Regional OnBoard Bus Survey Proposal

1
Regional On-Board Bus Survey Proposal
Presentation to the TPB Technical Committee
Robert E. Griffiths Technical Services
Director October 5, 2007

2
Background

• WMATA has budgeted 750,000 for a Metrobus
  Passenger Survey in 2008
• TPB Regional Bus Subcommittee requested that
  additional funding be identified for a
  supplemental local bus on-board survey that would
  complement WMATAs effort
• Supplemental Survey would survey riders on local
  and county agency buses, including systems
  outside the WMATA Compact area

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Spring 2008 Metrobus Survey

• Purpose of WMATAs On-Board Survey
• Subsidy allocation for WMATAs Regional Bus
  Routes
• Collection of origin-destination trip patterns
  for bus route planning and travel demand model
  validation
• Profile of current bus riders

4
TPBs Interest in a Supplemental On-Board Bus
Survey

• With data from the 2008 Metrobus Survey,
  supplemental survey would provide complete
  picture of bus transit usage in the region
• Would provide information on bus only transit
  ridership in the suburbs, not easily obtained by
  other means
• Would complement the TPB Household Travel Survey
  currently underway and Spring 2007 Metrorail
  Passenger Survey
• An unique opportunity in terms of survey timing

5
Bus Survey Issues

• Survey data collected on WMATA Regional Bus Route
  needs to be accurate and of very high quality for
  subsidy allocation purposes
• Planners and modelers would like to have very
  detailed information about bus riders and their
  trip patterns
• Long, complicated survey forms asking sensitive
  questions, like household income, can diminish
  survey response and data quality

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TPB Staff Recommendations

• Amend the FY 2008 UPWP to add 2008 Metrobus
  Survey and Supplemental On-Board Bus Survey
• WMATA would transfer 750,000 in funding from
  their FY 2008 budget to TPBs 2008 UPWP Budget
• Reprogram 375,000 in FY 2008 UPWP funds
  currently budgeted for the Household Travel
  Survey and WMATA Technical Assistance for
  Supplemental On-Board Survey
• Conduct WMATAs 2008 Metrobus Survey and the
  Supplemental On-Board Survey as a single contract
  procurement managed by TPB staff
• Evaluate impact of questionnaire length and
  content on survey response and data quality in a
  survey pre-test

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On-Board Bus Survey Planning Assumptions
(Metrobus)

• TPB staff with assistance from WMATA will develop
  the sampling plan for the survey
• WMATA regional and non-regional weekday bus
  routes will be surveyed by contractor hired by
  TPB staff
• Survey will be designed to provide WMATA staff
  with the high quality data needed for subsidy
  allocation
• An income question will be included on the long
  version questionnaire in the survey pre-test
• WMATA staff will approve the survey design and
  final questionnaire used on regional and
  non-regional Metrobus routes

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On-Board Bus Survey Planning Assumptions (Local
Bus Systems)

• Weekday bus routes on the following systems will
  be surveyed
• Prince Georges County (The Bus)
• Montgomery County (Ride On)
• Frederick County (TransIT)
• The City of Alexandria (Dash)
• Arlington County (Art)
• The City of Fairfax (Cue)
• Fairfax County (Connector)
• Prince William County (PRTC OmniRide, OmniLink)
• Loudoun County (LC Transit)
• Survey data collected in WMATA and supplemental
  local bus on-board surveys will be shared with
  MTA and data collected in MTA commuter surveys
  will be incorporated into TPBs regional transit
  database

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On-Board Bus Survey Planning Assumptions (Local
Bus Systems)
(cont)

• TPB staff with assistance from local agency staff
  will develop the sampling plan and questionnaire
  for each local bus system
• Survey questionnaire will include same core
  questions that are on 2008 WMATA Metrobus survey
• Local agency staff will approve the survey design
  and final questionnaire used on their bus system
• Survey contractor hired by TPB staff or
  contractors already under contract to local
  transit will conduct on-board survey

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Proposed Schedule

• Review of UPWP Amendment by TPB Technical
  Committee Nov 2rd
• TPB Action on UPWP Amendment Nov 14th
• Issue RFP Nov 15th
• Select Contractor Dec 19th
• Start Contract January, 2008
• Survey Pre-Test Early March, 2008
• Conduct Survey April May, 2008
• Data Delivery June, 2008