CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Adopt the Route 672 Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the attached agreement with Pace to establish the City of Naperville share for service from the 95th Street Park-n-Ride to the Route 59 Metra Station at $149,648.10 (Item 1 of 3)
body
DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Louden, Deputy Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Route 59 and Naperville Metra Stations are the two busiest suburban stations within the entire Metra system. Parking at the two stations is in high demand. At the Naperville Station the current waitlist times for the Burlington/Parkview and Kroehler Lots are fourteen years and seven years respectively. Daily fee spaces are typically fully occupied by 6:45 a.m. Quarterly permits are available for the Route 59 Station, however daily fee is in greater demand due to changing commute patterns. In March 2017 the City converted 85 permit spaces to daily fee to address the demand.
Because ridership levels far exceed the combined available vehicle parking between the two stations, the City of Naperville employs a multi-modal approach to address commuter access to the stations. Transit is a critical component of this approach. In addition to providing a key transportation alternative for commuters, transit helps reduce the amount of congestion around the stations and on the adjacent roadway network, particularly the congested north-south arterial roadways.
Pace Suburban Bus operates several transit routes that serve the Naperville and Route 59 Metra Stations. Express bus service is offered directly between three park-and-rides and the Route 59 Metra Station:
• Route 672 offers seven morning and eight evening trips to and from the 95th Street Park-and-Ride.
• Route 673 offers six morning and eight evening trips to and from the Community Christian Church Park-and-Ride.
• Route 675 offers seven morning and eight evening trips to and from the Wheatland Salem Church Park-and-Ride.
During 2018 the average daily ridership on the three routes was 190 people. Ridership levels indicate that these express routes are an asset for commuters. Without these routes, these riders would have to seek other transportation options such as driving directly to and from Chicago or being dropped-off and picked-up at one of the stations.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Naperville shares the costs of the three park-and-ride routes with Pace. The City's local share is paid for through the Commuter Fund which uses commuter parking fees to cover operation and maintenance costs associated with the stations and commuter parking lots and the alternative transportation methods (e.g., transit, bicycle, pedestrian) that comprise the multi-modal approach to commuter access.
The existing service agreements between Pace and the City for Routes 672, 673 and 675 expired on December 31, 2018. Service on all routes has continued since this time, therefore the attached agreements are retroactive to January 1, 2019. The City’s total local share for service on the three routes for January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 is $297,958.73. Each route has a different operating cost due to the different operating times and the distance the route covers. The following is a summary of costs for each route:
• Route 672, 95th Street Park-and-Ride: Pace and the City typically share the cost of the service as a 50/50 split. In October 2016 Pace added an additional trip, which the City does not contribute to. The cost to the City for the 12-month period is $149,648.10.
• Route 673, Community Christian Church Park-and-Ride: Pace and the City equally share the cost of service for the second bus, which was added to the route as part of a 2007 service enhancement. Pace pays for the first bus. The cost to the City for the 12-month period is $71,554.68.
• Route 675, Wheatland Salem Church Park-and-Ride: Pace and the City equally share the cost of service for the second bus, which was added to the route as part of a 2008 service enhancement. Pace pays for the first bus. In October 2016 Pace added an additional trip, which the City does not contribute to. The cost to the City for the 12-month period is $76,755.95.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City of Naperville’s total local share for service on the three park-n-ride routes for January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 is $297,958.73. The funds for the local share are included in the CY19 Commuter Fund.