Burlington Transit releases report card to mixed reviews

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4585192-burlington-transit-releases-report-card-to-mixed-reviews/
Burlington Post

By Tina Depko-Denver

As students across the city receive their report cards in the coming days, Burlington Transit also presented its report card to the Community and Corporate Services Committee at city hall on Tuesday night.

As requested by council during budget deliberations this spring, the report card was intended to provide the results of the service changes implemented in November 2013.

“The service changes weren’t designed to provide growth – they were designed to provide efficiency,” said Mike Spicer, director of transit. “We provided a very efficient base network. We have a great base network now that we can continue to grow our service.”

The system-wide comparison based on the period of November to April saw 1,599,578 total boardings and 24 average boardings per hour in 2014, compared to

1,674,509 total boardings and 25 average boardings per hour in the same time frame in 2013.

Burlington Transit reported it was satisfied with performance on routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20, 21, 25, 48, 80, 81 and 101.

Routes labelled N.I – needs improvement – where there were less than 15 boardings per hour are 6, 40, 83, 87, 300 and late night routes 50, 51 and 52.

Ward 2 Councillor Marianne Meed Ward, a vocal opponent to the November service changes, said council and staff needs to pursue a better route when making future transit service adjustments.

“I will be looking in future not directing you to change routes purely based on efficiency but more looking at riders and what our residents need and ensuring when we make changes to transit, we give you the resources you need to make it happen,” she said.

Ward 3 Councillor John Taylor disagreed, saying Burlington Transit staff did exactly what council requested.

“I want to congratulate staff for their original thinking,” he said. “We have a wonderful base system now…. And guess what – we do have some enhancements coming forward next year, so I don’t think there’s anything negative in the approach of staff in what has been achieved. ”

Looking to 2015

Spicer’s presentation Tuesday night included 2015 potential service enhancements.

“We’ll probably be looking at about $1.3 million in operating and about $1.5 million in capital,” Spicer estimated when asked how much additional funding Burlington Transit would be requesting in the 2015 budget.

Burlington Transit is eying routes 1, 10, 21, 80, 81 and 101 for base service growth. Staff will be requesting an additional 13,194 service hours.

Spicer said an untapped potential for growth is getting more seniors using public transit during non-peak hours.

Staff is proposing route 300 – called Community Connection – increase service from two to five days a week so it runs Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Community Connection was introduced in November 2013 to connect riders – seniors in particular — to places like Joseph Brant Hospital, Burlington and Mapleview malls and the Burlington Seniors’ Centre.

Burlington Transit is proposing adding two more Community Connection Routes to service other seniors' residences in the east and west portions of the city.

The proposed 2015 increase in Community Connection routes, which use smaller transit vehicles, will not require additional buses, according to Spicer.

Burlington Transit is also proposing a six-month pilot project of a seniors’ incentive monthly pass program to coincide with the launch of the three Community Connection routes. 

Transit user concerns

The November changes have been controversial, with complaints made to councillors and city staff.

There were 270 complaints recorded by Burlington Transit in November and December 2013 in relation to the service changes that were implemented last fall.

Susan Lewis, a regular delegate at city hall on transit, said the June report card should have provided an updated number.

“I was looking for this report to address the number of complaints that were made when the new schedule was implemented,” she said. “At that last budget meeting, there was about 300 complaints within the first month or two and it was resolved more was still needed (to be done).”

Burlington for Accessible Sustainable Transit (BFAST) did not delegate at Tuesday’s meeting, but submitted written comments. 

BFAST has been critical of the changes, arguing they were made in the absence of a long-term transit plan and without meaningful consultation with bus users.

“The immediate consequence of these changes was confusion for bus riders and the loss or reduction of service in many areas,” wrote Doug Brown, chair of BFAST, in the letter. “Some areas did get increased service, but since the transit budget was not changed, any improvements in service had to be matched by service reductions by service reductions.”

There was frustration expressed on social media Tuesday night about several aspects of the meeting.

Some residents were upset the live online feed stopped working partway into the meeting.

Others were disappointed the slide show presented by transit staff contained more data than available in the written report and was not posted online until after the meeting.

To view the report card data as presented in the slideshow, visit http://bit.ly/1nanYko, click item 5 and download the report card presentation. 

Petition for part of routes 6 and 52

The remaining two delegates Tuesday night requested routes 6 and 52 be taken off the southerly, 500-metre portion of Headon Forest Drive.

