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02-28-2023 GI Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Regular Meeting PacketGIAMPO - Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 4:00 pm @ City Hall- Community Meeting Room 100 E 1st Street, Grand Island, NE 68801 AGENDA 1.Call to Order This is a public meeting subject to the open meetings laws of the State of Nebraska. The requirements for an open meeting are posted on the wall in this room and anyone that wants to find out what those are is welcome to read through them. 2.Roll Call & Introductions 3.Approval of Minutes from the November 22, 2022 Policy Board Meeting 4.Election of Vice-Chair 5.Approval of MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures 6.Approval of MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures 7.Approval of MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures 8.Approval of Transit Development Plan 9.MPO Financial Report 10.Report on the Public Participation Plan Update 11.Next Meeting 12.Adjournment Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 1 / 154 Special Accommodations: Please notify the City of Grand Island at 308-385-5455 if you require special accommodations to attend this meeting (i.e., interpreter services, large print, reader, hearing assistance). Para asistencia en español, por favor enviar un correo electrónico a giampo@grand-island.com.” Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 2 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item C1 Approval of Minutes from the November 22, 2022 Policy Board Meeting Staff Contact: Mayor Roger Steele Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 3 / 154 GRAND ISLAND AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (GIAMPO) MINUTES OF POLICY BOARD MEETING Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 4:00 pm Grand Island City Hall – Community Meeting Room 100 E 1st Street, Grand Island, NE 68801 VOTING MEMBERS ATTENDANCE: Roger Steele, Mayor, City of Grand Island Absent Mitch Nickerson, City of Grand Island, Council Member Present Jason Conley, City of Grand Island, Council Member Absent Michelle Fitzke, City of Grand Island, Council Member Absent Wes Wahlgren (John Selmer designee), NDOT District 4 Engineer Present Gary Quandt, Hall County Commissioner Present Ron Peterson, Hall County Commissioner Present Pat O’Neill, Hall County Planning Commission Chairman Present NON-VOTING MEMBERS ATTENDANCE: Jerry Janulewicz, City of Grand Island City Administrator Present Keith Kurz, City of Grand Island Assistant Public Works Director Present VACANT, City of Grand Island, Assistant City Administrator Absent Allan Zafft, City of Grand Island MPO Program Manager Present Catrina DeLosh, City of Grand Island Public Works Admin Assistant Present Patrick Brown, City of Grand Island Finance Director Absent Brian Schultz, City of Grand Island Asst. Finance Director Present Laura McAloon, City of Grand Island Attorney Present VACANT, City of Grand Island Public Works Director Absent Tim Golka, City of Grand Island Project Manager Present Chad Nabity, Regional Planning Director Absent Charlene Falmlen, Transit Program Manager Present Joseph Werning, Administrator, FHWA NE Division Absent Mokhtee Ahmad, Administrator, FTA Region VII Absent Wes Wahlgren, NDOT District 4 Engineer Absent Justin Luther, Transportation Planner, Realty, Civil Rights FHWA Absent Logan Daniels, FTA Transportation Program Specialist Absent Mark Bechtel, FTA Community Planner Absent Daniel Nguyen, FTA Community Planner Absent Mark Fischer, NDOT Assistant Planning Engineer Absent Gerri Doyle, FTA Region VII Planner Absent Call to Order Mr. Nickerson called the meeting to order at 4:04 pm. The Nebraska Open Meetings Act was acknowledged. Roll Call Roll call was taken. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 4 / 154 2 | Page 202 2 /11/22 Policy Board Meeting Minutes Approval of Minutes from the August 23, 2022 Policy Board Meeting Motion by Quandt to approve the minutes from the August 23, 2022 meeting, seconded by O’Neill. Upon roll call vote, all voted in favor. Motion adopted. Approval of Final Draft Amendment No. 1 to FY 2023-2027 Transportation Improvement Program Zafft notified the Policy Board that Amendment No. 1 to FY 2023-2027 Transportation Improvement Program is to add the Broadwell Avenue Viaduct and program federal funds. The amendment was released for a 15-day public comment period from October 18 to November 2, 2022, with no public comments received. Motion by O’Neill to approve Final Draft Amendment No. 1 to FY 2023-2027 Transportation Improvement Program, seconded by Wahlgren. Upon roll call vote, all voted in favor. Motion adopted. Approval of Final Draft Amendment No. 4 to Long Range Transportation Plan Zafft informed the Policy Board that Amendment No. 4 to the Long Range Transportation Plan is to modify the potential funding sources and include additional anticipated federal revenue for the Broadwell Avenue Viaduct project. The funding sources are modified from “Local/State” to “Local/Other/Federal” of the LRTP. Motion by O’Neill to approve Final Draft Amendment No. 4 to the Long Range Transportation Plan, seconded by Quandt. Upon roll call vote, all voted in favor. Motion adopted. MPO Financial Update Zafft provided an update for State Fiscal Year 2023; First Quarter, which is from July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022. Report on the Transit Development Plan Falmlen provided an in depth update on the Transit Development Plan which included a plan overview and updates on the recommended concept, financial plan, and implementation plan. The plan is analyzing the current CRANE Public Transit system and developing potential future service options based on current and anticipated future needs and is estimated to be complete February 2023. Next Meeting Date The next meeting of the Policy Board will be on February 28, 2023 at 4:00 pm at City Hall. Adjournment There being no further business, Mr. Nickerson adjourned the meeting at 4:49 pm. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 5 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item H1 Election of Vice-Chair Staff Contact: Mayor Roger Steele Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 6 / 154 Election of Vice-Chairperson Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. H1 February 28, 2023 ISSUE VOTE: Election of Vice-Chairperson BACKGROUND The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary serve as the officers of the Policy Board for the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO). The Mayor of the City of Grand Island serves as Chairperson, and the MPO Director serves as Secretary. The City of Grand Island's City Engineer/Public Works Director is the MPO Director. Article IV – Officers, Section 2 of the Policy Board bylaws specifies the following: -The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected annually from the voting membership of the Policy Board for a term of one (1) year at the first regular meeting of each calendar year. The first regular meeting for calendar year 2023 is scheduled on February 28, 2023. For calendar year 2022, Mitch Nickerson, City of Grand Island City Council, served as Vice-Chair. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION None. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION None. RECOMMENDATION Nominate and elect Vice-Chairperson. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft Date Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 7 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item H2 Approval of MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 8 / 154 MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. H2 February 28, 2023 ISSUE VOTE: MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures BACKGROUND The Federal Highway Administration requires State Department of Transportations (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to adopt targets for five performance measures for traffic safety (see attached fact sheet). State DOTs are required to establish statewide targets in their Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Annual Report for all five performance measures by August 31 of each year. MPOs have the option of supporting the statewide targets, or establishing their own regional targets within 180 days of the establishment of state targets. The Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) approved to support the state’s annual safety performance targets for 2018 through 2022. GIAMPO staff recommends to support the NDOT 2023 targets for the safety performance measures (see attached NDOT HSIP Performance Measures) as the most prudent and feasible alternative. The core reasons to not establishing regional targets include the following: NDOT met all safety targets for 2020 except the serious injury rate; however, the serious injury rate was better than the 5-year rolling average baseline. As a result, NDOT met or made significant progress toward meeting its 2020 safety performance targets. NDOT met the targets for 2021 for number and rate of fatalities. Serious injury data for 2021 is not yet available as of the release of this TAC agenda report. Need to determine the methodology to estimate annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for all public roads within the GIAMPO metropolitan planning area from 2013 to 2021, if GIAMPO would establish rate targets. Need to process the accident data within the GIAMPO metropolitan planning area from 2013 to 2021 to determine the 5-year rolling averages on the five performance measures for comparative purposes and to determine a baseline, if GIAMPO would establish targets. Note: Accident data for 2021 should be available to Nebraska MPOs in the summer of 2023. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION Federal regulations require State DOTs and MPOs to adopt targets for traffic safety. With supporting the statewide 2023 targets, GIAMPO is agreeing to plan and program projects in a manner that contributes towards the accomplishment of the NDOT safety targets. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 9 / 154 MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 2 BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION The Technical Advisory Committee approved the recommendation to support the NDOT 2023 targets for safety performance measures on February 9, 2023. RECOMMENDATION Approve to support the NDOT 2023 targets for safety performance measures. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft Date Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 10 / 154 FHWA-SA-16-044 Safety Performance Measures Fact Sheet Safety Performance Measures Number of Fatalities: The total number of persons suffering fatal injuries in a motor vehicle crash during a calendar year. Rate of Fatalities: The ratio of total number of fatalities to the number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT, in 100 Million VMT) in a calendar year. Number of Serious Injuries: The total number of persons suffering at least one serious injury in a motor vehicle crash during a calendar year. Rate of Serious Injuries: The ratio of total number of serious injuries to the number of VMT (in 100 Million VMT) in a calendar year. Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Non-motorized Serious Injuries: The combined total number of non-motorized fatalities and non-motorized serious injuries involving a motor vehicle during a calendar year. Data Sources Fatality Data: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Final FARS data is to be used if it is available, otherwise FARS Annual Report File (ARF) data may be used, which is generally available one year before Final FARS data. Volume Data: State VMT data is derived from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) VMT, if applicable, is estimated by the MPO. Serious Injury Data: State motor vehicle crash database. Agencies must use the definition for “Suspected Serious Injury (A)” from the MMUCC, 4th edition by April 15, 2019. Prior to April 15, 2019 agencies may use injuries classified as “A” on the KABCO scale through use of serious injury conversion tables. However, agencies are encouraged to begin using the MMUCC, 4th edition definition and attributes at the beginning of 2019 for a complete and consistent data file for the calendar year. Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Non-motorized Serious Injuries: FARS and State motor vehicle crash database. The number of non-motorized fatalities is the total number of fatalities with the FARS person attribute codes: (5) Pedestrian, (6) Bicyclist, (7) Other Cyclist, and (8) Person on Personal Conveyance. The number of non- motorized serious injuries is the total number of serious injuries where the injured person is, or is equivalent to, a pedestrian (2.2.36) or a pedalcyclist (2.2.39) as defined in ANSI D16.1-2007. What You Need to Know About Establishing Targets States: • States will first establish statewide targets in their August 31, 2017 HSIP Annual Report for calendar year 2018, and annually thereafter. • Targets are applicable to all public roads regardless of functional classification or ownership. • For common performance measures (number of fatalities, rate of fatalities and number of serious injuries), targets must be identical to the targets established for the NHTSA Highway Safety Grants program in the Highway Safety Plan. • States also have the option to establish any number of urbanized area targets and one non-urbanized area target for any or all of the measures. If a State chooses to do so, it is required to report the urbanized area boundaries used and evaluate and report progress for each target. Urbanized and non-urbanized area targets are not included in the significant progress determination. Coordination and Collaboration: • Performance management connects the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and Highway Safety Plan (HSP) to the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) to promote a coordinated relationship for common performance measures, resulting in comprehensive transportation and safety planning. • The State DOT and MPOs in the State must coordinate when establishing targets, to the maximum extent practicable. • A wide range of stakeholders should work together to establish targets. This includes, the State DOT, State Highway Safety Office, MPOs, FHWA Division Office, NHTSA Regional Office, Law Enforcement Agencies and EMS (include all 4 E’s of Highway Safety) • Set targets that are data-driven and realistic, maintain momentum and remain focused. Five Performance Measures  Number of Fatalities  Rate of Fatalities per 100 Million VMT  Number of Serious Injuries  Rate of Serious Injuries per 100 Million VMT  Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Non-motorized Serious Injuries Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 11 / 154 FHWA-SA-16-044 What You Need to Know About Establishing Targets (continued) MPOs: • MPOs must establish targets specific to the MPO planning area for the same five safety performance measures for all public roads in the MPO planning area within 180 days after the State establishes each target. MPOs may select one of the following options for each individual safety performance measure: • agreeing to support the State target; OR • establishing specific numeric targets for a safety performance measure (number or rate). • MPOs that choose to establish a rate target must report the VMT estimate used to establish that target and the methodology to develop the VMT estimate. MPOs should make maximum use of data prepared for HPMS when preparing the rate-based target denominator. If an MPO develops data specifically for the denominator, it should use methods to compute VMT that are consistent with those used for other Federal reporting purposes. • MPO targets are reported to the State DOT, and made available to FHWA, upon request. MPO targets are not included in the assessment of whether a State has met or made significant progress toward meeting its targets. Performance Measure State Target MPO Target For Each Performance Measure, Support State Target or Establish MPO-Specific Target Target Reported in HSIP Annual Report for FHWA Target Reported in Highway Safety Plan for NHTSA Number of Fatalities  =   Rate of Fatalities per 100 Million VMT  =   Number of Serious Injuries  =   Rate of Serious Injuries per 100 Million VMT  Not required  Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Non-motorized Serious Injuries  Not required  Example Target Calculations 5-Year Rolling Average: Each target is based on a 5-year rolling average, which is the average of 5 individual, consecutive points of data. The 5-year rolling average provides a better understanding of the overall data over time without eliminating years with significant increases or decreases; and provides a mechanism for accounting for regression to the mean. If a particularly high or low number of fatalities and/or serious injuries occur in one year, a return to a level consistent with the average in the previous year may occur. The number targets are calculated by adding the number for the measure for each of the most recent 5 consecutive years ending in the year for which the targets are established, dividing by 5, and rounding to the tenth decimal place. The rate targets are calculated similarly yet rounded to the thousandth decimal place. This more accurately reveals the change from one 5-year average to another that might otherwise be obscured if the number was truncated. Example: Number of Fatalities Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Number of Fatalities 471 468 493 468 462* *From FARS Annual Report File, if Final FARS is not available To determine the target for number of fatalities: • Add the number of fatalities for the most recent 5 consecutive calendar years ending in the year for which the targets are established: 471 + 468 + 493 + 468 + 462 = 2,362 • Divide by five and round to the nearest tenth decimal place: 2,362 / 5 = 472.4 Example: Rate of Fatalities per 100 Million VMT Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Number of Fatalities 471 468 493 468 462* Per 100 Million VMT 454.21 487.50 466.48 492.27 495.97 Rate of Fatalities 1.04 0.96 1.06 0.95 0.93 *From FARS Annual Report File, if Final FARS is not available To determine the target for rate of fatalities: • Add the rate of fatalities for the most recent 5 consecutive calendar years ending in the year for which the targets are established: 1.04 + 0.96 + 1.06 + 0.95 + 0.93 = 4.94 • Divide by five and round to the nearest thousandth decimal place: 4.94 / 5 = 0.988 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 12 / 154 2021 2023 2020 2023 2023 Yearend Actual Values Yearend Actual Values Actual 2019-2023 (B) Baseline 2017-2021 (C) Target Achieved? Number of Fatalities 256.4 241.8 233.0 254.0 *232.0 Fatality Rate 1.311 1.125 1.202 1.300 *1.118 Number of Serious Injuries 1,087.0 1,319.5 1,285.0 1,319.0 Unavailable Serious Injury Rate 5.651 6.039 6.631 6.044 Unavailable Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries 103.2 117.8 109.0 117.8 Unavailable Baseline Year 2021 Calendar Years:2019 Through 2023 Calendar Years:2017 Through 2021 HSIP Apport. Year Target Calendar Year Implementation Year 2022 2023 2026 Target Year (A) Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Targets are established and reported in the August 31, 2022 HSIP Annual Report. 0.005 added to targets for fatality rate and serious injury rate to offset rounding issues in FHWA calculations. Nebraska HSO shares 3 targets with HSIP. Nebraska HSO submits number targets rounded to the nearest integer and rate targets rounded to the nearest hundredth. The 3 shared targets have been rounded to match the Nebraska HSO method. HSIP PERFORMANCE MEASURE Projected 2019- 2023 Actual Avg Better Than Baseline? Met or Made Significant Progress? Projected 2019-2023 Rolling Avg. 5-Year Rolling Average NEBRASKA HSIP PERFORMANCE MEASURES - Baseline NDOT Target 2019-2023 (A) *Selected targets based on a 1% reduction of projected outcome of the current increasing trend. If a State has not met or made significant progress toward meeting its targets, the State must comply with the provisions set forth in 23 USC 148(i) for the subsequent fiscal year. The State shall: 1. Use obligation authority equal to the HSIP apportionment for the year prior to the target year, only for HSIP projects. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: Federal Law, 23 U.S.C. §409, prohibits the production of this document or its contents in discovery or its use in evidence in a State or Federal Court. The State of Nebraska has not waived any privilege it may assert as provided by that law through the dissemination of this document and has not authorized further distribution of this document or its contents to anyone other than the original recipient. 2. Submit an HSIP Implementation Plan that describes actions the State will take to meet or make significant progress toward meeting its targets. The HSIP Implementation Plan should guide the State's project decisions so that the combined 148(i) provisions lead to the State meeting or making significant progress toward meeting its safety performance targets in subsequent years. (B) Actual performance is the 5-year rolling average ending in the year for which the targets were established. (C) Baseline performance is the 5-year rolling average that ends prior to the year in which the targets were established. Baseline performance is calculated in order to compare whether the actual outcome was better than the baseline performance If the State is determined to have not met or made significant progress toward meeting its CY targets, the State will have to use obligation authority equal to the defined HSIP apportionment year only for HSIP projects in the defined implementation year and submit an HSIP Implementation Plan for the same year. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 13 / 154 GIAMPO RESOLUTION NO. 2023-1 Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization A Resolution Approving the MPO Targets for Safety Performance Measures WHEREAS, the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO), is designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Island Urbanized Area, by the Governor acting through the Nebraska Department of Transportation in cooperation with locally elected officials of the Grand Island Urbanized Area; and WHEREAS, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to develop rules to establish a system to monitor and manage public transportation assets, to improve safety and increase reliability and performance, and to establish performance measures, and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) reaffirmed this requirement; and WHEREAS, the National Performance Management Measures: Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Final 23 CFR Part 490 became effective April 14, 2016 and establishes targets for five safety performance measures based on five-year rolling averages for: Performance Measures Number of Fatalities Rate of Fatalities* Number of Serious Injuries Rate of Serious Injuries* Number of Non-motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries *Rates are per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) WHEREAS, State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and MPOs are required to establish targets for the above measures annually; and WHEREAS, MPOs have 180 days following the establishment and reporting of the State targets in the HSIP Annual Reports to make a decision regarding whether to support each State’s targets by agreeing to plan and program projects that contribute toward the accomplishment of the State’s targets or to establish their own; and WHEREAS, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) formally reported their 2023 targets for safety performance measures to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) by August 31, 2022 in their State HSIP Annual Report; and WHEREAS, the 2023 targets for safety performance measures adopted by NDOT are identified in Exhibit A attached to this resolution; and Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 14 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-1 Page 2 WHEREAS, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the MPO reviewed the NDOT 2023 targets for safety performance measures and recommended for adoption that GIAMPO will support these targets, and now the targets require official approval from the Policy Board of the MPO; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Policy Board of the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization hereby approves that GIAMPO will support the Nebraska Department of Transportation 2023 targets for safety performance measures. Certification: The foregoing resolution was approved by the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 28, 2023 and is effective immediately upon adoption. By: Attest: ______________________________ ______________________________ Roger G. Steele, Mayor / Chairperson Keith Kurz, Interim Public Works Director Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 15 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-1 Page 3 Exhibit A, page 1 of 1 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 16 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item H3 Approval of MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 17 / 154 MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. H3 February 28, 2023 ISSUE VOTE: MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures BACKGROUND The Federal Highway Administration requires State Department of Transportations (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to adopt targets for six performance measures every four years relating to infrastructure condition on the National Highway System (NHS). There are four performance measures for pavement condition and two performance measures for bridge condition (see attached TPM fact sheets). State DOTs were required to establish performance targets for these measures by December 16, 2022. MPOs have the option of supporting the statewide targets, or establishing their own regional targets within 180 days of the establishment of state targets. After two years there will be a mid-point review, at which point the targets could be adjusted for NDOT and Nebraska MPOs based on collected data. The Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) adopted to support the state’s infrastructure condition targets for the 4-year period of 2018 to 2021. GIAMPO staff recommends to support the NDOT targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025 (see attached NDOT Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures) as the most prudent and feasible alternative. The core reasons to not establishing regional targets include the following: For the 4-year period of 2018 to 2021, Nebraska’s actual performances met the 4-year targets for the six performance measures. The Interstate and Non-Interstate NHS routes in the GIAMPO metropolitan planning area are State NHS routes. The statewide 2022 baselines for the performance measures (pavement condition) meet the 2-year and 4-year targets for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025. The baselines are the following: o 77.5% of pavements of the Interstate System in Good condition o 0.1% of pavements of the Interstate System in Poor condition o 56.0% of pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Good condition o 2.3% of pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Poor condition The State is the owner of the NHS bridges in the GIAMPO region. Statewide, 57.9% of NHS bridges by bridge area are classified as Good condition (3/11/2022 data), which meet the 2-year and 4-year targets for the 4- year period of 2022 to 2025. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 18 / 154 MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 2 Statewide, 2.0% of NHS bridges by bridge area are classified as Poor condition (3/11/2022 data), which meets the 2-year and 4-year targets for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION Federal regulations require State DOTs and MPOs to adopt targets for infrastructure condition. With supporting the statewide targets for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025, GIAMPO is agreeing to plan and program projects in a manner that contributes towards the accomplishment of the NDOT infrastructure condition targets. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION The Technical Advisory Committee approved the recommendation to support the NDOT targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025 on February 9, 2023. RECOMMENDATION Approve to support the NDOT targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft Date Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 19 / 154 Pavement Performance Measures Performance Measures % of Interstate pavements in Good condition % of Interstate pavements in Poor condition % of non-Interstate NHS pavements in Good condition % of non-Interstate NHS pavements in Poor condition Target Setting State DOTs: •Must establish targets, regardless of ownership, for the full extent of the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS. •Must establish statewide 2-and 4-year targets for the non-Interstate NHS and 4-year targets for the Interstate by May 20, 2018, and report by October 1, 2018. •May adjust targets at the Mid Performance Period Progress Report (October 1, 2020). Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs): •Support the relevant State DOT(s) 4- year target or establish their own by 180 days after the State DOT(s) target is established. Penalty Provisions If FHWA determines the State DOT’s Interstate pavement condition falls below the minimum level for the most recent year, the State DOT must obligate a portion of National Highway Performance Program (NHPP) and transfer a portion of Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds to address Interstate pavement condition. About Condition •Good condition: Suggests no major investment is needed. •Poor condition: Suggests major reconstruction investment is needed. Final Rulemaking The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published in the Federal Register (82 FR 5886) a final rule establishing performance measures for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to use in managing pavement and bridge performance on the National Highway System (NHS). The National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Pavement Condition for the National Highway Performance Program and Bridge Condition for the National Highway Performance Program Final Rule addresses requirements established by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and reflects passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The rule is effective May 20, 2017. Note - The above dates in 2018 and 2020 relate to the first performanceperiod of 2018 to 2021. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 20 / 154 Bridge Performance Measures Performance Measures % of NHS bridges by deck area classified as in Good condition % of NHS bridges by deck area classified as in Poor condition Condition-Based Performance Measures •Measures are based on deck area. •The classification is based on National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition ratings for item 58 -Deck, 59 -Superstructure, 60 -Substructure, and 62 -Culvert. •Condition is determined by the lowest rating of deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert. If the lowest rating is greater than or equal to 7, the bridge is classified as good; if is less than or equal to 4, the classification is poor. (Bridges rated below 7 but above 4 will be classified as fair; there is no related performance measure.) •Deck area is computed using NBI item 49 -Structure Length, and 52 -Deck Width or 32 -Approach Roadway Width (for some culverts). Target Setting State DOTs: •Must establish targets for all bridges carrying the NHS, which includes on-and off-ramps connected to the NHS within a State, and bridges carrying the NHS that cross a State border, regardless of ownership. •Must establish statewide 2-and 4- year targets by May 20, 2018, and report targets by October 1, 2018, in the Baseline Performance Period Report. •May adjust 4-year targets at the Mid Performance Period Progress Report (October 1, 2020). Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs): •Support the relevant State DOT(s) 4-year target or establish their own by 180 days after the State DOT(s) target is established. Final Rulemaking The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published in the Federal Register (82 FR5886)a final rule establishing performance measures for State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to use in managing pavement and bridge performance on the National Highway System (NHS). The National Performance Management Measures; Assessing Pavement Condition for the National Highway Performance Program and Bridge Condition for the National Highway Performance Program Final Rule addresses requirements established by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and reflects passage of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The rule is effective May 20, 2017. Note - The above dates in 2018 and 2020 relate to the first performance period of 2018 to 2021. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 21 / 154 NDOT Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures 4-year Performance Period (2022-2025) PERFORMANCE MEASURE BASELINE 2-YEAR TARGET 4-YEAR TARGET Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Good Condition 77.5%65.0%65.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Poor Condition 0.1%5.0%5.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Good Condition 56.0%40.0%40.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Poor Condition 2.3%10.0%10.0% Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Good Condition 57.7%55.0%55.0% Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Poor Condition 2.0%10.0%10.0% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 22 / 154 GIAMPO RESOLUTION NO. 2023-2 Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization A Resolution Approving the MPO Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures WHEREAS, the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO), is designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Island Urbanized Area, by the Governor acting through the Nebraska Department of Transportation in cooperation with locally elected officials of the Grand Island Urbanized Area; and WHEREAS, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to develop rules to establish a system to monitor and manage public transportation assets, to improve safety and increase reliability and performance, and to establish performance measures, and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) reaffirmed this requirement; and WHEREAS, the National Performance Management Measures: Assessing Pavement Condition for the National Highway Performance Program and Bridge Condition for the National Highway Performance Program Final 23 CFR Part 490 became effective February 17, 2017 and establishes targets for the following six performance measures: Performance Measures Pavement • Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Good Condition • Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Poor Condition • Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate National Highway System (NHS) in Good Condition • Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Poor Condition Bridge • Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Good Condition • Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Poor Condition WHEREAS, State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) must establish 2- and 4-year targets for the above measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) by October 1, 2022; and WHEREAS, MPOs have 180 days following the establishment and reporting of the State targets to make a decision regarding whether to support each State’s targets by agreeing Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 23 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-2 Page 2 to plan and program projects that contribute toward the accomplishment of the State’s targets or to establish their own; and WHEREAS, the 2- and 4-year targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) adopted by NDOT are identified in Exhibit A attached to this resolution; and WHEREAS, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the MPO reviewed the NDOT 2- and 4-year targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) and recommended for adoption that GIAMPO will support these targets, and now the targets require official approval from the Policy Board of the MPO; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Policy Board of the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization hereby approves that GIAMPO will support the Nebraska Department of Transportation 2- and 4-year targets for infrastructure condition performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025). Certification: The foregoing resolution was approved by the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 28, 2023 and is effective immediately upon adoption. By: Attest: ______________________________ ______________________________ Roger G. Steele, Mayor / Chairperson Keith Kurz, Interim Public Works Director Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 24 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-2 Page 3 Exhibit A, page 1 of 1 Nebraska of Department of Transportation (NDOT) Targets for Infrastructure Condition Performance Measures for a 4-year Performance Period (2022-2025) PERFORMANCE MEASURE BASELINE 2-YEAR TARGET 4-YEAR TARGET Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Good Condition 77.5%65.0%65.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Interstate System in Poor Condition 0.1%5.0%5.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Good Condition 56.0%40.0%40.0% Percentage of Pavements of the Non-Interstate NHS in Poor Condition 2.3%10.0%10.0% Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Good Condition 57.7%55.0%55.0% Percentage of NHS Bridges by Deck Area Classified as in Poor Condition 2.0%10.0%10.0% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 25 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item H4 Approval of MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 26 / 154 MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. H4 February 28, 2023 ISSUE VOTE: MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures BACKGROUND The Federal Highway Administration requires State Department of Transportations (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to adopt targets for three performance measures every four years relating to system operations performance. Two of the three performance measures are for National Highway System (NHS) Travel Time Reliability, and one performance is for Freight Reliability (see attached fact sheets). State DOTs were required to establish performance targets for these measures by December 16, 2022. MPOs have the option of supporting the statewide targets, or establishing their own regional targets within 180 days of the establishment of state targets. After two years there will be a mid-point review, at which point the targets could be adjusted for NDOT and Nebraska MPOs based on collected data. The Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) approved to support the state’s system operations performance targets for the 4-year period of 2018 to 2021. GIAMPO staff recommends to support the NDOT targets for system operations performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025 (see attached NDOT System Operations Performance Measures) as the most prudent and feasible alternative. The core reasons to not establishing regional targets include the following: For the 4-year period of 2018 to 2021, Nebraska’s actual performances met the adjusted 4-year targets for the three performance measures. GIAMPO region outperformed the State on all performance measures for the 4-year period of 2018 to 2021. The Interstate and Non-Interstate NHS routes in the GIAMPO metropolitan planning area are State NHS routes. The statewide 2022 baselines for the performance measures meet the 2-year and 4-year targets for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025. The baselines are the following: o 98.8% of the person-miles traveled on the Interstate that are reliable o 96.2% of the person-miles traveled on the Non-Interstate NHS that are reliable o 1.14 for the Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 27 / 154 MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures Policy Board Agenda Report | 2 POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION Federal regulations require State DOTs and MPOs to adopt targets for system operations performance. With supporting the statewide targets for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025, GIAMPO is agreeing to plan and program projects in a manner that contributes towards the accomplishment of the NDOT system operations performance targets. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION The Technical Advisory Committee approved the recommendation to support the NDOT targets for system operations performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025 on February 9, 2023. RECOMMENDATION Approve to support the NDOT targets for system operations performance measures for the 4-year period of 2022 to 2025. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft Date Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 28 / 154 TRANSPORTATION PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has finalized six interrelated performance rulemakings to implement the TPM framework established by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Collectively, the rules address challenges facing the U.S. transportation system, including: •improving safety •maintaining infrastructure condition •reducing traffic congestion •improving efficiency of the system and freight movement •protecting the environment and •reducing delays in project delivery. The rules establish national performance measures; State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) will establish targets for applicable measures. New and existing plans will document the strategies and investments used to achieve the targets; progress toward the targets will be reported through new and existing mechanisms. Learn more at the FHWA TPM web site: (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/ Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 29 / 154 NHS Travel Time Reliability Measures WHAT: Measurement of travel time reliability on the Interstate and non- Interstate National Highway System (NHS). Read the final rule in the Federal Register [82 FR 5970 (January 18, 2017)]. WHO:State DOTs, as well as MPOs with Interstate and/or non-Interstate NHS within their metropolitan planning area. WHY: Through MAP-21, Congress required FHWA to establish measures to assess performance in 12 areas, including performance on the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS. [See 23 CFR 490.507(a)] WHEN:Implementation differs for the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS measures for the first performance period. State DOTs must establish 2-and 4- year targets for the Interstate, but only a 4-year target for the non-Interstate NHS, by May 20, 2018. Those targets will be reported in the State’s baseline performance period report due by October 1, 2018. The State DOTs have the option to adjust 4-year targets in their mid performance period progress report, due October 1, 2020. For the first performance period only, there is no requirement for States to report baseline condition/performance or 2-year targets for the non-Interstate NHS before the mid performance period progress report. This will allow State DOTs to consider more complete data. The process will align for both Interstate and non-Interstate measures with the beginning of the second performance period on January 1, 2022. MPOs must either support the State target or establish their own quantifiable 4- year targets within 180 days of the State target establishment. HOW: Level of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR) is defined as the ratio of the longer travel times (80th percentile) to a “normal” travel time (50th percentile), using data from FHWA’s National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) or equivalent. Data are collected in 15-minute segments during all time periods between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time. The measures are the percent of person-miles traveled on the relevant portion of the NHS that are reliable. Person-miles take into account the users of the NHS. Data to reflect the users can include bus, auto, and truck occupancy levels. Note: The FHWA is preparing guidance on how all rules should be implemented. Note - The above dates in 2018 and 2020 relate to the first performance period of 2018 to 2021. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 30 / 154 Freight Reliability Measure WHAT: Measurement of travel time reliability on the Interstate System (Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index). Read the final rule in the Federal Register [82 FR 5970 (January 18, 2017)]. WHO: State DOTs and MPOs. WHY: Through MAP-21, Congress required FHWA to establish measures to assess performance in 12 areas, including freight movement on the Interstate. The measure considers factors that are unique to this industry, such as the use of the system during all hours of the day and the need to consider more extreme impacts to the system in planning for on-time arrivals. [23 CFR 490.607] WHEN: State DOTs must establish 2-and 4-year targets by May 20, 2018. Those targets will be reported in the State’s baseline performance period report due by October 1, 2018. The State DOTs have the option to adjust 4-year targets in their mid performance period progress report, due October 1, 2020. MPOs must either support the State target or establish their own quantifiable 4- year targets within 180 days of the State target establishment. HOW: Freight movement will be assessed by the TTTR Index. Reporting is divided into five periods: morning peak (6-10 a.m.), midday (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and afternoon peak (4-8 p.m.) Mondays through Fridays; weekends (6 a.m.-8 p.m.); and overnights for all days (8 p.m.-6 a.m.). The TTTR ratio will be generated by dividing the 95th percentile time by the normal time (50th percentile) for each segment. The TTTR Index will be generated by multiplying each segment’s largest ratio of the five periods by its length, then dividing the sum of all length-weighted segments by the total length of Interstate. State DOTs and MPOs will have the data they need in FHWA’s National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS) as data set includes truck travel times for the full Interstate System. State DOTs and MPOs may use an equivalent data set if they prefer. Note: The FHWA is preparing guidance on how all rules should be implemented. Note - The above dates in 2018 and 2020 relate to the first performance period of 2018 to 2021. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 31 / 154 NDOT System Operations Performance Measures 4-year Performance Period (2022-2025) PERFORMANCE MEASURES BASELINE 2-YEAR TARGET 4-YEAR TARGET Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Interstate That Are Reliable 98.8%98.5%98.5% Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Non- Interstate NHS That Are Reliable 96.2%92.0%92.0% Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index 1.14 1.20 1.20 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 32 / 154 GIAMPO RESOLUTION NO. 2023-3 Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization A Resolution Approving the MPO Targets for System Operations Performance Measures WHEREAS, the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO), is designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Island Urbanized Area, by the Governor acting through the Nebraska Department of Transportation in cooperation with locally elected officials of the Grand Island Urbanized Area; and WHEREAS, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to develop rules to establish a system to monitor and manage public transportation assets, to improve safety and increase reliability and performance, and to establish performance measures, and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) reaffirmed this requirement; and WHEREAS, the National Performance Management Measures: Assessing Performance of the National Highway System, Freight Movement on the Interstate System, and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program Final 23 CFR Part 490 became effective February 17, 2017 and establishes targets for the following seven performance measures: Performance Measures Performance of the National Highway System (NHS) • Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Interstate That Are Reliable • Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Non-Interstate NHS That Are Reliable • Percent Change in Tailpipe CO2 Emissions on the NHS Compared to the Calendar Year 2017 Level* Freight Reliability • Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) • Annual Hours of Peak-Hour Excessive Delay per Capita** • Percent of Non-Single-Occupant Vehicle Travel** • Total Emissions Reduction** * On May 31, 2018, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a final rule in the Federal Register repealing the performance management measure in 23 CFR 490.507(b) that assessed the percent change in tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, from the reference year 2017, on the National Highway System (NHS) (also referred to as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) measure). ** Nebraska is exempt from CMAQ measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025). Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 33 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-3 Page 2 WHEREAS, State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) must establish 2- and 4-year targets for the above applicable measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) by October 1, 2022; and WHEREAS, MPOs have 180 days following the establishment and reporting of the State targets to make a decision regarding whether to support each State’s targets by agreeing to plan and program projects that contribute toward the accomplishment of the State’s targets or to establish their own; and WHEREAS, the 2- and 4-year targets for system operations performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) adopted by NDOT are identified in Exhibit A attached to this resolution; and WHEREAS, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the MPO reviewed the NDOT 2- and 4-year targets for system operations performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025) and recommended for adoption that GIAMPO will support these targets, and now the targets require official approval from the Policy Board of the MPO; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Policy Board of the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization hereby approves that GIAMPO will support the Nebraska Department of Transportation 2- and 4-year targets for system operations performance measures for a 4-year performance period (2022-2025). Certification: The foregoing resolution was approved by the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 28, 2023 and is effective immediately upon adoption. By: Attest: ______________________________ ______________________________ Roger G. Steele, Mayor / Chairperson Keith Kurz, Interim Public Works Director Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 34 / 154 GIAMPO Resolution No. 2023-3 Page 3 Exhibit A, page 1 of 1 Nebraska of Department of Transportation (NDOT) Targets for System Operations Performance Measures for a 4-year Performance Period (2022-2025) PERFORMANCE MEASURES BASELINE 2-YEAR TARGET 4-YEAR TARGET Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Interstate That Are Reliable 98.8%98.5%98.5% Percent of the Person-Miles Traveled on the Non- Interstate NHS That Are Reliable 96.2%92.0%92.0% Truck Travel Time Reliability (TTTR) Index 1.14 1.20 1.20 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 35 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item H5 Approval of Transit Development Plan Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 36 / 154 Transit Development Plan Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. H5 February 28, 2023 ISSUE VOTE: Transit Development Plan BACKGROUND The City of Grand Island (GI) is leading the development of the GI Transit Development Plan (TDP) initiative, known as GO GI Transit, in coordination with GIAMPO. This study will help the City of Grand Island plan for the future of public transit in the Grand Island area. The TDP process began in October 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in February 2023. The TDP process began first with data collection on Grand Island’s transit system, CRANE, to evaluate the existing system and establish the baseline conditions for use in later portions of the TDP. The data collected was used to establish a variety of scenarios for potential future use. The scenarios were compared to the baseline scenario to evaluate their potential effectiveness. The final step in the TDP process was development of an implementation plan for the preferred scenario and a financial analysis of this scenario to capture both funded and unmet needs. Throughout the TDP planning process, three phases of public and stakeholder outreach were conducted to collect stakeholder and public feedback and guide the TDP vision. Each phase of engagement targeted different segments including existing riders, potential riders, and key area stakeholders. In early December 2022, the consultant for GO GI Transit (HDR Inc.) completed a Draft Transit Development Plan. This document is a planning and development guidance document encompassing the years 2023 through 2045. The year 2045 is used to align the goals of this TDP with the goals and objectives presented in the GIAMPO 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The TDP addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future scenarios. The plan develops 10-year and 20-year elements that fall within that 2045-time horizon. The Transit Development Plan is enclosed in the February 28 Policy Board meeting packet. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION The GIAMPO Public Participation Plan specifies that other reports/documents will have a public comment period of least 15 days prior to approval by the Policy Board. The Draft Transit Development Plan was made available for a 30-day public comment period from December 14, 2022 to January 16, 2023. Four comments were received during the public comment period. The Public Comment Summary, which includes the public comments and City & consultant staff responses, is in Appendix B Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 37 / 154 Transit Development Plan Policy Board Agenda Report | 2 of the attached Public Comment Period Summary (pages B-5 thru B-7). The public comments did not result in revisions to the Draft Transit Development Plan. After GIAMPO has approved the Transit Development Plan, the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan may need to be amended to reflect the TDP recommendations. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION The Technical Advisory Committee recommended to approve the Draft Transit Development Plan on December 12, 2022. RECOMMENDATION Approve the Transit Development Plan. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 38 / 154 2045 Transit Development Plan GO Grand Island Transit Final Report February 2023 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 39 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 i GGO GI Transit Contents Chapter 1 – Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 – Baseline Conditions ................................................................................................................ 3 Chapter 3 – Existing Transit Service ........................................................................................................ 36 Chapter 4 – Peer Review .......................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 5 – Situational Appraisal ............................................................................................................ 46 Chapter 6 – Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 7 – Public Involvement ............................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 8 – Scenario Evaluation ............................................................................................................. 64 Chapter 9 – Financial and Implementation Plan .................................................................................... 76 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 85 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................................... A Appendix B .................................................................................................................................................... B Appendix C .................................................................................................................................................... C Appendix D .................................................................................................................................................. D FFigures Figure 1: CRANE Service Area ..................................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2: Existing Land Use ......................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3: Future Land Use ........................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4: Activity Centers ............................................................................................................................. 8 Figure 5: Affordable Housing Subdivisions.............................................................................................. 10 Figure 6: Existing Population Density ...................................................................................................... 12 Figure 7: Future Population Density ........................................................................................................ 