TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
SUBJECT: Board Policy 471 - Cancellation of Scheduled Service Policy
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving amendments to Board Policy 471- Cancellation of Scheduled Service Policy [Continued from the April 13, 2022 Board of Directors meeting].
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Service Quality
Board Policy 471 - Cancellation of Scheduled Service Policy, provides direction to staff regarding the prioritization of bus service when there are limited resources. This policy supports and is aligned with the following Strategic Plan Goals and Initiatives: Safe & Secure Operations, Convenient & Reliable Service, High Performing Workforce, and Service Quality.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no budgetary or fiscal impacts related to this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Board Policy 471 (BP 417) establishes guidelines regarding the cancellation of the District’s service and how the District provides continuity of scheduled transportation service to customers during disruptions, such as situations and emergencies out of AC Transit’s control, staffing shortages, accidents or equipment failures that impact operations.
At the April 13, 2022, Board of Directors Meeting, Director Walsh requested an update from staff on ridership data that would justify altering Board Policy 471.
Staff researched ridership trends from January 2019 through March 2022 on Transbay and Local service. Attachment 1, Ridership Trend (Jan 2019 to Mar 2022) page 1, Quarter 1 of FY2019, shows the baseline ridership and compares the percentage change in ridership each quarter to that baseline. For the most recent quarter January through March 2022, the report shows that Local routes are thirty-six percent lower (-36%) versus January through March 2019 pre-pandemic base-level ridership. Transbay, however, is recovering at a much slower pace, and still down seventy-one percent (-71%) from pre-pandemic levels. Transbay routes from the most recent quarter are lower compared to January through March 2019. Of the three routes with the most ridership (F, NL, O), the F and NL are doing considerably better at negative twenty-three percent (-23%) and negative thirty-seven percent (-37%) respectively. Under all ridership performance metrics, local service is currently out-performing Transbay service. In addition to the metrics in Attachment 1, per data collected from the District’s Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) system for the Winter 2021/22 Sign-up ending March 26, 2022, Transbay service yielded an average of 312 daily riders per route with average productivity of nine passengers per revenue hour and 11.1 passengers per trip. Not including the all-day F, NL and O Transbay routes, average daily ridership is 77 per route with average productivity of 7.9 passengers per revenue hour and 10.1 passengers per trip. On the other hand, local routes carried an average of 1,459 riders per route with average productivity of 15.6 passengers per revenue hour and 14.4 passengers per trip.
Metrics aside, the demographics of Transbay riders have historically been wealthier with fewer people of color. With the District’s recent approval of strategic goals and initiatives emphasizing equity, staff’s proposed revision to Board Policy 471 seeks to prioritize local and supplementary service which carry more people of color and low-income riders.
While BART and Ferry service provide redundancy for a cancelled Transbay trip, the same cannot always be said for a local rider whose local trip is cancelled.
As a result, staff is proposing the following changes to BP 471:
• Section I. Purpose- was updated to include the responsive service need of our customers and communities if service is canceled due to limited resources and impact beyond AC Transit’s control.
• Section II. Persons Affected- added managing and operating AC Transit’s service.
• Section IV. Policy subsection A.-
o 1- The order of service coverage has been changed to reflect the new order: (1) Supplementary Service; (2) Local Service; (3) Transbay.
o 2- Supplementary bus service shall not be cancelled. Transbay was removed from bus service that shall not be cancelled.
• Section V. Authority subsection A.- added the General Manager’s authority to execute this policy and adjust service cancellation priorities in response to impacts from an emergency and/or changes in ridership pattern.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantage of this policy change is a more equitable distribution of service when cancellations are required. The disadvantage is a potential impact to our wealthier, non-persons-of-color riders.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
Staff considered leaving the policy as-is but determined it would be inequitable and an inefficient use of precious operating resources.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
There are no prior relevant Board actions/policies.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ridership Trend (Jan 2019 - Mar 2022)
2. Revised Board Policy 471
Prepared by:
Derik Calhoun, Director of Transportation
Approved/Reviewed by:
Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Robert del Rosario, Director of Service Development and Planning