[00:00:03]
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THE NOVEMBER 16TH MEETING OF TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL COUNCIL.
UM, WE HAVE IMPORTANT WORK TO DO THIS AFTERNOON.
I WANNA BE SURE THERE'S NO PUBLIC, NO.
NOBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, CORRECT? THERE IS NO WRITTEN OR SPEAKERS TODAY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY WE HAVE A LIST OF NAMES, RESIDENTS WHO COULD PEN WHO POTENTIALLY BECOME PART OF THE AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THESE ARE ALL FOLKS WHO'VE GENEROUSLY GIVEN OF THEIR TIME AND EXPERIENCE TO GUIDE THE CITY AND THE CITY'S AVIATION DIRECTOR ON THINGS HAVING TO DO WITH AVIATION AND AIR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS AND STRATEGIES.
WE, WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE PERSPECTIVE NET MEMBER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE SENT FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE'LL ALSO HEAR TODAY FROM VIA, UM, METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET TO WORK.
[Approval of Minutes ]
ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE MEETING ON OCTOBER 19TH, 2021.UM, WITH A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED? MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSIDERATION OF AT LARGE APPLICANTS TO THE AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION.SO ARE WE JUMPING RIGHT INTO EXEC? I THINK.
WHAT IS THE TIME? 1:36 PM TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2021.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE IS RECESSING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION MEMBERS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE OUT, RIGHT? YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GO ACROSS ON MARCH 19TH, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2023.
AVIATION INDUSTRY THREE REPRESENTATIVES REAPPOINT MARK FESSLER FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
REAPPOINT LINA PARADO AND CHARNEL SHIN FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2023.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOUR REPRESENTATIVES APPOINT MATTHEW STARR AND ANOTHER CANDIDATE MATTHEW STARR FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2022.
2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
REAPPOINT FRANCISCO CRUZ AND MARSHA HANDLER FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2023 FROM THE COMMUNITY REAPPOINT DEBORAH OMA JARMAN FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
APPOINT ROGER DILLARD AND WILLIAM PAT GARRISON FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
APPOINT RONNELL BRIGHT RAMMY, MOWAY AND AMY SHAW FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2023 FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION.
ONE REPRESENTATIVE WHICH WOULD REAPPOINT EARL JACKSON JR.
FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
GROUND REP, GROUND TRANSPORTATION REPRESENTATIVE REAPPOINT JOHN GRISEL FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022 FROM THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM CATEGORY.
APPOINT JONATHAN SALTER FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2020 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2022.
AND REAPPOINT MARIO BARCOS FOR A TERM INITIATING ON MARCH 19TH, 2021 AND EXPIRING ON MARCH 18TH, 2023.
THAT IS A TOTAL OF 18 OF 19 CATEGORIES, 19 SLATE SLOTS.
THANK YOU WITH JUST ONE CORRECTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BOTTLES MARCO, UH, FOR THE, UH, I'M SORRY, MICHAEL.
[00:05:01]
BOTTLES.UH, WILL ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? UM, THE MOTION IS APPROVED AS READ.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR, UM, OUR NEXT, OUR NEXT ITEM AND UPDATE FROM VIA METROPOLITAN AUTHORITY VIA WILL PRESENT DETAILS ON THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE AGENCY, RIDERSHIP PERFORMANCE ON THE SYSTEM, AND PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION AND INNOVATION.
THIS WILL BE A FIRST, UM, THE FIRST IN A REGULAR SERIES OF UPDATES TO THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY COMMITTEE BY VIA.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE CITY.
AND SINCE I ARRIVED, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT TO JUST HAVE REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING IN TERMS OF THE CITY WITH MOBILITY.
AND WE HAVE DISCUSSED WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP THIS BODY AND THE COUNCIL LEARN MORE ABOUT SERVICE DELIVERY AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PARTNER AND SUPPORT VIA IN THEIR GROWTH.
SEVERAL OF US WHO ARE TRANSPORTATION FOAMERS ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO JEFFREY ARNT, THE PRESIDENT AND C E O OF VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT.
AND HE HAS INVITED MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WHICH WE ARE SO HAPPY TO SEE AND GIVING YOUR TIME CONSTRAINTS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL JOINING US TODAY.
SO JEFFREY, SO ACTUALLY I AM NOT THE HEADLINER.
I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE HEADLINER, THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR BOARD.
FERNANDO RES, HE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW, AND SO HE WE'RE ALMOST ALL BROKEN IN.
YOU'VE ALMOST BROKEN US ALL IN.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR HAVING US THIS AFTERNOON.
CHAIRWOMAN, UH, CAVEO HAAR, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON VIA AND THE ACTIVITIES WE ARE UNDERTAKEN AS AN AGENCY TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING.
SINCE BECOMING CHAIR OF VIA BOARD, I HAVE LEARNED FIRSTHAND HOW DEEPLY SERVICE IS INGRAINED IN OUR STAFF AND CULTURE.
IT'S WHY OUR EMPLOYEES BEGIN EACH WORKDAY.
FOCUS ON MAKING SURE PEOPLE CAN MAKE ESSENTIAL CONNECTIONS SAFELY AND AFFORDABLY.
THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, WE HAVE SEEN HOW ESSENTIAL A MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM IS TO MAINTAINING MOBILITY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THE HOSPITAL STAFF AND AND GROCERY CLERKS, RESTAURANT WORKERS AND PUBLIC WORK CREWS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, YOU AND ME AS WE RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
PLEASE KNOW THAT VIA THE VIA BOARD AND I ARE HERE TO BE PARTNERS IN ENSURING WE HAVE AN ACTUAL MOBILITY TO HELP ACHIEVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
AND THAT WE ARE HERE TO COME DOES NOT DETERMINE HOW FAR WE CAN GO.
JEFF AND HIS TEAM HAVE BUILT AND FOCUSED EFFICIENCY AGENCY AS, I'M SORRY.
JEFF AND HIS TEAM HAVE BUILT A FOCUSED EFFICIENCY AGENCY, ABLE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BUS TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE WE CAN AFFORD TO DELIVER THE PEOPLE WE SERVE IN ONE OF THE POOREST, MOST ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITIES IN AMERICA REQUIRE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
TRANSIT CAN PUT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN REACH, AND THOUGH VIA REMAINS THE LEAST FUNDED OF THE FOUR MAJOR METRO SYSTEMS IN TEXAS, BY FAR THE WORK BEING DONE BY THE MEN AND WOMEN OF VIA IS AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION.
AND I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT TEAM.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION AND FOR THE CHANCE TO COME BEFORE YOU AS PARTNERS IN THE PLAN TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING.
AND REMEMBER, IT'S EASY WHEN YOU TAKE THE BUS.
THE, YOU'RE SAYING WELL, NO, NO, I, I'M AFRAID EVERYBODY WOULD LEAVE
[00:10:01]
A CHAIR RETURNS, I'D LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE TRUSTEES WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE.WE HAVE FIVE TRUSTEES IN ATTENDANCE IN ORDER NOT TO HAVE A QUORUM.
SO WE HAD TO TURN FOLKS DOWN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE QUORUM.
SO OF COURSE WE HAVE THE CHAIR, WE ALSO HAVE SECRETARY AKEEM BROWN.
AND THEN WE HAVE TRUSTEE ATLEY MALONE, TRUSTEE LAURA CABELLA, AND TRUSTEE JAVIER PERES.
AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE STAFF, THE KEY STAFF THAT WE BROUGHT.
SO, UH, UNFORTUNATELY MY DEPUTY, C E O, UM, IS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE BECAUSE HE IS SERVING ON AN ADVISORY PANEL FOR THE UNITED WAY.
AND THEY HAD THEIR CLOSING MEETING AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, HE IS, UH, EDWARD JOHNSON.
HE IS THE FORMER C E O OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN ORLANDO.
SO HE, HE, UH, ACTUALLY WORKED IN ORLANDO, WENT TO, UH, WORK FOR MARTA IN ATLANTA AND CAME BACK TO ORLANDO.
NOW REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE LATER ON I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT SAN ANTONIO AND ORLANDO.
SO JUST REMEMBER WE HAVE THE GUY WHO USED TO RUN ORLANDO.
UH, NEXT UP BONNIE, BONNIE PROSSER ELDER.
SHE HAS THE MOST TENURE, ALTHOUGH SHE'S NOT THE OLDEST.
UH, BONNIE IS OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGAL AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
AND OUR COUNCIL, OUR LEAD COUNCIL, JOHN JOHN GERRERA, HE'S OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND HE COMES, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
CAMIE HORN IS OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THEN FROM JOHN GARRY'S STAFF, WE HAVE RACHEL BENAVIDES AND, UH, LEROY ALLOY.
AND I WILL SIMPLY SAY THAT THOSE ARE THE TWO.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU SHOULD ASK THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DID THE LION'S SHARE OF THE WORK HERE.
OKAY, I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT YET.
WE'LL GO BACK TO THE INTRO SLIDE.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS TALK ABOUT VARIOUS SECTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH ON FUNDING AT THE BEGINNING.
A BRIEF REFRESHER FOR MANY OF YOU.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR CUSTOMERS, WHO THEY ARE, WHAT THEY THINK OF US.
WE'RE GONNA TALK OUR PERFORMANCE, BOTH WITH RESPECT TO THE GOALS THAT OUR GOVERNING BOARD SETS AND WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER TRANSIT OPERATORS OF SIMILAR SIZE AND NATURE.
AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
SO I HAVE FOUR SECTIONS THERE.
THERE'LL BE A, A SLIGHT ASIDE ABOUT COVID, IT'S NOT A FULL SECTION, BUT I'LL, WE'RE GONNA TALK A BIT ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF COVID.
UH, I'M GONNA PAUSE BETWEEN EACH SECTION SO THAT WE CAN LIKE GO THROUGH A SECTION AND THEN TAKE, HAVE DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
I THINK THAT WOULD, WELL WE, WE HAVE TO, UM, THE INTEREST OF TIME.
WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN MINUTES EACH TO SPEAK.
SO WE HAVE TO DO IT ALL AT THE BE AT THE END, UH, THIS COMMITTEE.
