HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-25218 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2003-25218
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI
BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ELECTROWAVE TO CONTINUE THE
WASHINGTON AVENUE ROUTE SERVICE; AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO
~IMPLEMENT A CHANGE FROM ELECTRIC-BATTERY TO DIESEL TECHNOLOGY; AND
TO FURTHER EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT CONTRACTING OPTIONS, ROUTE
MODIFICATION OPTIONS, AND ENHANCED MARKETING STRATEGIES THAT WOULD
MAKE THE LOCAL TRANSIT CIRCULATOR MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE.
WHEREAS, Resolution No. 2002-25012, dated September 26, 2002, adopted the Fiscal Year
(FY) 2002-03 Operating Budget for the Electrowave Shuttle service, in the amount of $2.31 million;
and
WHEREAS, at that time, the City Commission also authorized the preparation of a Shuttle
Service Technical Assistance Study (the Study) for the purposes of answering several questions
posed by elected officials, and exploring options that would make the shuttle service more efficient
and effective; and
WHEREAS, the motion also directed that the Administration report back to the Commission, with
the results of the Study and Administration recommendations; and that any follow-up action to
continue or discontinue the shuttle services would require a vote by the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the City hired a recognized transit professional, Mr. Joel Volinski, Director of the
Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), University of South Florida, to lead the Study,
which has been completed and incorporated by reference to this Resolution; and
WHEREAS, certain Study findings regarding service continuation, and technology change have
been endorsed by the Administration and hereby recommended for Commission consideration.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby authorize the
Electrowave Shuttle Service to continue the Washington Avenue Route service; authorize the
Administration to implement a change from electric-battery to diesel technology; and to further
evaluate contracting options, route modification options, and enhanced marketing strategies
required that would make the Local Transit Circulator service more efficient and cost effective.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 21st
CITY CLERK
F:\WORK~$TRA~AMELIA\ELECTWVE\EWcontinues.memo.doc
,2003.
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
City Attorney Date
· ' EXHIBIT "A"
ANSWERS TO COMMISSION QUESTIONS
REGARDING THE ELECTROWAVE SHUTTLE SERVICE
01/22/03
Resolution No. 2002-25012, dated September 26, 2002, adopted the FY 2002-03
Operating Budget for the Electrowave Shuttle Service, in the amount of $2.31 million.
The motion for approval gave the City 90 days to conduct a Shuttle Service Technical
Assistance Study (the Study), to answer several questions posed by the elected officials at
the meeting. In addition, the motion stated that the Administration report back to the
Commission in January 2003, with the results of the Study, plus a follow-up action that
will require a vote of the Commission, at the regular meeting of February 5, 2003, to
continue the service through the rest of the year.
The City hired a recognized transit professional, Mr. Joel Volinski, Director of the
National Center for Transit Research (CUTR), University of South Florida, to lead the
Study. Data for the Study was collected and provided by the City, the Miami Beach
Transportation Management Association, and CUTR.
A copy of the Study's Draft Report is attached for your review. It provides an analysis of
· the Electrowave system. This report was utilized as the basis for the answers to specific
questions and/or directions given by the Mayor and Commissioners at the September
2002 meeting:
1. Why has the Electrowave ridership declined so drastically through the years?
2. Survey and analyze the average daily boardings by hour and by stop.
3. Survey and analyze the Collins Avenue Route to determine its viability and the
implications of eliminating the route.
4. Explore other routes and their viability.
5. Analyze the hours of operation for the current routes and future routes.
6. How does the Electrowave service compare with similar circulator systems in the
Country?
7. Is the Electrowave a parallel service to Miami-Dade County (MDT) bus service?
8. Analyze the Electrowave versus Concurrency.
9. Take into consideration the Bay Link Project.
10. What marketing efforts should be undertaken to attract a larger ridership?
11. Determine steps or process needed to deal with any decisions made and contractual
issues.
12. Analyze the unintended consequences of eliminating the Electrowave service.
13. What would happen to the several million dollars already earmarked for an
Intermodal Facility, if the Electrowave service is eliminated?
Answers to the Mayor and Commissioners'questions are provided below.
QUESTION #1:
Why has the Electrowave ridership
years?
declined so drastically through the
Answer:
Analyses of ridership trends indicated that the contributing factors for the decline
in ridership were the following:
The main cause for ridership decline was the fare implementation: From the
average 117,000 passengers per month in its first 18 months of service, the
ridership dropped to 62,000 average passengers/month, (a 47% drop), after a 25-
cent fare was implemented in July 1999.
Please note that transit systems normally experience a substantial decline
in ridership, when they move from froe service to charging a fare. As an
example, the Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle (Santa Barbara, CA) suffered
a similar loss in ridcrship, after its 25-cent fare was implemented in 1999.
It proscntly carries 47,500 passengers/month.
An additional and gradual 34% drop in ridership (down to 41,000 average
passengers/month) is attributed to several causes, as shown in chronological
order:
Golden Passport implementation (on 12/99): Prior to the Countywide
implementation of this ride-free program for seniors, the Electrowave had a
cost advantage over Miami-Dade Transit ($0.25 over $1.25) for shorter transit
trips on the Washington Avenue corridor. This advantage was lost in
December 1999, and ridership continued to decrease. The senior riders
returned to MDT buses once they could ride free of charge. MDT data
supports the fact that its Route W gradually recovered the ridership it had
originally lost to the Electrowave service.
Unreliable service: The downward trend continued in FY 2000-01, due to the
lack of proper shuttle/battery maintenance services, resulting in an average of
288 tows a month throughout the year, and unreliable route service. Most of
the time that year, there were only 3, 2, and even only one shuttle vehicle in
operation, when a minimum of 6 vehicles are required to maintain a 10 to 12-
minute frequency on the Washington Route service. For any transit service to
succeed, it is imperative that the same frequency be maintained at all times. If
the passengers cannot depend on the service, they lose faith and stop riding
the shuttles altogether.
Economic downturn: In 2001-02, in spite of having all shuttle vehicles back
into full operation and once again delivering reliable service, the ridership
dropped further (average 41,000 passengers/month). As demonstrated by the
study, 20% of the shuttle users are tourists and visitors, therefore, a decline in
tourist/visitor numbers may have affected shuttle ridership. In addition, low-
income passengers may have decided to walk 2 or 3 blocks instead of utilizing
the shuttles, due to economic considerations.
Collins Route: While the implementation of the Collins Route did not cause
Electrowave ridership to fall, it can be said that it did not result in productivity
that would be anticipated with that allocation of additional resources.
However, in local circulator terms, the Electrowave ridership numbers (50,000
passengers/month) is more successful than a similar system in Santa Barbara,
California, which carries 47,500 passengers/month). In addition, the Study
concluded that the current Electrowave ridership is typical among the successful
cimulator systems, nationwide.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that the downward trend in ridership has
recently been arrested, and, as a matter of fact, is on an upward trend and has the
potential to continue improving beyond the present 50,000 passengers per month.
QUESTION #2:
Survey and analyze the average daily boardings by hoar & by stop
AIISWeF~
A five-day, 18-hour (8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) survey of average daily boardings by
hour and by stop (developed by CUTR for the City's use), was conducted by
hired personnel, supervised by MBTMA, and evaluated by CUTR. A graphic
depiction of the survey results is provided below:
Electrowave Avera Daily
Boardings by Hour
In Washington Rout· IC¢ Ilins Routel
120~--
t00--
80--
6O
4O
2O
0
summary of the survey results and Study recommendations are:
That the Collins Route, operating 2 buses and carrying from 1 to 8 passengers
per hour, is unproductive and should be eliminated (Exhibit A). Route
elimination can become effective after the following has been accomplished:
The issuance of a required 30-day notice to Red Top, the transit contractor; a
30-day on-board notice is given to the Collins Route passengers; and the
hotels and condominium associations are notified of the upcoming Collins
Route elimination. The route should be discontinued no later than February
28, 2003.
That the Washington Route, is a successful route by transit circulator
standards, operating 6 buses and carrying a steady ridership throughout the
day (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), and lower ridership levels from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00
a.m. Passengers are mostly local residents making short trips. (Exhibit A)
Electrowave users are full time residents (80%) and tourists/visitors (20%).
Most common trip purposes are work and shopping/errands.
Most users (60%) ride the service daily.
Most users heard about the service by word of mouth.
Only one percent (1%) of those surveyed was utilizing park-and-ride.
Overall, satisfaction with Electrowave service is very high.
The Electrowave makes 35 stops along the Washington Route. The number
of daily boardings per stop varies from a high of 190 to a low of 15.
Among the largely utilized bus stops on the Washington Route, the following
are deserve special mention:
· Washington Ave. at Lincoln Road (190 avg. daily boardings) Shops/banking
· Alton Road at 17th Street (149 avg. daily boardings); RegalTheatr./Bank/Shops
· Washington Ave. at 6th Street (126 avg. daily boardings); Shopping
· Lenox Ave. at 4th Street (105 avg. daily boardings); School/Marina
· Alton Road at 2nd Street (60 avg. daily boardings); and Rebecca Towers
The least utilized bus stops (10 daily boardings or less) are the following:
· Alton Road at 3ra Street (southbound);
· Ocean Drive at Penrod's (NB);
· 17th at Convention Center Drive (WB);
· Michigan Ave. at Lincoln Road (SB); - bus stop taken by parked vehicles
· 17th Street at Pennsylvania Ave. (EB); and
· Washington Ave. at 7th Street (SB).
