HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - February 6, 1985 (88)CITY OF LCDI . FIVE
yEAR ZRANSIT PLAN
APPROVII)
RES, NO. 85-30
t City
Following introduction of the matter by Assistan
Manager Glenn, with comments being made by NCouncil, on
orman Voss,
President of the Lodi Senior Citizens Club,
Council,
mot ion of Council Member I 1 i the nchmCi City cofd Lod adopted
Resolution No. 85-30
Transit Plan for F.Y. 1984-85 through F.Y. 198g-89•
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LODI FIVE YEAR TRANSIT PLAN
INTRODUCTION/SERVICE DESCRIPTION
This plan ,discusses current transit issues in the City of Lodi,
and lists the objectives of. the Lodi City Council in providing
for public transit. Also identified are the actions which the
City intends to take over the next five years to meet these
objectives, as well as estimates of the funding which will be
needed.
The Lodi Dial -A -Ride currently operates 12 hours a day, five days
a week. service is provided in six City -owned Chevrolet station
wagons. Daily operation is contracted to the City Cab Company,
whichalso provides (in seperate vehicles) a private taxi
service.
The area served is the City of Lodi, plus Woodbridge and the
Arbor..Mobile Home Park in Acampo. Dial -A -Ride fares are paid by
prepurchased tickets only, and cost $-.50 for seniors and
handicapped, and $2.00 for regular_ passengers within City.limits.
County service costs $.50 additional. Up to three ;may ride for
the, of one, if travelling from the same origin point to the
same destination point. Dial -A -Ride users must be willing to
share the vehicle with others. Service is available on call, but
subscription service (i.e., pickup at a prearranged future date
and` time) is not available.
Contractual arrangements require all normal operating expenses,
including fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs, to be borne by.
the `cab company. In turn, the City pays $3.00 to the cab company
for each 'passenger ticket submitted ($3.50 for County tickets).
In recent years, the Lodi Dial -A -Ride has become very popular
with local seniors, who comprise the large majority of the
ridership. The business community has also responded,
enthusiastically supporting the current second annual Rotary Club
promotion. Last year, the Rotary Club supplied 8,844 free
Dial -,A -Ride tickets to local seniors, from November, 1983
February, 1984.
CURRENT ISSUES
for additional Dial -A -Ride service
(weekends
2. Apparent increase in passenger waiting times;
3. Possible need for scheduled or prearranged service;
4. Possible need for lower general public fares;
5. Need to adopt a policy on coordination with the County of San
Joaquin.
By law,, the San Joaquin County Council of Governments is
empowered to make the final decision concerning reasonable unmet
transit needs in the City of Lodi and elsewhere in the County.
one purpose of this plan is to inform the COG of I the City's
..position on the above and related issues. By presenting the COG
with an adopted transit plan which shows a commitment to local
transit development, it is felt that the City's own interests
will best be served.
The City of Lodi is committed to meeting the reasonable transit
needs of all City residents. However, the City feels that the
'requests for weekend and extended weekday Dial -A -Ride service go
beyond basic needs. In particular, the current ;12-hour,service
day is felt to be sufficient. Concerning potential weekend
service, the City is not prepared. to transport the large number
of passengers who might be expected to request travel to
religious . services - it is felt this function is properly the
responsibility of the churches and their congregations., The
City may be willing:, however, to experiment with.l.imited weekend
service, say from 9:00 a.m. to 5: 00 p m. on Saturdays, and from
.12 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. Firstf though,
discussions must be held with the contractor to determine impacts
on driver work rules and hours.
The apparent increase in passenger -waiting -times may indicate
that an additional vehicle or vehicles are needed. Alternately,
more efficient utilization of the existing equipment may be the
answer. The City stands ready to furnish additional equipment if
necessary to insure a smooth transit operation.
The possible need for scheduled or prearranged transit service is
.highlighted by the recent petition calling for a fixed route sys-
tem. The City's position is,that, fixed route transit is a method
of service delivery, rather than a transit need. , The potential
need is for users to arrange scheduled service in advance. The
City is reluctant to implement such a change because it may favor
only a few individuals at the expense of the system as alwhole.
Also, the current contractor may be unable to adapt, its operation
to include,.subscription or prearranged service. More information
is needed about the extent of this potential need and the
implications of initiating subscription service.
It 'has been noted that the $2.00 per person regular Dial -A -Ride
fare may be`too `high. The recent reduction in the required
farebox:.recovery ratio to 10% does open the door to renewed
consideration of lower general public fares by the City. The City
Council will consider this issue during 1985.
The final issue is one of increasing concern to the City. Over
the past two years, the Lodi Dial -A -Ride has been expanded to
serve first Woodbridge and then the Arbor Mobile Home Park in
Acampo. In both cases, the expansion was triggered by a COG
finding of reasonable transit needs for County residents.
However, the resulting ridership has been marignal at best. The
City wishes to put the COG and the County on notice that it does
not wish. to further dilute a successful City system to serve
marginal.County transit needs.
POLICY SECTION
The following service objectives have been developed for the Lodi
Dial -A -Ride.
1. Meet'the reasonable transit needs of all City residents.
2. Minimize system operating costs.
3 Operate an efficient transit system: meet the required 10%
farebox recovery ratio.
4. Foster community awareness and. support for the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride: strive to increase system ridership.
