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FY 2022/23‐FY 2024/25
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
City of Riverside, PRCSD – Special Transportation Division FINAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 – SYSTEM OVERVIEW AND SERVICE PROFILE ....................................................................... 3 SECTION 1.1 –SERVICE AREA ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 SECTION 1.2 – POPULATION PROFILE ........................................................................................................................................ 4 SECTION 1.3 – PARATRANSIT SERVICE ...................................................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.4 – DESCRIPTION OF RIDERSHIP.............................................................................................................................. 5 SECTION 1.5 – FARE STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................ 5 SECTION 1.6 – REVENUE FLEET .................................................................................................................................................. 5 SECTION 1.7 – EXISTING TRANSIT FACILITY ............................................................................................................................. 8 SECTION 1.8 – EXISTING COORDINATION BETWEEN TRANSIT AGENCIES ........................................................................... 8 SECTION 1.9 – REFERENCE LIST OF PRIOR EXISTING STUDIES & PLANS ............................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2 –EXISTING SERVICE AND ROUTE PERFORMANCE ................................................................ 9 SECTION 2.1 – KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ..................................................................................................................... 9 SECTION 2.2 – PERFORMANCE REPORT .................................................................................................................................. 11 SECTION 2.3 – SERVICE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 13 SECTION 2.4 – SERVICE PERFORMANCE .................................................................................................................................. 15 SECTION 2.5 – PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS ..................................................................................................... 18 SECTION 2.6 – MAJOR TRIP GENERATORS.............................................................................................................................. 18 SECTION 2.7 – RECENT SERVICE CHANGES ............................................................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER 3 – FUTURE SERVICE PLANS ........................................................................................................ 19 SECTION 3.1 – PLANNED SERVICE CHANGES ......................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION 3.2 – FUTURE MARKETING PLANS .......................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION 3.3 – PROJECTED RIDERSHIP GROWTH .................................................................................................................. 19 SECTION 3.4 – PROPOSED FARE STRUCTURE CHANGES ....................................................................................................... 20 SECTION 3.5 – CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING .............................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER 4 – FINANCIAL PLANNING ............................................................................................................. 22 SECTION 4.1 – OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET NARRATIVE ......................................................................................... 22 SECTION 4.2 – FUNDING PLANS TO SUPPORT PLANNED OPERATING & CAPITAL PROGRAM ........................................ 25 SECTION 4.3 – REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................... 28 SECTION 4.4 – OPEN PROJECTS ............................................................................................................................................... 31
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I. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
1.1 Service Area
Riverside Connect, formerly “Special Transportation” is a division within the City of Riverside’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department that has been offering transportation services to seniors and disabled residents in the Riverside community since 1975. This paratransit transportation service is provided within the 81.54 square mile incorporated city limits of the City of Riverside, shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1
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1.2 Population Profile
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data every year. Conducted annually, the ACS serves as an interim source of up‐to‐date demographic data through the decade, until the next Census is conducted. According to the 2019 ACS, 5 ‐y
ear estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Riverside’s estimated population is 331,360 residents. The senior population within the City of Riverside (those 65 years of age and over) accounts for approximately 10.7% of the total population, while individuals with a disability under the age of 65 accounts for approximately 7.7%.
1. 3 Paratransit Services
Owned and operated by the City of Riverside, Riverside Connect is an origin‐to‐destination shared ride service available to senior citizens (60 years of age and older) and persons with disabilities.
Documentation from a physician is required for individuals with a disability.
Riverside Connect operates 362 days per year, only suspending service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. To schedule a ride, passengers must call Riverside Connects’ reservation telephone number, during the business hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. An answering machine is available before and after business hours for cancellations.
Table 1
Mode Description Area /Site
Service
Paratransit Services
City
Wide
Origin to Destination / reservation-based service for
Seniors age 60 and over and the Disabled
Community
Within the City
limits of
Riverside
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1.4 Description of Ridership
Ridership data is listed in the tables below. Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 data reflects ridership through March 2022. In both fiscal years, the average passenger age was 65.
FY 2020/21 Total
Passengers 26,518
Revenue Hours 14,051
Revenue Miles 182,643
FY 2021/22 Total
Passengers 38,900
Revenue Hours 17,780
Revenue Miles 237,874
1.5 Fare Structure
Ri
verside Connect currently has two fare types – general and medical. The cost of a one‐w ay general fare
is $3.00 while the cost of a one‐w
ay medical trip is $2.00. Medical trips are for doctor appointments, physical therapy, pharmacy visits, etc. Medical fares are discoun ted to ensure that the general fare is not a barrier to wellness for passengers who are on a fixed income. There were no fare changes in FY 2021/22.
Ri
verside Connect passengers may pay in cash at the time of boarding or by using the electronic fare collection system which will give passengers the ability to pay their fares online or through a mobile application on their smartphone. The table below illustrates a breakdown of the fare types and associated costs.
1.6 Revenue Fleet
In FY 2021 /22, Riverside Connects’ active revenue fleet included twenty‐six 16 ‐p assenger paratransit cutaway buses which run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and two 9‐p assenger wheelchair
‐e
quipped
Fare Type Cost
One-way (General) $3
One-way (Medical) $2
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Ford Transit Van. Riverside Connects’ two transit vans were put into service in Fiscal Year 2020/21 to test the feasibility of operating a smaller profile vehicle to navigate in and around t he more compact areas within the City ; however, due to the impact that the COVID‐ 19 pandemic had on ridership, the vans utilization was limit ed. Riverside Connect also operates a Braun Van that is equipped to hold six passengers and one wheelchair and a hybrid Honda Civic which is used by administrative staff to supervise routes and respond to accidents. These vehicles are not assigned to routes but are used as backup for special services.
Subject to funding availability, vehicles are replaced after meeting the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) useful life of 10‐years. Riverside Connect established Useful Life Benchmarks (ULB) in line with the FTA’s recommendations which are outlined in t he Transit Asset Management Performance Measure Targets. For cutaway buses, Riverside Connects’ target is for less than 20% of cutaways to exceed their useful life. Currently, only four cutaways exceed the ULB – three of which are scheduled to be replaced in FY 2022/23. See Table 1.1 – Fleet Inventory
Table 1.1 - Fleet Inventory
FY 2022/23 Short Range Transit Plan
City of Riverside
Demand Response / Directly Operated
Lift and
Ramp
Equipped
Vehicle
Length
Year
Built
Mfg.
