Transportation Demand Management – Moving Futures

North Carolina cities are consistently ranked among the fastest growing in the nation. To handle the increase in traffic, urban-area transit systems in partnership with NCDOT have developed Transportation Demand Management programs designed to educate and encourage motorists about alternative modes of transportation, with the goal of ultimately reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road.

On May 7, 2014, NCDOT hosted TDM: Moving Futures – a meeting in Charlotte attended by approximately 30 people representing urban transit systems from around the state, local planning organizations, state government agencies and councils of government. The focus of the meeting was to share and discuss opportunities for creating regional transportation programs that follow the framework for TDM.

NCDOT Chief Deputy Secretary Nick Tennyson and Parsons Brinckerhoff Senior Vice President Paula J. Hammond, pictured at left, joined attendees to share their views and experiences in creating regional programs that support and grow sustainable transportation options.

This was the first time in several years that group training revolved specifically around TDM. In addition to sharing experiences, attendees discussed moving towards a performance-based evaluation approach of TDM program events and tactics that would better enable systems to tailor future programs based on past performances and results.

June 2014 Public Transportation Division Report

Below is the June 2014 Public Transportation Division Report. Click on the individual pages to see them in a larger size.

May 2014 Public Transportation Division Report

Below is the May Public Transportation Division Report. Click on the individual pages to see them in a larger size.

Winter Transit Warriors

Spring is upon us, and it is hard to believe that only a few months ago the entire state was in the middle of one of the most active winters we have seen in recent years. No matter the weather: sunshine, rain or snow, dialysis patients and others are dependent on North Carolina transit systems to get them to and from life-saving medical appointments. Below are two examples of systems on opposite ends of the state taking whatever measures necessary to continue service for their passengers.

We’ll Take You There

When nine inches of snow struck western North Carolina earlier this year, staff with Macon County Transit knew that the weather could not stop them from getting dialysis patients to their necessary appointments.

With no four-wheel drive vehicles available, Macon County Transit one February morning was able to enlist the help of local fire department and emergency services staff to transport a dialysis patient to her appointment. A fire department search and rescue vehicle equipped with snow chains and a winch was used to transport the patient. Staff were able to carry the visually-impaired patient in her wheelchair through the snow to the vehicle. The snow chains proved to be ineffective against the snow, so first responders attached the vehicle’s winch to a tree at the top of the hill and was able to get the vehicle on its way.

To get the patient back to her property, local EMS met the transit vehic

le at the end of the road with a Polaris Ranger. Crews transferred the patient from the transit vehicle to the Ranger and were able to transport her back to her house and get her within a few feet of her front door. Because this system worked, Macon County Transit decided to use it again the very next day with no issues.

Thanks to local emergency services and the fire department literally “coming to the rescue,” Macon County Transit was able to ensure that services during those two days were not interrupted.

Transportation for all, no matter the Weather

Bladen Area Rural Transportation System Director Kent Porter has always lived by a traditional family proverb; “Treat everyone as you would treat your mother.” This was never more evident than in the actions exemplified by BARTS during the week of February 10-14.

The roads in Bladen County were incredibly icy and covered with snow.  Porter received several phone calls from patients who needed transportation to the hospital for dialysis treatment.  Faced with the difficult decision of risking the drivers’ lives or the riders, Porter knew that he had to think fast. Porter borrowed three four-wheel drive trucks from the Bladen County Health Department. The vehicles were used to retrieve patients in treacherous road conditions and place them safely in the BARTS vehicles on much safer road conditions. Porter was even able to drive one of the vehicles himself.  Due to his selfless acts, the riders were able to receive treatment and the drivers were able to transport them safely.

MPOs and Transit Systems Meet to Discuss Funding Scenarios

Just like the riders who use transit, the population of North Carolina is on the move. New residents are moving to the state, and others are moving between cities and towns, resulting in a shift in the state’s population. These changes were reflected in the 2010 census, which determined that more areas in the state were now identified as “urban,” meaning that they have a population of at least 50,000. Thirty six additional areas in the country are now classified as urban.

