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 DiAnne Turner, Interim Transportation Director for Logan Mason
Public Transportation (LMPT) handed out packets with the extensive
details about the Deviated Fixed Route that the Executive Committee
had discussed at their October meeting. Turner said, “The mission of
LMPT is to enhance the independence, opportunities, and lives of all
residents with affordable, reliable, and accessible transportation.”
Turner said the National Transportation Association's definition of
a Deviated Fixed Route is “vehicles operating on a regular schedule
along a well-defined route with or without marked bus stops that
deviate to serve demand-responsive requests within a defined zone
around the route."
Turner also said if a client calls in, drivers can deviate the route
to pick them up. She said if they are going down Broadway Street and
they get a call that there is someone on Sherman Street that needs
to be picked up, the bus would deviate off the route to pick up that
client. Turner said the bus would then go back to the point where
they left the route.
Committee Chairman Jan Schumacher asked if there would still be an
established route.
 Turner said there would still be the established route, but it would
also be able to deviate and then continue on.
Schumacher said "our concern was whether there would be a fixed
route with deviation to pick up others, because we want a regular
route."
Turner said how far off they go would be established by the
Transportation Advisory Committee, but most of the options she has
read about are anywhere from one-half mile to three-quarters of a
mile on either side of the route.
Kevin Bateman asked if people who called in ahead of time would be
picked up by the system LMPT uses now. He said he read that people
on a Deviated Fixed Route are not calling in the day before, but are
calling in as the route is being run. Bateman said he read there are
also "limitations" like having to be disabled, so a perfectly
healthy person could not call in and say, "I am a half mile away and
I do not want to walk to the bus stop."
Turner said that person could, because if they are using the
Americans with Disabilities Act, it is called a para-transit route.
A deviated route means, if there is someone six blocks from the stop
who cannot get there because their car is not working, the bus can
deviate off the route and get back on. Turner said everything has to
be set within a guideline and the transport companies can determine
how far off they will go. She said if LMPT determines they will only
deviate one-half mile and someone is two miles off the route, it
becomes on demand.
Turner said there are several items on the list for the
implementation of the Deviated Fixed Route Pilot Program. The plans
for implementation are as follows:
- A transportation Advisory Committee
- Obtain input from the community and business through
surveys.
- Examine current trip patterns, points of pickup, and
drop-offs.
- Target presentation to civic clubs, local associations,
church groups, and colleges.
- Advertising utilizing mixed media.
- Set implementation start date.
- Establish program monitoring guidelines.
- Collect and review data.
- A program assessment review.
Turner said she hopes the Transportation Advisory Committee
can begin meeting between November and December and start
planning the budget and route, and begin promoting the pilot
program in December. She said they plan to implement the pilot
program and pilot a route in January 2016, do a mid-point review
in April and June 2016, analyze the program data in April and
June 2016.
 Turner said the length of the pilot for the 2016 grant period is
January through June, which would be the last quarters of the
2016 grant. She said in May 2016, LMPT will submit the 2017
grant, which will be revised to include the Deviated Route.
Turner also said the 2016 grant review will be done in June.
Turner said quarterly expense projections for the pilot program
are $30,384 for January through March. The estimated expenses
for April to June are the same. Turner said the total service
miles for each quarter is 4,800 miles. She said they are under
in expenses, but over in miles.
Schumacher asked why miles were going to be so much higher.
Turner said she had a driver do a route that took one hour and
twenty minutes, had nine stops, and went ten miles. She said
with running two busses, they would cover eighty miles a day if
two busses ran routes four times a day.
Andy Anderson asked about the direction of the routes.
Turner said there would be two busses that would go in opposite
directions.
Bateman asked if these routes would be two times a day.
Turner said that they would be run four times a day in a full
eight hour day, five days a week.
Andy Anderson asked if they could do it that often because he
thought they could just do the routes eight hours a week.
Turner said the hours are fine, but the mileage may be a
problem.
Schumacher asked if the Deviated Fixed Routes would eliminate
some of the on demand rides.
Turner said, yes, it would because there are some clients who
live close to the route. She said on Broadway, one client who
gets rides to doctor's appointments could get on if the bus
deviates off their route.
Turner said the route the drivers tried started at Community
Action, went east on Fifth Street Road to Broadway, east on
Broadway to Limit Street, west on Limit Street to Woodlawn, then
to Walmart, east on Woodlawn to ALMH, and ALMH to Fifth Street
Road.
Turner said business leaders could help define where key spots
are.
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Bateman said one idea for the future could be running a route in small closed
loops means they run less of a distance. He said the problem with "running two
routes backwards" is that traffic patterns could be a problem.
Turner said the practice runs and routes were to "get a feel for how many miles
and how many hours," but the actual route would be up the Advisory Committee.
Turner said she just wanted to give the Executive Committee "an example of what
can be done and how it can be done." Right now the route does not address the
Mayfair area and Railsplitter Road.
Chuck Ruben said he thought these routes were a good start and the three month
reviews would be helpful.
Turner said she did not project the number of riders. She said she has read
several case studies to look at the potential.
Ruben said it will take between six months and a year before people know about
the routes.
Schumacher asked if stops would be marked.
Turner said the stops can be marked or unmarked.
Turner said they also need to remember the transport is supposed to be available
through the whole county. Schumacher said Mount Pulaski, Atlanta, and Mason City
could be added later. Turner said she read that other companies have feeder
programs that go to outlying areas on specific day.
Turner said she is anxious to hear what the Transportation Advisory Committee
comes up with, and said they will have good input.
Bateman said he thinks call-in riders should be a on a different route.
Schumacher said they need to establish distances.
Turner said that studies show that Deviated Fixed Routes and On-Demand Routes
mesh well. She said if we know there will be a high number of riders, we can run
another bus. Turner said that is the way Showbus does it.
Schumacher asked if the expenses include signage.
Turner said expenses are just based on mileage at this point. She said the total
budget for system expenses for 2016 is $633,257. Turner said $10,000 is
allocated for ads.
Bateman asked if businesses could sponsor ads on the sides of busses and on
benches as they do in other cities.
Turner said yes, they can generate advertising revenue.
Schumacher said they have also discussed having a Facebook page or website to
help advertise services. Community Action board member, Kathy Inman, said she
thought Pam Meagher had set one up. Schumacher said Meagher had planned to, but
it never happened. Bateman said that would be a small expense.
Schumacher asked if the Transportation Advisory Committee would start this
month.
Hepler said the Transportation Advisory Committee really needs to start this
month. He asked if the committee could meet by November 18th or 19th.
Schumacher said some of the people they are hoping to have on the Advisory
Committee would be more able to meet during the day, and they should ask
appointees about their availability. Bateman said he could not attend a meeting
during the day.
Schumacher said having ten on the committee would be best, but asked whether
others thought it would be okay to wait on appointing representatives of
outlying towns such as Atlanta, Mount Pulaski and Mason City
Dave Blankenship said they should appoint them now. Bateman said he thought the
board should contact mayors about the Advisory Committee.
Turner said there is still a lot to plan with advertising, expenses, fare
schedules, and routes. She said that with the suspension of transportation
recently lifted, LMPT is starting to get their other routes back up and moving,
and getting staff back.
Schumacher said getting this program started in January is a good idea because
of the weather. Bateman said he does not think LMPT should be concerned if the
ridership is low initially.
Turner said LMPT is talking to their clients about the Deviate Fixed Routes and
said some could use these routes, but others could not due to time sensitive
appointments. She said LMPT wants to see what the feedback is and how long it is
from when people get on until when they get off. Turner said they may have to
look at whether to use more busses or whether to space the times closer
together.
Schumacher said the steps Turner listed help and that she appreciates Turner's
overview and how well Turner has educated herself on the program. Schumacher
said it is a good start. She said, "We are glad you caught our vision."
In new business, the Executive Committee discussed office timekeeping and
whether to use time sheets, software, time clocks, or reports to prevent some
problems that they previously had. Bateman said there had been concerns about
the previous oversight of the office, so he just wants to cover bases. Ruben
said either a time clock or software would work, but you need to set up
parameters. The committee has not decided which one to use yet.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be Tuesday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m.
[Angela Reiners] |