AND HOW LONG DO WE HAVE? UM, YOU HAVE, WELL YOU DON'T HAVE A LIMIT, BUT WE HAVE A LIMIT
UH, WE HAVE SEVEN MINUTES EACH.
YEAH, SO WE, BUT WE HAVE SEVEN MINUTES EACH FOR OUR OH, OKAY.
YOU WANT ME TO DO IT A DIFFERENT WAY? I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS ALL AT THE END OF THE, ALL THE END FULL PRESENTATION.
SO LET ME START WITH THE FIR FIRST SECTION.
OH, AND THE FINAL THING IS THAT THERE IS, YOU'LL RECEIVE A BOOK LIKE THIS THAT HAS DATA AND YOU'LL SEE WHEN I GO THROUGH OUR PERFORMANCE AND I'LL SHOW YOU EXAMPLES OF PERFORMANCE.
AND THIS HAS A ROUTE LEVEL RIDERSHIP, SOME ROUTE LEVEL PERFORMANCE SYSTEM, RIDER SYSTEM, UH, INFORMATION ON ON TIME, PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, COST PER PASSENGER TRIP, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND IT ALSO HAS, FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, IT TELLS YOU HOW MANY ROUTES THERE ARE, HOW MANY STOPS THERE ARE, HOW MANY SHELTERED STOPS THERE ARE, AND WHAT THE RIDERSHIP IS OUT OF EACH DISTRICT.
SO YOU'LL ALL RECEIVE THIS BOOKLET.
HOW MANY, HOW MANY, JUST HYPOTHETICALLY, HOW MANY, UH, SECTIONS WERE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE STOP IN? LIKE HOW MANY SECTIONS DID YOU HAVE TO PRESENT? FOUR.
IF YOU WANNA STOP ME, JUST STOP ME.
SO NOW I, AS I SAID, WE WOULD BEGIN WITH A DISCUSSION ON TRANSIT FUNDING.
UH, SO LET'S FIRST OF ALL TALK ABOUT OUR MAIN SOURCE AND REALLY OUR ONLY SOURCE OF DEDICATED FUNDING, WHICH IS OUT OF THE SALES TAX.
SO IN 1973, WHEN I WAS JUST GRADUATING FROM GRADE SCHOOL, AS I RECALL, UH, THE LEGISLATURE CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CREATION OF METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITIES IN VARIOUS SIZE CITIES.
THERE WERE LIMITS ON THE SIZE OF THE CITY, ET CETERA.
AND THEY AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO RECEIVE FUNDING UP TO 1 CENT CENT OF SALES TAX IN 1978 VIA BECAME THE FIRST M T A IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND VIA PURSUED
[00:15:01]
A HALF A CENT INSTEAD OF THE FULL CENT.AND SO THAT IS, THAT WAS THE INITIAL VIA FUNDING AND THAT WAS THE VIA FUNDING FROM THAT POINT UNTIL 20 2004 WHEN THE A T D KICKED IN HOUSTON, DALLAS, AND AUSTIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, ALL WENT FOR THE FULL CENT.
SO WHEN I SHOW YOU THE DISCRETIONARY PENNY, SO WITH RESPECT TO SALES TAX, THE STATE GETS THE FIRST SIX AND A QUARTER, THE CITY GETS 1% AND THEN THERE'S 1% LEFT OVER.
SO IN HOUSTON, DALLAS, AND AUSTIN, IT WOULD BE STATE COSA TRANSIT, BUT WE SUBDIVIDED THE, THE, THE PENNY HERE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL HALF CENT, WHICH WE STARTED WITH.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK IN THE, WHAT I CALL THE SOUTHWEST QUARTER WHERE THERE'S THREE SLICES, THAT IS THE ORIGINAL ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT.
AND UNDER THE ORIGINAL ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT SERVICE PLAN, THAT MONEY WAS, THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT PLANS.
ONE FOR VIA, ONE FOR THE CITY AND ONE FOR, UM, BONNIE HELP ME OUT, WHAT'S THE WORD?
NO, IT'S NOT COUNTY LEVERAGED PROJECTS.
SO WE GOT HALF OF THAT, THE CITY GETS HALF OF IT, AND THEN THE LEVERAGED PROJECTS, AND IT SAYS COUNTY THERE.
AND THE REASON IT SAYS COUNTY IS BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS THE ONLY ENTITY THAT CAME TO THE A T D BOARD AND REQUESTED FUNDING FOR PROJECTS.
AND THEY USED THAT FUNDING FOR PROJECTS TO, UH, TO SUPPORT BONDS.
AND THOSE DOLLARS ARE PRIMARILY BEING USED, UH, ON TXDOT AND ROADWAY PROJECTS.
THEN WE LOOK AT THE, THE NORTH EAST OR NORTHWEST CORNER, AND THERE ARE TWO SLICES THERE.
THE ONE FOR PRE-K THAT WAS JUST REAUTHORIZED.
AND THE SECOND, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN THE CITY FOR THROUGH 2005.
AND THEN IN 2006, UH, VIA WILL BEGIN RECEIVING THE FUNDS FROM THAT PIECE OF, UH, A PIECE OF THE PIE.
SO THAT'S HOW IT KIND OF ALL SPLITS OUT.
SO YOU HEARD THE CHAIR SAY THAT WE ARE THE MOST UNDERFUNDED BIG CITY TRANSIT SYSTEM IN TEXAS AND THIS WILL KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THAT.
SO THESE ARE THE FOUR BIG CITY TRANSIT SYSTEMS. WE ARE IN THE RED.
AND THAT 227 MILLION A YEAR REPRESENTS WHAT WE WILL BEGIN RECEIVING IN 2000, UH, 26.
SO IT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING NOW.
WE'RE RECEIVING ABOUT 30 TO 40 MILLION LESS.
THEN IF YOU GO TO CAPITAL METRO, YOU KNOW, DASH LINE CAPITAL METRO HAS A 1 CENT SALES TAX.
AND THE DASH LINE IS WHAT THAT 1 CENT SALES TAX GENERATED ABOUT 250 MILLION A YEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME WE PASSED THE, THE VOTE FOR THE SALES TAX FOR VIA AND FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, CAPITAL METRO, OR RATHER, I SHOULD REPHRASE THAT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PASSED A 20 PLUS PERCENT PROPERTY TAX IN AUSTIN AND THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING TO, UH, PROVIDE THE SUPPORT FOR THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR CAPITAL METRO.
SO THEIR FUNDING WENT WELL, MORE THAN DOUBLED OVERNIGHT.
AND NOW THEY ARE GETTING CLOSE TO WHAT THE $600 MILLION A YEAR, UH, BECAUSE THEY BEGAN RECEIVING THAT IMMEDIATELY.
AS OPPOSED TO OUR FIVE-YEAR DELAY.
JUST AS A POINT OF, OF INFORMATION, CAPITAL METRO WILL RECEIVE ABOUT $1.5 BILLION IN LOCAL FUNDING DURING THE FIVE YEARS IN WHICH WE ARE AWAITING FOR, FOR OUR, OUR SALES TAX TO KICK IN.
NOW THEY HAVE A SEVEN PLUS BILLION DOLLARS CAPITAL PROGRAM COMPARED TO WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD A PROGRAM LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE A LESS THAN A BILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
MAJOR CAPITAL PROGRAM, DART AND METRO HAVEN'T CHANGED AT ALL.
YOU CAN SEE METRO BRINGS IN THE MOST SALES TAX DART.
SO, BUT THEY'RE ALL UP IN THE 500, 600, 700 AND WE'RE AROUND 200.
THEN I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU HOW THAT LOOKS WHEN YOU THINK IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE AREA YOU HAVE TO SERVE BECAUSE THE SIZE OF THE AREA IS THE MAJOR DRIVER OF EXPENSE.
IF THE JOBS ARE OUT HERE AND THE PEOPLE ARE DOWN HERE, YOU HAVE TO CARRY LONGER TRIPS IN THIS CASE.
UM, YOU NOTICE THAT HOUSTON COMES DOWN A BIT BECAUSE HOUSTON HAS A LARGE SERVICE AREA.
HOUSTON AND VIA HAVE THE TWO LARGE SERVICE AREA, 12 TO 1300 SQUARE MILES.
WE'RE ALMOST THE VERY SAME SIZE SERVICE AREA.
ON THE OTHER HAND, CAPITAL METRO AND DART EACH ARE ABOUT HALF OUR SIZE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH CAPITAL.
CAPITAL METRO'S FUND PER SQUARE MILE IS VERY HIGH.
NOW THIS GOES TO THE PEANUT BUTTER STORY THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD BEFORE.
THE PEANUT BUTTER STORY HAS TO DO WITH, YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR MONEY AND SPREAD IT OVER AN AREA.
AND SO IF YOU THINK IN TERMS OF THESE ARE ALL PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR, OUR PEANUT BUTTER IS LESS SO WE HAVE TO SPREAD IT OVER THE AREA
[00:20:01]
MORE THINLY THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.CAPITAL METRO OR DART OR HOUSTON.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, THAT MEANS THAT IN ORDER TO SERVE THE AREA A BROAD SECTION OF THE AREA, IN FACT, UH, WE HAVE TO OFFER LESS FREQUENT SERVICE.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THE, THE SERVICE RESOURCES AND SPREAD THEM THINNER.
AND THE DILEMMA WITH THAT AND, AND SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL, UH, SEVERAL YEARS BACK, UH, CAME TO A UNDERSTANDING AND, AND HAS OFFERED SUPPORT OF FUNDING.
THE DILEMMA WITH THAT IS THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND, UH, HENRY CIRO SAYS THAT MY NAME SHOULD BE SPELLED J E F F F BECAUSE I SAY IT'S FREQUENCY, FREQUENCY, FREQUENCY.
AND IT'S JUST NOT A MADE UP MANTRA.
AND IT'S NOT A HISTORICAL MANTRA, ALTHOUGH IT IS HISTORICAL BECAUSE THINGS, SOME THINGS DON'T CHANGE.
UH, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S DEFUNCT.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY REAL.
THIS IS 2018 DATA THAT WAS COLLECTED NOT BY VIA, IT WAS COLLECTED BY THE M P O.