Code
Seating
Capacity
Model
Code
Fuel
Type
Code
Life to Date
Vehicle Miles
Prior Year End
FY 2020/21
Life to Date
Vehicle Miles
through
March
FY 2021/22
Average Lifetime
Miles Per Active
Vehicle As Of
Year-To-Date
(e.g., March)
FY 2021/22
# of
Active
Vehicles
FY 2021/
22 # of
Contingency
Vehicles
FY 2021/22
2019 DTD 6 VN 1 17 GA 1 5,839 7,349 7,349
2010 FRD 16 BU 1 25 CN 1 1,845,423 209,318 209,318 2011 FRD 16 BU 3 25 CN 3 877,677 612,615 204,205 2019 FRD 16 BU 3 25 CN 3 7,181 47,854 15,951
2019 FRD 8 VN 2 22 GA 2 1,375 2,538 1,269
2013 GLV 16 BU 6 25 CN 6 1,089,821 1,039,875 173,312 2014 GLV 16 BU 9 25 CN 9 1,293,598 1,266,814 140,757 2017 GLV 16 BU 8 25 CN 8 735,581 830,559 103,819 33 33 Totals: 110 5,856,495 4,016,922 121,725
5/10/2022
TransTrack Manager™ Page 1 of 1
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1.7 Existing Facility
The Riverside Connect Office is located at 8095 Lincoln Avenue within the City of Riverside’s Corporation Yard. The administrative building consists of administrative offices, a dispatch area, restrooms, and a break room. Riverside Connects’ facility also includes a parking lot for the transit buses with each space equipped with a CNG slow fill station, and a CNG Maintenance Bay for maintenance and repair of the fleet. This CNG Maintenance Bay facility includes five maintenance bays, an administrative office, and multiple storage compartments for vehicle parts and equipment. The facility is outfitted with state‐of‐the‐art safety equipment and machinery to maintain the CNG fueled vehicles.
1.8 Existing Coordination Between Transit Agencies
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the City of Riverside currently operates Riverside Connect to provide paratransit services within the City limits of Riverside on behalf of the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA). The MOU was amended in 2012 to restate the City’s and RTA’s obligations under the original MOU and to further fa cilitate and ensure service compliance under the Americans with Disabilities (“ADA”). Under the amended terms, the City and RTA continue the commitment to cooperate and coordinate the provision of services within the shared service area.
1.9 Reference List of Prior or Existing Studies and Plans
In April 2021, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Rail and Mass Transportation (DRMT) certified the City of Riverside’s Agency Safety Plan in compliance with the minimum requirements of 49 CFR Part 673 for small providers.
Riverside Connects’ Title VI Plan was updated and approved by the Riverside City Council in July 2021.
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II. EXISTING SERVICES AND ROUTE PERFORMANCE
2.1 Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
To ensure that Riverside Connect is providing superior customer service , staff considers several performance indicators. Targets are evaluated and reported monthly to RTA. In FY 2021 /22, Riverside Connect will finalize the TransTrack upgrade project which will provide staff with analytics that will be useful in setting additional performance measures such as staff attendance, safety incidents, and vehicle maintenance. Data for FY 2021/22 KPI’s through March 2021 is listed in the table below.
Internal KPI’s Target
Actual
FY 2020/21
Actual
FY 2021/22
On-time performance 100% 99% 98%
Call abandonment rate 0% 5.43% 3.18%
Average phone hold time 1:00 1:13 1:07
Ri
verside Connect is also required to meet other performance targets such as the 10% Farebox Recovery Ratio as mandated in the Transportation Development Act (TDA). In FY 2020/21, Riverside Connects’ farebox ratio was 1.65%; however, the passage of Assembly Bill 90 in June 2020 did not assess a penalty for not being able to meet the required minimum farebox recovery rate due to the impacts of the COVID‐ 1 9 pandemic. See Table 2.0 Service Provider Performance Targets Report
Table 2.0 -- Service Provider Performance Targets Report FY 2021/22 Short Range Transit Plan Review
City of Riverside
FY 2021/22 Plan FY 2021/22 Target
FY 2021/22
Year to Date
Through 3rd Quarter
Year to Date
Performance
Scorecard
Data Elements
44,767 Unlinked Passenger Trips
408,149 Passenger Miles
19,977.0 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Hours
268,674.0 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Miles
304,595.0 Total Actual Vehicle Miles
$5,237,609 Total Operating Expenses
$63,013 Total Passenger Fare Revenue
$5,174,596 Net Operating Expenses
Performance Indicators
Mandatory:
1. Farebox Recovery Ratio Fails to Meet Target>= 10.00% 1.20% 2.06% Discretionary:
1. Operating Cost Per Revenue Hour Meets Target<= $281.67 $262.18 $156.26
2. Subsidy Per Passenger Better Than Target>= $121.72 and <= $164.68 $115.59 $69.95
3. Subsidy Per Passenger Mile Better Than Target>= $21.39 and <= $28.95 $12.68 $7.68
4. Subsidy Per Hour Better Than Target>= $229.63 and <= $310.67 $259.03 $153.04
5. Subsidy Per Mile Better Than Target>= $17.61 and <= $23.83 $19.26 $11.44
6. Passengers Per Revenue Hour Better Than Target>= 1.61 and <= 2.17 2.24 2.19
7. Passengers Per Revenue Mile Meets Target>= 0.12 and <= 0.16 0.17 0.16 Note: Must meet at least 4 out of 7 Discretionary Performance Indicators Productivity Performance Summary:
Service Provider Comments:
5/10/2022
TransTrack Manager™ Page 1 of 1
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2.2 SRTP Performance Report
T
he impact that the COVID
‐1
9 pandemic ha s had on the Riverside Connect operation is evident when comparing previous year’s performance indicators such as passengers, passenger miles, etc. Staff projects a slow, but steady increase in e ach category in FY 202 2/23 as the City continues to reopen establishments and returns to a sense of normalcy. See Table 2.1 – SRTP Performance Report FY 2022/23 - Table 2.1 -- SRTP Performance Report
Service Provider: City of Riverside
All Routes
Performance Indicators FY 2022/23
Plan
Plan Performance
Scorecard (a)FY 2022/23 Target
FY 2021/22
3rd Quarter
Year-to-Date
FY 2020/21
End of Year
Actual
Passengers None 38,900 80,000 26,518
Passenger Miles None 354,379 428,556 150,887
Revenue Hours None 17,779.6 21,974.0 14,051.6
Total Hours None 24,990.4 30,807.0 19,639.6
Revenue Miles None 237,874.0 295,541.0 182,643.0
Total Miles None 269,966.0 335,054.0 211,893.0
Operating Costs None$2,778,219 $4,430,332 $3,988,462
Passenger Revenue None$57,183 $120,000 $61,488
Measure-A Revenue None
LCTOP Revenue None
Operating Subsidy None$2,721,036 $4,310,332 $3,926,974
Operating Costs Per Revenue Hour Fails to Meet Target<= $160.71$156.26 $201.62 $283.84 Operating Cost Per Revenue Mile None$11.68 $14.99 $21.84 Operating Costs Per Passenger None$71.42 $55.38 $150.41 Farebox Recovery Ratio Fails to Meet Target>= 0.1 2.06% 2.70% 1.54% Subsidy Per Passenger Better Than Target>= $59.46 and <= $80.44$69.95 $53.88 $148.09 Subsidy Per Passenger Mile Fails to Meet Target>= $6.53 and <= $8.83$7.68 $10.06 $26.03 Subsidy Per Revenue Hour Fails to Meet Target>= $130.08 and <= $176.00$153.04 $196.16 $279.47 Subsidy Per Revenue Mile Fails to Meet Target>= $9.72 and <= $13.16$11.44 $14.58 $21.50 Passengers Per Revenue Hour Better Than Target>= 1.86 and <= 2.52 2.19 3.64 1.89 Passengers Per Revenue Mile Better Than Target>= 0.14 and <= 0.18 0.16 0.27 0.15 a) The Plan Performance Scorecard column is the result of comparing the FY 2022/23 Plan to the FY 2022/23 Primary Target.
