HomeMy WebLinkAboutIowa City Area Transit Study PresentationCity Council Work Session | October 6th, 2020
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Project Refresher
Preferred Alternative
Stop Infrastructure
Vision for Transit
TONIGHT’S AGENDA
2
Fare Policy
Next Steps
2
Background
Background
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Iowa City Transit at-a-glance
•26 routes & 600+ stops:
o 20 routes on weekdays
▪6:15 –11:10 pm weekdays, with
most routes wrapping up 6 –7 pm.
o 6 on Saturday
▪6 am –7 pm
•26 diesel buses (4 Proterra electric buses
coming summer 2021!)
•60 employees
o Administration
o Drivers
o Mechanics
o Maintenance Staff
o Customer Service
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Annual Transit Ridership
1,446,296
1,225,199
1,984,441
1,874,830
1,683,634
1,563,657
1,486,351
1,156,346
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019
•1.15 million passengers served in FY20
•Annual ridership in FY20 reduced by
22%
•Daily ridership during COVID-19 down
60-70% over previous year
•We expect a greater decrease in FY21
•Ridership declined 25% 2009 –2019
•Factors outside of pandemic include:
o Competing transportation
resources (e.g. Uber/Lyft)
o Cheap fuel
o Economic recovery post Great
Recession
(COVID-19)
Project Refresher
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THE TEAM
City of Coralville
Coralville Transit
City of Iowa City
Iowa City Transit
University of Iowa
CAMBUS
The Public
Transit riders and potential-riders
Nelson\Nygaard
Transit Consultants
Stakeholders
Advocacy Groups
Economic Development Orgs
Schools / University / College
Civic Organizations / Committees
Transportation Committees
Service Organizations
Sustainability
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GOALS
Increase ridership
•Make transit more dependable for those who
rely on it, and an easier choice for others
•Double ridership in the next 10 years
•Climate Action Plan calls for shift of 55% of
vehicle trips to more sustainable methods by
2050 to meet GHG reduction goals
•Recover from COVID-19 ridership loses
Improve interagency coordination
•More streamlined experience for customers
•More consistent fare and transfer policies
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Remove barriers to transit use
•Faster, more frequent, and more reliable (on-
time) service
•Simplify the system so it is easier for the
public to understand
•Improve communications so riders have
complete and up-to-date information on
routes, fares, stops, service alerts and trip
planning tools
•Make transit stops more comfortable
Leverage Technology
•Determine how we can use new
transportation technologies to better serve
the community
1 2
3 4
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OBJECTIVES
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Determine how to best
allocate existing resources
to improve transit and
better meet public needs
Determine what
enhancements could
further improve
community mobility,
should additional
resources be allocated
1
2
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The ICATS Process
Three information sources informed the
transit study process which translated
into potential transit service concepts
Initial Service Concepts 10
Market
Demand
Operating
Data
Public
Input
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1. Operating
Data
•Boardings and alightings
(exiting bus)
•On-time performance
•On-board survey
✓Who rides?
✓What are their service
priorities?
✓What fares are they
paying?
✓Where do they transfer?
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2. Public Input
•Phase I outreach in September 2019
•2,777 metro onboard survey responses; 1,000+ from Iowa City Transit
riders
•Phase II outreach in November-December 2019
•Over a dozen stakeholder meetings
•Open house public meetings
•Iowa City, Coralville, University of Iowa
•~90 attendees
•Free rides home
•“Design Your Transit System” online survey
•1,325 responses
•Operator interviews
•Direct outreach to transit dependent populations assisted by JC Mobility
Coordinator and Community Transportation Committee
•Phase III outreach in January 2020
•Two stakeholder meetings
•Open house public meetings
•Iowa City, Coralville, University of Iowa
•~150 attendees
•Free rides home
•Service scenario survey
•1,396 responses 12
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3. Market
Demand Data
•Density and
Socioeconomics
•High school students
•University students,
faculty, and staff
•Identify service gaps
and opportunities to
improve
•Address entire
community’s mobility
needs
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Equity
Analysis
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Low-Income Populations
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Equity
Analysis
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Market Demand DataPeople of Color
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Route
Performance
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Market Demand DataFinancial Evaluation
•Fare-free Downtown Shuttle,
Oakcrest, and Towncrest have
the lowest cost per
passenger
•Routes to low-density areas
have the highest subsidies:
•Westport Plaza
•North Dodge
•7th Avenue $1.43
$1.49
$2.23
$2.57
$2.62