AND THE QUESTION WAS, WOULD YOU CONSIDER RIDING A TRANSIT ROUTE IF THE FREQUENCY WAS, AND THEY GAVE THEM THE VARIOUS POINTS IN TIME.
NOW NOTICE THAT IF YOU HAVE A 10 MINUTE ROUTE, WHICH OUR PRIMO ROUTES ARE 10 TO 12 MINUTES, THEN YOUR PREEN YOUR ABILITY OR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER RIDING THAT ROUTE IS LIKE AT THE 85% LEVEL.
AND BY THE TIME YOU GET DOWN TO 30 MINUTES, YOU'RE DOWN TO 5%, 2%, 1%.
NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SPREAD THE RESOURCES SO THIN, THE MAJORITY OF OUR SERVICE IS OUT THERE IN THE ORANGE END.
SO MAJORITY OF THE SERVICE WE RUN BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY WE CAN AFFORD TO, TO RUN IS NOT ATTRACTIVE TO 90 PLUS PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT RIDE.
KIND OF EXPLAINS WHY THERE AREN'T A LOT OF BICHO RIDERS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A TRANSFER AND YOU JUST MISS THAT BUS THAT RUNS ONCE AN HOUR, IT MAKES YOUR COMMUTE PRETTY LONG.
OKAY? SO THE IMPACT THAT THIS HAS, NOT ONLY IN THE FACT THAT PEOPLE HAVE LONG WAITING TIMES, BUT THEY HAVE A LONG TRIP TIMES, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE ANY A SYSTEM, AND WE'RE A SYSTEM, THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU FLY, SOMETIMES YOU GET LUCKY, YOU GET A DIRECT FLIGHT, RIGHT? BUT OFTENTIMES YOU'RE GONNA FLY THROUGH DALLAS OR, OR ATLANTA OR WHEREVER.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CONNECTION.
AND THAT CERTAINLY INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOUR TRIP TAKES OVER A DIRECT FLIGHT.
SO A A LITTLE OVER HALF OF OUR PASSENGERS HAVE A TRANSFER, AND IF THE TRANSFER IS WE, THE WEIGHT OF THE TRANSFER IS HALF OF THE FREQUENCY.
SO ON AVERAGE, IF YOU ARE TRANSFERRING TO A BUS, IT RUNS ONCE AN HOUR ON AVERAGE, YOU'LL WAIT 30 MINUTES.
NOW YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY AND MEET OR YOU MIGHT GET UNLUCKY AND JUST MISS, BUT THAT'S HOW ALL OF THIS IS CON UH, ALL OF THIS IS CALCULATED.
SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT JOB ACCESS, UH, WITHIN THE URBAN CORE AND WE, WE, UH, WE MEASURED, THIS IS THE POOREST CENSUS TRACK IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO IF YOU LIVE IN THE POOREST CENSUS TRACK IN SAN ANTONIO AND YOU DON'T HAVE A CAR YOU RELY UPON VIA, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT KIND OF, UH, PURPLE PINK AREA, THAT'S HOW FAR YOU CAN GET ONE WAY IN 45 MINUTES.
SO A 45 MINUTE COMMUTE WOULD GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY.
THE BLUE IS THE, UH, PIECE OF THE COUNTY THAT IF YOU DO HAVE A VEHICLE, THE PART OF THE COUNTY THAT YOU COULD GET TO.
SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LARGE DISPARITY BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE CARS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS JOBS AND THOSE THAT DO HAVE CARS AND THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS JOBS.
AND IN FACT, NEARLY 90% OF THE JOBS IN BEXAR COUNTY CANNOT BE REACHED WITHIN A 45 MINUTE COMMUTE ON VIA IF YOU ARE POOR AND LIVE IN THE POOREST CENSUS TRACT IN THE, IN THE AREA.
UH, THE THE FLIP SIDE TO THIS IS IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT WANT EMPLOY, UH, WANT TO FIND JOBS, BUT YOU KNOW, TODAY, RIGHT NOW THE BIG DEAL IS TRYING TO FIND EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? AND, UH, I WILL TELL YOU THAT SINCE THAT THAT KIND OF CIRCUMSTANCE REALLY GENERATED, WE'RE GETTING ALL KINDS OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO CALL THAT WANT TO COME TO WORK FOR US, BUT THE BUS DOESN'T COME OUT HERE.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE NATURE OF, OF THE FUNDING, THE FREQUENCY, ET CETERA.
SO THE, THE LACK OF FREQUENCY LEADS TO A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY IN EFFECT.
SO IN 2019, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT FROM 20, WHAT, 15, 16, 17, 18, WE WERE LOSING RIDERSHIP ANNUALLY.
AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THE NATIONAL RIDERSHIP TREND, IT WAS IDENTICAL.
ALL TRANSIT SYSTEMS WERE LOSING RIDERSHIP IN 2019 AND GOING INTO 2020, WE REVERSED THAT TREND AND WE WERE ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF SYSTEMS THAT REVERSE THAT TREND.
[00:25:01]
YOU WANNA KNOW WHY WE REVERSE, HOW WE REVERSE THAT TREND? WELL, A LOT OF IT COMES TO YOU.AT THAT TIME, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO INVESTED $10 MILLION.
WE INCREASED FREQUENCY ON 18 ROUTES.
WE HAD RIDERSHIP INCREASES ALMOST OVERNIGHT, 20 TO 30% ON SOME ROUTES.
THIS IS ROUTES THAT AT THE SAME TIME, THEIR NEIGHBORING ROUTE THAT DIDN'T HAVE AN INCREASE IN FREQUENCY WE'RE CONTINUING TO, TO, YOU KNOW, JUST LEVEL TO BE LEVEL.
AND THEN ON THE SECOND THING WAS THAT VIA, AT THE SAME TIME, WE IMPLEMENTED TWO ADDITIONAL PRIMO ROUTES.
SO THE FIRST PRIMO ROUTE CAME IN DECEMBER OF 2012, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL ABOUT 2019 THAT THE Z AMOURA PRIMO ROUTE AND THE SOUTHEAST MILITARY PRIMO ROUTES CAME IN.
PRIMO ROUTES BY DEFINITION ARE HIGH FREQUENCY.
SO THE COMBINATION OF THE INVESTMENT IN HIGH FREQUENCY THAT THE CITY MADE AND HIGH FREQUENCY THAT VIA MADE, UH, RESULTED IN CHANGING THAT CURVE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THAT LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
IN FACT, I THINK MOST OF THE, UH, THE, UH, DOWNWARD SLOPE STARTED AS FAR BACK AS 2014.
SO, UH, IN ANY CASE, WE STOPPED THE BLEEDING, WE STARTED TURNING IT AROUND, WE HIT 2020 AND WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020.
WE HIT A BRICK WALL, IT WAS CALLED COVID.
SO I'VE JUST KIND OF GET LAID OUT THE GENERAL PARAMETERS OF HOW THE SERVICE WE RUN AND HOW MUCH OF IT IS THERE BASED UPON THE FUNDING AND THE FREQUENCY THAT THE FUNDING WILL SUPPORT.
SO I'M GONNA SWITCH GEARS AND TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART.
SO WE HAD AN OUTSIDE, UH, COMPANY, UH, FROM FLORIDA OR NEW YORK OR BOTH.
THEY, THEY DO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS AMONG ABOUT A DOZEN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE GENTLEMAN WHO HEADS THAT FIRM IS A FORD OR C E O OF TRANSIT IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.
THEY DID THEIR FIRST WAVE OF SURVEYS JUST THIS PAST SUMMER IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID.
AND WE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHO OUR CUSTOMERS ARE, WHAT MATTERS TO THEM, UH, AND WHAT THEY THINK OF US.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THIS MATTERS TO ME, BUT WHAT YOU THINK OF IT IS, WELL, ARE WE DOING WELL? AND THEY RAISE THAT MATTER TO YOU, RIGHT? SO LET'S FIRST OF ALL TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE VIA 72% OF THEM ARE EMPLOYED.
AND THAT KIND OF STRIKES AGAINST THE NOTION THAT THE BUS IS JUST FULL OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO.
NO, THEY HAVE 72% HAVE JOBS AND THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER PERCENTAGE THAT ARE GOING TO TRAINING TO SCHOOL, TO UNIVERSITY, ET CETERA.
UM, MOST OF THEM, OR MANY OF THEM CANNOT WORK FROM HOME BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC FACING INDUSTRIES.
SOMEBODY WHO IS MAINTAINING HOTEL ROOMS CAN'T DO THAT FROM HOME, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON LATER YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR, OUR COVID RIDERSHIP DID NOT DROP AS SIGNIFICANTLY AS MANY OTHER CITIES.
SO VIA IS REALLY ESSENTIAL TO THEM, NOT JUST TO THE, NOT JUST TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO AND FROM WORK.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, I RECEIVED EMAILS FROM PEOPLE WHO SAID, I'M SO GLAD VIA IS STILL OUT HERE BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY I HAVE TO GET GROCERIES.
SO PEOPLE HAVE ESSENTIAL NEEDS AS WELL, AND WE CONTINUE TO SERVE THEM.
UH, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT RIDE OUR SYSTEM USE IT FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORK FIVE AND IN THESE, IN, IN THESE PEOPLE'S CASES, SOMETIMES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, ALMOST 60% DON'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
ALMOST TWO THIRDS ARE LIVING IN HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
AND THEN AS FAR AS ETHNICITY, 61% OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE HISPANIC AND 20% ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, WHICH IS OVER DOUBLE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION THIS AFRICAN AMERICAN.
SO, SO AFRICAN AMERICANS RIDE AT A LARGER, UH, DISPROPORTIONATE LEVEL THAN THE REST OF THE MARKET.
SO WHEN WE ASKED OUR CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY THOUGHT, THE FIRST THING IS THAT NINE IN 10 SAID THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH VIA SERVICE.
AND IT WASN'T JUST SATISFIED, IT WAS AT THE HIGH END.
THEY RANKED US FROM ZERO TO OR FROM ONE TO 10.
AS I RECALL, MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE GAVE US A NINE OR A 10.
