Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Transit

TO:	Dave Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Cliff Galante, Public Transit Administrator
CC:	Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager
Date:	October 19, 2006
RE:	Coordinated Public Transportation Development Plan Update

Next week the consultant, Dan Boyle and Associates, will be in Lawrence to continue work on completing the Coordinated Public Transportation Development Plan that explores the feasibility of coordinating and/or consolidating City and University transit services.  If possible, I would like for the Mr. Boyle to update you and the City Commission on his progress to date.

Specifically, Dan Boyle and Associates began work on this project in early May working with the Study Management Team made up of City and University representatives.  Since that time, Mr. Boyle has visited Lawrence many times meeting with various stakeholders such as City and University officials and staff; contracted transportation provider staff from MV Transportation and Lawrence Bus Company; representatives from KU on Wheels, representatives from the Federal Transit Administration and Kansas Department of Transportation; transit patrons; University of Kansas students, faculty and staff; and the public at large to receive input and obtain important operational and financing information.  In addition, efforts have been made to reach out to Haskell Indian Nations University community to include them in this study process. 

Other efforts include obtaining information on fixed-route and paratransit operations for the T and KUOW to complete a comprehensive operational analysis and route profiles, as well as, conducting a peer review of other University Communities to determine how public transportation services were established and currently operate in those communities.  The peer review focused on Big 12 universities because of their experiences would have the greatest relevance for the University of Kansas.  In addition, three other university/communities (University of Illinois/Champaign/Urbana, University of Michigan/Ann Arbor, and Michigan State University/East Lansing) were included to the peer list because they have long-running and successful transit programs.

Also, in an attempt to learn more about current T and KUOW transit patrons, on-board passenger surveys were completed to determine their reasons on why they utilize transit, where they are going, rating the overall performance of existing service, and any recommended changes to improve service. 

Mr. Boyle and his team also worked on developing various governance and funding models, and drafting preliminary service alternatives and recommendations that includes transition and financial plans based on the status quo (current funding levels), 20 percent increase in funding, and 33 percent increase in funding that would be used to improve existing service.

All this draft preliminary information will be made available to the City Commission and public to review once the reports are ready for distribution.  

It is planned that Mr. Boyle will be presenting a final report with recommendations in mid-November to the City Commission and University of Kansas to evaluate.