CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Adopt the Route 672 Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the attached agreement with Pace to establish the City share for service from the 95th Street Park-and-Ride to the Route 59 Metra Station at $174,535.85. (Item 1 of 3)
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Louden, Deputy Director of TED
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 over thirteen years and six years respectively. Daily fee spaces are typically fully occupied by 6:45 a.m. Limited 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 to and from 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 and the Route 59 Metra Station.
• Route 673 offers six morning and eight evening trips to and from the Community Christian Church Park-and-Ride and the Route 59 Metra Station.
• Route 675 offers seven morning and eight evening trips to and from the Wheatland Salem Church Park-and-Ride.
During 2017 the average daily ridership on the three routes is 210 people, which is a decrease from the 2016 average of 240 people. City staff and Pace will evaluate these routes and consider ways to improve ridership during 2018. However, the ridership levels still indicate that these express routes continue to be 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.
The City of Naperville shares the costs of the three park-and-ride routes with Pace. The City's local shares are paid for through the Burlington 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.
DISCUSSION:
The existing service agreements between Pace and the City for Routes 672, 673 and 675 expired on September 30, 2017. During the fall Pace entered into new contracts with their operators, which caused a delay in providing the new agreements to the City. Service on all three routes was maintained during this time, therefore the attached agreements are retroactive to October 1, 2017.
The City’s total local share for service on the three routes for October 1, 2017 through December 31, 2018 is $346,351.30. This represents a five percent increase from the City’s prior contribution amount, which is due to an increase in operating costs on all three routes. 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 15-month period is $174,535.85.
• 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 15-month period is $83,025.56.
• 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 15-month period is $88,789.89.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City of Naperville’s total local share for service on the three routes for October 1, 2017 through December 31, 2018 is $346,351.30. The funds for the local share are included in the CY17 and CY18 Burlington Fund budgets.