TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Operations Quarterly Performance Report
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving the Quarterly Operations Performance Report for AC Transit Fixed Route Services during the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 22-23.
Staff Contact:
Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer
Body
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Service Quality
The Quarterly Operations Performance Report provides Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and other District activities which support and are aligned with the following Strategic Plan Goals and Initiatives: Safe & Secure Operations, Convenient & Reliable Service, High Performing Workforce, Service Quality, Employee Recruitment, Training & Retention.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no budgetary or fiscal impacts related to this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Data Reporting
The data presented in this report was extracted on October 18, 2022 and may differ from the “live” District KPIs. The Quarterly Operations Performance Report provides information on programs within the District designed to improve the performance, reliability, cleanliness, and safety of the District’s bus service. The FY2023 Q1 Attachment provides graphical representations of the performance of the programs that include the benchmarking goal.
Employee Recognition
To continually recognize outstanding employees who are an essential part of achieving Division goals and objectives, the following employees were recognized as Employees of the Month during this quarter:
|
Transportation |
Jul-22 |
Aug-22 |
Sep-22 |
|
Road Supervision/OCC |
Trevor Pacheco |
Keyoila Colbert |
Tina Jackson |
|
Division 2: Emeryville |
Natasha Bowie |
Kevin Lyons |
Trisha Gentry |
|
Division 3: Richmond |
Raphael Nomeh |
Dwayne Cook |
Ashika Ram |
|
Division 4: East Oakland |
Jerome Johnson |
Deanna Buford |
Ghulam Noor |
|
Division 6: Hayward |
David Cheng |
Tajender Rai |
Ravinder Singh |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maintenance |
Jul-22 |
Aug-22 |
Sep-22 |
|
Central Maintenance |
Jason Regino |
Nehemias Garcia |
Gawaine Johnson |
|
Division 2: Emeryville |
Jairo Galdamez |
Francois Pohan |
Lawrence Ng |
|
Division 3: Richmond |
Dinieri Parker |
Britton Mansell |
Jose Cardenas |
|
Division 4: East Oakland |
Joseph Romero |
Daniel Flores |
Manuel Vasquez |
|
Division 6: Hayward |
Steve Lee |
Suceley Salazar |
Demetrius Wright |
On-Time Performance
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 1: On-Time Performance)
On-Time Performance (OTP) is a District Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to achieve 72% or higher. System-wide OTP average in Q1 was 73.46% versus 74.44% in the prior quarter. The District met or exceeded the goal in July (76.17%) and August (73.01%) but did not meet this goal in September (71.21%). The average OTP for Transbay routes was 74.42% versus 74.81% in the prior quarter.
Operations Control Center (OCC) staff utilized line management methods to monitor and track on-time performance. Each controller is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the performance of a specified Division and collaborate with various departments to address in- service delays. This allows staff to identify issues and mitigate them where possible. Line management teams focus on low-performing routes to improve the overall District’s on-time performance. Before developing a service sign-up, the Planning and Scheduling Department analyze the lowest-performing lines to determine which lines may need schedule adjustments that will help improve on-time performance. This included various District departments and ATU Local 192 Driver’s Committee collaboration efforts that align and maximize efficient use of available resources to enhance the quality of service.
Ridership
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 2: Ridership)
System-wide weekday Ridership in Q1 averaged 111,775 versus 103,958 in the prior quarter. Ridership has been steadily recovering. Weekday ridership through the quarter was: July (94,135), August (113,810) and September (127,379). Weekday ridership on Transbay lines during Q1 averaged 6,590 versus 6,162 in the prior quarter. Transbay ridership accounted for 5.90% of system-wide weekday ridership.
Performance improved in Q1 due to increased ridership during the Summer/Fall period with the return of schools and decreased COVID cases in the region towards the latter part of the quarter, and many businesses returning employees to work.
