TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
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 Fourth Quarter of Fiscal Year 2022.
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
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 July 15, 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 FY2022 Q4 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 |
Apr-22 |
May-22 |
Jun-22 |
|
Road Supervision/OCC |
Quanta Barnes |
Devon Alexis |
Erica Seals |
|
Division 2: Emeryville |
Falechia Washington |
Delondo Cooper |
William Collins |
|
Division 3: Richmond |
Cybrieal Williams |
Anisha Keel |
Sandra Santos |
|
Division 4: East Oakland |
Ho Lee |
Jaida Harris |
Willie Robinson |
|
Division 6: Hayward |
Mary Walker |
Rafael Castro |
Robin Lacey |
|
Maintenance |
Apr-22 |
May-22 |
Jun-22 |
|
Central Maintenance |
Suresh Singh |
Robert Levy |
Shawn Stevenson |
|
Division 2: Emeryville |
Jeff Ksenzulak |
Francois Pohan |
Jesus Sandoval |
|
Division 3: Richmond |
Miguel Vega |
Rafael Mendoza |
Stacey Hayes |
|
Division 4: East Oakland |
Warren Johnson |
Kyin Kyu |
Andres Floriano |
|
Division 6: Hayward |
Valery Shekhtman |
Cesar Mendez |
Michael Leite |
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 Q4 was 74.44% versus 74.71% in the prior quarter. The District met or exceeded the goal in each month of the quarter: April (75.13%), May (73.61%) and June (74.58%). The average OTP for Transbay routes was 74.81% versus 75.55% 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 Q4 averaged 103,958 versus 99,650 in the prior quarter. Ridership is steadily recovering. Weekday ridership through the quarter was: April (105,383), May (107,360) and June (99,131). Weekday ridership on Transbay lines during Q4 averaged 6,162 versus 5,262 in the prior quarter. Transbay ridership accounted for 5.93% of system-wide weekday ridership.
Performance improved in Q4 due to increased ridership during the Spring period, 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 Q4 was 92.80% versus 92.36% 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: April (95.55%), May (93.27%) and June (89.59%).
This KPI was impacted by operator unavailability. During this quarter, more absences occurred due to the Omicron variant as reinfections are happening faster and more frequently compared to the Delta variant last summer. Many employees remained off work for various reasons, including childcare and family member needs, and health concerns. Since July of 2021, Service Operated has dropped due to the increase in absences associated with Senate Bill No.95 (SB 95) COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave. Supplemental paid sick leave (SPSL) benefit ended September 30, 2021 but was made available again in California on February 19, 2022 through September 30, 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 Q4 was 96.81% versus 96.78% in the prior quarter. The District met or exceeded this goal each month of the quarter: April (96.88%), May (96.74%) and June (96.81%).
Line Management groups at each Division track and monitor log-on performance, address systematic issues, log-on bus operators if needed, and help bus 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.
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 Q4 was 30.89% versus 33.58% in the prior quarter.
System-wide average Scheduled Operator Unavailability in Q4 was 8.23% versus 9.41% in the prior quarter. Scheduled Operator Unavailability met the District goal of being below or at 8.50% in April (7.41%) and June (7.57%) but was above this threshold in May (9.70%).
System-wide average Unscheduled Operator Unavailability in Q4 was 22.67% versus 24.16% in the prior quarter. Unscheduled Operator Unavailability did not meet the goal of less than 14.00% during any month in the quarter: April (21.09%), May (22.56%) or June (24.35%).
Absenteeism was unstable in Q4 due to the amount of unforeseen variant cases and the changing conditions caused by the pandemic. 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 Q4 was 1.68 versus 1.38 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: April (1.54), May (1.97) and June (1.52).
The system-wide average rate of Vehicle Collisions per 100,000 Miles in Q4 was 4.49 versus 3.91 in the prior quarter. The District did not achieve the KPI target of less than 4.00 during any month in the quarter April (4.87), May (4.19) and June (4.42).
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 Q4 was 10,313 versus 7,509 in the prior quarter. MBCRC exceeded the District’s goal in each month of the quarter: April (11,107), May (10,540) and June (9,291).
