Transcript Regional On-Board Bus Survey Proposal Presentation to the TPB Technical Committee Robert E.

Regional On-Board Bus Survey Proposal
Presentation to the
TPB Technical Committee
Robert E. Griffiths
Technical Services Director
October 5, 2007
Background

WMATA has budgeted $750,000 for a Metrobus
Passenger Survey in 2008
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TPB Regional Bus Subcommittee requested that
additional funding be identified for a supplemental
local bus on-board survey that would complement
WMATA’s effort

Supplemental Survey would survey riders on local
and county agency buses, including systems outside
the WMATA Compact area
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Spring 2008 Metrobus Survey

Purpose of WMATA’s On-Board Survey

Subsidy allocation for WMATA’s Regional Bus
Routes

Collection of origin-destination trip patterns for
bus route planning and travel demand model
validation

Profile of current bus riders
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TPB’s Interest in a Supplemental
On-Board Bus Survey
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With data from the 2008 Metrobus Survey, supplemental
survey would provide complete picture of bus transit usage
in the region
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Would provide information on “bus only” transit ridership in
the suburbs, not easily obtained by other means
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Would complement the TPB Household Travel Survey
currently underway and Spring 2007 Metrorail Passenger
Survey

An “unique” opportunity in terms of survey timing
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Bus Survey Issues

Survey data collected on WMATA Regional Bus Route
needs to be accurate and of very high quality for
subsidy allocation purposes
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Planners and modelers would like to have very detailed
information about bus riders and their trip patterns

Long, complicated survey forms asking “sensitive”
questions, like household income, can diminish survey
response and data quality
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TPB Staff Recommendations

Amend the FY 2008 UPWP to add 2008 Metrobus
Survey and Supplemental On-Board Bus Survey

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WMATA would transfer $750,000 in funding from their FY 2008
budget to TPB’s 2008 UPWP Budget
Reprogram $375,000 in FY 2008 UPWP funds currently
budgeted for the Household Travel Survey and WMATA
Technical Assistance for Supplemental On-Board Survey

Conduct WMATA’s 2008 Metrobus Survey and the
Supplemental On-Board Survey as a single contract
procurement managed by TPB staff

Evaluate impact of questionnaire length and content on
survey response and data quality in a survey pre-test
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On-Board Bus Survey Planning
Assumptions (Metrobus)

TPB staff with assistance from WMATA will develop the
sampling plan for the survey

WMATA regional and non-regional weekday bus routes
will be surveyed by contractor hired by TPB staff

Survey will be designed to provide WMATA staff with the
high quality data needed for subsidy allocation

An income question will be included on the long version
questionnaire in the survey pre-test

WMATA staff will approve the survey design and final
questionnaire used on regional and non-regional Metrobus
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routes
On-Board Bus Survey Planning
Assumptions (Local Bus Systems)

Weekday bus routes on the following systems will be
surveyed
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Prince George’s County (The Bus)
Montgomery County (Ride On)
Frederick County (TransIT)
The City of Alexandria (Dash)
Arlington County (Art)
The City of Fairfax (Cue)
Fairfax County (Connector)
Prince William County (PRTC: OmniRide, OmniLink)
Loudoun County (LC Transit)
Survey data collected in WMATA and supplemental local
bus on-board surveys will be shared with MTA and data
collected in MTA commuter surveys will be incorporated
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into TPB’s regional transit database
On-Board Bus Survey Planning
Assumptions (Local Bus Systems)
(cont)

TPB staff with assistance from local agency staff will
develop the sampling plan and questionnaire for each
local bus system

Survey questionnaire will include same core questions
that are on 2008 WMATA Metrobus survey
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Local agency staff will approve the survey design and final
questionnaire used on their bus system
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Survey contractor hired by TPB staff or contractors
already under contract to local transit will conduct on9
board survey
Proposed Schedule
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Review of UPWP Amendment by TPB Technical
Committee – Nov 2rd
TPB Action on UPWP Amendment – Nov 14th
Issue RFP – Nov 15th
Select Contractor – Dec 19th
Start Contract – January, 2008
Survey Pre-Test Early March, 2008
Conduct Survey – April & May, 2008
Data Delivery – June, 2008
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