5. Assure the provision of a quality transit service:
a. vehicles will be kept clean and properly maintained;
b, drivers will be courteous and properly trained;`
c. service will be provided within 30-45 minutes,of
telephone call.
6. Assure that contractor carries necessary liability insurance
to 'protect the City from accident liability to riders and
third parties.
7. Provide service to County residents only if the following
conditions are fully met:
a, it is demonstrated to the City's satisfaction that the
ACTION SECTION
The Lodi Five. Year Transit Planconsists of implementing the
service objectives to the maximum extent feasible. To achieve
this, a number of actions have been identified, including the
primary action, which is to continue the existing service,
upgrading as. necessary. All actions are to be implemented in
1985 and continued in later years, unless otherwise indicated.
1. To meet the reasonable transit needs of all City residents
(service objective #1), the City of Lodi will:
Continue the existing Dial-A-Ride service, upgrading where
necessary. Specific capital improvements which have been
programmed include:
a. purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in FY 85-86;
b. purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in. FY 87-88;
The function of these new vehicles (expansion or replacement)
will7 be determined by. the condition of the fleet and extent
of transit needs at the time of purchase.
Hold and advertise the annual unmet transit needs public
hearings in November or December of each year. The present
policy of 'holding two hearings will be continued. All
hearings will be advertised by legal notice and by notifying
persons and organizations known to have an interest in the
subject ofthehearings, including the Loel Center, the Lodi
Service Center, and the Senior Citizens Center.
Explore the feasibility of implementing weekend and
subscription service. For this purpose, a report will be
prepared., for the City Council before July 1, 1985.The San
Joaquin County Council of Governments may be solicited to
provide, technical assistance in the preparation of '`'.this"
report.
2. ..To minimize operating costs (service objective #2), the City
of Lodi will:
Request for,'.prol2osals for service before July 1, 1986, to
insure. the provision of the most cost effective purchased
transportation service possible. Such an action should not
be viewed as indicating dissatisfaction with the current
contractor, only as sound business practice.
Continue to work with the COG to insure that the City's
position is fully, communicated prior to future_ findings of
`unmet transit needs which are reasonable to meet.
Hold the required annual Productivity Improvement Committee
meeting, in November or December of each year, to discuss
productivity improvements and explore ways to reduce system
operating. costs.
3.
,To- insure, operating an efficient transit system (service
objective #3), the City of Lodi will.:
Continue to monitor system performance on a monthly basis.
Any, problem areas will be promptly brought to the attention
of the contractor, with adjustments being Made as.warranted.
4.
To foster community support and improve ridership (service
objective #4), the City of Lodi will:
Advertise the service. Specific methods will include, but
not be limited to, cable TV and advertisements and/or
articles in the Lodi News -Sentinel.
Support the possible renewal of the annual Rotary Club
promotion, if requested by the Rotary Club. In addition to
providing free Dial -A -Ride tickets to local seniors, this
promotion fosters positive perceptions of the Dial -A -Ride .
service by the business community and the news media.
Consider reducing the $2.00 general public fare. A recom-
mendation on this action will be brought to the City Council
by July 1, 1985.
5.
To assure the provision of a quality transit service (service
objective #5), the City of Lodi will:
Determine the extent of deviation from the 30-45 minute
service standard - implement system improvements as
warranted. This action will be performed by reviewing
recently -submitted taxi company log sheets, improvements --
up' to and including an additional vehicle or vehicles - will
be',made as warranted to insure meeting the service standard.
Maintain a record of transit complaints and review with the
contractor on a regular basis.
6.
To assure that the contractor maintains the necessary amount
of liability insurance (service objective #6).', the City of
Lodi.will be named in the insurance polio as co-insured, and
will be notified when the policy coverage is reduced or
cancelled for any.reason.
7.
To insure that the conditions for providing County service
are fully met (service objective #7), the City of Lodi will:
Annually _:evaluate the impacts of County service, when
negotiating a new contract with the County.
SUMMARY OF ACTIO3'S
The chart below., summarizes the actions identified in the Action
Section'.by,service objective. All actions are to be implemented
in 1985 and continued,in later years, unless` otherwise indicated.
Service Objective Action to Be Taken
I . Continue existing Dial -A -Ride
service
1 Hold and advertise annual transit
"needs" hearings
1,
Explore feasibility of weekend and
subscription service: implement if
warranted (report by July 1,` 1985)`'
2
. Request for proposals for service`
before July 1, 1986
2
. Continue to work with COG on
potential transit "needs" findings
2
. Hold annual Productivity
Improvement Committee meeting
3
. Continue to monitor performance on
monthly basis
4
. Advertise transit service
4
Support possible renewal of the
annual Rotary Club'promotion,'if
requested by the Rotary Club
4
Consider reducing $2.00 general
public fare (recommendation due by
July 1, 1985)
5
Determine extent of deviation from
30-45 minute service standard -
POTENTIAL FUTURE ISSUES
The previous sections have outlined the service objectives and
the actions needed to implement them. The purpose of this
section is to briefly discuss some issues which are not now of
concern, but may become a concern as the five year period'
encompassed by this plan.progresses.
The Lodi Dial -A --Ride is currently operating at close to capacity.
The possibility of adding new vehicles has been discussed. As an
alternative to adding more station wagons (capacity 5), it is
possible that one or more vans or minibuses might be needed
(capacity = 9-16). This option would become attractive if
greater vehicle capacity is needed. If desired, such a vehicle
could be equipped with a wheelchair lift for handicapped accessi-
bility. Offsetting the capacity and possible accessibility gain
would-be the'cost - approximately $35,000 (in 1985 dollars) for a
lift --equipped minibus.: Operating costs would also increase, due
to higher maintenanceand insurance, and lower fuel economy.
