June 2018 Public Meetings Todays Agenda Welcome What is the Travel - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program Plan Update

June 2018 Public Meetings

Today’s Agenda

• Welcome
• What is the Travel Washington Intercity

Program Plan Update?

– What is Travel Washington? – What is Intercity Bus Service? – What is Washington’s Intercity Bus Network?

• Discussion of intercity needs and issues
• Provide input to study team

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About this project…

• Review and assess the four Travel Washington

routes

• Develop, prioritize and recommend future

Travel Washington routes

• Identify unmet intercity bus needs/service

gaps

• Recommend potential near‐term intercity

service expansion to address (possible fifth Travel Washington line)

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Project Schedule

• June‐July: Regional public meetings
• June‐July: Surveys
• August: Analysis of Survey Results
• August: Development of Alternatives/Demand

Estimates

• September: Prioritization
• October: Draft Final Report
• December: Final Report

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Opportunities to Provide Input

• Public survey for everyone who wishes to provide input
• On‐board surveys on the four Travel Washington routes
• Surveys of regional planning agencies
• Surveys of public transit providers
• Surveys of other stakeholders –human service agencies,

colleges, etc.

• Regional public meetings (this is one of them!)
• All surveys are available on the project web site:

http://www.kfhgroup.com/wsdot/travelwashingtonplan.html

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What is the Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program?

• Launched in 2007 to provide intercity connections from

rural areas to connect people with urban centers and the national intercity bus network

• Uses Federal Transit Administration Section 5311(f)

rural intercity bus funding with local match provided as in‐kind by the private carriers (Greyhound)

• Four Travel Washington routes were developed based
• n the 2007 Washington intercity bus plan
• The Travel Washington routes are operated by private

firms under contract to WSDOT

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• Travel Washington

branding for all routes

• Individual regional

route names:

– Grape Line – Dungeness Line – Apple Line – Gold Line

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Travel Washington Lines

• Grape Line
• Dungeness

Line

• Apple Line
• Gold Line

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Grape Line

• Walla Walla to Pasco
• Started in 2007
• Three daily round‐trips
• Averages 5,000 trips per

year

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Dungeness Line

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• Port Angeles to Seattle
• Started in 2008
• Two daily round‐trips
• Averages 15,500

passenger trips per year

Apple Line

• Omak to

Wenatchee/Ellensburg

• Started in 2008
• One round‐trip daily
• Averages 5,000 trips per

year

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Gold Line

• Kettle Falls to Spokane
• Started in 2010
• Two round‐trips daily
• Averages 5,000 passenger

trips per year

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Statewide Intercity Bus Network‐1983

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What do we mean by “Intercity”?

• Long‐distance
• Meaningful connection to

national intercity bus network – Shared stations – Coordinated schedules – Interline ticketing if appropriate

• Fixed‐route, fixed‐schedule

(except feeder services)

• Has space for baggage—think
• vernight trips
• To receive Greyhound in‐kind

match must operate five to seven days per week

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What long‐distance services are not “Intercity”?

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• Not commuter services—not designed for daily

work trips

• Long distance medical or other human service

trips that are:

– Demand response—pre‐scheduled – Do not service shared intercity network stops

• BUT—Regional services providing for a same‐day

round‐trip can be considered intercity if they make connections—like the Travel Washington routes

Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network

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• Travel Washington routes connect to the

national intercity bus network:

– Serves same stations – Coordinated schedules – Interline ticketing

• Also connect to airports, Amtrak, local transit
• Services in Google Transit, Greyhound

ticketing system

Travel Washington: Part of a Connected Network

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Example of Travel Washington Service in Google Transit

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Example of Travel Washington Service in Greyhound Website

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Coverage of Washington’s Intercity Network

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• Washington total population: 7,073,146
• Population within 10 miles of intercity

stations/stops: 5,421,117

• Population within 25 miles of intercity

stations/stops: 6,766,255

• 76.7% of Washington residents live within 10

miles of intercity stops

• 95.6% live within 25 miles

Intercity Network and Population Distribution

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Intercity Network and High Needs Populations

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Now, we need to hear from you….

• Where do you go?
• How often?
• What modes/services to you use?
• How well do they work?

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Tell us about your intercity travel needs:

• New routes?
• Additional schedules?
• More/better connections with other services?

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Is there a need for additional service?

• Do we need more/better information?
• Does the ticketing system need

improvements?

• More marketing?

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How do you access the statewide transit network?

• WSDOT Contacts:

– Greg Wright: 360‐791‐1170 WrightG@wsdot.wa.gov

• Study Team Contacts:

– Beth Hamby: 206‐274‐5996 bhamby@kfhgroup.com – Carole Richardson: 208‐277‐4600 plangineering@comcast.net

• Project Website (project information and links to surveys):

http://www.kfhgroup.com/wsdot/travelwashingtonplan.html

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For more information or to submit comments: