Presented by: Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer, WWVMPO/SRTPOJamey Dempster, Nelson\NygaardOctober 2018

Walla Walla Valley MPO / SRTPO

Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

Rural Mobility Plan

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1. Introductions

2. Meeting Objectives

3. Draft Strategies for Coordinated Plan

4. Draft Strategies for Rural Mobility

5. Next Steps

WHAT WE’LL DISCUSS TODAY

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WHICH AGENCY, ORGANIZATION, OR GROUP

DO YOU REPRESENT?

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OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING

COORDINATED PUBLIC TRANSIT - HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION PLAN

• Considers transportation needs of youth, seniors, individuals with low incomes, and persons with disabilities

• Special Needs public transportation in all areas of Walla Walla County

• Updated every 4 years• Minimize duplication -

Foster coordination among providers -Formulate strategies to close gaps

• Establish eligibility for WSDOT’s Grant5

RURAL MOBILITYSTRATEGIC PLANN• Identify and specifically address rural

transportation needs in the Walla Walla Valley region

• Build from and expand on Coordinated Plan with broad stakeholder outreach

• More broad and long-term view• Prioritized strategies -

Develop project lists -Identify phasing and needed partners

• Recommendation from 2040 Plan

REVIEW OF PURPOSE

EXISTING SERVICES• Valley Transit – Fixed-Route, Flex Route,

Connector, Dial-a-Ride, Job Access, Ride Share, and Vanpool

• Columbia County PT – Demand Response and Vanpool

• Milton-Freewater PT – Fixed-Route and Demand-Response Taxi

• Kayak PT – Fixed Route (Local and Intercity) and Demand-Response Taxi

• Grape Line – Intercity Fixed Route

• Ben Franklin Transit – Fixed Route, Demand Response, and Vanpool

• People for People – Non-Emergency Medical Transport 6

NEEDSN• Better marketing and dissemination of

information on all available services.

• Need a one-stop shop for info and assistance with trip planning.

• More intercity connections. Service for entertainment. Better tie-in at either end.

• Improved coordination of providers, fare integration and seamless transfers.

• More local service - earlier, later, and on weekends (i.e. Sundays) incl. Dial-a-Ride.

• Rural connections to existing services.

REVIEW OF CONDITIONS

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PRIORITIZING STRATEGIES

•Walk through each priority project group

•What’s missing?

•What’s most promising and has the greatest benefits?

•Is anything not feasible?

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DRAFT STRATEGIES FOR COORDINATED PLAN

OVERARCHING IDEAS

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• Expand Existing Transit Serviceso Add to current services and improve access

• Implement Regional Marketing, Trip Planning, and Mobility Managemento Centralized information, multi-agency trip planning, and mobility management

• Improve Intercity Connectionso More frequency and aligned schedules

• Review Existing Routes and Coordinated Across Systemso System review, schedule coordination, and integration

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EXPAND EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICES

• Provide higher frequency, earlier and later service, and service on weekends (Rural Mobility S1 to S3)o More ofteno Earliero Latero On weekends/Sundays

• Implement shared, flexible-schedule rural feeder shuttles (M4)o Vista Hermosa and Burbank to Ben Franklin Transito Waitsburg and Dixie to “scheduled” Columbia County PTo Prescott to Valley Transit… or Ben Franklin Transit ???o Touchet and Lowden to Valley Transit… or Ben Franklin Transit ???

• Assess and improve sidewalk and bike route connectivity to bus stopso Potential “key” locations, i.e. medical facilities, shopping, etc. ???

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IMPLEMENT REGIONAL MARKETING, TRIP PLANNING, AND MOBILITY MANAGEMENT • Create centralized resource directory to assemble and disseminate

information on available public, non-profit, and private sector transportation – print and online media in English & Spanish (I1, I2, I4)o Languages other than English and Spanish ???

• Provide multi-agency trip planning (I2) along with online ticketing and mobile apps

• Designate a regional mobility manager to deliver coordinated transportation services and travel training, particularly to new and special needs customers

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IMPROVE INTERCITY CONNECTIONS

• Align arrivals and departures at either trip end to connect with other public transportation services (S5)o Coordinate with… Greyhoundo … Amtrako … Ben Franklin Transit

• Increase frequency to more than three daily round tripso Accommodate morning shopping… or medical trip ???o Accommodate evening shopping… or medical trip ???

• Consider additional service on weekends for entertainment related tripso Friday evening ???o Saturday evening ???

• Offer lower fares

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REVIEW EXISTING ROUTES AND COORDINATE ACROSS SYSTEMS• Review Valley Transit and Milton-Freewater Public Transportation

Routes to identify gaps based on recent growth and changes in transit generators

• Create process for fare integration and seamless transfers

• Align schedules to create continuity for riders and efficiencies for providers (S4)

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DRAFT STRATEGIES FOR RURAL MOBILITY

OVERARCHING IDEAS

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• Improve Rural Area Transit Serviceo Add and improve public transit options in rural areas - Intercity, fixed

route, demand response mobility

o Capital projects: infrastructure and technology

• Information and Marketingo Help new and existing riders understand and access services

• Regional Coordination And Fundingo Build ongoing forum and resources for rural transit

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IMPROVE RURAL AREA TRANSIT SERVICE: OPTIONS

• Support improvements to Columbia County PT Green Line (Dayton-Walla Walla) - O1

• New fixed (commuter) route: Burbank/Vista Hermosa – Pasco - M5

• New route: Prescott – Walla Walla - M4

• Peak season early morning, evening, or weekend service - S1 & S2 & S3

• Volunteer driver program: Prescott (phased) - M1

• Support Grape Line improvements (US 12)(also Coord. Plan strategy)

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IMPROVE RURAL AREA TRANSIT SERVICE: INFRASTRUCTURE & EQUIPMENT

• Real time vehicle location information - T1

• GTFS data maintenance - T2

• Park and ride lot construction and maintenance - C1

• Shared / integrated fare payment - S4 & S5

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INFORMATION AND MARKETING• Ongoing marketing campaign / materials - I1 & I3

• Support iTransitNW implementation (information and trip planning - I2

• Ongoing translation services - I4

• Regional Vanpool Marketing - M2

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REGIONAL COORDINATION AND FUNDING• Explore PTBA expansions (Ben Franklin, Valley Transit) - P1

• Explore new or expanded rural transit coordination opportunities - P2 & P4

• Explore other funding and project implementation mechanisms - P3

• Sustain Existing Services - P5

• Establish Travel Demand Program (TDM) - P6 & M3 & C2

NEXT STEPS• December 12, 2018 meeting to review and

prioritize projects and project ideas• Determine interest in continued meetings of

the Coalition

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INTERESTED IN A ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION?• Please come see one of the team members to

set up a time convenient for you!

Find us online: wwvmpo.org