Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Transit

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Robert A. Nugent, Transit Administrator
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE:	August 19, 2010
RE:	Transit Service for KU Football Games - 2010

For the last two years the City has provided shuttle service between downtown and Memorial Stadium for KU football games. Due to the “special and exclusive” nature of the shuttle and federal regulatory constraints associated with charter service, the Transit Department was unable to fund the service. Therefore, it was necessary that the City issue Request for Proposals seeking vendors to provide the service. The funding for last year’s service was subsequently approved by City Commission for the amount of $12,624.

With the implementation of the first phase of coordinated service in August of 2009, and specifically the restructuring of routes, our regulatory constraints pertaining to “special and exclusive” service has changed. We now have a new route (#11) that serves the corridor between downtown and the stadium on a regularly scheduled basis.  With the implementation of this route it is no longer necessary for the City to provide shuttle service through an outside transportation provider.

This year the shuttle service is being incorporated into the regularly schedule service of route #11. In order to prevent overloads and service failures we will be utilizing additional buses. These buses will be necessary in order to accommodate the dramatic increase in ridership before, during and after the game. It will also ensure that we can maintain critical connections on all portions of the route. The additional cost associated with this change will be fully incorporated into the existing Transit budget.

This would not have been possible without our efforts toward coordination.

News Release:

Downtown shuttle to run for KU football fans

(Lawrence, Kan.) – The City of Lawrence invites KU football fans to park in Downtown Lawrence for free and catch a ride to and from Memorial Stadium during this football season. Downtown to Memorial Stadium service will be available for all six home-game Saturdays and for the evening KU/K-State game on October 14. Fans can enjoy Downtown restaurants and shops before and after the game.

Parking in the New Hampshire Street Parking Garage, 900 block of New Hampshire, and on the lower level and ramps of the Riverfront Parking Garage, 600 block of New Hampshire, will be free for weekend game days.  For the October 14, KU/K-State game, parking in the downtown parking garages will be free after 4:00 p.m. The service to and from Memorial Stadium is $1 for all passengers.  The service will run two hours prior to kick-off and one hour after the game or when no additional post-game passengers are present.

Downtown pick-up points for the shuttle are across the street and just north of the New Hampshire Street garage, and at the cutout in front of the Riverfront Garage.  Buses will display: #11 Downtown/Football Service.

The service will run for each University of Kansas home football game.  Bus service will pick up and drop off passengers at only three stops - Memorial Stadium, the New Hampshire Street Parking Garage and the Riverfront Parking Garage.