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Approval of Call for Public Hearing for October 2020 Service ChangesTodd Plesko, VP Service Planning

Rob Smith, AVP Service Planning

Committee-of-the-Whole

June 23, 2020

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• To call a Public Hearing on August 11, 2020 for proposed October 2020 service changes with the following modifications:– Include five additional bus routes that meet a ridership

trigger exceeding 90% of pre-pandemic average weekday riders

– Direct additional priority service restorations through 2021 provided service performance meets ridership criteria and fits within funding availability

• Approval to call a Public Hearing does not approve the proposed changes

Today's Consideration

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• On June 9, the Planning Committee approved a Call for Public Hearing for October 2020 service adjustments, addressing changes to emergency services introduced in March and April in response to the pandemic

• This presentation briefly describes the proposed October 2020 changes

• Most of today’s presentation addresses questions posed by the Planning Committee

Background

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• Group One: 7 core frequent bus routes and 4 light rail lines– 20-minute Weekday daytime service, with 30-minute service after

7pm (reduced service for light rail lines)• Group Two: 20 bus routes with high load factors

– These routes would return to normal pre-pandemic service levels• Group Three: 93 bus routes and TRE service

– These services would continue to operate at reduced, emergency service levels

• Group Four: 9 low-performing or duplicative routes– 6 routes would be discontinued, 1 shortened, and 2 replaced by

new GoLink zones

Original Recommendations for October Service Changes

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Step Date

Call for Public Hearing, Planning Committee• Continued operation of Emergency Service• Additional October service changes

June 9, 2020

Board Approval of Call for Public Hearing Approval (modified service plan) June 23, 2020

Discussion on Bus Network Plan, Service Changes July 7, 2020

Public Meetings on Emergency Service Changes August 3-10, 2020Public Hearing, Planning Committee Briefing August 11, 2020Approval of Changes, Planning Committee or COTW August 25, 2020Approval of Changes, Board of Directors September 8, 2020Implementation October 19, 2020

Timeline for October Changes

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1. Is it possible to restore all service back to pre-pandemic levels?

2. Is there financial capability to add any additional service beyond the level recommended to the Committee?

3. Can the Board approve a priority list for restored service when ridership meets trigger events without an additional public hearing?

4. Is it feasible to complete the DARTzoom Bus Network Redesign in time for the October service change?

Planning Committee Meeting:Key Questions

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• Full restoration of all services to pre-pandemic levels in October would restore $39 million in additional incremental expenses to the DART Budget (bus and light rail only)

• From conversations with Finance, this is a material change to our financial recovery plan and projected revenue from sales tax, advertising, and fares are not sufficient to match the expenses at this point

• The strategy that DART has always used adds service when it is clear that revenue is sufficient for the Financial Plan and ridership requires the additional service

Is it Possible to Restore All Service to Pre-Pandemic Levels?

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• Finance has approved up to $10.4 million in additional annual revenue for extra services for FY21

• There are several potential packages of services that could be restored that would fit within this financial capacity:– Restoring Group One core frequent services to pre-

pandemic levels– Restoring Group Three bus routes and/or TRE

• Details in the following slides

Is There Financial Capacity to Add Any Extra Services?

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Mode

Annualized Incremental Cost

Difference Notes

Bus: October Schedule -$26.7 millionLRT: October Schedule -$4.9 millionTRE: Emergency Schedule -$4.1 million FY21 estimateTotal Savings October Proposal -$35.7 millionAdditional Service Restoration +$10.4 millionNet Service Spending Change -$25.3 million

Estimated Annual Savings for October Changes vs. Pre-Pandemic Service with Additional Service Restored

Estimated costs for bus and LRT are based upon DART cost allocation model assumptions; final actual savings will be incorporated into FY21 Operating Budget assumptions

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• Core frequent routes and/or light rail could be restored to almost normal service, with 15-minute operation in the peak period