Service Operated Percentage
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 3: Service Operated)
System-wide percent of Service Operated in Q1 was 91.94% versus 92.80% in the prior quarter. The Service Operated KPI goal is 99.5%. The District did not meet this goal during any one month in the quarter: July (91.37%), August (92.28%) and September (92.19%).
This KPI was impacted by operator unavailability. During this quarter, more absences occurred due to many employees remaining off work for various reasons, including childcare and family member needs, and health concerns. California’s COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) benefit was due to end on September 30, 2022; however, it has been extended until December 31, 2022 under Assembly Bill 152 (AB-152) which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 29, 2022.
Operator Log-On Rate
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 4: Operator Log-On Rate)
Operator Log-On Rate is a District KPI to achieve 95.0% or higher. The system-wide average rate in Q1 was 96.93% versus 96.81% in the prior quarter. The District met or exceeded this goal each month of the quarter: July (97.78%), August (96.76%) and September (96.25%).
Line Management groups at each Division track and monitor log-on performance, address systematic issues, log-on operators if needed, and help operators with reminders to log on before they depart the yard. This combined effort resulted in sustained improvement and performance of the log-on percentage KPI. The District is in the initial testing phase of bilateral integration of data between our computer aided dispatching automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system and service scheduling software which will facilitate activation of single point log-on. This advancement in technology deployment will make a significant improvement with operator log-on rate performance.
Operator Unavailability
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 5 & 6: Scheduled/Unscheduled Unavailability)
Total Operator Unavailability is a District KPI to remain below a combined total of 22.50%: (1) Scheduled (8.50%) and (2) Unscheduled (14.00%). The system-wide average for Total Operator Unavailability in Q1 was 32.62% versus 30.89% in the prior quarter.
System-wide average Scheduled Operator Unavailability in Q1 was 9.35% versus 8.23% in the prior quarter. Scheduled Operator Unavailability met the District goal of being below or at 8.50% in August (7.90%) but was above this threshold in July (10.46%) and September (9.68%).
System-wide average Unscheduled Operator Unavailability in Q1 was 23.27% versus 22.67% in the prior quarter. Unscheduled Operator Unavailability did not meet the goal of less than 14.00% during any month in the quarter: July (23.96%), August (23.38%) or September (22.48%).
Absenteeism was unstable in Q1 due to the changing conditions caused by the pandemic, amount of unforeseen variant cases, and COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL). Staff remains engaged for up-to-date information and frequently communicates with employees and labor Union partners. AC Transit remains committed in the Leave Management Committee (LMC) and the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee which are collaborative initiatives focused on assisting employees with the return-to-work process.
Accident Rates
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 7 & 8: Passenger Falls/Vehicle Accidents)
The system-wide average rate of Passenger Falls per 100,000 Miles in Q1 was 1.74 versus 1.68 in the prior quarter. The goal for Passenger Falls met the District’s KPI target of less than 3.25 in each month of the quarter: July (1.70), August (2.18) and September (1.34).
The system-wide average rate of Vehicle Collisions per 100,000 Miles in Q1 was 4.31 versus 4.49 in the prior quarter. The District was at or below this threshold in the month of July (3.92) but rose above the stated goal in August (4.36) and September (4.64).
The Accident Reduction Taskforce meets monthly to analyze root causes of incidents and develop initiatives to minimize passenger falls and vehicle collisions. Accidents that occurred during the period were evaluated by this taskforce, which initiated new campaigns and updated others to focus on the highest accident types. One initiative is to engage with operators on all accident types, whether preventable or not, to get their feedback and raise awareness. Another initiative implemented was daily safety messages sent from the Operations Control Center (OCC) and broadcast to all buses. The safety messages are concise and diverse, each to emphasize pertinent personal and defensive driving safety reminders. Finally, traffic is beginning to increase on roadways which will require enhanced focused from this taskforce to support our operators.