A final potential future issue involves the possibility of
intercity service to Stockton. The recent COG draft Transit
Development Plan identifies such service as a potential- future
unmet need.* Discussions with COG staff reveal their thinking -
a Lodi -Stockton fixed route loop, making the circuit. possibly
four', -times per day, stopping at key locations in Lodi and
Stockton. Such a route would double as a partial fixed route.
local service, and could be operated for $60,000 to $80,000 per
year (less fares),,according to COG staff.
'Alleged ,benefits aside, it is the position of the City of Lodi
NOT I to fun& intercity transit out of local LTF and STA funds.
Such funds are properly reserved for purely local Lodi needs.
FINANCIAL SECTION
.Inthis section, the .costs of implementing the Lodi Five Year
Transit Plan are discussed. For financial planning purposes, it
is assumed that the conditional actions identified in this plan
will be implemented (exception: no vans or minibuses are pro-
grammed). Specifically, it is assumed that subscription service,
lower general public fares, and reduced waiting times will be
implemented Collectively, these actions will make the system
more attractive to riders, and hence, can be expected to increase
ridership. Since the current system is operating at or close to
capacity, an additional vehicle will be needed. Therefore, the
vehicle currently programmed for FY 85-86 becomes an expansion
vehicle. The vehicle programmed for FY 87-88 remains a
replacement vehicle.
The projected operating and capital expenses to implement ,the
above are given below. A relatively low basic escalation rate of
5% per year is assumed. The exception occurs in FY 85-86, when
the new vehicle is added. It is anticipated that this new
vehicle will be fully utilized in meeting the increased ridership
projected above.
Lodi's Projected Transit.Costs, FY 85 -FY 89 (City Service Only)
A brief glance at the past operating history of. the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride reveals steady increases in both ridership and system
operating costs over the period FY 81 - FY 84 (see chart below) .
Not shown by the chart is the fact that ridership (and expendi-
tures) have finally started to level off. For example, the six
month period ending in September, 1984 actually witnessed a
slight decline in ridership over the six month period ending in
September 1983 (29,019 passengers vs. 30,033). Therefore the
basic escalation rate of 5% per year which has been programmed
seems reasonable, even given the larger historical increases.
FY 1985
FY 1986
FY 1987
FY 1988
FY 1989
Operating
199,850
251,800*
264,400
277,690
291,500
Capital
-0-
12,000*
-0--
14,000**
-0-
Total
199,850
263,800
264,400
291,000
291,500
*reflects
addition of
new fully utilized
station wagon
63,100
**reflects
addition of
replacement
station
wagon
Cost/Passenger
A brief glance at the past operating history of. the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride reveals steady increases in both ridership and system
operating costs over the period FY 81 - FY 84 (see chart below) .
Not shown by the chart is the fact that ridership (and expendi-
tures) have finally started to level off. For example, the six
month period ending in September, 1984 actually witnessed a
slight decline in ridership over the six month period ending in
September 1983 (29,019 passengers vs. 30,033). Therefore the
basic escalation rate of 5% per year which has been programmed
seems reasonable, even given the larger historical increases.
Lodi
Dial -A -Ride
Operating Costs
and Other`Selected
Statistics,
FY 81 - FY 84
FY 1981
FY '1982
FY 1983
FY 1984(est.)
Operating Costs
88,732
127,703
177,971
191,636
Fare _Revenue
21,388
23,480
32,409
33,393
Passengers
35,903
43,661
56,650
63,100
Fares Costs -( )
24.1%
18.4%
18.2%
17.4%
Cost/Passenger
2.47
2.92
3.14
3.04
LODI FIVE YEAR TRANSIT PLAN
INTRODUCTION/SERVICE DESCRIPTION
This plan discusses current transit issues in the City of Lodi',
and lists the objectives of the Lodi City Council in providing
for public transit. Also identified are the actions which the
City intends to take over the next five years to meet these
objectives, as well as estimates of the funding which will be
needed.
_ The Lodi Dial--A-Ride currently operates 12 hours a day, five days
a week. Service is provided in six City-owned Chevrolet station
wagons. Daily operation is contracted to the City Cab Company,
which also provides (in seperate vehicles) a private taxi
service.
The area served is the City of Lodi, plus Woodbridge and the
Arbor. Mobile Home Park in Acampo. Dial--A--Ride fares are paid by
prepurchased tickets only, and cost $.50 for Ceniors and
handicapped, and $2.00 for regular passengers within City Limits.
County service costs $.50 additional. Up to three may ride for
the price of one, if travelling from the same origin point to the
same destination point. Dial-A-Ride users must be willing to
share the vehicle with others. Service is available cn call, but
subscription 'service (i.e., pickup at a prearranged future date
and time) is not available.
Contractual arrangements require all normal operating expenses,
including fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs, to be borne by
the cab company. In turn, the City pays,$3.00 to the cab company
for each passenger ticket submitted ($3.50 for County tickets)
In recent years, the Lodi Dial-A-Ride has become very popular
with local _seniors, who comprise the large majority of the
ridership The business community has also responded,
enthusiastically supporting the current second annual Rotary Club
promotion Last year, the Rotary Club supplied 8,844 free
Dial--A--Ride tickets to local seniors,' from November, 1983
February, 1984.
