Access Pasco

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................. 1 Public Outreach ........................................... 2 Evaluation of Alternatives ........................... 3 Pasco County 10-Year Transit Needs .......... 4 Recommended Transit Plan Highlights ...... 6 10-Year Implementation Plan ..................... 7 Implementing Access Pasco ....................... 8 Regional Collaboration................................ 8

PCPT TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN This major update of the Pasco County 10-Year Transit Development Plan (TDP) was developed by Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT). Dubbed Access Pasco: A Plan for Transit, the TDP update represents the community’s vision and goals for public transportation and is to be used as a strategic guide for the FY 2019–2028 planning horizon. The resulting implementation plan outlines subsequent actions to be taken in the next 10 years.

STATE REQUIREMENT Access Pasco is consistent with the requirements of the State of Florida Public Transit Block Grant Program, enacted by the Florida Legislature to provide a stable source of funding for public transportation. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) requires recipients of Block Grant Program funds, such as PCPT, to prepare a major TDP update every five years. This requirement helps to ensure that the public transportation services being provided and planned are consistent with the community’s mobility needs. Each update must be submitted to the appropriate FDOT District Office by September 1 of the year in which it is due.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT Developing Access Pasco involved a number of planning activities, including documenting study area conditions, analyzing socio-economic characteristics, evaluating existing transit services, gathering and analyzing public input, forecasting ridership, developing a situation appraisal and goals, identifying transit needs, and preparing financial and implementation plans.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PUBLIC OUTREACH Public outreach for transit is an ongoing process that involves continuously receiving and accumulating feedback about services. As part of this TDP, numerous public outreach activities were conducted throughout the county to understand and obtain feedback regarding the community’s transit needs.

To ensure the active participation of both transit users and non-users, outreach efforts included a bus on-board survey, workshops with public and elected officials, stakeholder discussion groups, bus operator interviews, non-rider surveys, and use of social media. Selected highlights of the findings are shown below.

Outreach Event

Participants

Discussion Group Workshops

45

Public Workshops

329

MPO Board Transit Workshop

6

Bus On-Board Survey

349

Bus Operator Survey

19

Public Input Surveys

574

Social Media (Facebook and Twitter)

78

Total

1,400

Top Transit Service Improvement Needs

Top Technology Improvement Needs

*The top three “Other” improvements were need for a bus location tracking mobile app, better connections to Department of Health locations, and east-to-west express service in the county.

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Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES Alternatives (or improvements) identified serve different geographic areas and provide varying levels of service. It is important for PCPT to prioritize these alternatives to effectively plan and implement them within the next 10 years using existing and/or new funding sources. To evaluate the benefits of the proposed service alternatives and better prioritize them, a methodology was developed that considered public input, transit market assessment results, and service productivity and efficiency measures. The ranked alternatives resulting from this evaluation process are presented below. The map on the next page provides an illustration of the transit needs, including service, capital, and infrastructure needs for the next 10 years.

10-Year Transit Service Priorities Rank

Service Improvement

1

Bus every 15 minutes on Route 19 (on US-19)

2

Bus every 30 minutes during peak hours on routes 16, 21, 23, and 54

3

Add later service hours on routes 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, and 54

3

Add Sunday service on routes 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 25, and 54

5

Wiregrass Hopper (circulator in Wesley Chapel)

5

St. Leo University (connecting to downtown Dade City)

7

Express on SR-52 (peak hours only)

8

Shady Hills Connector

9

Land O' Lakes Microtransit (on-demand service to replace Route 41)

10-YEAR TRANSIT PLAN The 10-year transit needs and phased implementation plan for Access Pasco are presented in the remainder of this document. The plan includes various service, capital, and technology improvements in Pasco County over the next 10 years.

Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PASCO COUNTY 10-Y

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Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

YEAR TRANSIT NEEDS CAPITAL/TECHNOLOGY New East Pasco admin/maintenance facility Queue jumps on US-19 Transit technology tools/software, including Remix, LYTX, RouteShout bus location app, Route Match, and others Bus stop infrastructure/amenities program ADA accessibility improvements at bus stops Super Stops* Shared park-and-ride facilities Real-time bus location information Mobile fare program *Enhanced bus stops that may include a kiosk, real-time bus arrival information display, lighting, covered seating, bicycle storage, other amenities.

POLICY/OTHER Increased rider education and information outreach Expanded marketing/awareness effort Continued coordination with HART/PSTA/ The Bus Continued coordination with SR-54/56 study Coordination with PSTA on express bus connections

Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

RECOMMENDED TRANSIT PLAN HIGHLIGHTS Service Improvements        

Double frequency on Route 19 to 15-minute headways on weekdays and Saturdays.