The Study conclusions regarding the above-mentioned data are as follows:
· There is no question that the Washington Route is a successful route;
· The high number of daily boardings respectively on Alton Road near 17th
Street, Lenox Ave. at 4th Street, and Alton Road at 2nd Street, may indicate
a market for this type of service on the west side of Miami Beach; and
· That certain stops with Iow number of daily boardings may be further
considered for potential elimination. The route's eastward jag to Ocean
Drive to serve Penrod's will be discontinued, immediately.
QUESTION #3:
Survey and analyze the Collins Avenue Route to determine its viability and
the implications of eliminating the route.
Answer:
Both thc regular daily ridership counts and the average daily boardings-by-hour
surveys show an extremely low utilization of the Collins Avenue Route (1 to 8
passengers per hour only). Thc low ridership numbers, combined with high
operating/maintenance/administrative/insurance/and fuel costs, do not justify the
route's continuation. Please refer to previous graphic.
The implications of eliminating the Collins Avenue Route are the following:
The Federal Transit Administration's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(CMAQ) program currently funds the Collins route in the amount of $300,000
annually. If the Collins Route is eliminated by the end of February 2003, the
unspent portion of approximately $110,000 would no longer be available for
operating costs. However, the City contributes about $270,000 to the Collins
Route annually, the unspent portion of approximately $110,000 would be
available for other route enhancements or as savings to the annual budget.
The recently implemented "Museum Tour by Shuttle" would be cancelled.
The Collins Route serves the Bass Museum, Garden Center, Holocaust
Memorial, and Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. Although there has
been public interest on this tour, it has yet to show a beneficial impact on the
route's fidership numbers.
QUESTION #4:
Explore other routes and their viability.
Answer:
A full alternative route study takes approximately 6 months to conduct at an
estimated cost of $80,000. Without the benefit of such a study, one may
reasonably conclude that an Alton Road Route would be successful, due to a large
concentration of high-rise multi-family dwellings on West Avenue. The County
has committed to work with the City to use MDT buses to complement the
existing Electrowave fleet. However, further negotiations need to be conducted
regarding the issue.
The Study (by CUTR) includes five (5) route options. Two of the options focus
all resoumes on modifications of the existing Washington Route; the other three
focus on bi-directional loops in South Beach. These options are shown in
Exhibits C through F, and are more fully described in the Study.
The recommended changes are as follows:
rn Enhance the Washington Route with two (2) additional buses to decrease
headways from the current 13 minutes to 8 minutes. At this level, attractive
service will be provided for tourists, visitors, and residents that are within
reasonable proximity to this route.
[] Slightly modify the alignment as it tums to travel north from South Pointe
Drive, as shown on the map attached hereto as Exhibit ¢.
QUESTION #5:
Analyze the hours of operation for the current routes and future routes.
Answer:
Because a route study takes about 6 months to complete, future routes hours of
operation have not been examined by this report. However, based on the Study
findings and MDT preliminary agreements, the following service changes can be
made regarding the existing routes:
o Cut one hour off the Washington Route (stop service at midnight, instead of
1:00 a.m., except Fridays, Saturdays, and Holidays).
[] Possibly reduce the number of vehicles operating during low ridership hours
(8:00 p.m. on, weekdays).
QUESTION #6:
How does the Electrowave service compare with similar circulator systems in
the Country, such as the ones in Vail, Colorado; Santa Barbara, California;
and Chattanooga, Tennessee?
Answer:
The other systems above mentioned are more productive than the Electrowave in
terms of generating passengers per hour, and have much higher frequency of
service. However, there are several strategies that are applied in these other areas
that help support the higher levels of ridership, such as:
[] Other systems have no competing transit service along their route alignments;
[] Parking in their targeted areas is expensive, limited, or non-existent;
[] Parking is strategic (satellite garages) and supportive of the circulator system;
The other systems have shorter mutes than the Electrowave; and
n Two of the three systems are fare free.
It is important to note that, as the Electrowave, the Santa Barbara's Downtown
Waterfront Shuttle also experienced a similar ridership decline in 1999 (from 1
million to 570,000 passengers a year), after it began charging a 25-cent fare.
A quick comparison between the four circulator systems, follows:
Miami Beach
Electrowave
Vail, Co. Sta. Barbara, Ca. Chattanooga
Village Shuttle Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle Downtown Shuttle
2 routes
4.05 miles (W & C)
8 22-foot electric bus
10-12 min.frequency
rain.frequency
8 a.m.-1 a.m.
25-cent fare
489,000 passg/yr.
12 passengers/hr.
7 MDT bus lines
$2.08 M/$48 per hr.
Fund:City,FDOT,misc.
Red Top/MBTMA.
Prkg. along the route
1 route
1.7- mile route
I0 40-foot diesel
5-11 min.frequency
l route
3-mile route
7 22-ft. electric buses
7-10 min. frequency
1 route
1.5-mile route
7 22-ft electric
5
6 a.m.-2 a.m.
Fare free
2 million pass/yr.
40 passengers/hr.
Only transit in mall
$2.5 M/$50 per hr.
