Existing Service Evaluation - Northwest Arkansas Regional

Transcription

Northwest Arkansas
Transit Development Plan Technical Memorandum #5
Existing Service Evaluation
Prepared for: Submitted by: Connetics Transportation Group October 2010
Table of Contents 1.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 2.3 4.4 4.5 5.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Ozark Regional Transit System Level Analysis .......................................................................... 2 Service Requirements .................................................................................................................. 2 Current and Historical Ridership Characteristics ......................................................................... 7 Ridership Productivity Measures ................................................................................................. 8 Ridecheck Survey Results ............................................................................................................ 8 Ozark Regional Transit Route Profiles .................................................................................... 14 Razorback Transit System Level Analysis ................................................................................ 83 Service Requirements ................................................................................................................ 83 Historical Ridership Characteristics ........................................................................................... 88 Current Ridership Characteristics .............................................................................................. 90 Ridership Productivity Measures .............................................................................................. 91 Ridecheck Survey Results .......................................................................................................... 93 Razorback Transit Route Profiles ........................................................................................... 96 Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Table of Contents Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 1.0 Introduction The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) is leading the effort to complete a Transit Development Plan for the Northwest Arkansas region. The overall objective of this project is to identify near‐term, short‐range and long‐range service recommendations that provide an integrated regional transit network and expands opportunities for Northwest Arkansas residents to utilize transit. Several work tasks are being completed to achieve this objective including:  The collection of Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) and Razorback Transit ridership data at a stop level and trip level basis;  An on‐board survey of ORT and Razorback Transit riders;  A review of historical ridership trends for both systems;  Input from staff and drivers for both systems;  A comprehensive evaluation of existing transit services on a systems and route level basis that is based on collected data;  Input from representatives of key stakeholder groups, a project advisory committee and from input received at public meetings; and  A latent demand analysis that is based on existing and projected demographic characteristics of the Northwest Arkansas region. This Technical Memorandum is one of several that are being prepared as part of the TDP. This particular Technical Memorandum presents a detailed evaluation of existing Razorback Transit and Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) bus service. This analysis has been completed to identify route strengths and weaknesses, which in turn, will be the basis for TDP service recommendations. Several data sources were used to complete this evaluation of existing transit services. Data provided by Razorback Transit and ORT that has been used in this evaluation include:  Individual route schedules;  Current headway sheets; and  Daily and Monthly ridership reports. As part of this TDP work effort, the following data collection efforts occurred:  A 100% weekday ridecheck survey effort was completed between September 14, 15 and 16 for both systems;  A weekday on‐board survey was also conducted during this time period for both systems; and  Extensive fieldwork was completed by consultant service planners. This Technical Memorandum begins with a systems‐level evaluation of Razorback Transit and ORT service characteristics. Existing ridership and service productivity measures have been reviewed as part of this system‐level evaluation. Individual route profiles are then provided. These profiles present a detailed assessment of current route characteristics and route strengths and weaknesses. Much of the route‐level analysis is based on the collected ridecheck survey data. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 1 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 2.0 Ozark Regional Transit System Level Analysis Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) provides regularly scheduled fixed‐route and on‐demand paratransit services for Benton and Washington Counties. Fixed‐route service is provided to the most densely populated areas including Bentonville, Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers. In general, service operates hourly on weekdays only between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with on‐demand service available on Saturdays when arranged in advance. There is no Sunday service. Figure 2‐1 presents the systemwide fixed‐route alignments for ORT. Figures 2‐2 and 2‐3 present a more close‐up view of the fixed‐route service in Benton and Washington Counties, respectively. It is important to note; Route 54 is the only means of connectivity between the two counties’ services. 2.1 Service Requirements Service spans and frequencies are constant throughout the year on almost all ORT routes. The only exception is Route 54, which operates a reduced level of frequency when NWACC is not in session. Tables 2‐1 and 2‐2 present each route’s span of service, frequencies and estimated service statistics for ORT’s weekday service for regular and reduced schedules. Annualized service statistics for ORT based on the current operating scenario are as follows:  Maximum buses in operation – 12  Annual revenue bus‐hours of service – 29,116  Annual revenue bus‐miles of service – 496,862 Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 2 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐1 Ozark Regional Transit Systemwide Route Alignments Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 3 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐2 Ozark Regional Transit Benton County Route Alignments Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 4 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐3 Ozark Regional Transit Washington County Route Alignments Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 5 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 2‐1 Ozark Regional Transit Existing Weekday Operating Plan – Regular Schedule Service Frequency
Route #
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
50
54
55
Route
Description
Fayetteville/Springdale
6th Street
Springdale East
E Robinson Ave/W Huntsville Ave
Rogers North
Bentonville
Zion/Joyce
North Hills Medical
Lincoln/Fayetteville Commuter Exp
NWACC/University of Arkansas Exp
Springdale Crosstown
Start of First/
Last Trips
0630 ‐ 1800
0700 ‐ 1700
0700 ‐ 1700
0722 ‐ 1622
0635 ‐ 1635
0645 ‐ 1645
0700 ‐ 1800
0800 ‐ 1600
0700 ‐ 1705
0640 ‐ 1615
0640 ‐ 1820
Total
Hours
11.5
11.0
11.0
3.0
10.5
10.5
11.5
9.0
0.0
10.0
11.8
AM
60
60
60
60
60
60
30
n/a
1 trip
60
20
Midday
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
n/a
60
20
PM
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
1 trip
60
20
Eve.
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
TOTALS
Daily
Trips
12
11
11
3
11
11
14
9
2
20
34
138
Time
(Min.)
120
60
60
60
60
60
30
30
60
60
20
Cycle Time
Layover
%
Time
Layover
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
Cycle
Time
120
60
60
60
60
60
30
30
120
120
20
One‐Way
Distance
(Miles)
28.4
14.9
11.2
16.3
10.2
12.7
5.3
6.0
18.8
34.2
7.8
Average Weekday
In‐Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
24.0
24.0
340.8
11.0
11.0
163.9
11.0
11.0
123.2
3.0
3.0
48.9
11.0
11.0
112.2
11.0
11.0
139.7
7.0
7.0
74.2
4.5
4.5
54.0
2.0
2.0
37.6
20.0
20.0
684.0
12.0
12.0
265.2
117
117
2,044
Bus Requirements
AM
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
12.0
Midday
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.50
0.50
0.00
2.00
1.00
11.0
PM
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.50
0.50
1.00
2.00
1.00
12.0
Evening
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.0
AM = Before 9:00 am
Midday = 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
PM =3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Eve. = After 6:30 p.m.
Table 2‐2 Ozark Regional Transit Existing Weekday Operating Plan – Reduced Schedule Service Frequency
Route #
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
50
54
55
Route
Description
6th Street
Springdale East
E Robinson Ave/W Huntsville Ave
Rogers North
Bentonville
Zion/Joyce
North Hills Medical
Lincoln/Fayetteville Commuter Exp
NWACC/University of Arkansas Exp
Start of First/
Last Trips
0630 ‐ 1800
0700 ‐ 1700
0700 ‐ 1700
0722 ‐ 1622
0635 ‐ 1635
0645 ‐ 1645
0700 ‐ 1800
0800 ‐ 1600
0700 ‐ 1705
0640 ‐ 1615
0640 ‐ 1820
Total
Hours
11.5
11.0
11.0
3.0
10.5
10.5
11.5
9.0
0.0
10.0
11.8
AM
60
60
60
60
60
60
30
n/a
1 trip
125
20
Midday
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
n/a
155
20
TOTALS
PM
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
1 trip
125
20
Eve.
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Daily
Trips
12
11
11
3
11
11
14
9
2
10
34
128
AM = Before 9:00 am
Midday = 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
PM =3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Time
(Min.)
120
60
60
60
60
60
30
30
60
63
20
Cycle Time
Layover
%
Time
Layover
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
Cycle
Time
120
60
60
60
60
60
30
30
120
125
20
One‐Way
Distance
(Miles)
28.4
14.9
11.2
16.3
10.2
12.7
5.3
6.0
18.8
34.2
7.8
Average Weekday
In‐Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
24.0
24.0
340.8
11.0
11.0
163.9
11.0
11.0
123.2
3.0
3.0
48.9
11.0
11.0
112.2
11.0
11.0
139.7
7.0
7.0
74.2
4.5
4.5
54.0
2.0
2.0
37.6
11.7
11.7
342.0
12.0
12.0
265.2
108
108
1,702
Bus Requirements
AM
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
11.0
Midday
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.50
0.50
0.00
1.00
1.00
10.0
PM
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.50
0.50
1.00
1.00
1.00
11.0
Evening
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.0
Page 6 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 2.2 Current and Historical Ridership Characteristics Monthly ridership reports from ORT were graphed to determine ridership trends over the past 13 months. Figure 2‐4 presents these trends at the systemwide level. Figure 2‐4 Average Systemwide Weekday Ridership (September 2009 through September 2010) Average Daily Riders
1,200
1,015
949
1,000
765
800
730
785
747
808
820
813
872
863
863
711
600
400
200
0
Average weekday ridership in September 2010 has grown 33% when compared to September 2009. September 2010 was also the highest ridership month during this time period. This was followed closely by December 2009, when a free‐ride promotion was in effect. Individual route ridership was also compared during this same 13‐month time period as presented in Figure 2‐5. Figure 2‐5 Average Route‐Level Weekday Ridership (September 2009 through September 2010) 300
Sep 09
Oct 09
250
Nov 09
Dec 09
200
Jan 10
Feb 10
150
Mar 10
Apr 10
100
May 10
Jun 10
50
Jul 10
Aug 10
0
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
50
54
55
Sep 10
Route 40 consistently carries the highest average weekday ridership and has demonstrated steady growth during the past year. Routes 41, 42 and 54 have also performed well. In fact, Route 54 has experienced the most recent dramatic growth of all ORT routes when comparing September 2009 to September 2010. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 7 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 2.3 Ridership Productivity Measures Ridership data from ORT was used to determine service productivity measures. Specifically, ridership productivity was measured on the basis of riders per revenue bus‐hour, riders per revenue bus‐mile and riders per bus trip. September 2010 ridership data was used to determine current weekday productivity measures. Table 2‐3 presents these measures and rankings. Overall, ridership for ORT is modestly productive, given its available resources. Systemwide productivity measures are as follows: Weekdays Weekday Riders per Bus‐Hour – 8.8 (Sept. 2010) Weekday Riders per Bus‐Mile – 0.5 Weekday Riders per Bus Trip – 6.7 Table 2‐3 Ozark Regional Transit Ridership Productivity Service
Period
Weekday
Route
Riders
Riders/
Hour
Rank
Riders/
Mile
Rank
Riders/
Trip
Rank
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
50
54
55
261
192
95
12
54
64
44
3
182
20
21.8
17.5
8.6
4.0
4.9
5.8
3.8
1.5
9.1
1.7
1
2
4
7
6
5
8
10
3
9
1.5
1.2
0.8
0.2
0.5
0.5
0.3
0.1
0.3
0.1
1
2
3
8
4
5
6
9
7
10
21.8
17.5
8.6
4.0
4.9
5.8
1.9
1.5
9.1
0.6
1
2
4
7
6
5
8
9
3
10
Routes 40 and 41 rank very high in all three productivity measures, performing two to three times better than the systemwide averages. Routes 42 and 54 perform near the system average in riders per hour while Routes 43, 44, 46 and 47 perform just below average in this criterion. Routes 50 and 55 perform well below the systemwide average in all three productivity measures. 2.4 Ridecheck Survey Results A ridecheck survey was conducted on September 14, 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented in detail in individual route profiles, presented later in this Technical Memorandum. The ridecheck counted 842 daily boardings and 842 alightings as shown in Table 2‐4. Average daily ridership counts provided by ORT for the month of September totaled 826 – a less than 2% difference; giving a strong level of confidence in the ridecheck’s accuracy. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 8 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 2‐4 Ozark Regional Transit Ridecheck Survey Results Route No. Route Description
40
Fayetteville-Springdale NB
Fayetteville-Springdale SB
Route 40 Total
41
6th Street
42
Springdale East
43
Robinson/Huntsville EB
Robinson/Huntsville WB
Route 43 Total
44
Rogers
46
Bentonville
47
Zion/Joyce & N. Hills Medical
50
Lincoln/Fayetteville Express NB
Lincoln/Fayetteville Express SB
Route 50 Total
54
NWACC/U of A Express NB
NWACC/U of A Express SB
Route 54 Total
55
TOTALS
Ons
120
104
224
178
98
3
3
6
47
76
32
3
2
5
69
86
155
21
842
Offs
112
112
224
178
98
1
5
6
47
76
32
3
2
5
70
85
155
21
842
Total
232
216
448
356
196
4
8
12
94
152
64
6
4
10
139
171
310
42
1,684
% of
Total
26.6%
21.1%
11.6%
0.7%
5.6%
9.0%
3.8%
0.6%
18.4%
2.5%
100.0%
Combined, Routes 40 and 41’s ridership represents almost half of all daily ridership on ORT. The two Benton County routes (Routes 44 and 46, excluding Route 54) represent 15% of ORT’s daily ridership. Figure 2‐6 illustrates systemwide ridership by time of day. Ridership is strongest during the 7:00 a.m. hour when passengers are destined for work and school trips. The next strongest periods are 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The weakest time periods are at the start and end of the service day. However, consideration should be given since some services are not operating during these hours. When these are excluded, the 5:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. become the least utilized service hours. Figure 2‐6 Ozark Regional Transit System Ridership By Time‐of‐Day 120
Riders per Hour
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 9 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Systemwide and route‐level on‐time performance are summarized in Table 2‐5. For this application, on‐
time is defined as ranging from one minute early to five minutes late. During the ridecheck, ORT buses were on‐time slightly more than half of the time. 51% of the on‐time violations can be attributed to early arrivals, which are typically easier to manage than late arrivals. These early arrivals are likely due to ORT’s practice of not scheduling layover at the end of the line. Instead, excess time is built into the running time between the last two timepoints of a route. If the early arrivals can be controlled, ORT’s on‐time performance could readily improve to 76%. Table 2‐5 Ozark Regional Transit System On‐Time Performance Route
Number
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
50
54
55
Total
Route
Description
6th Street
Springdale East
Robinson/Huntsville
Rogers North
Bentonville
Zion/Joynce/Medical
Lincoln Express
NWACC Express
Total
Samples
99
55
45
18
46
55
60
10
88
64
540
Early
Arrivals
31
24
7
6
9
0
43
5
10
1
136
On-Time defined as 1-minute early to 5-minutes late.
