Transcript Planning and Polishing Service for High Schools

Planning and Polishing
Service for High Schools
Kristin Thompson
Supervisor, Service Analysis
Metro Transit
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Downtown Minneapolis
U of MN
Downtown St. Paul
MSP Airport
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Mall of America
Project Background
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Metro Transit and
Minneapolis Public Schools
have partnered for several
years
– Summer school
– Attendance area changes
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Until last fall, yellow buses
used for most high school
transportation
Working group of MPS and
Metro Transit staff formed in
2011 to explore expanded
partnership
Critical Tool: The Student Pass
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An existing fare tool in our lineup
of Go-To smart card products
All-you-can-ride pass
Customized to MPS needs
– Limited hours (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
– Student ID printed on reverse
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Provides valuable transactional
data to MPS and Metro Transit
To-School Travel Time
Initial Analysis
Percent of Students
70%
60%
Edison
50%
North
Roosevelt
40%
Washburn
30%
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20%
10%
0%
1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
Minutes
41-50
Edison HS Estimated Demand
Route 10
Northbound
Southbound
Route 17
Eastbound
Westbound
Route 32
Eastbound
Westbound
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• All high schools located on or
Arriving
Departing
64
4
4
118
30
103
430
5
308
> 50
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near local routes with 10-20
minute frequencies
Nearly all students within 0.25
mi of a bus stop
Using student origin/
destination data, generated trip
plan data for each student
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Trip duration
Number of required transfers
Demand by route/trip
Travel and transfer patterns
Fall 2012: Phase I
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Six of eight large Minneapolis high schools
School hours– 8 or 8:30 am to 3 pm
Pass eligibility
– Outside school walk zone
– Inside walk zone, but eligible for free/reduced lunch
– Others allowed to purchase at half price
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3200 students eligible as of July 2012
Service Planning Approaches
• Plan a seat for each student– actual demand unknown
• Use existing capacity where available
• Establish or use existing short-line terminals
• Schedule doubleheaders
• Consider route extensions to school building if heavy
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loads expected
Comply with FTA charter and school bus regulations
Example: Edison HS
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Heavy cross-river
demand from north
Minneapolis to
northeast Minneapolis
Inadequate existing
service
– Long trips
– Most trips require a
transfer
– Long-term detour
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Example: Edison HS
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New route extensions
Unexpected ridership
patterns
– Downtown orientation
• Mid-year service
adjustments
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Initial Supplemental Service Plan
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MPS “school extra” trips on 12 routes
Routing changes to bring routes closer to schools,
reduce transfers
89 school extras for MPS
– 84 platform hours
– 37 AM peak buses
– no PM peak buses
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Bus Count
AM Peak
PM Peak
March 2012
693
742
September 2012
730
743
System-wide
change
+37
+1
Communications and Outreach Plan
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Program webpage (metrotransit.org/mps)
School-specific map displays in schools
Marketing materials (Code of Conduct, User Guide)
Bus operator training (with follow-up Bulletins)
Outreach at school events during summer 2012
Metro Transit staff at schools and transfer points the first two
days of school
Challenges
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Coordination with other Metro Transit commitments
– Driver pick date
– State Fair
• Partnership with MPS
• Negative perceptions
– Downtown
– Midday ridership
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MPS Student Pass Tags by Hour
Weekdays 9/24-10/12, by location
2200
Number of Passes Tagged on Buses and Rail
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
5:00
AM
Other
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DT Mpls 2
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6:00 7:00 8:00
AM
AM
AM
202 1745 403
27
269
58
9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00
AM
AM
AM
PM
PM
87
54
47
52
48
27
15
18
17
15
2:00 3:00 4:00
PM
PM
PM
145 1686 615
21
179 128
5:00
PM
414
77
6:00
PM
337
71
7:00
PM
226
54
8:00
PM
139
37
9:00 10:00 11:00
PM
PM
PM
99
11
2
27
8
0
2012-2013 Results
Passes & Service
• 3800 passes in use
• About 7000
rides/weekday
• Close to 1.5 million rides
for the school year
• By March, MPS school
extras trimmed 15% to 76
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MPS Student Survey
• 66% “love it” and 25%
“like it”
• In additional to school
trips, popular uses
include:
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Library (42%)
Athletics (40%)
Jobs (36%)
School clubs (26%)
Tutoring (16%)
Fall 2013: Phase II
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South and Southwest High Schools will join the program
– 2100 additional pass holders
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Repeated trip planner analysis
Both schools are located in south Minneapolis– strong
grid network
– Focus on providing adequate capacity on existing routes
– Refine ridership expectations based on experience
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Tips for Planning Service for High Schools
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Get information early and
often
– Student addresses and
school choice
– School bus routes and
ridership
– Bell times and start date
– Track ridership
• Carefully plan service
• Be prepared to change
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your plans
Work the partnership
Planning and Polishing
Service for High Schools
Kristin Thompson
Supervisor, Service Analysis
Metro Transit
Minneapolis, MN