TransTrack Manager™
5/10/2022
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2.3 SRTP Service Summary
Ri
verside Connect collects and evaluates the historical data of several metrics to evaluate the overall service performance. Since FY 2017/18, there has been a decline in each of the operating characteristics which include unlinked passenger trips, passenger miles, total actual vehicle revenue hours, total actual vehicle revenue miles, and total actual vehicle miles. The COVID‐1 9 pandemic has resulted in further
decline in these operating characteristics . In contrast, expenses seen in the Financial Data section of Table 2.2 have steadily increased. As a result, the total operating cost per hour has increased while the farebox ratio has decreased. Ridership for FY 2022/23 is projected to increase 5%. This estimate is based on the slow increase seen during FY2021/22. See Table 2.2 – SRTP Service Summary Table 2.2 -- City of Riverside -- SRTP Service Summary
FY 2022/23 Short Range Transit Plan
All Routes
FY 2019/20
Audited
FY 2020/21
Audited
FY 2021/22
Plan
FY 2021/22
3rd Qtr Actual
FY 2022/23
Plan
Fleet Characteristics
Peak-Hour Fleet 15 1 12 1 1
Financial Data
Total Operating Expenses $4,430,332 $2,778,219 $5,237,609 $3,988,462 $3,626,313 Total Passenger Fare Revenue $120,000 $57,183 $63,013 $61,488 $386,842 Net Operating Expenses (Subsidies) $4,310,332 $2,721,036 $5,174,596 $3,926,974 $3,239,471 Operating Characteristics
Unlinked Passenger Trips 80,000 38,900 44,767 26,518 97,189 Passenger Miles 428,556 354,379 408,149 150,887 466,507 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Hours (a) 21,974.0 17,779.6 19,977.0 14,051.6 31,477.2 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Miles (b) 295,541.0 237,874.0 268,674.0 182,643.0 423,804.0 Total Actual Vehicle Miles 335,054.0 269,966.0 304,595.0 211,893.0 476,199.0 Performance Characteristics
Operating Cost per Revenue Hour $201.62 $156.26 $262.18 $283.84 $115.20 Farebox Recovery Ratio 2.70% 2.06% 1.20% 1.54% 10.67%
Subsidy per Passenger $53.88 $69.95 $115.59 $148.09 $33.33 Subsidy per Passenger Mile $10.06 $7.68 $12.68 $26.03 $6.94 Subsidy per Revenue Hour (a) $196.16 $153.04 $259.03 $279.47 $102.91 Subsidy per Revenue Mile (b) $14.58 $11.44 $19.26 $21.50 $7.64 Passenger per Revenue Hour (a) 3.6 2.2 2.2 1.9 3.1 Passenger per Revenue Mile (b) 0.27 0.16 0.17 0.15 0.23 (a) Train Hours for Rail Modes. (b) Car Miles for Rail Modes.
TransTrack Manager™
5/10/2022
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2.4 Service Performance
Riverside Connect provided 23,965 one‐wa y trips for a total of 211,893 service miles in FY 2020/21.
Comparatively, 34,625 one ‐wa
y trips and a total of 2 69,966 service miles have been provided as of March 31, 2022. The slight increase in ridership is largely due to the removal of restrictions put in place during the COVID‐19
Pandemic. The removal of these restrictions and the opening of various facilities in Riverside has yielded a slight increase in overall service demand . See Table 2.3 – SRTP Route Statistics
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2.5 Productivity Improvement Efforts
Ri
verside Connect staff strives to operate an efficient service and continues to look for new ways to decrease costs while maintaining high productivity. Different staffing scenarios are considered to maximize route efficiency while meeting customer demands. The Field Operations Supervisor is responsible for analyzing the route efficiencies of each driver and meets with them to provide constructive feedback to improve how each driver conducts his/her assigned reservations for that day.
2. 6 Major Trip Generators
T
he major trip generators for Riverside Connects’ service has drastically changed since the COVID ‐19
pandemic. Previously, the majority of rides were to and from workshops for the developmentally disabled, senior centers, and the Friendly Stars program. However, due to the State’s stay at home orders and surges in the infection rates throughout the county , many workshops and senior centers remained closed, and residents refrained from commuting. As a result, the highest trip generators in FY 2021 /22 were still grocery stores and medical
‐re
lated facilities . As infection rates of COVID ‐19
become fewer and more people are vaccinated , Riverside Connect anticipates that senior centers, workshops, and other programs will reopen, and ridership will slowly begin to increase by 10%.
2.7 Recent Service Changes
No services changes occurred during the FY202 1/22 year. Riverside Connect s continues to provide service 7 days a week 362 days a year. Riverside Connect is still providing free rides to and from vaccination sites within the City limits.
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III. FUTURE SERVICE PANS, FARE CHANGES, CAPITAL PLANNING AND MARKETING
3. 1 Planned Service Changes
T
here are currently no planned service changes.
3. 2 Future Marketing Plans
Fo
r FY 2022/23, staff will continue to market Riverside Connect. 2021. As workshops and senior centers continue to reopen a nd more seniors and ADA participants begin to utilize our s ervice, Riverside Connect will resume our efforts in presenting at senior fairs and community events.
Riv
erside Connect will continue distributing its new full ‐col or brochures and flyers at the City’s
Community and Senior Centers as well as advertisements in other City publications such as the Activity and Senior Guides. The Activity Guide is published three times per year and is mailed to over 55,000 residents and is also available online at the City’s main website. As services are restored, Riverside Connect hopes to continue marketing efforts by attending special events such as the Senior Day, wellness fairs, grand openings, and other events geared towards the senior and disabled community.
Staff will also continue to participate in resident meetings at senior living facilities and various ADA workshops throughout Riverside. Lastly, Riverside Connect has launched a new website which will provide the public with up
‐to‐date
information about our services.
3.3 P
rojected Ridership Growth
Pri
or to COVID‐19, Ri
verside Connect projected a 10% increase in ridership for FY 2020/21 as a direct result of the increased marketing and rebranding of the service. However, due to the dramatic 85% decline in ridership as a result of the pandemic , future projections are difficult to gauge; however, the expectation industrywide is that ridership will steadily increase to normal service levels as California and Riverside County Public Health regulations lift stay‐at‐ho me orders. Recent decline in infection rates
as well as the elimination of various state and federal restrictions has resulted in a slow increas e in ridership.
3.4 P
roposed Fare Structure Changes
Ri
verside Connect staff plans to explore the possibility of increasing the fare to match the Riverside 20 | Page
Transit Agency (RTA) fare structure which would currently be a $0.50 increase for two years. There are currently no plans to change the current medical fare of $2.00. Riverside Connect will hold open forums at the various senior centers around the City as well as present to various City Commissions regarding a possible rate increase prior to seeking Council approval in FY2022/23.
