AGENDA #9
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Service Proposal
DATE: September 12, 2005
The adoption of the attached resolution would authorize the Town to participate in the Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Service Plan (Attachment 1).
In 2003, the Town participated in the development of the Transit Consolidation/Implementation Plan. The Plan was submitted to the Town in May 2003 for review.
On November 24, 2003, the Council adopted a resolution declining to participate in the Consolidation proposal. At the same time the Council authorized the Manager to participate in discussions with the Triangle Transit Authority on areas of collaboration to improve coordination and efficiency (Attachment 2).
Subsequent to the Council action the City of Raleigh, Durham and the Triangle Transit Authority continued to pursue the implementation of the Consolidation Plan. The Town of Cary and North Carolina State University opted not to participate in the consolidation process.
In the spring of 2005 Raleigh, Durham and the Triangle Transit Authority took actions to postpone the implementation of the Consolidation Plan. The three jurisdictions developed an alternative approach, the Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Plan.
At the same time staff from Raleigh, Durham and the Triangle Transit Authority, working with the Triangle J Council of Governments offered those jurisdictions that declined to participate in the implementation of the Consolidation Plan, Chapel Hill, Cary and the North Carolina State University, the opportunity to participate in the development of the Seamless Public Transportation Plan.
DISCUSSION
The proposed Seamless Public Transportation Plan identified eight areas in which staff from local jurisdictions could prepare plans that could be implemented within 12 to 18 months without merging staffs or consolidating operations. These include:
Activity 1: Undertake Regional Marketing Activities
Activity 2: Prepare Triangle Seamless Service Bus Plan
Activity 3: Develop Regional Customer Service Program
Activity 4: Develop Triangle Seamless Service Paratransit Program
Activity 5: Centralize Capital Procurements (buses, signs, shelters, etc.)
Activity 6: Regionalize Installation and Maintenance of Bus Stops, Signs and Shelters
Activity 7: Centralize Specialized Maintenance Services (fare box, electronic sign, paint and body shop, major engine and transmission rebuilds, etc.)
Activity 8: Implement Regional Information Technology Plan
On November 24, 2005, the Council authorized the staff to participate in discussions for several identified areas. These include:
We believe that the Council's action on November 24, 2005 is consistent with most of the work tasks identified in the Seamless Public Transportation Plan. We believe the Council action did not directly address the following activities:
Activity 2: Prepare Triangle Seamless Service Bus Plan
Activity 3: Develop Regional Customer Service Program
Activity 8: Implement Regional Information Technology Plan
We provide below an assessment of participating in these additional activities:
Activity 2: Prepare Triangle Seamless Service Bus Plan. This task proposes to assess the transit services currently provided and identify service changes or improvements through better coordination or route coverage and schedules. It would also define an interagency process for reviewing service changes.
Staff Comment: We believe that it would be beneficial to the Town and Chapel Hill Transit to participate in the tasks as outlined in the Seamless Plan. As Chapel Hill Transit continues to provide public transit service to residents of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and employees and students at the University of North Carolina it will be important to increase coordination with the Triangle Transit Authority and Durham Area Transit.
In participating in this task, Chapel Hill would make no commitments to implement any of the proposed service changes that might be recommended. We would assess the impacts of service changes on the efficiency and effectiveness of Chapel Hill Transit services and recommend to the Council any modifications that we believe would result in improved services. We would also review any proposed changes with Carrboro and the University of North Carolina and Town Advisory Boards.
Activity 3: Develop Regional Customer Service Program. This task proposes to develop a regionwide customer service manual, improve staff understanding of regionwide services, centralize a telephone information center and upgrade telephone systems.
Staff Comment: Improved customer service and expanded transit information is an important consideration. The proposed task could result in providing Chapel Hill Transit patrons with access to more coordinated information and improve the quality of information provided.
Activity 8: Implement Regional Information Technology Plan. This activity is intended to identify the application of current technologies, determine the need for additional technologies and develop a plan for procuring and implementing these technologies.
Staff Comment: It is our understanding that this Activity is going to be used to develop a regionwide transit Intelligent Transportation System plan as part of the federal and State requirements. This plan would be used to allocate State and federal funding for new technologies. We believe it will be important for Chapel Hill Transit to participate in this process to ensure that the transit system receives adequate funding for implementing these new technologies.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council approves staff participation in the Seamless Public Transportation process we would assign staff to attend the various work groups. The goal of the project is to develop recommendations in 12 to 18 months. We will report back to Council on the proposed recommendations when they are available.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
Manager's Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution which would authorize Chapel Hill participation in the development of the Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Plan. The resolution would authorize the Mayor to sign the Memorandum of Agreement.
ATTACHMENTS
A RESOLUTION APPROVING TOWN PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRIANGLE SEAMLESS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICE PLAN (2005-09-12/R-16)
WHEREAS, Raleigh, Durham and the Triangle Transit Authority have prepared a proposal to develop a Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Service Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has reviewed the Plan and determined that the activities proposed are consistent with the Town's intent to improve coordination and collaboration between regional transit providers;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council approves the participation of the Town in the development of the Triangle Seamless Public Transportation Service Plan and authorizes the Mayor to sign the Memorandum of Understanding.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council reserves the right to implement or not implement any of the recommendations of the Seamless Public Transportation Service Plan after review and evaluation by Town advisory boards, the University of North Carolina and the Town of Carrboro.
This the 12th day of September, 2005.