Riverside Transit Agency - News & Alerts

[nickv]

RTA - COA & Service Enhancement Plan

RTA had a private firm "IBI Group" examine its transit system and the firm wrote a 316 page guideline report on how the RTA system can be approved. RTA has adopted the guideline report and is available for viewing at RTA's Web site.

It's a giant report and it may take a few days to read through it all. Even though this is report based in Riverside county, this might be a good aide to use when it comes to responding to any kind of transit public hearing. Looking through it, it appears that the report follows the "Metro Connections" philosophy too of linking bus lines to transit hubs. It also stresses the importance of canceling unproductive lines, yet also suggests ways to provide productive replacement service too; this might come in handy should we be faced with "Cancel Line due to low ridership" proposals.

Yes, the report also suggests that the minimum span of service for key base and local routes should continue until at least 9 PM on weekdays and headways should be 30 minutes at most on weekdays, 60 minutes at most on eve & weekends. Right now, most of RTA's lines stop after the 6 PM hour and run at most every 50-60 minutes.

Follow [url=http://www.ibigroup.com/transportation/default.html
]this link for info about IBI Group [/url]Web page.

(It looks like this firm also played a role in OCTA's shelved Centerline Project.)

I'll try to keep everyone posted when RTA launches its public hearings. I know expansion is going to be tough since RTA might get slapped with the state budget cuts to cover project costs.

............................

Comprehensive Plan Gets OK’d
Document will be guideline for service upgrades

Whether by bus or trolley, RTA will be
tasked with meeting the needs of a
growing region.

Passengers who rely on RTA to get to work, school and
around town stand to benefit from a new study that
aims to help RTA meet the needs of a growing region.
The Comprehensive Operational Analysis, which was
recently approved by board members, will be a guiding
document for RTA service upgrades over the next five
to 10 years. In order to meet future demands,
the study suggests improving connectivity to transit
centers, employment centers and schools; increasing
service frequencies; expanding bus service within growing
areas; and beefing up commuter services.
Implementation of those concepts and others can begin
as early as January 2008, pending public hearings and
board approval.

Source: RTA Wrap Up Newsletter

[nickv]

RTA SmartStop & BusWatch: Next Bus Comes at...




This spring, RTA introduces a new kind of technology
that takes the guesswork out of travel forever.
Wondering when the next bus is due? Thanks
to SmartStop, arrival times are now listed at
computerized panels at selected stops.

Or browse the Internet to pinpoint the
location of your next bus on selected
routes and view departure times
from dozens of stops.

Go to RTABus.com for details.

[dasubergeek]

nickv said:

RTA SmartStop & BusWatch: Next Bus Comes at...




This spring, RTA introduces a new kind of technology
that takes the guesswork out of travel forever.
Wondering when the next bus is due? Thanks
to SmartStop, arrival times are now listed at
computerized panels at selected stops.

Or browse the Internet to pinpoint the
location of your next bus on selected
routes and view departure times
from dozens of stops.

Go to RTABus.com for details.

TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) have the best "nextbus" (or I guess I should say "nexttrain") system I have ever seen in my life. It counts down SECONDS and I never, EVER saw it be off by more than two seconds. If we had something like that for Metro Rail or Metrolink I'd be so happy.

And the sign -- "Proper Tren en 04:58" -- amused the bilingual English/Catalan part of me. ("Proper" means "next" in Catalan and is pronounced "pruh-PAY".)

[nickv]

Riverside Transit - DUMP THE PUMP!

Effective June 1-30, 2008 - Riverside Transit Promos



DUMP THE PUMP | LET US BUY YOUR GAS FOR A WEEK!
That’s right! In honor of “Dump the Pump” day on June 19, just send [RTA] your gasoline receipt for a June fill-up and [the agency] will send you a free 7-Day Pass good on all Riverside Transit Agency CommuterLink and local fixed bus routes.

MAIL RECEIPT TO:
Riverside Transit Agency
Attn: Free Bus Pass
1825 Third Street
P.O. Box 59968
Riverside, CA
92517-1968

Details: Mail a copy of your receipt to the address above. Include your complete name and mailing address. Receipts must be dated June 1 through June 30, 2008. Submissions must be postmarked no later than July 5, 2008. Offer limited to first 100 submissions. RTA is not responsible for late, lost, damaged or misdirected mail. Limit one pass per name or address. No PO boxes. Passes may not be redeemed for cash. Passes will not be valid on Dial-A-Ride. Thank you for riding the bus.

[nickv]

As gas prices increase, more Inland commuters
use public transit

By DUG BEGLEY - The Press-Enterprise


RTA CommuterLink Route 206 continues its journey on the
I-15 near Lake Street on a Saturday. An end-to-end trip on the
35+ mile express line costs $3.75 for a day pass. Valid Metrolink
ticketholders ride for free. On weekdays, lots of commuters
from SW Riverside County use this Route to save on the cost
of commuting.