Transit staff said buses were rerouted onto this part of the street as part of the November 2013 changes in order to make this section of the transit network better align with GO service times, as well as provide a more direct route to and from the 407 carpool lot located north of Dundas Street.

Kathy Murdoch said residents on the street were disappointed there was no advance notice of the route change, which did not allow for feedback.

She also said the buses, which run from 6 a.m.-1 a.m., have created safety and noise issues, loss of property values and a reduced quality of life.

“I understand the need for public transit, however, I don’t believe the changes to bus routes that took effect November 2013 were warranted or receptive,” said Murdoch, who presented a petition signed by her neighbours. “There are other options for bus routes. Burlington is on a perfect north-south, east-west grid with a set of major arteries. I believe that the city would see an increase in ridership and decrease in destination times if the buses were kept to the main streets.”

Spicer admitted residents should have been notified in advance, explaining staff accidentally overlooked that step.

“We dropped the ball – we apologize to those residents for that,” he said.

Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster, whose ward encompasses Headon Forest Drive, requested transit staff help her craft a staff direction to find a solution for concerned residents living on that portion of the road.

The staff direction is expected to go before council on June 30.

 

June 17, 2014 Delegation re the #2 / #3 Interline Schedule

An example of an interline schedule would be the #2 Brant St. North Bus turning down Guelph Line as the #3 Guelph Line bus when it reaches the north end of the of the bus route instead of going back along Brant St. as the #2 Southbound.

Delegation June 17th, 2014 re Report TR-5-14, Transit Service Report Card
Susan Lewis

I saw the November 2012 schedule map before it came into effect and I checked that the #2 and #3 bus routes were still interlined. They appeared to be. There was no written schedule at that time and I was told these routes would to stay the same. When the written schedule did become available, the time for public input had passed. That’s the moment I became transportationly challenged.

Transit routes are expected to have a fixed schedule to become successful. That is not the case with the new schedule, at least for the #2 and #3 bus routes.

The following is a list of the main issues I would like you to consider regarding this Report since City Staff recommends keeping this schedule "for a significant period of time."

1) Deliberately changing a bus route 6 or 7 times a year without telling the passengers means the bus route is unreliable and it also shows a lack of respect towards transit users. (As per Email)

2) Transit routes are expected to have a fixed schedule to become successful. The new schedule has become so complicated, and changes so often, at least for the #2 and #3 bus routes, that a person cannot plan their trip ahead of time

3) Since the route changes so often, if we want to know where the bus is going, we are told to ask the driver when we board the bus, or look up the schedule ourselves or phone Burlington Transit. (We can’t look it up ourselves because it isn’t online or in the schedule and not everyone carries a cell phone. If you don’t know where your bus is going until you get on it, how can you schedule doctor’s appointments ahead of time? So far, I have to leave an extra hour earlier just in case of wait times.

4) When trying to plan a return trip in advance, it has been my experience that the driver has to phone dispatch while driving to find out whether or not the return trip will be seamless or require a transfer. They don’t know each others routes as they used to.

5) It’s not very helpful to know that the #2 North southbound becomes the #3 to continue downtown approximately 73% of the time. (As per Email)

6) The Report has a lot to say about the successes of 7 routes and the 407 but there’s an absence of information on the remaining 14 or so routes.

7) This report didn’t address the number of complaints passengers have made since the new schedule was implemented. There were about 300 complaints within the first month or two and we were told at the budget meeting of February 20 that more data was needed.

8) There was talk, at the Budget Meeting of February 20, of restoring service to Ontario Street. This too was not mentioned in this report. I interpret that as meaning their service will not be restored.

There is mention of passengers "adjusting their travel patterns." I believe that is happening. I’ve seen a lot more taxicabs in my neighbourhood now then in the 25 years I’ve lived here and I have no way of knowing how many people now take their cars.

Changing a bus schedule many times a year, on an irregular basis, without informing the users, is not reliable service.

The main thing I am requesting is to restore the #2 / #3 bus routes back to its interlined schedule in the North end of the routes for most of the day, while keeping the schedule that services the 407 Carpool during rush hour.

Susan Lewis

The e-mail I refer to says:
“We don’t publish these interlines as they can change 6-7 times a year for operating efficiencies. I do realize the convenience of staying on the same bus and have provided this information upon request but again have to let you know that when we look at schedule changes these trips are adjusted and are not dependable as scheduled information. On the weekends all the trips for the Route 2 and 3 are interlined with the exception of the first and last trips on the Saturday schedule. Weekday trips on the Route 2 south are approximately 73% of the time. The Route 3 weekday is interlined approximately 91% of the time, …”