Double peak-hour frequency on routes 16, 21, 23, and 54 to 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays.

Extend weekday service on selected routes until 9:00 PM (routes 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, 54).

Add Sunday Service on selected routes (routes 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 25, 54).

Add Wiregrass Hopper circulator in Wesley Chapel to serve Tampa Premium Outlets, The Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital of Wesley Chapel, and Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus.

Add SR-52 Commuter Express and Shady Hills Connector services.

Replace current Route 41 with microtransit service along US-41.

Add St. Leo University service to serve its 6,000 enrolled students.

Capital/Technology Improvements 

      

Construct East Pasco PCPT administration and maintenance facility, including parking for fleet buses and non-revenue vehicles, vehicle wash station, offices for administrative personnel.

Add queue jumps that prioritize movement of transit vehicles through congested corridors to improve on-time performance.

Improve bus stop infrastructure; install benches and shelters at bus stops.

Improve bus stop accessibility to ensure ADA-compliance.

Establish Super Stops (kiosks, real-time bus arrival information displays, lighting, covered seating, other amenities).

Add park-and-ride facilities to extend range of PCPT’s effective service area.

Provide real-time bus information mobile app, RouteShout; install in-station displays.

Adopt mobile fare program to allow riders to cross county lines using same smartcard or smartphone app.

RouteShout real-time bus information app for smartphones

Proposed new PCPT Administration & Maintenance Facility in East Pasco County

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Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

10-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Shown below is the Access Pasco Implementation Plan from 2019 through 2028. This schedule does not preclude the opportunity to delay or advance any improvements and should be adjusted as priorities change, funding assumptions do not materialize, or more funding becomes available.

Access Pasco Implementation Plan (2019–2028) Transit Improvement

Implementation Year

Enhancements to Existing Routes Bus every 15 minutes on Route 19 (on US-19) 2020 Later service hours (routes 14, 16, 18, 21, 25, 54) 2021 Bus every 30 minutes during peak hours (routes 16, 21, 23, 54) 2024 Sunday service (routes 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 25, 54) 2026 New Service Expansion Land O’Lakes Microtransit (on-demand service to replace 2019 Route 41) Express on SR-52 (peak hours only) 2022 Wiregrass Hopper (Wesley Chapel circulator) 2023 Shady Hills Connector 2024 St. Leo University (connecting to Dade City) 2027 Capital/Infrastructure Improvements Technology projects – annual allocation 2019–2028 Bus stop infrastructure – annual allocation 2019–2028 ADA improvements – annual allocation 2019–2028 New administration/maintenance facility 2020 Queue jumps on US-19 2020 Super Stops (4) 2021–2023 Other Improvements Shared park-and-ride facilities 2019–2028 Real-time bus location information 2019–2028 Mobile fare program 2019–2028 Increased rider education and information outreach 2019–2028 Expanded marketing/awareness effort 2019–2028 Continued coordination with HART/PSTA/TheBus 2019–2028 Continued coordination with SR-54/56 study 2019–2028 Coordination with PSTA on express bus connections 2019–2028

Potential Revenue Source

Existing FDOT Service Development & Local FDOT Service Development & Local FDOT Service Development & Local Existing FDOT Urban Corridor Private & Existing FDOT Urban Corridor Existing Existing Existing Existing Existing Existing Existing – To be determined – To be determined To be determined – – –

Access Pasco Transit Development Plan | Executive Summary

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IMPLEMENTING ACCESS PASCO Once adopted, implementation of the recommended 10-year plan will require close coordination among local and regional transit and planning agencies. PCPT and the Pasco MPO are committed to coordinating efforts to implement Access Pasco and exploring funding opportunities to facilitate implementation of the plan.

REGIONAL COLLABORATION PCPT will continue to work closely with the MPO and cities as well as its regional transportation partners, including FDOT, Hillsborough County, Hernando County, Pinellas County, and TBARTA to continue developing a safe, sustainable, affordable, and well-connected transit network for Pasco County and the region.

For more information, contact:

PCPT 8620 Galen Wilson Boulevard Port Richey, FL 34668 kscheible@ridepcpt.com (727) 834-3200

8731 Citizens Drive New Port Richey, FL 34654 (727) 847-8140

8620 Galen Wilson Boulevard Port Richey, FL 34668 (727) 834-3200