3.5 Capital Improvement Planning
Riverside Connect plans to focus FY 202 2/23 capital improvement efforts on closing out projects that were programmed in previous years. This includes the projects that were planned for FY 20 20/21. The first is a replacement of three (3) existing vehicles that have exceeded the useful life of 10‐ years. The second project is the renovation of the dispatch office area which will provide space for the newly filled Lead Dispatch position. See Table 3 – Highlights of 2022/23 Short Range Transit Plan
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IV. FINANCIAL PLANNING
4. 1 Operating and Capital Budget Narrative
For FY2022/23, Riverside Connect will have to find a way to balance the significant reduction in service demands with the rising cost of operations. Staff will con tinue to monitor and make adjustments in operating expenditures as well as staffing needs. With the proposed rate increase in FY2023/24, Special Transportation believes tha t the increase revenue genera ted along with proper management of operating costs will result in adherence to the farebox recovery ratio of 10%. There are no planned capital projects for FY 2022/23, as the City plans to focus this fiscal year on closing out previous projects that have been delayed due to the COVID‐19
pandemic. See Table 4.0 – Summary of Funding Requests
– FY 2022/23
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4.2 Funding Plans to Support Proposed Operating and Capital Program Riverside Connect was committed to keeping our staff employed during the pandemic with the CARES Act grant award. As such, in accordance with the City’s COVID-19 essential employee policy, only one part-time driver was furloughed during the initial pandemic period. But over FY2021/22 a number of transit staff decided to retire or took advantage of other employment opportunities as the pandemic began to slow down and operations began to return to normal. Funding levels for FY 2022/23 through FY 20224/25 are projected based on a revised staffing operation based on our current service demand and the number of vacant positions. Originally, there were seventeen (17) driver vacancies due to retirement and attrition. Based on current and projected ridership, 12 of those 17 vacancies were eliminated and only five (5) driver positions along with two (2) vacant dispatcher/scheduler positions were budgeted for FY2022/23. See Table 4.1 & Table 4.2 – Summary of Funding Requests – FY 2022/23 & FY 2023/24
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4.3 Regulatory and Compliance Requirements Riverside Connect strives to remain compliant with all local, state, and federal regulations. Staff stays abreast of legislative information and regulatory developments by attending workshops, trainings, and conferences which are frequently offered free of charge to transit operators. Riverside Connect complies with FTA reporting requirements such as the submission of monthly and annual National Transit Database (NTD) reports. In December of 2021, Riverside Connect underwent its most recent TDA Triennial Performance Audit. The final report had three recommendations which staff is in the process of addressing. See Table 4. – Progress to Implement TDA Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations Audit Recommendations Action Taken and Results
1. Continue efforts toward implementing a strategic planning p
rocess.
This recommendation is being carried forward for full
implementation. In consideration of this recommendation, staff determined that in order to create a strategic plan tha t
a
ddresses all areas of concern, a thorough analysis of the operation would be necessary. As a result, it was decided that the City would hire a consultant to complete a
Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA). The City released an RFP for a COA to be conducted but only received one
proposal which was ultimately rejected given the timing of
t
he FTA Triennial Review. In anticipation of the FTA Triennial R
eview findings under development, STS is encouraged to
resume efforts at facilitating a strategic planning process, whether it’s through a COA or some other document,
and/or coordinating with the RCTC on the procurement of professional services.
Riverside Connect will redevelop the scope of work for a Comprehensive Operational Analysis and possibly work with RCTC on assisting with the procurement of professional
services to complete a COA by the next review period.
In Progress
2. Continue leveraging TransTrack reporting capabilities.
STS staff continue to review TransTrack capabilities and mine available data modules through upgrades pertinent to
functional areas of operations. For example, staff has interest in pursuing upgrades to the preventative maintenance
module of the software to enhance tracking and reporting of
t
ransit maintenance activities separately from the program used by the maintenance department that applies to all City- owned vehicles. The rebranding efforts require collection of data that impact daily operations as part of maintaining a high level of public visibility, followed by keen interpretation of results and implementation steps to maintain and improve upon service. Staff should prioritize those existing and new capabilities in TransTrack that provide meaningful data necessary for transit performance management and busine ss
a
nalytics.
Special Transportation is currently in the process of
completing its TransTrack upgrade. Once completed, staff will familiarize itself with the various modules and analytical tools to help Riverside Connect in its performance management and business analytics.
In Progress
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
FY2022/2023 - FY2026/2027
Table 4.5 TDA Triennial
3. Enhance aspects of ongoing driver training.
STS is proactive in providing the required active training to its drivers. One training aspect that evolves from advancement in mobility and technology is wheelchair securement. The number of riders who use mobility devices is growing and this group is an integral part of the City’s transit program.
Transit management has indicated a preference for an
elevated training regimen for wheelchair securement,
including having drivers serve as passengers during
wheelchair securement training. This role playing will help drivers further understand the challenges with wheelchair securement from both the passenger and driver perspectives, in particular increasing empathy when securing these riders and their mobility devices, which could vary substantially in model, type (e.g., wheelchair scooters), and weight.
Staff will re-examine its current drivers trainings and add additional trainings in the areas of securement as well as overall physical wellness to prevent workplace injuries. Staff will also look at additional training opportunities in other areas that may be of benefit to transit staff and the
performance of their duties.