OVER HALF OF THE CUSTOMERS BELIEVED THAT SERVICE IS BETTER WHEN THEY TOOK THAT SURVEY BACK IN JULY THAN IT WAS THE PRIOR JULY.
NOW, PART OF THAT I ACCOUNT TO THE FACT THAT THE, I THINK THE PRIOR JULY, WE WERE REALLY IN THE BEGINNING OF C O I D TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
WE HAD REBALANCED SERVICE IN THE MEANTIME.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO THE CA THE CASE THAT AT LEAST AT THAT POINT, UH, ON TIME PERFORMANCE IMPROVED BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS LARGELY OFF THE STREETS.
THAT REALLY HELPED US A GREAT DEAL.
BUT OVER HALF OF THEM SAID THEY FELT SERVICE HAD IMPROVED.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WE HAD STATEMENTS THAT ABOUT HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THESE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT CUSTOMERS ARE MOST SATISFIED WITH THE VALUE THAT WE BRING TO THE COMMUNITY SAFETY SEED, I'M SORRY, SEATING SPACE ON THE BUS,
[00:30:01]
TAKING THEM WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.THE PRICE, THE EASE OF GETTING TO THE BUS STOP AND THE TEMPERATURE ON THE BUS.
THOSE WERE ALL AT THE 90%, WELL, ROUGHLY 90%.
THERE'S A COUPLE 80 EIGHTS, 90% POSITIVE LEVEL.
BUT THEN WE ASK THEM, WELL, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DECIDE ABOUT RIDING THE BUS, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU? AND THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN REALLY SEE.
SO AGAIN, WHAT'S THE F STAND FOR? COME ON GUYS BACK HERE, SOMEBODY HELP ME OUT BRIEFLY.
THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT EVERYBODY.
AND THIS IS A SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED IN 2021.
SO AGAIN, IT INDICATES FREQUENCY IS STILL VERY MEANINGFUL.
YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER TWO HIGH CATEGORIES, THE HOURS OF OPERATION.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT, THE CLASSIC STORY OF THE GENTLEMAN THAT WORKED IN SOUTH TOWN AT A RESTAURANT GOT OFF WORK.
THERE WAS NO SERVICE BETWEEN SOUTH TOWN AND DOWNTOWN EVEN ON FLORES 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE HE WAS WORKING.
HE HAD TO WALK INTO DOWNTOWN, CATCH A BUS AT THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN.
THAT BUS TOOK HIM OUT TO UH, NORTH STAR MALL.
AND THEN THE BUS THAT HE WOULD RIDE TO AND FROM HOME OF COURSE ALSO WASN'T RUNNING.
SO HE WALKED ABOUT THREE MILES TO GET HOME AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID FOR HIS COMMUTE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY HOURS ARE OF OPERATION ARE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN THE THIRD FACTOR, TRAVEL TIME AND TRAVEL TIME, QUITE FRANKLY IS ALSO AN INDICATION OF FREQUENCY.
'CAUSE AS I SAID BEFORE, IF YOU HAVE A TRANSFER AND YOU'RE TRANSFERRING TO SOMETHING INFREQUENT, IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU LONGER.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE CUSTOMERS, THE LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS FIRM THAT AS I SAID, HAS WORKED WITH ABOUT A DOZEN AUTHORITIES.
I BELIEVE THEY SAID THAT FOR OUR FIRST WAVE, THAT WE HAD THE HIGHEST SCORE OF ANY OF THE 12 SYSTEMS THEY LOOKED AT, WHICH IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
SOME OF THE SYSTEMS AFTER HAVING DONE IT AND HAVING IMPLEMENTED CHANGES AS A REFLECTION OF THAT HAVE COME UP INTO THE AREA.
WE WERE, BUT WE STARTED, WE STARTED WHERE, WHERE HIGHER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS STARTED.
SO THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE MEASURE PERFORMANCE.
SO THIS IS A PICTURE OF OUR PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD.
THESE INDICATORS WERE SELECTED BY OUR GOVERNING BOARD AND UH, THEY INDICATE, AND THIS IS ALMOST THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS PRETTY MUCH OUR FISCAL YEAR SUMMARY, HOW WE ARE COMPARED TO THE GOALS THAT WE SET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE RIDERSHIP IS RIGHT AROUND WHERE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
WE WISH IT'D BE HARDER, BUT WE HAVE TO SET A GOAL THAT'S, THAT IS ACHIEVABLE AND REASONABLE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ON TIME PERFORMANCE IS JUST SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF OUR GOAL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT COLLISIONS IS RIGHT ON GOAL, BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS IN IN A BIT, NOT ABOUT COLLISIONS, BUT PART OF THE REASON COLLISIONS IS JUST ON GOAL IS OUR GOAL IS 0.1 ACCIDENTS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES.
WHEN I WAS IN HOUSTON, OUR GOAL WAS 1.0 ACCIDENTS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES.
SO WE'VE REALLY CRANKED THAT, THAT GOAL DOWN.
IN FACT, IF WE HAVE A SINGLE ACCIDENT IN THE MONTH, IT TAKES YOU ALL THE WAY UP TO THE GOAL.
SO ESSENTIALLY OUR GOAL IS NO MORE THAN 12 ACCIDENTS IN A YEAR.
UH, OUR COMPLAINTS ARE ACTUALLY DOWN THE MOST, I GUESS THE MOST, UH, NOTICEABLE CHANGE IS IN OUR MECHANICAL RELIABILITY.
THIS IS MILES BETWEEN ROAD CALLS ON BUSES.
AND OUR GOAL WAS BASED UPON OUR HISTORICAL.
SO OUR GOAL WAS ABOUT 11, UH, I'M SORRY, 11,500 MILES AT THIS POINT WE'RE AT 13.9 AND NOW WE'RE AT 14.
OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT REALLY RE WENT INTO REEVALUATE THE COMPONENTRY ON THE BUS AND DETERMINE WHEN YOU WOULD EXPECT COMPONENTS TO WEAR OUT.
AND WE'RE REPLACING THEM ON A TIME BASIS RATHER THAN A FAILURE BASIS, WHICH MAKES SERVICE ON THE STREET BETTER FOR FOLKS.
WELL, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THIS DOCUMENT.
SO IF YOU GO ONTO THE WEBSITE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO ONTO THE WEBSITE AND YOU CLICK ON RIDERSHIP, IT'S GONNA BRING UP I THINK TWO YEARS WORTH OF RIDERSHIP DATA IN SUMMARY.
AND IT'S ALSO FOR THAT MONTH GOING TO SHOW YOU ROUTE BY ROUTE WHAT THE RIDERSHIP WAS THIS YEAR, WHAT THE RIDERSHIP WAS LAST YEAR FOR THAT SAME MONTH, AND WHAT THE CHANGE IS IN THAT RIDERSHIP.
AGAIN, ALL THESE OTHER POINTS WILL BRING UP VARIOUS DATA THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST DETAILED ON TIME.
WE'LL SHOW YOU ON TIME PERFORMANCE BY ROUTE AS WELL AS AS GENERALS.
SO YOU CAN GET ALL THE, THE SPECIFICS BEHIND, BEHIND THE, UH, THE WHEEL, THE WHEELS THERE.
AND WE'VE PRINTED OUT ALL OF THOSE PAGES IN THIS DOCUMENT.
SO THAT'S HOW WE COMPARE TO THE, THE STANDARDS THAT OUR GOVERNING BOARD SENT SET, I SHOULD SAY.
[00:35:01]
TO OTHERS WITHIN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY? SO THERE IS A, UH, THE NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE IS A, A ROUTINE WAY OF REPORTING DATA SO THAT ALL AGENCIES, IN THEORY, IN THEORY, ALL AGENCIES ARE REPORTING TO THE SAME DEFINITION THE SAME WAY.SO, SO THAT ONE CAN MAKE COMPARISON AMONG SYSTEMS, RIGHT? WE BROUGHT TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE IN, WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE, THE DASHBOARD AND THEY USED A MODEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH FLORIDA TO GENERATE A LIST OF PEER AGENCIES.
SO WE DIDN'T CHOOSE THE PEER AGENCIES, THEY CHOSE THE PEER AGENCIES BASED UPON THAT MODEL.
IT HAS TO DO WITH SIZE OF FLEET, UH, DENSITY WITHIN THE AREA, ET CETERA.
SO ALL THE RED BARS UP THERE ARE, ARE THE PEER GROUP, THE WHITE BARS ARE THE OTHER THREE BIG TRANSIT SYSTEMS THAT WE PUT INTO THE MIX.
AND SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THREE OF THOSE INDICATORS.
THERE ARE MORE AGAIN, ON THE WEBSITE, BUT I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THREE OF THOSE INDICATORS.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THE EFFICIENCY INDICATOR, RIGHT? WE, IT'S CALLED BUS OPERATING EXPENSE PER REVENUE HOUR.
IN OTHER WORDS, REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU CARRY OR WHAT HAPPENS FOR EVERY HOUR, YOU'RE ON THE STREET, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? SO THAT'S YOUR EFFICIENCY FACTOR.
AND ON HERE YOU CAN SEE IN THESE 12 SY SYSTEMS THAT WE WERE SECOND BEST BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT A LOWER COST.
NOTICE THAT THE FIRST, THE FIRST THE LOWEST IS ORLANDO, WHERE MY DEPUTY C E O SERVED.
NOW WE'LL LOOK AT PASSENGERS PER REVENUE HOUR.
THIS IS AN EFFECTIVENESS INDICATOR 'CAUSE IT SAYS FOR EVERY UNIT OF SERVICE YOU PUT OUT THERE, EVERY HOUR OF SERVICE YOU PUT OUT THERE, HOW MANY PASSENGERS DO YOU GENERATE, RIGHT? IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF PASSENGER GENERATION OF ANY OF THE 12.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE WE'RE THE FIRST PLACE, AND NOW ORLANDO IS SLIGHTLY BELOW US, BUT IT'S ALWAYS TENDS TO BE VIA AN ORLANDO IN THIS PEER SET.
AND AS YOU GO DOWN, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, DALLAS IS QUITE A, QUITE A WAYS DOWN THE ROAD THERE.
AND FINALLY, THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO, WHICH IS COST EFFECTIVENESS.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT EFFICIENCY, WE TALKED ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS.
THE LAST INDICATOR IS COST PER PASSENGER.
AND IN THIS CASE, AGAIN, WE ARE SECOND TO ORLANDO VERY CLOSE, AND WE ARE WELL BELOW OUR PEERS AND VERY WELL BELOW, UH, OUR TEXAS PEERS.
SO WHEN THE CHAIR SAID EARLIER, WE MAY BE UNDERFUNDED, BUT WE RUN A LEAN ORGANIZATION AND WE GET OUT THERE AND WE, AND WE DO THE BEST WITH THE DOLLARS, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VERY LOW OPERATING COST AND WE HAVE A VERY HIGH GENERATION OF PASSENGER COSTS COMPARED TO OUR PEERS.
ALSO IN THIS, UH, DATA BOOK, YOU'LL GET A MAP THAT WILL SHOW YOU, THIS IS THE MAP OF CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND YOU CAN SEE IT GIVES YOU THE SUMMARY DATA FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
AND THEN FOR EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE MAP THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE, THAT SAME DATA FOR YOUR CONSULT DISTRICT.
AND ONE THING I'D REALLY LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 18% OF OUR STOPS ARE SHELTERED.
AND THAT'S PRETTY TRUE ACROSS THE BOARD.
I LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, AND IT'S NOT IDENTICAL IN THIS CASE, IT IS IDENTICAL.
WE HAVE MORE SHELTERS IN SAN ANTONIO ON THE STREET THAN LOS ANGELES HAS SHELTERS ON THEIR STREETS OR HOUSTON HAS ON THEIR STREETS.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST SHELTER PROGRAMS IN THE NATION.
SO I'M GONNA SWITCH GEARS NOW AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, THE TWO PIECES OF IMPACT OF COVID.
AND I, IT'S A, A CRAZY LINE HERE, BUT I'LL JUST EXPLAIN THAT THE, THE BLUE LINE WAS THE NATIONAL TREND IN RIDERSHIP.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PERCENT CHANGE COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR.
THE ORANGE LINE HAS TO DO WITH LARGE CITIES, LARGER CITIES.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ORANGE LINE TENDS TO BE ABOVE THE BLUE LINE.
THE ORANGE LINE WAS ABLE TO, UH, LOSE FEWER PASSENGERS AND REGAIN MORE PASSENGERS THAN THE THE SIT THE, THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE.
AND THEN THE YELLOW LINE, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR RIDERSHIP CHANGES.
SO YOU CAN SEE SNOWMAGEDDON THERE, RIGHT? THAT'S THAT KIND OF DIP THAT NOBODY ELSE HAD.
YOU CAN SEE THAT BEGINNING THIS SUMMER WE STARTED OUTPACING THE COUNTRY AND OUR PEER SETS SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND SO WHEN YOU GET INFORMATION ON ROUTE LEVEL RIDERSHIP, AND YOU LOOK AT TODAY'S RIDERSHIP COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF PRETTY BIG, UH, INCREASES FROM A PERCENTAGE PERSPECTIVE.
THE SECOND IMPACT OF COVID, AND IT'S ONE THAT VIA IS NOT LOAN IN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT NUMEROUS TRANSIT SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING AND NOT JUST TRANSIT SYSTEMS, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS IS THE NEED FOR, FOR LABOR.
AND SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF
[00:40:01]
OUR OPERATING HIRE OPERATOR HIRING OVER THE PERIOD FROM 2017 TO TODAY.AND SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD POINT OUT IS YOU SEE THAT BEGINNING IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 17, YOU SEE A STEADY RISE.
AND THAT WAS AS WE PREPARED FOR THE EXPANSION OF FREQUENCY BASED UPON THE $10 MILLION INVESTMENT AND THE EXPANSION OF FREQUENCY AND SERVICE BASED UPON THE PRIMO ROUTES.
AND SO WE GOT OUR, OUR, UH, WE GOT OUR, I'M SORRY, OUR PASSENGER CUSTOMER, I'M SORRY, OPERATOR BASE TO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 50 AND 10 80.
THAT'S WHERE WE WERE KIND OF STABLE, STABLE UNTIL COVID HIT.
AND WHEN C O V HIT, WE HAD TO PAUSE HIRING.
THERE'S SEVERAL REASONS OBVIOUSLY.
ONE IS IT'S, IT'S HARD TO DO TRAINING WHEN YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND ANYBODY.
BUT MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, T D L WOULD NO LONGER, UH, OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST FOR AND RECEIVE CDLS IN ORDER TO TRAIN WITH, WITH VIA YOU.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE C D L.
AND SO ONCE THE CDLS WEREN'T OPEN ANYMORE, WE, WE COULD NOT DO TRAINING CLASSES.
THEN YOU CAN SEE DOWN DOWN THE ROAD WE STARTED REOPENING TRAINING CLASSES.
THIS WAS UNDER SOCIAL DISTANCING.
AND SO RATHER THAN 15 PEOPLE, 15 TO 20 PEOPLE IN A CLASS, WE WOULD ONLY PUT EIGHT PEOPLE IN A CLASS THAT ALSO WAS PARTIALLY BASED UPON WHAT C D L WOULD ALLOW US TO PROCESS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN, UH, WHEN WE STOPPED TRAINING AND WHEN WE START, WHEN WE STARTED TRAINING, WE HAD LOST ABOUT A HUNDRED OPERATORS.
WE, WE'D LOST A TOTAL OF ABOUT A HUNDRED OPERATORS AND WE CONTINUED TO HAVE SOME EROSION OF OPERATORS EVEN THROUGH TODAY.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE RECRUITMENT EFFORT.
AND LEMME TELL YOU WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT AND I HAVE TO REFER TO A NOTE.
SO ONLY 10% OF THE PEOPLE THAT APPLY TO BE A BUS OPERATOR ACTUALLY GRADUATE FROM TRAINING ONLY 10%.
AND OF THOSE 37% WILL LEAVE WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR TO TWO YEARS.
THEY DECIDE IT'S NOT THE JOB FOR THEM.
SO IF I HAVE TO HIRE A HUNDRED BUS OPERATORS, I HAVE TO HAVE A THOUSAND APPLICANTS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE SIT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HIRE APPLICANTS TO FILL IN THE HOLE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED AND APPLICANTS TO REPLACE THE NORMAL CHURN, IF YOU WILL.
NOW THE NICE THING IS THE CHURN ITSELF DIDN'T CHANGE.
IT'S BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT 15 A MONTH BEFORE COVID AND AFTER COVID, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO REPLACE THEM.
THAT'S 150 APPLICANTS JUST IN OF IT IN OF ITSELF.
SO TO SUPPORT US IN THE THIS EFFORT WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEGUN AN EMPLOYEE REFERRAL PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN A VERY EFFECTIVE IN THE PAST.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW, HOW WELL THAT WORKS.
WE'VE OFFERED A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR PEOPLE WHO GRADUATE, WHO MAKE IT THROUGH THEIR PROBATION AND MAKE IT THROUGH THAT YEAR IN EFFECT.
SO YOU GET THAT TRANCE, YOU GET IN THREE DIFFERENT INSTALLMENTS.
UH, WE ARE BRINGING ON EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT FIRMS AND WE ARE WORKING WITH CITIES.
THE CITIES' PROGRAM THAT WILL BE BE BEGIN IN JANUARY BECAUSE JUST, WE HAVE A HUGE NEED AND WE NEED A HUGE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS TO MEET THAT NEED.
GRADUATING FROM YOUNG WOMEN'S ACADEMY IS AMAZING AND KIND OF RELIEVING AND ALSO VERY SCARY.
YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY FOR SO LONG, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S FINALLY HERE AND YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY WANNA LEAVE
I WILL BE ATTENDING THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MOST COMMONLY KNOWN AS M I T AND I PLAN TO MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE.
I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO SCHOOL AT THE YOUNG ACADEMY IF IT WEREN'T FOR VIA, BECAUSE MY SITUATION, THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET TO SCHOOL WITHOUT IT.
I'D BE AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL, NOT HERE AT ALL.
VIA WAS A CONDUIT THAT GOT HER TO THE SCHOOL, THAT GAVE HER THE EDUCATION TO GET TO M I T.
SO IF YOU TAKE AWAY VIA AND YOU TAKE AWAY THAT ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, THEN IN ESSENCE YOU WOULD BE TAKING AWAY HER OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO A COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY.
LIKE WITHOUT THE BUS, I COULDN'T HAVE STAYED AT CLUBS, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE SPORTS, I COULDN'T HAVE GONE HERE EARLY IN THE MORNING FOR TESTING.
SO ABOUT 35% OF OUR STUDENTS USE VIA TO COME TO SCHOOL.
SO VIA IS AN EQUALIZER WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING OUR GIRLS HERE.
STUDENTS REALLY APPRECIATE THIS A LOT.
THEY MAY NOT SAY IT AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT LIKE IF YOU RIDE THE BUS AND YOU JUST KNOW THAT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
[00:45:02]
SO I JUST PUT IT IN THAT AS A REMINDER THAT ALL THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL THESE NUMBERS AND STATISTICS THAT REALLY WHAT WE'RE WE'RE ALL ABOUT IS DOING THAT, PROVIDING ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY.AND ACTUALLY I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED THAT 35% OF THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THE ACADEMY ARE ATTENDING ON VIA.
THAT'S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE NUMBER.
SO I'M GOING TO NOW MOVE OUT OF KIND OF THE PAST TO THE PRESENT INTO OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
AND OUR PLAN IS CALLED KEEP SA MOVING OR ABBREVIATED KSS A.
SO YOU'LL HEAR KSS A M SEVERAL TIMES.
THIS IS A PLAN THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, UH, AND WE TOOK TO THE VOTERS IN THAT LAST PIECE THAT YOU SAW UP THERE.
SO THERE ARE THREE, THREE MAIN COMPONENTS TO KSS A M.
THE FIRST IS TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEM, TO PUT, TO INVEST MONEY IN FREQUENCY IN SPAN.
THAT IS THE HOURS THAT WE OPERATE OVER.