The Road Call Reduction Taskforce (RCRT) meets monthly to analyze road calls to prevent repeat failures and develop initiatives to increase fleet reliability. Implementation of the OCC Road Call Guideline Manual provides updated guidelines to address performance issues on the bus fleet. This enables OCC Controllers to assist bus operators in resolving many common bus issues experienced while in service. Staff focused training on zero emission buses and refresher training for mechanics to reinforce proper work procedures.
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 Q4 was 7.96 versus 7.92 in the prior quarter. The District did not meet the KPI target of 8.10 in each reporting month: April (7.90), May (7.97) and June (8.00).
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. Seven new employees have been added to the workforce and recruiting continues to process onboarding for more Service Employees.
Bus Operator Recruitment
In Q4, the High-Volume Talent Acquisition Team (HVTAT) was created and is comprised of Human Resources professionals dedicated to filling High-Volume recruitments. The team has been tasked with filling the following vacancies: Bus Operator, Journey Level Mechanic, Service Employee and Janitor. The team has successfully filled the June 2022 New Bus Operator class and remains committed to hiring the best employees to fill the needs of the District by reviewing processes, using technology and modern recruiting techniques.
AC Transit partnered with Private Industry Council (PIC) of Oakland to have an event targeted at job seekers interested in AC Transit’s Bus Operator position. This event took place in June, and the HVTAT assisted 36 job seekers with the application process for the Bus Operator position. This was promoted by PIC and landed on the radar of the Mayor, who then tweeted about the event. The event was extremely successful. HVTAT is now in talks to have another event and expand into the East Contra Costa region.
Journey Level Mechanic Staffing
In Q4 of the fiscal year, Human Resources restarted the Journey Level Mechanics (JLM) recruitment with the establishment of the High-Volume Talent Acquisition Team (HVTAT). HVTAT administered the written exam and are currently scheduling hands-on testing and interviews for qualified candidates. Currently, there are 22 vacancies for the position of Journey Level Mechanic, with several candidates in the late stages of the recruitment process. HVTAT is preparing for the next class of Mechanic Helpers to start in summer 2022, which is the first step into the heavy-duty coach apprenticeship program. HVTAT continues to deploy a recruitment campaign to fill the remaining vacancies promptly with qualified applicants.
Non-Revenue Vehicles
(Reference Attachment 1, Chart 11 & 12: Non-Revenue List by Department/ Non-Revenue List of Assigned Take Home Vehicles)
In compliance with Board Policy 438, the district currently has 146 non-revenue vehicles to support the entire operation, including on street supervision, parts delivery, emergency road service (response), facilities maintenance, equipment maintenance, bus stop maintenance, operator relief, mail delivery, meeting attendance, and other various administrative functions.
Protective Services Report
(Reference Attachment 1, Table 1: Protective Service Report)
The Q4 performance is based on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office data. Staff continues to work with the Contra-Costa County Sheriff’s Office to incorporate their data securely through the Department of Innovation and Technology (IT) Data Integration and Management Environment (DIME) process. Staff will continue to refine the data collection and validation process utilizing industry standards and best practices.
Beginning the first quarter of FY23, the Protective Services Report will not be included in this report, a separate report focused on Protective Services will be presented to the Board.
The AC Transit-related activity percentage has a 95% target setting goal. This goal was met in each of the three months in Q4: April (98.9%), May (98.0%), and June (97.5%), with an average of 98.2%. The average response time for all calls was four minutes and two seconds (0:04:02); 68.7% of the responses were under 5 minutes, while 21.5% of responses were over 5 minutes. Response times greater than 5 minutes averaged sixteen minutes and thirty-three seconds (0:16:33).
Additional metrics are provided in Table 1 of the attachment that provides Q4 incident totals on altercations (15 total), arrests (121 total), citations (990 total), and bus activity (3,730 total). The average deputy response to slips, trips, and falls was 83.3% during the quarter. Deputy sheriffs also made a total of five (5) mental health referrals in lieu of arrest during the quarter.
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. FY2022 Q4 - Operations Quarterly Performance Report: Charts & Tables
Prepared by:
Dwain Crawley, Assistant Director of Transportation
In Collaboration with:
Scott Arjun, Senior Management Analyst
Kerry Jackson, Protective Services Manager
Emily Sutkus, Human Resources Manager
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