Public Transportation survey to provide solutions by late fall
Thousands of Idahoans statewide gave input this spring to create a profile for the "average" public transit user and identified gaps in service or unmet needs. Those results will be used to help shape solutions, expected by late fall.
The Idaho Public Transportation Plan rolled out online in April, with alerts to media outlets and public through traditional news releases and social-media platforms. Stakeholders in all six ITD districts were engaged in the survey process, as 1,200 e-newsletters with links to the survey were sent to gather input. More than a third of those – 430 individuals – submitted surveys.
In addition, a Design Your Own Transit System public survey last fall resulted in 710 individual results. Participants were asked to design a transit system while adhering to a specific budget.
Survey results provided the following "average rider" profile:
- Most are senior citizens, disabled persons, or student.
- Half have a full-time job and are 20-40 years old.
- Many have no car and/or drivers license.
- Most riders are low-income
Some areas of the state showed comprehensive service coverage, but others still showed gaps in terms of rides within rural areas, connecting buses, building the infrastructure to support public transit (even something as simple as more bus stops), insufficient funding or overly onerous funding requirements, and a concerted effort to market or promote awareness of existing or soon-to-be-added services.
ITD's Office of Public Transportation is reviewting the results and hopes to unveil a draft plan late this fall with potential solutions in the below topic areas:
- Coordinated mobility management: Creating better linkages between services and resources within a community to improved specialized transportation for a variety of customer groups.
- Branding and marketing: Creating recognizable brands and better informing communities of their transportation options as a way to increase ridership.
- Centralized transportation information: allowing easy access to information. Respondents identified difficulties navigating the disjointed information regarding area services. This is particularly true in areas where people may have to chain together transit options to reach a destination.
- Expanded hours and weekend service: students and workers frequently mentioned the need to travel outside of the 9-to-5 weekday/workday time period.
- Increased service frequency: more frequent service routes and options.
- Regional travel: There was a strong desire for more intercity and inter-county travel. This connectivity was highlighted as a need for patients seeking medical services, people experiencing disabilities, and for veterans.
Potential solutions are subject to change based on feedback. Solutions will then be open for public comment in the fall with a final plan by October.
The survey also included interviews with current transit providers. Providers were positive about their relationships with ITD, and consider the agency a partner rather than an entity primarily concerned with oversight and compliance. Some recent improvements in structure and responsiveness are appreciated, as are training opportunities provided by ITD.
Suggestions for the future include more local or Idaho-specific training sessions, earlier involvement of providers in initiatives or plans, and a stronger role in advocating for public transportation services.
Published 07-14-17