Arnold McClain saves $255 a month taking the train to his job in Irvine instead of driving his Volkswagen Beetle all the way from his Moreno Valley home.

"It is much more cost-effective for me to ride," McClain said last week as he waited to climb aboard at the downtown Riverside Metrolink station.

As more people make the leap to public transit, however, Inland transit agencies [Omnitrans and Riverside Transit Agency] are scrambling to meet the demand without seriously increasing their own costs.

Ridership on [Metrolink] trains in Riverside and San Bernardino counties has gone up about 8 percent for some Metrolink train lines.

Inland bus stops are also bustling. Ridership for April was up 12.6 percent overall and it increased more than 40 percent on some commuter lines, according to a Riverside Transit Agency report. Omnitrans in San Bernardino County also reported a 3.6 percent increase in overall bus ridership during April.

The Rideshare carpool program managed by the Riverside County Transportation Commission is also busier. John Standiford, the agency's deputy executive director, said calls to the program are up 40 percent for the first four months of 2008, compared with 2007.

---

They're Looking for a Break from $4.50 gas and Finding it in Mass Transit:

Many commuters are using public transportation because they're fed up with filling their gas tanks, officials said.

"Gas prices are the only difference," said Metrolink spokeswoman Denise Tyrell. "It doesn't make sense any other way."

Ridership on trains and local buses has climbed despite a weakened job market in Southern California, Tyrell said. Normally, an economic downturn would keep train ridership flat, but Tyrell said that's not happening now.

The high cost of gas drove McClain, 55, of Moreno Valley, to use Metrolink's 91 Line, he said. The train takes riders from downtown Riverside to stops in Corona, Anaheim, Irvine and finally Orange.

McClain has been using Metrolink off and on for a couple years. Since winter, the IT manager has been a frequent rider, leaving his Beetle at his office in Irvine in case he needs to run errands at lunch.

It's cheaper to ride the train home and have his wife pick him up at the station, he said, than fight congestion and pay $4.60 a gallon for gas, even in a car that gets more than 20 miles per gallon.

---

Adding More Cars to Existing Trains Might Help:

Commuter train operators across the U.S. report more people are hopping on board. Tyrell said the increase nationally makes it difficult to adjust here, with operators clamoring to find extra passenger cars and locomotives to accommodate the increase in ridership.

"We've got 10 railcars we borrowed we're sending back (to Seattle)," Tyrell said.

In Riverside County, adding more commuter trains faces another challenge, Tyrell said. Metrolink does not control the railroad tracks it uses and must stay out of the way of freight traffic managed by the BNSF Railway.

Tyrell said the only way Metrolink could add service during peak commuting times in Riverside County would be to add passenger cars to the existing trains.

---

More Omnitrans & RTA Buses are SRO:

Buses are fuller too.

"In some cases, passengers are standing because empty seats are scarce," said bus agency spokesman Brad Weaver. He said Riverside Transit is considering adding buses to existing routes and replacing smaller buses with larger models.

On Tuesday, commuters paced on the sidewalk at Fairmont Boulevard and Mission Inn Avenue waiting for the bus that ferries riders from downtown Riverside to Montclair. When the small bus arrived, seats filled quickly. Some commuters were forced to stand in the back.

Lannie Herren, 61, of Riverside, stood as the bus bounced from the Ontario Mills shopping center to its final stop in Montclair. From there, she planned to hop on another bus to her job in Chino. The route is a bit inefficient for her, she said, but it's her best option.

Officials would like to replace the small 25-passenger van with a large RTA bus, Weaver said, but money is tight.

Some help might be coming from the state. Gov. Schwarzenegger and others announced $136 million in transportation funding Tuesday, including almost $11.7 million for Riverside County and $595,000 for San Bernardino County.

Most of the Inland money will go to the Riverside Transit Agency for bus replacement and expansion. The majority, $8 million, will be spent to buy buses for a new route along Interstate 215 linking Riverside and Temecula.

Schwarzenegger said Tuesday in San Diego that expanded public transportation is key to reducing congestion and pollution.

Bus and rail officials said they don't want to expand service too soon, in case increased ridership is just temporary.

Weaver said RTA officials want to be cautious when adding expensive services like more routes or bigger buses, in case drivers return to their cars when they get used to paying more for gas.

But better service is crucial to keeping riders, some argue.

Herren, riding the 204 bus to Montclair, said many of her friends and family do not ride the bus because service doesn't run late enough, and the infrequency of routes makes return trips risky.

"If you don't know when the next bus is coming, or know it's coming but it is going to be a while, then you won't ride," Herren said. "But if you know the next bus is coming in 20 minutes, that's cool and you'll wait."

