Planning and PolishingService for High Schools

Kristin ThompsonSupervisor, Service Analysis

Metro TransitMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN

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Downtown Minneapolis

Mall of America

Downtown St. PaulU of MN

MSP Airport

Project Background

• Metro Transit and Minneapolis Public Schools have partnered for several years– Summer school– Attendance area changes

• Until last fall, yellow buses used for most high school transportation

• Working group of MPS and Metro Transit staff formed in 2011 to explore expanded partnership

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Critical Tool: The Student Pass

• An existing fare tool in our lineup of Go-To smart card products

• All-you-can-ride pass• Customized to MPS needs

– Limited hours (5 a.m. to 10 p.m.)– Student ID printed on reverse

• Provides valuable transactional data to MPS and Metro Transit

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Initial Analysis

• All high schools located on or near local routes with 10-20 minute frequencies

• Nearly all students within 0.25 mi of a bus stop

• Using student origin/ destination data, generated trip plan data for each student– Trip duration– Number of required transfers– Demand by route/trip– Travel and transfer patterns

1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 > 500%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

To-School Travel Time

Edison

North

Roosevelt

Washburn

Minutes

Per

cen

t o

f S

tud

ents

Arriving DepartingRoute 10

Northbound 64 4Southbound 4 118

Route 17Eastbound 30Westbound 103

Route 32Eastbound 430Westbound 5 308

Edison HS Estimated Demand

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Fall 2012: Phase I

• Six of eight large Minneapolis high schools• School hours– 8 or 8:30 am to 3 pm• Pass eligibility

– Outside school walk zone– Inside walk zone, but eligible for free/reduced lunch– Others allowed to purchase at half price

• 3200 students eligible as of July 2012

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Service Planning Approaches

• Plan a seat for each student– actual demand unknown• Use existing capacity where available• Establish or use existing short-line terminals• Schedule doubleheaders• Consider route extensions to school building if heavy

loads expected• Comply with FTA charter and school bus regulations

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Example: Edison HS

• Heavy cross-river demand from north Minneapolis to northeast Minneapolis

• Inadequate existing service– Long trips– Most trips require a

transfer– Long-term detour

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• New route extensions• Unexpected ridership

patterns– Downtown orientation

• Mid-year service adjustments

Example: Edison HS

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Initial Supplemental Service Plan• MPS “school extra” trips on 12 routes• Routing changes to bring routes closer to schools,

reduce transfers• 89 school extras for MPS

– 84 platform hours– 37 AM peak buses– no PM peak buses

Bus Count AM Peak PM Peak

March 2012 693 742

September 2012 730 743

System-wide change

+37 +1

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• Program webpage (metrotransit.org/mps)• School-specific map displays in schools• Marketing materials (Code of Conduct, User Guide)• Bus operator training (with follow-up Bulletins)• Outreach at school events during summer 2012• Metro Transit staff at schools and transfer points the first two

days of school

Communications and Outreach Plan

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Challenges

• Coordination with other Metro Transit commitments– Driver pick date– State Fair

• Partnership with MPS• Negative perceptions

– Downtown– Midday ridership

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MPS Student Pass Tags by HourWeekdays 9/24-10/12, by location

5:00 AM

6:00 AM

7:00 AM

8:00 AM

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

2:00 PM

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

6:00 PM

7:00 PM

8:00 PM

9:00 PM

10:00 PM

11:00 PM

DT Mpls

1.6 26.7333333333332

269.4 58.2666666666665

26.8666666666667

14.8 17.8 16.9333333333332

14.8666666666667

21.0666666666667

179.466666666667

128.4 76.9333333333333

71 54.3333333333333

37.2666666666665

27.1333333333332

7.53333333333335

0.333333333333333

Other

6.93333333333336

202.133333333333

1744.8

402.733333333333

87.0666666666667

54.4 46.7333333333334

51.6 47.6666666666664

144.6 1686.13333333333

615.066666666667

414.066666666667

337.466666666667

226.4 139.4 99.2 10.6 1.8

100

300

500

700

900

1100

1300

1500

1700

1900

2100

Nu

mb

er o

f P

asse

s T

agg

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use

s an

d R

ail

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2012-2013 Results

Passes & Service

• 3800 passes in use• About 7000

rides/weekday• Close to 1.5 million rides

for the school year• By March, MPS school

extras trimmed 15% to 76

MPS Student Survey

• 66% “love it” and 25% “like it”

• In additional to school trips, popular uses include:– Library (42%)– Athletics (40%)– Jobs (36%)– School clubs (26%)– Tutoring (16%)

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Fall 2013: Phase II

• South and Southwest High Schools will join the program– 2100 additional pass holders

• Repeated trip planner analysis• Both schools are located in south Minneapolis– strong

grid network– Focus on providing adequate capacity on existing routes– Refine ridership expectations based on experience

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Tips for Planning Service for High Schools

• Get information early and often– Student addresses and

school choice– School bus routes and

ridership– Bell times and start date– Track ridership

• Carefully plan service• Be prepared to change

your plans• Work the partnership

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Planning and Polishing Service for High Schools

Kristin Thompson

Supervisor, Service Analysis

Metro Transit

Minneapolis, MN