HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 4/21/2020 - Memorandum From Drew Brooks Re: April 21, 2020 Council Agenda Item #19 - Confirmation Of Emergency Regulation No. 2020-12 Authorizing The Modification Of Transfort RoutesTransfort / Dial-A-Ride
6570 Portner Road
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6620
970.221.6285 - fax
fcgov.com
Memorandum
DATE: April 21, 2020
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Caryn Champine, Director – Planning, Development & Transportation
FROM: Drew Brooks, Director – Transfort
SUBJECT: April 21, 2020 City Council Meeting Agenda Item #19
Additional Information for Resolution 2020-038: Confirmation of
Emergency Regulation No. 2020-12 Authorizing the Modification of
Transfort Routes
Introduction
The purpose of this memo is to provide information regarding an item being brought
before City Council on April 21, 2020 and one scheduled for May 5, 2020. Emergency
Regulation 2020-12 is set for confirmation by City Council on April 21, 2020. This
Emergency Regulation authorized the reduction and future modifications of Transfort
routes throughout the City. The proposed upcoming May 5, 2020 Resolution would
authorize the City Manager to approve amendments to existing Intergovernmental
Agreements (IGAs) the City has with neighboring governmental entities related to transit
service while the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) continues to impact the City
of Fort Collins and Northern Colorado.
Background
In response to COVID-19, on March 10, 2020, Governor Polis issued a Declaration of a
Disaster Emergency for the State of Colorado on March 13, 2020, the President of the
United States declared a National Emergency, and the Fort Collins’ City Manager
proclaimed a “local emergency”. Transfort ridership has been significantly impacted by
the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing by 86%, resulting in revenue reduction from lost
fare collection. Transfort has also experienced a decrease in staffing levels of bus
operators due to COVID-19 related concerns. Thus, the City Manager signed
Emergency Regulation n 202012 to authorize the April 18, 2020, reduction of Transfort
services. Inextricably linked with this reduction, is the significant number of
Intergovernmental Agreements the City of Fort Collins has with regional governmental
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
entities for services provided by Transfort, that are directly affected by the route
reduction.
Key Points
Transfort Staff recommended a reduction in route services, effective April 18,
2020, which was approved through Emergency Regulation by the City Manager
due to the 86% ridership decrease experienced as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Transfort provides transit-related services through IGAs to other governmental
entities such as neighboring communities (FLEX route) and Colorado State
University, among others.
The reduction in service has resulted in the need for amendments to these IGAs.
This item would affirm the City Manager’s Emergency Regulation to significantly
reduce/modify Transfort operations to protect the physical and environmental
health of residents and employees.
On May 5, 2020, City Manager, in consultation with Transfort and PDT executive
staff, will present a follow-up Resolution to allow the City Manager authority to
amend the related IGAs related to these transit service modifications.
Conclusion
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Transfort has had to reduce to service to the
community, including transit service provided to other governmental entities. The
affirmation of this Emergency Regulation acknowledges the immediate need of
Transfort to respond to the pandemic.
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
Transfort Service Reduction Proposal – Covid-19
Bottom Line
Transfort ridership has plummeted in the last few weeks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with
average decline of -86% compared to baseline ridership. In addition, bus operator staffing levels have
become critical due to illness and Covid-19 related concerns. Staff recommends a daily reduction in
service to mirror current Sunday service levels, with some exceptions for routes that are essential. This
will allow redeployment of resources to better encourage physical distancing on buses but maintain
service to critical and essential services. More succinctly:
Nine (9) routes would remain active, including Max, some with increased service
Twelve (12) routes would be suspended, including five (5) that service CSU, and Flex
No-cost (to the customer) taxi rides would be offered from bus stop to bus stop in areas where
the twelve (12) routes would be suspended.
Background & Data
With Colorado State University, PSD and Front Range Community College having closed in person
classes, and non-essential businesses closed due to a “stay at home” orders in place at the State and
County levels, we’ve seen dramatic declines in ridership. Last week, our ridership was down on average
80% system wide. Our highest ridership continues to show on Max and routes serving essential locations
that provide food, shelter or medical care, such as route 8, though all have seen significant declines.