Late
Arrivals
17
2
17
0
17
44
0
0
33
0
130
Total
Early/Late
48
26
24
6
26
44
43
5
43
1
266
Percent
On-Time
51.5%
52.7%
46.7%
66.7%
43.5%
20.0%
28.3%
50.0%
51.1%
98.4%
50.7%
Figures 2‐7, 2‐8 and 2‐9 illustrate cumulative ridership activity (boardings and alightings) at all ORT bus stops. It is important to note, the scales for each map is unique. In Benton County, NWACC and Scottsdale Shopping Center are the most active stops. This comes as no surprise as NWACC is a major regional destination and ORT carries a significant student ridership base as outlined in Technical Memorandum 4. The Scottsdale Shopping Center stop sees significant ridership activity by virtue of being the only connecting point between Route 44, 46 and the rest of the ORT system. In Springdale, NWACC’s Washington County campus was the busiest stop. Again, this is supported by the high levels of student ridership as outlined in Technical Memorandum 4. In Fayetteville, there are four stops that see significant activity – Northwest Arkansas Mall, Hillcrest Towers, Lot 56 and the MLK Jr. Wal‐Mart. The Northwest Arkansas Mall, Hillcrest Towers and Lot 56 are major connection point in both the ORT and Razorback Transit systems. The mall is also a major employment and shopping destination as is the MLK Jr. Wal‐Mart. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 10 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐7 Ozark Regional Transit System Cumulative Ridership At Bus Stops – Bentonville/Rogers Area Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 11 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐8 Ozark Regional Transit System Cumulative Ridership At Bus Stops – Springdale Area Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 12 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 2‐9 Ozark Regional Transit System Cumulative Ridership At Bus Stops – Fayetteville Area Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 13 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 3.0 Ozark Regional Transit Route Profiles The following pages present detailed assessments of route characteristics, strengths and weaknesses for each Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) fixed route. Each route profile presents the following information:  A “snapshot” of route service characteristics and productivity measures and a map of land use characteristics along the route alignment;  A description of the existing route alignment;  Key route issues and observations from fieldwork and Razorback Transit route information, including: o Alignment o Schedule/Span of Service o Cycle/ layover times o Route transfers  Historical monthly ridership characteristics over the past thirteen months;  Current ridership characteristics from the ridecheck survey including: o Observations o Graphs showing boardings by time of day o Maps showing daily ridership at each stop o Graphs showing weekday boardings, alightings, and average line loads by stop and direction Various graphs and maps within each route profile present ridership activity at the stop level (boardings and alightings), average daily vehicle loads and on‐time performance data at time points by time of day. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 14 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 40 – Fayetteville/Springdale
operates primarily as a bi‐directional connection between Route 40
Fayetteville and Springdale via the US 71 Business corridor. The northern leg of the route operates along the US 412 corridor, ending in a large one‐direction loop via Springdale Avenue, Carley Road, Luvene Avenue and 48th Street. The southern segment of the route makes three deviations from the main highway – the first to serve apartments along Gregg Avenue, the second to serve the VA Hospital and the third to serve the route’s terminus at Hillcrest Towers. The Northwest Arkansas Mall serves as the mid‐point of the route. Route 40 mostly serves commercial businesses when operating along the US 71 Business segment. However, stops are more neighborhood‐oriented in the northern one‐way loop and the deviation to Gregg Avenue. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 15 Route 40
Route Characteristics
Hours of Operation
Frequency (Pk/Mid/Eve)
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/Rev. Hr.
Riders/Rev.-Mi.
Riders/Trip
Full Service Weekday
6:30 a.m. ‐ 6:45 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
12
12
170.4
1
261
21.8
1.5
21.8
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Description of Existing Alignment
Route 40 begins at Hillcrest Towers in Fayetteville and makes its way to US 71 Business (College Avenue) via Church Avenue (Block Avenue on southbound trips) and Dickson Street. At College Avenue, the bus travels north and deviates through the VA Hospital and then across the street to the Evelyn Hills Shopping Center. The route then returns to College Avenue and turns west on Sycamore Street, north on Gregg Avenue and east on Sunbridge Drive. Route 40 continues north on College Avenue to serve Fiesta Square, the Northwest Arkansas Mall and the Springdale Wal‐Mart. After making connections at the Wal‐Mart, Route 40 travels north on Pleasant Street, west on Robinson Avenue and north on West End Street to US 412 (Sunset Avenue). At Sunset Avenue, the bus travels west into a large one‐way loop via Springdale Avenue, Carley Road, Luvene Avenue and 48th Street. Before closing the loop at Sunset Avenue, Route 40 also makes a branch south on 48th Street to the Ozark Guidance Center. Route 40 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 40 include:  Hillcrest Towers  Northwest Arkansas Mall (Sears)  Dickson Street  Springdale Wal‐Mart  College Avenue (US 71 Business)  Fox Fire Apartments  VA Hospital  Sunset Avenue (US 412)  Evelyn Hills Shopping Center  Spring Meadows Apartments  Gregg Avenue  Ozark Guidance Center  Sunbridge Avenue  Northwest Arkansas Convention Center  Fiesta Square Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 40 is one of ORT’s longest routes but also offers bi‐directional travel through the majority of its alignment. The large one‐way loop at the northern terminus of the route may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within this segment. There is no layover scheduled at this end of the route. Therefore, delays associated with out‐of direction travel are kept to a minimum. Nonetheless, the perception of wasted time on‐board the bus may be greater to those passengers whose destinations are beyond the Ozark Guidance Center. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 40 operates Monday through Friday at 60‐minute frequency from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐
demand service is available to Route 40 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 40 has a 120‐minute cycle time, and requires two buses to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 120‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at Hillcrest Towers and the Springdale Wal‐Mart to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 40 intersects with Route 41 and Razorback Transit’s Brown Route at Hillcrest Towers. Additional connection opportunities occur at the Northwest Arkansas Mall with Route 47 and Razorback Transit’s Red Route. The Springdale Wal‐Mart provides connections with Routes 42 and 43. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 16 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 40 has grown 40%. Ridership was highest during the Summer months as well as December 2009. This is most likely due to free ride promotions that occurred these time periods. In December 2009, all fares were waived for all passengers. In Summer 2010, K‐12 students were permitted to ride free of charge. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
Average Daily Riders
300
268
267
250
200
222
187
187
196
197
229
259
275
261
240
203
150
100
50
0
Current Ridership Characteristics
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 40 are as follows:  Route 40’s average weekday ridership was 224, which represents 27% of ORT’s daily ridership – the highest of all ORT routes.  19% of all Route 40 ridership activity occurred at the Springdale Wal‐Mart, followed closely by the Northwest Arkansas Mall with 15% of all Route 40 boardings and alightings.  Stops inside the VA Hospital and Fiesta Square accounted for 3% and 6% of all Route 40 activity, respectively.  The highest maximum load was 15 passengers and occurred on the 2:00 p.m. southbound trip. This was followed by an 11 passenger maximum load on the 11:00 a.m. northbound trip. Trips in the opposing direction also performed well during these hours.  Route 40 was on‐time at timepoints 51.5% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Early arrivals occurred twice as frequently as late arrivals. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 17 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
35
Riders per Hour
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 18 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Northbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 19 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Southbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 20 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Northbound)
Avg. Line Load
4.5
40
Offs
4
35
Ons
Boardings & Alightings
45
3.5
30
3
25
2.5
20
2
15
1.5
10
1
5
0.5
0
0
Average Vehicle Load
5
50
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Southbound)
50
5
40
4
35
Offs
3.5
30
Ons
3
25
2.5
20
2
15
1.5
10
1
5
0.5
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation 4.5
Avg. Line Load
Page 21 Average Vehicle Load
45
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 41 – 6th Street
Route 41 operates as a one‐way “figure‐eight” circulator route throughout the southern portions of Fayetteville. The route also provides bi‐directional service between Hillcrest Towers and the Wal‐
Mart on MLK Jr. Boulevard. Besides the core route alignment, Route 40 also makes scheduled deviations to serve Nantucket Apartments and Grandview Apartments. In addition, Route 41 will make on‐demand route deviations to Washington Avenue/College Avenue as well as the University of Arkansas Tech Center. The majority of Route 41’s service areas supports residential uses. However, locations in downtown Fayetteville and along MLK Jr. Boulevard are more commercial in nature. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 22 Route 41
Hours of Operation
Frequency (Pk/ Mid/ Eve)
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
7:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
11
11
163.9
1
192
17.5
1.2
17.5
Route 41 begins at Hillcrest Towers in Fayetteville and begins its “figure‐eight” routing via Mountain Street, College Avenue, Archibald Yell Boulevard and School Avenue. At MLK Jr. Boulevard, the route travels east to Curtis Avenue, south to 15th Street and west to Brooks Avenue. Two deviations – one to Nantucket Apartments and another on‐demand deviation to Washington Avenue and College Avenue occur along the way. Southbound Brooks Avenue becomes Garland Avenue. At the end, Route 40 travels east on Cato Springs Boulevard to School Avenue. An on‐demand deviation to the University of Arkansas Tech Center occurs at the end of this segment. From School Avenue, the route travels south to Grandview Apartments and then returns north on School Avenue to Hillcrest Towers. The second half of Route 41 is more linear in nature and operates along the University of Arkansas campus via Center Street, California Boulevard and Garland Street to Lot 56. From Lot 56, Route 41 continues west on MLK Jr. Boulevard to its terminus at the Wal‐Mart. Route 41 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 41 include:  Hillcrest Towers  University of Arkansas Tech Center  Garland Square Apartments  Downtown Fayetteville  MLK Jr. Boulevard  Grandview Apartments  Nantucket Apartments  Fayetteville Public Library  Fayetteville Senior Center  Lot 56  Walker Park  Wal‐Mart Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 41 is one of ORT’s most complex routes. The large one‐way figure‐eight loop along the southern portions of the route may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within this segment. However, the western end of the route is more linear and far more conducive to bi‐directional travel. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 41 operates Monday through Friday at 60‐minute frequency from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐
demand service is available to Route 41 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 41 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Wal‐Mart and Hillcrest Towers to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 41 intersects with Route 40 and Razorback Transit’s Brown Route at Hillcrest Towers. Additional connection opportunities occur at Lot 56 with Route 54 and Razorback Transit’s Green, Purple and Route 56. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 23 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 41 has grown 28%. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as during the Summer months. This is most likely due to free ride promotions that occurred these time periods. In December 2009, all fares were waived for all passengers. In Summer 2010, K‐12 students were permitted to ride free of charge. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
250
221
199
200
150
150
150
148
158
155
154
152
161
157
192
169
100
50
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 41 are as follows:  Route 41’s average weekday ridership was 178, which represents 21% of ORT’s daily ridership – the second highest of all ORT routes.  22% of all Route 41 ridership activity occurred at Hillcrest Towers, followed by Wal‐Mart with 13% of all Route 41 boardings and alightings. Stops at Hunstville & Curtis , Curtis & Fairlane, 15th & Washington, 15th & School and MLK & Beechwood were also well represented.  Stops along the Mountain/College/Archibald Yell segment of the route accounted for .5% of all Route 41 activity, with only two boardings throughout the day.  The highest maximum load was 13 passengers and occurred on the 10:00 a.m. circulation segment of the route. This was followed by 12 passenger maximum loads on the 8:00 a.m. circulation segment and carried through to the westbound western branch. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 24 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010  Route 41 was on‐time at timepoints 52.7% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Nearly all instances that degraded on‐time performance were attributed to early arrivals. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
30
Riders per Hour
25
20
15
10
5
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 25 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Southern Circulation)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 26 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Western Branch Westbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 27 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Western Branch Eastbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 28 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Southern Circulation)
30
20
Avg. Line Load
6
Offs
5
Ons
4
15
3
10
2
5
1
0
0
25
7
30
7
25
6
5
20
4
15
10
Avg. Line Load
3
Offs
2
Ons
5
1
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 29 Average Vehicle Load
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Western Branch Westbound)
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Western Branch Eastbound)
7
30
25
Offs
20
Ons
6
5
4
15
3
10
2
5
1
0
0
Avg. Line Load
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 42 – Springdale East
Route 42 operates as a one-way circulator route through central
Springdale.