(weekends
3. 'Possible need for scheduled or prearranged service;
4. Possible need for lower general public fares;
5. Need to adopt a policy on coordination with the County of San
Joaquin.
By law, the San Joaquin County Council of Governments is
empowered to make the final decision concerning reasonable unmet
`transit needs in the City of Lodi and elsewhere in the County.
One purpose of this plan is to inform the COG of the City's
position on the above and related issues. By presenting the COG
with an adopted transit plan which shows a commitment to local
transit development, it is felt that the City's own interests
will best be served.
The City of Lodi is committed to meeting the reasonable transit
needs of all City residents. However, the City feels that the
requests for weekend and extended weekday Dial -A -Ride service go
beyond basic needs. In particular, the current 12 -hour service
day is felt to be sufficient. Concerning potential weekend
.,service, the City is not prepared to transport the large number
of passengers who might be expected to request travel to
religious services - it is felt this function' is properly the
responsibility =of the churches and their congregations. The
City may be,willing, however, to experiment with limited weekend
service, say from 9:00 a.m, to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and from
12 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. First, though,
discussions must be held with the contractor to determine impacts
on driver work rules and hours.
The. apparent increase in, passenger waiting _times may indicate
that an.additional vehicle or vehicles are needed.- Alternately,
more efficient utilization of the existing equipment may be the
answer. The City stands ready to furnish additional' equipment if
necessary to insure a smooth transit operation.
The possible need for scheduled or prearranged transit service is
highlighted by the recent petition calling for a fixed route Sys-
tem. The City's position is that fixed route transit is a method
of service delivery, rather than a transit need. The potential.
need is for users to arrange scheduled service in advance.' The
City is reluctant to implement such a change because it may favor
only a few individuals at the expense of the system as a whole.
Also, the current contractor may be unable, to adapt its operation
to include subscription or prearranged service. More information
WM
is needed about the extent of this potential need and the
implications of initiating subscription service
It has, been noted that the $2.00 per person regular 'Dial -A --.Ride
fare may too high. The recent reduction in the required
farebox recovery ratio to 10% does open the door to renewed
consideration of lower general public fares by the City. The City
Council will consider this issue during 1985.`
The -final issue is one of increasing concern to the City. Over
.the 'past two years, the Lodi Dial-A-Ride,has been expanded to
serve first Woodbridge and then the Arbor Mobile Home Park in
Acampo.In both cases, the expansion was triggered by a COG
finding of reasonable transit needs for County residents.
However, the resulting ridership has been marignal at best. The
City` ,wishes to put the COG and the County on notice that it does
not wish to further dilute a successful City system to serve
marginal County transit needs.
POLICY SECTION
The following service objectives have been developed for the Lodi
Dial -A -Ride.
1. Meet the reasonable transit needs of all City residents.
2. Minimize system operating costs.
3. Operate an efficient transit system: meet the required 100
farebox recovery ratio.
4. Foster community awareness and support for the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride: -strive to increase system ridership.
5. Assure the provision of a quality transit service:
a. vehicles will be kept clean and properly maintained;
b. drivers will be courteous and properly trained;
C. service will be provided within 30-45 minutes of
telephone call
6. Assure.that contractor carries necessary_ liability .insurance
to protect the City from accident liability to riders and
third parties.
7. Provide service to County residents only if the following
conditions are fully mets
a. it is demonstrated to the -City's satisfaction that the
County service in question will.not adversely impact the
quality of service provided to City residents;
-b. there is a clear and demonstrated need for,the.service;
c. the County pays the -full cost of the service.
_3
ACTION SECTION
="..The Lodi Five Year Transit Plan consists of implementing the
service objectivestothe maximum extent feasible. To achieve
this, a number of actions have been identified, including the
primary action,, which is to continue the existing service,
upgrading as necessary. All actions are to be 'implemented in
1985 and continued in later years, unless otherwise indicated.
1 To -meet the reasonable transit needs of all City residents
(service objective #1), the City of Lodi -will:
Continue the existing Dial -A --Ride service, upgrading where
necessary. Specific capital improvements which have been
programmed include:
a purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in FY 85--86;
b. purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in FY 87-88;
The function of these new vehicles (expansion or replacement)
will be determined by the condition of the fleet and _ extent
of transit needs at the time of purchase.
Hold and advertise the annual unmet transit needs public
hearings in November or December of each year. The present
policy of holding two hearings will be continued. All
hearings will be advertised by legal notice and by notifying
persons and organizations known to have an interest in the
subject of the hearings, including the Loel Center, the Lodi
Service Center, and the Senior Citizens Center.
s.
_Explore the feasibility of implementing weekend and
subscription service. For this purpose, a report will be
prepared for the City Council before July 1, 1985. The San
Joaquin County Council of Governments may be solicited to
provide technical assistance in the preparation of this
report.
2. To minimize operating costs (service objective #2), the City_
of Lodi will:
Go out to bid before July 1, 1986, to insure the provision of
the most cost effective purchased transportation service
possible. Such an action should not be viewed as indicating
dissatisfaction with the current contractor, only as sound
business practice.
Continue to work with the COG to insure that the City's
position is fully communicated prior to future findings of
unmet transit needs which are reasonable to meet.
Hold the required annual Productivity Improvement Committee
meeting, in November or December of each year, to discuss_
productivity improvements and explore ways to reduce systeim
operating costs. -
-4-
3.
To insure operating an efficient transit system (service
objective #3), the City of Lodi will:
Continue to monitor system performance on a monthly basis.
Any problem areas will be promptly brought to the attention
of the contractor, with adjustments being made as warranted.
4.
To foster community support and improve ridership (service
objective.#4), the City of Lodi will:
Advertise the service. Specific methods will include, but
not be limited to, cable TV and advertisements and/or
articles in the Lodi News -Sentinel.
Support the possible renewal of the annual RotaryClub
promotion, if requested by the Rotary Club. In addition to
providing free Dial -A --Ride tickets to local seniors, this
promotion fosters positive perceptions of the Dial -A -Ride
service by the business community and the news media.
Consider reducing the $2.00 generalpublic fare. A recom-
mendation on this action will be brought to the City Council
by July 1, 1985.
5.
To assure the provision of a quality transit service (service
_
objective #5), the City of Lodi will:
Determine the extent of deviation from the 30-45 minute
service standard -- implement system improvements as
warranted. This action will be performed by reviewing
recently --submitted taxi company log sheets. Improvements -
up to and.including an additional vehicle or vehicles - will
be made. as warranted to insure meeting the service standard.
Maintain a record of transit complaints and review with the
contractor on a regular basis.
6.
To assure that the contractor maintains the necessary amount
of liability insurance (service objective #6), the City of
Lodi will be named in the insurance policy as co-insured, and
will be tified ,when the policy coverage is reduced or
cancelled ,:or any reason.
7.
To insure that the conditions for providing County service
are fully met (service objective #7), the City of Lodi will:
Annually evaluate the impacts of County service, when
negotiating a new contract with the County.
-5--
SUMMARY OF ACTIONS
`The` -chart below, summarizes the actions identified in the Action
Section by service
objective. AIL -actions ;are to be implemented
in 1985 and continued
in later years, unless otherwise indicated_
Service Objective #
Action to Be Taken
1
Continue existing Dial--A--Ride
service
1
Hold and advertise ann;ial transit
"needs" hearings
1
Explore feasibility of weekend and
subscription service: implement if
warranted (report by July'l, 1985)
2
Go out to bid before July 1, 1986
2
. Continue to work with COG on
potential transit "needs" findings
2
Hold annual Productivity
Improvement Committee meeting
" 3
Continue to monitor performance on
monthly basis
4
Advertise transit service
4'
Support possible renewal of the:
annual Rotary Club promotion, if
requested by the Rotary 'Club°
4
Consider reducing $2.00 general
public fare (recommendation due by
July lr 1985)
5
Determine extent of deviation from
30-45 minute service standard
make changes as necessary
5
Maintain record of complaints
regularly review with contractor
6
Name City as co-insured
7
Annually evaluate impacts of County.
service
-6
3 _
POTENTIAL FUTURE ISSUES
The; previous sections have outlined the 'service objectives and
the actions needed to implementthem. The purpose of this
section is to briefly discuss some issues which are not now of
concern, but may become a concern as the five year period
encompassed by this plan progresses.
The Lodi Dial -A --Ride is 'currently operating at close to capacity.
The possibility of adding new vehicles has been discussed. As an
alternative to adding more station wagons (capacity = 5), it is
possible that one or more vans or minibuses might be needed
(capacity = 9-16). This option would become attractive if
greater vehicle capacity is needed. If desired, such a vehicle
could be equipped with a wheelchair lift for handicapped accessi-
bility. Offsetting the capacity and possible accessibility gain
would be the cost approximately $35,000 (in 1985 dollars) for a
lift -equipped minibus.. operating costs would also increase, due
to 'higher maintenance and insurance, and lower fuel economy.
A final potential future issue involves the possibility of
intercity service to Stockton. The recent COG draft Transit
Development Plan identifies such service as a potential future
unmet need.* Discussions with COG staff reveal their thinking -
a Lodi -Stockton fixed route, loop, making the circuit possibly
four times per day, stopping at key locations in Lodi and
Stockton. Such a route would double as a partial fixed route
local service, and could be operated for $60,000 to $80,000 per
year (less fares), according to COG staff.
Alleged benefits aside, it is the position of the City of Lodi
NOT to fund intercity -transit out of local LTF and STA funds.
FINANCIAL SECTION
In this section, the costs of implementing the Lodi Five Year
Transit Plan are discussed. For financial planning purposes, it
is assumed that the conditional actions identified in this plan
will be implemented (exception: no vans or minibuses are pro-
grammed).. Specifically, it is assumed that subscription service,
lower general public fares., and reduced waiting times will be
implemented. Collectively, these actions will make the system
more attractive to riders, and hence, can be expected to increase
ridership. Since the current system is operating at or close to
capacity, an additional vehicle will be needed. Therefore, the
vehicle currently programmed for FY 85-86 becomes an expansion
vehicle. The vehicle programmed for FY 87-88 remains a
replacement vehicle.
The projected operating and capital expenses to implement the
above are given below. A relatively low basic escalation rate of
,5% per year is assumed. The exception occurs in FY 85-86, when
the new vehicle is added. It is anticipated that this new
vehicle will be fully utilized in meeting the increased ridership
projected above.
