2008-09-08-TAC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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Transportation Advisory Committee Minutes September 8, 2008 Present: Sara Arnold, Elaine Dratch, Bill Levison, Danny Moraff, Francine Stieglitz, Liaisons: Hank Manz (Selectmen), Richard Canale (Planning) Staff: Gail Wagner Student Pass Sales /Route Distribution ➢ A chart was provided comparing FY08 student passes by routes to FY09. There is a decrease in sales on Routes 1, 3 and 5 as start times have been advanced to 6:3 5 am. Routes 2, 4 and 6 are quite comparable to last year. ➢ Pass sales have not been restricted based on this comparison. ➢ Routes 2, 4 and 6 are arriving at LHS at approximately 7:35 am, which was the obj ective in advancing the start times by ten minutes. ➢ Arrival times have permitted Route 5 to access the Burlington Mall at 6:35 am run to accommodate a citizen's request. Analysis of April 2008 Ridership ➢ Bill's analysis shows low to none riders on the 5:30 pm routes and none on 6 pm routes. October 2007 and May 2008 last runs were also reviewed and confirmed April's numbers. ➢ Mid -day ridership is low. Analysis of carbon measures suggests that Lexpress may not be environmentally advantageous during this period. It was discussed that environmental impact is a complex topic and may involve many additional factors. Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) Analysis of Demand - Responsive Service ➢ Data suggest that low mid -day Lexpress ridership could accommodate shortened routes that would give extra time for scheduled stops to meet individual needs. It is assumed that seniors would be most interested in this service. ➢ CTPS used Route 3 as a model. It was noted that Route 3 is best suited to route deviation due to its street composition. ➢ Town of Bedford operates its transit service (BLT) as a combination of fixed routes with mid -day demand responsive service. Lexpress Schedule Changes for FYI 0 ➢ Given rider analysis, elimination of the 5:30 pm and 6pm routes will be investigated. TAC members committed to ride Lexpress at these times to chart riders. ➢ Danny will develop a schedule based on members' availability so that observations are staggered. ➢ Danny elaborated on his proposal for creating a Sunday service between Lexington and MBTA's Alewife Station. Rider projections are based on MBTA Saturday rider data. Route time is one -hour. CTPS maybe asked to conduct further analysis. Response to TMMA Internet Exchanges ➢ Richard Canale of the Planning Board does not feel Lexpress can be viewed on an efficiency scale and felt no response was warranted to TMMA. Planning Board looks for mechanisms to fund Lexpress and views the service as contributing to reduced commuter traffic. He did not support mid -day mixed bus service. ➢ TAC decided not to respond at this time. TAC Honorary Appointment of Don Graham ➢ The Selectmen will appoint Don Graham as an honorary TAC member at their September 8 meeting. Sara will read a statement of Don's significant contributions to the committee and Town over many years of service.