Besides the core route alignment, Route 42 also makes scheduled deviations to serve Eastwood Apartments and Applegate Apartments. In addition, Route 40 will make on‐demand route deviations to serve Young Street and Quandt Avenue behind the Northwest Medical Center. Route 42’s service area supports a mix of residential and commercial uses. However, along Mountain Road land uses, besides the Eastwood Apartments, are more industrial and commercial in nature. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 31 Route 42
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
7:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
11
11
123.2
1
95
8.6
0.8
8.6
Route 42 begins at the Springdale Wal‐Mart and makes its way to the Applegate Apartments via Robinson Avenue, Crutcher Street and Caudle Avenue. After circling through the apartments, the bus travels north on Park Street and east on Emma Avenue to the Bernice Jones Center for Families. Route 42 travels through the Jones Center parking lot and exits onto Huntsville Avenue. Here, the route makes a bi‐directional branch to Eastwood Apartments and back via Old Missouri Road and Mountain Road. When Route 42 returns to Huntsville Avenue, it continues west to Spring Street, north to Mill Street and west on Sanders Avenue to Harp’s grocery. From Harp’s grocery, the route continues west on Backus Avenue, south on Pleasant Street, east on Christian Avenue and south on Kansas Street to Huntsville Avenue. At Huntsville Avenue, Route 42 travels east to downtown Springdale via Shiloh Street, Price Avenue, Main Street and Johnson Avenue. At Spring Street, the route makes its way to Northwest Arkansas Medical Center via Emma Avenue, Holcomb Street and Maple Avenue. At the medical center, the route performs an optional deviation via Maple Drive, Quandt Avenue and Young Street. The route then returns to Maple Avenue and turns south on Pleasant Street to complete the loop back at the Wal‐
Mart. Route 42 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 42 include:  Springdale Wal‐Mart  Harp’s Grocery  Applegate Apartments  Bread of Life  Springdale Housing Authority  Shiloh Museum  Springdale Senior Center  Downtown Springdale  Community Clinic at JTL Shop  Northwest Medical Center  Bernice Jones Center  Springdale Library  Eastwood Apartments  Springdale Aquatic Park  Mill Creek Apartments Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 42 is comprised of a large one‐way loop throughout its entire alignment. This may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within the route, resulting in a “tour” of the entire route if passengers ride the bus to and from their destination. Also, a number of safety issues were noted, particularly if ORT moves to larger traditional transit buses. Specifically, travel through the Bernice Jones Center was constrained with the mix of parking; visibility was observed to be poor at Lowell Road & Sanders Avenue; and the left turn from Kansas Street onto Huntsville Avenue was difficult given traffic volumes. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 42 operates Monday through Friday at 60‐minute frequency from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐demand service is available to Route 42 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 42 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Wal‐Mart to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 42 intersects with Routes 40 and 43 at the Springdale Wal‐Mart. Transfers are also accommodated at the Bernice Jones Center with Route 55. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 32 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 42 has remained constant. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as during the Summer months. This is most likely due to free ride promotions that occurred these time periods. In December 2009, all fares were waived for all passengers. In Summer 2010, K‐12 students were permitted to ride free of charge. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
140
121
120
120
100
93
93
96
103
90
89
106
103
116
115
95
80
60
40
20
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Route 42 are as follows:  Route 42’s average weekday ridership was 98, which represents 12% of ORT’s daily ridership – the fourth highest of all ORT routes.  35% of all Route 42 ridership activity occurred at the Springdale Wal‐Mart, followed by Applegate Apartments with 9%, Eastwood Apartments with 8% and the Bernice Jones Center with 7%. The remaining stops yielded minimal single‐digit activity throughout the day.  Stops in downtown Springdale accounted for less than 5% of all Route 42 activity, with only 9 boardings or alightings throughout the day.  The highest maximum load was 9 passengers and occurred on the 2:00 p.m. trip. This was followed by 8 passenger maximum loads on the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. trips. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 33 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010  Route 42 was on‐time at timepoints 46.7% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Late arrivals outnumbered early arrivals more than 2 to 1. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
16
Riders per Hour
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 34 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 35 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads
4.5
Avg. Line Load
35
30
25
3.5
Ons
3
2.5
20
2
15
1.5
10
1
5
0.5
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation 4
Offs
40
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 43 – East Robinson Ave/West Huntsville Ave
Route 43 is a limited‐trip service that operates once during the morning Route 43
peak, midday and afternoon peak hours. The route consists of two legs. Hours of Operation
The northern leg primarily operates bi‐directionally between the Frequency
(Pk/ Mid/ Eve)
Springdale Wal‐Mart and the NWACC Washington County Center. The Cycle
Time
(min)
eastern leg is more circuitous in design and serve neighborhoods and Layover Time (min)
businesses along the Robinson Avenue corridor. Route 43’s service area primarily supports residential uses. However, land uses along Robinson Avenue and Pleasant Street are more industrial and commercial in nature. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 37 Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
7:22 a.m. ‐ 5:45 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
3
3
48.9
1
12
4.0
0.2
4.0
Route 43’s eastern routing begins at the Springdale Wal‐Mart and makes its way to the Harp’s grocery via Robinson Avenue, Oriole Street, Cardinal Drive, Dick Smith Street, Adrian Avenue and Butterfield Coach Avenue. After circling through the Harp’s, the bus travels west on Robinson Avenue, south on Hidden Lake Street, east on Electric Avenue and south on Old Missouri Road to the Elizabeth Richardson Center. Here, the bus turns around and returns north to Don Tyson Parkway and then west to Powell Street and north to Robinson Avenue, returning to the Springdale Wal‐Mart. Route 43’s northern routing leaves the Wal‐Mart north on Pleasant Street. At Emma Avenue, the route travels west to Westwood Lane and then north to Huntsville Avenue. Route 43 then continues to NWACC via White Road, Backus Avenue and 40th Street where the loop is closed and the route returns to Wal‐Mart using the same reverse routing. Route 43 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 43 include:  Springdale Wal‐Mart  Brookhaven Apartments  Signature Square  Springdale Aquatic Park  Harp’s Grocery  Springdale Library  Hidden Lake  Springdale High School  Keystone Crossing Apartments  NWACC Washington County Center  Elizabeth Richardson Center Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 43 is comprised of a large one‐way loop through much of its eastern alignment and a more linear bi‐directional routing along its northern segment. The one‐way loop on the eastern segment may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within the route, resulting in a “tour” of the entire route if passengers ride the bus to and from their destination. Travel through the Harp’s was noted to be constrained with the mix of parking. This may create safety issues as drivers navigate through the parking aisles with backing cars. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 43 operates limited trips Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:54 p.m. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐demand service is available to Route 43 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 43 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Wal‐Mart to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 43 intersects with Routes 40 and 42 at the Springdale Wal‐Mart. Transfers can also be made with Routes 54 and 55 at the NWACC Washington County Center. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 38 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 43 has remained constant. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as during the Summer months. This is most likely due to free ride promotions that occurred these time periods. In December 2009, all fares were waived for all passengers. In Summer 2010, K‐12 students were permitted to ride free of charge. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
30
24
24
25
19
20
16
15
12
12
20
15
13
12
11
11
12
10
5
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Route 43 are as follows:  Route 43’s average weekday ridership was 6, which represents 1% of ORT’s daily ridership – the second lowest of all ORT routes.  42% of all Route 42 ridership activity occurred at the Springdale Wal‐Mart (5 boardings or alightings). 2 riders were recorded at Pleasant & Rogers. Single‐rider activity was also noted at Huntsville & Gutensohn, Oriole & Cardinal, Adrian & Wilson, Robinson & Hidden Lake and Huntsville & Morrison. No riders boarded or alighted at NWACC.  The highest maximum load was 2 passengers and occurred on the 7:00 a.m. trip and 4:00 p.m. trip.  Route 43 was on‐time at timepoints 66.7% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All instances of on‐time performance failure were related to early arrivals. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 39 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
2.5
Riders per Hour
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 40 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Eastbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 41 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Westbound) Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 42 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Eastbound)
0.3
6
5
Offs
0.25
4
Ons
0.2
3
0.15
2
0.1
1
0.05
0
0
Avg. Line Load
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Westbound)
0.3
6
5
Offs
0.25
4
Ons
0.2
3
0.15
2
0.1
1
0.05
0
0
Avg. Line Load
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 44 – Rogers North
Route 44 operates as a one-way circulator route through central Route 44
Rogers. The route “pinches” in the center of its loop at the Rogers Wal- Route Characteristics
Hours of Operation
Mart. Besides the core route alignment, Route 44 also makes scheduled Frequency (Pk/ Mid/ Eve)
deviations to serve the Adult Development Center on Dixieland Road. Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route 44’s service area supports a mix of residential and commercial Route Statistics
uses. Businesses are concentrated along the Walnut Street corridor while Round Trips
residential land uses are oriented along the outer perimeter of the route. Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 44 Full Service Weekday
6:35 a.m. ‐ 5:45 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
11
11
112.2
1
54
4.9
0.5
4.9
Route 44’s routing begins at the Scottsdale Shopping Center and makes its way to the Wal‐Mart via Walton Boulevard/Walnut Street. After circling through the Wal‐Mart, the bus continues east on Walnut Street to 8th Street. Traveling south on 8th Street, Route 44 turns east on Oak Street, north on 5th Street and east on Poplar Street. At 2nd Street, Route 44 turns north and continues to Olive Street. The route then travels west to 13th Street, south to Persimmon Street and continues to Dixieland Road. At this point, the route deviates twice daily to the Adult Development Center. Otherwise, Route 44 continues southwest through the Frisco Station Mall. Before returning to Scottsdale Shopping Center, Route 44 passes through the Wal‐Mart again and then travels north on 24th Street, west on Olive Street and south on 46th Street. Route 44 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 44 include:  Scottsdale Shopping Center  Harp’s Grocery  Rogers Wal‐Mart  Rogers Activity Center  Rogers Apartments  Center for Non‐Profits at St. Mary’s  Wal‐Mart Claims Management  Frisco Station Mall  Downtown Rogers  Adult Development Center Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 44 is comprised of a large one‐way loop through the majority of its alignment. This one‐way loop may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within the route, resulting in a “tour” of the entire route if passengers ride the bus to and from their destination. However, the “pinching” of the route in the middle at the Wal‐Mart helps alleviate some of this for passengers making shopping trips. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 44 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Scottsdale Shopping Center to accommodate transfers with other routes. Excess time was also noted at the Wal‐Mart. 
Route Transfers – Route 44 intersects with Routes 46 and 54 at the Scottsdale Shopping Center. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 45 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 44 has remained constant. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as during the Fall months. The December peak is most likely due to free ride promotion when all fares were waived for all passengers. The reasons behind the stronger ridership in the Fall months is unknown but may be attributed to student ridership and/or more favorable weather. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
76
80
70
60
55
55
54
48
50
40
38
50
50
48
52
54
49
41
30
20
10
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Route 42 are as follows:  Route 44’s average weekday ridership was 47, which represents 6% of ORT’s daily ridership – the fifth lowest of all ORT routes.  26% of all Route 44 ridership activity occurred at the Scottsdale Shopping Center, followed by the Rogers Wal‐Mart with 21% of all ridership activity.  The deviation to the Adult Development Center accounted for 2% of all Route 44 activity, with only 2 alightings throughout the day.  The highest maximum load was 10 passengers and occurred during the 1:00 p.m. hour. The remaining trips ranged between 0 and 5 passengers. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 46 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010  Route 44 was on‐time at timepoints 43.5% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Late arrivals outnumbered early arrivals more than 2 to 1. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
14
Riders per Hour
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Hour
14
2.5
Avg. Line Load
2
Ons
8
1.5
6
1
4
0.5
2
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Offs
10
12
0
Page 49 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 46 - Bentonville
Route 46
operates as a one-way circulator route through central and Route 46
southern
Bentonville. Besides the core route alignment, Route 46 also Route Characteristics
makes on‐demand deviations to serve S Street, Lawrence Street and P Hours of Operation
Street. The route experiences some of the region’s worst traffic as it Frequency (Pk/ Mid/ Eve)
Cycle Time (min)
travels through areas with some of the highest recent growth. Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Route 46’s service area supports a mix of residential and commercial uses. Business uses are heavier in the area surrounding Wal‐Mart’s Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
headquarters building as well as the NWACC main campus. Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 50 Full Service Weekday
6:45 a.m. ‐ 5:45 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
60
0
11
11
139.7
1
64
5.8
0.5
5.8
Route 46’s routing begins at the Scottsdale Shopping Center and makes its way to NWACC by traveling north on 46th Street, west on Olive Street, north on Moberly Lane, east on 20th Street, north on Phyllis Street and east on 14th Street. From NWACC, the route heads west on 14th Street, offering on‐demand deviations through S Street, Lawrence Street and P Street. At J Street, Route 46 turns north and then west on 10th Street and north on Main Street to Harp’s grocery. From Harp’s, the route travels west on Central Avenue, south on I Street, east on 14th Street, south on D Street, east on 28th Street and south on J Street to the Benton County Senior Center. After leaving the senior center, Route 46 travels north on J Street to 30th Street and then east to the Northwest Medical Center’s Bentonville campus. The route then completes its loop back to Scottsdale Shopping Center via Olive Street and 46th Street. Route 46 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 46 include:  Scottsdale Shopping Center  Downtown Bentonville  Ozark Guidance Center  Bentonville Wal‐Mart  NWACC Main Campus  Benton County Health Department  Walton Life Fitness Center  Benton County Senior Center  Wal‐Mart Distribution Center  Northwest Medical Center ‐Bentonville Campus  Harp’s Grocery Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 46 is comprised of a large one‐way loop through the majority of its alignment. This one‐way loop may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within the route, resulting in a “tour” of the entire route if passengers ride the bus to and from their destination. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 46 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Scottsdale Shopping Center to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 46 intersects with Routes 44 and 54 at the Scottsdale Shopping Center and again with Route 54 at NWACC. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 51 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 46 has remained somewhat constant with a modest 8% increase over the prior year. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as during the Fall months. The December peak is most likely due to free ride promotion when all fares were waived for all passengers. The reasons behind the stronger ridership in the Fall months is unknown but may be attributed to student ridership and/or more favorable weather. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
76
80
70
60
59
59
50
64
61
45
53
49
55
58
52
56
49
40
30
20
10
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Route 42 are as follows:  Route 46’s average weekday ridership was 76, which represents 9% of ORT’s daily ridership – the fifth highest of all ORT routes.  19% of all Route 46 ridership activity occurred at the Scottsdale Shopping Center, followed by 20th & Phyllis (Ozark Guidance Center) with 14% and NWACC with 11% of all ridership activity.  The deviation to the Benton County Senior Center accounted for 3% of all Route 46 activity, with only 2 boardings and 3 alightings throughout the day.  The highest maximum load was 10 passengers and occurred during the 8:00 a.m. hour. The next highest load was 9 passengers and was recorded during the 11:00 a.m. hour. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 52 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010  Route 46 was on‐time at timepoints 20.0% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All failures in on‐time performance were attributed to late arrivals. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
14
Riders per Hour
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Hour
25
4
15
10
Avg. Line Load
2.5
Offs
2
Ons
1.5
1
5
0.5
0
0
3.5
20
Page 55 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 47 – Zion/Joyce/North Hills Medical Center
Route 47 operates as a one‐way “figure‐eight” circulator route throughout its entire length. The eastern leg serves Zion Road and Joyce Boulevard while the western leg serves Shiloh Drive, Millsap Road and Washington Regional Medical Center. Both legs of the route intersect at the Northwest Arkansas Mall. of Route 47’s service areas supports commercial uses. The majority However, there are several apartment complexes scattered along both legs of the route.
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 56 Route 47
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
7:00 a.m. ‐ 6:30 p.m.
30/60/‐‐
30
0
23
11.5
128.2
1
44
3.8
0.3
1.9
Route 47 begins at Northwest Arkansas Mall and begins its eastern segment via Zion Road, Crossover Road, Millennium Place and Joyce Boulevard. At Joyce Boulevard, the route makes a small deviation via Park Oaks Drive, Parkshore Drive and Parkview Drive. When the route returns to Joyce Boulevard, is makes its way back to the mall via Vantage Drive, Ford Drive and Steams Street. The western segment departs the Sears stop and travels south on Mall Avenue to Shiloh Drive. At Gregg Avenue, Route 47 turns south and then east on Appleby Road to Washington Regional Medical Center. After serving the hospital, the route exits onto Futrall Drive and continue to Millsap Road. Route 47 completes its trip back to Northwest Arkansas Mall by turning north on College Avenue. Route 47 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 47 include:  Northwest Arkansas Mall  Stearns Street Apartments  Credit Counseling of Arkansas  Department of Human Services  Valley Lake Apartments  Mall Avenue Wal‐Mart  Fayetteville Athletic Club  Target  Millennium Plaza  Washington Regional Medical Center  Social Security Office  Washington County Health Department  Park Apartments  North Hills Medical Center  Joyce Street Post Office Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 47’s large one‐way figure‐eight loop may be problematic for passengers whose origin and destination both fall within one of these segments. The “pinch” in the middle at the Northwest Arkansas Mall offers some relief for passengers destined to this stop. However, another trips internal to Route 47 must take a “tour” of the entire route if riding the bus to and from their destination. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 47 operates Monday through Friday at 60‐minute frequency from approximately 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition, 30‐minute frequency is provided to the eastern segment of the route from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and again from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. During these two peak periods, service is not provided to the western segment of the route. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐demand service is available to Route 47 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 47 has a 60‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 60‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. However, field observations along with the ridecheck indicated small amounts of time at the Northwest Arkansas Mall to accommodate transfers with other routes. 
Route Transfers – Route 47 intersects with Routes 40 and 54 as well as Razorback Transit’s Red Route at Northwest Arkansas Mall. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 57 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 47 has grown 47%. Ridership was highest in December 2009 as well as April 2010. In December 2009, all fares were waived for all passengers, resulting in higher than normal ridership. The reason for April’s performance is unknown but may be attributed to favorable weather. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
60
52
49
50
38
40
30
51
47
42
41
47
48
44
37
30
30
20
10
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 47 are as follows:  Route 47’s average weekday ridership was 32, which represents 4% of ORT’s daily ridership – the fourth lowest of all ORT routes.  44% of all Route 47 ridership activity occurred at Northwest Arkansas Mall. The next highest stop was the Mall Avenue Wal‐Mart with 14% of all ridership activity.  The deviation to Parkview Apartments yielded 1 passenger during the survey period. The stop at Washington Regional Medical Center was also only used by 1 passenger.  The highest maximum load was 4 passengers and occurred on the 12:00 p.m. eastern circulation segment of the route. Trips during the 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. carried no passengers during the survey period.  Route 47 was on‐time at timepoints 28.3% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All instances that degraded on‐time performance were attributed to early arrivals. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 58 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
7
Riders per Hour
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 59 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Western Circulation)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 60 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Eastern Circulation)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 61 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Western Circulation)
1.2
Avg. Line Load
10
1
Offs
8
0.8
Ons
6
0.6
4
0.4
2
0.2
0
0
12
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Eastern Circulation)
12
1.2
Avg. Line Load
Ons
8
1
0.8
6
0.6
4
0.4
2
0.2
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Offs
10
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 50 – Lincoln/Fayetteville Commuter Express
Route 50 is a limited‐trip commuter express service between Lincoln, Prairie Grove, Farmington and the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. One trip from Lincoln to Fayetteville is provided in the morning and one trip from Fayetteville to Lincoln is provided in the afternoon. Land uses along the route are primarily residential until reaching Fayetteville. Then Route 50 serves more commercial and institutional interests. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 63 Route 50
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
7:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m.