In Progress
4.6 Open Projects
As discussed in Section 3.5, Riverside Connect staff is focused on closing out the open projects programmed in previous fiscal years. The projects listed in Table 4.6 with an end date of 6/30/2022 are already underway and planned to be completed by the end of FY 2021/22. The projects listed with a timeline as “to be determined” are being re‐evaluated due to changing needs and priorities. Staff will determine whether to reprogram the funds or continue with the projects. See Table 4.6 – Open Projects Prior to FY 2021/2022
Project Name
SRTP Capital
Project No's
Project
Element
Funding
Category
Beg to End - Project
Timeline Total Project Cost
Unfunded
Balance
Vehicle Replacement (Sedan) 17-06 2 1 7/1/21 - 6/30/22 45,000 0 Surveillance System Replacement 19-01 3 1 7/1/21 - 6/30/22 138,842 0 Bus Replacement 20-01, 21-1 1 1 10/1/21 - 6/30/23 648,000 0 Video Servers 20-03 5 2 7/1/22 - 6/30/23 200,000 98,461 Dispatch Renovation 21-2 4 1 7/1/21 - 6/30/22 50,000 0
TransTrack Upgrade 21-3 5 1 7/1/21 - 6/30/22 80,380 0
Upgrade Radio Equipment 17-04 5 1 TBD 45,000 0
CNG Gas Detection
Upgrade/Exterior Cameras 20-02 4 1 TBD 96,914 0
8 1,304,136 98,461
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
FY2022/2023 - FY2026/2027
Table 4.6 Open Projects Prior to FY2022/2023
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FY 2023/24‐FY 2025/26
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
City of Riverside, PRCSD – Special Transportation Division FINAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 – SYSTEM OVERVIEW AND SERVICE PROFILE ....................................................................... 3 SECTION 1.1 –SERVICE AREA ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 SECTION 1.2 – POPULATION PROFILE ........................................................................................................................................ 4 SECTION 1.3 – PARATRANSIT SERVICE ...................................................................................................................................... 4 SECTION 1.4 – DESCRIPTION OF RIDERSHIP.............................................................................................................................. 5 SECTION 1.5 – FARE STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................................ 5 SECTION 1.6 – REVENUE FLEET .................................................................................................................................................. 5 SECTION 1.7 – EXISTING TRANSIT FACILITY ............................................................................................................................. 8 SECTION 1.8 – EXISTING COORDINATION BETWEEN TRANSIT AGENCIES ........................................................................... 8 SECTION 1.9 – REFERENCE LIST OF PRIOR EXISTING STUDIES & PLANS ............................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2 –EXISTING SERVICE AND ROUTE PERFORMANCE ................................................................ 9 SECTION 2.1 – KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ..................................................................................................................... 9 SECTION 2.2 – PERFORMANCE REPORT .................................................................................................................................. 11 SECTION 2.3 – SERVICE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 13 SECTION 2.4 – SERVICE PERFORMANCE .................................................................................................................................. 15 SECTION 2.5 – PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS ..................................................................................................... 18 SECTION 2.6 – MAJOR TRIP GENERATORS.............................................................................................................................. 18 SECTION 2.7 – RECENT SERVICE CHANGES ............................................................................................................................ 18 CHAPTER 3 – FUTURE SERVICE PLANS ........................................................................................................ 19 SECTION 3.1 – PLANNED SERVICE CHANGES ......................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION 3.2 – FUTURE MARKETING PLANS .......................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION 3.3 – PROJECTED RIDERSHIP GROWTH .................................................................................................................. 19 SECTION 3.4 – PROPOSED FARE STRUCTURE CHANGES ....................................................................................................... 20 SECTION 3.5 – CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING .............................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER 4 – FINANCIAL PLANNING ............................................................................................................. 22 SECTION 4.1 – OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET NARRATIVE ......................................................................................... 22 SECTION 4.2 – FUNDING PLANS TO SUPPORT PLANNED OPERATING & CAPITAL PROGRAM ........................................ 25 SECTION 4.3 – REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................... 28 SECTION 4.4 – OPEN PROJECTS ............................................................................................................................................... 31
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I. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
1.1 Service Area
Riverside Connect, formerly “Special Transportation” is a division within the City of Riverside’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department that has been offering transportation services to seniors and disabled residents in the Riverside community since 1975. This paratransit transportation service is provided within the 81.54 square mile incorporated city limits of the City of Riverside, shown below in Figure 1.
Figure 1
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1.2 Population Profile
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data every year. Conducted annually, the ACS serves as an interim source of up‐to‐date demographic data through the decade, until the next Census is conducted. According to the 2019 ACS, 5 ‐y
ear estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Riverside’s estimated population is 331,360 residents. The senior population within the City of Riverside (those 65 years of age and over) accounts for approximately 10.7% of the total population, while individuals with a disability under the age of 65 accounts for approximately 7.7%.
1. 3 Paratransit Services
Owned and operated by the City of Riverside, Riverside Connect is an origin‐to‐destination shared ride service available to senior citizens (60 years of age and older) and persons with disabilities.
Documentation from a physician is required for individuals with a disability.
Riverside Connect operates 362 days per year, only suspending service on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. To schedule a ride, passengers must call Riverside Connects’ reservation telephone number, during the business hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays. An answering machine is available before and after business hours for cancellations.
Table 1
Mode Description Area /Site
Service
Paratransit Services
City
Wide
Origin to Destination / reservation-based service for
Seniors age 60 and over and the Disabled
Community
Within the City
limits of
Riverside
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1.4 Description of Ridership
Ridership data is listed in the tables below. Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23 data reflects ridership through March 2022. In both fiscal years, the average passenger age was 65.
FY 2020/21 Total
Passengers 55,777
Revenue Hours 24,022
Revenue Miles 325,938
FY 2022/23 Total
Passengers 52,670
Revenue Hours 20,101
Revenue Miles 266,626
1.5 Fare Structure
Ri
verside Connect currently has two fare types – general and medical. The cost of a one‐w ay general fare
is $3.00 while the cost of a one‐w
ay medical trip is $2.00. Medical trips are for doctor appointments, physical therapy, pharmacy visits, etc. Medical fares are discoun ted to ensure that the general fare is not a barrier to wellness for passengers who are on a fixed income. There were no fare changes in FY 2022/23.
Ri
verside Connect passengers may pay in cash at the time of boarding or by using the electronic fare collection system which will give passengers the ability to pay their fares online or through a mobile application on their smartphone. The table below illustrates a breakdown of the fare types and associated costs.
1.6 Revenue Fleet
In FY 2022 /23, Riverside Connects’ active revenue fleet included twenty‐six 16 ‐p assenger paratransit cutaway buses which run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and two 9‐p assenger wheelchair
‐e
quipped
Fare Type Cost
One-way (General) $3
One-way (Medical) $2
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Ford Transit Van. Riverside Connects’ two transit vans were put into service in Fiscal Year 2020/21 to test the feasibility of operating a smaller profile vehicle to navigate in and around the more compact areas within the City ; however, due to the impact that the COVID‐ 19 pandemic had on ridership, the vans utilization was limited . Riverside Connect also operates a Braun Van that is equipped to hold six passengers and one wheelchair and a hybrid Honda Civic which is used by administrative staff to supervise routes and respond to accidents. These vehicles are not assigned to routes but are used as backup for special services.
Subject to funding availability, vehicles are replaced after meeting the Federal Transit Ad ministration (FTA) useful life of 10‐years. Riverside Connect established Useful Life Benchmarks (ULB) in line with the FTA’s recommendations which are outlined in the Transit Asset Management Performance Measure Targets. For cutaway buses, Riverside Connects’ target is for less than 20% of cutaways to exceed their useful life. Currently, only four cutaways exceed the ULB – three of which are scheduled to be replaced in FY 2022/23. See Table 1.1 – Fleet Inventory
Table 1.1 - Fleet Inventory
FY 2023/24 Short Range Transit Plan
City of Riverside
Demand Response / Directly Operated
Lift and
Ramp
Equipped
Vehicle
Length
Year
Built
Mfg.