Lodi's Projected Transit Costs, FY 85 --FY 89 (City Service Only)
FY 1985 FY 1986 FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989
Operating 199`,850 251,800* 264,400, 277,600 291,500
Capital -0-- 12,000* -0-- 14,000** --0-
Total 199,850 263,800 264,400 291,000 291,500
*reflects addition of new fully utilized station wagon
**reflects addition of replacement station wagon
A brief glance at the. past operating history of the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride reveals steady increases in both ridership and system
operating costs over the period FY 81 FY 84 (see chart below).
Not shown -by the chart is the fact that ridership (and expendi-
tures) have, finallystarted to level off. For example, the six .
month period:.ending in.. September, 1984 actually witnessed a
slight decline in ridershipoverthe six month period ending in
September 1983 (29,019 passengers vs. 30,033). Therefore the
basic escalation ;rate of 5s per year which has been programmed
seems reasonable; even given the larger historical increases.
Lodi Dial -A -Ride
Operating Costs and Other Selected Statistics, FY 81 - FY 84
' FY 1981 FY 1982 FY 1983 FY 1984 (est.
Operating Costs 88,732' 127,703 177,971 191,636
Fare Revenue 21,3H 23,480 32,409 33,393
Passengers 35,903 43,661 56,650 63,100
Fares Costs (%) 24.1% 18.40 18.2% 17.4%
Cost/Passenger 2.47 2.92 3.14 3.04
-8-
v
CITY COUNCIL
HENRY A. GLAVES, )r.
JOHN R. (Randy) SNIDER, Mayor
'1 (� -$' O "('� `�'
CITY
City Manager
DAVID M. HINCHMAN
LJ ,j� L./ 1
ALICE M. REtMCHE
Mayor.Pro Tempore
=:
CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET
City Clerk
EVELYN M. OLSOtJ
' POST OFFICE BOX j10.RONALD.
M. STEIN
JAMES W. PINKERTON, Jr.
LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241
City Attorney
FRED M. REID
(209)334-5634
-
February 11, 1985
Mr. Peter Verpoorn
Executive Director.
;:. County Council of Governments
1850 East Hazelton
Street
Stockton, CA 95205
Dear.h1r. Verpoorn:
Enclosed herewith
-please find certified copy of Resolution
,No.,
85-30 - Resolution
adopting City of Lodi Five-year Transit'Plan.`for
F.Y. 84-85 through
F.Y. 88-89 'which was adopted by. the
Lodi; City
Council at its regular meeting of February 6, 1985.
Very truly yours,
Alice M. Reimche
City Clerk
AMR :.7 J
4
RESOLUTION NO. 85-39
RESOLUTION ADOPTING CITY OF LODI FIVE YEAR TRANSIT
PLAN FOR F.Y. 84-85 THROUGH F.Y. 88-89
RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Lodi does
hereby adopt the City of Lodi Five Year Transit Plan for F. Y.
84-85 through F. Y. 88-89, a copy of which is attached hereto,
identified as Exhibit "A" and thereby made a part hereof.
Dated: February 6, 1985
I hereby certify that Resolution No. 85-30
was passed and adopted by the City Council
of the City of Lodi in a regular meeting
held February 6, 1985 by the following vote:
Ayes: Council Members - Hinchman, Olson, Reid,
and Snider (Mayor)
Noes: Council Members -None
Absent: Council Members - Pinkerton
Attest
Alice M. Reimehe
City Clerk
LODI FIVE YEAR TRANSIT PLAN
INTRODUCTION/SERVICE DESCRIPTION
This plan discusses current transit issues in the City of Lodi,
and lists the objectives of the Lodi City Council in providing
for public transit. Also identified are the actions which the
City intends to take over the next five years to meet these
objectives, as well as estimates of the funding which will be
needed.
The Lodi Dial -A -Ride currently operates 12 hours a day, five days
a week. Service is provided in six City -owned Chevrolet station-
wagons.
tationwagons. Daily, operation is contracted to the City Cab Company,
which also provides (in seperate vehicles) a private taxi
service.
The area served is the City of Lodi, plus Woodbridge and the
Arbor Mobile Home Park in Acampo. Dial -A -Ride fares are paid by
prepurchased tickets only, and cost $.50 for seniors and
handicapped and $2.00 for regular passengers within City limits.
County service costs $.50 additional. Up to three may ride for
the price of one, if travelling from the same origin point to the
same destination point. Dial -A -Ride users must be willing to
share the vehicle with others. Service is available on call, but
subscription service (i.e., pickup at a prearranged future date
and time) is not available.
Contractual arrangements require all normal operating expenses,
including fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs, to be borne by
the cab company. In turn, the City pays $3.00 to the cab company
for each passenger ticket submitted ($3.50 for County tickets).
In recent years, the Lodi Dial -A -Ride has become very popular
with local seniors, who comprise the large majority of the
ridership. The business community has also responded,
enthusiastically supporting the current second annual Rotary Club
promotion. Last year, the Rotary Club supplied 8,844 free
Dial -A -Ride tickets to local seniors, from November, 1983 -
February, 1984.
CURRENT ISSUES
1. Possible need for additional Dial -A -Ride service (weekends `E
and evenings);
2. Apparent increase in passenger waiting times;
3. Possible need for scheduled or prearranged service;
4. Possible need for lower general public fares;
5. Need to adopt a policy on coordination with the County of San
Joaquin.