2 trips/day
120
0
2
2
37.6
1
3
1.5
0.1
1.5
Route 50 begins in the town of Lincoln and travels along Highway 62 to the University of Arkansas campus through the towns of Prairie Grove and Farmington. Buses generally remain on Highway 62, with some deviations to stops, such as the MLK Jr. Drive Wal‐Mart in Fayetteville. Route 50 serves a variety of parking opportunities and employment destinations. Major stops along Route 50 include:  Lincoln City Hall  MLK Jr. Wal‐Mart  The Sanctuary Church  Regional Technology Center  Dillon’s Store  Garland Avenue & Maple Avenue (University of Arkansas)  Prairie Grove Tennis Courts  Farmington Baptist Church Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 50 is a straight‐forward, linear route between Lincoln and the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 50 operates Monday through Friday with one trip to Fayetteville departing Lincoln at 7:00 a.m. and one trip to Lincoln departing Fayetteville at 5:05 p.m. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 50’s one‐way trip takes 55 minutes. Since there is only one trip in each direction, there is no need for layover to be scheduled. 
Route Transfers – Route 50 intersects with Routes 41 and 54 as well as Razorback Transit’s Green, Purple and Route 56 at Lot 56. Route 50 also intersects with all Razorback Transit Routes (except Route 56) at Garland Avenue & Maple Avenue. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 64 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 50 has grown 50%. However, this performance is still dismal considering that growth was from 2 boardings in September 2009 to 3 boardings in September 2010. Ridership was highest in February, March and April 2010 with 4 boardings recorded. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 50 are as follows:  Route 50’s average weekday ridership was 5, which represents 1% of ORT’s daily ridership – the lowest of all ORT routes.  Morning boardings (one each) included passengers at Lincoln City Hall, Harp’s grocery, and the MLK Jr. Wal‐Mart. There was one alighting at the Wal‐Mart as well. The remaining passengers exited at Garland & Maple. The only afternoon boardings occurred at the MLK Jr. Wal‐Mart. Two passengers boarded at this location with one alighting at Sanctuary Church and the other at Lincoln City Hall.  Route 50 was on‐time at timepoints 50.0% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All instances that degraded on‐time performance were attributed to early arrivals. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 65 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
Riders per Hour
4
3
2
1
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 66 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (A.M. Eastbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 67 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (P.M. Westbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 68 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 54 – NWACC/University of Arkansas Express
Route 54 operates as a bi‐directional commuter express service between the University of Arkansas campus (Lot 56) in Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas Community College campus in Bentonville. Intermediate stops are also provided at the Northwest Arkansas Mall, Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Washington County campus and Scottsdale Center. of Route 54’s service area The majority commercial and institutional supports uses as the route is primarily designed to receive connections from other routes. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Route 54
Hours of Operation
Frequency (Pk/Mid/Eve)
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/Rev. Hr.
Riders/Rev.-Mi.
Riders/Trip
Page 69 Full Service Weekday
Reduced Service Weekday
6:40 a.m. ‐ 6:20 p.m.
60/60/‐‐
120
0
6:40 a.m. ‐ 6:20 p.m.
125/155/‐‐
125/155
0
20
20
684
2
10
11.7
342
1
182
9.1
0.3
9.1
Reduced Service did not operate during September 2010
Route 54 begins at Lot 56 on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. From there, the route travels north on I‐540/US 71 to the Northwest Arkansas Mall. After serving the mall, Route 54 returns to I‐540 and continues north, exiting at Elm Springs Road to serve NWACC’s Washington County campus. The route then returns to I‐540 and once again travels north on I‐540 to Walton Boulevard/Walnut Street to make connections at Scottsdale Shopping Center. From here, Route 54 makes one more trip north on I‐540 to the NWACC main campus on 14th Street. Service in the southbound direction makes the same stops and exits from I‐540 as the northbound. Route 54 serves as a connector between major transfer points in the ORT system. Those points include:  University of Arkansas (Lot 56)  Northwest Arkansas Mall  NWACC Washington County Campus  Scottsdale Shopping Center  NWACC Main Campus Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 54 is a fairly straight‐forward, bi‐directional express route that operates along I‐
540. The stops at Northwest Arkansas Mall and NWACC’s Washington County Campus create a degree of out‐of‐direction travel. However, the benefit of connectivity with the rest of the system may outweigh this inconvenience. 
Schedule/Span of Service – When NWACC is in session, Route 50 operates Monday through Friday at 60‐minute frequency from approximately 6:40 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. When NWACC is not in session, only half of the trips are operated, leaving headways at approximately 125 minutes. The Route 54 schedule shifts by 25 minutes throughout the day, assumedly to accommodate NWACC’s class schedule as well as running time needs. While this may provide a convenience for students, it creates a burden for those using the service that do not attend the school and try to commit the shifting schedule to memory. This could be alleviated if a consistent clock‐face headway could be maintained while still supporting NWACC’s needs. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 54 has a 125‐minute cycle time, and requires two buses to operate when NWACC is in session and one bus to operate at other times. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 125 minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. 
Route Transfers – Route 54 intersects with Route 41 and 50 as well as Razorback Transit’s Green, Purple and Route 56 at Lot 56. Routes 40 and 47 as well as Razorback Transit’s Red Route intersect with Route 54 at Northwest Arkansas Mall. The stop at NWACC’s Washington County campus offers connections with Routes 43 and 55 and the stop at Scottsdale Shopping Center connects with Routes 44 and 46. Route 46 also meets Route 54 at NWACC’s main campus. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 70 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. Comparing September 2009 to September 2010, ridership on Route 54 has grown 189%. Ridership was highest in September 2010 followed by August 2010. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
200
182
180
160
140
108
120
100
80
84
63
119
114
103
85
102
78
63
75
70
60
40
20
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 54 are as follows:  Route 54’s average weekday ridership was 155, which represents 18% of ORT’s daily ridership – the third highest of all ORT routes.  38% of all Route 54 ridership activity occurred at NWACC’s main campus. The next highest stop was the Northwest Arkansas Mall with 24% of all ridership activity. Lot 56 and the stops surrounding NWACC’s Washington County campus accounted for 13% each, followed by Scottsdale Shopping Center with 7% of all ridership activity.  The highest maximum load was 28 passengers and occurred on the 7:00 a.m. northbound segment of the route. Southbound trips during the 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. time periods also performed well with maximum loads of 19 passengers.  Route 54 was on‐time at timepoints 51.1% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Late timepoints outnumbered early timepoints three to one. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 71 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
40
Riders per Hour
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 72 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Northbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 74 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Northbound)
60
Avg. Line Load
7
50
Offs
6
Ons
5
40
4
30
3
20
2
10
1
0
0
8
70
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Southbound)
60
Avg. Line Load
7
50
Offs
6
Ons
5
40
4
30
2
10
1
0
0
20
8
70
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Ozark Regional Transit – Route 55 – Springdale Crosstown
Route 55 is the newest of ORT’s routes and is the most linear as well. Route 55
The service operates between the Bernice Jones Center in Springdale Route Characteristics
Hours of Operation
and the Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Washington County Frequency (Pk/ Mid/ Eve)
campus. Cycle Time (min)
The majority of Route 55’s service area supports residential uses. Layover Time (min)
However, businesses and commercial uses become more prominent Route Statistics
along Huntsville Avenue as the route approaches the Bernice Jones Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Center. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 76 Full Service Weekday
6:40 a.m. ‐ 6:40 p.m.
20/20/‐‐
20
0
34
12
265.2
1
20
1.7
0.1
0.6
Route 55 begins at the Bernice Jones Center and exits south onto westbound Emma Avenue. The route then turns north on Park Street and west on Huntsville Avenue to NWACC. After serving NWACC, Route 55 loops through the neighborhood via White Road, Backus Avenue and Gutensohn Road. At Huntsville Avenue, Route 55 returns east to the Bernice Jones Center. Route 55 serves a variety of residential areas and commercial interests. Major destinations along Route 55 include:  Bernice Jones Center  Jones Trust Center  Community Clinic at St. Francis House  NWACC Washington County Campus  Petra Allied Health Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 55 has very few alignment issues given its straight‐forward, linear configuration. However, navigating the parking aisles at Bernice Jones Center may become problematic, particularly if ORT ever purchases more traditional full‐sized transit buses. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 55 operates Monday through Friday at 20‐minute frequency from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Twice daily, a trip is dropped in order to accommodate bus operator breaks. Weekend fixed‐route service is not provided. However, on‐demand service is available to Route 55 riders on Saturdays when scheduled in advance through ORT. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 55 has a 20‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus to operate. The scheduled round trip travel time is also 20‐minutes. There is no scheduled layover time at any point in the route. 
Route Transfers – Route 55 intersects with Route 42 at the Bernice Jones Center and Routes 43 and 54 at NWACC. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 77 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average daily ridership by month from September 2009 through September 2010 is presented in the graph below. However, since Route 55 was only introduced in July 2010, only three months of data can be displayed. Since its introduction, ridership on Route 55 has more than doubled. However, 20 boardings is still a weak start for a route providing 34 round trips daily. Average Daily Ridership (September 2009-September 2010)
25
20
20
15
13
9
10
5
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all ORT routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for Route 55 are as follows:  Route 55’s average weekday ridership was 21, which represents 2% of ORT’s daily ridership – the third lowest of all ORT routes.  19% of all Route 55 ridership activity occurred at NWACC. The next highest stop was the Huntsville & Westend with 14% of all ridership activity.  The highest maximum load was 3 passengers and occurred during the 7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m and 1:00 p.m. hours. Trips during the 6:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. hours carried no passengers during the survey period.  Route 55 was on‐time at timepoints 98.4% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late), making it the best on‐time performer in the ORT system. Only one instance of early arrival was noted. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 78 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
6
Riders per Hour
5
4
3
2
1
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 79 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Westbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 80 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Eastbound)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 81 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 9
0.4
8
0.4
7
Avg. Line Load
6
Offs
5
Ons
4
0.3
0.2
0.2
3
2
0.1
1
0.1
0
0.0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation 0.3
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads
Page 82 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 4.0 Razorback Transit System Level Analysis Razorback Transit provides fare‐free fixed‐route and paratransit services on the University of Arkansas campus and to the area surrounding the campus. The service is open to students, faculty, staff and to the general public. Service levels and geographic coverage varies considerably depending on if the University is in‐session. In general, the service plans operated by Razorback Transit are as follows:  During the Fall and Spring school sessions, Razorback Transit operates 11 routes from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with all but one route meeting at Union Station – Razorback Transit’s transfer hub that is located immediately south of the Student Union building.  During the evenings and on Saturdays when the U of A is in‐session, Razorback Transit operates a “Reduced” schedule with four routes (from approximately 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.).  The “Reduced” schedule is also in effect in the summer on weekdays only (from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).  During Finals Week, Razorback Transit operates a “One Bus” schedule during Finals week, where all routes are in‐service, but with only one bus assigned to each route. Thus, routes that currently have 2 or more buses assigned have reduced service frequencies during Finals week.  Special football shuttle service is also operated on Saturdays when the University of Arkansas has a home football game (Silver and Gold route service). Figure 4‐1 presents the Full‐Service system and Figure 4‐2 presents the Reduced Route system for Razorback Transit. 4.1 Service Requirements Service frequencies vary on Razorback Transit routes depending on the route, time of day and service scenario (i.e., full vs. reduced schedule). Tables 4‐1 through 4‐4 present each route’s span of service, frequencies and estimated service statistics for each Razorback Transit service scenario. The weekday full service schedule includes the increased morning service frequency Razorback Transit added this fall to the Tan and Green routes. Estimated annual service statistics for Razorback Transit for 2011/2012 based on these operating plan scenarios are as follows:  Maximum buses in operation – 16  Annual revenue bus‐hours of service – 33,210  Annual revenue bus‐miles of service – 378,600 Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 83 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 4‐1 Razorback Transit Full Schedule Route Alignments Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 84 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 4‐2 Razorback Transit Reduced Schedule Route Alignments Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 85 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 4‐1 Razorback Transit Existing Full Service Weekday/Weekday Evening Operating Plan Service Frequency
Route #
Blue
Blue Reduced
Gray
Brown
Green
Green Reduced
Purple
Red
Tan
Yellow
Rte 56
MH Expr
Pomfret
TOTALS
One
Way?
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Start of First/
Last Trips
7:03 am-5:50 pm
6:00-10:10 pm
7:00 am-5:45 pm
7:03 am-5:33 pm
7:00 am-5:50 pm
6:00-10:10 pm
6:55 am-6:00 pm
7:00 am-9:10 pm
6:55 am-10:10 pm
6:56 am-5:46 pm
7:00 am-5:40 pm
7:04 am-5:38 pm
7:06 am-6:01 pm
Total
Hours
11.0
4.0
11.0
10.5
11.0
4.0
11.0
14.0
15.0
11.0
10.5
10.5
11.0
Early
10
n/a
30
20
7
n/a
30
60
15
16
20
16
12
AM
7
n/a
30
20
7
n/a
30
60
15
16
20
16
12
Mid/PM
10
n/a
30
20
10
n/a
30
60
30
16
20
16
12
Eve.
n/a
30
n/a
n/a
n/a
30
n/a
60
30
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Daily
Trips
70
8
21
31
72
8
22
15
34
41
32
39
55
448
Midday/PM Period Cycle Time
Time
Layover
%
Cycle
(Min.)
Time
Layover
Time
15.0
5
25%
20
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
25.0
5
17%
30
15.0
5
25%
20
15.0
5
25%
20
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
24.0
6
20%
30
50.0
10
17%
60
25.0
5
17%
30
14.0
2
13%
16
13.0
7
35%
20
14.0
2
13%
16
10.0
2
17%
12
One-Way
Distance
(Miles)
3.3
6.3
6.6
2.9
2.3
5.4
6.4
14.2
7.1
2.1
2.7
1.4
6.0
Average Weekday
In-Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
18.0
24.9
231.0
2.9
4.0
50.4
9.2
11.0
138.6
8.0
10.7
89.9
18.5
25.6
165.6
3.5
4.0
43.2
8.8
11.0
140.8
12.5
15.0
213.0
14.6
17.5
241.4
9.8
11.2
86.1
6.9
10.7
86.4
9.3
10.7
54.6
9.3
11.2
330.0
131
167
1,871
Bus Requirements
Early
2.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
3.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
15.0
AM
3.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
3.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
16.0
Mid/PM
2.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
2.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
13.0
Evening
0.00
1.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
1.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
4.0
Early = Before 7:30 a.m.
AM = 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Mid/PM = 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Table 4‐2 Razorback Transit Existing Reduced Service Saturday Operating Plan Service Frequency
Route #
Blue
Tan
Green
Red
TOTALS
One
Way?
Y
Y
Y
Y
Start of First/
Last Trips
7:03 am-10:00 pm
7:10 am-10:00 pm
7:00 am-10:00 pm
7:00 am-9:00 pm
Total
Hours
15.5
15.5
15.5
14.0
Early
30
30
30
60
AM
30
30
30
60
Mid/PM
30
30
30
60
Eve.
30
30
30
60
Daily
Trips
31
31
31
15
108
Time
Layover
%
Cycle
(Min.)
Time
Layover
Time
22.0
8
27%
30
25.0
5
17%
30
26.0
4
13%
30
50.0
10
17%
60
AM = 7:30-9:00 a.m.
Mid/PM = 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation One-Way
Distance
(Miles)
6.3
7.1
5.4
14.2
Average Saturday
In-Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
11.4
15.5
195.3
12.9
15.5
220.1
13.4
15.5
167.4
12.5
15.0
213.0
50
62
796
Bus Requirements
AM Pk
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
Midday
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
PM Pk
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
Evening
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
Page 86 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 4‐3 Razorback Transit Existing Reduced Service Summer Operating Plan Service Frequency
Route #
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Green Reduced
Red Reduced
TOTALS
One
Way?
Y
Y
Y
Y
Start of First/
Last Trips
7:03 am-5:30 pm
7:10 am-5:30 pm
7:00 am-5:30 pm
7:00 am-5:00 pm
Total
Hours
11.0
11.0
11.0
10.0
Early
30
30
30
60
AM
30
30
30
60
Mid/PM
30
30
30
60
Eve.