Code
Seating
Capacity
Model
Code
Fuel
Type
Code
Life to Date
Vehicle Miles
Prior Year End
FY 2021/22
Life to Date
Vehicle Miles
through
March
FY 2022/23
Average Lifetime
Miles Per Active
Vehicle As Of
Year-To-Date
(e.g., March)
FY 2022/23
# of
Active
Vehicles
FY 2022/
23 # of
Contingency
Vehicles
FY 2022/23
2019 DTD 6 VN 1 17 GA 1 0 8,445 11,307 11,307
2010 FRD 16 BU 1 25 CN 1 0 416,848 590,416 590,416 2011 FRD 16 BU 3 25 CN 3 1 833,828 862,645 287,548 2019 FRD 16 BU 3 25 CN 3 0 106,356 35,452
2019 FRD 8 VN 2 22 GA 2 0 2,113 3,526 1,763
2013 GLV 16 BU 4 25 CN 4 0 904,092 1,106,710 276,677 2014 GLV 16 BU 6 25 CN 6 2 1,431,267 1,517,768 252,961 2017 GLV 16 BU 8 25 CN 8 0 855,126 941,459 117,682 28 3 28 Totals: 110 4,451,719 5,140,187 183,578
5/8/2023
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1.7 Existing Facility
The Riverside Connect Office is located at 8095 Lincoln Avenue within the City of Riverside’s Corporation Yard. The administrative building consists of administrative offices, a dispatch area, restrooms, and a break room. Riverside Connects’ facility also includes a parking lot for the transit buses with each space equipped with a CNG slow fill station, and a CNG Maintenance Bay for maintenance and repair of the fleet. This CNG Maintenance Bay facility includes five maintenance bays, an administrative office, and multiple storage compartments for vehicle parts and equipment. The facility is outfitted with state‐of‐the‐art safety equipment and machinery to maintain the CNG fueled vehicles.
1.8 Existing Coordination Between Transit Agencies
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the City of Riverside currently operates Riverside Connect to provide paratransit services within the City limits of Riverside on behalf of the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA). The MOU was amended in 2012 to restate the City’s and RTA’s obligations under the original MOU and to further fa cilitate and ensure service compliance under the Americans with Disabilities (“ADA”). Under the amended terms, the City and RTA continue the commitment to cooperate and coordinate the provision of services within the shared service area.
1.9 Reference List of Prior or Existing Studies and Plans
In April 2021, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Rail and Mass Transportation (DRMT) certified the City of Riverside’s Agency Safety Plan in compliance with the minimum requirements of 49 CFR Part 673 for small providers.
Riverside Connects’ Title VI Plan was updated and approved by the Riverside City Council in July 2021.
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II. EXISTING SERVICES AND ROUTE PERFORMANCE
2.1 Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)
To ensure that Riverside Connect is providing superior customer service , staff considers several performance indicators. Targets are evaluated and reported monthly to RTA. In FY 2021 /22, Riverside Connect finalized the TransTrack upgrade project which will provide staff with analytics that will be useful in setting additional performance measures such as staff attendance, safety incidents, and vehicle maintenance. Data for FY 2022/23 KPI’s through March 2023 is listed in the table below.
Internal KPI’s Target
Actual
FY 2021/22
Actual
FY 2022/23
On-time performance 100% 98% 98%
Call abandonment rate 0% 3.37% 3.69%
Average phone hold time 1:00 1:13 1:07
Ri
verside Connect is also required to meet other performance targets such as the 10% Farebox Recovery Ratio as mandated in the Transportation Development Act (TDA). In FY 2020/21, Riverside Connects’ farebox ratio was 1.65%; however, the passage of Assembly Bill 90 in June 2020 did not assess a penalty for not being able to meet the required minimum farebox recovery rate due to the impacts of the COVID‐ 1 9 pandemic. See Table 2.0 Service Provider Performance Targets Report
Table 2.0 -- Service Provider Performance Targets Report FY 2022/23 Short Range Transit Plan Review
City of Riverside
FY 2022/23 Plan FY 2022/23 Target
FY 2022/23
Year to Date
Through 3rd Quarter
Year to Date
Performance
Scorecard
Data Elements
80,000 Unlinked Passenger Trips
428,556 Passenger Miles
21,974.0 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Hours
295,541.0 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Miles
335,054.0 Total Actual Vehicle Miles
$4,430,332 Total Operating Expenses
$120,000 Total Passenger Fare Revenue
$4,310,332 Net Operating Expenses
Performance Indicators
Mandatory:
1. Farebox Recovery Ratio >= 10.00% 2.70%
Discretionary:
1. Operating Cost Per Revenue Hour Fails to Meet Target<= $160.71 $201.62 $165.78
2. Subsidy Per Passenger Meets Target>= $59.46 and <= $80.44 $53.88 $63.28
3. Subsidy Per Passenger Mile Fails to Meet Target>= $6.53 and <= $8.83 $10.06 $11.81
4. Subsidy Per Hour Meets Target>= $130.08 and <= $176.00 $196.16 $165.78
5. Subsidy Per Mile Meets Target>= $9.72 and <= $13.16 $14.58 $12.50
6. Passengers Per Revenue Hour Better Than Target>= 1.86 and <= 2.52 3.64 2.62
7. Passengers Per Revenue Mile Better Than Target>= 0.14 and <= 0.18 0.27 0.20 Note: Must meet at least 4 out of 7 Discretionary Performance Indicators Productivity Performance Summary:
Service Provider Comments:
5/5/2023
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2.2 SRTP Performance Report
The impact that the COVID‐ 19 pandemic ha s had on the Riverside Connect operation is evident when comparing previous year’s performance indicators such as passengers, passenger miles, etc. Staff projects a slow, but steady increase in each category in FY 202 3/24 as the City continues to reopen establishments and returns to a sense of normalcy. See Table 2.1 – SRTP Performance Report
FY 2023/24 - Table 2.1 -- SRTP Performance Report
Service Provider: City of Riverside
All Routes
Performance Indicators FY 2023/24
Plan
Plan Performance
Scorecard (a)FY 2023/24 Target
FY 2022/23
3rd Quarter
Year-to-Date
FY 2021/22
End of Year
Actual
Passengers None 52,596 80,795 55,777
Passenger Miles None 281,915 550,000 508,128
Revenue Hours None 20,074.6 31,309.0 24,021.9
Total Hours None 26,593.6 41,099.0 33,533.2
Revenue Miles None 266,215.0 409,837.0 325,938.0
Total Miles None 300,638.0 459,483.0 369,209.0
Operating Costs None$3,328,067 $4,880,429 $3,487,371
Passenger Revenue None$220,000 $57,183
Measure-A Revenue None
LCTOP Revenue None
Operating Subsidy None$3,328,067 $4,660,429 $3,430,188
Operating Costs Per Revenue Hour Meets Target<= $179.43$165.78 $155.88 $145.17 Operating Cost Per Revenue Mile None$12.50 $11.91 $10.70 Operating Costs Per Passenger None$63.28 $60.41 $62.52
Farebox Recovery Ratio Fails to Meet Target>= 0.1 4.50% 1.64% Subsidy Per Passenger Meets Target>= $53.79 and <= $72.77$63.28 $57.68 $61.50 Subsidy Per Passenger Mile Better Than Target>= $10.04 and <= $13.58$11.81 $8.47 $6.75 Subsidy Per Revenue Hour Meets Target>= $140.91 and <= $190.65$165.78 $148.85 $142.79 Subsidy Per Revenue Mile Meets Target>= $10.63 and <= $14.38$12.50 $11.37 $10.52 Passengers Per Revenue Hour Meets Target>= 2.23 and <= 3.01 2.62 2.58 2.32 Passengers Per Revenue Mile Meets Target>= 0.17 and <= 0.23 0.20 0.20 0.17 a) The Plan Performance Scorecard column is the result of comparing the FY 2023/24 Plan to the FY 2023/24 Primary Target.
