Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework (2023) / Chapter Skim
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From page 15... ...
Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 15 Community Partners To gather a diverse set of perspectives on the impacts of fare-free transit service on the community, the project team should engage a broad range of groups and orga nizations, including but not limited to related organizations, community-based organiza tions, advocacy groups, employers, and academic institutions. Related organizations may include municipal departments, MPOs, or neighboring transit agencies.
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16 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework The task force worked together to collect internal and external feedback on internal pro cesses, impact on customer experience, and connections to other transit-agency-wide initia tives. The task force also collected feedback on how fare-free transit could support equity and benefit riders facing multiple barriers to economic security.
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 17 Example questions for this analysis include the following: • What are the funding sources and trends of transit agency funding aside from fare revenue (e.g., federal, state, local, and community sources)
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18 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework • What percentage of the transit service area population belongs to historically marginalized populations? • On average, what percentage of household income is spent on housing and transportation costs in the transit service area [the project team could consult the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT)
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 19 and maintenance. If no existing planning has been completed, transit agencies can look at how many years of useful life remain on existing fare collection technology to estimate when it will need to be replaced.
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20 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Step 3: Review Peer Transit Agencies The project team should look to peer transit agencies that have evaluated or implemented fare free policies or programs to identify relevant fare-free context, goals, evaluation, outcomes, and program funding. The project team can look to transit agencies of similar sizes and in similar oper ating environments (e.g., region, city size, community demographics, university town, or resort town)
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 21 Operational Peer Comparison -- Ride On Source: MCDOT 2021 Step 4: Identify Opportunities and Challenges The project team should identify the opportunities and challenges for the transit agency related to fare-free transit policies or programs. These opportunities and challenges should be informed by transit agency context, existing conditions, and the peer review.
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22 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework • What concerns do you have about fare-free transit? • How would fare-free transit affect your transit use?
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 23 Step 5: Set Evaluation Goals and Objectives The project team should set appropriate goals and objectives to define the scope of the evaluation based on the opportunities and challenges identified in Step 4 and feedback from stakeholders. When setting evaluation goals and objectives, the project team can look to external guidance from the FHWA's Performance-Based Planning and Programming Guidebook (Guidebook)
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24 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Framework in Practice: Goals and Objectives in Iowa City's Transit Fare Study Iowa City Transit's Fare Study evaluated the implications of multiple fare scenarios, including full fare-free transit. The study's project team developed four goals and corresponding objectives to guide the analy sis (see "Fare Study Goals and Objectives -- Iowa City Transit")
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 25 Goal Objectives and Performance Measures Improve Increase overall transit ridership Access, – Fixed-route ridership Mobility, & – Fixed-route rider trip frequency Equity – Paratransit ridership – Paratransit rider trip frequency Increase mobility of specific rider groups – Ridership by rider group (e.g., riders with low incomes, students, older adults) – Ridership by geographic area (e.g., downtown zone, specific neighborhood)
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26 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Framework in Practice: KCATA Evaluation Outreach When evaluating fare-free transit after the policy had been implemented in 2020, the KCATA project team reached out to key stakeholders and the public for three purposes: 1. Gather input to determine the evaluation performance measures 2.
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 27 Outreach Opportunity: Stakeholder Input into Evaluation Plan Feedback from stakeholders should help shape the evaluation plan from developing goals and objectives, to choosing performance measures, to establishing selection criteria and selecting alternatives. Engagement in these steps allows stakeholders to contribute to the development of the evaluation plan to ensure that it aligns with the needs and expectations of the community.
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28 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework funding. Some transit agencies may determine that permanent fare-free transit is a viable approach for them based on the evaluation context or an identified long-term funding source.
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 29 Source: City of Alexandria 2021 Evaluate After planning, the project team should evaluate the feasibility of the alternatives. This evaluation includes the following steps: • Step 9: Estimate impacts of the alternatives using the evaluation plan.
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30 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Steps Elements Step 1: Estimate Fixed-route ridership increase based on peer transit agencies Ridership or internal data Increase Paratransit ridership increase based on peer transit agencies or internal data Annual transit rider savings as a percentage of income Step 2: Estimate Transit vehicle capacity and maximum load Operational Boarding times and on-time performance Impacts Fixed-route paratransit revenue hours Fixed-route and paratransit vehicles, staff, and facilities Transit ridership productivity Step 3: Estimate Foregone fare revenue Net Annual Fare collection cost savings Costs Program administration costs Additional operating costs Additional funding opportunities Safety and security costs Impact on cost per passenger trip Step 4: Estimate Effects on automobile trips, congestion, and emissions Community Local economic benefits Impacts Community support Exhibit 2-8. Example analysis process.
