Public Transit Advisory Committee Minutes
September 20, 2005, 4:10 pm – 5:30 pm
Public Transit Division Office, 933 New Hampshire Street
Members Present: Chairman Danny Kaiser, Marian Hukle, Alan Black, Rob Tabor, Jo Ann Garrett, Richard Heckler.
Members Absent: Marc Epard, Andy Stahmer, Jessica Mortinger.
Staff Present: Cliff Galante, Mike Sweeten, Wendy Koerner, Rachel Cornish.
Call to Order
Chairman Danny Kaiser called the meeting to order at 4:10 pm.
Public Comment
Saunny Scott commented on the “good coverage” regarding the recent article regarding physical vehicle safety inspections not being performed on our fleet.
Cliff Galante, Public Transit Administrator (PTA) indicated the article was misleading and provided an overview of FTA’s requirements and the level of inspections and preventive maintenance performed on the fleet by our contracted provider. He said safety is, and will always be, our number one priority. PTA also pointed out that during our Triennial Review in July, 2005, LTS received no findings from FTA in the area of vehicle maintenance and LTS was complimented on the level of preventive maintenance and recordkeeping performed by our provider.
Agenda Review
No changes or additions were made to the agenda.
Public Transit Administrator Update
a) Recognition of MV Transportation’s Efforts for Hurricane Katrina
PTA said that after Hurricane Katrina, MV Transportation was contacted by authorities in the area affected by the hurricane with a request for personnel and resources to aid in transport efforts. Two drivers from the Lawrence division of MV Transportation, Jerome Younger and Roger Lee, volunteered to go to Louisiana to help out in the emergency zone of Hurricane Katrina.
b) Recognition of FTA Award for Highest Increase in Ridership for Kansas Urban Systems 2003-2004
PTA announced that for the second year in a row, LTS has received an FTA award for the Highest Percentage Increase in Ridership for a Kansas Urban System for 2003 -2004. This award was presented to LTS staff at the annual Kansas Public Transportation Association meeting held in Topeka, September 12-14. Public outreach, marketing, public education, and rising fuel costs, all contribute to our ever-increasing ridership.
c) Ridership & Performance Statistics
PTA updated the board on the August Monthly Ridership Report and the Monthly Performance Statistics Report. Through August, LTS provided 281,953 rides on both systems. On-time performance for fixed route has averaged 99.20% and the TLift has averaged 98.44% for the year.
Alan Black pointed out that revenues for pass and tickets sales appeared to be down from prior months. Staff explained that the Finance Department closed out the month of August without including sales for August 30th & 31st. Most people purchase their passes the week prior to the start of the new month, and the loss of two days will greatly affect revenue totals. However, these funds will be reflected in September revenues. September revenues will also be elevated due to the receipt of funds from the KU Student Union Activities Office for all the “T” stickers that were sold at the beginning of the school year.
PTA also provided an update of the travel training program.
d) Safety & Security
PTA followed up on discussions from previous PTAC meeting regarding the “unfriendly T” letter to the editor. PTA has requested that all MV employees go through retraining on the restraint systems and for a refresher on sensitivity training. In addition, MV is testing a new restraint system on one of the fixed route buses to see if it is more user-friendly. So far, driver feedback has been positive. LTS is waiting on another restraint system model from a different vendor to try out, too.
Marketing Update
Marketing Coordinator updated board on current marketing efforts. T Shirt design contest is still in the works for the 5th year anniversary celebration. Staff requested PTAC be involved in the selection process for the winning design. A reception to celebrate our 5-year anniversary will be held on December 15 at the Lawrence Arts Center.
KU Task Force Status
Danny Kaiser updated the committee on the status of the KU Task Force. The committee submitted a report of their recommendations to the Provost at the end of August. The task force anticipates direction from the Provost will be to move forward with implementation and planning based on the recommendations.
K-10 Commuter Service
PTA said he has spoken with transit administration from Johnson County Transit regarding coordinating commuter service along the K-10 corridor. At this time feasibility of such an endeavor is in question. KDOT has funding to assist with capital needs, but no funding is available to operate commuter service. PTA suggested it may become a public/private partnership, such as a vanpool service, where the public entity provides the vehicles and private individuals provide the service. The next step is to perform a cost analysis to determine the feasibility of providing this type of service.
Maintenance Facility Feasibility Study Update
At this time grants are in place for the feasibility study and environmental assessment of the project. The first step is to develop a scope of work, and then perform a cost analysis to get an idea of what the project will cost. This is a top priority and the goal is to have the feasibility study out for bid within the next six months. Coordination with the university may be a determining factor in planning and design of a facility. In November, staff will be visiting maintenance facilities at Wichita Transit, Johnson County, and Topeka Transit.
Designated Bus Stops
PTA updated committee on plans to transition from a “flag-down” system to a “designated stop” system. Adequate spacing is the key in maintaining an efficient and reliable designated stop system. Staff has been working to identify gaps in the existing bus stop structure and evaluating locations to add new stops or to adjust existing stops. In addition, staff will develop a database of all bus stops so their locations can be added to route maps in the future.
Review of Committee Assignments
PTA provided copies of document prepared by the prior administrator that outlined committee assignments for the KU Coordination, Route Review, and Performance Standards sub-committees. PTA inquired whether board members were still comfortable with the committees to which they were assigned. No changes were made.
Development of “Transit Employee of the Year” Award Criteria
PTA told board members that staff had met to discuss the issue and felt that more frequent recognition of outstanding employees would be a better motivational tool than an annual award. PTA stressed that all employees including drivers, dispatch, and maintenance, would be eligible for recognition. Some of the determining factors in the selection of recipients would be, but are not limited to, attendance, safety record, complaints and compliments, performance of job responsibilities, and going over and above the call of duty. PTAC members were asked to assist in the selection process to show the City and PTAC board truly appreciate the efforts of the individual, and to reinforce the fact the award is not a popularity contest.
Staff was directed to put together a proposal to present to the board.
Article IV By-Law Review “PTAC Meeting Dates”
Danny Kaiser advised the board that any changes to the meeting dates or times would require an amendment to the by-laws. Richard Heckler moved to change the meeting day from the third Thursday of every other month, to the third Tuesday of every other month, meeting times would remain the same. Jo Ann Garrett seconded. Danny Kaiser asked for public comment and none was provided. Motion passed unanimously. The next scheduled meeting will be October 18, rather than the 20th.
Public Comment
No closing public comment was provided.
Next Meeting Date
October 18, 2005, 4:10 pm – 5:30 pm.
Adjournment
Chairman Kaiser adjourned the meeting at 5:27 pm.
Submitted by Wendy Koerner Approved via email