TransTrack Manager™
5/5/2023
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2.3 SRTP Service Summary
Riverside Connect collects and evaluates the historical data of several metrics to evaluate the overall service performance. Since FY 2017/18, there has been a decline in each of the operating characteristics which include unlinked passenger trips, passenger miles, total actual vehicle revenue hours, total actual vehicle revenue miles, and total actual vehicle miles. The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in further decline in these operating characteristics . In contrast, expenses seen in the Financial Data section of Table 2.2 have steadily increased. As a result, the total operating cost per hour has increased while the farebox ratio has decreased. Ridership for FY 2022/23 is projected to increase 10%. This estimate is based on the slow increase seen during FY2022/23. See Table 2.2 – SRTP Service Summary
Table 2.2 -- City of Riverside -- SRTP Service Summary
FY 2023/24 Short Range Transit Plan
All Routes
FY 2020/21
Audited
FY 2021/22
Audited
FY 2022/23
Plan
FY 2022/23
3rd Qtr Actual
FY 2023/24
Plan
Fleet Characteristics
Peak-Hour Fleet 17 1 15 1 1
Financial Data
Total Operating Expenses $4,880,429 $3,328,067 $4,430,332 $3,487,371 $3,988,462 Total Passenger Fare Revenue $220,000 $120,000 $57,183 $61,488 Net Operating Expenses (Subsidies) $4,660,429 $3,328,067 $4,310,332 $3,430,188 $3,926,974 Operating Characteristics
Unlinked Passenger Trips 80,795 52,596 80,000 55,777 26,518 Passenger Miles 550,000 281,915 428,556 508,128 150,887 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Hours (a) 31,309.0 20,074.6 21,974.0 24,021.9 14,051.6 Total Actual Vehicle Revenue Miles (b) 409,837.0 266,215.0 295,541.0 325,938.0 182,643.0 Total Actual Vehicle Miles 459,483.0 300,638.0 335,054.0 369,209.0 211,893.0 Performance Characteristics
Operating Cost per Revenue Hour $155.88 $165.78 $201.62 $145.17 $283.84 Farebox Recovery Ratio 4.50% 2.70% 1.64% 1.54%
Subsidy per Passenger $57.68 $63.28 $53.88 $61.50 $148.09 Subsidy per Passenger Mile $8.47 $11.81 $10.06 $6.75 $26.03 Subsidy per Revenue Hour (a) $148.85 $165.78 $196.16 $142.79 $279.47 Subsidy per Revenue Mile (b) $11.37 $12.50 $14.58 $10.52 $21.50 Passenger per Revenue Hour (a) 2.6 2.6 3.6 2.3 1.9 Passenger per Revenue Mile (b) 0.20 0.20 0.27 0.17 0.15 (a) Train Hours for Rail Modes. (b) Car Miles for Rail Modes.
TransTrack Manager™
5/5/2023
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2.4 Service Performance
Riverside Connect provided 49,138 one‐way trips for a total of 3 69,209 service miles in FY 2021/22.
Comparatively, 46,712 one‐way trips and a total of 300,923 service miles have been provided as of March 31, 2023. The slight increase in ridership is largely due to the removal of restrictions put in place during the COVID‐19 Pandemic. The removal of these restrictions and the opening of various facilities in Riverside has yielded a slight increase in overall service demand . See Table 2.3 – SRTP Route Statistics
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2.5 Productivity Improvement Efforts
Riverside Connect staff strives to operate an efficient service and continues to look for new ways to decrease costs while maintaining high productivity. Different staffing scenarios are considered to maximize route efficiency while meeting customer demands. The Field Operations Supervisor is responsible for analyzing the route efficiencies of each driver and meets with them to provide constructive feedback to improve how each driver conducts his/her assigned reservations for that day.
2.6 Major Trip Generators
The major trip generators for Riverside Connect s’ service has started to revert back to pre ‐covid statistics. The majority of rides have reverted back to workshops for the developmentally disabled, senior centers, and the Friendly Stars program. As a result of COVID‐19 restrictions being lifte d, the workshops in Riverside has begun to reopen and return t o normal operations. Although not en tirely back to pre ‐covid numbers, Riverside Connect anticipates that senior centers, workshops, and other programs will continue to attract participants and ridership will continue to increase by 10%.
2.7 Recent Service Changes
No services changes occurred during the FY202 2/23 year. Riverside Connect s continues to provide service 7 days a week 362 days a year.
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III. FUTURE SERVICE PANS, FARE CHANGES, CAPITAL PLANNING AND MARKETING
3.1 Planned Service Changes
There are currently no planned service changes.
3.2 Future Marketing Plans
For FY 2023 /24, staff will continue to market Riverside Connect . As workshops and senior centers continue to reopen and more seniors and ADA participants begin to utilize our service, Riverside Connect will resume our efforts in presenting at senior fairs and community events.
R
iverside Connect will continue distributing its new full ‐c olor brochures and flyers at the City’s
Community and Senior Centers as well as advertisements in other City publications such as the Activity and Senior Guides. The Activity Guide is published three times per year and is mailed to over 55,000 residents and is also available online at the City’s main website. As services are restored, Riverside Connect hopes to continue marketing efforts by attending special events such as the Senior Day, wellness fairs, grand openings, and other events geared towards the senior and disabled community.
Staff will also continue to participate in resident meetings at senior living facilities and various ADA workshops throughout Riverside. Lastly, Riverside Connect has launched a new website which will provide the public with up
‐to‐da
te information about our services.
3. 3 Projected Ridership Growth
Dur
ing the pandemic , Riverside Connect experienced up to an 85% decline. As the restrictions have been fully lifted, the future projections are difficult to gauge; however, the expectation industrywide is that ridership will continue to increase to normal service levels as seniors and the disabled community continue to return to pre‐c
ovid activities.
3. 4 Proposed Fare Structure Changes
Riverside Connect staff plans to explore the possibility of increasing the fare to match the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) fare structure which would currently be a $0.50 increase for two years. There are currently no plans to change the current medical fare of $2.00. Riverside Connect will hold open forums at the various senior centers around the City as well as present to various City Commissions regarding a 20 | Page
possible rate increase prior to seeking Council approval in FY2023/24.
3.5 Capital Improvement Planning
Riverside Connect plans to focus FY 202 3/24 capital improvement efforts on closing out projects that were programmed in previous years. This includes the projects that were planned for FY 2020/21. A new project for FY2023/24 will be the acquisition of a new schedul ing software for Riverside C onnect to ensure that the latest technology is being used to schedule and reserve rides for partici pants. We will be continuing our effort to replace the three (3) existing vehicles that have exceeded the useful life of 10‐years. See Table 3 – Highlights of 2021/22 Short Range Transit Plan
Table 3 ‐ HIGHLIGHTS OF 2023/24 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
● New Scheduling Software – Riverside Connect will be releasing a Request for Proposal to acquire a new reservation and scheduling software to ensure the late st technology and features are available to our participants.
