Background/Summary:
Currently, the City of Peoria transportation services consist of three different components; Dial-a-Ride (DAR), Fixed Route Bus Service provided through Valley Metro, and most recently Regional Paratransit Service assisting residents to get from one valley city to another.
Dial A Ride
Peoria's DAR provides over 22,000 trips annually to Peoria residents through a combination of passenger DAR buses owned and operated by the City as well as taxi cabs contracted through Valley Metro. Any Peoria resident can use Dial a Ride which primarily takes residents to destinations within the City.
Fixed Route Bus Service
Fixed Route bus service in Peoria is operated by Valley Metro and funded through Peoria's share of Public Transit Funds (PTF) collected through the County wide half cent sales tax that went into effect in 1985. This tax was re-authorized by the voters of Maricopa County in 2004. Service in Peoria includes two local bus routes, one on Thunderbird Road and the other on Peoria Avenue. Both operate west from 67th Avenue to 105th Avenue near Boswell Banner Hospital and connect through Glendale and Phoenix to their eastern terminus. Peoria is also serviced along the 67th Avenue bus line that runs from Lower Buckeye Road to Arrowhead Towne Center.
Express bus service is provided in Peoria through the Grand Avenue Limited (GAL) bus that provides two trips each day into and out of downtown Phoenix. Peoria also participates in a portion of the costs associated with Express Routes 573 and 575 that service Arrowhead Towne Center both of which provide service into downtown Phoenix and the State Capital.
Regional Paratransit Service
In July 2015 Valley Metro initiated regional paratransit service to address a long standing concern when disabled passengers had to transfer several times to get from one city to another. As it stands eligible passengers can arrange for paratransit service to get from one Valley city to another (as long as the origin and destination are within 3/4 mile of a fixed bus route) without having to transfer. Across the entire region, including Peoria, this service has been heavily used. However, initial estimates by Valley Metro have underestimated the full annual cost for the service. Valley Metro recently briefed the Board of Directors and is working on modifications to the program that will help reduce costs.
Planned Improvements
Working with Valley Metro and the Maricopa Association of Governments, the City of Peoria has solidified several key improvements to our transportation system since our last briefing with City Council in December 2015. These improvements will include relocating and improving the existing park and ride lots, initiating new bus service and bus shelters on 83rd Avenue, enhancing shade at existing bus stops and accelerating the implementation of a circulator route in north Peoria.
Park and Ride Lot
Currently Peoria is served by two park and ride lots off of 84th Avenue between Washington and Jefferson Streets that provide unshaded parking for 75 vehicles. Currently the only bus service that services these lots is the Grand Avenue Limited route. A new Park and Ride facility and Transit Center was identified to be built in Peoria as part of the extension of the transportation tax that was approved by Maricopa County voters in 2004. As discussed with Council at the December 1, 2015 study session, Valley Metro is ready to complete design, acquire the property and construct the park and ride on the north side of Grand Avenue. This site will provide covered parking and will be more in line with existing Grand Avenue bus service. Furthermore it will be at the intersection of three bus routes (Grand Avenue, Peoria Avenue and 83rd Avenue) and should commuter rail become a reality, the site would be ideal as a location for a rail stop. The park and ride is expected to be completed in Summer, 2019.
This park and ride and transit center are funded 80% with federal funds and 20% with regional funds. The original facility was anticipated to serve as full transit center, accommodating future mass transit along Grand Avenue. However, as no significant mass transit services are expected within the current regional program, such a center will be delayed until the appropriate time. Instead, the City can reprogram the unused portion of the Public Transit Funds (PTF) allotted to Peoria for other purposes. These PTF can be used for other transportation needs and staff is recommending these one time funds be used to construct bus shelters and shade improvements at existing bus shelters. Attachment A to this report is an outline of how the park and ride can be designed.
Enhancing Shade
The rightsizing of the Park and Ride is expected to free up an estimated $982,000 in PTF funds that can be applied for other one time transportation services. It is staff's recommendation that half of these funds ($491,000) be used to add shade to existing bus stops that have no shade and also enhance existing shade structures at targeted stops. Currently Peoria has 7 bus stops that have no shade and at least 20 others that could have the shade areas enhanced. Staff will work directly with adjacent property owners and Valley Metro to identify locations and modifications to existing stops to improve shade.
Staff is recommending the remaining $491,000 be used to construct bus stops and shade structures along the 83rd Avenue route. Currently there are eight bus pullouts already constructed that could benefit from adding a shelter. The remaining funds would be applied to the estimated 39 stops that would still need to have a bus shelter and may also require right of way acquisition in order to build the stop. Staff is also actively seeking opportunities to fund some of the bus stop improvements and shade improvements with federal grants that will require a 20% city match.
New Bus Service on 83rd Avenue
One of the gaps in Peoria's bus system is the lack of an accessible north-south bus route that can service the city. As discussed with Council in December 2015, bus service on 83rd Avenue from Camelback Road (where service provided by the City of Phoenix currently ends) will be extended through Peoria to the Arrowhead Transit Center starting in October 2017. Peoria will fund this service with City funds through an IGA with the City of Phoenix. However, the route is anticipated ultimately to be paid solely by the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA). City staff will continue to work with the region to see if this service can be accelerated in the regional Transportation Life Cycle Program (TLCP).
Circulator Route in North Peoria
In the December 2015 Council presentation, staff identified the North Peoria Circulator as part of phase two of the transportation improvements. Circulator services are paid for by the cities themselves. As a result, there are no RPTA funds for operation nor any funds for initial purchase of buses. Attachment B of this report was developed as part of the Peoria Transit Implementation Plan and was used for illustration purposes at the December 2015 meeting and as an example of costs associated with a circulator route. Within these route boundaries, it was assumed the route would be operating 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Operating Costs were estimated at $674,000 annually and an additional $890,000 to purchase the five buses required to operate the route. The operation of the route would be contracted Valley Metro and their service provider First Transit Inc.