Reach Dug Begley at 951-368-9475 or [e-mail]

[nickv]

Riverside Transit - Record Ridership Levels

Systemwide Ridership +28%
CommuterLink Bus Ridership +97%
DAR +31%



More people riding RTA buses
despite lower prices at the pump.

RIVERSIDE, CA — October 20, 2008 — The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) experienced a record surge in ridership during September, evidence that more people are riding the bus even as summertime gas prices continue their plunge.

RTA buses recorded more than 757,000 boardings in September, a record-setting 28 percent increase compared to September of last year. Ridership on CommuterLink express routes was equally remarkable with a 97 percent jump from a year ago. Dial-A-Ride boardings skyrocketed 31 percent.

“We are committed to keeping this momentum going, and ensuring that our customers continue to receive the first-rate service they have come to expect,” said RTA Chairman of the Board Karen Spiegel. “This is very exciting news.”

Multiple factors appear to be driving the ridership skyward. In January, RTA made upgrades to nearly half of its routes, expanding service to growing communities and popular destinations. Another series of upgrades in September improved access to schools and Metrolink stations. Additionally, concerns over the economy and the environment may be prompting a growing number of passengers to trade their car keys for a bus pass.

RTA ridership is also getting a boost from free-ride programs at area colleges. At University of California at Riverside, the successful U-Pass generated roughly 110,000 boardings on RTA buses during Fiscal Year 2008, an increase of 60 percent compared to Fiscal Year 2007. And a new program at Riverside Community College District launched in August generated more than 60,000 boardings during its first five weeks.

Among the routes showing the greatest ridership increases were:

CommuterLink Route 206, which connects Temecula and Lake Elsinore to Corona (122 percent - weekday)

Hemet’s Route 33 (165 percent - weekday)

San Jacinto’s Route 42 (156 percent)

The UCR Crest Cruiser trolley (160 percent)

Route 61, which connects Sun City to Temecula (271 percent)

RTA’s most popular route, Route 1, which travels between Corona and Riverside, handled more than 150,000 passengers in September, an increase of 24 percent compared to last year.

[nickv]

RTA - Transit Center & TOD Project Updates



Transit Oriented Development: A possible design of an HSR station in Temecula?

Corona Multi-modal Transit Center:
The land for the development of this transit center was acquired for $1.0
million using TUMF funds. The total project cost of $9.0 million will include
extension of the existing Corona Metrolink Station pedestrian bridge across
the railroad tracks to connect to the transit center. Final engineering and
design was just recently finished. Construction is slated to start in the
summer of 2009.

Riverside Downtown Terminal Transit Center: (Proposed Location has been moved)
The proposed Riverside transit center was initially planned to be developed
at Vine St. adjacent to the Metrolink station in Riverside. However, due to the
changing environment, the existing transit center at the Downtown Terminal
will remain as the main transfer point for the majority of RTA’s bus routes.
Consequently, there will be major enhancements to the Downtown Terminal as
well as its surrounding areas. Estimated cost of the project is $3.5M which
will be partially funded with TUMF funds.

Hemet Transit Center: (Proposed Location has been moved)
The transit center site originally planned at 200 East Menlo Avenue has been
changed to 700 Scaramella Circle in Hemet near the railroad tracks. A request has been submitted
to FTA for the change of location and is currently being processed for
approval. Thus far, approved funding for the transit center is $1.4 million.
The project is estimated for completion in fiscal year 2011.

Temecula/Murrieta Transit Center:
The proposed location of the transit center is at 27199 Jefferson Avenue in
Temecula. The transit center will be adjacent to a park and ride facility. The
City of Temecula will contribute $0.6 million for the cost of the park and ride
facility. Total project cost is $8.0 million and the transit center is estimated to
be completed in fiscal year 2012.

Moreno Valley Multi-modal Transit Center:
The transit center will include customer parking, with rail and retail as
additional components. The initial cost estimate for completion is $6.0 million
is partially funded with TUMF funds for $0.6 million. The unfunded
expenditures are programmed outside the projected fiscal years of funding.
Preliminary design of the transit center has been initiated, and it is estimated
that project construction will start in fiscal year 2013.

Perris Multi-modal Transit center:
The transit center project cost includes a Federal Highway Administration
transit enhancement (TE) grant of $1.4 million. These funds were flexed to a
Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 grant for continuity of funds
management. Approved funding for this project is at $5.3 million. The
planning, environmental and engineering phase has been completed. The
IFB (Invitation for Bid) for construction services was issued in October 2008
and awarded to LA Engineering for $4.904 million in November. Construction
will commence in January 2009.

Other Transit Centers:

The following locations are considered for future development beyond the
current projected fiscal years of funding. They currently have no assigned funding:

Lake Elsinore/Canyon Lake Transit Center

Norco/Eastvale Transit Center

Menifee Transit Center

Banning/Beaumont Transit Center