Title
April 2020 Proposed Bus Service Improvements
Description
Request authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to implement bus service changes effective April 27, 2020. The recommend changes are provided through Phoenix’s Transportation 2050 (T2050) plan and would result in a $21,000 net annual savings.
Report
Summary
The Public Transit Department is focused on improving the efficiency and reliability of Phoenix’s transit system to best serve City passengers’ needs. The semiannual bus service review considers public input and staff analysis to identify potential improvements that may include making schedule changes, improving service efficiencies, adding route connections, and leaving some routes unchanged.
Bus service changes are coordinated regionally and occur in April and October each year. The following April 2020 Phoenix Transit bus service changes (see Attachment A) are being considered:
Route 7 (7th Street) - Modify Jesse Owens Parkway Deviation
At Route 7's south end, the current route deviates from 7th Street to Jesse Owens Parkway at Baseline Road. The deviation carries about 17 total daily boardings in both directions. Due to the low ridership, staff proposes to eliminate the deviation and remain on 7th Street between Baseline Road and Dobbins Road to reduce cost and increase the service speed. This change would reduce Route 7 by 0.5 service miles each way.
Route 60 (Bethany Home Road) - Modify East of 16th Street
Due to public feedback and low ridership on this portion of the route along Missouri Avenue, staff proposes to modify Route 60's east end to:
- Eastbound - Bethany Home Road to 16th Street, then south to Camelback Road and east to last stop at 24th Street.
- Westbound - Camelback Road to 16th Street, then north to Bethany Home Road and west on Bethany Home Road.
This proposed route would provide better access to shops near Camelback Road and 20th Street compared to the current routing through Missouri Avenue.
SMART Circulator - Minor Routing Modification
The SMART (Sunnyslope Multi-Access Residential Transit) is a free neighborhood circulator that began in 2007 to connect Sunnyslope's residents to area amenities, such as schools, shops, the Acacia Library, the John C. Lincoln Medical Center, and the Sunnyslope Transit Center. This route was last modified in January 2013 through a community planning process.
In June 2019, Councilwoman Stark’s office received community input requesting staff to identify opportunities to improve access to Mountain View Park through the SMART route. In addition, the Public Transit Department has received requests from area residents to provide better access to the Desert Mission Food Bank and Sunnyslope grocery stores. After evaluating multiple options, staff determined that a minor route modification could improve access to Mountain View Park, Desert Mission Food Bank, and an area shopping center as follows:
- Mountain View Park (7th and Cinnabar avenues) - shift service from 9th Avenue to 7th Avenue between Cinnabar Avenue and Cheryl Drive.
- Desert Mission Food Bank (9229 N. 4th St.) - move the route from 5th to 3rd streets between Dunlap Avenue and Hatcher Road.
- Community Shopping Center (115 E. Dunlap Ave.) - after servicing Sunnyslope Manor Apartments at 205 E. Ruth Ave., the current route travels along Ruth Avenue and 3rd Street to arrive at the Sunnyslope Transit Center. This proposed route would run west on Ruth Avenue, then north on Central Avenue and east on Dunlap Avenue to get to the Sunnyslope Transit Center.
Implementation Timeline
The process for successfully implementing the proposed service changes, beginning April 27, 2020, includes the following:
- Conduct required public outreach and public hearing (regional effort) - completed on Dec. 6, 2019.
- Citizens Transportation Commission (CTC) approval - completed on Dec. 12, 2019 with CTC unanimously approving the recommendations.
- Proceed to Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee and City Council for approval by February 2020.
- Prepare transit books, develop operational plan, and coordinate with operators from February to April 2020.
- Implement approved bus service improvements on April 27, 2020.
Financial Impact
The annual impact of the April 2020 proposed changes is a $21,000 net annual savings (see Attachment B).
Public Outreach
The Public Transit Department used the locally adopted public outreach process for the proposed April 2020 bus service changes, including:
- A public comment period from Nov. 4 to Dec. 6, 2019.
- Staff outreach along all affected routes.
- A-frames and flyers at impacted stops along routes.
- Flyers distributed to schools, businesses, medical offices, and senior centers along impacted route segments.
- A webinar hosted on valleymetro.org detailing all regional proposed changes on Nov. 19, 2019.
- A public hearing held at Valley Metro on Nov. 20, 2019
There were 469 total comments and suggestions received about the proposed change (see Attachment C).
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
- The Citizens Transportation Commission recommended approval to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee on Dec. 12, 2019 by a vote of 10-0.
- This item was recommended for approval at the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee meeting on Jan. 7, 2020, by a vote of 4-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit Department.