Minutes

Public Transit Advisory Committee Meeting: November 21, 2006

4:10 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Public Transit Division Office
933 New Hampshire Street

Members present: Chair Marian Hukle, Danny Kaiser, Alan Black, Marc Epard, Richard Heckler, Martin Miller

Members absent: Darlene Mortell, Ann Foster, Jessica Mortinger

Staff present: Public Transit Administrator (PTA) Cliff Galante, Mike Sweeten, Emily Lubliner and Wendy Koerner

Public present: None

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Call to Order

Board Chair Marian Hukle called the meeting to order at 4:14 p.m.

Public Comment

None provided.

Agenda Review

No changes were made to the agenda.

Approval of October PTAC Board Minutes

Marc Epard moved to accept the October 17, 2006 PTAC minutes; Danny Kaiser seconded. Minutes were approved.

Public Transit Administrator Update

a. Ridership and Other Performance Statistics

PTA advised that fixed-route ridership decreased for a second month in a row. In October of last year, we saw a 23% increase in fixed-route ridership, which we believe was mainly due to the drastic jump in fuel prices after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This year gas prices have dropped to around $2 per gallon, and we believe this is partly the reason for the decrease. We've also noticed a slight decrease in KU student ridership that is not limited to Route 8, which serves the main campus. It appears the decrease coincides with the August start up of the KU Park & Ride System. Overall, PTA said he expects a 9-10% increase for 2006, which is still higher than the industry standard of 3.2 % growth for the first half of 2006. Martin Miller said he's noticed the Park & Ride lot seems to have a lot of cars in it the various times he has driven past. Danny Kaiser said to date they have sold just over 900 permits for the year. PTA said that based on the Park & Ride reports KU is averaging around 35,000 passengers per month.

b. City Commission Approval to Eliminate Wave-Down Policy for Fixed-Route Service Except for People with Disabilities and Discussion of Next Steps Towards Implementation

PTA said the board's recommendation to transition to a "designated-stop system" went before the City Commission and was unanimously approved. They were concerned about serving people with disabilities, but PTA explained to them the plan for issuing a placard to those who are unable to walk to the nearest bus stop. The process for obtaining a placard would be the same as the T Lift certification process currently in use.

The proposed and existing stops were made available for public review on our website, the library, City Hall, and the transit office. Several comments and suggestions were received during the review period, and once these additions are added to our data, they too, will be placed on our website for review. The Standards Sub-Committee will need to meet to discuss whether or not we will be making any changes to the design of our bus stop signage. Only after all proposed signage is installed, and adequate notice is provided to the public, can we transition fully to designated bus stops. Alan Black asked if we were going to wait until coordinated routes with KU are determined before we add the additional signage. PTA said no, since the wave-down policy is currently impacting our on-time performance.

City/KU Transit Service Coordination Final Report

PTA said he has forwarded all information provided by the consultant to the board members, and it has been posted on our website. Danny said KU has added a link to our website on their website for added access to the information. The consultant will be in town next week to hold two additional public meetings and to present the Executive Summary to the City Commission and the KU Provost and available vice-provosts. Alan Black asked about PTAC's role in regards to the coordinated study, since the study management team was formed and not all PTAC members are on the team. PTA said the City Commission will look to PTAC for recommendations regarding the planning study, and whether or not they support increased coordination with KU.

Several members expressed concern about KU on Wheels "express service" which means limited stops along their bus routes. Express service is preserved in the consultant's recommendations for coordination. They felt that "T" riders would not benefit from the new routes unless they attend or work at KU. The board talked about adding more stops along KU's routes at popular destinations within the community and locations where riders could transfer to and from the "T".

PTAC continued discussing the information provided by the consultant, and although they do not agree with all the recommendations, they recognize it is only a starting point and are confident the city and KU will be able to work out the details. All in all, the board felt that pursuing increased coordination with the university is a worthwhile endeavor.

Public Comment

None provided.

Tentative Next Meeting Date

February 20, 2007

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 5:34 p.m.

— Submitted by Wendy Koerner
Approved at February 20, 2007 meeting.