January 23, 2014

Dear Mayor Walters and Commissioners: The Public Transportation Committee (PTC), composed of Commissioners Domenico, Newsome, Gray, and myself, met with Transit staff on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. On the agenda was the discussion of the proposed change due to funding cuts of the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) service. The PTC has met two previous times to discuss this issue (September 26 and October, 22, 2013). JARC was started in 2010 with Federal and State monies for the purpose of providing rides to work for low income persons throughout the greater Battle Creek area. This program was not intended to be permanent but to support individuals during the economic downturn with access to jobs.

Status of Funding Originally the program provided $427,000 (funds received evenly split from Federal and from State). In fiscal year 2014, the Federal JARC funding program, under MAP-21, has been restructured with no dedicated Federal funding for Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) programs. The State will provide $191,000 for fiscal year 2014 (beginning October 1, 2013). Cost to provide JARC service is approximately $42,500 a month with funding depleted as of February 14, 2014.
Initial Funding level (for FY 2014) October expenses November expenses December expenses Total expenses Available Balance January (Estimated) February (Estimated) $ 191,000 $ 42,500 $ 42,500 $ 42,500 $ 127,500 $ $ $ 63,500 42,500 21,000

Estimate service cost $2,125 per day at 5 days of service per week = $10,625. Funds will be depleted and service will end February 14, 2014.

The State has notified us that there will be no JARC funding available for fiscal year 2015.

Ridership Battle Creek Transit conducted a ridership survey over a two week period in the fall. The results of that survey indicated that at least 60% of the riders on the Express and 68% on the Circulator during that period used the service for shopping. The JARC Program was initiated for job access and during the same time period only 24% on the Express and 22% on the Circulator used the service for job related trips.

JARC Bus Service Express Ridership

(15 minute shuttle Monday-Friday 9:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. from downtown to Mall)

FY 2012-2013 Ridership 21,071

Circulator Ridership
(30-minute circulator Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Mall through Harper Creek Village)

16,757

Night Van Ridership

(Monday-Friday 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Tele-Transit doorto-door service with job trips priority)

3,146

JARCs total ridership of 40,974 trips for FY 2012-2013 represented only approximately 7% of Transits total ridership of 560,920 trips for FY 2012-2013. Staff Recommendation Transit staff presented to the Committee the following recommendation (without any new funding) to be implemented by February 17, 2014, and plans to bring this recommendation before the full Commission on February 4, 2014: Eliminate the Express Service ($177,350) 15-minute shuttle Monday-Friday 9:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. from downtown to Mall Eliminate the Circulator Service ($177,350) 30-minute circulator Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Mall through Harper Creek Village Eliminate 1 Night Van JARC Service ($152,562) Monday-Friday 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Tele-Transit door-to-door service with job trips priority Transit currently has 3 open positions. Eliminating all service (3 positions) will result in no layoffs. Staff Recommendation (cont.)

Modify SW Capital route to provide Service to Harper Creek Village 4 times a day (Meijer & Walmart) Monday-Friday, on the 8:10 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. trips Saturday, on the 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. trips This is actually an enhancement to the service provided pre-JARC by having stops on both sides of the street (serving both Meijer and Walmart). PTC Recommendation At the conclusion of our January 21, 2014 meeting, the PTC voted unanimously to support staffs recommendation and forward it to the full Commission for its final decision. Sincerely,

Susan Baldwin, Chair Public Transportation Committee