$2.73
$2.95
$2.99
$3.00
$3.48
$4.03
$4.16
$4.19
$4.38
$4.50
$4.74
$6.86
$9.21
$0 $1 $2 $3 $4 $5 $6 $7 $8 $9 $10
Free Shuttle
Oakcrest
Towncrest
Plaen View
Westwinds
Court Hill
Broadway
Rochester
Lakeside
Mall
Cross Park
Westside Hospital
Melrose Express
Eastside Express
Manville Heights
7th Avenue
North Dodge
Westport Plaza
Average Cost per Weekday Passenger Trip
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•Three cost-constrained
alternatives were developed
•Reflected technical analysis
and community input
•Based on best practices and
guiding principles
•Realistic, collaborative, and
implementable
•Preferred Alternative was
based on public response to
these alternatives
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Preferred
Alternative
Develop Recommendations
Preferred Alternative
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Preferred Alternative Almost all routes have a suggested change
Issues addressed:
✓Improved on-time performance
✓Faster, more direct service
✓Improved Saturday service
✓Improved weekday evening
service
✓Better midday frequency
✓Better peak frequency on two
key routes
✓Improved access to key retail
destinations / job centers
✓Reduced duplication between
ICT, CAMBUS, and Coralville
Transit
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Drawbacks:
•Some areas have longer walks to service
•Fewer one-seat rides to the hospital area on ICT
•Not all goals, including Sunday service, could be accommodated within existing budget
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Preferred Alternative
Highlights
•Addressing on-time performance problems
•Shifting routes to major arterials for improved speed and reliability
•Eliminating time-consuming and dangerous deviations into parking lots
•Shifting service off roads with operational problems, such as Lee Street in
Manville Heights, and off roads with congestion, such as Newton Road
near the hospitals
•Providing more direct service to popular destinations
•Better connections to major shopping destinations/retail job centers that
eliminate the need to transfer vehicles for many riders
•A one-seat ride from the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood to the Walmart-
anchored commercial area south of Highway 1
•Shifting route design away from ineffective loop routes to bi-directional
alignments
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Preferred Alternative
Highlights
•Increasing frequency on core routes
•15-minute peak period service on Iowa City Transit’s most popular
route, the Oakcrest (currently 30 minutes), and 15-minute all-day
service on the Iowa City Transit Southside Downtown Shuttle
(currently 15-30 minutes)
•20-minute peak period service on the Iowa City Transit Lower
Muscatine/Kirkwood route to Kirkwood Community College and
South Iowa City
•Iowa City Transit Saturday service improvements; more routes
•Simplifying routes
•Restructuring Iowa City Transit routes with a single set of
alignments, instead of operating two different alignments for each
route
•Shifting routes to arterials so riders can easily understand where a
bus will take them
•A route numbering system to make the three systems easier for
riders to use
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Existing
Service
•Hard to understand
•Circuitous routes
•Service on
neighborhood streets
•Duplicative service
•Different alignments
during different times
of day.
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Northeast Iowa City –Served by Routes 2, 11, 7 (& 3 when ICCSD in session)
Court Street
Rochester
Eastside Loop
(when ICCSD in session)
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Northeast IC: Route-Specific Recommendations
Route 2: Court Street
•Consolidates current Eastside Express and Court Street service.
•Midday frequency is improved to every 30 minutes from 60 minutes.
•New extension east includes a new terminal loop to Frauenholtz-Miller Park.
Route 11: Rochester
•Extend service onto N Scott Boulevard instead of Amhurst Street to better serve commercial and healthcare node
at the intersection of Scott Boulevard and Rochester Avenue.
•Frequency is same, but evening span is slightly reduced with service ending at 6:30 pm rather than 6:45 pm
Route 7: North Dodge
•Improve on-time performance by no longer deviating to Prairie du Chien Road
•Serve ACT hourly during peak hours only
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2 3
11
7
Route 3: Eastside Loop
•No changes
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•Areas losing direct
service:
o Prairie du Chien Road
▪Walk time to
transit: 5-8
minutes
o Huntington Drive
area
▪Walk time to
transit: 6-9
minutes
Impacts on
Existing
Riders
Northeast Iowa City
16
riders
5
riders
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Southeast Iowa City –Served by Routes 1, 5, 9, 13 (& 3 when ICCSD in session)
Court Street
Rochester
Eastside Loop
(when ICCSD in session)
Towncrest
South Iowa City Eastside Loop
(when ICCSD in session)
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Southeast IC: Route-Specific Recommendations
Route 1 South Iowa City
•Connects downtown Iowa City with the commercial area south of Highway 6, South Iowa City residential neighborhoods, and the
Heinz Road industrial area.