Miles Between Chargeable Road Calls
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 9: Miles Between Chargeable Road Calls)
Miles Between Chargeable Road Calls (MBCRC) is a KPI to meet or exceed 5,400 miles between chargeable road calls. System-wide MBCRC in Q1 was 10,617 versus 10,313 in the prior quarter. MBCRC exceeded the District’s goal in each month of the quarter: July (10,490), August (10,796) and September (10,565).
The Road Call Reduction Taskforce (RCRT) meets monthly to analyze road calls to prevent repeat failures and develop initiatives to increase fleet reliability. OCC continues to utilize the new Road Call Guideline Manual to address vehicle performance issues on the bus fleet that could impact service. The manual is used to coach operators and resolve many common bus issues experienced while in service. Staff evaluated the goal set for this KPI and will increase it from 5,400 to 7,500 MBCRC, an updated goal will be reflected in the performance charts for Q2.
Bus Cleanliness Inspection - Overall Rating
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 10: Bus Cleanliness Inspection - Overall Rating)
The system-wide average for Bus Cleanliness Inspection Overall Rating in Q1 was 7.92 versus 7.96 in the prior quarter. The District did not meet the KPI target of 8.10 in each reporting month: July (7.85), August (7.93) or September (7.97).
The Bus Cleanliness Taskforce meets monthly to analyze, investigate, and solve issues regarding bus cleanliness. Continual focus resides in those areas receiving the lowest rating in the monthly Quality Assurance department inspections. Service Employees continue to provide enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of the fleet in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Q1 seven new employees have been added to the workforce and recruiting continues to process onboarding for more Service Employees. Staff evaluated the goal set for this KPI and will adjust it from 8.10 to 8.0, an updated goal will be reflected in the performance charts for Q2.
Bus Operator Recruitment
In Q1, the High-Volume Talent Acquisition Team (HVTAT) remained committed to hiring the best employees to fill the needs of the District. AC Transit partnered with the Private Industry Council (PIC) of Oakland as well as Alameda County to have an event targeted at job seekers interested in AC Transit’s Bus Operator position. Staff assisted more than 60 applicants with the application process. These events took place in September in West Oakland and in East Oakland. We are now scheduled to extend these targeted events into Contra Costa County beginning early November. We continue to attend job fairs in the community focusing on areas we service. Further, HVTAT has partnered with Marketing and Communications to deploy a new Recruitment Campaign to attract qualified candidates.
Journey Level Mechanic Staffing
The High-Volume Talent Acquisition Team (HVTAT) is currently recruiting for Journey Level Mechanics (JLM). We have administered the written exam and are currently scheduling hands-on testing and interviews for qualified candidates. Currently, there are 21 vacancies for the position of Journey Level Mechanic, with several candidates in the late stages of the recruitment process. In the last three months, staff successfully hired 8 Journey Level Mechanics for the Divisions and added 3 Pre-Apprentice Mechanics to the 15 active Apprentices in the Heavy-Duty Coach Mechanic Apprenticeship Program. HVTAT is preparing for the next class of Mechanic Helpers by reviewing applications of the qualified applicants. We have now extended our hiring bonus to include Journey Level Mechanics, and we are hopeful that this will aid in filling our vacancies. HVTAT continues to deploy a recruitment campaign to fill the remaining vacancies promptly with qualified applicant.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
This report does not recommend a course of action with notable advantages or disadvantages.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
This report does not recommend an alternative analysis.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
There are no prior relevant Board actions/policies.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. FY2023 Q1 - Operations Quarterly Performance Report: Charts & Tables
Prepared by:
Chris Durant, Assistant Director of Maintenance
In Collaboration with:
Scott Arjun, Senior Management Analyst
Christy McCree, Senior Human Resources Analyst Staffing
Approved/Reviewed by:
Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer
Cecil Blandon, Director of Maintenance
Derik Calhoun, Director of Transportation
William Tonis, Director of Project Controls & Systems Analysis
Manjit K. Sooch, Director of Systems and Software Development