TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
SUBJECT: Service Alignment with Operator Availability
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving a series of service changes for the June 2019 sign-up that would normalize service levels to match the number of available operators.
Body
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Since there is no change in the operator count, the budget impact of this proposal is minimal. There would likely be a decrease in unscheduled overtime costs because the reduction in the amount of scheduled service would relieve some of the District's unscheduled overtime needs. However, staff will not know the amount of unscheduled overtime reduction until the service changes are in effect. If approved, staff will report back on the financial outcomes of this proposal.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Following the passage of Measure BB in 2014, AC Transit developed and implemented a set of service improvements - funded by that measure and marketed as AC Go - that resulted in an increase in the number of operators required for planned service from about 1,250 operators in 2015 to 1,344 operators in 2018, including the Extra Board. These service enhancements have resulted in ridership increases District-wide, in particular on the lines that were improved as part of AC Go. However, this significant increase in the number of operators required to provide service has also placed strain on the District given the current environment of low unemployment. The District has struggled to hire at a rate faster than attrition, and at the same time operator absenteeism has increased by approximately 6 percent from the previous year.
For FY 2018-19 there are 1,353 approved operator positions. The District was able to maintain an operator workforce of 1,344 earlier in 2018 but availability began to diminish in the summer and now hovers around 1,300 operators, with the difference made up of 20 vacant positions and the rest o...
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