•Consolidates Lakeside, Cross Park, and Broadway routes into a single route that operates primarily on a bi-directional alignment.
Route 5: Lower Muscatine/Kirkwood
•Streamline route by removing deviations into parking lots
•Add two additional destinations: The Quarters and Bon-Aire Mobile Home Park
•Operate every 20 minutes on weekdays, improve access to Kirkwood Community College
•Potential to partner with The Quarters, which could provide an additional revenue source. The Quarters currently provides its
own transportation for residents.
Route 9: Towncrest
•No changes in alignment or weekday frequency
Route 13: South Gilbert
•Replaces Westport Plaza service to Cole’s Mobile Home Park
•Provides access to Terry Trueblood Recreation Area
•Adds additional capacity on growing portions of S Gilbert Street
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3 Route 3: Eastside Loop
•No changes
1
5
9
13
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Impacts on
Existing
Riders
•Areas losing direct service:
•Sheridan Avenue area
•7-9 minute walk to transit
•Highland Avenue area
•5-8 minute walk to transit
•New service to Terry
Trueblood Recreation Area
•Recreational destination
and voting precinct
5
riders
4
riders
Southeast Iowa City
New Service
Area
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Southwest Iowa City –Served by Routes 8,10,12, 13
West Iowa City
Oakcrest
Highway 1
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Southwest IC: Route-Specific Recommendations
Route 8 Oakcrest
•No change in alignment
•Operate every 15 minutes (was 30 minutes) during peak hours to better serve high-ridership areas
Route 10: West Iowa City
•Replaces portions of Melrose Express, Plaen View, Westwinds, and Westside Hospital with bi-directional service
•Serves Rohret Road and Westside Drive on alternating trips
Route 12: Highway 1
•Connects residential neighborhoods in west Iowa City with the Walmart-anchored commercial district south of
Highway 1 and downtown Iowa City.
•Replaces Plaen View, Westwinds, and Westport Plaza routes
Route 13: South Gilbert
•Replaces Westport Plaza service to Cole’s Mobile Home Park
•Provides access to Napoleon Park and Terry Trueblood Recreation Area
•Adds additional capacity on growing portions of S Gilbert Street
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13
8
10
12
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Impacts on
Existing
Riders
•Areas losing direct service:
•Melrose Avenue
•7-10+ minute walk to
transit
•Rohret Road area
•3 –7+ min walk to transit
•S. Riverside Drive
•8 min walk to transit
18
riders
11
riders
10
riders
Southwest Iowa City
New Service
Area
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Northwest Iowa City –Served by Routes 6 & 10
Peninsula
West Iowa City
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Northwest IC: Route-Specific Recommendations
Route 6: Peninsula
•Replaces Manville Heights route with a more direct route to downtown Iowa City
•Service in Manville Heights proper is removed due to low ridership
Route 10: West Iowa City
•Replaces portions of Melrose Express, Plaen View, Westwinds, and Westside Hospital with bi-directional
service
•Serves Rohret Road and Westside Drive on alternating trips
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10
6
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Impacts on
Existing
Riders
•Areas losing direct service:
•Manville Heights
•5-10+ min walk to transit
8
riders
Northwest Iowa City
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Iowa City Transit:
Existing Service Levels
•26 routes
•6 routes available on Saturdays
•Routes varies between weekdays and
evenings/weekends which causes confusion
•Mid-day service is mostly hourly
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Iowa City Transit:
Preferred Alternative
Service Levels
•13 routes
•Same route for weekend, evening and weekend
service
•Consolidated routes with overlapping service
•7 routes now have 30 minute mid-day service
•1 South Iowa City
•2 Court Street
•4 Downtown Shuttle (15 minute)
•5 Lower Muscatine / Kirkwood
•8 Oakcrest
•9 Towncrest
•10 West Iowa City
•All routes have service on Saturday, except
the Downtown Shuttle and Eastside loop
•Improved mid-day frequency benefits those who do
not work an 8-5 schedule and or want to use transit
for mid-day trips
Route
Frequency:
Proposed
Weekday
Frequency:
Proposed
Night/Sat.
Service Span: Preferred
Alternative
1 South Iowa City 30/30/30 60 6:30 a.m. -10:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
2 Court Street 30/30/30 60 6:00 a.m. –9:15 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –6:45 p.m. (Sat.)
3 Eastside Loop One trip --Weekday peak trips only
4 Downtown Shuttle 15/15/15 --7:30 a.m. –6:30 p.m.
5 Lower Muscatine /
Kirkwood 20/20/20 40 6:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
6 Peninsula 30/60/30 60 6:30 a.m. –8:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –6:30 p.m. (Sat.)
7 North Dodge 30/60/30 60 7:00 a.m. –8:30 p.m. (M-F)
7:30 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
8 Oakcrest 15/30/15 60 6:30 a.m. –10:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:30 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
9 Towncrest 30/30/30 60 6:30 a.m. –9:30 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –6:30 p.m. (Sat.)
10 West Iowa City 30/30/30 60 6:45 a.m. –10:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:45 a.m. –7:30 p.m. (Sat.)
11 Rochester 30/60/30 60 6:30 a.m. –6:30 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –6:30 p.m. (Sat.)
12 Highway 1 30/60/30 60 6:30 a.m. –10:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
13 South Gilbert 30/60/30 60 7:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (M-F)
7:30 a.m. –7:00 p.m. (Sat.)
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•Sunday service was one of the community’s most desired improvements, according to ICATS outreach
•Operating Saturday-level service on Sunday would require approximately 12% percent of ICT’s annual operating
budget
•If we added Sunday service to the Preferred Alternative, it would…
•…reduce 2 Court Street and 10 West Iowa City routes to hourly service during midday and weekends. When operating
hourly, West Iowa City would not serve Rohret Road.
•…eliminate the 13 South Gilbert Route to Terry Trueblood Recreation Area and Cole’s mobile home community.
•…reduce 8 Oakcrest high-frequency (15 minute) operations to only 2.5 hours in the morning commute period, eliminating
the PM peak hour high-frequency service
•…likely not generate as much ridership as it eliminates from weekday and Saturday service.
•Sunday service is recommended to be implemented only with an increase in available financial resources
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Challenges of Implementing Sunday Service
with Existing Funding
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Anticipated Results of Implementing the Preferred
Alternative
•Improved ridership, driven by:
•Kirkwood Community College and The Quarters
•More frequent service midday, evenings, and on weekends
•Better access from areas of high need
•Direct service from Pheasant Ridge to shopping and jobs
•Consistent South Iowa City service, including to job sites and grocery stores
•Weekday evening and Saturday access is vastly improved
•Primes pump for future expansion
•Sundays
•New service to growing areas
Transit Stops
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Tradeoffs: Stop Spacing vs. Speed of Service
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•Many stops in the Iowa City area
are closer than ¼-mile together
•The ICATS recommends stop
changes be conducted with a
public process where necessary,
to improve transit speed and
reliability
•ICATS has identified opportunities
to:
•Consolidate ~150 stops
•Relocate ~30 stops
•Add ~1 stops
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Stop Accessibility & Amenity Improvements
ADA
Many bus stops in Iowa
City do not meet ADA
requirements
Evaluation
Stops should be
evaluated and
prioritized based on
ridership data
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Stop Improvements
Recommend
enhancements at the
Interchange/transit
stops include signage,
real-time arrival
information, seating,
lighting and shelters
Vision for Transit
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Needs and Priorities Exceed Existing Funding:
Transit Vision is Cost Unconstrained
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1.Fare-free Iowa City Transit service
2.15-minute service on multiple
corridors
3.Sunday service
4.Improved Saturday service
5.Late-night weekday service
6.On-demand Night Owl service
7.On-demand service in low-density
neighborhoods
8.A new crosstown route
9.A new south Iowa City route
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Vision for Transit:
Enhancements &
Estimated Costs
Fare Policy
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Existing Fare Structure
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Fare Type ICT Coralville ICT to Coralville Transfer
Compatibility?
Cash Fares
Adults $1.00 $1.00 YES
Youth (Age 5-18 = ICT, Age 5-15 = Coralville)$0.75 $0.75*No
Children under 5 FREE FREE YES
Saturday Family Fare $1 per family N/A No
Discounted Fares
Disabled/low-income elderly FREE (off-peak only)+FREE No
Elderly (Age 60+ = ICT, Age 65+ = Coralville)$0.50 (off-peak only)+FREE No
Medicare Card $0.50 (off-peak only)+0.50 (off-peak only)+No
SEATS card holder FREE (off-peak only)+FREE No
Passes
24-hour pass $2.00 N/A No
Single-ride ticket $1.00 $1.00 No
10-ride pass $8.50 N/A No
20-ride pass N/A $20 No
31-Day adult pass $32 $32 YES
31-Day youth pass $27 N/A No
Youth semester pass $100 N/A No
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Benefits of
Fare-Free
•Simplified administration
•Ridership and productivity increases
•Travel time and dwell time savings
•Achievements in livability and public
health objectives
•More repeat riders and mode share
shifts
•Increase in community recognition
and pride
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Fare-Free
Analysis
Summary
of Findings
If ICT intends to double ridership in 10 years,
adopting a fare-free policy is recommended as
the most cost-effective way to achieve that goal.