THE SECOND PART IS TO LOOK AT EXPANDED MOBILITY OPTIONS.
AND PROBABLY THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT IS VIA LINK.
AND SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH VIA LINK, WE ARE OPERATING IN TWO ZONES AND THEN IN ONE CITY, SMALL CITY, RELATIVELY SMALL CITY, BUT IN TWO ZONES WE'RE OPERATING A LYFT OR UBER LIKE SYSTEM.
AND I ALWAYS SAY, AND BY THE WAY, WE DON'T CHARGE A SURCHARGE, A SURGE CHARGE.
I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED COMING BACK FROM THE RIVER PARADE DURING, UH, FIESTA WHEN I GOT A SURGE CHARGE FOR FROM MY TRIP JUST TO LA VACA.
UH, SO IN ANY CASE, UH, THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU'RE IN THE AREA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRE-QUALIFY.
IT IS NOT VIA TRANS, IT'S NOT A SERVICE THAT YOU ONLY USE IF YOU ARE PRE-QUALIFIED.
HOWEVER, IT IS ACCESSIBLE SO THAT IF YOU WERE A VIA TRANS CUSTOMER AND WERE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM, YOU COULD USE THE SYSTEM.
UH, YOU'LL RESERVE THE TRIP WHEN YOU WANT IT ON AN APP THAT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE THE UBER OR LYFT APP.
UH, IT WILL TELL YOU, IT WILL BRING BACK TO YOU, IF YOU WILL, THE VEHICLE MAKE AND LICENSE PLATE NUMBER.
AND I BELIEVE THE NAME OF THE OPERATOR JUST ABOUT LIKE LYFT OR UBER.
THEY WILL ARRIVE, THEY'LL PICK YOU UP AT A PLACE VERY NEAR WHERE YOU WERE WHEN YOU CALLED.
THEY'RE, THEY'LL TELL YOU WHERE THEY'LL PICK YOU UP AND IT'S USUALLY WITHIN 300 FEET OF WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE.
THEY MAY STOP ALONG THE WAY AND PICK UP SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO THERE IS A SHARED RIDE ELEMENT AND ABOUT 50% OF THE TRIPS IN OUR SERVICES, EVEN AT VIA LINK INCLUDE PICKING SOMEBODY ELSE UP AND THEN THEY WILL TAKE YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION.
WHEN THEY DROP YOU OFF, THEY WILL AFFORD YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MY FAVORITE THING, WHICH IS TO RATE THE DRIVER, RIGHT? SO THEY'LL RATE THE DRIVERS ON A SCORE OF ONE TO FIVE.
AND WE ARE ABLE THEN TO NOT ONLY TRACK CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ACROSS THE WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT WE CAN TRACK IT BY OPERATOR.
AND SO WE KNOW IF THERE ARE OPERATORS THAT ARE SUPERSTARS THAT CONSISTENTLY GET 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
AND IF THERE ARE OPERATORS THAT SOMETIMES STRUGGLE AND GET AN OCCASIONAL THREE, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING WORSE THAN A THREE.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO THE ONES WITH A THREE AND SAY, AND LET THEM CONNECT WITH THE GUYS WITH A FIVE AND RAISE EVERYBODY UP.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AVERAGE RATING OF OUR OPERATORS IN VEING SERVICE IS 4.8 OUT OF FIVE.
SO THAT IS EXPANDED MOBILITY OPTIONS.
WE HAVE AN R F P ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO WORK WITHIN ACTIVITY CENTERS.
SO VIA LINK PRIMARILY IS IN THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE AREA.
AND IN FACT, WHAT WE, WE HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST TWO AREAS IS WE HAD BUS ROUTES THAT WE REMOVED.
WHEN WE PUT VIA VIA LINK IN, WE WERE ABLE TO LOWER THE COST PER PASSENGER TRIP AND WE OFFERED A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY.
THE ROUTES WE'RE TAKING OUT, WE'RE OPERATING ANYWHERE FROM EVERY HOUR TO EVERY TWO HOURS.
NOW YOU CAN JUST SCHEDULE A TRIP AND TYPICALLY WITHIN FIVE MINUTES YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR TRIP.
SO IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FRAMEWORK.
AND THEN FINALLY, INVESTING IN CAPITAL AND TECHNOLOGY.
AND THAT'S PRIMARILY, UH, RELATED TO OUR A R T ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT, A FORM OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT.
UH, WE HAD IN OUR KEEP SA MOVING PLAN, WE HAD ONE LINE BASED UPON WHAT WE HAD FUNDING FOR AND THAT'S THE LINE THAT WOULD CONNECT DOWNTOWN ALONG SAN PEDRO AND UP UP TO THE AIRPORT AS A RESULT OF THESE INVESTMENTS.
AND THE INVESTMENTS ARE BEING DRIVEN BY THAT ONE EIGHTH CENT SALES TAX THAT WE BEGIN RECEIVING IN 2016.
2026 WILL HAVE TWO BIG IMPACTS.
NUMBER ONE IS WE'LL IMPROVE FREQUENCIES.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE TWO DIALS, THE RED IS EVER IS HOUR OR WORSE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT THE FIRST THING WE SAID IS LET'S GET THE RED OUT.
WE DON'T WANNA RUN ANY SERVICE THAT'S AN HOUR.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A SHIFT.
THERE'S A BIT MORE YELLOW, BUT CERTAINLY SIGNIFICANTLY
[00:50:01]
MORE GREEN, WHICH IS HIGH FREQUENCY SERVICE AND BLUE, WHICH IS FREQUENT SERVICE.AND SO WE'VE MOVED FROM A SYSTEM THAT ON AVERAGE RUNS EVERY 30 TO 60 MINUTES TO A SYSTEM THAT ON AVERAGE RUNS EVERY 20 TO 15 MINUTES, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
THE SECOND THING IS WE INCREASE THE COVERAGE OF THE SERVICE AREA BY ABOUT 30%.
MUCH OF THAT IS RELATED TO VIA LINK AND THE AREAS THAT VIA LINK WILL ALLOW US TO SERVE.
SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, LAST, LAST NOVEMBER, ABOUT A YEAR, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, WE WENT TO THE VOTERS AND THIS WAS THE A T D BALLOT QUESTION THAT HAD TO DO WITH ASKING PEOPLE TO PROVIDE ENHANCED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UH, MOBILITY OPTIONS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, TOWARD THE ONE 8 CENT.
AND THIS WAS HOW THE VOTE PANNED OUT.
NOW THE MAP YOU SEE IS A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO COLORED, RIGHT? THE COLORED ZONES ARE THE CITY.
AND IF, IF THE COLOR IS YELLOW, THAT MEANS 50 PER 50 PER PLUS PERCENT VOTED FOR, AND THE ZONE IS RED, IT MEANS LESS THAN 50% VOTED FOR.
AND OF COURSE, THE, THE DEEPNESS OF THE COLOR, UH, REFLECTS THE INTENSITY OF THE VOTE.
SO THOSE AREAS THAT ARE A VERY DEEP YELLOW HAD A A HIGHER THAN AVERAGE, UH, VOTE FOR COMPARED TO THE OTHERS.
BUT I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP, IT SAYS THAT IT WAS SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
IT WAS NOT, UH, A VOTE THAT CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN OPPOSED OR WEREN'T INTERESTED IN.
WE GOT POSITIVE VOTES FROM NEARLY EVERY PART OF THE, OF THE, UH, AREA.
SO COMING OUT OF THAT VOTE, I TELL PEOPLE IT WAS KIND OF AN INTERESTING EVENING BECAUSE YOU'RE ELATED, YOU HAD A SUCCESSFUL ELECTION.
YOU GUYS ALL KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE, RIGHT? YOU ELATED WHEN YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ELECTION.
UH, ON THE OTHER HAND, I SAT THERE AND I SAID, BUT I'M IN 2020 AND I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2026 FOR SOME OF THIS STUFF TO START COMING IN.
AND SO I GUESS WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS KIND OF TREAD WATER FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS UNTIL THE FUNDING STARTS COMING IN OR FIND OTHER FUNDING AND ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, RIGHT? TAMIKA? SO THIS WAS, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE COMING OUT OF THE ELECTION.
AND NOTICE THAT EVERYTHING STARTS AT 2026 OR BEYOND.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS ONE A R T LINE THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, UH, IN 2032.
THAT, SO THAT WAS KIND OF WHERE WE WERE HEADED.
AND THEN WE HAVE A, A NEW BUS OPERATING FACILITY.
UH, THE FACILITY THAT WE HAVE AT SAN PEDRO, JUST FOR FOR BACKGROUND, WE HAVE THE LARGEST NUMBER OF BUSES AT A SINGLE BUS FACILITY OF ANY TRANSIT SYSTEM IN AMERICA.
IN FACT, WE HAVE ALMOST DOUBLE THE AVERAGE OF WHAT SYSTEMS HAVE.
NOW THAT'S FINE IF YOU HAVE HAVE A FACILITY THAT WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY, BUT OUR FACILITY WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN, UH, 1947 AND UNLIKELY THAT THEY FORESAW WHAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING ALL THESE YEARS LATER.
SO WE DO HAVE IN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM A, A SECOND OPERATING BASE.
THAT WAS WHAT THE SCHEDULE LOOKED LIKE.
AND THEN AS I'VE SAID, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO WE RECEIVED FEDERAL RELIEF RELIEF FUNDING IN THREE SEPARATE PORTIONS.
THE 92 MILLION, 61,000,001 18.
THAT'S 270 MILLION TOTAL ACROSS THOSE THREE LINES.
THE F T A ALLOWED YOU TO DRAW DOWN THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER TO COVER OPERATING COSTS OR CAPITAL COSTS, BUT IT'S PRIMARILY OPERATING COSTS.
AND, AND SO WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE COMPLETELY DRAWN, DRAWN DOWN THOSE FUNDS.
SO THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS HAVE ALREADY ALL BEEN SPENT IN THE SERVICE.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE LOCAL FUNDS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PART OF THAT MI MIX AND THOSE LOCAL FUNDS WERE PUT INTO A RESERVE.
AND WE CALL THAT, UH, OUR ACCEL K S A M ACCELERATION FUND.
