[NFBF-Tampa] article from the Tampa Bay Times spotlighting local transportation

Tue Jan 24 23:29:29 UTC 2017

Thank you for sharing, very interesting.

-- 
Paul M. Martinez
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> On Jan 24, 2017, at 5:30 PM, Sherrill O'Brien via NFBF-Tampa <nfbf-tampa at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello to all,
>  
> I thought you might find this article of interest.
> It is pasted below my signature.
>  
> Warm regards
> Sherrill O’Brien, Secretary, Tampa Bay Chapter
>  
>  
> After six years of growth, Pinellas and Hillsborough see sudden drop in bus ridership
> Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer
>  
> Monday, January 23, 2017 5:30am
> The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority reported its ridership fell more than 6 percent to just over 14 million rides — nearly 1 million fewer
> trips than in fiscal year 2015.
>  
> Bus ridership saw a sudden drop in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties last year, mirroring a nationwide trend.
> The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority saw the steepest decline, dropping 10 percent. The agency provided about 1.5 million fewer passenger trips, falling
> to 13.4 million trips from fiscal year 2015 to 2016.
>  
> "Plummeted might be the right word," said PSTA CEO Brad Miller.
>  
> Across the bay, the slide was smaller but still substantial, with Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority ridership falling more than 6 percent to
> just over 14 million rides. That's nearly 1 million trips fewer than in fiscal year 2015.
>  
> It was a sudden drop for the Tampa Bay region after six straight years of growth. The two agencies last year logged the fewest passenger trips since 2011.
>  
> Transportation experts attribute this to a number of factors: lower gas prices, a still-rebounding economy and service cuts.
>  
> This national trend is especially noteworthy in a region that has heavily debated the costs and benefits of investing more in transit.
>  
> Transit advocates say not to fear: This is a blip on the radar and all other indicators show bus ridership will rebound and continue to grow in future
> years. But for those who have spent years opposing increased sales taxes to pay for bus and rail, this is more evidence for why the region should spend
> less on transit and focus more on roads.
>  
> There's little contesting the causes. Experts agree it's a combination of the drop in gas prices along with many transit agencies having to reduce routes
> and frequency during the Great Recession.
>  
> "When you have a combination of reduced gas prices, which makes driving more attractive, and service cuts that make some trips more difficult, that leads
> to shifts in use," said Darnell Grisby, director of policy development and research at the American Public Transportation Association.
>  
> But Hillsborough County Tea Party co-founder Sharon Calvert, who opposed attempts to raise the sales tax to fund transit in 2010 and 2016, said those factors
> don't do enough to account for the fact that most people, when given the choice, don't want to take the bus.
>  
> "I'm sure the gas prices have something to do with it, but the bottom line is the choice riders, their choice is not taking the bus," she said. "They're
> driving."
>  
> She said the numbers also validate last year's decision by Hillsborough County commissioners to not put a sales-tax increase on the ballot in November.
> The 30-year measure would've increased the sales tax by half a penny to raise money for road maintenance, bike and pedestrian improvements, and transit
> options such as increased bus service and a light rail between downtown Tampa and the airport.
>  
> "We need to avoid going down these paths of spending billions of dollars on something that truly may become irrelevant in the not-too-distant future,"
> Calvert said. "It would be better to make sure you remain flexible and nimble."
>  
> Neither Miller nor HART CEO Katharine Eagan are concerned that the lower 2016 ridership numbers will hurt their chances of getting local, state and federal
> funding. Part of the reason is because most of the money HART is applying for isn't for traditional bus service, but instead for more innovative projects
> such as van service to help get people to and from bus stops, commuter service to the airport and a voucher system for people with disabilities.
>  
> "If we were asking for the same thing that was losing ridership, that would be a different situation," Eagan said. "That's one of the reasons why the things
> we're asking for are not the traditional solutions."
>  
> Instead, HART is asking for support to move innovative partnerships into new markets where officials think they're capturing more riders, such as van service
> in Brandon and 15-minute frequency between busy hubs such as Tampa International Airport, Westshore and downtown Tampa.
>  
> "If the portion of your market share is shrinking with the tool you're using, get another tool out there," Eagan said. "It's really basic economics."
>  
> Similarly, PSTA launched a partnership last week with Uber and taxis to provide rides to and from stops for $1. The program helps expand the agency's coverage
> at a fraction of the cost of running a traditional bus route. It's also investing in more frequent bus routes between downtown and the beach, which will
> run in their own lanes during rush hour.
>  
> "I know having more frequent bus service will generate additional riders because it will be more viable to more people," Miller said. "If the bus came
> every 10 minutes or even 5 minutes . . . we would have more riders and we would be shielded from some of these economic factors that right now we have
> no control over. But that would take more resources."
>  
> PSTA and HART already have smaller budgets than most major metros in the country. But lower ridership translates to less income from fare boxes, further
> exacerbating the problem.
>  
> Grisby said it's unfair to make decisions about funding and the worth of a system based on one year's ridership numbers. Before 2016, bus ridership had
> been rising steadily over the past decade. And, though it doesn't affect Tampa Bay, rail ridership has either stayed steady or increased nationwide.
>  
> "Transit ridership is much like the stock market: Overall, you will face an increase over time," Grisby said. "It's unfair to take a snapshot in time."
>  
> In fact, all major variables are pointing to longer-term gains in ridership, Grisby said, such as an increase in population, shifting demographics and
> new technologies that make getting a ride easier.
>  
> "I think public transportation around the country is becoming a more viable option for people because of new technology and these partnerships with companies
> like Uber," Grisby said. "It's definitely a time to make more investments in public transit."
>  
> But Calvert noted that, at least with these most recent numbers, bus ridership declined as Hillsborough's population continues to rise.
>  
> "You're talking about bus ridership going down while your population is going up," Calvert said. "So there's a total disconnect between a growing county
> and transit."
>  
> Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston at tampabay.com or (727) 893-8779. Follow @cljohnst.
>  
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