Staff Report #1
June 18, 2018
To All Members of the Accessible Public Transit Service Advisory Committee
Re: 2017 Specialized Service Performance
Recommendation
That the report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
Performance statistics for the Specialized Service for the twelve months ending December 31, 2017, are set out in Enclosure I, with 2016 statistics and 2017 performance targets provided for comparative purposes.
The implementation of the new scheduling system has had a number of impacts on performance and reporting, the most significant of which relates to service hours and service productivity, both of which were impacted during the period of April through July given the requirements for both administrative staff and Operators to learn the new system. The lower number of service hours provided has impacted both eligible passenger trips and attendant companion trips provided. Additionally, the new system implementation has had impacts on some specific performance indicators, which are discussed below.
In summary:
- Eligible passenger trips provided in 2017 were 18,970 (7.3%) higher than 2016; however worse than budget. As previously indicated, the implementation of the new scheduling system impacted the hours of service and related passenger trips during the spring. Administration worked with the service provider in the fall/winter to increase service hours in an effort to provide additional trips during the remainder of the year.
- The number of attendant/companion trips provided in 2017 increased by 466 (1.7%) as compared to those provided in 2016; however, were also slightly less than budget. Budget estimates for attendant/companion trips are based on the previous years’ experience and are totally dependent upon the needs and desires of the registrant base with respect to their travel.
- Service productivity for 2017 averaged 2.1 rides per hour, which is consistent with that for the same period in 2016. The budgeted hours and corresponding ridership for 2017 assumed an increase in productivity associated with the new scheduling system. As the graph indicates, the increase was not achieved in 2017, which led to lower than projected eligible passenger trips.
- Rides over one hour in 2017 averaged 2.0% which is slightly higher than the 1.8% average for the same period in 2016.
- Pick-ups over 30 minutes for 2017 averaged 1.1% of total trips, which is higher than the 0.6% for 2016. This upward trend can be in part attributed to both staff and customers getting accustomed to the new software. There were some initial issues with the new software moving pick-up times which resulted in missed and/or late trips. The roll-out of phase two of the software, which will provide the customer with trip reminders as well as the ability for customers to check their bookings online, is anticipated to help bring this statistic back in line with previous experience.
- The cancellation rate for 2017 averaged 10.9%, which is significantly better than the 15.2% in 2016. There were 9,112 late cancellations in 2017, representing 25.9% of total cancellations. This is one of the statistics that may have been affected by the manner in which the new software is reporting a cancellation as compared to the previous software, and as such, should not be directly compared to past experience.
- The no-show rate for 2017 averaged 1.9%, consistent with that in 2016.
- The non-accommodated trip rate for 2017 averaged 2.9% (total of 9,719 trips), better than the 3.7% (11,952 trips) in 2016.
- The average number of same day bookings each month in 2017 was 830 trips, down from the average of 1,393 provided each month in 2016. This statistic has been affected by the software implementation noting it has taken time for staff to adjust to the manner in which the software creates and adjusts schedules.
- New registrations continued to occur at a rate of approximately 50 per month, with the total registrants at the end of 2017 reaching 8,442. This represents an increase in registrants of 8.4% over 2016.
Enclosure
I – Specialized Transit Service Performance – 2017
Recommended by:
Christopher Murphy, Supervisor, LCTB
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager