AGENDA #5c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Information Report: January 2002 – September 2002, Chapel Hill Transit Ridership
DATE: October 21, 2002
In January 2002, Chapel Hill Transit implemented modifications to the transit system, including service changes and a fare free policy. This memorandum reviews the impacts of those changes on transit system ridership. Between January and September, 2002 system ridership increased 38.6% over the same period in 2001. During that same period, fixed route ridership increased 43.1%.
DISCUSSION
The information presented below summarizes the changes in transit ridership since the implementation of the fare free policy in January 2002 and related service changes instituted in January and August 2002. Chapel Hill Transit traditionally implements major changes in service in August of each year. Table 1 below summarizes the changes in service levels between August 2001 and August 2002.
Table 1
|
|
August 2001 |
August 2002 |
% Change |
|
Weekday Fixed Route Service Hours |
457.26 |
556.4 |
+21.6% |
|
Number of Routes |
18 |
22 |
+22% |
|
Weekday Peak Buses Required |
47 |
62 |
+31.9% |
|
Saturday Fixed Route Service Hours |
47.09 |
56.96 |
+20.9% |
|
Sunday Fixed Route Service Hours |
15.23 |
15.23 |
0% |
During the period between January and September 2002, there were several changes in service levels. With the implementation of the fare free policy in January 2002, some modifications to service were also instituted. Daily fixed route service hours were increased to 509.20. In addition, Chapel Hill Transit reduces service hours slightly between mid May and mid August.
System Ridership
System ridership includes boardings for all services provided by Chapel Hill Transit. This includes fixed route service, demand responsive services such as EZ Rider and Shared Ride and special shuttles, such as those provided for football or basketball games. During the period between January 2002 and September 2002, the transit ridership system including fixed route, demand response, and special services increased approximately 38.6% compared to the same period in 2001. Ridership increased from 2,240,664 in 2001 to 3,106,369 in 2002. The chart below shows monthly ridership during this period.
Chart 1
As noted above the overall ridership during the January 2002 and September 2002 reflects different service levels. The table below provides ridership summaries for the period between January 2002 and September 2002. The period between January and April 2002 included a modest increase in service levels from August 2002, approximately 11.3%. The period May through July represents the summer “reduced” service period. During this summer period, Chapel Hill Transit ends most fixed route transit services at 8:00 pm. The table also includes ridership summaries for August and September 2002, which includes implementation of increased service levels, including several route modifications, the implementation of new routes and increased service hours. Beginning in August, Chapel Hill Transit also implemented a completely revamped Saturday services plan.
Table 2
System |
2001 |
2002 |
% Change |
|
January- September |
2,240,664 |
3,106,369 |
+38.6% |
|
January- April |
1,162,173 |
1,489,685 |
+28.1% |
|
May – June |
515,543 |
765,167 |
+48.4% |
|
August - September |
562,949 |
851,517 |
+51.26 |
Fixed Route
Fixed route service represents the bulk of transit service provided by Chapel Hill Transit. services experienced an increase of 43.12% during the period January and September 2002 compared to the same period in 2001. Chart 2 below illustrates the increases by month.
Chart 2
Table 3
Fixed Route |
2001 |
2002 |
% Change |
|
January-September |
2,100,866 |
3,006,798 |
+43% |
|
January- April |
1,080,876 |
1,429,007 |
+32.2% |
|
May – June |
467,776 |
731,545 |
+56.3% |
|
August - September |
552,214 |
846,246 |
+53.2% |
We note that the August and September 2002 ridership totals do not include service to the Jones Ferry Road and Friday Center park ride lots. Due to construction delays, service to those facilities is expected to begin in October 2002.
CONCLUSION
The impact of the fare free policy and related service changes has been a significant increase in transit ridership. We expect overall system ridership to increase with the opening of the Jones Ferry Road and Friday Center park ride lots. The increase in transit demand has resulted in some overcrowding along transit routes. We have responded to this increased demand by adjusting some route schedules and by scheduling additional buses along certain routes. We have also retained for continued use 13 buses that had been replaced in 2001 and were scheduled to be sold. We are working to secure funding to purchase new buses to replace those 13 buses. We will continue to monitor transit services and respond as needed to increased passenger demand.