$.04 tax on lift tickets
Colorado Transit
Outlying parking
8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
25-cent fare
570,000 passengers/year
36 passengers/hour
Only transit service
$1.1 M/$55 per hour
City of Santa Barbara
SB Municipal Transit Dist.
Limited & expensive prkg.
6 am.-9:30 pm
Fare free
900,000 ps/yr.
32 passgrs/hr.
Only transit
$1.7 M/$37hr.
Prkg. revenues
CARTA
Outlying prkg.
The respective parking systems are supportive of shuttle service.
NextBus electronic signage at stops & lobbies -
QUESTION/t7:
Is the Electrowave a parallel service to Miami-Dade (MDT) bus service?
Answer:
There are partial parallel routes and partial parallel service. Although there are
seven (7) MDT bus routes operating in South Beach, in transit terms the
Electrowave parallels only certain portions of MDT's Route W, respectively on
Washington Avenue, 17th Street, and Alton Road/South Pointe Drive, serving a
different ridership. However, there are major differences in customer base, fare,
frequency and extent of service, and hours of operation between the Electrowave
and the MDT bus routes (Exhibits A and B), as described below:
The Electrowave is a local circulator whose customers are mostly residents (80%)
on very short trips. The service's frequency is 10-12 minutes, the hours of
operation are 8:00 am.-l:00 am. (Mo-Sat.), and 10:00 am.-l:00 am (Sunday/
Holidays). Fare is $0.25, and free to seniors.
The 7 MDT routes are as follows:
Route W is a one-way (counterclockwise) loop service in South Beach, which
also includes West Avenue and the Publix Supermarkets as its most popular
stops, has a 40-minute frequency, operates 8:00 a.m.-8:40 p.m.(Mon-Sat.),
and 10:00 a.m.-7:40 p.m. (Sunday); fare is $1.25, and seniors ride free.
Initially, the Route W lost fidership to the Electrowave, but recovered its
original numbers when the Golden Passport was implemented Countywide-
seniors ride free. (Exhibit B)
Flagler Max is a minimum-stop (7 in South Beach), five-day commuter
service between South Beach and Miami, operates 6:40 a.m.-7:20 p.m., with a
20-minute frequency. Fare is $1.50, and free to seniors.
The remaining 5 are regional routes (articulated buses), with 40-minute-plus
frequency; and carry long-haul ridership to/from different areas of mainland
Miami. Fare is $1.25, and free to seniors.
QUESTION #8:
Analyze the Electrowave vs. Concurrency
AIISW~r:
For the past three years, the City has been proactive in monitoring the amount of
infrastructure capacity available to meet its development/redevelopment demands
and concurrency requirements. It has been determined that the traffic capacity
limit for South Beach has already exceeded the adopted level-of-service (LOS D).
In order to address the LOS, the City Commission approved the use of
Transportation Concurrency Management Areas (TCMAs). The purpose of a
TCMA is to provide an alternative transportation concurrency management
approach that promotes infill development or redevelopment in a manner
supporting the provision of efficient mobility alternatives. It also provides for the
use of transit credits for traffic concurrency on those roadways that have existing
transit service, but operate below the adopted (LOS), as required in the Miami
Beach Comprehensive Plan. The City adopted a LOS standard of "D" for all of
its roadways.
"The following level of service standards are established for the roadways
identified below and located within the City's Transportation Concurrency
Management Areas (TCMAs) :
(a) Where no mass transit service exists, roadways shall operate at or above LOS
D;
(b) Where mass transit service having headways of 20 minutes or l¢$~ is provided
within ~ mile distance, parallel roadways shah operate at no greater than
120 percent of LOS D;
(c)
Where extraordinary transit service-classified as the Electrowave shuttle,
express or peak-hour limited stop bus service-exists, parallel roadways within
~ mile distance shah operate at no greater than 150 percent o fL OS D."
n South Beach has a capacity limit of 136,762 daily trips at LOS D.
n The current development and redevelopment demands on the South Beach
roadway infrastructure is 188,885 daily trips.
[] The capacity limit can be extended to accommodate 164,114 trips by utilizing
transit credit (120% of LOS D).
[] This capacity limit can be further increased to 205,143 daily trips (150% of
LOS D) by capturing additional transit credits provide by a local circulator
service with proper transit headway frequency during the actual peak hours in
South Beach (9:00-12:00 p.m.). The utilization of transit credits is consistent
with both the Transportation Concurrency Management Area (TCMA) Plan
and the Miami Beach Comprehensive Plan.
Without the 30% in additional transit credits provided by a local circulator, such
as the Electrowave, the South Beach daily trip capacity of 164,114 trips would be
exceeded; which would result in the South Beach TCMA operating above the
adopted LOS D. This would adversely impact development and redevelopment/
revitalization efforts in South Beach.
QUESTION #9:
Take into consideration the BayLink Project.
A local transit circulator service will be needed whether the Bay Link project
proceeds or not. A rail service should not be a factor in the City's decision of
whether to continue its local circulator system, for the short tenn. The Study
concludes that the Electrowave is one of the most successful local transit
circulator systems among dozens in South Florida, and an important factor in
making Miami Beach the unique community it is.
Nonetheless, should the BayLink project proceed, a local circulator system is
anticipated to serve as a feeder, or distributor for the system, circulating
passengers to and from the light-rail stops and various attractions and destinations
in South Beach. In addition, should BayLink come to fruition, nearly all County
MDT service would be removed from South Beach, leaving Electrowave and its
successor service, as the only bus transit service in the area.
If implemented, the BayLink project is at least eight years from completion. The
Electrowave has a purpose with or without the proposed light rail system.
QUESTION #10:
What marketing efforts should be undertaken to attract a larger ridership?
Answer: The following marketing strategies should be considered:
[] Name change from "Electrowave" to the something else that has more clear
association with local transit service.
n At all shuttle stop locations, include a system/route map with an indication of
"you are here," customized for each stop.
n Standardize the fleet of minibuses in appearance to develop its own identity as
a transportation service.
Use the same colors on the buses, bus signs and brochure.
n Use a standardized design for the bus fleet t that is reflective of the character
of South Beach.
Installation of "pathfinder" or "way-finding" signs at the Collins and Ocean
Drive intersections leading people to the shuttle stops.
[] Installation of signs at the exists of parking garages where people pass after
parking their cars: "Walk or Ride: Your Choice - The Shuttle stops here."
Every industry association should be asked to help promote and display
shuttle service information in hotel rooms and lobbies, on a continued basis.
[] Personalize the project management approach to marketing the service: direct
visits to community meetings, and face-to-face meetings with hotels and
restaurants.
[] Project management should meet with media representatives to alert them to
the fact that the service is more convenient than ever. This is vital to help
mend image problems experienced by the Electrowave.
[] Decorate the shuttle vehicles in keeping with seasons/holidays; i.e., put
antlers, turkeys, or Uncle Sam top hats on top of the buses, etc. This draws
attention to and spreads a bit of a buzz about the service.
QUESTION #11:
Determine steps or processes needed to deal with any decisions made and
contractual issues.
Answers:
If the Electrowave Service is discontinued, the on-going Electrowave contracts
require a 30-day written notice of cancellation. The main contracts are with Red
Top (Coach USA), ETVI, and MBTMA.
If the service continues, three fundamental options are available to Miami Beach
in regard to contractual issues:
Contract with Miami-Dade County (MDT). MDT has a great deal of
experience in transit operations. However, using the County would prove to
be more expensive than the current contract arrangement with MBTMA,
mainly due to MDT's complicated labor union issues. In addition, MDT
would not be able to provide the customized attention that a service like the
Electrowave requires. As a result, the transit needs of South Beach would be
prioritized along with needs all across the County. In short, the City would
either pay more for the same service, or it would have to reduce service,
resulting in less frequent service.
10
Contract for the Provision of Service. In this case, the transit service is
customized for South Beach; there is dedicated personnel for operations and
maintenance; lower costs for the City than the previous option (as to route
service operation and vehicle maintenance), i__f the circulator service utilizes
diesel vehicles; and none of the labor union issues that are prevalent in the
County.
On the other hand, the City maintains full responsibility and liability for the
service; has to comply with all federal requirements; maintains full
responsibility over project administration, marketing/promotion, fuel costs,
and accounts payable (since the City is not allowed to advance state and
federal operating funds to a private contractor).
Provision of Service by MBTMA. This option was not individually
considered by the CUTR Report, which included MBTMA as part of the
previous contract option. It must be noted, however, that there are several
advantages in contracting with MBTMA, as opposed to a strictly private
contractor: MBTMA is a public/private organization, such as their ability to
administer the entire program for the City, since they are authorized to receive
advanced program funds (which include State and Federal operating funds);
and MBTMA can deal directly with State and Federal funding agencies,
including the preparation and filing of the demanding and time-consuming
Section 15 Reports, required by FTA.
QUESTION #12:
Analyze the unintended consequences of eliminating the Electrowave Service.
Answer:
1. Loss of 30% in concurrency credits would adversely impact development and
redevelopment/revitalization efforts in South Beach
Loss of a transit service that is depended upon by a large sector of South Beach
residents including seniors, non-car owners, students, and employees of local
businesses.
e
Loss of earmarked Federal capital funds either still unexpended to date, or not
yet appropriated by City. These funds follow:
[] $ 447,546 in appropriated but yet unused FTA Sec.5309 capital funds
$ 735,821 in appropriated but yet unused FTA Sec.5309 capital funds
[] $ 400,000 yet to be appropriated FTA Section 5309 capital funds
[] $2,970,087 yet to be appropriated FTA funds for EW Facility/Transit Center
[] $1,485,000 yet to be appropriated FTA funds for EW Facility/Transit Center
[] $2,030,000 yet to be appropriated FTA funds for EW Facility/Transit Center
$7,668,454 loss in capital funds.*
FTA Section 5309 funds can be used only for bus and bus-related facilities.
11
Loss of Federal CMAQ and FDOT operating funds already appropriated for
FY 2002-03 Electrowave operations.
Loss of employment by 50 people, as follows
Red Top Transportation (a total of 38 employees-3 shifts);
ETVI (a total of 10 employees-2 shifts);
MBTMA: 2 out of 4 employees will have to be dismissed.
QUESTION #13
What would happen to the several million dollars already earmarked for an
Intermodal Facility, if the Electrowave Service is eliminated?
Answer:
All capital funds eam~arked to date for the Electrowave are FTA Section 5309
funds, otherwise known as "bus and bus-facility funds." Four and one half
million dollars ($4.5 M) remain available for the capital purposes of the
Electrowave. These funds carry a 3-year life span only, which begin at their
respective earmark dates.
Federal regulations make clear that earmarked funds can be used only for the
pumhase of bus and bus related equipment, or construction of bus-related
facilities, as approved by Congress. These funds clearly cannot be used for any
project not directly related to public transit.
If the City discontinues the Electrowave, these particular earmarks would be
reprogrammed by the Federal Transit Administration, and mallocated by
Congress. In addition, there is no guarantee that these funds would be reallocated
by Congress for the purchase of buses or construction of a transit facility for a
South Beach circulator, in connection with a BayLink project.
In addition if service is discontinued, the City will be liable for paying for the
remaining market value of buses and equipment pumhased with FTA Section
5309 funds. The City could also sell these buses and equipment, but all funds
received from such a sale would revert to the federal government.
12
ELECTRIC vs. DIESEL. In addition, the Study examined the issue of switching from
electric buses to a different alternative fuel technology. It concluded that, there are many
reasons for the City to consider retiring the electric bus fleet and convert to buses with
more traditional propulsion systems, i.e. diesel or bio-diesel:
Approximately $38/hour versus the $48/hour cost to operate the electric vehicles, or a
savings of approximately $400,000/year.
It would simplify quality control of the service, vehicle maintenance, and program
administration.
Diesel buses are more reliable than electric vehicles.
Diesel buses have faster acceleration than electric mini-buses.
A technology that is familiar to all private transit operators, as well as the County.
\\CH2\VOL I \WO RKXSTRAXAM ELIA~ELECTWVE\EWStud yResults.doc
13
o!!o
EXHIBIT "A"
Washington Route
Collins Route
ELECTROWAVE CIRCULATOR SHUTTLE SERVICE
RouteW
EXHIBIT "B"
®
North
Mapnottoscale
MIAMI
BEACH
St
SOUTH
BEACH ~:~
SouthPointeDr
cm 2St
Figure 22 ·
Recommended Route Options
Option 1
EXHIBIT "C"
Legend
Route Option 1
19th St
" EXHIBIT "D"
Figure'23
Recommended Route Options
Option 2a
Legend
Route Option 2a
G
Figure 24'
Recommended Route Options
Option 2b
Legend
Route Option 2b
.!
Figure25
Recommended Route Options
Option 3a
EXHIBIT "F"
Legend
Route Option 3a
Figure 26'
Recommended Route Options
oPtion 3b
EXHIBIT "G"
I
I
I
I
Route Option 3bi :i.
Route Option Sbii
,st ~
3g~ St
MAY--I~--B$ 0~ .' 1~ PM
EXHIBIT "B"
ELECTROWAVE
Passenger Counts
BY MONTH/YEAR COMPARISON
FIscal Year 2001102 & Fiscal Year 2002103
MOI~'H FISCAL YEAR 2001/02 FISCAL YEAR 2002/03
O~TOB~R .. 29,990 48,448
NOVEMBER 32~94~ 48~037
CECEMBER 34,668 5.1,~78
J~ANUARY 37~633 48,591
FEBRUARY 40,804 51 ~922
M?RCH 48~480 581798
A, pRIL 42r405 57,338
,7,=55
J~UNE . 45~448
JULY 431962
/~UGUST 48~155
E ,T; BER 42', 48
I ,
tOTAL 489,E61 362,$t2
Conel¢leratlon needs to be taken with regard to the Impact of the 9/11101 events
on the community, businesses, Ilotels, etc.
'November 2002 - ALL SENIOR CITIZEN8 RIDE FREEII (~5 & olde0
tenuery ~0-~8, 2003 -> unaeesonebly cold weather led to ~e In l~ssenger count~
OLLIN$ ROUTE DISCONTINUED ON FEBRUARY 20. 2003 ~ IAM
EXHIBIT "C"
CI~Y OF MIAMI BEACH
CONMISSlON ITEM SUMMARY
Condensed Title:
A Resolution authorizing the Electrowave to continue the Washington Route service; authorizing the
Administration to implement a change from electric-battery to diesel technology; and to further evaluate
contracting options, route modifications, and enhanced marketing strategies that would make the service
more efficient and cost effective.
Issue:
Shall the Electrowave Shuttle Service be allowed to continue operations and shall the electric buses be
transitioned to diesel buses?
Item Summary/Recommendation:
Resolution No. 2002-25012, dated 09/26/02 adopted the FY 2002-03 Operating Budget for the Electrowave
(EW), in the amount of $2.31 million. At the same time, the City Commission requested that a Shuttle
Service Technical Assistance Study (the Study) be conducted to answer questions regarding the viability of
continuing the EW service; and that the Administration report back to Commission with a recommendation.
The subject Study conducted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) has been
completed. Based on the results of the Study and previous Commission input, the Collins Avenue Route
was eliminated on February 19, 2003, and its two buses were redeployed to the Washington Route service.
The Administration recommends that the Electrowave Service be allowed to continue, as an essential tool
to meet concurrency requirements within the South Beach TCMA; that diesel technology be introduced to
the service; and finally, that further evaluation be conducted of contracting options, route modifications, and
enhanced marketing strategies to be adopted with a FY 2003-04 budget proposal. The Administration
recommends approval of the Resolution.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
[ N/A
Financial Information:
Source of Amount Account Approved
Funds: 1
2
3
4
Finance Dept. Total N/A FY 2002-03 EW Operating Budget
was adopted 09/26/02
City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking:
Amelia Johnson
Sign-Offs:
Department Director Assistant City Manager
T:~AGENDA~2003~nay2103\regular\EWcontinuesClS.doc
,ager
To:
From:
Subject:
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Date: May 21,2003
JorgeM. Gonzalez ~ .~' ~_z._-~
City Manager ~/L--~-~'~ ~
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY'COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ELECTROWAVE
SHUTTLE SERVICE TO CONTINUE THE WASHINGTON AVENUE ROUTE
SERVICE; AUTHORIZING THE ADMINISTRATION TO IMPLEMENT A
CHANGE FROM ELECTRIC-BATTERY TO DIESEL TECHNOLOGY; AND
TO FURTHER EVALUATE AND IMPLEMENT CONTRACTING OPTIONS,
ROUTE MODIFICATION OPTIONS, AND ENHANCED MARKETING
STRATEGIES REQUIRED THAT WOULD MAKE THE LOCAL TRANSIT
CIRCULATOR SERVICE MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE.
ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
~NALYSlS
Resolution No. 2002-25012, dated September 26, 2002, adopted the FY 2002-03
Operating Budget for the Electrowave Shuttle Service, in the amount of $2.31 million. The
motion for approval gave the City 90 days to conduct an Electrowave Shuttle Service
Technical Assistance Study (the Study), to answer several questions posed by elected
officials at the meeting, and provide ways of making the service more efficient and cost
effective. In addition, the motion directed that the Administration report back to the
Commission, with the results of the Study; and that any follow-up action to continue or
discontinue the Electrowave shuttle service would require a vote by the City Commission.
In response to the Mayor and Commissioners' questions and/or directions, the following
has been done:
r~
The City hired a recognized transit professional, Mr. Joel Volinski, Director of the
Center for Urban Transportation Reseamh (CUTR), University of South Florida, to lead
the Study. Data for the Study was collected and provided by the City, the Miami Beach
Transportation Management Association (MBTMA), Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), and
CUTR. Mr. Volinski will make a brief presentation of Study results/recommendations at
this meeting, and answer your questions.
The City utilized the Study Report as the basis for the answers to the elected officials'
questions and/or directions. Please refer to attached £xhibitA.
May 21, 2003
Comm~sionlt4emorandum
Repo~ on Electrowave Shu~/e Service
Page 2
A Commission Workshop on Bay Link and Electrowave was scheduled for January27,
2003. Prior to the workshop, the Administration met individually with elected officials to
provide answers to the questions raised at the Commission meeting in September 2002
and provided a copy of the Study. However, due to time constraints, the Electrowave
item was not discussed at the workshop and postponed.
[] The Study was also presented to the Transportation and Parking Committee on April 7,
2003 and accepted.
The below mentioned findings from the Study have been endorsed by the Administration
and are hereby recommended for your consideration:
1. That the Electrowave service be allowed to continue. The Study recommends that the
City continue providing a local transit cimulator service; and concludes that the
Electrowave is the most successful local transit circulator system among dozens in
Florida and it is an important factor in making Miami Beach the unique community it is.
The Study also concludes that the Electrowave is not duplicative of MDT service; that
over 2,000 residents are regular users riding at least two times per week; that it is
needed for concurrency management in the South Pointe area; that it is an easy to
understand service which is customized to Miami Beach environment and contributes to
the livability of the City. In support of the findings, two (2) separate customer service
surveys were performed before and after the Study; and both surveys showed clear
evidence that the Electrowave service is indeed functioning as a successful local transit
circulator and providing essential transit service to the surrounding residential
community.
2. That diesel buses be introduced to the system. The Study recommended that the City
seriously consider retiring the electric bus fleet and convert to diesel buses for the
following reasons: first, the cost of operating electric buses is higher than the cost of
operating diesel buses; second, it would simplify quality control of the service and
program administration because there would not be a need to have specialized
maintenance staff to take care of electric vehicles; third, diesel buses are much more
reliable than electric buses; fourth, diesel buses have faster acceleration than electric
buses and therefore can provide slightly better service frequency since they can cover
the same amount of distance in less time; fifth, diesel buses have a longer operating
range. In addition to the Study reasons of why the City should consider transitioning
from electric buses to diesel buses, it must be noted that thero are no United States
companies manufacturing 30 foot electric mini buses at this time. The only other option
for consideration is a hybrid electric-diesel mini bus; however, this technology is still
unproven and therefore, it would be extremely risky to purchase hybrid buses knowing
that potentially they might not be as reliable and proven as diesel bus technology
and/or may not be available for replacement in the future.
=
May 21, 2003
Commission Memorandum
Report on Electrowave Shuttle Service
Page 3
The City has approximately $1.4 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section
5309 funds available for the purchase of local transit circulator vehicles/equipment.
The introduction of diesel buses to the existing electric fleet will provide the system
greater flexibility and ultimately result in a reduction of the overall operational cost. New
advances in diesel technology have made the use of diesel buses more feasible and
have significantly reduced emissions into the environment. Of the above mentioned
funds, $400,000 must be appropriated by the City no later than May 21, 2003 to
prevent losing these funds, which are due to expire September 30, 2003.
A public hearing on the appropriation of the $400,000 in FTA funds is included as a
companion item on this City Commission Agenda, to satisfy requirements of 49
U.S.Code, Chapter 53.
A preliminary comparison of operating costs between electric-battery and diesel
Technologies was prepared as Table 12 of the Study, and is included herein as
Exhibit C. It concludes that diesel technology will cost approximately $200,000 less
a year than electric to operate.
That the Administration further evaluate the following management options provided by
the Study:
MBTMA is a non-profit organization created and funded by the City and FDOT. As
'such, it is allowed to administer projects that receive federal and state funds; and
provides customized transit service to South Beach.
Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) MDT could become the general manager/administrator
of the local shuttle system and provide vehicle maintenance. It would also assume
responsibility for route operation service.
City/County Partnership the City and the County could continue to operate their
own systems in a better coordinated fashion to optimize circulator transit needs in
South Beach.
Private companies. Federal and state regulations do not allow private, for-profit
companies to perform such general management/administrative functions for the
City. They could only operate the service and maintain the vehicles. On the other
hand, the City does not have the staff required or the expertise needed to assume
the various administrative and general management duties of the project (presently
handled by MBTMA staff).
That possible additional route options be explored to further enhance mobility options in
the South Beach area.
That improved and aggressive marketing strategies be developed to help raise greater
public awareness of the service, which will help attract additional riders,
May 21, 2003
Commission Memorandum
Report on Electrowave Shuttle Service
Page 4
The following recommendations have already been implemented by the Administration.
1. The Collins Avenue Route was eliminated on February 19, 2003. The route was shown
to have very Iow ridership and yielded a Iow cost/benefit ratio.
2. The Washington Avenue route was enhanced with the two (Collins Route) buses. The
advantages of the redeployment follow:
· Improvementfrequencyofservicefrom 10-13 minutes to the present 8-10 minutes.
· Avoided dismissal of seven (7) bus drivers who operated the Collins Route service.
Dismissals would have to abide by the driver's union-required 30-day notice.
Retention of $350,000 in FDOT funds budgeted in FY 2002-03 exclusively for an
"enhanced" portion of the Washington Route service, utilizing two additional buses.
In addition, the ridership has substantially increased, as compared to last year's:
2002 2003 Peroentage Change
February 42,504 51,922 +22%
March 46,450 58,798 +26.5%
April 42,405 57,338 +35%
A passenger count comparison chart (October-April) is attached as Exhibit B.
As stated in the Study's Executive Summary, "the City should embrace the Electrowave
program and its successor service, whatever its name will be. It is the most successful
local transit circulator system among dozens in Florida, and it is an important factor in
making Miami Beach the unique community it is."
The Administration recommends approval of the Resolution.
JGIRMIFBIJJ/AJ
Attachments: Exhibit A - Answers to City Commission Questions/Shuttle Service
Exhibit B - Passenger Count Comparison Chart
Exhibit C - Operating Cost Comparison (Electric vs. Diesel Bus)
T:~AGENDA~2003~.nay2103\regular~EWcontinues.merno.doc