratransit system serves people with disabilities

Paratransit coverage depends on the fixed route system: service is provided within 3/4 of a mile from all fixed routes.

 Currently, paratransit service is available in 60% of EBR Parish.

If transit reform passes on April 21st, paratransit service will expand to 70% of EBR Parish and 90% of Baton Rouge, Baker and Zachary.

If the election fails, ALL paratransit service will come to an end since there will be no more fixed route system.

How will transit reform affect paratransit services?

The choice is ours.

VOTE ON APRIL 21st!