1

AFFORDABLE STUDENT TRANSIT

PASS PILOT PROGRAM

Year One

Tess Lengyel and Cathleen Sullivan, Alameda CTC

April 2017

Board of DirectorsApril 12, 2017Agenda Item 2

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Presentation Overview

• Introduction

• Pilot Program Design

• Update on

Implementation

• Next Steps

3

Program Background

• The Affordable Student Transit Pass Program was

identified in the 2014 Transportation Expenditure

Plan, passed by 70% of voters in 2014 as Measure BB

“Successful models aimed at increasing the use of transitamong junior high and high school students, including a

transit pass program for students in Alameda County.”

$15 million for 3-year pilot program

• 2014-2016: Program development

• 2016: Program launch

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Student Transit Pass Pilot Program Goals

• Reduce transportation access barriers to and

from schools

• Improve transportation options for Alameda

County’s middle and high school students

• Build support for transit in Alameda County

• Develop effective three-year pilot programs

• Create a basis for a countywide student transit

pass program (funding permitting)

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Student Transit Pass Pilot Overview

• Commission adopted

Site selection methodology & shortlist of 36 eligible schools for Pilot

Pilot evaluation framework

• Testing different program models in different areas

* Free and Universal * Means-based

* Grade-limited * Discounted

• Programs include education/training on using public transit

• Passes effective year-round, not limited by day/time

• Year 1 – Passes distributed at 9 schools (AC Transit – 7)

• Year 2 – Passes distributed at 15 schools (AC Transit – 11)

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Student Transit Pass Pilot –

AC Transit passes

• Free and universal:

Five schools in Oakland (3 in Year 1, 2 added in Year 2)

Two schools in San Leandro in Year 2

• Means-based programs:

Two schools in Hayward in Year 2

Two schools in Union City in Year 2 (change from Year 1)

• Discontinuing models after Year 1:

Discounted: Two schools in Union City

Grade-limited: Two schools in Union City and Two in San

Leandro

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Student Transit Pass Pilot – Schools

with AC Transit passes in Year 2

Free and universal:

• Oakland

1. Castlemont High

2. McClymonds High

3. Fremont High

4. Westlake Middle

5. Frick Middle

• San Leandro

6. San Leandro High

7. John Muir Middle

Means-based:

• Hayward

8. Hayward High

9. Bret Harte Middle

• Union City

10. James Logan High

11. Cesar Chavez Middle

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Year Two Summary

North Central South EastTotal

Schools

Free and

UniversalX X X 11

Means-

based

program

X X 4

Schools Oakland

USD (5)

San Leandro

USD (2),

Hayward

USD (2)

New

Haven USD

(2)

Livermore

Valley

JUSD (4)

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Transit AC Transit AC Transit

AC Transit

& Union

City Transit

LAVTA

eco-pass

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Outreach and

Engagement

10

Outreach and

Engagement

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Program Evaluation

18 quantitative and qualitative measures

to evaluate performance, including:

Student perception of transit options

and barriers

Student transit ridership

Pass penetration and ease of use

After school activity participation

Participant, student attendance

Program cost per participant and

administrative costs

• Framework approved by Commission in March 2016

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Preliminary Findings

• August through December 2016

• Initial analysis draws on:

Data reported from transit agencies

Information tracked by the school program administrators

The first student survey

All students at participating schools were encouraged to

participate in online/paper survey regarding:

- Student perception of transportation barriers

- Transportation costs to families

- Program participation and usage

- BART usage by students

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Pass Distribution Summary

Planning

Area

Program

Total #

Students

Eligible

Number of Active Passes Total #

Active

Passes

Participa-

tion RateAC Transit

Union City

Transit

LAVTA/

Wheels

North 1,832 1,670 -- -- 1,670 91%

Central 1,616 813 -- -- 813 50%

South 2,309 151 100 ; 76 --251 ;

22711% ; 10%

East 2,441 -- -- 110 110 5%

County-

wide8,198 2,634 100 ; 76 110

2,844 ;

2,82034%

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Transit Usage

Total Transit

Boardings by

Passholders

(Aug-Dec)

Average Daily

Boardings

Average

Monthly Unique

Users

North 149,034 1,228 1,222

Central 25,562 211 388

South 14,179 116 125

AC Transit 6,722 55 125

Union City Transit 7,457 61 N/A

East 10,106 83 N/A

Countywide 198,881 1,638 1,735

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AC Transit Student Passholders –

Weekday Boardings by Hour (October 2016)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

12:00AM

1:00AM

2:00AM

3:00AM

4:00AM

5:00AM

6:00AM

7:00AM

8:00AM

9:00AM

10:00AM

11:00AM

12:00PM

1:00PM

2:00PM

3:00PM

4:00PM

5:00PM

6:00PM

7:00PM

8:00PM

9:00PM

10:00PM

11:00PM

Perc

enta

ge o

f T

ota

l Wee

kday

Bo

ard

ings

by

Ho

ur

(wit

hin

eac

h P

lan

nin

g A

rea)

North Central South

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AC Transit Student Passholders –

Weekend Boardings by Hour (October 2016)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

12:00AM

1:00AM

2:00AM

3:00AM

4:00AM

5:00AM

6:00AM

7:00AM

8:00AM

9:00AM

10:00AM

11:00AM

12:00PM

1:00PM

2:00PM

3:00PM

4:00PM

5:00PM

6:00PM

7:00PM

8:00PM

9:00PM

10:00PM

11:00PM

Perc

enta

ge o

f To

tal W

eeke

nd

Bo

ard

ings

by

Ho

ur

(wit

hin

eac

h P

lan

nin

g A

rea)

North Central South

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Mode Split - Countywide

Get

dropped

off/get a

ride

63%

Public

transit

17%

Bike

2%

Walk

12%

Drive

myself

5%

Other/I prefer

not to answer

1%

Countywide Arrival Mode

Get

picked

up/get a

ride

49%

Public

transit

25%

Bike

2%

Walk

17%

Drive

myself

5%

Other/I

prefer

not to

answer

2%

Countywide Departure Mode

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Key findings

• Top uses of Passes:

1. Travel to/from school (~ 70% )

2. Afterschool activities

3. Spending time with friends

• Top reasons limiting student use

Prefer to travel other ways

Traveling by bus takes too long

Bus doesn’t meet needs

• >50% participating students

said cost savings provided by

the program is important

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Comments from Students• “The pilot program seems very excellent to me since it has helped me

and my family to have a safe way for me to get to school and get my

education. It’s a program that has helped a lot of students and for my

part I am very grateful.”

• “Everything is good about the transit pass and I started not being late

to school which make a positive dramatic change on my grades and

willingness to go to school."

• “Thank you for this program – it is allowing me to be more

independent.”

• “I like the transit pass and it keeps me from having to look for money

each day of the week that I ride the bus. It is convenient and I ride 5

days a week.”

• “It is a good idea to encourage public transit, because it is better for

the environment.”

• “You should keep doing this, it helps a lot of us with money issues.”

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Schedule & Next Steps

Pilot

Program

Development

Begins

Pilot

School

Selection

Finalized

Pilot

Program

Launch

Approve

Parameters

for Year 2

Year 1

Evaluation

Report

& Begin

Year 2

Year 2

Evaluation

Report

Year 3

Evaluation

Report

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Thank you!