09-21>9-23-2001 City Council Retreat

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From: Connie Elston To: Jerry Clarke Date: 08/1412001 Time: 5:51:58 PM Page 1 of 2 • For Immediate Release Contact: August 2001 Connie Elston, 281-333-1813 John Martinec. 713-907-9088 Bay Area Bus Service Closes The Houston -Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC) Transportation Policy Council (TPC) has declined to enter into a contract for the Bay Area Transportation Partnership (BATP) for a second year of funding for the Bay Area's Circulator bus service, Alan C. Clark, H-GAC Manager of Transportation Planning announced in an August 1, 2001 letter to Connie Elston, President of the Partnership. The last day of service will be August 31, 2001 according to John Martinec, Chairman of the BATP Board. "Our first regret is for the loyal bus service patrons in the Bay Area who have come to depend on the Circulator for their daily commute to work, to school, to community services, healthcare and many other daily needs in their lives," states Martinec. "They represent the first casualty from the H-GAC decision". The Circulator began as a "fixed route" service in June 2000, funded primarily by federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds managed by H-GAC, as a two-year "Commuter and Transit Services Pilot Project." The Bay Area Transportation Partnership was selected as one of four transportation management organizations in the H-GAC TPC's eleven county Houston -Galveston area to develop and manage a regional • transit pilot project. Daily ridership was established as the primary "measuring stick" for evaluating success. The greater the ridership, the greater the enhanced benefit for traffic congestion and air quality. Based on success of the two-year pilot project, alternative -funding sources would begin a shift toward regional and local funding sources including Metropolitan Transit Authority, local government, business, and the private sector. Annual cost of current Bay Area circulator bus service is in excess of one million dollars, representing a cost that far exceeds the ability of funding the service solely with the affordable $1.00 one-way bus fare revenue. The Bay Area service has successfully demonstrated steady growth over the first year of service. Recent peak ridership performance is over 130 daily boardings. Based on this proven historic growth, and a projected growth as Bay Area residents continue to "discover" the bus service as a reliable and efficient means of local and regional transportation, officials estimate ridership would grow to over 250 after a second year. This would move the Bay Area service well on its path to an eventual success goal of 400+. "The Partnership strongly believes that given our continued campaign for sincere outreach to residents and businesses in the Bay Area, that we would continue to energize residents into recognizing the personal and environmental benefits they would gain from using the service," says Ms. Elston. "Simply stated, ridership would continue to grow". "I've lived in the Clear Lake area my whole career", adds Martinec. "I know the residents. There are many that immediately accept bus transit as their preferred or only means of transportation. Today, many of them are already loyal patrons. There are substantially more 'suburbia' residents in the Bay Area culture who need to be encouraged • and educated of benefits from public transit over personal automobiles. I regret that the 9.3