Draft SRTP Comments and Responses
Comment Period: June 11 – 25, 2008
(Triangle Transit response in italics)
Key Themes
About 1/3 of comments received were in support of service change on Route 301 (RTP-Cary-Raleigh) to Perimeter Park or other requests/suggestions for service to Perimeter Park. Most requested implementation sooner than FY2011.
- Triangle Transit planned the implementation of the rerouting of Route 301 between RTP and Cary (which would include service to Perimeter Park) for FY2011 in anticipation of the completion of the NC-54 widening project. We are looking into near-term solutions for providing service to Perimeter Park using shuttles or by rerouting other buses through Perimeter Park en route to the Regional Transit Center.
Most comments in support of SRTP recommendations wanted to see improvements happen sooner than planned.
- Triangle Transit also has an interest in implementing new services and service improvements as expeditiously as possible. We will continue to look for opportunities to make service improvements as quickly as possible, but are often constrained by the amount of resources available to plan, implement, and operate these service improvements.
Following feedback that supported current service recommendations and new service suggestions, the most common request was for additional service on existing routes, especially Express Routes 500 (Chapel Hill-Raleigh), 550 (Raleigh-Chapel Hill), and 600 (Durham-Raleigh). Feedback received via the on-line customer feedback system supports this.
- Triangle Transit is looking into near-term solutions to address crowding issues on certain trips of Routes 500, 550, and 600.
New service suggestions commonly referenced direct/express service to destination from park-and-ride.
- All of the new services that Triangle Transit plans to implement as part of the Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) are express services to major employment destinations using park-and-ride lots as major bus stops. One of the current year’s priority projects is to identify additional park-and-ride locations along existing routes. Where feasible, we will acquire additional park-and-ride spaces through lease agreements.
Summary of Comments by Topic
Support for Current Service Recommendations (50 comments)
The majority of support for current service recommendations was centered on service to Perimeter Park on Route 301, planned for implementation in FY2011. Several people supported the changes we made to the recommendation for the eastern half of Route 301 between Cary and Raleigh. We also received comments in support of our recommendations to improve on-time performance, add Sunday and holiday service, and coordinate service in the US15/501 corridor.
Support for New Service Recommendations (12 comments)
We received comments indicating support for all of the new service recommendations.
New Service Suggestions (44 comments)
We received many suggestions to consider new services that are not included in the Short-Range Transit Plan. Most suggestions involved direct service from residential areas or park-and-ride locations to employment centers and almost all comments were singular (i.e., we received only one suggestion for each route), with the exception of Wake Forest to RTP (4 comments), Chapel Hill to Perimeter Park (3 comments), and North Raleigh to Perimeter Park (3 comments).
- In creating the SRTP recommendations, we looked at estimates of overall travel demand as well as factors that influence the use of transit (low-income household travel demand, destination walkability, destination parking constraints, and the existence of employer transit subsidy or incentive programs). The combination of these elements helped lead to the prioritization and subsequent creation of an implementation schedule of new service projects in the SRTP. We also projected the resources that would be needed to operate each service and recognized that our ability to implement new services would likely be limited to one or two new routes per year. Accordingly, the highest priority projects according to our analysis are scheduled for implementation in the SRTP horizon (FY2009-2013). We recognize that the demand for transit services exists in other corridors, but our financial projections indicated that we do not have the resources to provide all of the services requested.
Additional Service on Current Routes (19 comments)
We received many requests for additional service on current routes, the majority of which came from patrons of our express services (Routes 500, 550, and 600). We also received requests to add service to Routes 201, 305, 402/403, and weekend service.
- As stated previously, Triangle Transit is looking into near-term solutions to address crowding issues on certain trips of Routes 500, 550, and 600. We will also continue to monitor and evaluate the demand for additional service on all of our routes. In addition to the specific recommendation to add trips to Route 600 in FY2010, there are placeholders in each year of the plan for the addition of service where demand dictates. We have also added a recommendation for FY2009 (the current year) to address capacity issues on current routes within the constraints of available resources.
Customer Information/Amenities (15 comments)
We received several requests to improve customer information and amenities, including requests for real-time passenger information, wireless internet on buses, bicycle capacity on buses and at bus stops, and bus stop amenities.
- Improving customer information and amenities is a priority in the SRTP. We have plans for a wireless internet demonstration project in the current year, real-time passenger information in FY2010, and bus stop and bicycle amenities improvements in each year of the SRTP. We will take the comments we received into consideration as we carry out the implementation of customer information and improved amenities.
Current Service Suggestions (9 comments)
We received the suggestion to reroute Route 105 through Perimeter Park, and a few other suggestions for how to improve current services.
- The recommendations for current service improvements in the SRTP should not be considered an exhaustive list of the changes we expect to make to current services over the next five years. The SRTP is flexible enough to accommodate unanticipated changes that are certain to arise over the next five years. Triangle Transit will consider the suggested improvements as we monitor and evaluate all of our services and recommend changes each year.
Support for Fixed-Guideway Transit (5 comments)
Several members of the public inquired about or expressed support for fixed guideway (e.g., light rail) transit in the Triangle region.
- Triangle Transit is still involved in providing planning support for regional decision makers with regard to major transit investments (including rail transit). For more information about major transit capital investments in the Research Triangle Region, please visit http://www.transitblueprint.org/.
Land Use and Transportation Policies (3 comments)
We received three comments on land use topics recommending improved pedestrian amenities (e.g., sidewalks, crosswalks) at our bus stops, bus bypass lanes on I-40, and transit-supportive development ordinances throughout the region.
- Triangle Transit communicates with our federal, state and local elected officials to garner support for transit funding and transit supportive policies. We encourage our customers and the non-riding public to voice their support for transit-supportive land use and transportation policies to the NCDOT and state, county, and local elected officials.
Triangle Transit Fleet (3 comments)
We received requests to replace our aging bus fleet and to look for non-oil-based alternatives for providing transit.
- Triangle Transit plans to replace the remaining buses in our fleet over the next four years. Replacements for most of the smaller shuttle buses should arrive this summer. The use of oil-free transit vehicles is not financially viable during the time horizon of the Short-Range Transit Plan (5 years). For more information on the region’s long-range plans for rail and other major transit capital investments, see the section above on fixed-guideway transit.
Fare Policy (1 comment)
We received one suggestion to lower the senior citizen fare age to 55.
- Triangle Transit, the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), Capital Area Transit (cat), and Cary Transit (C-Tran) worked together to create a coordinated plan for fare structures that could be used throughout all four agencies. The transit providers collectively decided to work toward a uniform senior citizen fare policy, with free fare for citizens aged 65 and over. An implementation date for this goal has not been decided.
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