13 Figure 8: Major Employers ........................................................................................................................ 15 Figure 9: Existing Employment Density ................................................................................................... 16 Figure 10: Future Employment Density ................................................................................................... 17 Figure 11: Commute Mode Share for Grand Island Workers ................................................................. 18 Figure 12: Length of Commute for Grand Island Workers ..................................................................... 19 Figure 13: Time of Commute Departure for Grand Island Workers ....................................................... 19 Figure 14: Trip Origins Density ................................................................................................................. 21 Figure 15: Trip Destinations Density ....................................................................................................... 22 Figure 16: Inflow and Outflow Commuting for Grand Island .................................................................. 23 Figure 17: Educational Attainment for Grand Island, the State of Nebraska, and the United States . 24 Figure 18: Age Distribution for Grand Island ........................................................................................... 25 Figure 19: Population Under 18 Years of Age ......................................................................................... 27 Figure 20: Population Over 65 Years of Age ........................................................................................... 28 Figure 21: Population with a Disability .................................................................................................... 29 Figure 22: Minority Population ................................................................................................................. 31 Figure 23: Population Living Below the Poverty Line .............................................................................. 32 Figure 24: Zero Car Households .............................................................................................................. 33 Figure 25: Transit Propensity Index ......................................................................................................... 35 Figure 26: CRANE Annual Ridership, 2015-2021 .................................................................................. 37 Figure 27: RIDE Service Area ................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 28: Guiding Principles ................................................................................................................... 51 Figure 29: Focus Group Responses to Constituents Use of CRANE ...................................................... 54 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 40 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 ii GGO GI Transit Figure 30: Key Stakeholder Preferences for GO GI Transit Scenarios .................................................. 59 Figure 31: CRANE Bus .............................................................................................................................. 67 Figure 32: Mobility on Demand Software ................................................................................................ 68 Figure 33: Potential Fixed Route Service Map ........................................................................................ 70 Figure 34: Annual Operating Costs (Millions) .......................................................................................... 71 Figure 35: Annual Ridership (Passenger Trips) ....................................................................................... 72 Figure 36: Operating Cost per Passenger Trip ........................................................................................ 72 Figure 37: Proposed Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Routes ........................................ 79 Figure 38: Proposed Intercity Bus Service Routes for Grand Island ..................................................... 80 Figure 39: Additional State and Local Funding Needs for the Baseline and Enhanced Service Scenarios ................................................................................................................................................... 85 TTables Table 1: Report Organization ....................................................................................................................... 2 Table 2: Example Major Activity Centers .................................................................................................... 7 Table 3: Population Projects for Grand Island and Hall County ............................................................. 11 Table 4: Major Employers in Grand Island .............................................................................................. 14 Table 5: Employment Projections for Grand Island and Hall County ..................................................... 14 Table 6: Minority Populations in Grand Island ........................................................................................ 30 Table 7: CRANE Fare Structure ................................................................................................................ 36 Table 8: Peer Transit Systems .................................................................................................................. 38 Table 9: Summary of Peer Review Performance Measures ................................................................... 42 Table 10: Summary of Peer Review Effectiveness Measures ................................................................ 43 Table 11: Summary of Peer Review Efficiency Measures ...................................................................... 43 Table 12: Peer Review Summary ............................................................................................................. 45 Table 13: Federal, State, and Local Plans Reviewed ............................................................................. 46 Table 14: Regional Transit Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study Implementation Plan ............... 48 Table 15: LRTP Goals and Objectives ...................................................................................................... 49 Table 16: Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................... 52 Table 17: Grouping of Key Stakeholders for the GO GI Transit Plan Focus Group Meetings .............. 53 Table 18: Barriers Identification Activity Comments .............................................................................. 55 Table 19: MOD Activity Comments .......................................................................................................... 58 Table 20: Scenario Description ................................................................................................................ 64 Table 21: General Growth Assumptions .................................................................................................. 65 Table 22: 2019 Performance Metrics ..................................................................................................... 65 Table 23: 2022 Forecasted Ridership ..................................................................................................... 65 Table 24: Baseline Service Characteristics ............................................................................................. 66 Table 25: Scenario 1: Enhanced Service Elements ................................................................................ 66 Table 26: Scenario 3: Fixed Route Service Characteristics ................................................................... 69 Table 27: Performance Measures ........................................................................................................... 71 Table 28: Scenario Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 75 Table 29: Total Revenues and Costs for FY2022 ................................................................................... 77 Table 30: Future Funding for the Baseline Scenario .............................................................................. 83 Table 31: Future Funding for the Enhanced Service Scenario .............................................................. 84 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 41 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 1 GGO GI Transit CChapter 1 – Introduction The Transit Development Plan (TDP) is a planning and development guidance document encompassing the years 2023 through 2045. The year 2045 is used to align the goals of this TDP with the goals and objectives presented in the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The TDP addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future scenarios. The plan will develop 10-year and 20-year elements that fall within that 2045-time horizon. The TDP will be adopted by the City of Grand Island. Grand Island GO Transit The City of Grand Island (GI) is leading the development of the GI TDP initiative, known as GO GI Transit. The GO GI Transit initiative launched in October 2021 and was completed in early 2023. Data was first collected on Grand Island’s transit system, CRANE, to evaluate the existing system and establish the baseline conditions for use in later portions of the TDP. The data collected was used to establish a variety of scenarios for potential future use. The scenarios were compared to the baseline scenario to evaluate their potential effectiveness. The final step in the TDP process was development of an implementation plan for the preferred scenario and a financial analysis of this scenario to capture both funded and unmet needs. Throughout the TDP planning process, three phases of public and stakeholder outreach were conducted to collect stakeholder and public feedback and guide the TDP vision. Each phase of engagement targeted different segments including existing riders, potential riders, and key area stakeholders. Background and History In 2013, the City of Grand Island became a provider of transit services for the Urbanized Area of Grand Island, allowing the service to receive urban transportation funds (Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 funding). Prior to 2013, public transportation was administered by Hall County. A rebranding of the Hall County Public Transportation service was completed in February of 2019 when the service was renamed Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) in an effort to promote transit service improvements. The name change was initiated as part of the 2017 needs analysis conducted through coordinated efforts between the City, Hall County and the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO). Today, CRANE provides demand-response service within the Grand Island city limits and to other areas of Hall County, including Alda, Wood River, Cairo, and Doniphan. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 42 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 2 GGO GI Transit RReport Organization The TDP final report is organized into nine chapters. A brief description of these chapters can be found in Table 1. Table 1: Report Organization CHAPTER 1 |INTRODUCTION •Introduction provides background on the TDP process and brief history on CRANE service. CHAPTER 2 |BASELINE CONDITIONS •Baseline Conditions discusses local physical, economic, and demographic conditions related to CRANE"s existing transit service. CHAPTER 3 |EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE •Existing Transit Service includes the span of service, service description, and an assessment of current performance of the system. CHAPTER 4 |PEER REVIEW •Peer Review provides a comparison of CRANE with peer transit agencies. CHAPTER 5 | SITUATIONAL APPRAISAL •Situational Appraisal reviews the existing Federal, state, and local policies, procedures, and studies relevant to the Transit Development Plan. CHAPTER 6 |GOALS AND OBJECTIVES •Goals and Objectives presents the community vision that was identified and vetted by CRANE partners and the general public. CHAPTER 7 |PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT •Public Involvement provides a summary of the public engagment activities and results and summarizes public outreach events and surveys conducted. CHAPTER 8 |SCENARIO EVALUATION •Scenario Evaluation describes the process used to conduct a thorough and objective evaluation of the range of alternatives, and a comparison of each scenario’s performance relative to the baseline scenario. CHAPTER 9 |FINANCIAL AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN •Financial and Implementation Plan discusses historic revenue trends and the process used to forecast future revenues which forms the basis of the implementation plan that provides guidance for implementing future transit improvements. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 43 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 3 GGO GI Transit CChapter 2 – Baseline Conditions This chapter of the TDP, outlines the physical, economic, and demographic setting in which CRANE is currently operating. The Baseline Conditions provide context for the assessment of existing services and sets the groundwork for the scenarios presented in later chapters of this report. These baseline conditions, serve as a starting point for gauging the potential effectiveness of these scenarios. Study Area The City of Grand Island is in central Nebraska, accessible to Interstate 80, US Highways 281, 30, and 34, and Nebraska Highway 2, as well as the Central Nebraska Regional Airport. Access to these major highways has allowed Grand Island to become a hub for Central Nebraska. The area offers extensive commercial, entertainment, and recreational spaces for residents and provides critical services, such as health and other medical services, to the 30-plus rural communities within a 90-mile surrounding area. For this TDP, the study area includes the City of Grand Island boundaries to align with the CRANE service area for urban service. The Urbanized Area, based on the 2010 Census, and the City Boundaries are presented in Figure 1. Existing and Future Land Use Analysis of current land uses and trends in public transportation indicate that the two are interconnected and should be considered in the development of future transportation networks. The greater the density of compatible land uses, the greater the propensity of non-auto modes like transit, walking, and biking. An adequate mix of residential, retail, mixed-use, commercial/office, and recreational land uses, creates a synergy of places where people originate from and go to. Figure 2 shows the existing land uses (ELUs) in the study area. A large portion of land is public or agricultural. The Grand Island Central Regional Airport is located on over 1,800 acres of public land in the northeast portion of the service area. Agricultural uses are also prominent in Grand Island. Commercial land use is highly concentrated along Highway 281 and along south Locust Street. Figure 3 presents the future land uses (FLUs) for the study area. The FLUs building on existing uses, with the land uses being predominantly agricultural and recreational/public with clusters of commercial and residential. However, the future land use does indicate increased residential, commercial, and manufacturing areas throughout Grand Island. This indicates an anticipation in population and job growth as new businesses move into the area while inducing the construction of dwelling units. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 44 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 4 GGO GI Transit Source: City of Grand Island Figure 1: CRANE Service Area Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 45 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 5 GGO GI Transit Source: City of Grand Island Figure 2: Existing Land Use Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 46 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 6 GGO GI Transit Source: City of Grand Island Figure 3: Future Land Use Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 47 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 7 GGO GI Transit MMajor Activity Centers Major travel attractors and generators in Grand Island include activity centers that act as common origins and destinations for transportation and transit trips. In addition to work places and residences, Activity centers are some of the highest transit trip generators in Grand Island. These include medical centers, recreation, shopping, or government facilities. Table 2 presents examples of each of these major Activity Centers by type within the City of Grand Island. The location of these and other activity centers within the City Limits are presented in Figure 4. As seen in the figure, these activity centers are distributed throughout the city limits, but many are clustered in central and southeastern Grand Island. Table 2: Example Major Activity Centers Activity Center Type Activity Centers Airport x Central Nebraska Regional Airport Government FFacilities x Hall County Courthouse x City Hall Recreation x Island Oasis Water Park x Fonner Park x Stuhr Museum x Ryder Park x Eagle Scout Park x George Park x Lions Park x Stolley Park x Pier Park x Hall County Park Medical Centers//Hospital x VA Nebraska Hospital x St. Francis Medical Center x St. Francis Memorial Health Center x Grand Island Surgery Center x Grand Island Regional Medical Center Grocery x Sam’s Club x Walmart Supercenter x Hy-Vee Grocery x Super Saver Retail x Conestoga Mall x Northwest Commons x Downtown Grand Island Education x Career Pathways Institute x Central Community College x Grand Island Public Schools Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 48 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 8 GGO GI Transit Source: City of Grand Island Figure 4: Activity Centers Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 49 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 9 GGO GI Transit AAffordable Housing Affordable housing allows for families to incur a reasonable cost of living while still having money left over for other activities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines housing as affordable when it consumes no more than 30 percent of a household’s income. For this analysis, affordable housing refers to housing units that are affordable by those populations whose income is below the median household income. When considering the transportation network and future connections, populations below the median household income and who reside in low-income neighborhoods are more likely to need public transportation than those who do not. Figure 5 presents the affordable housing locations for the service area, which were identified through interviews with city staff during the development of the 2045 LRTP. The service area has four subdivisions meeting this criterion. The Orchard, Lassonde, and Fifth St. subdivisions are in the Northeast region of Grand Island near the airport while Copper Creek is an affordable housing subdivision located on the western portion of the city. While not necessarily open to the public, the Veterans Home Liberty Campus also offers affordable housing through the Veterans Legacy Program. Hall County Housing Authority Hall County Housing Authority (HCHA) manages and operates federally subsidized public housing programs. HCHA currently manages 394 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and site homes throughout the County; rent is generally based upon 30 percent of the family’s adjusted income (restrictions apply).1 Liberty Campus Liberty Campus, which is the site of the former Grand Island Veterans Home that relocated to Kearney, Nebraska in 2018, is currently being redeveloped to serve as senior and low-income housing, as well as rental properties. Plans for the site’s redevelopment also include space for office, commercial, educational, and medical uses.2 Source: KHGI 1 Hall County Housing Authority, About 2 Help Foundation of Omaha, Grand Island Liberty Campus Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 50 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 10 GGO GI Transit Source: City of Grand Island Figure 5: Affordable Housing Subdivisions Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 51 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 11 GGO GI Transit PPopulation and Employment Growth Population and employment densities are an important indicator of potential transit demand. High density neighborhoods are often characterized by multi-family housing or single-family housing on small lots with less parking and smaller setbacks than lower density neighborhoods. This combination of walkable design and a mix of land uses contribute to a greater viability for people choosing to bike, walk, or use transit in these higher density areas. In addition, higher density areas will have more people living within walking distance of a given transit stop than in lower density areas, thereby increasing the potential demand for public transit. Population Profile The Hall County and City of Grand Island populations have shown steady growth since 1990. Based on historic population data gathered from the United States Census, the estimated population growth was held constant at an annual growth rate of approximately 0.73% for Hall County and an approximate annual growth rate of 0.84% for the City of Grand Island. According to 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, the population of the City of Grand Island was 51,147. This base year population was used in combination with Census data and Woods and Poole projections for Hall County to anticipate future growth. Table 3 presents the projections for horizon year 2045. Table 3: Population Projects for Grand Island and Hall County Area Population Estimate Percent Change 2020 2045 2020-- 22045 Grand Island 51,576 63,561 23% Hall County 61,709 73,923 20% Source: United States Census, Grand Island Area MPO 2045 LRTP, Woods & Poole Economics Figure 6 presents the existing population density by block group while FFigure 7 shows the forecasted population density, also by block group, for the year 2045 based on the growth rate used in the 2045 LRTP; in addition to the growth rates, forecasted growth was allocated to the block groups identified as growth areas in the 2045 LRTP. In addition to the continued growth on the fringes of the city identified in the LRTP, an increase in population density is anticipated immediately north of downtown. One contributing factor for population growth in this area is the community development initiative to revitalize areas around 4th and 5th Street. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding was used to improve sidewalks, curbs, and support ADA accessibility3. CDBG funding was also used to renovate Lion’s Club Park. 3 City of Grand Island, June 24, 2014, City Council Session Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 52 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 12 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 6: Existing Population Density Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 53 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 13 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates, Grand Island Area MPO 2045 LRTP Figure 7: Future Population Density Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 54 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 14 GGO GI Transit EEmployment Profile The most common trip type for transit users is their commute to work. This trip is especially important for those transit dependent populations with no other means of completing their commute. Areas with major employers and high employment densities contribute to higher transit usage, especially in densely populated block groups. The existence of major employment centers is an indicator of potential transit demand due to the high number of trips destined for work. These areas tend to have more traffic congestion, which could incentivize public transit use to get to and from work. The economy of Grand Island, NE employs 26,000 people with the largest industries in Grand Island being Manufacturing, Health Care & Social Assistance, and Retail Trade. The top employers in Grand Island are summarized in Table 4 and can be found in FFigure 8. JBS, a food processing plant, is the largest employer in the service area4. Table 4: Major Employers in Grand Island ID Employer Population 1 JBS 3,400 2 Grand Island Public Schools 1,500 3 CHI Health St. Francis 1,300 4 Hornady Manufacturing 751 5 CHN Industrial America (GI locations) 687 6 Walmart (GI locations) 662 7 Chief Industries (GI locations) 650 8 McCain Foods (GI locations) 550 9 City of Grand Island 535 Source: Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate of the City of Grand Island Nebraska was approximately 3.4% in 2019, which was slightly higher than the statewide unemployment rate of 2.9% for the same year. Table 5: Employment Projections for Grand Island and Hall County Area Employment EEstimate Percent Change 2020 2045 2020-- 22045 Grand Island 33,443 41,590 24% Hall County 45,702 55,776 22% Source: United States Census, Grand Island Area MPO 2045 LRTP, Woods & Poole Economics Figure 9 presents the existing employment density with FFigure 10 presenting the forecasted employment density for the year 2045. Most of the job growth is concentrated at the retail-heavy businesses along the Highway 281 corridor, the retail located downtown, and industrial concentrations at the intersection of Highway 30 and Highway 281, as well as east of the city. Similar to forecasted population density, employment growth was allocated based on growth areas identified in the 2045 LRTP. 4 https://www.grandisland.org/relocate-expand/workforce/top-employers.html Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 55 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 15 GGO GI Transit Source: Grand Island Area Economic Development Corporation Figure 8: Major Employers Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 56 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 16 GGO GI Transit Source: Woods and Poole Economics, Inc. Figure 9: Existing Employment Density Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 57 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 17 GGO GI Transit Source: Woods and Poole Economics, Inc. Figure 10: Future Employment Density Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 58 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 18 GGO GI Transit TTravel and Mobility Characteristics To identify areas where service is needed, it is important to determine traffic patterns and what users need from public transportation to consider it a realistic option. Journey-to-Work Characteristics Understanding how and when workers travel to their workplace and utilize transportation amenities and infrastructure can help inform decisions about transportation and mobility needs for the region. Figure 11 through FFigure 13 summarize journey-to-work characteristics for Grand Island workers. The average commute to work time is 17.4 minutes. As shown in Figure 11, most Grand Island residents drive alone to work in a private vehicle (83.1%), with carpooling being the next largest share of commutes (8.6%). Walking (1.9%) and public transit (0.3%) are the least used mode for commutes in Grand Island. Figure 11: Commute Mode Share for Grand Island Workers Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Nearly half of Grand Island’s workers have a daily commute of 20 minutes or less while roughly 70 percent of workers have a daily commute of 30 minutes or less, as seen in Figure 12. Based on ACS data for the year 2019, approximately 60 percent of Grand Island’s workers begin their commute trip between 6 AM and 8 AM while nearly 25 percent of commuters leave for work between 9 AM and 12 PM.Figure 13 summarizes this breakdown of departure times for Grand Island workers.. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 59 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 19 GGO GI Transit Figure 12: Length of Commute for Grand Island Workers Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 13: Time of Commute Departure for Grand Island Workers Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 60 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 20 GGO GI Transit OOrigin/Destination Origin-Destination (OD) data provides insight into travel patterns by highlighting where people begin their trips and where they end their trips. OD data is used to identify potential destinations that attract high numbers of trips, as well as potential locations where higher numbers of trips begin. Based on the pairings of these origins and destinations associated with higher travel demand, strategies that improve mobility and accessibility to these locations can be identified. Replica is a big data platform that provides OD data used to determine travel patterns in an area of interest. Figure 14 presents a heatmap of the trip origin for all trips within the city limits, showing that many trips originate in the highly residential areas in the east side of the city. Figure 15 presents a heatmap of the destinations for all trips, indicating high trip densities around Hiland Dairy Foods company, Central Community College, and the retail areas downtown. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 61 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 21 GGO GI Transit Figure 14: Trip Origins Density Source: Replica, 2020-2021 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 62 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 22 GGO GI Transit Figure 15: Trip Destinations Density Source: Replica, 2020-2021 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 63 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 23 GGO GI Transit OOn The Map Analysis To understand the commuting travel patterns within the study area, an assessment using On-The-Map was conducted. On-The-Map was developed through a partnership between the United States Census Bureau and all 50 states through the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program. The LEHD program combines employment data from payroll tax information maintained by states and data from censuses and surveys. From this data, the program creates statistics on employment and job flows at detailed levels of geography and industry and for different demographic groups. Figure 16 presents worker flow dynamics for Grand Island in year 2019 symbolized by arrows. Over 16,000 workers live and work in Grand Island, as represented by the circular arrow. Over 13,000 workers are employed in Grand Island but live outside the County, while about 8,000 workers are employed outside of the city but reside in Grand Island. Figure 16: Inflow and Outflow Commuting for Grand Island Source: U.S. Census Bureau LEHD Program Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 64 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 24 GGO GI Transit AArea Demographics It is important to understand the make-up and demographics of the community that transit intends to serve. This includes understanding the makeup and location of underserved populations, minorities, elderly and younger groups, and income levels. Median Household Income The median household income in the City of Grand Island is $54,965 (ACS 2019 5-year Estimates). This is lower than both the state median household income of $61,439 and the national median household income of $65,712. When compared to 2018 data, Grand Island households demonstrate growth in median household in income, with a 4% increase from the 2018 median household income level. Educational attainment Approximately 83% of Grand Island residents over the age of 25 have graduated with a high school diploma or higher as shown in Figure 17. A higher percentage of the population in Grand Island has attended college but did not receive a degree when compared to the rest of the state and the nation. However, a lower percent of the population has obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. Figure 17: Educational Attainment for Grand Island, the State of Nebraska, and the United States Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Age and Gender Distribution The average age for Grand Island residents in 2019, according to 5-year ACS estimates, was just under 35 years. This is slightly lower than the average age for Nebraska residents, at 36 years, and significantly lower than the national average of just over 38 years. The highest proportion, 13.7 percent, of Grand Island’s residents are in the 25 to 34 years of age range while the second highest proportion of residents fall in the 35 to 44 years of age range. Roughly 6.6 percent of Grand Island Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 65 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 25 GGO GI Transit residents are above the age of 75 while 15.7 percent are 9 years of age or younger. The age distribution is presented in FFigure 18. The gender distribution of Grand Island’s residents is 50.4 percent male and 49.6 percent female based on ACS 2019 5-year estimates data. Figure 18: Age Distribution for Grand Island Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Underserved Populations Underserved populations have a higher potential for public transit use. Classifying areas as underserved is based on several factors that are typical indicators of disadvantaged groups. These factors include population under the age of 18 and over the age of 65, disabled persons, minority populations, those living below the poverty line, and zero-vehicle households. Elderly and Youth Populations Populations under the age of 18 are more likely to use public transportation as they often have limited access to personal vehicles or do not have a valid driver’s license. Areas with high youth populations require additional consideration as one component of underserved populations. Figure 19 shows clusters of youth populations east of Fonner Park and near Northwest High School. Additional youth population clusters are found east of Broadwell Avenue, west of Sycamore Street, north of 7th Street and south of 10th Street. Elderly populations (over the age of 65) generally use public transportation for medical visits and shopping. This population is also considerably more likely to become disabled, especially with illnesses and disabilities that are brought on by aging such as impaired vision, hearing loss, and injuries that may limit their ability to operate a personal vehicle. Figure 20 shows high elderly populations located Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 66 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 26 GGO GI Transit North of West Capital Avenue near Eagle Scout Park, along North Sycamore Street, and near Emerald Nursing and Rehab Lakeview. DDisabled Population The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Often, this limitation may hinder the person’s ability to drive a personal vehicle, creating a dependence on public transportation as a means of mobility. According to ACS 2019 5-year Estimates, 12.4% of the population of Grand Island have a disability. Like the elderly population distribution, Figure 21 indicates that there is a high disabled population located in central Grand Island which serves as an opportunity to leverage transit service to address populations with limited mobility. Due to data availability limitations, disability data in Figure 21 is shown at the census tract level. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 67 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 27 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 19: Population Under 18 Years of Age Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 68 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 28 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 20: Population Over 65 Years of Age Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 69 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 29 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 21: Population with a Disability Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 70 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 30 GGO GI Transit MMinority Population Minority populations are more transit dependent than some other populations based on a variety of characteristics. Minority populations are more likely to live in densely populated inner-city communities, less likely to have access to a vehicle, and more likely to live farther from their places of employment when compared to non-minority populations. The City of Grand Island is predominately White as presented in Table 6. The service also has a high Hispanic or Latino population at 31.6% according to 2014-2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Table 6: Minority Populations in Grand Island Race Grannd Island Percent of Population White Alone, Non--Hispanic 31,715 62.0% Black or African American 1,498 2.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 243 0.5% Asian 640 1.3% Hispanic of Latino 16,174 31.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific IIslander 380 0.8% Some other race 77 0.2% Two or more races 663 1.4% Two races excluding some other races 489 0.9% Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 22 presents the minority population within the service area. The data indicates that minority populations are densely concentrated on the eastern side of the service area, especially near McCain Foods, the 8th largest employer for the area. Population Below Poverty Line The poverty line is the income threshold below which a person would be living in poverty. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold, then every individual in it is considered in poverty. Population below the poverty line is one of the primary components in determining underserved populations. According to ACS 2019 5-year estimates 12.8% of Grand Island residents are below the poverty line. Figure 23 presents areas with populations with 15% or higher below the poverty line. These populations are concentrated in two areas, the first cluster is located between Ryder Park and Capital Avenue in the north and the second is on the northeastern part of the city, beginning downtown and extending toward Merrick County. Zero-Vehicle Population Historically, the rate of households with zero vehicles available has decreased over time as the affordability and availability of motor vehicles has increased. Those households that continue to exist as zero-vehicle households either by choice or out of necessity, are heavily dependent on public transportation. Figure 24 shows those households that do not have access to a personal vehicle. These populations are concentrated between North Broadwell Avenue and St. Paul Road. A second cluster of zero-vehicle households is found west of Sycamore Street between 4th and 7th Streets. Due to data availability limitations, zero-vehicle household data is shown at the census tract level. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 71 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 31 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 22: Minority Population Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 72 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 32 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 23: Population Living Below the Poverty Line Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 73 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 33 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 24: Zero Car Households Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 74 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 34 GGO GI Transit TTransit Propensity The transit propensity index, as presented in FFigure 25, included an evaluation of six socio-economic indicators. To help define under-served populations, the following Census block group level population and household data from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates were used: x Population Under 18: Percentage of population 18 or below; x Population Over 65: Percentage of population age 65 or above; x Population with a Disability: Percentage of population with a cognitive or physical disability; x Minority Population: Percentage of minority population; x Population Below Poverty Level: Percentage of population below poverty level; x Households with zero vehicles:Percentage of households with no access to a personal vehicle. The analysis used a threshold for each of the above indicators, so that those census block groups that had a greater value than the mean value for any given indicator was given a score of one (1). The scores for the individual categories were then totaled across the six socio-economic indicators to generate a composite transit propensity score. For example, if a census block group had an above average number of people below poverty level and an above average number of households with no access to a personal vehicle, the census block group was given a score of two (2). The Propensity Score range has a maximum possible high score of six (6), indicating above average values for each of the six socio-economic indicators, and a minimum possible low propensity score of zero (0), which would indicate no above average values. The resulting index highlights potentially high demand for public transit throughout much of the City of Grand Island. Block groups located along Capital Avenue, in downtown Grand Island, and south of Highway 34 demonstrated some of the highest propensity for transit use while block groups in the western part of urban area illustrated a lower propensity for transit usage. The block groups exhibiting higher propensity for transit use will be considered as priority areas for focusing system improvements. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 75 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 35 GGO GI Transit Source: ACS 2019 5-year Estimates Figure 25: Transit Propensity Index Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 76 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 36 GGO GI Transit CChapter 3 – Existing Transit Service The existing transit service is an assessment of the service that is currently being provided and conditions in which they operate. This service analysis is done to develop a no-build base scenario as a starting point for future scenario recommendations. Service Overview CRANE is a public transit service that provides approximately 29,000 trips per year within the service area. Passengers are required to book a trip a minimum of 24 hours in advance with same day trips only when space is available. Weekday trips, for Monday through Friday, can be scheduled as early as 6:00 AM with the latest available pick-up time being 5:30 PM while Saturday rides are available beginning at 9:00 AM through 3:00 PM. Fare Structure Fare structure is the system set up to determine how much is to be paid by various passengers using a transit vehicle at any given time. The CRANE fare structure is presented in Table 7. Table 7: CRANE Fare Structure Fare Type Feee Regular Fare $2.00 First Child The first child accompanying a Regular Fare $2.00 Additional Child All children after the first child accompanying a Regular Fare Free Youth Rider Any unaccompanied youth age 12--18 $2.00 Personal Care Attendant (PCA) An attendant accompanying and assisting an ADA eligible rider Free Card Type Fee 10 Trip Card $20.00 20 Trip Card $40.00 Source: CRANE Annual Ridership Total annual passenger ridership for the service area, based on trip data from CRANE, was 31,666 in 2021 Despite impacts stemming from the COVID-19 public health pandemic, 2020 ridership was slightly higher than ridership in 2019 of 28,171, with an approximately 4 percent increase in passenger trips. This trend in increasing ridership persisted into 2021 as ridership increased by 7.6 percent over 2020 levels. Figure 26 presents the total number of Passenger Trips between 2015 and 2021 as well as revenue miles and revenue hours for the service. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 77 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 37 GGO GI Transit Figure 26: CRANE Annual Ridership, 2015-2021 Source: CRANE CChapter 4 – Peer Review A peer review analysis was conducted to compare the performance of the City of Grand Island’s transit system with similar systems operating in the United States. The aim of a peer review is to guide transit agencies in identifying and prioritizing problem areas. Selected performance indicators, effectiveness measures, and efficiency measures are provided in table and graphic form to demonstrate the performance of Grand Island compared to peer agencies. This analysis was performed using 2019 data. The chosen performance measures are displayed in Table 9. For each selected measure, supplementary tables provide the City of Grand Island’s value, the minimum value among the peer group, the maximum value among the peer group, the mean of the peer group, and the percent deviation that the City of Grand Island’s values are from the mean. Peer System Selection Methodology The peer selection was conducted using 2019 National Transit Database (NTD) data. The peers were identified using the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) methodology. The TCRP uses five service characteristics and eight urban area characteristics as grouping factors in determining peer agencies, as described below: Service Characteristics for Determining Peers x Total Vehicle Miles Operated: Total distance traveled annually by revenue service vehicles, including both revenue miles and deadhead miles. x Total Operating Budget: Reported total spending on operation, including administration, maintenance, and operation of service vehicles. x Percent Demand Response: Percentage of demand response service for an agency, measured based on the number of vehicles operated in maximum service. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 78 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 38 GGO GI Transit x PPercent Service Purchased: Percentage of transit service purchased from outside service providers, measured based on the number of vehicles operated in maximum service. x Service Area Type: An identifier for determining the service and extent of coverage of an agency. The Florida Transit Information System (FTIS), which is a suite of web-based systems to aid agencies in transit planning, was the medium used to search for peer agency information; this system draws from NTD datasets and was selected for use due to its applicability for transit agencies outside of Florida. Urban Area Characteristics for Determining Peers x Urban Area Population x Population Growth Rate x Population Density x State Capital x Percent Population with a College Degree x Percent Poverty x Annual Delay (Hours) Per Traveler x Freeway Lane-Miles Per Capita x Distance The data for all population-related variables was extracted from the American Community Survey (ACS). Likeness scores were first determined for each individual screening and peer-group factor. Next, total likeness scores were calculated from the individual scores. The lower the score of a potential peer system,the more similar it is to the target system. Based on the results of the TCRP peer selection process, four transit systems were selected for the peer review analysis. Additionally, the City of Wilson, NC’s mobility on-demand (MOD) system was chosen outside of the NTD database. The City of Wilson, NC recently contracted with Via, a transit technology company, to implement RIDE which is a mobility on-demand (MOD) transit service. While Wilson, NC was not included in the FTIS search, the data for this system was provided by agency staff and was used in the peer comparison. The selected peer systems are identified in Table 8 and described in further detail below. Table 8: Peer Transit Systems Peer Systems Autauga County Rural Transportation Autauga County, Alabama is in the central portion of the state, just outside of the capital city of Montgomery. It is roughly 600 square miles and home to 59,000 people. The area is largely rural and Type System Location TCRP Likeness Peers Autauga County Rural Transportation Prattville, AL Butler County Transit El Dorado, KS Haywood Public Transit Clyde, NC Cletran Cleburne, TX MOD RIDE Wilson, NC Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 79 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 39 GGO GI Transit therefore does not offer fixed route transit service. Autauga County Rural Transportation, which is demand response only, serves elderly and disabled populations Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4 PM. Services are provided on a first come, first served basis to the Montgomery Cancer Center and doctors’ offices in the Montgomery area. The route structure is based on city limits. Trips inside city limits are $1.50 per way, trips outside city limits are $1.75 and trips to Montgomery and out of county are $3.00 per way. BButler County Transit Butler County is situated in the southern portion of the state of Kansas and is the largest county by area in the state, with over 1400 square miles and a population of roughly 70,000. The Butler County Transit Program is in the city of El Dorado and provides public transportation services through the Butler County Department on Aging. The service is open to the public and offers curb-to-curb service as well as four routes. The Augusta and El Dorado routes are provided Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 4 PM. The Andover Route is by appointment only and runs Monday-Friday 8:30 AM to 12 PM. The Wichita Route runs Wednesday and Thursday, arriving in Wichita at 10:30 AM and leaves at 2 PM. The fares range from $0.50 to $4.00 per way. Haywood Public Transit Haywood Public Transit, located in Clyde, North Carolina, provides public transportation services for the Haywood County. The service is a division of Mountain Projects, Inc. which is a community based non-profit organization providing vital services to the elderly, disadvantaged, and general public in Western North Carolina. Transit service is provided by appointment only Monday-Friday from 6 AM to 5:30 PM. In addition to providing service in Haywood County, Haywood Public Transit connects to a deviated fixed route service provided by Mountain Mobility of Buncombe County to create regional mobility in Asheville and surrounding areas. Source: Haywood Public Transit Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 80 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 40 GGO GI Transit CCletran Cletran, or City/County Transportation, is the public transportation provider serving Johnson County, Texas. Johnson County is located within the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area and has a population of over 170,000. Services provided include demand response, as well as the Interurban Commuter Bus route serving the cities of Cleburne, Joshua, and Burleson with connecting service to other cities in Johnson County and Fort Worth. The Interurban Commuter Bus terminates at the Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Fort Worth to enable easy access to transfer to the T transit services in Fort Worth and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) into Dallas. The hours of operation for demand response service vary by city but are roughly 12 hours per day, 5 days a week. The Interurban Commuter Bus has a set schedule running North 6 AM to 6 PM and South from 8 AM to 7 PM with four stops in between the Cleburne Intermodal Depot and the Fort Worth Intermodal Transfer Center. RIDE RIDE serves the City of Wilson, NC which is just east of The Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). In September 2020, the agency shifted from fixed route service to on-demand micro- transit service using the company Via. The decision to shift their system to on-demand micro-transit was made due to low fixed route ridership, gaps in the service provided by fixed route, high operating costs, and lack of transportation network companies (TNCs). When the program launched, the agency’s total operating cost per trip decreased from $23.00 for fixed route service to $11.00 for the new on- demand service. Transit ridership more than doubled in the weeks following the initial launch, where users waited an average of only 15 minutes for a ride once it had been booked via a smart phone device. Source: RIDE | Wilson, NC Source: Cletran – City/County Transportation Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 81 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 41 GGO GI Transit Figure 27: RIDE Service Area Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 82 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 42 GGO GI Transit GGeneral Performance Measures The comparison of general performance indicators for the peer review systems is presented in this section. Performance indicators include population, population density, ridership, revenue miles and hours, and vehicles. Table 9 provides a summary of how Grand Island compares with the peer group. Refer to Appendix A for more detail on the peer group performance measures comparison. Table 9: Summary of Peer Review Performance Measures Performance Measure Grand Island Peer Group Minimum Peer Group Maximum Peer Group Mean Grand Island % Deviation from Mean Service Area Population 61,492 31,706 171,361 72,414 -17.8% Service Area PPopulation Density 113 44 236 158 -39.8% Passenger Trips 28,171 19,307 105,606 44,129 -56.6% Revenue Miles 145,603 72,761 353,601 231,078 -58.7% Revenue Hours 13,798 5,856 22,478 16,055 -16.4% Vehicles Operated in MMaximum Service 11 7 20 13 -18.2% Total Operating Expenses $603,707 $220,584 $1,097,057 $734,124 -21.6% Passenger Fare Revenues $66,869 $10,293 $158,409 $61,349 8.3% Summary of General Performance Measures The City of Grand Island is closely aligned with its peers when comparing service area population, revenue hours, vehicles operated in maximum service, total operating expenses, and passenger fare revenues. Most of the values deviate within 25% from the peer group mean, except for service area population density, passenger trips, and revenue miles. Passenger fare revenues are 8% above the mean which indicates the fare is higher for Grand Island than most of its peers. The agency falls significantly below the mean of its peers for population density, passenger trips, and revenue miles. Passenger trips are skewed by the mobility on-demand system in Wilson, NC. Revenue miles are nearly 100,000 miles less than the average of the peer systems which is likely due to the relatively low number of trips conducted by Grand Island in 2019. Effectiveness Measures The categories selected to measure effectiveness were passenger trips per revenue mile, passenger trips per service area capita, and weekday span of service. A comparison of Grand Island’s performance versus that of the peer group is presented in TTable 10. Refer to AAppendix A for more detail on the peer group effectiveness measures comparison. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 83 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 43 GGO GI Transit Table 10: Summary of Peer Review Effectiveness Measures SSummary of Effectiveness Measures The City of Grand Island provides an effective service when compared to its peers. Grand Island’s trips per revenue hour are 21% below the mean; however, the mean is skewed by the mobility on-demand system in Wilson, NC. This is also the case for trips per service area capita. RIDE skewed the measure significantly since their trips are roughly five times that of the other systems. Grand Island operates 11.5 hours per day which is slightly above the mean weekday span of service. Efficiency Measures The selected efficiency measures were categorized by cost efficiency measures and operating ratios. Table 11 provides a comparison of Grand Island and the peer group’s performance on efficiency measures. Refer to Appendix A for more detail on the peer group’s efficiency measures comparison. Table 11: Summary of Peer Review Efficiency Measures Efficiency Measures City of Grand Island Peer Group Minimum Peer Group Maximum Peer Group Mean Grand Island % Deviation from MMean Average Fare $2.37 $0.34 $2.42 $1.22 94.3% Farebox Recovery (%) 11.08% 1.28% 11.08% 6.35% 42.7% Operating Expense Per Passenger Trip $21.43 $11.00 $31.08 $19.60 8.6% Operating Expense Per RRevenue Hour $43.75 $31.83 $60.63 $46.06 -5.3% Operating Expense Per Revenue Mile $4.15 $2.63 $4.15 $3.23 22.2% Operating Expense Per SService Area Capita $9.82 $3.20 $22.56 $12.09 -23.0% Effectiveness Measures Grand Island Peer Group Minimum Peer Group Maximum Peer Group Mean Grand Island % Deviation from Mean Passenger Trips per Revenue Mile 0.19 0.10 0.27 0.23 -21.1% Passenger Trips Per SService Area Capita 0.46 0.21 2.38 0.87 -76.1% Weekday Span of Service (in hours) 11.50 7.50 15 11 4.3% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 84 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 44 GGO GI Transit SSummary of Efficiency Measures The City of Grand Island proves to run an efficient system when compared to its peers. The average fare for the City of Grand Island is nearly 100% higher than the average of its peers and in turn, the farebox recovery for the City of Grand Island is about 43% higher than the peer group average. The review of operating expenses for Grand Island revealed that they are below the average per revenue hour (5%) and service area capita (23%) but above average for per revenue mile (22%) and per passenger trip (8%). Summary of Performance Indicators The City of Grand Island is performing well compared to the peer systems. Passenger trips are relatively low due to the density of the area, which led to the dramatic difference from the mean for passenger trips per capita and revenue mile. The higher-than-average fare for Grand Island and farebox recovery provides for a cost-efficient system. The on-demand mobility system in Wilson, NC provides significantly more trips than the other peers because the demand response service functions more like a transportation network company, meaning the service can provide a variety of trip types for the rural population beyond the life-sustaining and medical trips that are typically the sole focus for demand response only systems. Additionally, Cletran in Cleburne, Texas has a large population and provides a commuter route that connects the rural area with the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. These systems skewed several of the performance measures as identified in the table below and in the corresponding graphics in previous sections. Overall, Grand Island’s system is functioning at the optimal level given the area’s demographic constraints. Table 12 provides a summary of Grand Island’s performance relative to the peer services. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 85 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 45 GGO GI Transit Table 12: Peer Review Summary PPerformance Indicators/Measures %% Deviation from Mean GGeneral Performance Indicators SService Area Population -17.8% SService Area Population Density -39.8% PPassenger Trips -56.6% RRevenue Miles -58.7% RRevenue Hours -16.4% VVehicles Operated in Maximum Service -18.2% TTotal Operating Expense -21.6% PPassenger Fare Revenues 8.3% SService Supply PPassenger Trips Per Capita -76.1% PPassenger Trips Per Revenue Mile -21.1 QQuality of Service WWeekday Span of Service 4.3% CCost Efficiency OOperating Expense Per Capita -23% OOperating Expense Per Passenger Trip 8.6% OOperating EExpense Per Revenue Mile 22.2% OOperating Expense Per Revenue Hour -5.3% OOperating Ratio FFarebox Recovery Ratio 42.7% FFare AAverage Fare 94.3% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 86 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 46 GGO GI Transit CChapter 5 – Situational Appraisal The purpose of this chapter is to review the existing service area policies, procedures, and studies relevant to the Transit Development Plan. The plans reviewed in this chapter can be found in Table 13. Table 13: Federal, State, and Local Plans Reviewed Federal Policies, Procedures, and Studies Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as enacted in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of November 2021, reauthorized Federal surface transportation programs for fiscal years 2022 through 2026. This legislation provides additional funding to support local transit agencies while establishing several new transit programs. The BIL aims to advance public transportation through four priorities: x Safety x Modernization x Climate x Equity While the BIL establishes these priorities, the program’s stated focus is to promote equity throughout transportation systems and support transit’s role in combatting climate change. As such, all FTA discretionary grant programs will focus on promoting equity.5 5 Federal Transit Administration, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 87 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 47 GGO GI Transit CCoronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $25 billion to transit agencies to help to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocated $22.7 billion to large and small urban areas and $2.2 billion to rural areas. Funding is provided at a 100 percent federal share, with no local match required, and is available to support capital, operating, and other expenses generally eligible under those programs to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Eligible expenses include operating expenses incurred beginning on January 20, 2020, and other expenses to maintain transit services such as paying for administrative leave for transit personnel due to reduced operations during an emergency. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA) includes $14 billion in supplemental appropriations allocated to support the transit industry during the COVID- 19 public health emergency. These funds are distributed among urbanized areas ($13.26 billion), rural areas and tribes ($678.2 million), and Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities ($50 million). Like the CARES Act, the supplemental funding is provided at 100-percent federal share, with no local match required. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) includes $30.5 billion in federal funding to support the nation’s public transportation systems as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and support the President’s call to vaccinate the U.S. population. The relief funds are distributed as follows, at 100-percent federal share: x $26.6 billion to be allocated by statutory formulas to urbanized and rural areas and tribal governments x $2.2 billion to FTA grant recipients in communities that demonstrate additional pandemic- associated needs. x $1.675 billion for projects in the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program x $50 million under the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities formula program x $25 million for competitive planning grants x $5 million for competitive tribal grants State Policies, Procedures, and Studies Nebraska’s 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan The 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan (STP) serves as the guide to Nebraska’s multimodal transportation system, providing a vision and series of system goals and objectives, the strategies and policies necessary to achieve the Plan’s vision, and metrics for evaluating progress made towards these goals. The key themes related to public transit found in the 2040 STP include: x Mobility choices for people and freight: Provide efficient, affordable, and equitable options across all modes for moving people and goods throughout Nebraska and beyond. x Safety: Provide a transportation system in Nebraska that is safe for all users. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 88 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 48 GGO GI Transit x SSupport for economic and community vitality: Choose investments in Nebraska’s transportation system that best support the vitality of Nebraska’s economy and all of its communities. Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study The Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study, published in 2020, was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of daily intercity bus service between Grand Island, Hastings, and Kearney. The study was based on NDOT’s recognition of the need to increase mobility for residents and visitors of these communities and a series of potential service routes were identified. The potential implementation of this service could build off existing CRANE service and provide additional ridership that can support further investment in Grand Island’s public transit system. Local Policies, Procedures, and Studies Regional Transit Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study GIAMPO published the Regional Transit Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study in 2017. This Study provides an overview of existing transit services in the GIAMPO region, analyzes transit demand, develops short-term public transit opportunities, and presents a 3- to 5-year budget and implementation plan for regional transit improvements; this study provides the backdrop for transit opportunities within the community and set the direction for short-term transit priorities. The implementation plan can be found in Table 14. Table 14: Regional Transit Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study Implementation Plan Initial Implementation Steps 2018 2019 1 Research Rideshare software program options and develop Request for Proposals (RFP) for purchasing the Rideshare software for implementation. 2 Implement Rideshare software and coordinate with software developer staff to design software infrastructure relative to local and regional needs. 3 Coordinate with Enterprise Vanpool program representative and establishments such as JBS and Veterans Home. 4 Finalize contract with vendor and rollout Enterprise Vanpool program. 5 Develop general marketing plan for community outreach and awareness for transit services. 6 Continue coordination with Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) on the Intercity Bus Plan. 7 Coordinate with NDOT to develop RFP for Intercity Bus Service Operations Plan and Park and Ride Study. 8 Coordinate with local agencies and establishments to fund the local match for the vehicles and other capital improvements for intercity bus service. 9 Develop Bid for service contract of transit operations. 10 Develop RFP for transit facility preliminary planning 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan The GIAMPO 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is a 25-year plan which prioritizes those projects in the Urbanized Area that best meet the future transportation needs in the region. The LRTP was developed through public outreach and a technical assessment of how all modes of the service Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 89 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 49 GGO GI Transit areas transportation network work together as a single integrated system. This approach included an analysis of every mode to include public transit. The GIAMPO also projected future population and employment need to provide planning guidance for the next 25 years. The final 2045 LRTP includes strategies to align future planning efforts and a prioritized list of initiatives based on funding constraints, a technical analysis, and community input and stakeholder feedback. The guiding principles including in the development of the LRTP are presented in TTable 15. Goal Objective System Safety x Reduce the incidence and rate of crashes x Reduce severe injury and fatal crashes x Reduce bicycle and pedestrian crashes Multimodal CConnectivity and AAccessibility x Provide improved connections to key destinations across the community x Reduce regional freight impediments x Increase the connectivity of the bicycle and pedestrian system x Continue to provide quality public transit services Economic Development x Identify transportation strategies that support economic development projects x Identify transportation strategies that provide enhanced access to jobs for low- income residents x Provide active transportation options that promote the health and well-being of residents System PPreservation x Identify sufficient financial resources to maintain all Federal-Aid streets and bridges in fair or good condition Environment and System Resiliency x Promotes energy conservation, especially for non-renewable energy sources x Transportation projects should limit impacts to the natural and build environment x Invest in alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure when practical x Identify strategies to make transportation infrastructure more resilient to natural and manmade events Traffic OOperations and System RReliability x Limit the emergence of recurring congestion x Improve travel reliability on arterial roadways x Support high levels of freight reliability on the state highway system Grand Island Metropolitan Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Adopted in 2018, the Grand Island Metropolitan Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan seeks to provide a framework for expanding the local bicycle and pedestrian network. The Plan aims to create a network for bicycle and pedestrian users that meets the needs of all residents while providing safe and direct connections to community destinations. Plan recommendations identify bicycle and pedestrian improvements that can support Grand Island’s transit system and result in an expansive multi-modal network wherein users are able to rely on both the transit and active transportation systems to meet their travel needs. Table 15: LRTP Goals and Objectives Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 90 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 50 GGO GI Transit CCRANE Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan CRANE’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) is a Federally required document for transit agencies receiving Federal funds under FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula grants. The PTASP serves as CRANE’s safety plan and includes processes and procedures to implement Safety Management Systems (SMS).6 The existing PTASP details safety performance targets, policies, risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion measures for Grand Island’s public transit operations. 6 Federal Transit Administration, Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 91 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 51 GGO GI Transit CChapter 6 – Goals and Objectives The goals and objectives developed as part of the TDP provide the framework for realizing the vision articulated for Grand Island’s future transit system. These goals and objectives aim to reflect the values of the Grand Island community while aligning with other local and regional planning efforts. Development of the goals and objectives was completed through a review of the baseline conditions, past transit planning goals and objectives, and input gained from community members during public engagement activities. Guiding Principles, Goals, and Objectives The main goals and subsequent objectives were developed around five guiding principles. Vision Statement “Public transit is crucial to the future of our community. A transit system is important for the community because thousands of individuals use CRANE every year to get to and from work, education and training, health care access, and more. This improves overall quality of life and leads to a stronger, more vibrant community for all.” - GO GI Transit Guiding Principles A set of five guiding principles were established to provide cohesive themes for the development of the goals and objectives. The guiding principles are presented in Figure 28. Figure 28: Guiding Principles Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 92 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 52 GGO GI Transit GGoals and Objectives The goals and objectives were developed and finalized based on the findings of the Situation Appraisal, input from public involvement, and stakeholder engagement. The guiding principles, goals, and related objectives are presented in Table 16. Table 16: Goals and Objectives Performance and Efficiency Goal 1: Enhance service performance and efficiency. Objective 1.1: Improve ridership productivity of the transit system. Objective 1.2: Improve cost-efficiency of the transit system. Objective 1.3: Increase transit availability by using technology. Objective 1.4: Identify service improvements that are anticipated to increase transit ridership. Objective 1.5: Identify and pursue diverse funding sources. Objective 1.6: Promote staff retention and development. Collaboration Goal 2: Continue to seek new and expand existing partnerships to support transit rridership growth and provide equitable service to low income, elderly, disabled, and other transportation disadvantaged populations. Objective 2.1:Develop relationships with key stakeholders and major employers to support community initiatives that promote economic development. Objective 2.2: Develop transit-friendly land use policies, regulations, and land development criteria. Objective 2.3: Partner with the local colleges and post-secondary institutions to inform the faculty, and students about the system and its viability as an alternative commuting option. Safety and Security Goal 3: Establish and manage safety activities to minimize risk and create a culture of employee, passenger, and pedestrian saafety and security. Objective 3.1: Implement and maintain a hazard identification. Objective 3.2: Maintain the transit system in a State of Good Repair. Objective 3.3: Achieve a level of safety performance that meets or exceeds the agency’s established performance targets. Objective 3.4: Expand employee training opportunities. Technology Goal 4: Identify opportunities to pursue and implement transit technology options where needed. Objective 4.1: Evaluate the feasibility of alternative and renewable fuel infrastructure when practical. Objective 4.2: Invest in data sharing and collection technologies when practical, such as automatic passenger counting (APC), automatic fare collection (AFC), or automatic vehicle location (AVL) Objective 4.3: Evaluate the feasibility of integrating new and emerging technologies when practical. Public Awareness Goal 5: Improve CRANE service awareness and public support. Objective 5.1: Develop a continuing public involvement campaign that includes surveys, discussion groups, interviews, and participation in public events. Objective 5.2: Increase the agency’s social media presence to educate the community on transportation issues and highlight transit service benefits such as service reliability, passenger cost savings, and environmental benefits. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 93 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 53 GGO GI Transit CChapter 7 – Public Involvement Informative, educational and timely input from the public is a critical element of the TDP process. Receiving feedback that reflects the community’s goals and values will help ensure CRANE understands the public’s views as future service plans are developed. Public involvement activities conducted as part of the TDP included focus group meetings with key stakeholders, interviews with community leaders, public engagement booths held during Project Connect, and virtual outreach in the form of a project website and web surveys. This chapter of the TDP summarizes the outcomes of the major public involvement activities while Appendix B contains a comprehensive documentation of each public involvement activity. Key Stakeholder Focus Group Meetings Key stakeholder focus group meetings were hosted by the City of Grand Island during the development of the TDP. A total of nine meetings were held with the intent of bringing together representatives of key groups to inform them of the GO GI Transit planning process and solicit feedback on plan topics including existing conditions and system gaps, potential transit service options considered in the scenario assessment process, plan recommendations, and the TDP implementation plan. Participants in the focus group meetings were organized based on the groups they represent. These groups are summarized in Table 17. Each group met three times throughout the development of the TDP. Notice of these meetings was circulated via legal ads and press releases; a Spanish translator was available at all meetings to ensure all attendees were able to participate fully in discussion. Table 17: Grouping of Key Stakeholders for the GO GI Transit Plan Focus Group Meetings Focus Group Focus Group Description Economic / Transportation / Businesses / Health: Area chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, and large employers Agency: City of Grand Island and Hall County public officials Education / Community Organizations: Public and post-secondary institutions, non- profit groups, human services groups, emergency responders, and others operating in the GIAMPO region Focus Group Meeting #1 The first set of focus group meetings was held at the Grand Island City Hall Community Meeting Room on December 13, 2021. The purpose of this meeting was to inform key stakeholders of the TDP planning process while offering the groups an opportunity to share their thoughts on what the existing needs of Grand Island’s transit system are. Overall, 45 individuals participated in the meetings with the breakdown of attendees by focus group shown below: x Economic / Transportation / Businesses / Health Group: 7 attendees x Agency Group: 8 attendees x Education / Community Organizations Group: 31 attendees Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 94 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 54 GGO GI Transit The meetings began with a presentation providing an overview of the current transit system, the GO GI Transit planning process, and their role in providing input. Next, they were invited to participate in three activities: 1. Background Poll: Attendees were polled to gather an understanding of their and their constituents use of CRANE, as well as ability to book rides. 2. Barriers Identification Activity: This activity allowed participants to identify barriers that either they or their constituents had experienced with the current transit service. 3. Mapping Activity: Attendees used tabletop maps of the City of Grand Island and Hall County to mark transit generators, locations of transit opportunity, and gaps in the system. Background Poll Activity Input shared during the background poll activity indicated most attendees have not used CRANE public transit before but are aware of the service and how to book a ride. Overall, attendees shared that member of the communities they represent either use CRANE transit or they are unsure if their constituents use the service, as shown in Figure 29. Figure 29: Focus Group Responses to Constituents Use of CRANE Barriers Identification Activity The barriers identification activity provided valuable insight into the existing challenges to transit in the Grand Island community. Common barriers mentioned across all three focus groups included a general lack of awareness of transit and how to use the service, a lack of an online option for booking rides, and current hours of service. Additional barriers mentioned during the focus group meetings are shown in Table 18. Mapping Activity The mapping activity asked attendees to provide input on current transit generators, transit opportunities, and existing transit gaps on a tabletop map of Grand Island. Some of the feedback gained during this activity identified major employment and retail centers as transit generators while Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 95 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 55 GGO GI Transit medical centers and redevelopment sites serve as opportunities to enhance transit services. The full results of this activity are in AAppendix B. Table 18: Barriers Identification Activity Comments Focus Group Comment Economic / Transportation / Businesses / Health 24-hour lead time required (example: vehicle won't run) Translation was barrier, now calls are translated if needed Stigma associated with transit use - not part of Nebraska culture Don't know about CRANE Learning/comfort with the system Trust can be a barrier from vulnerable populations App/online booking option Agency Perceptions of service Not a "bus line" Education piece - how to use service Consider "fixed route" to JBS? 24-hour notice for trip Potential hours of service Seasonal needs for parks & rec Education / Community Organizations 24-hour booking lead time is too long Trip needs change over the day Service hours need to be longer Night shift needs Lower age threshold desired Lack of awareness/need to educate Language for awareness Operator can use translator on bus Fixed route can eliminate barrier to understanding service Hours of operation (ex: night shift and after school) Intercity (tri cities) concern of potential confusion with two transit services Community Youth Council Meeting Another opportunity to solicit feedback from Grand Island area residents came at the Grand Island Community Youth Council (CYC) meeting held on Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Grand Island City Hall Community Meeting Room. The CYC meeting had 10 attendees, which included sophomores, juniors, and seniors from local high schools. During this meeting, the students were given a brief presentation providing an overview of the current transit system, the GO GI Transit planning process, and their role in providing input. The CYC attendees were also invited to participate in activities similar to those held during the focus group meetings. Based on the feedback from the CYC group, the main challenges of the existing CRANE system are: x The 24-hour notice time to guarantee a ride x CRANE’s service hours as opposed to Uber or Lyft’s 24-hour service Full documentation of the CYC group’s feedback is found in AAppendix B. Focus Group Meeting #2 The second series of focus group meetings were hosted by the City of Grand Island at the Grand Island City Hall Community Meeting Room on May 31, 2022. The goal of the second round of focus group Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 96 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 56 GGO GI Transit meetings was to provide an opportunity for community representatives to give their input on the three potential transit service options being considered in the study. The same focus groups from Meeting #1 were invited to the second round of meetings; stakeholder attendees were organized into the same groups. Attendance for meeting #2 is summarized below: x EEconomic / Transportation / Businesses / Health Group: 8 attendees x Agency Group: 10 attendees x Education / Community Organizations Group: 23 attendees The meetings began with a presentation providing an overview of the current transit system, a status update on the GO GI Transit plan schedule, and a summary of key findings from the December focus group meetings and survey. Next, attendees were invited to participate in the following activities: 1. Expansion of Service Activity: Attendees were polled to gather an understanding of which expansion features of the current transit service they find most important. 2. Mobility on Demand (MOD) Activity: This activity allowed participants to identify the advantages and disadvantages of adding a MOD service. 3. Fixed Route Mapping Activity: Attendees used tabletop maps of the City of Grand Island and Hall County to mark areas for possible fixed route opportunities. Expansion of Service Activity Results of the expansion of service activity poll found that stakeholders across all three groups believe same-day booking capabilities and longer operating hours are the most important features of expanding current transit service. All three groups indicated that more weekend hours are preferable to service on holidays. Mobility on Demand Activity The MOD activity was structured as discussion in which stakeholders were invited to talk through the perceived advantages and disadvantages of a MOD service model. Common themes related to the advantages of MOD shared between the groups included the convenience and flexibility a MOD system enables and the potential of this system to attract higher ridership levels. Common themes regarding the disadvantages of a MOD system were concerns over increased costs of operating this type of system as well as the potential technology barrier for users who do not have access to a smart phone or computer. Table 19 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages each group identified during the MOD activity. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 97 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 57 GGO GI Transit Fixed Route Mapping Activity The third activity invited attendees to review a tabletop map depicting potential fixed routes, similar to FFigure 33 in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (CChapter 8 – Scenario Evaluation). Attendees who participated in the fixed route mapping activity commented on the density of land uses needed to support fixed route service and destinations to consider when planning routes. The complete stakeholder input can be found in Appendix B. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 98 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 58 GGO GI Transit Table 19: MOD Activity Comments FFocus Group AAdvantages DDisadvantages EEconomic / TTransportation / BBusinesses / HHealth Visitors know how to use Competition for users could drive up CRANE ADA costs Less pre-planning for rider Contracts with large / corporate providers can be hard to manage Flexibility for users Cost to operate Opens to more potential riders Riders may have a longer walk to the bus compared to door-to-door pickup Agency Rebrand the system Gets rid of market for regular Uber/Lyft service More riders Same day service Education / Community Organizations Tailored service to meet need Digital access barrier for all? Can see it leading to more ridership i.e not waiting for bus at the stop More drivers or vehicles Convenient Cost? Attracts more demographics Technology requirement Attract additional services 24 hour? Pilot 3 years could determine ridership for future fixed route Advanced booking still required? CCC classes end at 9:00 p.m. What if there aren’t drivers for MOD (Uber, etc.) More incentive for drivers flexibility New system may attract drivers due to demand (ex: Doordash) MOD for 2-3 years could aid with a ‘stereotype’ of users to cater to more fixed 24 hours services? Would be beneficial for after bars downtown What are the other types of models? Public private partnership After the three activities wrapped up, attendees were invited to take a final poll to gauge their preferences in terms of the scenarios presented to them during the focus group meetings. Overall, focus group members demonstrated a preference for the MOD scenario, followed by the fixed route service scenario. Expansion of the current system took third place in the voting. Figure 30 summarizes the breakdown of focus group participant votes. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 99 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 59 GGO GI Transit Figure 30: Key Stakeholder Preferences for GO GI Transit Scenarios FFocus Group Meeting #3 The third series of focus group meetings were hosted by the City of Grand Island at the Grand Island City Hall Community Meeting Room on October 27, 2022, and a virtual meeting was held October 31, 2022 as a supplementary meeting for those unable to attend the October 27th Education / Community Organizations group session. The aim of Focus Group Meeting #3 was to present the draft TDP recommendations and gather feedback from key stakeholders. A total of 23 stakeholder representatives attending the third round of focus group meetings: x Economic / Transportation / Businesses / Health Group: 9 attendees x Agency Group: 6 attendees x Education / Community Organizations Group: 3 attendees x Virtual Option: 5 attendees Attendees at the focus group meetings were given a brief presentation providing an overview of the current transit system, a status update on the GO GI Transit plan schedule, and a summary of key findings from the May focus group meetings and survey. Next, the team mentioned the overarching recommendation is to continue baseline operations and explained regarding the three scenarios (expansion of current service, mobility on demand, fixed route service) that based on need and available funding, the City is moving forward with service expansion. They shared more on the phasing and funding options that accompany a service expansion. Following the presentation, attendees were invited to participate in the following activities: x Service Expansion Activity: Attendees were asked to rank the three service enhancements identified as part of the TDP in order of importance. x Service Expansion Discussion: Upon voting, attendees were asked to share their thoughts regarding each service enhancement and the potential for each to meet the current needs of the system. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 100 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 60 GGO GI Transit Service Expansion Activity The results of the Service Expansion Activity found that all focus groups felt extended hours is the most important service expansion besides the Education/Community Organizations group, who voted same-day service as the most important enhancement. Same day service was generally the second most important service enhancement while all groups felt extended service days was the third most important enhancement for CRANE to implement. Service Expansion Discussion Following the presentation of the potential future service expansion options being considered in the study, attendees were asked to share their thoughts on each. Key takeaways from the discussion were: x Same-day service and/or quicker turnaround times are needed to offer more support for vulnerable populations. x Extended hours, especially later evening hours, would help future riders. x Intercity service, fixed routes, and routes to key locations such as JBS, Hornady, or the Kearney airport would improve the service and increase ridership. PProject Connect Booth Project Connect is an annual event held by social service organizations in Grand Island and Hall County. The event is held to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or near homelessness receive immediate services such as medical, dental, housing, legal, vision, and veteran’s services. As equity is an important element of Grand Island’s transit service, the TDP project team hosted a booth at Project Connect which took place on October 27, 2022 at the Pinnacle Bank Expo at Fonner Park. Attendees at Project Connect where invited to learn about the TDP and share feedback on potential service enhancements. A survey and Spanish translation services were available at this event. Community Leader Interviews Community leader interviews were held during the scenario evaluation process to gain further understanding how community members view existing transit service, their thoughts on the transit service scenarios, funding options, and other topics. A total of four interviews were conducted with representatives of the following organizations: x Central Community College x Economic Development Council x Hall County x United Way Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 101 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 61 GGO GI Transit Major themes heard during the interview process relate to the barrier created by the 24-hour advanced noticed required to book a ride with CRANE’s existing service, the potential benefits of a fixed route service in providing reliable transit, and the need for regular, dependable transit service to meet the needs of the community. Full transcripts of the community leader interviews can be found in AAppendix B. Virtual Engagement Additional public engagement activities utilized online platforms with the goal of reaching a broader audience via web-based communication tools. The main tools during the GO GI Transit planning process were a project website and web surveys, which are detailed below. Project Website A project website was developed for the GO GI Transit Plan and was hosted on the City of Grand Island’s Public Works webpage. Information published on the site included a plan overview, links to interim project deliverables, and access to web surveys. The page was updated regularly throughout the TDP’s development. Web Surveys Web Survey #1 The City of Grand Island hosted a survey from December 6 through December 20, 20217 to seek public input on their experience, needs and desires for the transit system. The survey was promoted via social media, legal ad, press release, and email blast. Additionally, a Spanish speaking team member canvased Grand Island on December 14 to further promote the survey with Spanish speaking 7 The study team let the survey remain open through January 2022 to allow for Central Community College students and staff to take the survey when the semester began. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 102 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 62 GGO GI Transit community members. The City received a total of 274 responses (268 English and 6 Spanish) throughout the survey. Key takeaways from Web Survey #1 are below while AAppendix B contains the complete results. Key Takeaways x The 24-hour notice required to guarantee a ride is considered a hindrance to using the service for some users. x There is a general lack of awareness of the transit service. x Many respondents desire a fixed, regular route with stops at popular destinations. x Some respondents would like to see hours extended later in the evening and offered on Sunday. x Overall respondents had okay to great experiences with the CRANE service. x Several note that more accessible mass transit options are needed in Grand Island. x Many are in favor of implementing and expanding public transportation in the city. x There is a lack of communication between bus drivers and customers which could be useful during passenger pick up. Web Survey #2 A second survey hosted by the City of Grand Island was available to community members from May 31 through June 14, 2022 to seek public input on the three potential transit service options being considered for the transit system. The survey was promoted via social media, legal ad, press release, and email blast. The City received a total of 212 responses (207 English and 5 Spanish) throughout the survey. Key takeaways from Web Survey #2 are below while Appendix B contains the complete results. Key Takeaways General x Both CRANE riders and non-CRANE riders say that availability should be the most important goal for the GO GI Transit Plan x Some respondents note that public transit is more advantageous than ever given the current surge in gas prices x Both riders and non-riders mention frustration with the 24-hour reservation requirement x There is a lack of marketing and advertising / general awareness for the service x Many non-riders noted that they presumed CRANE buses were an assisted living transportation service as opposed to a public transportation system x Spanish-speaking drivers would be helpful to the Hispanic population Expansion of Current Service x This option was considered most beneficial for Grand Island and Hall County as well as most likely to be realistically implemented in the next five to ten years x Extending hours is highly favorable with the Grand Island public x A common suggestion included 5:00 a.m. to midnight, adding Sundays and holiday service x Many would like a bus stop near schools (while still avoiding pickup lines) Mobility on Demand x This option was considered second most favorable by both CRANE riders and non-CRANE riders x It nearly tied “Expansion of Current Service” for the most beneficial for Grand Island and Hall County x Several surveyors note it as especially favorable if it removes the 24-hour reservation requirement Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 103 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 63 GGO GI Transit x Utilizing technology may appeal to a younger demographic but be a barrier to an older demographic x May allow the service to tap into a new market of riders while still accommodating current riders Fixed Route x Both CRANE riders and non-CRANE considered this option as the least likely to be realistically implemented in the next five to ten years x Many non-riders feel this is option is the most comfortable, predictable, and easy to grasp Web Survey #3 A third survey hosted by the City of Grand Island (City) was available to community members from October 24 through November 10 to seek public input on the draft GO GI Transit plan recommendations being considered for the transit system. The survey was promoted via social media, legal ad, press release, and email blast. The City received a total of 226 responses (223 English and 3 Spanish) throughout the survey. Key takeaways from Web Survey #2 are below while AAppendix B contains the complete results. Key Takeaways General x Both CRANE riders and non-CRANE riders say that availability should be the most important goal for the GO GI Transit Plan Expansion of Current Service x Of the three different service enhancements included in the service expansion scenario, respondents identified the following priorities: x Extended hours was the highest ranking enhancement for respondents, with 49% responding that it was the most important element to add to current services. x Same day service was the second ranked enhancement for respondents, with 33% of respondents responding that it was the most important element to add to current services. x Expanded days was the third ranked enhancement for respondents, with 18% of respondents responding that it was the most important element to add to current services. Public Comment Period on Draft TDP Document Upon completion of the draft TDP document, a 30-day period was opened in which the public was invited to comment so that all community members had a final opportunity to provide feedback on the Plan. The public comment period was from December 14, 2022 to January 16, 2023. Four comments were received, and these comments did not result in revisions to the draft TDP document. The public comment period summary is located in Appendix B, and this summary includes the comments and responses. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 104 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 64 GGO GI Transit CChapter 8 – Scenario Evaluation The purpose of the Scenario Analysis is to conduct a thorough and objective evaluation of the range of alternatives to compare each scenario’s performance relative to the baseline. This analysis used an agreed upon set of performance measures to assess how well each scenario meets the goals and objectives of the community. The baseline scenario assumes a continuation of CRANE’s current service without any major adjustment to operations; this scenario is used to evaluate outcomes of the three scenarios developed to reflect service changes, which include Enhanced Service, Mobility on Demand (MoD), and Fixed Route Service. Each of the three scenarios are briefly described in Table 20. This chapter details the scenario analysis methodology and the results of those findings. For a full description of the methodology and data sources used in the Scenario Evaluation, refer to Appendix C. Table 20: Scenario Description Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 105 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 65 GGO GI Transit SScenario Development The scenarios were developed through community and stakeholder outreach, an assessment of baseline conditions, review of peer agencies, and a thorough review of local, regional, and state planning documents. This section provides an evaluation of the impact of implementing one or more of the transportation options. Table 21 presents general assumptions including forecasted inflation based on United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates (2019) and ridership growth from the GIAMPO 2045 LRTP for the scenarios. Table 21: General Growth Assumptions Metric Value Inflation Rate (annual) 2.20% All Modes Trip Growth Rate (annual) 0.69% Baseline The baseline scenario had two components: x A historical component that used 2019 data (TTable 22) to understand how the system performs under current conditions x A forecasting component to build off 2019 data to estimate 2022 metrics (Table 23). The 2022 ridership was calculated using the averages from May to February, 2022. Based on these calculations, service area daily ridership was multiplied by the number of service days to estimate annual ridership. As shown in the tables below, there is a significant increase in total ridership from 2019 to 2022. This increase is partially attributed to recent service improvements implemented between 2020 and 2021. Table 22: 2019 Performance Metrics Metric Value Operating Cost per Passenger Trip $21.43 Total Operating Expenses $603,707 Total AAnnual Weekday Ridership (2019) 28,130 Number of Revenue Vehicles 12 Average Fare per Person $1.83 Table 23: 2022 Forecasted Ridership Metric Value Weekday Daily Ridership 194.36 Weekday Annual RRidership 49,561 Saturday Daily Ridership 56.42 Saturday Annual Ridership 2,934 Saturday Ridership Percent of Weekday 29% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 106 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 66 GGO GI Transit The baseline scenario assumes no change in service hours or days of operation from the prior year. These baseline service characteristics are presented in TTable 24. Table 24: Baseline Service Characteristics Service Characteristic Value Weekday 6:00 AM to 5:30 PM Saturday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM CRANE holidays (no service) 6 Service Weekdays 255 Service Saturdays 52 Sundays (no service) 52 Scenario 1: Enhanced Service Enhancing the existing demand response service offers a variety of benefits without requiring existing users to re-learn how to ride public transit. Since the infrastructure and processes are already in place, changes may happen quickly with a limited number of unknown variables to consider compared to the other expansion scenarios. Assuming there are no initial capital costs, if the service changes are not well received by the public or do not add significant value, the service can easily be adjusted. For this scenario, enhanced service assumes demand response operations continue but the service starts earlier in the day and runs later at night to provide more options for users. Extended hours and expanded days improve access for those working outside of regular business hours and for riders looking to use transit for non-work trips like shopping and recreation. In addition to extended service hours, this scenario incorporates enhanced trip scheduling, allowing requests to be made the same day as the trip to provide scheduling flexibility. The full range of enhancements for this scenario are outlined in Table 25. Table 25: Scenario 1: Enhanced Service Elements Enhancement Description Extended Hours Weekdays: extend service to 8:00 PM Saturdays: begin service at 8:00 AM. End service at 6:00 PM Expanded Days Expand service to operate on Sundays and holidays Same-Day Service Guaranteed service when requests are made the same day as the trip Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 107 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 67 GGO GI Transit CCapital Costs Capital costs associated with the enhanced service scenario would be the purchase of additional buses. For this scenario, CRANE will need at least one additional vehicle in the next 20-year period to meet forecasted demand. After inflation, the estimated cost of the additional vehicle would be approximately $115,000. Figure 31: CRANE Bus Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 108 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 68 GGO GI Transit SScenario 2: Mobility on Demand A recent trend in transit planning is Mobility on Demand (MoD), in which transit operates similarly to mobility as a service providers like Uber and Lyft. MoD allows for curb-to-curb service (or at a minimum pick-up points that require a short walk), spontaneous trip-making, vehicle location tracking, and automated scheduling that other types of public transportation do not offer. Services can be prescheduled and/or requested on-demand through a dispatch system accessed using a smartphone application, computer, and/or call-in system. MoD increases access to the number of destinations that individuals can get to using transit and reduce the walk time when compared to fixed route. Because of the nature of the service, ADA requirements can be automatically met using this method, although maintaining the existing ADA services using a separate demand-response system would be possible. In this scenario, CRANE would contract with a private company to operate rides as requested by passengers. To estimate the service characteristics and performance, a review was conducted of newly established MoD programs in two cities with similar population and rural character to Grand Island: Valdosta, Georgia, and Wilson, North Carolina. Capital Costs As a contracted service, implementing MoD does not typically come with additional capital costs for the agency. The cost of additional vehicles to meet increasing demand and scheduling software is negotiated into the contract with the private provider. Figure 32: Mobility on Demand Software Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 109 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 69 GGO GI Transit SScenario 3: Fixed Route Service Fixed route service is notably efficient at providing trips for large numbers of people traveling between common origins and destinations. Offering a fixed route system that serves downtown Grand Island and major activity centers may potentially reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions long-term. Implementing this option may also promote Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and growth along the route corridors. This type of service is also widely adopted within larger urban areas and often operated by the transit agency independently. Another benefit of fixed route service is that trips do not require a reservation and supports routine for users who take the same trip regularly. In this scenario, CRANE would operate fixed route service in addition to its demand response service. Characteristics of this service would include those presented in Table 26. Table 26: Scenario 3: Fixed Route Service Characteristics Characteristic Value Headway 60 minutes Stop Spacing ¼ mile Vehicle Type Cutaway Bus Average Speed 15 mph Number of Routes 4 Number of Vehicles 4 A potential fixed route system with four routes could run between Downtown Grand Island and other highly developed portions of the city, using the same vehicle types currently used for demand response service. The potential fixed route service map is presented in Figure 33. Capital Costs Fixed route service would require bus stops, shelters, and signage. It is assumed that a bus stop and related signage would be placed every ¼ mile along each of the routes with 20% of those stops having shelters and benches. The capital cost for stops and related amenities in the first year is estimated to be approximately $450,000. The newly constructed stops and fixed-route infrastructure would additionally require annual maintenance, estimated to be approximately $36,000 per year. According to scenario analysis results, fixed route service could accommodate future demand without the need to purchase additional vehicles. However, to maintain a state of good repair, vehicles would need to be replaced over the 20-year period. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 110 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 70 GGO GI Transit Figure 33: Potential Fixed Route Service Map Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 111 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 71 GGO GI Transit SScenario Evaluation After each scenario was defined and modeled, the results were then compared against the evaluation criteria to determine which scenario should be implemented. Assessing each scenario involved a comparison of costs and benefits. The criteria presented in Table 27 were developed to evaluate the performance of the three alternatives. Table 27: Performance Measures Measure Explanation Operating Costs The annual operating cost to provide public transportation services. Forecasted Ridership The growth in ridership incurred by implementing the proposed scenario. Operating Expenses per Passenger Trip Operating costs divided by ridership. Long--Term Budget Risk Supplemental funding opportunities to support transit service. Scenario Results Cost and efficiency measures were forecasted for 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year periods. The results of this analysis are presented in Figure 34 through FFigure 36. Figure 34: Annual Operating Costs (Millions) Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 112 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 72 GGO GI Transit Figure 35: Annual Ridership (Passenger Trips) Figure 36: Operating Cost per Passenger Trip Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 113 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 73 GGO GI Transit SSystem Resiliency In addition to performance metrics, it is important to take into consideration the long-term implications of current trends that may affect each scenario over the next 20 years. This includes long-term system resiliency and assessing how demographic, land-use, and travel patterns may affect the transit network means acknowledging the changes that could trigger a re-evaluation in the future. Changing Workplace Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly six-in-ten U.S. workers who say their jobs can mainly be done from home (59%)8 are working from home all or most of the time. This means the percent of non-work trips is growing when compared to work trips. Riders using public transit for shopping, recreation, and other non-work trips have different needs than the traditional commuter. For choice riders, transit will need to become increasingly more comfortable and convenient to be a desirable alternative to personal vehicles. Emerging Technology The emergence of new technologies will also change the mobility landscape with electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vehicles (AV), and micro-mobility paving the way. The rapid adoption of EV technology is reflected in research conducted by Pew Research Center which found that in 2020, nearly 1.8 million EVs were registered in the U.S.9, more than triple the amount in 2016. AV technology continues to advance, with several public and private companies launching pilot programs. These programs have included shuttles, buses, and ride-hail services. Land Use and Development Significant changes in development and land use patterns could also lead to changes in levels of efficiency for each of the scenarios. Land use patterns are inextricably linked to transit. Transit networks have the power to shape development, influence property values, and contribute to resident quality of life. How communities develop also affects how convenient and appealing public transportation is for residents. For example, the introduction of a large warehouse or distribution center on the outskirts of town may promote increased development in that area. Summary of Results Based on the ridership and cost forecasting model, the alternatives performed against the evaluation criteria in the following ways: x Enhanced Service x Enhanced service is forecasted to produce the lowest increase in ridership of the three scenarios with an approximate increase of 22.4% over the baseline for the 20-year period. x The cumulative operating cost for enhanced service ($40.69 million) also increases 22.4% from the baseline ($33.23 million) over the TDP timeframe of 2022 through 2042. x Given the increase in cumulative operation costs, the average enhanced service operating cost per passenger trip ($29.61) for the 20-year period will increase slightly when compared to the baseline ($29.53). 8Pew Research Center, COVID-19 Pandemic Continues to Reshape Work in America 9Pew Research Center, Today’s electric vehicle market: Slow growth in U.S., faster in China, Europe Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 114 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 74 GGO GI Transit x While enhanced service could meet customer needs short term, the service may not achieve economies of scale. If demand increases and/or the average trip length becomes longer, the operating cost will also increase. x MMobility on Demand x Mobility on-demand has the highest potential increase in ridership over the 20-year period, with estimated ridership seeing a 200% increase over the baseline for the 20- year period. x This scenario has the highest operating cost with a cumulative operating cost of approximately $56.41 million over the 20-year period, which is significantly higher (69.75%) than the baseline of $33.23 million. x There is a significant forecasted increase in ridership brought on by the ability to schedule same day trips and the convenience of trip scheduling and planning via mobile app. x The 20-year average operating cost per passenger trip is the lowest ($15.99) when compared to the baseline ($29.53). x Mobility on Demand service has high levels of adaptability to meet the changing needs of transit users. However, concerns have been raised over smaller vehicles typically used for on-demand service, as they may cause more congestion when compared to larger buses, especially as more vehicles are added to the fleet. x Fixed Route Service x Fixed route service performs better than enhanced service with an estimated 31% increase in ridership over the 20-year period, when compared to baseline. x This scenario has the second highest operating cost with a cumulative operating cost of approximately $44.49 million over the 20-year period, which is higher than the baseline ($33.23 million) by 33.62%. x The 20-year average operating cost per passenger trip for fixed route ($30.12) is slightly higher than the baseline service scenario ($29.53). As ridership increases with fixed route service, the cost per passenger trip would decrease. x Due to the area having a low population density, there may not be sufficient ridership to cost-effectively provide service expansion in the future. This service type may also not effectively accommodate emerging technologies and/or changing customer needs. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 115 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 75 GGO GI Transit TTable 28 summarizes the results for each of the scenarios. This summary provides a comparison of each scenario’s performance relative to the baseline service scenario. Table 28: Scenario Evaluation Alternative Forecasted Ridership Operating CCost Operating Cost Per PPassenger Trip Long-Term Budget Risk Enhanced Service Mobility on Demand Fixed Route Service Recommended Strategy Approach Based on the results of the scenario evaluation, the recommended strategy approach is a continuation of the existing service while monitoring operational and financial conditions to implement enhanced services, including the potential elements of: x Expanded service hours x Expanded service days x Same day booking for trips These elements of the enhanced service scenario could be implemented once the necessary funding and need arises. While the MoD scenario saw the greatest increase in ridership and the lowest operating cost per passenger, the high operating costs could prohibit an efficient rollout of this service. Fixed route service is anticipated to encourage adequate growth in ridership while maintaining reasonable operating costs, however the operating cost per passenger trip and long term budget risk render fixed route service as a potentially infeasible scenario. The continuation of the baseline scenario paired with potential implementation of enhanced services was determined to be the optimal approach for the City of Grand Island in reaching the goals and objectives of this TDP through its implementation and operation while remaining fiscally constrained. The reasons for selecting this strategy approach include: x Current users rely on the CRANE’s door-to-door and ADA service. x Best supports the development of the Inter City bus service in coordination with the NDOT. x Best manages the risk of costs escalating beyond current budgets. Further discussion of the implementation and funding plan are in CChapter 9. Fair Better Best Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 116 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 76 GGO GI Transit CChapter 9 – Financial and Implementation Plan The GO GI Transit Financial and Implementation Plan details the estimates of revenue that will be available to the city so that the current transit system is maintained while potential service enhancements are able to be implemented. The plan also provides the estimated costs that Grand Island is anticipated to incur over the next 20 years. The purpose of this plan is to establish a potential schedule for implementing potential service enhancements and outline the required funding to implement these enhancements. Transit Funding in Grand Island Current revenues for CRANE transit come from a mix of Federal, state, and local sources which are supplemented by fares and ticket sales from CRANE users. Federal Transit Funding Sources Grand Island receives annual Federal funding to support transit operations and capital. While many Federal transit funding sources exist, the main programs that Grand Island receives funding from are: x FTA Section 5307 Urbanized Area Program: Funding for urbanized areas and governors to support transit capital and operating assistance. FTA Section 5307 funds require a local match, with Federal share for capital expenditures capped at 80 percent of net project cost, 90 percent for cost of vehicle-related equipment for ADA and Clean Air Act compliance, and 50 percent of net project cost for operating assistance. x FTA Section 5311 Formula Grant for Rural Areas: Formula-based funding for rural areas to support transit capital, planning, and operating assistance. FTA Section 5311 funds require a local match, with Federal share for capital projects capped at 80 percent, 50 percent for operating assistance, and 80 percent for ADA non-fixed route paratransit service. These funds support service in Hall County outside of the Grand Island urbanized area. x FTA Section 5339 Bus and Bus Related Facilities: Funding for States and designated recipients to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related transit equipment. Section 5339 funds are also available to construct bus-related facilities. FTA Section 5339 funds require a local match with Federal share for net project cost capped at 80 percent. State Transit Funding Sources Available transit revenues sourced from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) are mainly granted through subsidies to aid transit operations and capital expenditures which are sourced from the State’s budget. Local Transit Funding Sources Grand Island also relies on local sources of funding to support transit operations. These funds are come from several different sources, including the City’s General Fund and contributions from Hall County. Funding Assumptions A series of assumptions were developed for this Financial and Implementation Plan. These assumptions follow those detailed in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (Chapter 8), with some minor revisions. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 117 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 77 GGO GI Transit RRevenue Assumptions In estimating the future revenues that will be available to the City of Grand Island for transit investment, the following were assumed: x Transit revenues received from FTA 5307 for operations assume a split of 50 percent Federal dollars, 25 percent state match, and 25 percent local match. FTA 5307 funds for administration, maintenance, and equipment and assume a split of 80 Federal, 10 percent state match, and 10 percent local match. x Amount of FTA Section 5307 funding that the City is eligible for is assumed to grow at an annual rate of 0.84 percent, which was the population growth rate assumed in the GIAMPO 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan x Forecasted capital revenues are assumed to match forecasted capital expenditures Cost Assumptions In estimating future costs incurred by the City of Grand Island related to the implementation of the recommended service enhancements, the following were assumed: x Operating costs and capital costs were grown at an annual rate of 4.0 percent to reflect a conservative level of long-term inflation x Transit vehicle replacement schedule assumes that all current transit vehicles will be replaced with Ford Transits once they reach their scheduled replacement date FY2022 Funding – Baseline The baseline year for the TDP financial forecasting is FY2022, which serves as the launch point for estimating future transit revenues and costs. Table 29 summarizes the baseline costs and revenues for FY2022. As seen in the table, total costs amount to nearly $1.4 million for the fiscal year while revenues from Federal, state, local, and operational sources balance these costs out. Table 29: Total Revenues and Costs for FY2022 Revenue//Cost SSource 2022 LLevel Revenue FTA 5307 Funds $767,803 Local Funding $270,094 State Funding $270,094 Fares, Ticket Sales & Revenue $73,595 Total Revenue $1,381,585 Costs Service,Adminiistrative,and Maintenance Costs $1,381,585 Total Costs $1,381,585 Implementation Plan There is a well-documented appreciation by current riders for the services provided by the CRANE Public Transit program. With this in mind, the plan intends to recommend the Grand Island to continue with baseline operations, while monitoring enhancement service options. When public support, current ridership support, private partnerships, and operational potential are advantageous, the potential Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 118 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 78 GGO GI Transit implementation of enhancement service options will be pursued. Enhancement service options which best support the development of the Inter City bus service in coordination with the Nebraska Department of Transportation will be prioritized. These potential phased service options include extended hours of service, extended service into Sunday, and same-day service. Estimated costs for the potential service enhancements were assumed to take place over the next 8 years under the following schedule: x EExtended hours: beginning in 2025 x Expanded service days: beginning in 2027 x Same day service: beginning in 2030 While the assumed scheduled was used to develop revenue and cost projections, the implementation phasing for these enhancements is used exclusively for illustrating a potential implementation schedule, therefore these target years may change to adapt to the City’s fiscal capacity. It is recommended that the City of Grand Island adheres to the service triggers described below to realize the appropriate conditions necessary to guide their implementation. Maintain Current System (Short-Term) The priority for transit service in the short term should be the maintenance of the current system. Continued maintenance of an efficient transit system can allow the City of Grand Island to prepare for the implementation of future service enhancements by identifying potential new sources of transit funding, and potential partnerships with local organizations who can support implemented service enhancements. The continuation of existing service applies to service both within Grand Island and rural Hall County; any adjustments to rural service will be coordinated between the City of Grand Island and Hall County. Enhanced Service (Mid- to Long-Term) The potential timeline for enhanced service is phased with extended hours implemented in 2025, followed by expanded days in 2027, and finally same day service in 2030. These are suggested triggers, and not necessarily considered recommended services without the necessary funding sources and partnerships first identified. The goal is to provide CRANE and the City of Grand Island time to generate support, design the service, market the enhancement, implement It, and evaluate the new service before starting the next enhancement. Extended Hours Triggers As stated in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (CChapter 8), extended service hours are assumed to be: x Weekday service: extended to 8:00 PM x Saturday service: begin service at 8:00 AM, end service at 6:00 PM To properly gauge the phasing of extended service hours, the following triggers were identified. Intercity Bus Service NDOT completed a Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study in 2020, along with a 2022 update, that evaluated the feasibility of operating intercity bus service between these three communities based on the existing lack of reliable transportation options. This Study identified a preferred alternative that included four routes connecting all three of these communities. An Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 119 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 79 GGO GI Transit implementation plan was developed for the phasing of the intercity service, with an anticipated start date of August 2021. However, the COVID-19 public health pandemic caused a delay in implementation. The potential implementation of these intercity routes serves as a trigger for the City’s implementation of extended service hours. With the potential increase in the number of individuals traveling to Grand Island from outside the community, extending service hours could support these users by providing additional opportunity for transit service. This intercity service could also provide a reliable transportation option for residents of Grand Island who need to travel outside the community; through extending service, users who arrive in Grand Island in the evening can still have reliable and affordable transportation that takes them to home or to other destinations. FFigure 37 shows the routes proposed for the full intercity service while Figure 38 shows the proposed routes within Grand Island. Figure 37: Proposed Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Routes Source: Nebraska Department of Transportation, Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 120 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 80 GGO GI Transit Figure 38: Proposed Intercity Bus Service Routes for Grand Island Source: Nebraska Department of Transportation, Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study Partnerships with Employment/Education Facilities A second trigger for implementing extended service hours relates to potential partnership agreements with facilities that generate travel demand, specifically larger employers, and education facilities. By partnering with the community’s employers and educational institutions, the City of Grand Island could generate additional annual revenue through contracted service for partner’s employees or students. These partnerships would be more attractive for employers and educational institutions should CRANE service operate later into the evening, as proposed by the enhanced service scenario. These extended hours could benefit institutions such as Central Community College, wherein students and faculty attending night classes could have an additional transportation option. Funding Opportunities Funding opportunities were identified as the third trigger for implementing extended operating hours. One of the main constraints keeping the City from extending hours today is the increased cost of this enhancement. Should additional funding become available through Federal or state grant opportunities, the increase in revenue could provide the funding needed to bridge the existing funding gap. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 121 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 81 GGO GI Transit Expanded Days Triggers As stated in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (CChapter 8)extended service days are assumed to be: x Expanded service days: service offered on Sundays and holidays To properly gauge the phasing of expanded service days, the following triggers were identified. Changes to/Expansion of Intercity Bus Service Expanding CRANE’s days of service to include Sundays and holidays would offer users more opportunity for transportation within Grand Island, especially when paired with extended service hours. However, expanding service days would come with a significant increase in operating costs. One trigger for expanding service days would be any changes or expansion of the planned intercity bus service between Grand Island, Hastings, and Kearney that could be supported by CRANE service on Sundays and holidays. Religious Community Support/Partnerships An additional trigger for implementing expanded service days is support and/or partnerships with local religious organizations. As Sundays are a common day for religious services, support from local religious organizations could offer consistent demand for CRANE services as users would have the additional transportation option to get them to and from their destination. This would also create a potential for partnerships between religious organizations and the City similar to what is described in the preceding section for employer/educational institution partnerships. Same Day Service As stated in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (CChapter 8), extended service days are assumed to be: x Same day service: Guaranteed service for trip requests made on the same day as the trip To properly gauge the phasing of same day service, the following triggers were identified. Technology Upgrades The major trigger for implementing same day service is technology upgrades. The implementation of same day booking capabilities is contingent upon software upgrades that facilitate real-time routing of transit vehicles so trip requests can be efficiently integrated into scheduled vehicle runs. One approach to upgrading transit technology within Grand Island is contracting with a transit technology vendor to help guide the transition to same day service. The selection of a vendor would likely require the City follow local procurement procedures. See Appendix D for a complete list of accessibility technology vendors that could aid the City in upgrading the technology needed to implement same day service. Increased Overall Ridership from Previous Expansions A second trigger identified for implementing same day service would be an increase in overall ridership associated with extended service hours and expanded service days. Should both these enhancements Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 122 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 82 GGO GI Transit see a substantial increase in ridership, it could create a need to provide same day trip booking while providing additional farebox revenue that could aid in funding the same day service expansion. Funding Opportunities Additional funding opportunities are a third trigger identified for implementing same day service capabilities. One Federal program applicable to implementing same day service is the FTA’s Enhancing Mobility Innovation grant, which provides funding at an 80 percent Federal and 20 percent local match for technology projects that encourage transit use. Eligible activities under this grant program include projects that develop novel operational concepts and/or demonstrate innovations that improve mobility and enhance the rider experience, focused on innovative service delivery models, creative financing, novel partnerships, and integrated payment solutions, or other innovative solutions. Additional eligible activities are projects that develop software to facilitate demand-response public transportation that dispatches transit vehicles through riders’ mobile devices or other means.10 Partnerships with Employment/Education Facilities Building off partnerships with employment and educational institutions as outlined under the Extended Hours trigger can garner further support for the implementation of same day service as these partnerships, and the contracts associated with them, can strengthen CRANE service’s position as a critical transportation option in the community. By demonstrating an ability to provide reliable transit service for partner organizations, CRANE could serve as an economic development tool through attracting employers to the community. PPerformance Measures Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of CRANE service is a key element tied to the service enhancements described as part of the enhanced service scenario. Performance-based evaluation, through the use of performance measures, is an effective way to monitor how CRANE operations and evaluate progress made towards system goals. Performance measures can also aid in the implementation of service enhancements by acting as a trigger for phasing these enhancements. Two performance measures that could be used in support of implementing the described service enhancements are: x Annual ridership x System efficiency Annual Ridership Annual ridership can serve as a performance measure for evaluating progress made towards expectations set forth in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (Chapter 8)..Pairing the annual ridership performance measure with the implementation triggers described in this chapter can guide the City of Grand Island in implementing service enhancements by acting as a quantifiable metric for determining the need for extended service hours, expanded days of service, and same day service. As such, an annual ridership metric will rely on data collection for CRANE service which is already an on-going effort conducted by the City. System Efficiency System efficiency refers to the ability of CRANE service to provide cost-effective transportation to users. The main concern related to system efficiency is the ability of the City to facilitate transit 10 Federal Transit Administration, Enhancing Mobility Innovation Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 123 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 83 GGO GI Transit service that is both affordable and efficient, while balancing future investment to enhance service without degrading efficiency. System efficiency measures can build off metrics that are currently in place, such those described in the Peer Review chapter (CChapter 4)of the TDP which are summarized below. x Operating Expense Per Passenger Trip x Operating Expense Per Revenue Hour x Operating Expense Per Revenue Mile x Operating Expense Per Service Area Capital Grand Island’s Future Funding Scenario Future transit costs and revenues for Grand Island were analyzed to understand the fiscal impact of potentially adding service enhancements over the next 20 years. This analysis assumes a phased implementation of service enhancements, which are detailed in the Scenario Evaluation chapter (Chapter 8).. Given the nature of implementing the service enhancements, which rely on the service triggers outlined in the preceding section, the future funding scenario is presented via two scenarios: x Baseline scenario: Assumes a “business-as-usual” approach wherein the existing demand- response service is operated without any major service improvements. x Expanded service scenario: Assumes a full implementation of the enhanced service scenario, with phased service enhancements occurring in 2025 (extended hours), 2027 (expanded days), and 2030 (same day service). Table 30 and TTable 31 summarizes the annual forecasted revenues and costs associated with the baseline and expanded service scenarios over the TDP planning horizon. As seen in the tables, costs associated with the enhanced service scenario are anticipated to increase at a greater rate when compared to the baseline scenario which raises the need for the City to identify opportunities to supplement funding to support the implementation and operation of enhanced service. Table 30: Future Funding for the Baseline Scenario Revenue 20022 Baseline 2023 2027 2032 2037 2042 FTA 5307 Funds $767,803 $798,515 $934,149 $1,136,536 $1,382,769 $1,682,350 Local Funding $270,094 $282,060 $334,965 $414,159 $510,803 $628,691 State Funding $270,094 $282,060 $334,965 $414,159 $510,803 $628,691 Fares, Ticket SSales & Revenue $73,595 $74,214 $76,830 $80,231 $83,782 $87,491 Total Revenue $1,381,585 $1,436,849 $1,680,910 $2,045,084 $2,488,157 $3,027,224 Costs Service Costs* $1,381,585 $1,436,849 $1,680,910 $2,045,084 $2,488,157 $3,027,224 Total Costs $1,381,585 $$1,436,849 $1,680,910 $2,045,084 $2,488,157 $3,027,224 *Service costs include operations, maintenance, equipment, and administration Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 124 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 84 GGO GI Transit Table 31: Future Funding for the Enhanced Service Scenario RRevenue 2022 Baseline 2023 2027 2032 2037 2042 FTA 5307 Funds $767,803 $798,515 $1,053,483 $1,336,168 $1,625,653 $1,080,156 Local Funding $270,094 $282,060 $385,013 $502,637 $620,851 $1,758,342 State Funding $270,094 $282,060 $385,013 $502,637 $620,851 $669,504 Fares, Ticket SSales & Revenue $73,595 $74,214 $96,068 $102,906 $106,569 $110,231 Total Revenue $1,381,585 $1,436,849 $1,919,577 $2,444,349 $2,973,924 $3,618,234 Costs Service Costs* $1,381,585 $1,436,849 $1,919,577 $2,444,349 $2,973,924 $3,618,234 Total Costs $1,381,585 $$1,436,849 $1,919,577 $2,444,349 $2,973,924 $3,618,234 *Service costs include operations, maintenance, equipment, and administration A potential barrier to implementing service enhancements in the future is the anticipated gap between Federal revenues, specifically FTA 5307 funds, and the matching state and local contributions. Given the amount of annual FTA 5307 funds that the City is estimated to be eligible for, assuming a full receipt of these funds is accumulated annually it is estimated that a funding shortfall for 5307 funds begins in 2039. At this point, a significantly higher percentage of non- Federal transit funds would be required to maintain service levels. To counter this shortfall, additional state and local funding (whether through private partnerships or new public revenue sources) is necessary to bridge the gap in funding. Figure 39 demonstrates the anticipated amounts of state and local funding that will be needed to support both the baseline and enhanced service scenarios. As seen in the figure, an additional $717,000 in state and local funding is likely required to support a “business-as-usual” approach to transit service in the community over the next 20 years. For the enhanced service scenario, it is estimated that state and local sources will need to contribute nearly $1.9 million in additional funds over the 20-year period to support extended hours, expanded days, and same day service. Current & Future Administrative Requirements The system growth outlined in this document comes with administrative implications. As operations increase, so does the need for operational capital, including but not limited to facility space. For this reason, it is suggested that the City of Grand Island continue to research facility options and move forward when an opportunity is both beneficial and feasible. Management of additional capital, and the contracts associated that additional capital, also may require additional administrative staff. As service continues to grow, the City of Grand Island may need to add additional City staff for the management of the program. While these considerations are important elements of the current and future transit system, facility space and expansion of CRANE staff are not reflect in the TDP’s forecasted revenues and costs associated with the baseline and expanded service scenarios. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 125 / 154 Transit Development Plan 2023 - 2045 85 GGO GI Transit Figure 39: Additional State and Local Funding Needs for the Baseline and Enhanced Service Scenarios CConclusion This Transit Development Plan was developed to guide the direction of Grand Island’s transit over the next 20 years. As the community continues to grow and develop, the transit system can potentially expand its role in getting workers to their jobs and residents to their medical, shopping, and recreation destinations, as funds allow. Through partnerships with local organizations, building off regional transit planning efforts, and maintaining existing service, Grand Island can continue shaping the community’s transit system to achieve its vision, goals, and objectives through potential service enhancements of longer operating hours, expanded service days, and same day ride booking capabilities. Grand Island is a community with a clear vision for the future. As a regional hub within central Nebraska, Grand Island is home to a sizeable population with numerous work, medical, recreation, and retail opportunities. Transportation is an important part of the community, providing the networks that allow residents to get to where they need to go. While residents and workers within the community have demonstrated a strong reliance on the roadway system, there exists opportunity for transit to play a greater role in meeting the community’s transportation needs. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 126 / 154 Public Comment Period Summary Public Comment Period Summary A 30-day public comment period was held from December 14, 2022 to January 16, 2023 on the Draft Transit Development Plan (Draft Plan), also known as the GO GI Transit plan, for the Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) public transit system. The Draft Plan was available on the project webpage at www.crane-transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Hard copies of the Draft Plan were available at the Public Works Department, Grand Island City Hall (100 E. First Street), CRANE Public Transit (1016 N. Diers Avenue Ste. 119), and Grand Island Public Library (1124 W. 2nd Street). Notification A legal notice was placed in the Grand Island Independent on December 14, 2022. A public notice was shown on the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) webpage. Social media posts via Facebook and Twitter were placed on December 14 and 28, 2022 and January 11, 2023. An email blast was sent to individuals on the GO GI Transit stakeholder list (focus group invitees and survey respondents’ emails) on December 15, 2022. A City of Grand Island press release was circulated and was posted on the City website. The notification tools are in Appendix A. Comments Three (3) comments were received via the comment form on the project webpage and one (1) comment was received via email. These comments are in Appendix B. The site visits for the project webpage was 148 times from December 14, 2022 to January 16, 2023. Public Comment Summary The Public Comment Summary, which includes the public comments and City & consultant staff responses, is in Appendix B. Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 127 / 154 Public Comment Period Summary Appendix A – Notification Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 128 / 154 Page A-1 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 129 / 154 Draft Transit Development Plan (GO GI Transit Plan) 1 GO GI Transit December 14, 2022 Re: Public Comment Period — Draft Transit Development Plan (GO GI Transit Plan) The City of Grand Island in coordination with the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) has developed the Draft Transit Development Plan (Draft Plan), also known as the GO GI Transit plan, for the Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) public transit system. The Draft Plan addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future transit service options. It also includes an implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years and a financial analysis of this option to capture both funded and unmet needs. The City of Grand Island and GIAMPO are accepting public comments on the Draft Plan through January 16, 2023. The Draft Plan is available at www.crane-transit.com/i-want- to/gogi. Public comments can be submitted through the online comment form at the link above, by email to allanz@grand-island.com or by mail to Allan Zafft at Public Works Department, P.O. Box 1968, Grand Island, NE 68802. Hard copies are available at the Public Works Department, Grand Island City Hall (100 E. First Street), CRANE Public Transit (1016 N. Diers Avenue Ste. 119), and Grand Island Public Library (1124 W. 2nd Street). To request a hard copy or to ask questions, please contact Allan Zafft at allanz@grand-island.com or at 308-389-0273. Public comments will be accepted if received on or before January 16, 2023. Page A-2 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 130 / 154 Page A-3 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 131 / 154 Draft GO GI Transit Plan 1 GO GI Transit Social Media Launch Date Notes Content Platform Graphics Afternoon December 14, 2022 - Hey, Grand Island! We want your input on the Draft GO GI Transit plan for the CRANE public transit system. The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at www.crane- transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Let us know your thoughts on the implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years. Facebook - Hey GI We want your input on the Draft GO GI Transit plan for the CRANE public transit system. The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at crane- transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Give your thoughts on the implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years. Twitter Page A-4 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 132 / 154 Draft GO GI Transit Plan 2 GO GI Transit Morning December 28, 2022 - Have you reviewed the Draft GO GI Transit plan for CRANE public transit? The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at www.crane-transit.com/i- want-to/gogi. Let us know your thoughts on the City’s plan for the future of public transit in the Grand Island area. Facebook - Have you reviewed the Draft GO GI Transit plan for CRANE public transit? The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at crane-transit.com/i-want- to/gogi. Let us know your thoughts on the City’s plan for the future of public transit in the Grand Island area. Twitter Morning January 11, 2022 - Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the Draft GO GI Transit plan for CRANE public transit. The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at www.crane- transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Facebook - Don’t forget to share your thoughts on the Draft GO GI Transit plan for CRANE public transit. The Draft Plan is available for review through January 16 at www.crane- transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Twitter Page A-5 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 133 / 154 Page A-6 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 134 / 154 Page A-7 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 135 / 154 1 Allan Zafft From:Allan Zafft <allanz@grand-island.com> Sent:Thursday, December 15, 2022 1:00 PM To:Allan Zafft Subject:[CAUTION SPOOFING] Your input is requested on the draft GO GI Transit plan! View this email in your browser The City of Grand Island (City) is seeking public feedback on the Draft Transit Development Plan (Draft Plan), also known as the GO GI Transit plan, for the Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) public transit system. The Draft Plan will be available for review through January 16, 2023 at: Draft Plan The Draft Plan addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future transit service options. It also includes an implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years and a financial analysis of this option to capture both funded and unmet needs. A hard copy of the Draft Plan will also be available for review at the Public This message was sent from outside the company. Please do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the source of this email and know the content is safe. If you are unsure submit a helpdesk ticket at https://helpdesk.grand-island.com Page A-8 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 136 / 154 2 Works Department, Grand Island City Hall (100 E. First Street), CRANE Public Transit (1016 N. Diers Avenue Ste. 119), and Grand Island Public Library (1124 W. 2nd Street). To request a hard copy, please contact Allan Zafft at 308-389- 0273 or AllanZ@grand-island.com. The input gathered through January 16 will be used to refine the Draft Plan. A final version is anticipated to be approved by the GIAMPO Policy Board in February 2023 and by the City Council in March 2023. The GO GI Transit plan is a study that will help the City of Grand Island plan for the future of public transit in the Grand Island/Hall County area. The plan encompasses an analysis of the current CRANE Public Transit service and develops potential future service options based on current and anticipated future use. Ultimately, GO GI Transit results in an implementable and fundable plan for the next 10, and even 20, years to meet the short-term and long-term needs of transit service in the Grand Island community. A transit system is important for the community because thousands of individuals use CRANE every year to get to and from work, school, health care appointments, and more. This improves overall quality of life and leads to a stronger, more vibrant community. Your input is critical in informing the GO GI Transit plan. Learn more about the study at www.crane-transit.com/i-want- to/gogi. We encourage you to share the Draft Plan with your organization, colleagues, clients, friends, and family. If you have any questions, please contact Allan Zafft at 308-389-0273 or AllanZ@grand-island.com. Currently, CRANE serves the residents of Hall County, Nebraska and provides portal-to-portal, demand-response service for the Grand Island/Hall County area. Page A-9 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 137 / 154 3 Additional information about CRANE Public Transit can be found at www.crane- transit.com. Copyright © 2021 City of Grand Island Public Works - Transit Division, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 1016 Diers Ave, Ste 119 Grand Island, NE 68803 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Page A-10 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 138 / 154 1 GO GI Transit Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE News Contact: Charley Falmlen, Transit Program Manager, 308-646-6571, charleyf@grand- island.com Draft GO GI Transit Plan Now Available for Public Comment GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – The City of Grand Island (City) is seeking public feedback on the Draft Transit Development Plan (Draft Plan), also known as the GO GI Transit plan, for the Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) public transit system. The Draft Plan will be available for review through January 16, 2023 at: www.crane-transit.com/i-want-to/gogi The Draft Plan addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future transit service options. It also includes an implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years and a financial analysis of this option to capture both funded and unmet needs. A hard copy of the Draft Plan will also be available for review at the Public Works Department, Grand Island City Hall (100 E. First Street), CRANE Public Transit (1016 N. Diers Avenue Ste. 119), and Grand Island Public Library (1124 W. 2nd Street). To request a hard copy, please contact Allan Zafft at 308-389-0273 or AllanZ@grand-island.com. The input gathered through January 16 will be used to refine the Draft Plan. A final version is anticipated to be approved by the GIAMPO Policy Board in February 2023 and by the City Council in March 2023. The GO GI Transit plan is a study that will help the City of Grand Island plan for the future of public transit in the Grand Island/Hall County area. The plan encompasses an analysis of the current CRANE Public Transit service and develops potential future service options based on current and anticipated future use. Ultimately, GO GI Transit results in an implementable and fundable plan for the next 10, and even 20, years to meet the short-term and long-term needs of transit service in the Grand Island community. A transit system is important for the community because thousands of individuals use CRANE every year to get to and from work, school, health care appointments, and more. This improves overall quality of life and leads to a stronger, more vibrant community. Your input is critical in informing the GO GI Transit plan. Learn more about the study at www.crane-transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. ABOUT CRANE PUBLIC TRANSIT Currently, CRANE serves the residents of Hall County, Nebraska and provides portal-to-portal, demand-response service for the Grand Island/Hall County area. Additional information about CRANE Public Transit can be found at www.crane-transit.com. ### Page A-11 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 139 / 154 Anuncio Publico Para Lanzamiento de Inmediato Contacto de Noticias: Charley Falmen, Gerente del Programa de Transit, 308-646-6571, charleyf@grand-island.com El Plan de GO GI Transit ya está Disponible para Recibir Comentarios del Publico GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – La Ciudad de Grand Island está buscando retroalimentación del público en el plan de desarrollo de tránsito, también conocido como GO GI Transit plan, para la Agencia de Transporte de Nebraska (CRANE) el sistema de transporte público. El borrador del plan estará disponible para revisión hasta el 16 de Enero del 2023 en: www.crane-transit.com/i-want-to/gogi El Borrador del Plan aborda las necesidades de tránsito y movilidad, costo e proyecciones de ingresos, metas y objetivos de transitó comunitario, y posibles opciones futuras de servicio de tránsito. También incluye un plan de implementación para la opción preferida durante los 20 años y un análisis financiero sobre esta opción para capturar la necesidad financiera e insatisfecha. Una copia impresa del borrador del plan estará disponible en el Departamento de Obras Públicas, en Grand Island City hall (100 E. First Street), en el Transporte Publico CRANE (1016 N. Diers Avenue Ste. 1119), y en la Biblioteca Pública de Grand Island (1124 W. 2nd Street). Para pedir una copia impresa, Por favor póngase contacte a Allan Zafft al 308-389-0273 o AllanZ@grand-island.com. Los aportes recopilados hasta el 16 de Enero se utilizaran para perfeccionar el borrador del plan. Una versión final anticipada para ser aprobada por la junta directiva GIAMPO en Febrero del 2023 y por el consejo de la Ciudad en Marzo del 2023. El Plan de GO GI Transit es un estudio que ayudara a la ciudad a planear sobre el futuro de trasporte público en el área de Grand Island y del Condado Hall. El plan comprende un análisis de la situación actual del Servicio del Transporte Publico de CRANE y desarrolla posibles opciones de servicio futuras basadas en el uso futuro actual y anticipado. Últimamente, GO GI Transit, resultados plan implementable y financiable para los próximos 10 incluso 20 años para satisfacer las necesidades a corto y largo plazo del servicio de tránsito en la comunidad de Grand Island. Un servicio de transporte es importante para la comunidad por que miles de individuos usa CRANE cada ano para ir a trabajar, a la escuela y a citas médicas, y mucho más. Esto mejora la calidad de vida y nos lleva a ser una comunidad más fuerte y vibrante. Su aporte es fundamental para formar en plan de GO GI Transit. Aprenda más sobre el estudio en www.crane-transit.com/i-want-to/gogi. Page A-12 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 140 / 154 SOBRE CRANE TRANSPORTE PUBLICO Actualmente, CRANE sirve a los residentes del Condado Hall, Nebraska y proporciona portal a portal, servicio de respuesta a la demanda para el área de Grand Island y del Condado Hall. Información adicional sobre el Servicio de Transporte Publico CRANE puede ser encontrada en www.crane-transit.com. Page A-13 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 141 / 154 Public Comment Period Summary Appendix B – Public Comments Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 142 / 154 Submission Date: December 15, 2022 GO GI TRANSIT Name (Individual from Central Community College) Email Phone Number Address Comment Extended hours and days are a positive outcome for CRANE and the City of Grand Island. However, having a mobility on demand app service as well as a fixed route between major employers and schools is needed in Grand lsland. I am looking forward to the outcome of the intercity fixed bus route as a solution to meet the needs of employees and students travelling between and within communities. All major metro areas have either MOD or fixed routes and I am hoping Grand Island and the Tri-Cities will consider upgrading in the near future to support these services as the communities also grow. Also, Grand Island is a very diverse community and most citizens that move here from other countries are familiar with fixed route public transit systems or better options in major urban areas. We have had some students and staff leave for other cities due to little to no options for public transportation other than the 24 hour advanced reservation with CRANE, which also currently has a senior citizen stigma attached to it. You can edit this submission and view all your submissions easily. Page B-1 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 143 / 154 Submission Date: December 15, 2022 GO GI TRANSIT Name Email Phone Number Address Add me to the mailing list: Yes Comment The Plan is very disappointing. in 2007 a Community Study recommended a fixed route system. The report was mothballed by City Administration. Significant funding has been available for years as a result of our MSA status, yet we have been bogged down with study after study. The only thing that changes is the name of the consultant. The Peer Communities were apparently "cherry picked" across the USA. Several NE towns that put GI to shame with their local programs were ignored. I have asked the City many times to pursue amendment of the NE Transit Authority Act to enable to creation of a local Authority, but to no avail. Until such time (if ever) that the City will make a financial commitment, our local transit will continue to be an embarrassment. You can edit this submission and view all your submissions easily. Page B-2 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 144 / 154 Submission Date: December 21, 2022 GO GI TRANSIT Name (Individual from the UNL Extension) Email Phone Number Address Comment I am Community Development Educator from UNL Extension responsible for serving Hall County/GI. I have a Masters in Planning and Community Development with 25yrs of practitioner experience. I strongly recommend trying to apply the suggestions from the "Education" focus groups by increasing outreach to immigrant and LMI persons who need help getting to work and their children to medical appointments. 24hr call time doesn't always work, maybe have smaller vans available to supplement short-notice appointment needs. train drivers to use language software on their phones or some other tech as needed. You can edit this submission and view all your submissions easily. Page B-3 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 145 / 154 From: Sent:Friday, December 16, 2022 10:06 AM To:Allan Zafft Subject:Re: Your input is requested on the draft GO GI Transit plan! Allan I don’t see the Literacy Council mentioned in the draft. Many of our students and one tutor use your services. Just thought it was a organization what should be mentioned. Thanks. This message was sent from outside the company. Please do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the source of this email and know the content is safe. If you are unsure submit a helpdesk ticket at https://helpdesk.grand-island.com (Individual from Literacy Council of Grand Island) Page B-4 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 146 / 154 Public Comment Summary Public Comment Summary The following provides a summary of the public comments received on the Draft Transit Development Plan. The comments were received via the comment form on the project webpage and email. The City of Grand Island & consultant staff has prepared responses for all comments received. Comment Form Comment: Extended hours and days are a positive outcome for CRANE and the City of Grand Island. However, having a mobility on demand app service as well as a fixed route between major employers and schools is needed in Grand lsland. I am looking forward to the outcome of the intercity fixed bus route as a solution to meet the needs of employees and students travelling between and within communities. All major metro areas have either MOD or fixed routes and I am hoping Grand Island and the Tri-Cities will consider upgrading in the near future to support these services as the communities also grow. Also, Grand Island is a very diverse community and most citizens that move here from other countries are familiar with fixed route public transit systems or better options in major urban areas. We have had some students and staff* leave for other cities due to little to no options for public transportation other than the 24 hour advanced reservation with CRANE, which also currently has a senior citizen stigma attached to it. *Central Community College – Grand Island Response: Comment acknowledged. The Scenario Evaluation chapter (Chapter 7) of the Draft Transit Development Plan includes the recommended strategy approach based on the results of evaluating the scenarios. This approach is a continuation of the existing service while monitoring operational and financial conditions to implement enhanced services, including the following potential elements – expanded service hours, expanded service days, and same day booking for trips. These elements of the enhanced service scenario could be implemented once the necessary funding and need arises. The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) completed a Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study in 2020, along with a 2022 update, that evaluated the feasibility of operating Intercity Bus Service between these three communities based on the existing lack of reliable transportation options. This Study identified a preferred alternative that consists of flexible, fixed-route service operating between Grand Island, Hastings, and Kearney with flexible routes traveling within each community. Figure 38 in the Financial and Implementation Plan chapter (Chapter 9) of the Draft Transit Development Plan shows the proposed Intercity Bus Service routes with stops within Grand Island. The proposed Intercity Bus Service forms a fixed route within Grand Island that can be a new framework to build local services off of; the City can monitor how this new Intercity Service evolves and is utilized before making significant additional investments in new services. Chapter 9 includes the implementation plan, which indicates that the enhancement service options which best support the development of the intercity bus service in coordination with NDOT will be prioritized. --------------- Page B-5 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 147 / 154 Public Comment Summary Comment: The Plan is very disappointing. in 2007 a Community Study recommended a fixed route system. The report was mothballed by City Administration. Significant funding has been available for years as a result of our MSA status, yet we have been bogged down with study after study. The only thing that changes is the name of the consultant. The Peer Communities were apparently "cherry picked" across the USA. Several NE towns that put GI to shame with their local programs were ignored. I have asked the City many times to pursue amendment of the NE Transit Authority Act to enable to creation of a local Authority, but to no avail. Until such time (if ever) that the City will make a financial commitment, our local transit will continue to be an embarrassment. Response: Comment acknowledged. The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) completed a Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney Intercity Bus Study in 2020, along with a 2022 update, that evaluated the feasibility of operating Intercity Bus Service between these three communities based on the existing lack of reliable transportation options. This Study identified a preferred alternative that consists of flexible, fixed-route service operating between Grand Island, Hastings, and Kearney with flexible routes traveling within each community. Figure 38 in the Financial and Implementation Plan chapter (Chapter 9) of the Draft Transit Development Plan shows the proposed Intercity Bus Service routes with stops within Grand Island. The proposed Intercity Bus Service forms a fixed route within Grand Island that can be a new framework to build local services off of; the City can monitor how this new Intercity Service evolves and is utilized before making significant additional investments in new services. Chapter 9 includes the implementation plan, which indicates that the enhancement service options which best support the development of the intercity bus service in coordination with NDOT will be prioritized. The Peer Review chapter (Chapter 4) of the Draft Transit Development Plan discusses the peer system selection methodology for comparison of CRANE with peer transit agencies. The peer selection was conducted using 2019 National Transit Database (NTD) data. The peers were identified using the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) methodology. The TCRP uses five service characteristics and eight urban area characteristics as grouping factors in determining peer agencies. --------------- Comment: I am Community Development Educator from UNL Extension responsible for serving Hall County/GI. I have a Masters in Planning and Community Development with 25yrs of practitioner experience. I strongly recommend trying to apply the suggestions from the "Education" focus groups by increasing outreach to immigrant and LMI persons who need help getting to work and their children to medical appointments. 24hr call time doesn't always work, maybe have smaller vans available to supplement short-notice appointment needs. train drivers to use language software on their phones or some other tech as needed. Response: Comment acknowledged. CRANE’s current transit service does allow same day rides to be booked only if there is availability. All CRANE Public Transit staff has been trained on and has access to digital translation services. CRANE offers translation services, free of charge, to all riders. --------------- Page B-6 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 148 / 154 Public Comment Summary Email Comment: I don’t see the Literacy Council mentioned in the draft. Many of our students and one tutor use your services. Just thought it was a organization what should be mentioned. Thanks. Response: Comment acknowledged. Even though the Literacy Council of Grand Island is not mentioned in the Draft Transit Development Plan, the Literacy Council of Grand Island was one of the organizations identified to be part of the Education / Community Organizations focus group. Table 17 in the Public Involvement chapter (Chapter 7) of the Draft Transit Development Plan shows the following description for this focus group – public and post-secondary institutions, non-profit groups, human services groups, emergency responders, and others operating in the GIAMPO region. This focus group met three times during the study process of the Transit Development Plan, and two representatives from the Literacy Council of Grand Island were invited to these meetings. There was a representative from the Literacy Council of Grand Island in attendance at the first group meeting on December 13, 2021. --------------- Page B-7 Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 149 / 154 GIAMPO RESOLUTION NO. 2023-4 Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization A Resolution Approving the Transit Development Plan WHEREAS, the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO), is designated as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Island Urbanized Area, by the Governor acting through the Nebraska Department of Transportation in cooperation with locally elected officials of the Grand Island Urbanized Area; and WHEREAS, the City of Grand Island in coordination with GIAMPO has prepared a Transit Development Plan, also known as the GO GI Transit plan, for the Central Ride Agency of Nebraska (CRANE) public transit system; and WHEREAS, the Transit Development Plan addresses transit and mobility needs, cost and revenue projections, community transit goals and objectives, and potential future transit service options. The Transit Development Plan includes an implementation plan for the preferred option over the next 20 years and a financial analysis of this option to capture both funded and unmet needs; and WHEREAS, the preparation of the Transit Development Plan has involved extensive public participation and outreach efforts; and WHEREAS, the Transit Development Plan is consistent with the goals and objectives contained in the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan; and WHEREAS, the Draft Transit Development Plan was made available for public comment for a thirty (30) day period; and WHEREAS, the Draft Transit Development Plan was reviewed and recommended for adoption by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of the MPO, and now requires official approval from the Policy Board of the MPO; and NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Policy Board of the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approves and adopts the Transit Development Plan. Certification: The foregoing resolution was approved by the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on February 28, 2023 and is effective immediately upon adoption. By: Attest: ______________________________ ______________________________ Roger G. Steele, Mayor / Chairperson Keith Kurz, Interim Public Works Director Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 150 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item J1 MPO Financial Report Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 151 / 154 Financial Update Unified Planning Work Program State Fiscal Year 2023 – Second Quarter (October 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022) * Even though the FY 2023 UPWP shows a total budgeted amount of $70,000, the above budgeted amount for this category reflects an amount to cover the incurred costs for state fiscal year 2023. In January 2022, the Federal Transit Administration awarded a grant for a project budget of $150,000 ($120,000 in Section 5307 funds and $30,000 in City funds) for the Transit Development Plan. Work Completed for the Second Quarter • Finished preparing Amendment No. 1 to the FY 2023-2027 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Amendment No. 4 to the 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) • Made Draft Amendment No. 1 to the FY 2023-2027 TIP and Draft Amendment No. 4 to the 2045 LRTP available for the public comment period and finalized these documents for submittal to the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) • Prepared the Annual Listing of Federally Obligated Projects for FY 2022 document • Continued work on the Transit Development Plan (also known as GO GI Transit Plan). This work includes preparing for and attending the project team bi-weekly meetings, preparing for and conducting the third round of public involvement (survey, stakeholder focus group meetings, and outreach at Project Connect), completing the financial plan and implementation plan, and continuing the development of the draft TDP document. • Began processing NDOT crash data from 2013 to 2020 for the GIAMPO metropolitan planning area • Processed the bicycle and pedestrian counts at various trail locations between July 2022 and October 2022 • Began working on the Public Participation Plan Update • Prepared materials for and held the Non-motorized Subcommittee meeting in December, Transportation Advisory Committee meetings in October and December, and Policy Board meeting in November • Participated and attended transportation planning related meetings Category Total Budget 2nd Quarter Expenditure Total Expenditure to Date Total Percent Expenditure to Date Unified Planning Work Program 17,020$ $ 1,664 4,922$ 29% Transportation Improvement Program 15,052$ $ 1,629 2,946$ 20% Public Participation Plan 17,520$ $ 3,645 5,018$ 29% Short Range Studies 17,458$ $ 2,981 8,041$ 46% Long Range Transportation Plan 42,288$ $ 8,561 16,687$ 39% Transit Development Plan (Outside Services)* $ 72,828 $ 43,069 72,233$ 99% Transit Planning 20,365$ $ 6,127 13,545$ 67% Administration 50,374$ $ 7,963 17,753$ 35% Total 252,905$ $ 75,638 141,145$ 56% Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 152 / 154 GIAMPO – Policy Board Tuesday, February 28, 2023 Regular Session Item J2 Report on the Public Participation Plan Update Staff Contact: Allan Zafft, MPO Program Manager Grand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 153 / 154 Public Participation Plan Update Policy Board Agenda Report | 1 Policy Board Agenda Report Agenda Item No. J2 February 28, 2023 ISSUE REPORT: Public Participation Plan Update BACKGROUND In accordance 23 CFR 450.316, a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is required to have a Public Participation Plan that defines a process for providing with reasonable opportunities to be involved in the metropolitan transportation planning process. The current, and first, Public Participation Plan for the Grand Island Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GIAMPO) was adopted by the Policy Board in November 2015, and includes an amendment which was approved in February 2017. The GIAMPO Public Participation Plan indicates that an update of the Public Participation occurs at least every five years, prior to an update of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Journey 2040 is GIAMPO’s first LRTP, which was adopted by the Policy Board in April 2016. In February 2021, GIAMPO completed an LRTP update with the adoption of the 2045 LRTP. Since the current Public Participation Plan was adopted over five years ago and the process for the next LRTP will begin sometime in 2024, GIAMPO staff began the process to update the Public Participation Plan in December 2022. GIAMPO staff will provide an update on the Public Participation Plan Update at the February 28 Policy Board meeting. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS/DISCUSSION None. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS None. COMMITTEE ACTION None. RECOMMENDATION None. Information only. STAFF CONTACT Allan Zafft DateGrand Island Regular Session - 2/28/2023 Page 154 / 154