By law, the San Joaquin County Council of Governments is
empowered to make the final decision concerning reasonable unmet
transit needs in the City of Lodi and elsewhere in the County.
one purpose of this plan is to inform the COG of the City's
position on the above and related issues. By presenting the COG
with an adopted transit plan which shows a commitment to local
transit development, it is felt that the City's own interests
will best be served.
The City of Lodi is committed to meeting the reasonable transit
needs of all City residents. However, the City feels that the
requests for weekend and extended weekday Dial -A -Ride service go_
beyond basic needs. in particular, the current 12 -hour service:
day is felt to be sufficient. Concerning potential weekend
service, the City is not prepared to transport the large number
of passengers who might be expected to request travel to
religious services - it is felt this function is properly the
responsibility of the churches and their congregations. The
City may be willing, however, to experiment with limited weekend
service, say from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and from
12 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. First, though,
discussions must be held with the contractor to determine impacts
on driver work rules and hours.
The apparent increase in passenger waiting times may indicate
that an additional vehicle or vehicles are needed. Alternately,
more efficient utilization of the existing equipment may be the
answer. The City stands ready to furnish additional equipment if
necessary to insure a smooth transit operation.
The possible need for scheduled or prearranged transit service is
highlighted by the recent petition calling for a fixed route sys-
tem. The City's position is that fixed route transit is a method
of service delivery, rather than a transit need. The potential
need is for users to arrange scheduled service in advance. The
City is reluctant to implement such a change because it may favor
only a few individuals at the expense of the system as a whole.
Also, the current contractor may be unable to adapt its operation
to include subscription or prearranged service. More information
C is needed about the extent of this potential need and the
impl.catiohs of initiating subscription service.
It has been noted that the $2.00 per person regular Dial -A' -Ride
fare. may be too high. The recent reduction in the required
farebox recovery ratio to 10% does open the door to renewed
consideration of lower general public fares by the City. The City
Council will consider this issue during 1985.
The final issue is one of increasing concern to the City. Over
the past two years, the Lodi Dial -A -Ride has been expanded to
serve first Woodbridge .and then the Arbor Mobile Home Park in
Acampo. In both cases, the expansion was triggered by a COG
finding of reasonable transit needs .for County residents.
However, the resulting ridership has been marignal at best. The
City wishes to put the COG and the County on notice that it does
not wish to further dilute a successful City system to serve
_marginal County transit needs.
POLICY SECTION
The following service objectives have been developed for the Lodi
Dial -A -Ride.
1. Meet the reasonable transit needs of all City residents.
2. Minimize system operating costs.
3. Operate an efficient transit system: meet the required 10%
farebox recovery ratio.
4: .Foster community awareness and support for the Lodi Dial -A -
Ride: strive to increase system ridership.
5. Assure the provision of a quality transit service:
a. vehicles will be kept clean and properly maintained;
b. drivers will be courteous and properly trained;
c. service will be provided within 30-45 minutes of
telephone call.
6. Assure that contractor carries necessary liability insurance
to protect the City from accident liability to riders .and
third parties.
7. Provide service to County residents only if the following
conditions are fully met:
a. it is demonstrated to the City's satisfaction that the
County service in question will not adversely impactthe
quality of service provided to City residents;
b. there is a clear and demonstrated need for the service;
C. the County pays the full cost of the service:
ACTION SECTION
The Lodi Five Year Transit Plan consists of implementing the
service objectives to the maximum extent feasible. To achieve
this, a number of actiarrs- have been identified, including the
primary action, which is to continue the existing service,
upgrading as necessary. All actions are to be implemented in
1985 and continued in later years, unless otherwise indicated.
1. To meet the reasonable --transit needs of all City residents
(service objective #1), the City of Lodi will:
Continue the existing Dial -A -Ride service, upgrading where
necessary. Specific capital improvements which have been
programmed include:
a, purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in FY 85-86;
b. purchase of a new or replacement vehicle in FY 87-88;
The function of these new vehicles (expansion or replacement)
will be 'determined by the condition of the fleet and extent
of transit needs at the time of purchase.
Hold and advertise the annual unmet transit needs public
hearings in November or December of each year. The present
policy of holding two hearings will be continued. All
hearings will be advertised by legal notice and by notifying
persons and organizations known to have an interest in the
subject of the hearings, including the Loel Center, the Lodi
Service Center, and the Senior Citizens Center.
Explore the feasibility of implementing weekend and
subscription service. For this purpose, a report will be
prepared for the City Council before July 1, 1985. The San
Joaquin County Council of Governments may be solicited to
provide technical assistance in the preparation of this
report.
2. To minimize operating costs (service objective 42), the City
of Lodi will:
Request for proposals for service before July_ 1, 1986, to
insure the provision of the most cost effective purchased
transportation service possible. Such an action should not
be viewed as indicating dissatisfaction with the current
contractor, only as sound business practice.
3.To insure operating an efficient transit system (service
objective #3), the City of Lodi will:
Continue to monitor system performance on a month lv basis.
Anyproblem areas will be promptly brought to the attention
of the contractor, with adjustments being made as warranted.
4. To foster community support and improve ridership (service'
..objective #4), the City of Lodi will:
Advertise the service. Specific methods will include, but
not be limited to, cable TV and advertisements and/or
articles in the Lodi News -Sentinel. -
Support the possible renewal of the annual Rotary Club
promotion, if requested. by the Rotary Club. In addition to
;providing free Dial -A -Ride tickets to local seniors, this
promotion fosters positive perceptions of the Dial -A -Ride
service by the business community and the news media
Consider reducing the $2.00_general public fare. A recom-
mendation on this action will be brought to the City Council
.by July 1, 1985.
