Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Lawrence Transit

TO:	Tom Markus, City Manager
FROM:	Robert A. Nugent, Transit Administrator
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager
DATE:	July 27, 2016
RE:	Department Update

Amenities

In early May Parks & Recreation provided contractor site plans for pricing. Contractor provided pricing and a requisition was approved on May 11th. A notice to proceed was forwarded to the Contractor for installation concrete pads. Installation of pads was anticipated to begin by the end of May but was delayed. The pouring of pads actually began in July. Several of the pads have been installed and staff is working with our shelter cleaners on an agreement to install benches and additional amenities. This installation is anticipated to begin in the next couple weeks but completion of all 12 locations is dependent upon the completion of the concrete work. The locations are as follows:

· 3215 Ousdahl (concrete installed)

· 31^st Street at Cottonwood (concrete installed)

· 23rd & Naismith Dillon's

· Free State High School

· 15th & Haskell (concrete installed)

· 4th & Maine

· 20th & Louisiana at LHS (concrete installed)

· 9th & Ohio

· 31st & Lawrence Avenue at  First Step House (concrete installed)

· Clinton Parkway  & Hawthorne

· 33^rd Street at Kohl's (concrete installed)

· 27th & Scottsdale

Service Change

Transit service changes effective August 1; New Transit Guides available

Five public meetings were held from February 16-18, 2016 to present proposed changes to the service. Public input was received during these meetings and through a comment period that ended on April 1, 2016. The Public Transit Advisory Committee approved the changes on May 10, 2016.  

Several changes to Lawrence bus service will go into effect August 1. The new Transit Guide reflecting these changes is available around town, including grocery stores, City Hall, Lawrence Public Library, several locations across the KU campus and on all buses. A preview of the new routes and schedules can also be found at lawrencetransit.org. Below are this year’s changes:

• Route 1 will begin serving the Lawrence Community Shelter.
• Route 3 will become a fixed route service and serve Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
• Route 6 will serve Rock Chalk Park and Sports Pavilion Lawrence
• Route 15 will serve Connecticut and Barker, Peaslee Center and East Hills Business Park.
• Minor adjustments were made to routing and scheduling on other routes.

Also, Routes 5, 7 and 10 and have increased their frequency from every hour to every 30 minutes.  What this means is that bus service has doubled on these routes.  This is due to higher ridership and demand for more bus service in Lawrence.  

Bus Refurbish

Staff has been working to refurbish the five (5) used buses that were recently purchased from Master’s Transportation. Two buses are expected to be ready for service in early August to support the increase in service that starts with the August 1^st service change.