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Home My WebLink About2023-09-20-AHTC-min Town of Lexington AdHoc Transportation Committee Meeting Wednesday, September 20th 2023 1 9am to 10am Zoom Video Conference Meeting Minutes Present: Susan Barrett, Sally Castleman, Howard Cloth, Sharon Gunda, Varda Haimo, Carolyn Kosnoff,Joe Pato, and Deepika Sawhney. And Todd Rhodes too. Deepika called the meeting to order via Zoom at 9:03am. The meeting was called to order with all attendees present confirming attendance. Feedback on the Public Forum • Feedback received via email from attendees on the four proposed options presented at the forum. • One forum attendee could not decide between options 1 (invest more) and 4 (limp along with the current system). • The majority expressed preference for option 1 (invest more in the system). Google Transit Feedback • Discussion regarding a rider's confusion with Lexpress visibility on Google Transit. • Lexpress is listed on Google Transit, but route labels aren't distinct, similar to the MBTA. Rider Concerns • Concerns raised about a rider requesting deviations directly from the bus driver without prior notice, highlighting a need for clearer rider communication. • Many attendees expressed support for keeping Lexpress but raised concerns about it not meeting current needs, such as insufficient route coverage and infrequent service. • There was limited interest in a curb-to-curb on-demand service for seniors. Marketing and Awareness Campaign • A strong call for a comprehensive marketing and awareness campaign to increase ridership and public knowledge of Lexpress. • Suggested that one-off rider issues highlight the need for a systemic approach rather than individual fixes. Budget and Funding Discussions • Several members emphasized that decisions on the service's future should not be based on finding immediate funding solutions but on recognizing the need for the service. • The possibility of reallocating school bus budget funds to Lexpress was discussed, though concerns were raised about the practicality and political feasibility of such a move. • The town has contracted with the current vendor till 2024 with a possibility of an extension for fiscal 2025 with the existing contract. For the fiscal 2026 budget, the town would have to have funding for something new or different. It's likely that the current contract,just for level service, is going to increase probably a significant amount over the current contract, perhaps even upwards of 20% more to maintain level service. Senior Population Needs • It was noted that seniors and other vulnerable populations are not fully utilizing curb-to- curb services due to lack of awareness. • A pilot program to address these gaps was suggested. Todd mentioned that the school bus transportation had 36 routes. The cost is about $100,000 per route. Action Items and Next Steps • Focus on finalizing the report on Lexpress's future for the Select Board by September 26. • Explore the potential for using ARPA funds to finance a marketing campaign to boost Lexpress ridership. • Create a presentation and then write up the report for the Select Board Next Meeting: to be scheduled for next week with a longer duration to finalize the report. Varda motioned to adjourn and Sally seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 10:20. CHAT TEXT 09:27:30 From sally castleman : i think the order of the report should be changed. I drafted what I think should be the first thing in a report. I will send it out now. 09:36:43 From Susan Barrett : I think you all need to clarify what you mean by on- demand. At this point, my take is you do not mean Via (NewMO) service, but rather just a COA van, which is what most towns have. Is that correct? 09:43:12 From Deepika Sawhney To Susan Barrett(privately) : Susan, they need to talk this through. So just wait a bit 09:45:24 From Susan Barrett : We have a marketing plan, and we really do need those community champions to help us with sharing the message. Thank you. 09:46:54 From Susan Barrett : I would love a more robust marketing plan. This was not me disagreeing with you. This was me saying we also need community champions to share the awareness. People listen to their neighbors. Look at initiatives like LexTrees., 10:01:43 From Susan Barrett : We received costs for marketing, including a mailing of a map to households and other things. 10:03:31 From Sharon Gunda : I have to jump off to another meeting. 10:08:11 From Susan Barrett : Back in 2011, Town Meeting voted for more money for schools for school buses specifically. That, down the road, could be changed. At the time, there were 13 school buses. Now there are 36. 10:15:27 From Susan Barrett : The schools do not track ridership. They only track registrations. That is quite different. Meeting ended at 10.20 am (meeting notes prepared with Al assistance)