5. To assure the provision of a quality transit service (service
objective #5), the City of Lodi will:
Determine the extent of deviation from the 30-45 minute
service standard - implement system improvements as
warranted. This action will be performed by reviewing
recently -submitted taxi company log sheets. Improvements -
-
up;to -and.including an additional vehicle or' vehicles will
be made as.warranted to insure meeting the service standard.
Maintain a record of transit complaints and review with the
contractor on a regular basis.
6. To assure that the contractor maintains the necessary amount
of liability insurance (service objective 46), the City of
Lodi will be named in the insurance policy_as co-insured, and
will be notified when the policy coverage is reduced or
cancelled for any rep,..on.
7 To, insure that the conditions for providing County service
are fully met (service objective #7), the City of Lodi will:
Annually evaluate the impacts of County service, when
`negotiating a new contract with the County.
monthly basis
s
4
Advertise transit service
4
Support possible renewal of the
annual Rotary Club promotion, if
requested by the Rotary Club
4
Consider reducing $2.00 general
public fare (recommendation due by
July 1,, 1985)
5
Determine extent of deviation from
30-45 minute service standard -
make changes as necessary
5
Maintain record of complaints -
regularly review with contractor
6
Name City as co-insured
7
Annually evaluate impacts of County
service
POTENTIAL FUTURE ,ISSUES
'The 'previous sections'have outlined the service objectives and
the. `actions needed to "implement them. The purpose of this
section is to briefly discuss same issues which are not now of -
concern, 'but may become a concern as the five year period
encompassed by this plan progresses.
The;Lodi Dial -A -Ride is currently operating at close to capacity.
The possibility of adding new vehicles has been discussed. As an.
alternative to adding more station wagons (capacity = 5), it is
possible that one or more vans or minibuses might be needed
(capacity = 9-16). This option would become attractive if
greater vehicle capacity is needed. If desired, such a vehicle
could be 'equipped with a wheelchair lift for handicapped accessi-
bility. offsetting the capacity and possible accessibility gain
would be the cost -'approximately $35,0160 (in 1985 dollars) for a
lift --equipped minibus. Operating costs would also increase, due
to higher maintenance and insurance, and lower fuel economy.
A final potential future issue involves the possibility of
intercity service to Stockton. The recent COG draft Transit
Development Plan identifies such service as a potential future
unmet need.* Discussions with COG staff reveal their thinking -
a Lodi -Stockton fixed route loop, making the -circuit possibly
four ;times per day, stopping at key locations in Lodi and
Stockton.` Such a route would double as a partial fixed route
local service, and could be operated for $60,000 to $80,000 per
year (less fares), according to COG staff.
Alleged benefits aside, it is the position of the City of Lodi
NOT to fund intercity transit out of local LTF and STA funds.
Such funds are properly reserved for purely local Lodi needs.
y
FINANCIAL SECTION
``fn this section, the costs of implementing the Lodi Five Year
Transit Plan are discussed. For financial planning purposes -,;it
is assumed that the conditional actions identified in this plan
will be implemented (exception: no vans or minibuses are pro-
grammed). Specifically, it is assumed that subscription service,
lower general public fares, and reduced waiting times will be
implemented.Collectively, these actions will make the system
more attractive to riders, znd hence, can be expected to increase
ridership. Since the current system is operating at or close to
capacity, an additional vehicle will be needed. Therefore, -the
vehicle currently programmed for FY 85-86 becomes an expansion
vehicle. The vehicle programmed for FY 87-88 remains a
replacement vehicle.
The ,projected operating and capital expenses to implement the
above are given 'below. A relatively low basic escalation rate of
5% per year is assumed. The exception occurs in FY 85-86 when
the new vehicle is added. It is anticipated that this new
vehicle will be fully utilized in meeting the increased ridership
projected above.
Lodi's Projected Transit Costs, FY 85 -FY 89 (City Service Only)
Operating
FY 1985
199,850
FY 1986_
FY 1987
FY 1988
FY 1989 r
291,500
251,800*
264,400
277,600
Capital
-0-
12,000*
-0-
14,000**>
-0-
Total
199,850
263,800
264,400
291,000
2911500
*reflects addition of new fully utilized station wagon
**reflects addition of replacement station wagon
A brief glance at the past operating history of the Lodi Dial -A-,
Ride reveals steady increases in .both ridership and system
operating costs over the period FY 81 - FY 84 (see chart below).
Not shown by the chart is -the fact that ridership (and expendi-
tures) have finally started to level off. For example,.the six
month .period ending in September, 1984 actually witnessed a
slight decline in ridership over the six month period ending in
September 1983 (29,019 passengers vs. 30,033). Therefore the
basic escalation rate of 5% per year which has been programmed
seems reasonable, even given the larger historical increases.
Lodi Dial -A -Ride
Operating Costs and Other Selected Statistics, FY 81 - FY 84
FY 1981 FY 19_82 FY 1983 FY 1984(est.')
Operating Costs 88,732 127,703 177,971 191,636
Fare Revenue 21,388 23,480 32,409 33,393
Passengers 35,903 43,661 56,650 63,100
Fares/Costs (%) 24.1% 18.4°% 18.2% 17.4%
Cost/Passenger 2.47 2.92 3.14 3.04