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 31 Estimated Annual Change in Operating Costs -- Link Transit (Continued) Annual Cost Item Low High Ridership Increase Ridership Increase Estimate Estimate Existing Fare Collection Costs ($57,000)
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32 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Step 10: Select Preferred Alternative In the final step, the project team should guide the selection of a preferred alternative. This process will depend on the decision-making process identified in Step 1 but may involve engag ing various stakeholders to confirm the recommended approach (see "Outreach Opportunity: Sharing Findings with Stakeholders and the Public")
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Using the Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework 33 Estimated Annual Operating Cost Impact (in Millions) -- Houston METRO P&R = Park and Ride.
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CHAPTER 3 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice This chapter reviews the state of the practice of fare-free transit evaluation. This review was informed by a transit agency survey and interviews with staff from transit agencies, community organizations, and transit advocacy groups.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 35 • A survey of transit agencies at various stages of fare-free transit consideration or implementation. • Interviews with staff from transit agencies, community organizations, and transit advocacy groups.
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36 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Literature Review Throughout the development process for the survey, interviews, and evaluation framework, the project team reviewed various academic and professional research documents, journalistic assessments of fare-free transit evaluations and implementations, and transit agency or consul tant reports and briefs. These documents are cited throughout this report.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 37 Themes Impacts Access, Benefits Mobility, & Increases transit ridership Equity Reduces financial barriers to accessing transit Mitigates impacts of historically inequitable transportation policy Increases focus on operating service over collecting revenue Eliminates fare-related policing Expands access to those who do not benefit from discounted programs provided through employers Costs May constrain funding that could be spent on service May lead to a more regressive source of funding (e.g., sales tax) Operational Benefits Efficiency Increases service productivity May decrease dwell times, increasing speed and reliability Eliminates fare-related disputes Eliminates fare collection equipment and attendant labor requirements (e.g., operations and maintenance)
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38 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework Benefits The primary benefits from fare-free transit reported by survey respondents and interviewees include greater mobility for community members, social equity improvements, more efficient transit service, reduced fare collection costs, and local economic growth. These key benefits and others are discussed in more detail in the following.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 39 Ridership Increase at Mountain Line In 2015, Mountain Line (Missoula, MT) piloted its "zero-fare demonstration project." Within 3 years, the transit agency saw a 70% increase in ridership.
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40 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework funding to transit agencies in small urbanized areas with a population under 200,000 through the evaluation of six performance metrics with established thresholds. Transit agencies qualify for $274,458 per metric threshold met or exceeded.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 41 ART Subsidy per Boarding, 2014–2018 $14 Fare-Free Pilot $12 Started Subsidy per Boarding $10 $8 $6 $4 $2 $0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Fiscal Year Source: Florida Department of Transportation -- District 4 2020 Community Impacts Fare-free transit doesn't just benefit transit agencies and their riders. External benefits can range from short-term congestion reduction to long-term economic development and civic pride.
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42 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework to increase between $13 million and $17.9 million because of ZeroFare KC. This positive impact would be the result of the fare cost savings to riders, many of whom have annual incomes below $40,000.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 43 • Those who benefit from fare-free transit the most do not always have the time and energy to advocate for themselves, so it can be difficult to measure their priorities. Transit agencies should partner with community groups to disseminate information to their audiences with a particular focus on those with low incomes, people of color, older adults, persons with disabilities, and youth riders.
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44 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework The Rapid's Challenges with Disruptive Passengers One example of a transit agency for which disruptive passengers were a significant challenge is The Rapid (Grand Rapids, MI)
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 45 Community Impacts There are considerably fewer negative community impacts from fare-free transit than there are benefits. One negative community impact that has occurred on some systems is an increase in public criticism of a transit agency, especially in the narrative that the transit agency is providing "handouts" to riders that don't pay their fair share for the service they are using.
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46 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework shown that fare pricing was riders' most common source of disapproval of the system. Just a year after the introduction of full fare-free transit, ridership increased by 14% while nation wide public transit mode share decreased in Estonia during the same period.
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 47 Common Evaluation Elements Although several research documents synthesize evaluations of partial and full fare-free programs in the United States, there are no standard evaluation methods for feasibility or postimplementation evaluations. This research team's review of completed evaluations, however, did uncover several common elements of fare-free transit evaluations.
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48 Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework In Zero-Fare and Reduced-Fare Options for Northern Virginia Transit Providers, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission examined regional, national, and international examples of both full and partial fare-free and reduced-fare programs (2021)
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Fare-Free Transit Evaluation in Practice 49 Post-Implementation Evaluation Only a few fare-free transit agencies completed an evaluation after the implementation. Of the transit agencies that performed post-implementation evaluations, the metrics used were largely operational and included • Ridership • Revenue • Passenger or vehicle boarding times • Additional service needs • Change in passenger destinations • Public opinion When assessing public opinion and other, more qualitative metrics, transit agencies have used several tools, including informal operator feedback, on-board surveys, voter surveys, and online surveys.
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