1995 performance evaluation of Florida’s transit systems completed for FDOT
Since 1989, CUTR has assisted the Florida DOT’s Office of Public Transportation Operations in conducting an annual assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency with which fixed-route transit properties in the state provide their transportation services. As in previous performance evaluation studies, this eighth edition relies upon data from the systems’ federally-required National Transit Database (NTD) (formerly Section 15) reports to conduct the study’s various analyses. While the source for data and the analyses have remained constant, the overall study effort has continued to evolve. Of particular note is that this most recent version of the performance evaluation study gives significant consideration to the demand-response mode. In years past, the examination of Florida’s transit properties focused primarily on their fixed-route modes, that is, transportation that involves passenger revenue vehicles repeatedly following a consistent time schedule over the same route.
In Florida, examples of this type of service include motorbus, heavy rail, automated guideway, and commuter rail. Comparatively, demand-response transportation is characterized by the flexible routing and scheduling of vehicles for the provision of point-to-point service at the user’s request with less than 24-hour prior notice. Public transit systems are required to provide complementary demand-response service to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This service is provided for persons unable, because of a disability, to use an existing fixed-route system.
New studies added
Because of the growing importance of this particular mode, and ADA in general, two documents have been added to the performance evaluation study that specifically address the demand-response services of Florida’s fixed-route transit properties. Nevertheless, the two primary analytical tools utilized for this study continue to be trend and peer review analyses. Trend analysis was used to examine selected performance indicators and measures for Florida’s transit systems over a 12-year time period (1984-1995) to identify how they have performed during that time on both an individual and a statewide total basis. In peer group analysis, each system’s performance in a given fiscal year was compared to the performance of similar systems, or "peers," from Florida and around the country. Analysis results
Results from the analyses of fixed-route service indicate positive trends in several areas of performance at many transit properties between fiscal years 1994 and 1995. Some of the areas in which improvements have been demonstrated include service supply (in terms of vehicle miles per capita), cost efficiency (as measured by operating expense per capita, per passenger trip, and per revenue mile), vehicle utilization (in terms of vehicle miles per peak vehicle), and farebox recovery (i.e., the level of operating expenses covered by passenger fare revenue).
In addition to examining the performance trends of individual Florida transit systems, the statewide total trends also were investigated. Concerning ridership, the aggregate number of passenger trips on Florida’s transit systems grew slightly more than 1 percent, from 165.7 million in 1994 to 167.5 million in 1995 (an increase of approximately 2 million trips). In addition, the level of service provided (as measured by the number of revenue miles) during this time increased more than 4 percent (80.1 million in 1994, 83.7 million in 1995), and total operating expense increased more than 3 percent, a rate just above inflation.
With the completion of the fixed-route trend and peer group analysis reports, CUTR is now focusing on the documents that will detail the trend and peer group analyses of the demand-response mode. In addition to these reports, several other tasks will be completed as part of the overall performance evaluation study. These tasks include the production of an executive summary report that will be presented by Marion Hart, Public Transportation Administrator for FDOT, to the Florida Transportation Commission; a performance reporting investigation report that researches the compliance of Florida transit systems with state legislation requiring annual reporting of performance statistics in local newspapers; and the provision of two NTD training workshops tailored specifically to the data collecting and reporting needs of Florida transit operators. (One workshop will concentrate on fixed-route reporting, and the other will emphasize demand-response reporting.) The workshops will help educate transit system staff on how to accurately collect and compile NTD data used extensively by FDOT in its block grant formula.
“By providing valuable and reliable information on how well Florida’s transit systems are doing, these annual performance reports have become indispensable tools for effective transit planning and management at both the state and local levels,” said Ike Ubaka, Manager, Transit Systems Planning, FDOT.
For further information, contact CUTR Research Associates Joel R. Rey, rey@cutr.usf.edu, or Victoria Perk, perk@cutr.usf.edu, or call (813) 974-3120.
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