AGENDA #2

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

FROM:            R. Scott McClellan, Interim Transportation Director

SUBJECT:       Transit Service Expansion Options

DATE: May 19, 2000

RESUBMITTED:      June 5, 2000

Following the April 26, 2000 Transit Summit, representatives from Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the University agreed to meet to evaluate options for increasing transit service during FY 2000-01.  This meeting took place on May 17, 2000 when several options were considered and consensus was reached to support the Option 1 A.  Attached is a memorandum that describes this option.  It also shows how the partners would share the costs for the expanded services.  Chapel Hill’s share of the costs to expand service totals $166,841 and is equal to a 0.55 cent increase in the Transportation Fund Tax Rate.  Also attached are summary and detail tables that outline all the options that were reviewed.

Service Expansion Option 1 A was selected for two main reasons. First it provides service that has been most frequently asked for by the regular users of the transit systems.  Specifically, for year-round residents/employees it offers a consistent level of daytime service Monday through Friday.  Many patrons express their frustration by the changes in transit service levels between “full” and “reduced” periods.  This consistent level of transit service will likely encourage others to use the service.  Second, it provides a system-wide expansion of transit service that benefits all partners and each shares in the cost proportionately.

The staffs of all three partners agree that this proposal should be considered by the governing boards.  We believe it would improve transit service for working people who do not have the types of schedules that students have.  And, the additional costs to each party and for the system as a whole are reasonably in line with what the earlier proposal for fare free service would have cost.

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Cal Horton, Town Manager

Carolyn Efland, UNC Auxiliary Services

Robert Morgan, Carrboro Town Manager

FROM:            Scott McClellan, Interim Transportation Director

SUBJECT:       Transit Service Expansion Options

Date:                May 17, 2000

Based on our discussions this morning, I have updated the attached spreadsheet to incorporate the enhancements to Option 1 A that everyone seemed to be willing to endorse. In summary, Service Expansion Option 1 A would:

1. Provide full service weekday “daytime” service year round.
2. During traditional “reduced” service periods, evening services would end at 8:00 PM.
3. At the request of the University, we would plan to extend service on the U and R/U until 8:00 PM, year-round.

The revised Option 1 A would add a total of 9,330 annual hours of service at a cost of $419,850.  This includes the based service expansion of 8,326 service hours for $374,670, plus the extension of evening services requested by UNC (1,004 hours for $45,180).  We proposed to share these cost as follows:

Base Service                Supplemental

Expansion         %         Request                        Total

Chapel Hill                   $166,841         44.53%                                    $166,841

Carrboro                      $ 58,523          15.62%                                    $  58,523

UNC                            $149,306         39.85%            $45,180           $194,486

Please let me know if you have any questions or need any additional information.