Post by jeffe77 on Apr 4, 2007 10:18:28 GMT -8
This is an excerpt of an article from MassTransitMag.com
www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Online-Exclusives/Finding-Success/5$3166
Finding Success
Three agencies take different approaches to tackling challenges and ensuring continued success
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tony Hart
Increasing ridership. Working out funding issues. Expanding service. Investing in new technologies. Achieving better connectivity between services. Laying the foundation for the future.
These are some of the challenges every intermodal transit agency faces at one time or another. Three of the leading intermodal agencies in the country, OCTA, RTD and CAT, have taken these challenges and found innovative solutions as unique as they are.
Orange County Transit Authority
Nestled along the Pacific Coast between San Diego and Los Angeles, the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) enjoys the benefits of a loyal and growing hometown market, popular tourist destinations along its routes, two large potential markets on either end and a growth-oriented strategy.
"Our approach to business is to get the ‘basic things' right," explains Art Leahy, chief executive officer for OCTA. "If we have clean and safe vehicles, on time, with courteous and helpful staff, our passengers will be happy."
OCTA has the challenge of operating in one of the busiest and fastest growing tracks of land in North America. The rapidly growing economy in the region is making commuters transit-dependent while choking the roadways. Popular tourist destinations, such as Disneyland and local professional sports teams throughout the region are fueling demand for easy access.
To tackle this feat, OCTA has developed unique approaches to connecting and promoting its buses, Metrolink rail network and ACCESS paratransit service.
Last year, nearly 68.5 million passengers boarded OCTA buses, a 3 percent increase from the year before. Some 1.8 million boarded the Metrolink lines, a better-than-projected 6 percent rise from 2005.
OCTA also manages the 91 Express Lanes, a four-lane, 10-mile toll road built in the median of California's Riverside Freeway between the Orange/Riverside County line and the Costa Mesa Freeway.
As Leahy explains, the rise in ridership throughout the system is the result of a multi-faceted strategy including creative marketing, consulting customer advocacy groups, making aggressive investments and planning for continued growth.
"The best marketing is focusing on the basic things. If we can do that, the service sells itself," he says. "We've also formed customer advocacy groups to get their opinions on our service and ways we can improve. Through their feedback, we've made good improvements to our bus stops, train stations and the vehicles themselves.
"Most of the population in Orange County doesn't know how to ride transit," he continues. "Basically we've taken a ‘Transit 101' approach to a lot of our materials. We've developed simple tools, such as easy-to-understand timetables and maps for all facets of our service to make it easier to ride."
Among the things OCTA is doing to make the interconnectivity of its system more convenient is teaming up with city transit agencies along their routes to encourage easy connections.
Dubbed "Go Local," the program offers grants of up to $100,000 to municipalities in the county to explore ways to develop existing local transit systems around OCTA stops.
"There's a great deal of tourism in Orange County," notes Leahy. "This initiative will make it easier for people to reach the top destinations and tourist stops within the county."
On a similar note, OCTA is also working with Amtrak to accept Metrolink passes rail-to-rail. Plans to work with Los Angeles and San Diego to expand ridership between the two cities are also in the works.
OCTA prides itself on its loyal customer base and wide support throughout the community. Recently, a 1/2-cent sales tax designed to raise $12 billion for roadway and transit improvement programs went before Orange County voters and passed with nearly 70 percent of the votes.
The money will help OCTA purchase buses, construct and upgrade bus and rail stations and expand the existing Metrolink lines. Portions of the money will also go to fund highway and freeway improvements.
In the years to come, OCTA has high expectations for its continued success. As the community around it continues to grow, the agency looks to expand both its market and service to the maximum extent.
13.5 acres of prime real estate in Anaheim, just a stone's throw from Angel Stadium and the Anaheim Ducks' Honda Center, has been purchased by the Authority for future expansion projects. A Metrolink line to the local Ontario airport is under development as well.
OCTA is also leaning forward on a clean air initiative and is actively procuring alternative fuel buses.
With growth in the area expected to steadily continue, and a solid business model in place, it's easy to see why Art Leahy is excited about the future of the Orange County Transit Authority.