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Daily
Trips
22
22
22
11
77
Time
Layover
%
Cycle
(Min.)
Time
Layover
Time
22.0
8
27%
30
25.0
5
17%
30
24.0
6
20%
30
50.0
10
17%
60
One-Way
Distance
(Miles)
6.3
7.1
5.4
14.2
Average Weekday
In-Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
8.1
11.0
138.6
9.2
11.0
156.2
8.8
11.0
118.8
9.2
11.0
156.2
35
44
570
Bus Requirements
AM Pk
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
Midday
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
PM Pk
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
4.0
Evening
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.0
AM = 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Mid/PM = 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Table 4‐4 Razorback Transit Existing One Bus per Route/Finals Week Operating Plan Service Frequency
Route #
Blue
Gray
Brown
Green
Purple
Red
Tan
Yellow
Rte 56
MH Expr
Pomfret
TOTALS
One
Way?
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Start of First/
Last Trips
7:03 am-5:50 pm
7:00 am-5:45 pm
7:03 am-5:33 pm
7:00 am-5:50 pm
6:55 am-6:00 pm
7:00 am-5:00 pm
7:10 am-5:30 pm
6:56 am-5:46 pm
7:00 am-5:40 pm
7:04 am-5:38 pm
7:06 am-6:01 pm
Total
Hours
11.0
11.0
10.5
11.0
11.0
10.0
10.5
11.0
10.5
10.5
11.0
Early
20
30
20
20
30
60
30
16
20
16
12
AM
20
30
20
20
30
60
30
16
20
16
12
Mid/PM
20
30
20
20
30
60
30
16
20
16
12
Eve.
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Daily
Trips
33
21
31
33
22
11
20
41
32
39
55
338
Time
Layover
%
Cycle
(Min.)
Time
Layover
Time
15.0
5
25%
20
25.0
5
17%
30
15.0
5
25%
20
15.0
5
25%
20
24.0
6
20%
30
50.0
10
17%
60
25.0
5
17%
30
14.0
2
13%
16
13.0
7
35%
20
14.0
2
13%
16
10.0
2
17%
12
One-Way
Distance
(Miles)
3.3
6.6
2.9
2.3
6.4
14.2
7.1
2.1
2.7
1.4
6.0
Average Weekday
In-Serv.
Rev.
Rev.
Hours
Hrs.
Miles
8.5
11.3
108.9
9.2
11.0
138.6
8.0
10.7
89.9
8.5
11.3
75.9
8.8
11.0
140.8
9.2
11.0
156.2
8.8
10.5
142.0
9.8
11.2
86.1
6.9
10.7
86.4
9.3
10.7
54.6
9.3
11.2
330.0
96
121
1,409
Bus Requirements
Early
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
11.0
AM
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
11.0
Mid/PM
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
11.0
Evening
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.0
AM = 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Mid/PM = 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 87 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 4.2 Historical Ridership Characteristics Monthly ridership reports from Razorback Transit were graphed to determine ridership trends over the past five years. Figure 4‐3 presents these trends. Figure 4‐3 System Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010) 250,000
200,000
FY 10
150,000
FY 09
FY 08
100,000
FY 07
FY 06
50,000
0
Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Annual fixed route ridership averaged 1.2 million from FY 2006 to FY 2009. In FY 2010, annual fixed route ridership increased to over 1.5 million. As shown in the above graph, September usually has the highest ridership in each year. Daily ridership reports for the past year were also collected from Razorback Transit from August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010. This data was sorted and summarized to determine general ridership characteristics for each service scenario operated by Razorback Transit. Specifically, ridership was evaluated for the full service scenario during the fall and spring semesters, and for the reduced service scenarios on weekday evenings, Saturdays and in the summer. Ridership during finals week or football Saturdays was not included in this analysis. Tables 4‐5 and 4‐6 present average, minimum and maximum daily ridership by route for these different scenarios. Some general conclusions from this analysis are as follows:  FY 2009 Fall average ridership was over 9,000, which is slightly higher than Spring average ridership (almost 8,500).  The Green and Blue routes have the highest ridership of all Razorback Transit routes, and account for about one half of all Razorback transit ridership.  Weekday evening ridership averages about 400 passengers, with the Blue Reduced route typically having the highest ridership in the evenings.  Saturday ridership averages about 1,000 riders, with the Red Route having the highest ridership of the four Saturday routes.  In the summer, ridership averages over 1,500 passengers per day. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 88 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 4‐5 Razorback Transit FY 2009/FY 2010 Ridership Characteristics During Fall/Spring School Sessions Average
Fall Session
Min
Max
2,487
2,261
442
778
356
790
684
443
493
326
9,061
1,112
1,238
304
269
191
304
377
0
240
237
4,272
3,090
3,594
563
1,611
475
2,147
939
873
611
392
14,295
2,013
2,098
422
711
317
1,218
574
368
479
283
8,483
1,306
1,371
191
115
57
646
215
188
314
191
4,594
2,664
2,659
609
1,074
405
2,005
758
784
574
359
11,891
Green Reduced
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Red Reduced
Total
110
140
69
100
419
45
0
28
52
125
274
231
162
212
879
89
143
61
104
397
30
66
13
1
110
165
212
178
175
730
Green Reduced
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Red Reduced
Total
224
211
143
408
987
106
87
107
100
400
349
285
176
529
1,339
203
249
148
411
1,012
117
104
72
99
392
269
325
200
515
1,309
Route
Route
Weekdays
Green
Blue
Brown Pomfret Route 56 Yellow/Maple Hill
Tan
Purple
Red
Grey
Total
Weekday Eve's.
Saturdays
Spring Session
Average
Min
Max
Table 4‐6 Razorback Transit FY 2009/FY 2010 Ridership Characteristics During Summer Route
Green Reduced
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Red Reduced
Total
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Average
Summer
Min
Max
389
466
281
433
1,568
227
170
156
306
859
568
667
396
538
2,169
Page 89 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 2.3 Current Ridership Characteristics Razorback Transit provided daily ridership by route for September 2010 for use in this study. This data identifies a total of 234,128 passengers using fixed route services during the month of September (not including Football shuttles). This represents a 12% increase in ridership over September 2009. Table 4‐7 presents average daily ridership during the month of September. The Tan Route has seen a significant increase in ridership. In fact, Razorback Transit has added a morning bus to the Tan Route and to the Green Route to handle large ridership volumes. Table 4‐7 Razorback Transit September 2010 Average Daily Ridership Route
Route
Average
Fall Session
Min
Max
Weekdays
Green/Green Red'd.
Blue/Blue Red'd.
Brown Pomfret Express
Route 56 Yellow
Maple Hill Express
Tan/Tan Red'd.
Purple
Red/Red Red'd.
Grey
Total
2,929
2,651
516
812
485
480
197
1,245
587
722
406
11,030
1,929
2,052
370
610
393
0
134
965
467
536
304
7,760
3,515
3,055
633
1,011
646
641
325
1,522
801
874
554
13,577
Saturdays
Green Reduced
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Red Reduced
Total
255
299
161
539
1,253
196
269
160
527
1,152
313
328
161
551
1,353
Razorback Transit bus operators keep track of student vs. non‐student ridership through the use of on‐
board “clickers”. Judgment is used by the bus driver in determining if a rider is a student. For September 2010, non‐student usage on weekday routes was estimated at 15 percent, as shown in Table 4‐8. Non‐student ridership was highest on the Brown and Red routes. These are the two routes that serve major destinations away from campus (downtown Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas Mall area). On weekends, Razorback Transit drivers estimated that 73% of all riders were non‐students. The on‐board survey that was conducted as part of this TDP work effort indicates that about 85 percent of Razorback Transit riders identified themselves as students, consistent with bus driver estimates. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 90 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 4‐8 Razorback Transit September 2010 Average Daily Ridership Route
Route
Student
Non‐Student
Weekdays
Green/Green Red'd.
Blue/Blue Red'd.
Brown Pomfret Express
Route 56 Yellow
Maple Hill Express
Tan/Tan Red'd.
Purple
Red/Red Red'd.
Grey
Total
91.5%
88.6%
44.9%
99.1%
94.8%
97.2%
96.3%
82.0%
90.5%
37.1%
84.5%
84.7%
8.5%
11.4%
55.1%
0.9%
5.2%
2.8%
3.7%
18.0%
9.5%
62.9%
15.5%
15.3%
Saturdays
Green Reduced
Blue Reduced
Tan Reduced
Red Reduced
Total
24.8%
30.7%
34.0%
24.6%
27.3%
75.2%
69.3%
66.0%
75.4%
72.7%
4.4 Ridership Productivity Measures Ridership data from Razorback Transit was used to determine service productivity measures. Specifically, ridership productivity was measured on the basis of riders per revenue bus‐hour, riders per revenue bus‐mile and riders per bus trip. September 2010 ridership data was used to determine current weekday, weekday evening and Saturday productivity measures. Average ridership from this past summer was used to estimate summer productivity measures. Tables 4‐9 and 4‐10 present these measures and rankings. Overall, ridership for Razorback Transit is very productive. Systemwide productivity measures are as follows: Weekdays Weekday Riders per Bus‐Hour – 66.0 (Sept. 2010) Weekday Riders per Bus‐Mile – 5.9 Weekday Riders per Bus Trip – 24.6 Saturday Saturday Riders per Bus‐Hour – 16.3 (Sept. 2010) Saturday Riders per Bus‐Mile – 1.3 Saturday Riders per Bus Trip – 9.4 Summer Weekday Riders per Bus‐Hour – 35.7 (Summer 2010) Weekday Riders per Bus‐Mile – 2.8 Weekday Riders per Bus Trip – 20.4 Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 91 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Table 4‐9 Razorback Transit Ridership Productivity During Fall/Spring School Sessions Service
Period
Route
Riders
Riders/
Hour
Rank
Riders/
Mile
Rank
Riders/
Trip
Rank
580
2,464
2,801
1,152
485
480
406
577
516
812
197
52.7
98.6
109.8
65.8
44.1
43.6
36.9
50.2
46.9
73.8
17.9
5
2
1
4
8
9
10
6
7
3
11
3.7
10.7
17.0
4.8
5.6
5.6
2.9
4.1
5.7
2.5
3.6
8
2
1
6
4
5
10
7
3
11
9
52.7
35.2
38.9
54.9
15.6
11.7
19.3
26.2
16.6
17.3
5.1
2
4
3
1
9
10
6
5
8
7
11
Weekday
Red
Blue
Green
Tan
Route 56
Yellow
Grey
Purple
Brown
Pomfret
Maple Hill
Weekday
Eve.
Red Red'd.
Blue Red'd.
Green Red'd.
Tan Red'd.
142
187
128
93
35.5
41.6
28.4
20.7
2
1
3
4
2.5
3.7
3.0
1.5
3
1
2
4
35.5
20.8
14.2
10.3
1
2
3
4
Saturday
Red Red'd.
Blue Red'd.
Green Red'd.
Tan Red'd.
411
249
203
148
27.4
16.1
13.1
9.5
1
2
3
4
1.9
1.1
1.2
0.7
1
3
2
4
27.4
8.0
6.5
4.8
1
2
3
4
Table 4‐10 Razorback Transit Ridership Productivity During Summer Route
Red Red'd.
Blue Red'd.
Green Red'd.
Tan Red'd.
Riders
Riders/
Hour
Rank
Riders/
Mile
Rank
Riders/
Trip
Rank
433
466
389
281
39.4
42.4
35.4
28.1
2
1
3
4
2.8
3.4
3.3
1.8
3
1
2
4
39.4
21.2
17.7
12.8
1
2
3
4
The Green, Tan and Blue Routes rank very high in riders per bus‐hour and riders per bus‐mile on weekdays when school is in‐session. Productivity measures drop off in the evenings, on Saturdays and in the summer. However, the productivity measures still are solid when compared to typical industry standards. The weakest performing routes appear to be the Maple Hill Express route on weekdays, and the Tan Reduced Route on weekday evenings, Saturdays and during the summer. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 92 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 4.5 Ridecheck Survey Results A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted on September 14, 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented in detail in individual route profiles, presented later in this Technical Memorandum. The ridecheck counted 9,640 daily boardings. However, ridership counts from Razorback Transit’s bus operators for the days of the ridecheck were 10,811 on the first day of the survey. The ridecheck count is likely low because: a) there were some missed bus trips, including the additional buses operating on the Tan and Green Routes that are not reflected in the schedule; and b) there are times when Razorback Transit buses are operating at crush loads. Thus, ridecheckers likely missed boardings during those times. For purposes of this TDP, ridership totals from Razorback Transit are being used in the analysis of service productivity, and ridecheck survey results are being used to identify time‐of‐day, stop level and segment ridership activity. Pertinent systemwide ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Blue and Green Route ridership represents about ½ of all daily ridership on Razorback Transit.  Ridership volumes are typically heaviest in the morning hours, as illustrated in Figure 4‐4.  40% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station. Thus, a majority of Razorback Transit riders have Union Station as one end of their transit trip.  12% of all ridership activity occurred at Lot 56.  There were 33 surveyed trips with maximum loads of 40 or more passengers. Another 32 surveyed trips had maximum loads of 30 to 39 passengers. The heaviest maximum load was 69 passengers on the Green Route. Figure 4‐5 illustrates cumulative ridership activity at all Razorback Transit stops. Stops with the highest ridership activity were:  Union Station – 40% of all ridership activity  Lot 56 (all stops at Lot 56) – 11.5% of all ridership activity  Pomfret Hall – 3.6% of all ridership activity  Maple and Leverett – 3.5% of all ridership activity  Brough Commons – 3.3% of all ridership activity Further analysis of ridecheck results are presented in the individual ridecheck profiles in the following section of this Technical Memorandum. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 93 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 4‐4 Razorback Transit System Ridership By Time‐of‐Day 1200
Riders per Hour
1000
800
600
400
200
2200
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 94 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Figure 4‐5 Razorback Transit System Cumulative Ridership At Bus Stops Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 95 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 5.0 Razorback Transit Route Profiles The following pages present detailed assessments of route characteristics, strengths and weaknesses for each Razorback Transit fixed route. Each route profile presents the following information:  A “snapshot” of route service characteristics and productivity measures and a map of land use characteristics along the route alignment;  A description of the existing route alignment;  Key route issues and observations from fieldwork and Razorback Transit route information, including: o Alignment o Schedule/Span of Service o Cycle/ layover times o Route transfers  Historical monthly ridership characteristics over the past five years on a monthly basis;  Current ridership characteristics from the ridecheck survey including: o Observations o Graphs showing boardings by time of day o Maps showing daily ridership at each stop o Graphs showing weekday boardings, alightings, and average line loads by stop and direction Various graphs and maps within each route profile present ridership activity at the stop level (boardings and alightings), average daily vehicle loads and on‐time performance data at time points by time of day. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 96 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback– Red Route
The Red
Route operates from Union Station to the Northwest Arkansas Mall. This route operates in a loop pattern and includes stops at several major destinations including the Washington Regional Medical Center, Fiesta Square, Target and Wal‐Mart. The Red Route operates year‐round on the same schedule. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Red/Red Reduced
Red
Weekday
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 97 Fall/Spring Sessions
Red Reduced
Wkdy Eve.
Red Reduced
Saturday
7:00 a.m.-5:50 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m.-9:50 p.m.
60/ 60/ 60
--/ --/ 60
60/ 60
60
60
60
10
10
10
Summer/Holiday
Red Reduced
Weekday
7:00 a.m.-5:50 p.m.