Lowest ridership was seen on those routes specifically in service to CSU, such as routes 31 and 32 that
have experienced 99% and 94% ridership decline respectively. The following tables illustrate this drop in
ridership systemwide and by route:
Overall System Ridership:
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
Route Level Ridership:
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
Dial-A-Ride Ridership:
Staffing Levels
In addition, current staffing levels in Transfort Operations have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19
pandemic, with 15 bus operators currently off the schedule. While we have thus far only had one
member of Transfort staff test positive, other operators are not at work for a variety of reasons related
to the disease:
Exhibiting symptoms but not tested
Tested and awaiting results
In a high-risk category
Has a family member at home in a high-risk category
We anticipate this number will grow significantly in the coming days and weeks, making it impossible to
maintain existing transit service levels. It is necessary to take meaningful and proactive action to slow
the transmission of Covid-19 through our community, while still ensuring the provision of our core
mission as an essential service.
Recommendations
During this pandemic, it is vitally important for the protection of the public and our personnel to
embrace non-traditional strategies in the provision of Transfort service. Staff recommends Transfort
decrease daily service to reflect the service schedule currently provided on Sundays, with the addition of
essential or heavily used routes. This includes modifying the hours of operation to begin at
approximately 6:20am and end at 7:26pm. Simply, Sunday service levels would be deployed Monday
through Saturday until further notice.
Working with our contractor, zTrip, we are able to provide no-fare taxi rides in the areas where we will
suspend service. These trips will be allowed from one bus stop to another to allow access to the greater
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
bus system and are not intended to take the customer anywhere in the city. Staff will actively monitor
this program for areas of improvement throughout the time of suspended fixed route service.
This service reduction plan allows full use of our transit personnel in meaningful roles, filling “trailer” or
“rover” routes to add additional capacity on higher use routes. By applying lessons learned during Game
Days, this plan allows those resources to be rapidly redeployed to areas where ridership is heavier, or to
be immediately mobilized for emergency transportation use. In short, we can provide focused,
extremely high-level service with maximum flexibility and agility. This plan would keep all classified &
hourly personnel working while they are available to do so, but also allow for significant daily call-offs
for illness and allow for needed vacation and sick leave requests. We will need to carefully monitor
staffing levels daily and this may require some operators to stay home periodically, using admin leave.
While the Flex route has not seen as steep declines as other routes, staff believe suspension of this
regional connector is necessary to prevent transmission, in line with CDC recommendations to “avoid
travel between communities.” The Flex route connects Fort Collins, Longmont and Boulder, with direct
connections to RTD and hence the Denver Metro Area. Passengers are on board the Flex for a long
period of time. If they are sick or, carrying the virus asymptomatically, they are more likely to cough or
sneeze more times while on board thereby increasing opportunity for transmission of contagion. The
regional connector between Fort Collins and Greeley, the Poudre Express, has already been suspended.
Further, we recommend service be suspended on Sundays. Sunday service is non-essential and was only
added a few years ago. Suspending Sunday service will allow a full day for vehicle and workplace deep
cleaning as well as much needed downtime for Transit personnel.
Staff believe a phased approach to scale back service will consistently be too little, too late; being
reactive rather than proactive. Any time we reduce service, we will inevitably receive feedback from
passengers who have temporarily lost service. Implementing a reduction to this level initially will
provide the opportunity to reinstate service in phases as it becomes safer to do so. We believe this
approach most effectively serves the public safety and will also be perceived in a more positive light by
the community. We believe this plan prepares the operations to provide Consequence Level 5 service.
The map and table below illustrate the plan of Sunday level of service and additional routes, as well as
suspended routes:
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
Partner Feedback
We have reached out to our various partners for feedback on this approach:
FTA states that they do not need to approve any emergency reduction in service and are
supportive of reductions to meet community needs during this crisis.
CSU is supportive of this approach as ridership has declined over 95% on routes servicing
campus. This may require an amendment to the current agreement.
Among our regional partners there is some desire to maintain minimal trips on Flex, though we
do not recommend that approach for the reasons stated above. This may require amendments
to the current agreements. The below tables illustrate the individual trip declines on Flex:
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35
Conclusion
In summary, these recommendations will:
Focus resources on providing access to those locations that make us an essential service: food,
medical and shelter
Redeploy resources to increase capacity in service to those most essential, most heavily used
routes
Increased capacity allows more people to get the essential service they require
Increased capacity will allow for greater social distance for passengers on board the bus,
enhancing public and employee safety
Maintain 15-minute headways on Max
Decrease routes to locations experiencing extremely low ridership and that are non-essential
Decrease total daily service hours nearly 50%
Provide contracted taxi rides for customers in areas of service suspension
Maintains stable transit workforce during pandemic conditions
Provide a core essential service that is sustainable even with additional staffing decreases
DocuSign Envelope ID: B8C06F4F-73DF-4D02-A2F4-4553A3869E35