● Bus Replacement – Riverside Connect will replace 3 CNG Mini-Buses that have met the useful life threshold.
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IV. FINANCIAL PLANNING
4.1 Operating and Capital Budget Narrative
For FY2023/24, Riverside Connect will have to continue to balance the significant reduction in service demands with the rising cost of operations. Staff will continue to monitor and make adjustments in operating expenditures as well as staffing needs. With the proposed rate increase in FY2024/25, Special Transportation believes that the increase revenue generated along with proper management of operating costs will result in adherence to the farebox recovery ratio of 10%. With the exception of the RFP for a new scheduling software, the City continues to focus this fiscal year on closing out previous projects that have been delayed due to the COVID
‐1
9 pandemic. See Table 4.0 – Summary of Funding
Requests – FY 2023/24
#
Revenue Sources included
in Farebox Calculation
Actuals from FY2021/22
Audit FY2022/23 Estimated FY2023/24 Plan
1 Passenger Fare TBD 120,000 220,000
2 Interest Revenue TBD 35,000 35,000
3 Damage Claim Recoveries TBD 2,500 2,500
4 5
6 7
8 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
Total Revenue (1-15) $0 $157,500 $257,500
Total Operating Expense $4,086,508 $3,031,554 $4,430,332 Farebox Recovery Ratio 0.00% 5.20% 5.81%
(consistent with RCTC Commission Farebox Recovery Policy 03/12/2008)
CITY OF RIVERSIDE
SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN
Table 4B Fare Revenue Calculation
FY2023/2024 - FY2027/2028
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4.2 Funding Plans to Support Proposed Operating and Capital Program Over the FY2021/22 a number of transit staff decided to retire or took advantage of other employment opportunities as the pandemic began to slow down and operations began to return to normal. Funding levels for FY 2023/24 through FY 2025/26 are projected based on a revised staffing operation based on our current service demand and the number of vacant positions. Originally, there were seventeen (17) driver vacancies due to retirement and attrition. Based on current and projected ridership, 12 of those 17 vacancies were eliminated and only five (5) driver positions along with two (2) dispatcher/scheduler positions were budgeted for FY2023/24. See Table 4.1 & Table 4.2 – Summary of Funding Requests – FY 2023/24 & FY 2024/25 27 | P a g e
4.3 Regulatory and Compliance Requirements Riverside Connect strives to remain compliant with all local, state, and federal regulations. Staff stays abreast of legislative information and regulatory developments by attending workshops, trainings, and conferences which are frequently offered free of charge to transit operators. Riverside Connect complies with FTA reporting requirements such as the submission of monthly and annual National Transit Database (NTD) reports. In December of 2021, Riverside Connect underwent its most recent TDA Triennial Performance Audit. The final report had three recommendations which staff is in the process of addressing. See Table 4.5 – Progress to Implement TDA Triennial Performance Audit Recommendations Audit RecommendationsAction Taken and Results1. Continue efforts toward implementing a strategic planning process.This recommendation is being carried forward for full implementation. In consideration of this recommendation, staff determined that in order to create a strategic plan that addresses all areas of concern, a thorough analysis of the operation would be necessary. As a result, it was decided that the City would hire a consultant to complete a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA). The City released an RFP for a COA to be conducted but only received one proposal which was ultimately rejected given the timing of the FTA Triennial Review. In anticipation of the FTA Triennial Review findings under development, STS is encouraged to resume efforts at facilitating a strategic planning process, whether it’s through a COA or some other document, and/or coordinating with the RCTC on the procurement of professional services. Riverside Connect will redevelop the scope of work for a Comprehensive Operational Analysis and possibly work with RCTC on assisting with the procurement of professional services to complete a COA by the next review period. In Progress 2. Continue leveraging TransTrack reporting capabilities.STS staff continue to review TransTrack capabilities and mine available data modules through upgrades pertinent to functional areas of operations. For example, staff has interest in pursuing upgrades to the preventative maintenance module of the software to enhance tracking and reporting of transit maintenance activities separately from the program used by the maintenance department that applies to all City-owned vehicles. The rebranding efforts require collection of data that impact daily operations as part of maintaining a high level of public visibility, followed by keen interpretation of results and implementation steps to maintain and improve upon service. Staff should prioritize those existing and new capabilities in TransTrack that provide meaningful data necessary for transit performance management and business analytics. Special Transportation is currently in the process of completing its TransTrack upgrade. Once completed, staff will familiarize itself with the various modules and analytical tools to help Riverside Connect in its performance management and business analytics. In Progress City of RiversideSHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLANFY2023/2024 - FY2028/2029Table 4.5 TDA Triennial
3. Enhance aspects of ongoing driver training.STS is proactive in providing the required active training to itsdrivers. One training aspect that evolves from advancementin mobility and technology is wheelchair securement. Thenumber of riders who use mobility devices is growing and thisgroup is an integral part of the City’s transit program.Transit management has indicated a preference for anelevated training regimen for wheelchair securement,including having drivers serve as passengers duringwheelchair securement training. This role playing will helpdrivers further understand the challenges with wheelchairsecurement from both the passenger and driver perspectives,in particular increasing empathy when securing these ridersand their mobility devices, which could vary substantially inmodel, type (e.g., wheelchair scooters), and weight.Staff will re-examine its current drivers trainings and add additional trainings in the areas of securement as well as overall physical wellness to prevent workplace injuries. Staff will also look at additional training opportunities in other areas that may be of benefit to transit staff and the performance of their duties. In Progress 30 | P a g e
4. Open Projects As discussed in Section 3.5, Riverside Connect staff is primarily focused on closing out the open projects programmed in previous fiscal years and a new RFP for scheduling software. Although many projects have been completed in FY2022/23, there are still projects that are pending due to supply chain issues. The projects listed with a timeline as “to be determined” are being re-evaluated due to changing needs and priorities. Staff will determine whether to reprogram the funds or continue with the projects. See Table 4.– Open Projects Prior to FY 2023/2024 Project NameSRTP Capital Project No'sProject ElementFunding CategoryBeg to End - Project Timeline Total Project CostUnfunded BalanceVehicle Replacement (Sedan)17-06217/1/21 - 6/30/2245,000 0 Surveillance System Replacement19-01317/1/21 - 6/30/22138,842 0 Bus Replacement20-01, 21-11110/1/21 - 6/30/23648,000 0 Video Servers20-03527/1/22 - 6/30/23200,000 98,461 Dispatch Renovation21-2417/1/21 - 6/30/2250,000 0 TransTrack Upgrade21-3517/1/21 - 6/30/2280,380 0 Upgrade Radio Equipment17-0451TBD45,000 0 CNG Gas DetectionUpgrade/Exterior Cameras20-0241TBD96,914 0 8 1,304,136 98,461 CITY OF RIVERSIDESHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLANFY202/202 - FY202/202Table 4.6 Open Projects Prior to FY202/202