60
60
10
11
11.0
156.0
1.0
4
4.0
57.0
1.0
15
15.0
213.0
1.0
11
11.0
156.0
1.0
580
52.7
3.7
52.7
142
35.5
2.5
35.5
411
27.4
1.9
27.4
433
39.4
2.8
39.4
The Red Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels to the Northwest Arkansas Mall on North College Avenue. From Union Station, this route follows North Garland Avenue, Business Highway 71, Futrell Drive, Northhills Blvd., Monte Painter Drive, Wimberly Drive, and Milsap Road to N. College Avenue. The route continues along N. College Avenue to Zion Road, and then travels south on Frontage Road, west on Joyce Blvd., and north on N. College Avenue where it then enters the Northwest Arkansas Mall. The mall stop is located in front of Sears. The Red Route then returns to the University of Arkansas campus via N. Mall Avenue, Shiloh Drive, Gregg Avenue, Appleby Road, N. College Avenue, Sunbridge Drive, Gregg Avenue, Poplar Street and Leverett Avenue. The entire alignment operates as a one‐direction “figure 8” loop, with the loop crossing itself on its return trip to Union station at Gregg Avenue and Business Highway 71. The Red Route serves student‐oriented housing and student‐oriented commercial uses along Garland Avenue and larger commercial businesses at its northern end. Major destinations along the Red Route include:  Garland/Wedington/North commercial area  U of A Agri‐Park  Washington Regional Medical Center  Washington County Health Department  Northwest Arkansas Mall  Wal‐Mart  Target  Fiesta Square The Red Route operates a full schedule when school is in session – from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. In the summer and during holidays, the Red Route operates the same alignment as described above, but with a reduced schedule from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Red Route operates as a large “figure 8” loop. There is no two‐direction service on any portion of the alignment. Thus, riders are often taken out‐of‐direction. There are also no stops along the northern portion of Garland Avenue. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Red Route operates at 60‐minute frequency on weekdays and Saturdays throughout the year. Evening service is provided during the Fall and Spring semesters. The last trip is at 5:00 p.m. on other days. 
Cycle/Layover Times –The Red route has a 60‐minute cycle time, thus requires one bus for operation. There are 10 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station and 3 minutes of scheduled layover time at the Northwest Arkansas Mall, which totals to 22 percent of the cycle time. This is sufficient layover time to accommodate schedule delays and traffic congestion. 
Route Transfers – Passengers on the Red Route can connect to ORT’s Route 40 and Route 57 at the Northwest Arkansas Mall. The Red route is scheduled to arrive at the NWA Mall at 20 after each hour. ORT’s Route 40 arrives at the mall at 30 after the hour (both directions). Thus, there is a 10‐
minute transfer time from the Red Route to ORT’s Route 40. However, there is a 50‐minute transfer time from ORT’s Route 40 to the Red Route. The Red Route also intersects with ORT’s Route 40 at Fiesta Square and on Sunbridge. The Red Route shares stops with the Blue, Grey and Tan Routes Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 98 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 along portions of Garland and Leverett Avenues. Other transfer opportunities are available at Union Station.
Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Red Route annual ridership has increased 65 percent over this five year period. Monthly ridership is typically highest in October and lowest in July. There is also a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
14,000
12,000
10,000
FY 10
8,000
FY 09
FY 08
6,000
FY 07
4,000
FY 06
2,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 99 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Red route weekday ridership was 549 passengers, which represents 5.7 percent of the daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey.  Evening ridership (after 6:00 p.m.) was 142 riders, which represents 26% of daily Red Route ridership. This also represents 26% of Razorback Transit’s evening ridership (riders after 6:00 p.m.).  About 35% of all ridership activity occurs at Union Station, the largest stop on the route.  Other stops with high ridership activity include: 1. Northwest Arkansas Mall, 2. Wal‐Mart at Mall Avenue and Joyce Blvd., 3. Oak Plaza 4. Chestnut Apartments 5. Fiesta Square  Non‐Union Station ridership activity is generally highest along stops between the NWA Mall and Fiesta Square. Stops in this segment account for 55% of the non‐Union Station ridership activity.  The maximum observed load was 32 passengers and occurred on the 1:00 p.m. trip. Maximum loads were fairly consistent, ranging from 15 to 32 riders, and averaging 22 riders.  In general, line loads tend to build towards Union Station in the morning, and diminish from Union Station in the afternoon. Line loads are more evenly distributed on the evening trips.  The Red Route was on‐time at timepoints 77% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All of the trips that were not on‐time at a timepoint were late, with the latest trip being 10 minutes behind. Most of the on‐time performance problems occurred on the return trip to Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 100 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
250
18
14
Avg. Line Load
150
Offs
100
Ons
12
10
8
6
4
50
16
200
2
0
Page 103 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Blue Route
The Blue
Route operates as one‐direction loop via Garland Avenue, Melmar Avenue Leverett Avenue, and Maple Street. This route serves several student‐oriented housing complexes and commercial businesses. The Blue Route also operates a “Reduced” schedule in the evenings, Saturdays, and n the summer/holiday period. The reduced reflects extended routing to cover schedule portions of the Grey Route’s alignment. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Blue/Blue Reduced
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 104 Blue
Weekday
Fall/Spring Sessions
Blue Reduced
Wkdy Eve.
Blue Reduced
Saturday
7:03 a.m.-5:52 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-10:32 p.m. 7:03 a.m-10:22 p.m.
7/ 10/ ---/ --/ 30
30
21/ 20
30
30
6-5
8
8
Summer/Holiday
Blue Reduced
Weekday
7:03 a.m-5:52 p.m
30
30
8
70
25.0
231.0
3.0
9
4.5
50.0
1.0
31
15.5
220.0
1.0
22
11.0
139.0
1.0
2464
98.6
10.7
35.2
187
41.6
3.7
20.8
249
16.1
1.1
8.0
466
42.4
3.4
21.2
The Blue Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels north on Garland Avenue, east on Melmar Avenue, and south on Leverett Avenue, back to Maple Street. The Blue Route serves several student apartment complexes and commercial businesses. Major destinations along the Blue Route include:  Garland Avenue parking garage  Oak Plaza/Harp’s  Deldonn Apartments  Maria H Apartments  Creekside North Apartments  Noble Oaks Apartments  Colonial Arms Apartments  Creekside South Apartments The Blue Route operates when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:50 p.m.). A “Blue Reduced” Route operates on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and during the Summer/holiday period. The Blue Reduced includes an extension of the alignment north to Garland/Drake Avenue to cover portions of the Grey route alignment. The Blue Reduced schedule operates until 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, and operates from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays. During the Summer/holiday season, the Blue Reduced route operates from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Blue Route does have a large one‐direction loop that begins at Garland Avenue and Maple Street. However, the loop is only four blocks wide, and the Blue Route’s alignment is short, thus minimizing out‐of‐direction travel time. For time periods when the Blue Reduced schedule is operating, the out‐of‐direction impact is more substantial. For example a passenger riding from Union Station to Colonial Arms Apartments must ride north all the way to Garland/Drake before the bus makes its return trip to Colonial Arms Apartments. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Blue Route operates at 7‐minute frequencies on weekday mornings until 9:20 a.m. when school is in‐session. It then operates at 10‐minute frequencies until 6:00 p.m. The Blue Reduced schedule operates at 30‐minute frequencies during all time periods (weekday evenings, Saturdays and Summer/Holiday period). Evening service is not provided during the Summer/Holiday period. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Blue Route has a 15‐minute cycle time, and requires three buses for a.m. peak operation and two buses for all other time periods. The scheduled round trip travel time is 15 minutes. There is typically 6 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station in the a.m. peak period (i.e., a 21‐minute cycle time) and 5 minutes of layover during other time periods (i.e., a 20‐
minute cycle time). The Blue Reduced Route has a 30‐minute cycle time with 22 minutes of scheduled travel time and 8 minutes of layover (i.e., one bus). Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 105 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 
Route Transfers – The Blue Route shares stops with the Red, Grey and Tan routes along portions of Garland Avenue, and with the Red Route along Leverett Avenue. Other transfer opportunities are available at Union Station. Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Blue Route ridership has grown 13 percent over the past five years. As with the other routes, Blue Route ridership is highest in September, and there is a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months. During the summer months, ridership on the Blue Reduced route averages 10,000 passengers per month. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
60,000
50,000
40,000
FY 10
FY 09
30,000
FY 08
20,000
FY 07
FY 06
10,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 106 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Blue Route are as follows:  Blue Route weekday ridership was 2,234, which represents 24.2 percent of the daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey (note – there were two missed Blue Route trips in the ridecheck survey). Blue Route ridership is just slightly below Green Route ridership. The Blue and Green Routes combined represent almost ½ of all counted Razorback Transit ridership.  44% of all Blue Route ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Thus, most riders on the Blue Route are beginning or ending their trip at Union Station.  All stops along the Blue Route alignment had high ridership activity with 200 or more boardings and alightings per day. The highest ridership stop (not including Union Station) was at Leverett & Melmar (365 boardings and alightings a day).  There were 15 trips with maximum loads over 40 passengers. The highest maximum load was 62 passengers and occurred on the 7:57 a.m. trip.  The average daily maximum load was 27 passengers per trip.  The Blue Route was on‐time at timepoints 86 percent of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All of the on‐time performance problems were associated with late‐arriving buses. Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Blue Reduced Route are as follows:  Blue Reduced Route ridership was 187 passengers, which represents 1.9% of daily ridership. This also represents 34% of Razorback Transit’s total evening ridership (trips after 6:00 p.m.) and is Razorback Transit’s highest ridership route in the evenings.  45% of all Blue Reduced Route ridership occurred at Union Station.  There were only four riders that rode on the Blue Reduced alignment to alight at a stop north of Melmar Drive.  The highest ridership stop was at Oak Plaza. Ridecheck data also suggests that a significant number of evening riders are riding the full alignment to get back to stops at Leverett & Memlar, Creekside North Apartments and Noble Oak Apartments.  There were no on‐time performance problems on the Blue Reduced Route. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 107 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day (Blue Route)
300
Riders per Hour
250
200
150
100
50
0
Hour
Weekday Boardings by Time of Day (Blue Reduced Route)
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
2200
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 108 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Blue Route)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 109 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Blue Reduced Route)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 110 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Blue Route)
20
1200
16
14
800
600
400
Avg. Line Load
12
Offs
10
Ons
8
6
4
200
18
1000
2
0
0
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Blue Reduced Route)
140
Avg. Line Load
16
120
Offs
14
100
Ons
12
8
60
6
40
4
20
2
0
0
80
18
160
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback Transit – Green Route
The Green
Route operates as one‐direction loop via Garland Avenue, California Blvd., Lot 56, Razorback Road and Maple Street. This route serves University of Arkansas buildings and dormitories. The Green Route also operates a “Reduced” schedule in the evenings, Saturdays, and in the Summer/holiday period. The reduced schedule reflects extended routing to cover of the Brown and Yellow Route’s portions alignments. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Green/Green Reduced
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 112 Green
Weekday
Green Reduced
Wkdy Eve.
Green Reduced
Saturday
7:00 a.m.-6:05 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-10:34 p.m. 7:00 a.m-10:24 p.m.
10/ 10/ ---/ --/ 30
30
20
30
30
5
6
6
Summer/Holiday
Green Reduced
Weekday
7:00 a.m-5:54 p.m
30
30
6
72
25.5
165.0
3.0
9
4.5
43.0
1.0
31
15.5
167.0
1.0
22
11.0
119.0
1.0
2801
109.8
17.0
38.9
128
28.4
3.0
14.2
203
13.1
1.2
6.5
389
35.4
3.3
17.7
The Green Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels south on Garland Avenue to Stadium Drive and continues along Garland Avenue to Lot 56. There are two stops at Lot 56. The Green Route then turns north on Razorback Road and east on Maple Street, back to Garland Avenue. The Green Route serves Brough Commons, Pomfret Hall, Lot 56, the Outdoor Track Stadium and Razorback Stadium. The Green Route operates when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:50 p.m.). A “Green Reduced” Route operates on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and during the Summer/holiday period. The Green Reduced Route reflects an expanded alignment that follows portions of the Brown Route alignment via Maple Street, West Avenue, Lafayette Street, Block Avenue, Center Street, Harmon Avenue and Dirkson Street back to Garland Avenue. It then picks up the regular Green Route alignment to Lot 56 and to Razorback Road. Instead of turning east on Maple Street, the Green Reduced Route alignment is extended north to Cleveland Street to pick up a portion of the Yellow Route alignment. The Green Reduced schedule operates until 10:30 p.m. on weekdays, and operates from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays. During the Summer/holiday season, the Green Reduced route operates from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Green Route is one‐direction loop service, but it is a very short loop, thus minimizing out‐of‐direction travel time. For time periods when the Green Reduced schedule is operating, the out‐of‐direction impact is more substantial. For example a passenger riding from Union Station to Lot 56 must ride all the way to downtown Fayetteville before the bus makes its return trip to Lot 56. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Green Route operates at 10‐minute frequency on weekdays during the Fall and Spring sessions. The Green Reduced schedule operates at 30‐minute frequency during all time periods (weekday evenings, Saturdays and Summer/holiday period). Evening service is not provided during the Summer/holiday period. 
Cycle/Layover Times –The Green Route has a 20‐minute cycle time and requires two buses for operation. The scheduled round trip travel time is 15 minutes. There are 5 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. The Green Reduced Route has a 30‐minute cycle time with 24 minutes of scheduled travel time and 6 minutes of layover (i.e., one bus). 
Route Transfers – The Green Route shares stops with the Purple and Lot 56 routes. Riders on the Green Route can connect to ORT’s Route 54 at Lot 56. All other Razorback transfer opportunities are available at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 113 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Green Route ridership has grown 13 percent over the past five years. As with the other routes, Green Route ridership is highest in September, and there is a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months. During the Summer months, ridership on the Green Reduced route averages 8,000 passengers per month. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
70,000
60,000
50,000
FY 10
40,000
FY 09
FY 08
30,000
FY 07
20,000
FY 06
10,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 114 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 It is important to note that Razorback Transit added a third bus to the Green Route this Fall in response to heavy ridership volumes. The additional bus only operates in the morning. The ridecheck did not include a count of passengers on this third bus. Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Green Route are as follows:  Green Route ridership was 2,345, which represents 24.3 percent of daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey. This was the highest ridership route of all Razorback Routes. The Green and Blue Routes combined account for almost half of all Razorback Transit daily ridership. Once again, this total does not include ridership on the third bus that has been added to the Green route during the morning.  44% of all Green Route ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Thus, most riders on the Green Route are beginning or ending their trip at Union Station.  Of the remaining (non‐Union Station) ridership, 72% is associated with the two Lot 56 stops (1,892 boardings and alightings). All stops along the Green Route alignment had high ridership activity with 200 or more boardings and alightings per day.  There were 17 trips with maximum loads over 40 passengers. The highest maximum load was 69 passengers and occurred on the 10:30 a.m. trip. Bus trips with high load factors occurred throughout the day.  The average daily maximum load was 30 passengers per trip (the highest average maximum load of all Razorback Transit routes).  The Green Route was on‐time at timepoints only 60 percent of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Most of the on‐time performance problems were associated with early‐arriving buses (buses that were 2 to 5 minutes early). Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Green Reduced Route are as follows:  Green Reduced Route ridership was 128 passengers, which represents 1.3% of daily ridership that was counted from the ridecheck survey. This also represents 23% of Razorback Transit’s evening ridership (boardings after 6:00 p.m.).  34% of all Green Reduced Route ridership occurred at Union Station. Thus, there is significant on‐off ridership activity that is not associated with Union Station.  The highest ridership stop was Lot 56. Ridecheck data also suggests that a significant number of evening riders are riding the full alignment from the U of A central campus to get back to Lot 56.  There was minimal ridership at Reid and Holz Halls (served by the Yellow route during the day).  30% of Green Reduced trips were on‐time at timepoints. All of the on‐time performance problems were associated with buses arriving 2‐6 minutes early. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 115 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day (Green Route)
350
Riders per Hour
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Hour
Weekday Boardings by Time of Day (Green Reduced Route)
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 116 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Green Route)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 117 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership Activity (Green Reduced Route)
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 118 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Green Route)
10
70
9
50
8
7
Avg. Line Load
40
Offs
30
Ons
6
5
4
3
20
2
10
60
1
0
0
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads (Green Reduced Route)
25
1400
20
1000
Avg. Line Load
800
Offs
600
Ons
10
400
5
200
0
1200
0
Page 119 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Tan Route
The Tan
Route operates from Union Station to Wedington Drive, west of I‐540. There is a mid‐route alignment split, with outbound trips operating on Wedington and inbound trips operating on Porter, Deane and Mt. Road. This route serves several Comfort apartment complexes that house students. The Tan Route operates year‐round. Saturday and weekday evening service is provided during the Fall and Spring sessions. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Tan/Tan Reduced
Tan
Weekday
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Tan Reduced
Wkdy Eve.
