Upcoming ITS Work In Virginia Transit and Travel Demand Management (TDM) Initiatives

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Upcoming ITS Work In VirginiaTransit and Travel
Demand Management (TDM) Initiatives

• Sharmila Samarasinghe
• Project Manager, Department of Rail and Public
  Transportation (DRPT)

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Who is DRPT?
Governor
Secretary of Transportation
Commonwealth Transportation Board
DRPT
DOA
MVDB
VDOT
DMV
VPA

• Virginia Department of Rail and Public
  Transportation - created in 1992 as a State
  Agency
• 40 employees, four offices
• Work with over 100 public and private partners to
  provide project management services, planning
  support, technical expertise, financial support
  and program advocacy

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Three Main Areas of Activity

• Rail
• Freight rail
• Passenger rail
• Public Transportation
• Public transit systems and services
• Special needs transportation
• Commuter Services
• Ridesharing carpools, vanpools
• Incentive programs for employers
• Telework

• Funding Support
• Advocacy
• Planning and
• technical support

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Transit Trends

• In 2007 the Transit Industry generated 9 billion
  trips (source USDOT FTA).
• 5.4 billion on bus
• 3.3 billion on rail transit
• 400 million on commuter rail
• 250 million on rural transit
• In three months these system carry more
  passengers than the nations airlines carry in an
  year (670 million).
• Virginia Transit Performance Report (2000-2006)
  (source DRPT)
• Ridership 183 million trips in 2006
• grew 21 from 2000 - 2006
• System efficiency - Operating cost per passenger
  trip
• Cost per trip is lower than any of the
  neighboring states system effectiveness
• More trips per vehicle revenue hour than NC or TN
• Farebox recovery - percentage of operating costs
  funded through fare revenue
• Higher operating cost recovery than NC or TN
• Total transit miles operated 12 increase

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Trends Impacting Demand for Transit (Paradigm
Shift Meets Conditions on the Ground)
Worsening Traffic Congestion
Decreased Mobility
Aging of Transportation Network
Increased Fuel Costs
Aging of America
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Lost in Translation

• Worsening Congestion Annually Costs U.S. economy
  78 billion

• 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel which equals
  58 fully loaded supertankers

• 4.2 billion lost hours which converts to 105
  million weeks of vacation

(Source Texas Transportation Institute)
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Increasing Fuel Costs

• U.S. currently experiencing record high fuel
  costs at over 117 a barrel
• In previous national fuel price spikes
• Hardest hit cities (2005) VA had two of the top
  10
• 5 DC/VA/MD area
• Average two-driver household had a 2,255
  annual increase in fuel expenses
• 8 Richmond
• Average two-driver household had a 2,045
  annual increase in fuel expenses
• High gas prices mean less opportunity for
  mobility
• Minimum wage workers in the US are paying up to
  11.3 of their salaries for fuel costs
• Households earning less than 35,000 are
  reportedly cutting back driving by 58 (source
  Consumer Federation of America, April 2008)

San Francisco, CA April 23, 2008
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Aging of America

• Seniors (65years) - fastest growing population
  group
• one in 13 statewide and one in 7 in N.Va are
  seniors
• Older citizen population to double in next 25
  years in the US
• One in five seniors does not drive lacking
  mobility
• Recommendations to address this include
• Centralized information and referral service that
  includes real people and electronic information
• Coordinated fixed route service with seamless
  transferring (ex SmarTrip Regional Fare
  Collection System)
• (source Meeting the Transportation Needs of
  Northern Virginia Seniors, 2006)

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Transit Today

• The Benefits of Investing in Transit Today
• Mobility, independence and access
• Choices for people who cannot/do not drive
• Cost effective transportation during times of
  high fuel costs
• Flexible service that can adapt quickly to meet
  market demands
• Transit-Oriented Development and less sprawl
• More capacity in key, congested corridors
• Less strain on highways
• Environmental and social benefits

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Future Transit Trends

• Maximize Limited Funding
• Federal, State, Local
• Land Use as a funding tool
• Balanced Multimodal Approach
• Transit network
• Travel Demand Management (TDM)
• Highway infrastructure/network
• Role of Technology in this Strategy
• Critical to Transportation Network
• Examples
• Smart fare systems
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• E-mail notifications for real-time arrival and
  schedule information
• Real-time schedule information at bus stops

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Current Deployment of ITS in Transit

• On PDAs, cell phones or by e-mail
• Existing today Schedule Information for Northern
  Virginia Bus Systems, VRE and Metro
• At transit stops/stations
• Electronic schedule information and tracking
  signs
• City of Fairfax (CUE), ART (Arlington Transit),
  Metrorail
• Bus signaling beacons
• City of Fairfax
• Onboard vehicles
• Electronic stop information voice and screen
  displays
• WIFI (wireless Internet) access
• Columbia Pike Corridor in Arlington County
• Electronic payment systems
• SmartTrip card expansion project
• Seamless trips between transit services in the DC
  metro area and from Fredericksburg to Baltimore
• Traffic and transit schedule management
• Transit Signal Priority (TSP)
• 25 intersections on Route 1 between Kings Highway
  and Fairfax Co. Parkway
• Congestion information and transit choices
• Statewide 511 system incorporating transit
  information

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FY 2009 - Opportunities

• DRPTs (Draft) Program of Projects 230,000,000
• CTB Approval Required
• www.drpt.virginia.gov
• DRPT AVL Initiative
• The use of AVL for transit operations, planning,
  safety and security
• 740,000
• Purchase of Surveillance/Security Equipment
• Security hardening of transit maintenance
  facility and administrative facility - 250,000
• Surveillance equipment - 10,200
• Acquisition of radio network to improve
  safety/security - 70,000
• Transit Operations Software Acquisitions
• Acquisition of software for run cutting and
  operator performance - 150,000
• Scheduling software needs assessment - 30,000
• ITS technology based system to improve efficiency
  and provide single point for analysis and
  reporting - 40,000

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FY 2009 - Opportunities

• Web Based Traveler Information
• Rebuilding Commuterpage.com family of web pages -
  300,000
• Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)
• AVL system units needed to equip new buses
  currently on order - 31,815
• Automatic train control 1,200,000
• Automated Fare Collection
• Automated fare collection units to support
  currency, electronic data exchange and NTD data
  collection 300,000
• Major Projects with Potential ITS Deployment
  Components
• Hampton Roads Light Rail Line 7.4mile line, 11
  Stations, 232 Million Project
• Mega Project in N.VA Dulles Corridor Metrorail,
  I495 Hot Lanes, I395/95 HOT/HOV Lanes

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www.drpt.virginia.gov drptpr_at_drpt.virginia.gov 804
-786-4440