SO AS I THINK ALL EVERYBODY KNOWS, YOU CAN'T USE FEDERAL FUNDS TO MATCH A FEDERAL FUND, RIGHT? SO INSTEAD WE'VE TURNED FEDERAL FUNDS INTO SALES TAX DOLLARS AND WE CAN USE THOSE SALES TAX DOLLARS TO MATCH.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE A ACCELERATED PLAN AND THIS, AND IT'S PROBABLY HARD TO READ, BUT THIS SHOWS WHERE WE ARE INVESTING THOSE KS A DOLLARS AND IT'S ABOUT 200, A LITTLE OVER 200 OF THE 270.
THE OTHER 70 IS IN RESERVE PAYING FOR SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL COSTS WE HAVE, INCLUDING THE OVERTIME RELATED TO FEWER OPERATORS.
WE DIDN'T LAY ANY OPERATORS OFF.
MANY OF THEM WERE WORKING, UH, FOR FOOD BANK, DELIVERING MEALS, ET CETERA.
SO IN ANY CASE, SO WE, WE PROGRAM THOSE DOLLARS NOW SO THAT WE CAN START THE NORTH SOUTH LINE AND WE'RE SPENDING MONEY IN 2021.
WE ALSO HAVE A FEW DOLLARS YOU'LL SEE THERE FOR THE EAST WEST LINE.
SO THE EAST WEST LINE IS A SECOND LINE OF OUR CORE SYSTEM.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT LINE BECAUSE EVERY
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CENSUS TRACK THROUGH WHICH THE EAST WEST LINE FLOWS, EVERY SINGLE CENSUS TRACK IS AN AREA OF PERSISTENT POVERTY.SO IT CERTAINLY IS THE KIND OF MARKET THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD OPPORTUNITY.
SO WE HAVE SOME MONEY IN THERE TO ALLOW US TO START THE, UH, PLANNING SO WE CAN GET IN A POSITION, IF YOU WILL, IF FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE TO START ADVANCING THAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE MONEY FOR THE FIRST PIECE OF THE NEW OPERATING FACILITY.
AND THEN IN THE SECOND AREA, WHAT WE SAID IS, WELL, WE WON'T GET THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS UNTIL 2026, BUT WE CAN USE THESE FUNDS TO KIND OF PROVIDE SEED FUNDING FOR SOME OF THESE SERVICES THAT WE WERE GONNA BEGIN IN 2026.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IN THE OPERATING AREA, BY THE TIME WHEN YOU GET TO 2026, THERE'S NO MONEY ANYMORE.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE NEW SALES TAX KICKS IN AND THE NEW SALES TAX ASSUMES THAT COST BURDEN.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO INTRODUCE, WE'LL HAVE UP TO EIGHT MOBILITY, WELL, I'M SORRY, VIA, VIA LINK SERVICES GENERALLY KNOWN AS MOBILITY ON DEMAND.
BUT VIA LINK SERVICES WE'LL HAVE UP TO EIGHT IN 2022 THAT WOULD NOT BE OUT THERE IN 2222, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN OUT THERE IN 26 OR 27.
BUT THESE FUNDS ALLOW US TO ACCELERATE THAT JUDICIOUSLY BECAUSE IT'S AN OPERATING EXPENSE.
THIS IS WHAT IT DOES TO SCHEDULES.
AND SO YOU NOTICE THAT THE NORTH ACTUALLY, IT'S NORTH SOUTH LINE THAT IT, UH, CAN COME ONLINE IN 20 27, 20 28.
AND IN FACT, LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LINE.
SO THE FEDERAL FUNDING PROCESS, YOU ENTER INTO, YOU REQUEST PERMISSION OF THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO ENTER INTO A FUNDING CYCLE FOR CA MAJOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
AND THE FIRST PIECE OF THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT YOU.
IT'S, SO, IT'S QUITE DIFFERENT FROM GRANTS WHERE IT'S LIKE, OKAY, I, I MET YOUR REQUIREMENT, LET ME IN.
IT'S LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WILL YOU ALLOW US MOTHER, MAY I RIGHT MOTHER? AND THEY MADE US, THEY SAID, YES, YOU CAN ENTER INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ON THE NORTH SOUTH LINE.
WE GAVE THEM ENOUGH INFORMATION, THEY WERE FINE WITH THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF VIA CLEARLY THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE INTO ANY KIND OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR A MAJOR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT, WE NEVER HAD THE LOCAL MATCH.
SO, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WILL BUILD UP $1.5 BILLION NOT ASSOCIATED WITH RUNNING THEIR SYSTEM.
THAT PROVIDES 'EM A LOT OF LOCAL MATCH, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
AND THAT WE HAVE IN SOME MEASURE TODAY, YOU'LL SEE THE SECOND LINE, WHICH IS THE EASTWEST LINE I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THAT LINE.
AND NOTICE THE LINE AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE EASTWEST LINE IS NOT FUNDED.
WE DON'T, DON'T HAVE THE CAPITAL OF MONEY TO DO THE EASTWEST LINE.
WE COULD NOT ENTER INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THE FUNDING TO EITHER BUILD THE LINE OR RUN THE LINE BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE YOU HAVE BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
NOT JUST IDENTIFIED, I SHOULD SAY SECURED.
UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE HAVE PROMISED US NO, UNTIL YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE, YOU CAN'T COUNT THAT AND THEY WON'T REALLY CONSIDER YOUR, YOUR, UM, APPLICATION UNTIL YOU HAVE YOUR MONEY.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY HAVE A LITTLE STACK OF APPLICATIONS THAT ARE WAITING FOR THE MONEY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE SOME FOLKS HAVE DONE THAT IN ANY CASE, WE START PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT WAS THE, THE SMALL AMOUNTS THAT WERE IN THOSE FIRST COUPLE YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE, WE WILL MOVE THE BUS OPERATING FACILITY FORWARD FASTER AND THAT WE'VE MOVED BACK A LOT OF THIS OPERATING STUFF THAT WOULD'VE HAD TO WAIT TILL 2026.
SO, IN EFFECT, WE'VE ACCELERATED, WE WE'RE BEHAVING AS THOUGH WE STARTED RECEIVING THE SALES TAX BECAUSE WE RECEIVED THE OTHER FUNDING, WHICH IS ABOUT AT THAT QUANTITY.
AND WE'RE USING THAT TO ADVANCE THE KS A PLAN.
MADAME CHAIR, I'VE RUN OUTTA STEAM
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, JEFF.
THANKS TO THE VIA BOARD AND, UH, STAFF FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
UM, UH, WE'LL, I'M GONNA EXPAND IT TO 10 MINUTES BECAUSE IT, IT'S A LOT AND WE USUALLY GET SEVEN, BUT I'M GONNA SPEND IT, UH, OUR TIME TO 10 MINUTES EACH.
UM, AND UM, ONE, ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS, UH, ESPECIALLY IN THIS LAST YEAR WITH THE PANDEMIC, IS THAT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN THAT THAT'S, UM, UNLIKELY.
SO OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS TRY TO PLAN FOR WHAT COULD HAPPEN AS WE ADAPT TO CHANGES IN PRIORITIES IN OUR, UM, RHYTHMS OF HOW WE'RE, WE'RE ADAPTING INTO OUR, OUR NEW LIVES, UM, AND THE WAY PEOPLE MOVE AROUND TOWN.
WHAT, WHAT CAN WE TELL OUR CONSTITUENTS TO EXPECT FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? HOW ARE WE PREPARING FOR, UM, THE NEXT EMERGENCY? SO I WOULD, UH, THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT THE
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FIRST ONE, WE HAD BUSES THAT WERE ALL OPERATING.WE HAD OPERATORS THAT WERE AVAILABLE, BUT AFTER BEING ON THE STREET FOR TWO HOURS AND HAVING MORE ACCIDENTS THAN WE TYPICALLY DID IN A MONTH WITH PEOPLE SLIDING INTO US WITH ICE, WE SUSPENDED SERVICE.
IT WAS REALLY A SAFETY CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE A QUICK SOLUTION TO THAT, HOW YOU KEEP PEOPLE FROM SLIDING INTO YOU, BUT
UH, I AM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, I SHOULDN'T SAY WE'RE LOOKING, WE PAID FOR HOTEL ROOMS FOR OPERATORS THAT WOULD COME IN AND WORK BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH.
I HAD EXPERIENCES IN PREVIOUS JOBS WHERE, UH, ONE MORNING I HAD SIX OPERATORS TOTAL THEIR CARS ON THE WAY TO COMING INTO WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT THEM OUT DRIVING AND IN THAT KIND OF CIRCUMSTANCE EITHER.
SO WE'VE MADE ALL THOSE KINDS OF PROVISIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A FLEET.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OPERATORS UN UNLESS SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT NOBODY COULD GET OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY.
BUT THEN I THINK WE KNOW WE WOULDN'T BE RUNNING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND I DO WANNA SHARE A STORY 'CAUSE I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.
SO, UH, VIATRAN, YOU KNOW, VIATRANS IS HEAVILY USED BY PEOPLE WHO GET DIALYSIS.
AND SO VIATRANS, UH, WAS NOT RUNNING ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND ABOUT 10:00 AM ON TUESDAY.
I WAS TALKING WITH, WITH MY DEPUTY C E O AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T GET TO DIALYSIS, AND BY THE WAY, IT DIDN'T MATTER 'CAUSE THE DIALYSIS CLINICS WERE CLOSED, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
BUT THE PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T GET DIALYSIS ON MONDAY, THEY'RE GONNA COME WEDNESDAY.
AND DEPENDING UPON WHERE THEY ARE IN THAT, IN THAT TREATMENT CYCLE, THAT CAN BE PRETTY SEVERE.
SO WE CALLED THE DIALYSIS CENTERS AND THERE WAS ACTUALLY AN ORGANIZATION THAT KIND OF COORDINATED AMONG THE DIALYSIS CENTERS.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR TROUBLE IS MANY OF OUR CENTERS DON'T HAVE POWER AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RUN RIGHT NOW, BUT SOME OF THEM DO.
AND SO WE TOOK THE MANIFEST, IF YOU WILL, TO SCHEDULED TRIPS FOR WEDNESDAY.