Tan Reduced
Saturday
6:55 a.m.-5:45 p.m. 6:00 p.m.-10:35 p.m. 7:10 a.m-10:25 p.m.
30/ 30/ ---/ --/ 30
30
30
30
30
5
5
5
Page 120 Summer/Holiday
Tan Reduced
Weekday
7:10 a.m-5:55 p.m
30
30
5
21
17.5
241.0
2.0
9
4.5
62.0
1.0
31
15.5
220.0
1.0
22
10.0
156.0
1.0
1152
65.8
4.8
54.9
93
20.7
1.5
10.3
148
9.5
0.7
4.8
281
28.1
1.8
12.8
The Tan Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels on Wedington Drive, west of I‐540. From Union station, this route follows North Garland Avenue, Wedington Drive, and then makes a loop via Marvin Avenue, Shiloh Drive, Persimmon Street and Betty Jo Drive, back to Wedington Drive. The return route alignment deviates to Porter Drive, Deane Street, Lewis Avenue, Mt. Comfort Road and Garland Avenue. The Tan Route serves student‐oriented housing and student‐oriented commercial uses along Wedington Drive. Major destinations along the Tan Route include:  Maple Manor Apartments  Chamberland Square  Corner Stone Apartments  Washington Plaza Apartments  Garden Park Apartments  Harp’s Grocery Store The Tan Route operates a full schedule when school is in session – from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. In the Summer and during holidays, the Tan Route operates the same alignment as described above, but with a reduced schedule from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Tan Route has a split alignment mid‐route, with outbound trips following Wedington Drive and inbound trips following Porter Rd, Deane St. and Mt. Comfort Road. The Grey Route also operates along this portion of the Tan Route’s alignment, with both routes operating in the inbound direction only. Thus, riders with an origin or destination on this split portion of the alignment can be taken out‐of‐direction. A large student‐oriented apartment complex recently opened on Persimmon Drive, just west of the Tan Route’s alignment, which is likely generating substantial student ridership on this route. There has also been significant development on Wedington Drive, west of Betty Jo Drive that is not served by the Tan Route. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Tan Route operates at 30‐minute frequency on weekdays and Saturdays when school is in‐session, and includes evening service. When school is not in session, this route operates at 30‐minute service, but only Monday through Friday until 6:00 p.m. Some heavy (standing) loads were observed in the ridecheck survey in the a.m. period. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Tan Route has a 30‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 5 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. As noted later in this route profile, the Tan Route did have significant on‐time performance problems in the afternoon period. 
Route Transfers – The Tan Route shares stops with the Grey Route on Mt. Comfort Road, and also with the Red and Blue Routes on portions of Garland Avenue. Other transfer opportunities are at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 121 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Tan Route annual ridership has increased 26 percent over this five year period. Monthly ridership is typically highest in October and lowest in July. There is also a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months. During the Summer months, Tan Reduced Route ridership averages 6,000 rides per month. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
FY 10
10,000
FY 09
8,000
FY 08
6,000
FY 07
4,000
FY 06
2,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 122 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 It is important to note that Razorback Transit added a second bus to the Tan Route during the Fall Semester in response to heavy ridership volumes. This extra bus only operates in the mornings. The ridecheck did not include a count of passengers on this second bus. Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Tan Route weekday ridership was 783 passengers, which represents 8.1% of the daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey (note – there were two missed Tan Route trips in the ridecheck survey). Once again, this total does not include ridership on the second bus that has been added to the Tan Route during the morning.  Evening ridership (after 6:00 p.m.) was 94 riders, which represents 12% of daily Tan Route ridership. This also represents 17% of Razorback Transit’s total evening ridership (trips after 6:00 p.m.).  About 45% of all ridership activity occurs at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Thus, most riders on the Tan route are either beginning or ending their trip at Union Station, with few riders making trips that do not include a stop at Union Station.  Other stops with high ridership activity include 1. Mt. Comfort & Garland (Harp’s) 2. Chamberland Square Apartments 3. Betty Jo & Jewel 4. Corner Stone Apartments 5. Garden Park Apartments 6. Maple Manor Apartments 7. Persimmon and Betty Jo  Approximately 37% of the non‐Union Station ridership activity occurs at stops west of I‐540.  Another 46% of the non‐Union Station ridership occurs along Porter, Deane, Lewis and Mt. Comfort Road.  The maximum observed load was 58 passengers and occurred on the 8:50 a.m. trip. There was also a maximum of 50 passengers on the 7:20 a.m. trip. All other loads were below seated capacity. Line loads on a.m. trips averaged 35 passengers per trip. Average line loads diminished later in the day.  The Tan Route was on‐time at timepoints 60% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Most of the trips that were not on‐time at a timepoint were late, with the latest trip being 23‐
minutes behind.  Most of the on‐time performance problems occurred on afternoon and early evening trips – between 2:30 and 8:30 p.m. (i.e., when there is only one bus on the Tan route). It is possible the on‐
board surveyor got off‐track on time checks during this time period, thus distorting on‐time performance measurements. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 123 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
2200
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
0
Hour
400
Avg. Line Load
16
350
Offs
14
300
Ons
12
250
10
200
8
150
6
100
4
50
2
0
0
450
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Grey Route
The Grey
Route operates primarily along the Garland Avenue Corridor from Union Station to Drake Avenue. This route serves several apartment complexes that house students and the University of Arkansas Food Science Department. The Grey Route operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. In the evenings and in the Summer/holiday period, portions of the Grey Route are covered by the Blue Reduced Route alignment. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Grey Route
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
7:00 a.m.-6:10 p.m.
30/ 30/ -30
5
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
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21
11.0
139.0
1.0
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406
36.9
2.9
19.3
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Page 127 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Description of Existing Alignment
The Grey Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels north on Garland Avenue to Knapp Street. This route then makes a loop via Garland Avenue, Drake Avenue, McConnell Road and Knapp Street, with a deviation to the Food Science Building. On the inbound trip, the Grey route deviates to Deane Street, Lewis Avenue, and Mt. Comfort Road. Thus, the Grey Route has a mid‐route split alignment. The Grey Route serves student‐oriented housing and student‐oriented commercial uses along Garland Avenue and University‐related facilities north of Knapp Street. Major destinations along the Grey Route include:  Oak Plaza and Harp’s Grocery Store on Garland Avenue  Crafton Place Apartments  U of A Food Science Building  Fair Park Apartments  Archeology Survey Building  Garden Park Apartments The Grey Route operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. In the evenings when the U of A is in‐session, the Blue Reduced Route provides service over much of the Grey Route’s alignment. The Blue Reduced Route also provides coverage of the Grey Route alignment during the Summer and holiday season. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Grey Route has a split alignment mid‐route, with outbound trips following Garland Avenue and inbound trips following Deane Street, Lewis Avenue and Mt. Comfort Road. Thus, riders with an origin or destination on this split portion of the alignment can be taken out‐of‐direction. It is worth noting that the Tan Route also provides inbound service along Lewis Avenue and Mt. Comfort Road. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Grey Route operates at 30‐minute frequency on weekdays until 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the Summer and holiday season. 
Cycle/Layover Times –The Grey Route has a 30‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 5 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – The Grey Route shares stops with the Blue and Red Routes along portions of Garland Avenue and with the Tan Route along Lewis Avenue and Mt. Comfort Road. Other transfer opportunities are available at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 128 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Grey Route annual ridership has increased 19 percent over this five‐year period. Monthly ridership is typically highest in September. There is also a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months and the Grey Route is not operating. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
8000
7000
6000
FY 10
5000
FY 09
4000
FY 08
3000
FY 07
2000
FY 06
1000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 129 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Grey Route ridership was 439 riders, which represents 4.6% of daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey (note – there was one missed Grey Route trip in the ridecheck survey).  42% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Most riders on the Grey Route are either beginning or ending their trip at Union Station, with few riders making trips that do not include a stop at Union Station.  Other stops with high ridership activity include 1. Mt. Comfort & Garland (Harp’s/Oak Plaza) 2. Fair Park Apartments 3. Food Science Building 4. Garden Park Apartments 5. Washington Plaza  Ridership builds on the Grey Route beginning at Garden Park Apartments.  The maximum observed load was 59 passengers and occurred on the 7:35 a.m. trip. There were also two trips with maximum loads of 23 passengers. All other trips had maximum loads in the teens or single digits.  The trip with a maximum load of 59 passengers had 34 passengers get on the bus at Garden Park Apartments and at the Harps stop.  The Grey Route was on‐time at timepoints only 40 percent of the time (defined as 1‐minute early to 5‐minutes late). All of the trips that were not on‐time at a timepoint were late, with the latest trip being 13 minutes late. One half of trips not on‐time at timepoints were just over 5 minutes late (i.e., 6‐7 minute). Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 131 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads 14
12
Offs
10
Ons
150
8
6
100
4
50
2
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Avg. Line Load
200
250
Page 132 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Brown Route
The Brown
Route operates as a one direction loop and connects the central portion of the University of Arkansas campus with downtown Fayetteville. This route serves downtown Fayetteville, the Walton Arts Center and the Dickson Street commercial area. The Brown Route operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. In the and in the Summer/holiday period, evenings of the Brown Route are covered by portions the Green Reduced Route alignment. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Brown Route
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 133 Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
7:03 a.m.-5:48 p.m.
20/ 20/ -20
5
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31
11.0
90.0
1.0
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516
46.9
5.7
16.6
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The Brown Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels north on Garland Avenue, east on Maple Street, south on West Avenue and west on Lafayette Street to Highland Street. The route then completes the loop via Highlands street, Dickson Street, Church Avenue, Center Street, West Avenue and Dickson Street, back to Garland Avenue and Union Station. Service is provided in the clockwise direction only. The Brown Route serves the Town Square area of Fayetteville, the Walton Arts Center and the commercial area along Dickson Street. The Brown Route also travels within one block of College Avenue and the Fayetteville Public Library (located at School Avenue and Mountain Street. In addition, this route serves several university buildings along Maple Street and Dickson Street. The Brown Route operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:33 p.m.). The Green Reduced Route provides coverage of most of the Brown Route alignment during the evenings, Saturdays and the Summer/holiday period. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Brown Route operates as a one‐direction loop, thus creating out‐of‐direction travel for passengers making short trips (e.g., Union Station to Maple Street/West Avenue. However, the loop is fairly small, thus out‐of‐direction travel time is not substantial. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Brown Route operates at 20‐minute frequency on weekdays until about 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, Saturdays or the Summer and holiday period. The Green Reduced Route provides service during these time periods. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Brown route has a 20‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 5 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – Connections between the Brown Route and ORT Routes 40 and 41 are possible at Hillcrest Towers, located at Center Street and School Avenue. Other transfer opportunities are at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 134 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Brown Route annual ridership has decreased 24 percent over this five‐year period. Brown Route ridership was quite high in FY 2006 and 2007, then decreased significantly in FY 2008. Ridership has been building since 2008, for the Brown route has seen an 11% increase in ridership over the past two years. As was noted with other routes, there is a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months and the Brown Route is not operating. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
16000
14000
12000
FY 10
10000
FY 09
8000
FY 08
6000
FY 07
4000
FY 06
2000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 135 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Brown Route ridership was 492 passengers, which represents 5.1% of daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey.  35% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. When compared to other Razorback routes, the Brown Route has a higher number of riders that get on and off the route without one of those stops being at Union Station.  Other stops with high ridership activity include 1. Center Street & School Avenue 2. Central United Methodist Church parking deck 3. Highland & Dickson  The maximum observed load was 36 passengers and occurred on the 12:23 p.m. trip. All other maximum loads were less than 20 passengers per trip.  The trip with a maximum load of 36 passengers had 27 passengers get on the bus at Highland & Dickson.  The Brown Route was on‐time at timepoints 97 percent of the time (defined as 1‐minute early to 5‐
minutes late). This was the best on‐time performance of all Razorback Transit day routes. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
10
180
9
160
8
140
Offs
100
Ons
80
7
6
5
4
60
3
40
2
20
1
0
0
120
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads
Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Purple Route
The Purple
Route operates bi‐directionally along Razorback Road, and then makes a one‐direction loop beginning at MLK Blvd. This route serves Lot 56, U of A athletic south of MLK, various hotels and facilities commercial businesses and several student apartment complexes. The Purple Route operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. No service is provided along this route in the evenings or in the Summer/holiday period. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Purple Route
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
6:55 a.m.-6:24 p.m.
30/ 30/ -30
6
n/ a
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22
11.5
141.0
1.0
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577
50.2
4.1
26.2
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Page 139 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Description of Existing Alignment
The Purple Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels north on Garland Avenue, west on Maple Street and south on Razorback Road. This route crosses MLK Blvd. and makes a large one‐direction loop via Razorback Road, 15th Street, 18th Street, Futrall Drive, Stone Street, Sang Avenue and MLK Blvd., back to Razorback Road. The inbound trip includes a stop at Lot 56. The Purple Route serves several student apartment complexes, U of A athletic facilities and commercial businesses. Major destinations along the Purple Route include:  Bud Walton Arena  Stadium Apartments  Baum Stadium  Randal Tyson Track Center  Crowne Apartments  Southern View Apartments  Markham Hill Apartments  Lot 56 The Purple Route operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 6:00 p.m.). There is no service along the Purple Route during the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday season. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Purple Route has a large one‐direction loop that begins at Razorback Road and MLK Blvd. This creates out‐of‐direction travel for passengers. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Purple Route operates at 30‐minute frequency on weekdays until about 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday season. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Purple Route has a 30‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 6 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – Connections between the Purple Route and ORT Route 54 are possible at Lot 56. The Purple Route shares some stops with Route 56, the Green and Yellow routes. Other transfer opportunities are possible at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 140 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. The Purple Route began operation in FY 2008. There were 38,800 riders in FY 2008, 59,200 riders in FY 2009 and 62,400 riders in FY 2010. Ridership is highest in September for all 3 years. As was noted with other routes, there is a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐break for portions of those months and the Purple Route is not operating. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
12,000
10,000
8,000
FY 10
6,000
FY 09
4,000
FY 08
2,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 141 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Purple Route weekday ridership was 456 riders, which represents 4.7% of the daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey.  49% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Nearly all riders on the Purple Route are beginning or ending their trip at Union Station.  Other stops with high ridership activity include 1. Crowne Apartments 2. Southern View Apartments  There were only 24 boardings and alightings at Lot 56.  There were two trips with maximum loads over 30 passengers. The 3:40 p.m. trip had a maximum load of 37 passengers. The 7:20 trip had a maximum load of 35 passengers.  The average daily maximum load was 17 passengers per trip.  The Purple Route was on‐time at timepoints 88% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Most of the on‐time performance problems were associated with being 2 or 3 minutes early. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
2200
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
0
Hour
12
10
200
Avg. Line Load
150
Ons
6
100
4
50
2
0
0
Offs
250
Page 144 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Yellow Route
The Yellow
Route operates as a one‐direction loop via Garland Avenue, Meadow Street, Razorback Road and Cleveland Street. This route serves various University of Arkansas buildings and dormitories. The Yellow Route operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. The Green Reduced Route provides comparable coverage for the Yellow Route on weekday evenings, Saturdays and in the Summer/holiday period. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Yellow
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 145 Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
6:56 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
16/ 16/ -16
2
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41
11.0
86.0
1.0
n/ a
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n/ a
n/ a
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480
43.6
5.6
11.7
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The Yellow Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels south on Garland Avenue to Stadium Drive, then west on Meadow Street, north on Razorback Road and east on Cleveland Street, back to Garland Avenue. This route remains on‐campus and serves Brough Commons, Pomfret Hall, the Outdoor Track Stadium, Razorback Stadium, Reid Hall, Maple Hill, Hotz Hall and the Walker Health Center. The Yellow Route operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:46 p.m.). All stops but one (the HPER Building stop) is served by the Green Reduced Route during the evenings, on Saturdays and during the Summer and holiday period. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Yellow Route operates as a one‐direction loop. Routing is fairly short, thus minimizing out‐of‐direction travel time for passengers. However, passengers travelling from Reid, Maple Hill and Hotz Halls must ride all the way around the loop to return to these dormitories. The Maple Hill Express route, however, does provide direct service back to the dormitories. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Yellow Route operates at 16‐minute frequency on weekdays until about 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday season. The Green Reduced Route provides service along most of the Yellow Route alignment during these time periods. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Yellow Route has an 18‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 2 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – The Yellow Route shares stops with the Green and Pomfret Routes at some locations. Transfers with other routes are possible at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 146 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership by month for the past four fiscal years is presented in the figure below. The Yellow route began operation in FY 2007. This route was previously called the Maple Hill Route until the start of the FY 2010/2011 school year. The following graph presents combined Yellow Route and Maple Hill Express Route ridership. Ridership has more than doubled over the past four years. Unlike other Razorback routes, these routes saw their highest ridership in the Spring semester in FY 2010 (other routes tend have highest ridership levels in September). Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
30,000
25,000
20,000
FY 10
15,000
FY 09
FY 08
10,000
FY 07
5,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 147 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Yellow Route weekday ridership was 463 passengers, which represents 4.8% of the daily Razorback ridership that was counted during the ridecheck survey (note – there were two missed Yellow Route trips in the ridecheck survey).  29% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Thus, a significant number of riders are using the Yellow Route for purposes other than traveling to and from Union Station.  Other stops with high ridership activity include: 1. Brough Commons 2. Pomfret Hall 3. The Maple Hall area dormitories  There were no trips with standing loads. Only two trips had a maximum load of 20 or more passengers. The average daily maximum load was 10 passengers per trip.  The Yellow Route was on‐time at timepoints 57% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). It is important to note, however, that most of the trips recorded as being not on‐time were in the afternoon. It appears that the bus might have gotten off‐schedule on two specific trips (the 3:06 and 4:42 trips) to the point where the bus missed a scheduled trip (i.e., the bus was more than 16‐
minutes late – the Yellow Route’s frequency). Subsequent trips were then actually operating on‐
schedule, but still recorded by the ridecheck surveyor as still being off‐schedule. When adjusting for this possible occurrence, the Yellow Route’s on‐time performance improves to 80 percent. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
2200
2100
2000
1900
1800
1700
1600
1500
1400
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
0
Hour
4
200
150
Avg. Line Load
3.5
Offs
3
Ons
2.5
2
100
1.5
1
50
0.5
0
0
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Average Vehicle Load
250
Page 150 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Maple Hill Express
The Maple
Hill Route operates as a direct shuttle route between Union Station and the dormitories on Cleveland Street (Reid Hall, Maple Hill and Hotz Hall). The Maple HIll Route operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. The Green Reduced Route provides comparable coverage for the Maple Hill Route on weekday evenings, Saturdays and in the Summer/holiday period. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Maple Hill Express
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 151 Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
7:04 a.m.-5:52 p.m.
16/ 16/ -16
2
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
39
11.0
55.0
1.0
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
197
17.9
3.6
5.1
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
The Maple Hill Express Route begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels north on Garland Avenue and west on Cleveland Street to the dormitories on Cleveland Street. U of A buildings served by this route include:  Reid Hall  Maple Hill  Hotz Hall  Garland Avenue parking garage  Northwest Quad  Pat Walker Health Center The Maple Hill Express Route operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:38 p.m.). All stops are also served by the Green Reduced Route during the evenings, on Saturdays and during the Summer and holiday period. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Maple Hill Express Route provides direct two‐direction service to the Cleveland Street dormitories. This provides more of an “express” route to the Yellow Route for students making a return trip to the dormitories. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Maple Hill Express Route operates at 16‐minute frequencies on weekdays until about 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday season. The Green Reduced Route provides service along most of the Yellow Route alignment during these time periods. 
Cycle/Layover Times – The Maple Hill Express Route has an 18‐minute cycle time, thus requires one bus for operation. There are 2 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – The Maple Hill Express Route shares stops with other Razorback Transit routes along Garland Avenue, and with the Yellow Route at the Maple Hill dormitories. Transfers with other routes are possible at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 152 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Historically, Maple Hill Express ridership has been included in Yellow route ridership totals (the Yellow Route was previously called the Maple Hill Route). Thus, historical data on the Maple Hill Express is not available. The following graph presents combined Yellow Route and Maple Hill Express Route monthly ridership. Ridership has more than doubled the past four years for these two routes. Further, the Yellow/Maple Hill Express Routes have higher ridership totals in the Spring, which is different from other Razorback Transit routes. Monthly Ridership (FY 2007 through FY 2010)
30,000
25,000
20,000
FY 10
15,000
FY 09
FY 08
10,000
FY 07
5,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 153 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Maple Hill Express weekday ridership was 249 passengers, which represents 2.6% of daily Razorback ridership that was counted from the ridecheck survey.  47% of all ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Thus, nearly all riders are travelling directly to/from Union Station.  75% of the non Union Station ridership activity is occurring at the Maple Hill dormitories.  The highest observed maximum load was 19 passengers. There were only six trips with maximum loads in the teens. All other trips had loads in the single digits. The average daily maximum load was 5 passengers per trip.  The Maple Hill Express Route was on‐time at timepoints only 51 percent of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All of the on‐time performance problems were associated with early‐arriving trips, with trips often arriving 2 to 4 minutes early at timepoints. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
4
140
3.5
120
3
Avg. Line Load
2.5
80
Offs
2
60
Ons
1.5
100
40
1
20
0.5
0
0
Weekday Ridership by Stop and Average Line Loads Page 156 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback Transit – Pomfret Express
The Pomfret
Express Route operates as one‐
direction loop via Garland Avenue, Stadium Drive, Meadow Street, Razorback Road and Maple Street. This route serves University of Arkansas buildings and dormitories. The Pomfret Express operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. The Green Reduced Route provides comparable coverage for the Pomfret Express on evenings, Saturdays and in the weekday Summer/holiday period.
Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Pomfret Express
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 157 Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
12/ 12/ -12
2
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
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n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
47
11.0
330.0
1.0
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
812
73.8
2.5
17.3
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
The Pomfret Express begins at Union Station on the University of Arkansas campus and travels south on Garland Avenue to Stadium Drive and continues along Meadow Street, north on Razorback Road and east on Maple Street, back to Garland Avenue. This is the same alignment as the Yellow Route, with the exception that this route operates on Maple Street instead of Cleveland Street. The Pomfret Express serves Brough Commons, Pomfret Hall, the HPER Building, the Outdoor Track Stadium and Razorback Stadium. The Pomfret Express Route operates when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:50 p.m.). All stops but one (the HPER Building stop) is served by the Green Reduced Route during the evenings, on Saturdays and during the Summer and holiday period. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – The Green Route is one‐direction loop service, but it is a very short loop, thus minimizing out‐of‐direction travel time. Routing for the Pomfret Express is very similar to the Yellow Route, with the exception of not serving the dormitories on Cleveland Street. 
Schedule/Span of Service – The Pomfret Express Route operates at about 12‐minute frequencies on weekdays during the Fall and Spring sessions. Since the route is so short (10‐minute round trip time), there is no published schedule for this route. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday periods. The Green Reduced Route provides service along most of the Pomfret Express Route alignment during these time periods. 
Cycle/Layover Times –The Pomfret Express has a 12‐minute cycle time, and requires one bus for operation. The scheduled round trip travel time is 12 minutes. There are 2 minutes of scheduled layover time at Union Station. 
Route Transfers – The Pomfret Express shares stops with the Green and Yellow Routes at some locations. Transfer opportunities with other routes are possible at Union Station. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 158 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Pomfret Express Route ridership was highest in FY 2006. Since FY 2007, however, Pomfret Express ridership has grown 18%. As with the other routes, Pomfret Express Route ridership is highest in September, and there is a significant drop in ridership in December and January, when the University of Arkansas is on‐
break for portions of those months and the Pomfret Express is not operating. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
25,000
20,000
FY 10
15,000
FY 09
FY 08
10,000
FY 07
FY 06
5,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 159 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data for the Pomfret Express Route are as follows:  Pomfret Express Route ridership was 737, which represents 7.6% of counted daily Razorback ridership data (note – there was one missed Pomfret Express Route trip in the ridecheck survey).  75% of all Pomfret Express Route ridership activity occurred at Union Station, by far the largest stop on the route. Students appear to be getting on the bus at Brough Commons and Pomfret Hall to ride to Union Station. But, they don’t appear to be making as many return trips from Union Station.  Brough Commons and Pomfret Hall are the highest non‐Union Station ridership stops.  There was one trip with a maximum load of 58 passengers (the 8:06 a.m. trip). All other loads were below 40 passengers. The average daily maximum passenger load was 14 passengers per trip  The Pomfret Express Route was on‐time at timepoints 66% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). Most of the on‐time performance problems were associated with early‐arriving buses. There was a period of time in the morning (from about 10 a.m. to noon) where trips were recorded as being 15 minutes or more early (on a route with a 12‐minute cycle time). It is likely the ridecheck surveyor got off‐track in his/her recording of time at scheduled timepoints. When taking this possible occurrence into account, this route’s on‐time performance improves to 70 percent. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
12
500
400
350
10
Avg. Line Load
8
Offs
300
250
Ons
6
200
4
150
100
2
50
0
0
450
Page 162 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Razorback – Route 56
The Route
56 operates as a one‐direction loop from Lot 56 to the central campus of the University of Arkansas. This is the only Razorback Transit route that does not provide service to Union Station. Route 56 operates only during the Fall and Spring school sessions. The Green Reduced Route provides service back to Lot 56 on weekday evenings, Saturdays and in the Summer/holiday period. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Fall/Spring Sessions
Summer/Holiday
Route 56
Hours of Operation
Cycle Time (min)
Layover Time (min)
Route Statistics
Round Trips
Daily Revenue-Hours
Daily Revenue-Miles
Peak Buses
Route Productivity
Boardings
Riders/ Rev. Hr.
Riders/ Rev.-Mi.
Riders/ Trip
Page 163 Weekday
Wkdy Eve.
Saturday
Weekday
7:00 a.m.-5:53 p.m.
20/ 20/ -20
7
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
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n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
31
11.0
86.0
1.0
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
485
44.1
5.6
15.6
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
n/ a
Route 56 begins at Lot 56 and follows Razorback Road, Meadow Street, Stadium Drive, California Blvd., Harmon, Dickson Street, Duncan, Hill Avenue and MLK Jr. Blvd., back to Lot 56. In addition to serving Lot 56, this route serves Lots 55 and 57, Pomfret Hall and the Harmon Parking Deck. Route 56 operates only when the University of Arkansas is in‐session during the Fall and Spring – from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (the last scheduled trip departs Union Station at 5:46 p.m.). The Green Reduced Route provides service from Dickson Street back to Lot 56 during the evenings, on Saturdays and during the Summer and holiday period. Key Route Issues and Observations
 Alignment – Route 56 operates as a one‐direction loop. Routing is fairly short, thus minimizing out‐
of‐direction travel time for passengers. This is also the only Razorback Transit route that does not provide service to Union Station. 
Schedule/Span of Service – Route 56 operates at 20‐minute frequency on weekdays until about 6:00 p.m. when school is in‐session. As noted earlier, this route does not operate in the evenings, on Saturdays or during the Summer and holiday season. The Green Reduced Route provides service to Lot 56 during these time periods. 
Cycle/Layover Times – Route 56 has a 23‐minute cycle time, thus requiring one bus for operation. There are 7 minutes of scheduled layover time at Lot 56. 
Route Transfers – Connections to the Purple and Green Routes and to ORT’s Route 54 are possible at Lot 56 and along Razorback Road. Transfers are also possible to the Brown Route on Dickson Road and to the Yellow and Pomfret Routes on Meadow Street. Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 164 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Historical Ridership Characteristics
Average monthly ridership for the past five fiscal years is presented in the figure below. Route 56 ridership has decreased 29% since FY 2006. Ridership has varied significantly on this route over the past five years, and ridership was the lowest in FY 2009. The FY 2010 ridership is 35% higher than it was in FY 2009. Like other Razorback Transit routes, this route’s highest ridership levels are typically in September. Monthly Ridership (FY 2006 through FY 2010)
14,000
12,000
10,000
FY 10
8,000
FY 09
FY 08
6,000
FY 07
4,000
FY 06
2,000
0
A weekday ridecheck survey was conducted in September 2010 for all Razorback routes. Passenger boardings and alightings were recorded at every stop, and departure and arrival times were recorded at timepoints. Results from this survey are presented over the following pages:  A graph showing weekday ridership activity (boardings and alightings) by time of day;  Maps that illustrate total weekday ridership activity by stop for each direction; and  Graphs that depict weekday boarding and alighting activity by stop, by direction, along with average daily line loads Technical Memorandum 5: Existing Service Evaluation Page 165 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010 Pertinent ridership characteristics observed from the ridecheck survey data are as follows:  Route 56’s weekday ridership was 478 passengers, which represents 5.0% of the daily Razorback ridership that was recorded during the ridecheck survey.  51% of all ridership activity occurred at Lot 56 stops. Thus, many riders are using Route 56 for purposes other than traveling to and from Lot 56.  Other stops with high ridership activity include: 1. The Harmon Avenue parking garage 2. The Bell Engineering Building 3. MLK & Hill  There were no trips with standing loads. The highest maximum load was 36 passengers on the 9:10 a.m. trip. Several trips had maximum loads of 20 or more passengers. The average daily maximum load was 13 passengers per trip.  Route 56 was on‐time at timepoints 81% of the time (defined as 1 minute early to 5 minutes late). All of the on‐time performance problems were associated with late‐arriving trips, with late trips ranging from 6 to 10 minutes late. Weekday Boardings by Time of Day
140
Riders per Hour
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Hour
10
200
9
Offs
8
Ons
7
6
150
5
4
100
3
2
50
1
0
0
250
Page 168 Northwest Arkansas Transit Development Plan October 2010

Existing Service Evaluation - Northwest Arkansas Regional

Transcription

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