When the Jacksonville Transportation Authority implemented the Route Optimization Initiative, the smart money was anticipating at least a small decrease in ridership.
That’s what usually happens when any mass transit system changes every bus route and schedule at one time.
Based on data collected by the authority between Dec. 1, the day the new route system went into effect, and March 31, ridership is up 6 percent overall. That’s about 200,000 more riders, compared to usage before the new system was implemented.
Ridership is equal to the number of fares paid by customers, whether cash for each ride on each bus ($1.50) or through the unlimited use STAR Card (Simply Tap and Ride), which reduces the cost for each ride.
“The fact that we’ve held — even increased — ridership somewhat is a positive sign,” said Carl Weckenmann, senior manager of system planning.
It was the most comprehensive redesign of mass transit in Jacksonville in more than 30 years.
In addition to carrying more passengers Monday-Friday, weekend traffic also increased. Weckenmann attributes the increase to having less time between buses on weekend schedules.
The weekday increase likely is due to reduced time between buses at the same stop and that many routes in the new system operate later each day, giving riders more opportunities to use buses.
In March alone, weekly ridership was up 10.1 percent compared to March 2014. Weekday riders increased by 7 percent. Saturday usage increased by 10 percent and on Sundays, about 15 percent more people rode the bus in the first four months of the new route system than before the changes went into effect.
While some routes were eliminated and about 3 percent of customers have to take more than one bus to arrive at their destination since the changes went into effect, Weckenmann said other customers now have a more direct route.
In the old system, all bus routes went through Rosa Parks Station Downtown, where riders connected with another bus to reach their destination. Under the new system, nine of the 35 routes no longer hub through Downtown, instead offering more direct routes between points in Southside and West Jacksonville, Weckenmann said.
Part of the JTA optimization plan was establishing a team of Service Delivery Managers who track bus performance on a daily basis.
They are responsible for making sure buses arrive and depart on time, Weckenmann said.
Feedback from the managers led to route modifications that were put in place in February. More minor adjustment based on performance data are planned for July.
But don’t expect changes to be made on a regular basis for much longer, said Weckenmann. Changes to date have been made to improve service when what was designed on paper was tested on the road for a period of time.
“Customers don’t like to see a new schedule every four months,” he said. “We needed real-world data.”
Use of the STAR Card payment option and reduced-fare cards for seniors also has increased since Dec. 1 from about 60 percent of riders to 65 percent.
Cards may be preloaded with cash value to pay the $1.50 per ride fare, or a customer can purchase a 1-, 7- or 31-day STAR Card that allows unlimited rides during the period.
Using the card instead of paying the fare with currency and/or coins helps bus routes run on the published schedule. Weckenmann said a STAR Card user takes on average about 7 seconds to pay the fare, compared to as much as 30 seconds for those who pay cash.
While JTA attributes the increase in riders to having a better, more efficient route system, increased mass transit usage is a trend in medium and small markets, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
In a study released in March, the association reported Americans took 10.8 billion trips on public transportation in 2014, the highest annual public transit ridership in 58 years.
From 1995-2014, use of public transportation increased by 39 percent, almost double the 21 percent population growth,
The increase includes buses, commuter rail, light rail, subways, elevated trains and on-demand transit services for disabled passengers.
While bus ridership among the association’s membership of 1,500 public and private member mass transit systems decreased nationally by 1.1 percent in 2014, bus systems in medium and small cities showed increases, according to the report.
Ridership in Baltimore went up in 2014 by 6.8 percent, Portland, Ore. was up 5.3 percent, Columbus, Ohio increased 3 percent, Atlanta was up 2.8 percent and San Diego showed a 2.4 percent increase in bus riders.
The report cited the improving economy as a possible factor in the increase.
In a news release, association President and CEO Michael Melaniphy said nearly 60 percent of trips taken on public transportation are for work commutes. Public transportation ridership increases were recorded in areas where the local economy is growing.
Weckenmann said the next step for JTA is to increase the number of “choice riders” using the system. Choice riders have access to a motor vehicle, but choose to use mass transit, as opposed to “captive riders” who do not have access to a personal vehicle and depend on JTA for mobility.
A survey of riders is planned for later this year or spring 2016, he said. Results of the survey may be used to develop a marketing campaign to attract more choice riders,
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