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Fixed-Route Paratransit
Projected Ridership
Increase 700,000 –1,000,000 19,000 –39,000
Additional Annual
Operating Costs $1.32 –$1.40 million $745,000 –$872,000
Additional One-Time
Capital Costs $1 –$2 million $300,000 -$900,000
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•Increase Ridership while Balancing Revenue Goals. ICT seeks to
double ridership in 10 years.
•Improve Passenger Experience. Simplifying fare pricing improves
the passenger experience and makes the fare payment process
more intuitive.
•Streamline Fare Structures and Policies. Look for opportunities for
fare integration and improved coordination between agencies.
•Make Transit an Affordable Option. Consider low-income and
disadvantaged populations.
ICATS Fare Analysis Goals
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Recommended Fare Structure
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Fare Type ICT Coralville ICT to Coralville Transfer
Compatibility?
Cash Fares
Adults $1.00 $1.00 Yes
Youth (Age 5-18)$0.50 $0.50 Yes
Children under 5 FREE FREE Yes
Saturday Family Fare N/A N/A N/A
Discounted Fares
Disabled/low-income elderly FREE FREE Yes
Elderly (65 years of older)FREE FREE Yes
Medicare Card FREE FREE Yes
SEATS card holder FREE FREE Yes
Passes
24-hour pass $2.00 $2.00 Yes
Single-ride ticket $1.00 $1.00 Yes
10-ride pass $8.50 $8.50 Yes
20-ride pass N/A N/A N/A
31-Day adult pass $32 $32 Yes
31-Day youth pass $16 $16 Yes
Youth semester pass N/A N/A N/A
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Estimated Impact of Fare Structure
Change
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•Iowa City Transit
o Youth
▪Youth cash fare to $0.50
▪Youth monthly pass to $16
o Eliminate Saturday Family Fare and Youth Semester Pass
o Allow seniors, people with disabilities, Medicare cardholders, and
SEATS cardholders to ride for free at all times of day
▪Raise senior eligibility to 65
▪Eliminate peak/off-peak fare distinction
o Offer inter-agency transfers for all fare types
•Coralville Transit
o Youth
▪Youth cash fare to $0.50
▪Adopt youth monthly pass at $16
▪Raise youth eligibility to 18
o Allow Medicare card holders to ride for free at all times of day
o Transition from 20-ride to 10-ride pass at $8.50
o Offer inter-agency transfers for all fare types
1.3%
-4%
-0.2%
1%
-6%
-4%
-2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
Recommended Scenario
ICT Ridership % Change ICT Revenue % Change
Coralville Ridership % Change Coralville Revenue % Change
19,000
-$55,000
-1,000
$2,000
-60,000
-30,000
0
30,000
60,000
Recommended Scenario
ICT Change in Ridership ICT Change in Revenue
Coralville Change in Ridership Coralville Change in Revenue
Potential Funding
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Potential Funding Sources
54
Funding Source Operating Expenses Capital Expenses
Increased Parking Fees X
Potential partnership with
The Quarters or other entities X
Federal Surface Transportation Block
Grant (MPOJC funding source)X
State and Federal Grant Funding
Sources X
CARES Act Funding Limited X
Property Taxes X X
Utility Tax X
Sales Tax X X
Next Steps
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Next Steps
•Obtain initial City Council input
•Hold in-person and virtual public hearings in early 2021 to present
proposed routes, stops, and service changes
•Public outreach methods to include:
•Post/ distribute event flyers (multiple languages)
•Draft and distribute flyers for each proposed route (multiple languages)
•Meet with stakeholder groups
•Information booth at Interchange to connect directly with customers
•Direct outreach to transit dependent populations
•Digital outreach
•Legacy media
•On-bus annunciator messaging
•Develop phased implementation plan
•Field evaluate/finalize transit stop placement
•Finalize ICATS Plan; bring to City Council for consideration in spring
•Launch transit system design changes in summer 2021
•Fare and fare policy recommendations can be implemented sooner,
when agreed upon by Coralville and Iowa City 56
Thank You
Thomas Wittmann
(206) 428-1926
twittmann@nelsonnygaard.com
Darian L. Nagle-Gamm
(319) 356-5156
darian-nagle-gamm@iowa-city.org