• The only exception to this would be weekday evening service after 7pm, which would remain at 30-minute operation due to tunnel communications upgrade work

• Estimated annual cost of the core frequent changes:– Bus $2.2 million/year– Light rail $2.9 million/year

Core Frequent Changes

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• Other improvements could involve bus routes and TRE, which would continue emergency service levels under proposed October changes

• We have identified a group of bus routes that are the most likely potential candidates

• The list of bus routes is larger than expected funding availability would support, and we would suggest selecting the final group based upon a ranking of productivity and dollars available after other elements are picked

• Estimated annual cost of other changes:– Bus $14.5 million/year maximum– TRE $4.1 million/year (DART would be responsible for half)

Other Bus and TRE Changes

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Service Combinations that Fit Within $10.4 million• There are many potential combinations of services that

would add up to $10.4 million in additional expenses, including:

1 Core frequent bus routes

Light rail improvements

TRE improvements

14 Group Three bus

routes

2 Core frequent bus routes

Light rail improvements

18 Group Three bus

routes

3 36 Group Three bus

routes

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Bus Route Packages18 Routes14 Routes 36 Routes

81 81 818282 82

410410 410

402 402

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426 426426

428 428 428

453 453

453

463

463 463

506 506 506

526 526 526

528 528 528

529 529 529

533533533535 535 535

593 593593

451 451

452452

551551403

405

415

444

475501

522

524

531

538

541542

544

553

555

574

597

79 routes remain at emergency levels 75 routes remain at emergency levels 47 routes remain at emergency levels

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• Another more gradual approach would build upon the October recommendations with an additional set of optional changes that are tied to specific changes in ridership or performance and that fit within financial capacity

• The resolution for the October changes would allow for restoration of pre-pandemic service for routes that meet the specified metrics without a full public hearing process

• Restoration would happen during one of three normal service change windows in 2021: January, May, or September

• Total services restored for FY21 would not exceed $10.4 million in additional operating expenses

• We will discuss how to do this in our recommendations

Restore Service Gradually Rather Than All at Once

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• If the Board were to gradually roll out restored services during 2021, would it require continual Public Hearings?

• Current legal requirements are specified in Section 452 of the Texas Transportation Code

Can The Board Approve a Priority List for Restored Service Incrementally w/o a Public Hearing?

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Public Hearing RequirementsSection 452.116 Exceptions Public Hearing Requirement (4) An emergency or experimental service in effect for 180 days or less.

Sec. 452.117. PUBLIC HEARING ON EXPERIMENTAL or (EMERGENCY) SERVICE CHANGE. A hearing on an experimental service change as described by Section 452.116 to remain in effect for more than 180 days may be held before or during the experimental service change period and satisfies the requirement for a public hearing if the hearing notice required by Section 452.118 states that the experiment may become permanent at the end of the period.

• If a hearing is not held before or during the experimental service change period, the service that existed before the change must be reinstituted at the end of 180 days

• There is no requirement that the exact date for restoration must be indicated at the public hearing. Alternatively, DART would specify the conditions that would lead to restoration of service.

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• Another approach would restore service following bus network redesign principles, with new, re-structured routes and services

• There are limited elements of this in the original October recommendations, particularly for several routes that would be discontinued

• However, we do not believe that a full network redesign is realistic for an October service change

• First, we do not yet know Board policy priorities on the question of ridership vs. coverage balance in the network design, and that is a core element of establishing a design approach

• Second, implementation of structural network changes takes time –many more months than an accelerated October schedule would allow

Is it Feasible to Complete the DARTzoomBus Network Redesign for OctoberChanges?

