Realigning Bus Routes with Passengers
When I came into office, it had been nearly 20 years since Broome County had taken a serious, independent look at its transit system. This was not acceptable.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Broome County is very different now than it was 20 years ago. IBM was much larger, BU was much smaller, shopping centers have shifted, and BC Transit's main hub has moved. A major overhaul was in order!
So, the county contacted several transportation consulting firms and ask for bids. The winner was TransPro. Their initial findings revealed:
Fixing these (and other) problems required taking a holistic approach. TransPro learned who our transit customers were and found out what they wanted, where they needed to go, and when. They put all of this together and developed a plan that:
As a result, the county anticipates saving approximate $470,000 per year!
This is the sort of intelligent local government that can both save us money AND help people get to jobs and the grocery store.
I applaud BC Transit for their efforts.
NOTE: We're already working on linking the GPS location of buses to riders through a App, which would help BC Transit become even more efficient for both rider and provider.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Broome County is very different now than it was 20 years ago. IBM was much larger, BU was much smaller, shopping centers have shifted, and BC Transit's main hub has moved. A major overhaul was in order!
So, the county contacted several transportation consulting firms and ask for bids. The winner was TransPro. Their initial findings revealed:
- Buses were still looping through Glendale 35 times per day,
- Some routes were only returning 5 cents per dollar of investment, and
- It took nearly an hour to ride from Endicott to Binghamton on Main St (route 35).
Fixing these (and other) problems required taking a holistic approach. TransPro learned who our transit customers were and found out what they wanted, where they needed to go, and when. They put all of this together and developed a plan that:
- Still operates all the same stops,
- Laid no one off,
- Enhanced many important routes,
- Created a Shopper's Special, which provides 4 additional days of service and adds 5 hours per day, and
- Added an hour of service in lower income areas.
- Eliminated 3-4 buses per shift,
- Cut overtime.
As a result, the county anticipates saving approximate $470,000 per year!
This is the sort of intelligent local government that can both save us money AND help people get to jobs and the grocery store.
I applaud BC Transit for their efforts.
NOTE: We're already working on linking the GPS location of buses to riders through a App, which would help BC Transit become even more efficient for both rider and provider.