According to the Federal Transit Administration, this change will have a significant effect on funding formula allocations. Metropolitan Planning Organizations that allocated funding to one urban transit system in their area may find themselves with multiple systems now eligible for federal funding. To prepare for these cha

nges and others under MAP-21, the N.C. Department of Transportation Public Transportation Division recently brought together MPOs and urban transit systems together for a day of discussion and planning to make sure that no matter what the future brings, they are prepared to serve the riders who depend on public transportation.

Representatives from FTA began the day-long session with an overview of population changes, funding programs that would be impacted and guidance on receiving FTA funding. Speakers including NCDOT Transportation Planning Branch Manager Mike Bruff provided the group with a background of MPOs, their purpose, and what their duties and responsibilities are. Kai Monast with the N.C. State Institute for Transportation Research and Education then divided the audience in to groups with other systems and MPOs from areas different from their own for a mock exercise. Each group was presented with three scenarios and had to work together to create a consensus among all group participants.

Best practices were then shared from systems and MPOs currently working with their regions. The randomly organized groups continued to work on allocation exercises before ultimately returning to their regional groups to participate in the same exercise they had just performed in their random groups. The day rounded out with discussions about why MPOs should take an active role in their regions, and how MPOs and regions can get out in front of the coming changes. Presentations can be found online here under the “Conferences and Workshops” heading.

Greensboro Transit Authority takes top prizes at North Carolina Public Transportation Association Roadeo

By Greensboro Transit Authority Strategic Information Specialist Kevin Elwood

Congratulations to Greensboro Transit Authority operators who participated and placed in the 2014 North Carolina Public Transportation Association Bus Roadeo in Charlotte April 4-6. 

The team brought home first place in Overall Bus, beating competing teams from Charlotte, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem and more. In individual categories, GTA Operator Nate Love took first in Bus while SCAT Operator Cornell Starks captured first in Light Transit Vehicle. Also competing for Greensboro were operators Robin Dillon, Stephanie Hartgrove, Bonita Hunt and Dexter Vines. 

The annual competition allows bus operators from across North Carolina to showcase their driving skills, knowledge and appearance. The Roadeo is held annually in conjunction with the North Carolina Public Transportation Association Annual Training Conference.

Automatic Passenger Counter User Group Meeting

Accurately recording ridership data is a necessity for any public transportation system. By keeping an up-to-date and reliable record of ridership data, such as how many riders use a particular route and at what dates and times, systems can better plan route schedules and make the best decisions when developing transit plans for the needs of their communities. Several North Carolina urban systems met with other organizations earlier this year to discuss APCs and how they could benefit their services.

In February, Capital Area Transit in Raleigh hosted their annual meeting for North Carolina’s users of Automatic Passenger Counter technology. APC technology uses infrared beams to record boarding and departures at fixed-route bus stops. 

The meeting included representatives from eleven North Carolina urban fixed-route transit systems, the APC vendor – Urban Transit Associates of Cincinnati, OH, the N.C. State University Institute for Transportation Research and Education, and the N.C. Department of Transportation. During the meeting, the group discussed innovative practices in service planning and reporting using APC data.

The meeting was organized into the following four categories:

1.       Analyzing APC data to provide value to transit users;

2.       Successful methods for maintaining APC technology;

3.       How to use APC data for required annual reporting; and

4.       Best practices in collecting and analyzing APC information.

Each session consisted of up to five presentations, where experts shared their insights among the group. The presentation concluded with questions and discussion. The attendees left the meeting energized and excited to apply their new knowledge to improving transit service in their communities.

In order to get approval for using APCs, transit agencies must notify the Federal Transit Administration of when they plan to start using these systems, develop a plan to maintain the system, conduct approximately six months of testing to compare manual counts with counts from APCs and then finally compile their findings in a report.  

The NCDOT Public Transportation Division awards grant funds to local public transportation systems. These grants enable systems to provide people in all 100 counties access to education, job opportunities and health care.

For more information on grant programs through the Public Transportation Division of NCDOT, as well as transit systems that serve the public throughout the state, visit www.ncdot.gov/nctransit.