"A lot of people in the industry are amazed to see how big the system is and how much we've grown," he explains. "I believe OCTA is one of the best-kept secrets in the industry."
www.masstransitmag.com/web/online/Online-Exclusives/Finding-Success/5$3166
Finding Success
Three agencies take different approaches to tackling challenges and ensuring continued success
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tony Hart
Increasing ridership. Working out funding issues. Expanding service. Investing in new technologies. Achieving better connectivity between services. Laying the foundation for the future.
These are some of the challenges every intermodal transit agency faces at one time or another. Three of the leading intermodal agencies in the country, OCTA, RTD and CAT, have taken these challenges and found innovative solutions as unique as they are.
Orange County Transit Authority
Nestled along the Pacific Coast between San Diego and Los Angeles, the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) enjoys the benefits of a loyal and growing hometown market, popular tourist destinations along its routes, two large potential markets on either end and a growth-oriented strategy.
"Our approach to business is to get the ‘basic things' right," explains Art Leahy, chief executive officer for OCTA. "If we have clean and safe vehicles, on time, with courteous and helpful staff, our passengers will be happy."
OCTA has the challenge of operating in one of the busiest and fastest growing tracks of land in North America. The rapidly growing economy in the region is making commuters transit-dependent while choking the roadways. Popular tourist destinations, such as Disneyland and local professional sports teams throughout the region are fueling demand for easy access.
To tackle this feat, OCTA has developed unique approaches to connecting and promoting its buses, Metrolink rail network and ACCESS paratransit service.
Last year, nearly 68.5 million passengers boarded OCTA buses, a 3 percent increase from the year before. Some 1.8 million boarded the Metrolink lines, a better-than-projected 6 percent rise from 2005.
OCTA also manages the 91 Express Lanes, a four-lane, 10-mile toll road built in the median of California's Riverside Freeway between the Orange/Riverside County line and the Costa Mesa Freeway.
As Leahy explains, the rise in ridership throughout the system is the result of a multi-faceted strategy including creative marketing, consulting customer advocacy groups, making aggressive investments and planning for continued growth.
"The best marketing is focusing on the basic things. If we can do that, the service sells itself," he says. "We've also formed customer advocacy groups to get their opinions on our service and ways we can improve. Through their feedback, we've made good improvements to our bus stops, train stations and the vehicles themselves.
"Most of the population in Orange County doesn't know how to ride transit," he continues. "Basically we've taken a ‘Transit 101' approach to a lot of our materials. We've developed simple tools, such as easy-to-understand timetables and maps for all facets of our service to make it easier to ride."
Among the things OCTA is doing to make the interconnectivity of its system more convenient is teaming up with city transit agencies along their routes to encourage easy connections.
Dubbed "Go Local," the program offers grants of up to $100,000 to municipalities in the county to explore ways to develop existing local transit systems around OCTA stops.
"There's a great deal of tourism in Orange County," notes Leahy. "This initiative will make it easier for people to reach the top destinations and tourist stops within the county."
On a similar note, OCTA is also working with Amtrak to accept Metrolink passes rail-to-rail. Plans to work with Los Angeles and San Diego to expand ridership between the two cities are also in the works.
OCTA prides itself on its loyal customer base and wide support throughout the community. Recently, a 1/2-cent sales tax designed to raise $12 billion for roadway and transit improvement programs went before Orange County voters and passed with nearly 70 percent of the votes.
The money will help OCTA purchase buses, construct and upgrade bus and rail stations and expand the existing Metrolink lines. Portions of the money will also go to fund highway and freeway improvements.
In the years to come, OCTA has high expectations for its continued success. As the community around it continues to grow, the agency looks to expand both its market and service to the maximum extent.
13.5 acres of prime real estate in Anaheim, just a stone's throw from Angel Stadium and the Anaheim Ducks' Honda Center, has been purchased by the Authority for future expansion projects. A Metrolink line to the local Ontario airport is under development as well.
OCTA is also leaning forward on a clean air initiative and is actively procuring alternative fuel buses.
With growth in the area expected to steadily continue, and a solid business model in place, it's easy to see why Art Leahy is excited about the future of the Orange County Transit Authority.
"A lot of people in the industry are amazed to see how big the system is and how much we've grown," he explains. "I believe OCTA is one of the best-kept secrets in the industry."