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• Staff and the DARTzoom Team are exploring ways to speed up completion of the bus network redesign work and implement major changes in January 2022

• We will discuss more details in our July 7 briefing on the bus network redesign at the Planning & Capital Programs Committee

Accelerated Implementation of Bus Network Redesign Concepts

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• Staff would recommend taking a gradual approach to service restoration, building upon the October service changes

• Restoration would be based upon each candidate route meeting triggers tied to ridership and performance

• Where a route meets a trigger event, service would be reintroduced during one of three service change windows planned for 2021: January, May, or September

Recommended Process

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• Includes 7 core frequent bus routes and 4 light rail lines• Trigger events:

1. Average maximum loads exceed 20 (bus) or 47 (light rail) for individual trips

2. Changes in the distribution of ridership throughout the day where ridership in peak periods matches or exceeds midday ridership – flattening the distribution curve

• Changes may be implemented on a network basis – all bus and rail routes in the core frequent category could be modified at one time

• We have not yet reached the point where either trigger event has happened

Trigger Events:Group One Core Frequent Routes

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0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

May 2020

Bus May Weekday Riders by Hour

This pattern of ridership matches a normal Saturday ridership distribution, with higher ridership midday and the

early part of the PM peak

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• Includes 93 bus routes and TRE, which would continue emergency service levels until meeting trigger events

• Trigger events:1. Average maximum loads exceed 20 for individual bus trips2. Productivity (measured in riders per hour) for the

emergency service exceeds comparable productivity for a service pre-pandemic

3. Average weekday ridership for the emergency service achieves 90% of pre-pandemic levels

• TRE adjustments require joint approval of DART and Trinity Metro

Trigger Events:Group Three Routes

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• The situation we face is highly dynamic right now, with rapid changes

• During the week we spent preparing this presentation, we received updated May ridership information

• Four bus routes had average weekday ridership for May of more than 90% of Q2 levels, with Route 533 at 13% higher than Q2

Group Three Bus Changes

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Group Three Bus Changes• These routes meet the

suggested triggers for normal service, and would be added to the group of routes going to normal service in October– Routes 82, 426, 528,

533– Route 81 is interlined

with 82, and would also be restored

• Annual cost of restoring these routes: $555k

533

528

81

8182 426

82

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• To call a Public Hearing on August 11, 2020 for proposed October 2020 service changes with the following modifications:– Include five additional bus routes that meet a ridership

trigger exceeding 90% of pre-pandemic average weekday riders

– Direct additional priority service restorations through 2021 provided service performance meets ridership criteria and fits within funding availability

• Approval to call a Public Hearing does not approve the proposed changes

Recommendation

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Group One: Core Frequent Routes

466

11

409

592

404

467

583

Blue

Red

Green

Orange

Blue

Red11

• 7 core frequent bus routes and all 4 light rail lines would operate Weekdays every 20 minutes until 7pm, then every 30 minutes

• This means rail frequencies would be reduced between 7pm and 10pm on Weekdays, but matches anticipated ridership levels and load factors

• The adjusted rail schedules also support upcoming work to install cellular technology in the North Central tunnel

• Weekend schedules were not changed in the emergency

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Group Two: High Ridership/ Load Routes• 20 higher-ridership

routes would return to regular, pre-COVID service levels

• Most of these routes normally have 30-minute service or better Weekdays, but have been running hourly during emergency service levels

63

527

31

401

408

549

59

52

445

547554

360

110

2

164

36

534

486/488

39

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Group Three: Routes that Continue with Emergency Service Levels• A third group of 93

bus routes and TRE would continue with the emergency service levels indefinitely

• A large number of these services are now offering hourly frequency

• For the bus network, this is the largest group of routes

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• In this scenario, all service on these routes would be discontinued:

• 27: Harry Hines to Parkland

• 42: Edgefield• 155: South Oak Cliff• 210: Jack Hatchell Express• 211: Plano E-W Express• 887: Rowlett

• Two routes would be discontinued, but replaced with GoLink service:

• 385: Serves South Garland and Rowlett

• 840: South Irving

• Route 585 would serve Hamilton Park only

Group Four: Discontinued, Replaced, or Modified Routes

211

27

210

585

42

840

385

887

155