AND WE, WE CALLED EVERY SINGLE DIALYSIS PATIENT ON THAT TRIP, AND WE GAVE THEM THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE COORDINATOR.
'CAUSE THE COORDINATOR SAID, I WILL BOOK THEM IN WHERE WE CAN GET THEM IN.
AND THEN THEY CAME BACK TO US AND WE ARRANGED THE TRIP.
NOW, I, I WAS TOTALLY IMPRESSED 'CAUSE IT WAS A VERY MANUAL PROCESS,
AND WE DID THE SAME THING THEN FOR THE TUESDAY, PEOPLE FOLLOWING.
I MEAN, AND, AND PLEASE WOULD YOU MOVE UP TO THE MICROPHONE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING ON, ON, UM, TELEVISION? ONE OF THE, UH, THE THINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, AND I'VE EXPRESSED THIS TO THE MAYOR AND BOTH THE COUNTY JUDGE, THAT VIA NEEDS TO BE PARTICIPATING IN THE EMERGENCY PLANS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
MANY TIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BRING IN, UH, C P S, THEY BRING SAW, BUT ILLA IS NOT THOUGHT ABOUT MM-HMM.
AND OF COURSE THAT PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON US BECAUSE WE GOTTA REACT VERY QUICKLY.
AND THANKS TO JEFF AND HIS STAFF AND THE OPERATORS, EVERYBODY'S SUPPORTIVE.
OKAY? I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PHONE CALLS I GOT FROM PEOPLE WANTING JUST TO MOVE THEIR RESIDENTS FROM, UH, NURSING HOMES TO DOWNTOWN.
THEY ACTUALLY WANTED JUST BUSES PARKED OUT THERE.
AND WE SAID, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S NO BATHROOMS IN THE BUS AND IT'S GONNA CREATE MORE OF A PROBLEM.
SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO, THANKS TO JEFF AND HIS STAFF, WAS TO TRANSPORT THE PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO GO FROM THEIR NURSING HOMES DOWNTOWN TO, TO WHERE IT WAS WARM.
BUT I JUST, I JUST REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T AT THE TABLE WHEN THE DECISIONS WERE MADE ABOUT THE EMERGENCY PLANS.
AND THAT, AND I'VE, AND I'VE EXPRESSED THIS BOTH TO THE MAYOR AND THE COUNTY JUDGE.
AND SO I HOPE THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE CAN SOMEHOW HELP US THERE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S, WE, WE HAVE TO DO THE SERVICE TO THE, TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS IN OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE COUNTY AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE ALSO COVER THE COUNTY.
UH, BUT THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE THERE AT, AT THE TABLE SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO, WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A GOOD POINT, UM, TO, TO INVITE YOU GUYS TO THE TABLE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, EMERGENCY PLANNING.
UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, AND I HEAR YOU, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN PREDICT, BUT ANY KIND OF PLANNING THAT VIA CAN DO, UM, TO PREPARE FOR ANOTHER SNOWSTORM, ANOTHER PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MY BIGGER POINT IS WE ALL, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S COMING, RIGHT? HOPEFULLY WE'RE DONE WITH ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? BUT WHO KNOWS? SO, UM, ANY, ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY PLANNING THAT YOU HAVE, OF COURSE I'D LIKE TO SEE IT, UM, IN, IN ANOTHER TIME AT THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FAIR POINT TO INVOLVE THE CITY OR INVOLVE VIA WITH
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THE CITY'S EMERGENCY PLANNING.SO I, I, I TAKE THAT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WITH THE, THE PRESENT LABOR MARKET PRESSURES, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS SURROUNDING WHAT WE'RE DOING TO RECRUIT, UM, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF TOOLS ARE WE USING TO RECRUIT NOT ONLY BUS OPERATORS, BORROW MECHANICS, DO WE HAVE, UM, HIRING BONUSES? UH, WE DON'T WANNA GET CAUGHT.
I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE IMPEDIMENT TO FREQUENCY, RIGHT? IF WE DON'T HAVE THE LABOR THAT WE NEED.
SO, UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? SO, UH, FOR MECHANICS, WE, WE CAN USE SCHOOLS, RIGHT? UH, AND THE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT MECHANICS IS WE'RE FINE.
WE'VE MA WE'VE MAINTAINED OUR, OUR MECHANICS, RIGHT? IT'S THE OPERATORS THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH.
I WAS ON A SEMINAR LAST WEEK THAT WAS SPONSORED BY THE BUSINESS JOURNAL, YOU KNOW, THE SS A B J AND ALL THE, ALL THE ONES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THEY BROUGHT IN A COUPLE, UH, HR SPECIALISTS AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVING NOT, PEOPLE NOT APPLYING FOR JOBS, PEOPLE NOT FILLING JOBS.
AND WHAT THEY SAID WAS, WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT SAYS THE PEOP THE JOBS THAT ARE GOING WANTING, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT APPLYING ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE MOST CUSTOMER FACING.
AND THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD CUSTOMER FACING JOBS IN THE PAST WERE APPLYING FOR NON-CUSTOMER FACING JOBS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY INDUSTRY, A BUS OPERATOR WHO WOULD APPLY TO BECOME A LONG HAUL TRUCK DRIVER AND I'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT JOB, RIGHT? BUT AS I SAID, THE CARGO DOESN'T EVER TALK BACK.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WE HAVE AS FAR AS THE SCHOOLS.
NOW, THE WHOLE THING IS WE ARE A SCHOOL FOR BUS OPERATORS.
SO WE, WE TRAIN C D L AND WE ALSO TRAIN THE A PASSENGER CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS A SPECIAL CERTIFICATION.
NOW, IF SOMEBODY, AND SO THE MAYOR HAS SAID THAT HIS PROGRAM IS, WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US APPLICANTS THAT ALREADY HAVE CDLS, AND THAT'S BETTER BECAUSE REMEMBER I SAID ONLY 10% OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY GRADUATE.
I WOULD BELIEVE THAT IF THEY WALK IN THE DOOR, AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WALK IN OUR DOOR DON'T HAVE CDLS, I'LL START WITH THAT.
I IMAGINE IF THEY WALK IN THE DOOR WITH THE C D L, THAT THE ODDS OF THEM STAYING WITH US ARE GONNA BE HIGHER THAN THAT 10%.
SO REALLY WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
AND, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY.
UM, ARE WE DOING ANYTHING BEYOND TO AND MAKING THE RIDER EXPERIENCE? OKAY.
SO WE'VE DONE QUITE A BIT IN VIA TRANS TO MAKE THE RIDER EXPERIENCE BETTER, INCLUDING, WE JUST BOUGHT A BRAND NEW FLEET OF VEHICLES THAT, LEMME INTERRUPT YOU.
THE REASON I JUST REALIZED I WASN'T ON, THE REASON I TALK ABOUT I, I WANNA EXCLUDE VIA TRANS IS BECAUSE VIA TRANS, UH, HAS A LIMITED, UM, SCOPE.
I MEAN THE, THE, YOU DON'T GO EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY, RIGHT? VIA TRANS, WE GO EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY THAT A BUS GOES.
SO IT, THAT'S THE WHOLE, OKAY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, I HAD A CALL FROM A CONSTITUENT WHO, UM, COULDN'T GET, UH, VIA TRANS, HE WAS LIKE TWO BLOCKS OUTSIDE OF THE, HE WAS IN MY DISTRICT.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHERE THAT GAP IS? SURE.
SO VIATRANS IS, IS A FORM OF A D A PARATRANSIT AND IT'S HIGHLY REGULATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND A LOT OF RULES WHICH DRIVE OUR COST UP.
FOR EXAMPLE, I CANNOT DENY A TRIP IF YOU SAY, I WANT TO DO THIS, I HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET YOU THERE.
SOMETIMES THAT INVOLVES US BUYING A TAXI TRIP FOR PEOPLE, RIGHT? BUT, UH, BUT ONE OF THE RULES THEY HAVE TO DO IS, IS, UH, WHEN AND WHERE YOU RUN SERVICE.
SO THE RULE IS THAT IF YOU ARE WITHIN THREE QUARTER MILE OF A BUS ROUTE, YOU WOULD BE CONSIDERED SOMEBODY.
THE WHOLE IDEA IS ANYBODY WHO COULD RIDE THE BUS IF THEY WERE PHYSICALLY ABLE, BUT WEREN'T PHYSICALLY ABLE RIDES VIA TRANS, ALRIGHT? SO IF YOU WERE TWO MILES FROM A BUS LINE AND THERE'S NO OTHER BUS LINES AROUND YOU, THEY WOULD SAY, OH, YOU'RE NOT PROBABLY GONNA WALK TWO MILES TO A BUS.
SO THEY PRESCRIBE THIS THREEQUARTER MILE SURROUNDING OF OUR ROOTS.
THEY ALSO ALLOW US TO OFFER DIFFERENT SPANS OF SERVICE, DIFFERENT HOURS OF SERVICE BASED UPON THE ROUTE THAT YOU'RE SURROUNDING.
SO IF A, IF A ROUTE ENDS AT 8:00 PM WE COULD STOP RUNNING VIA TRANS IN THAT AREA AT 8:00 AM NOW WE ELECT NOT TO DO THAT.
THEY ALLOW US TO DO IT, BUT IT'S CONFUSING AND NOT PRODUCTIVE.
SO, UH, BUT WE DO RUN, IF YOU ARE IN A AREA WHERE YOU COULD, OR SOMEBODY, YOUR NEIGHBOR, LET'S SAY, COULD RIDE THE BUS REASONABLY, RIGHT? THEN YOU ARE IN THE VIA TRANS SERVICE AREA, IT'S THE SAME SERVICE AREA.
VIA LINK IS AN ACCESSIBLE SERVICE.
AND SO EVERY TIME WE EXPAND VIA LINK, WE'VE EXPANDED THE AREA OF IN WHICH PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP WITH ACCESS GET IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU TOOK A LOOK, I'M SORRY, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE NORTHEAST SECTOR, THERE WERE THREE BUS ROUTES THAT RAN LIKE THIS.
AND SO YOU HAVE A LINE, THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE ON EITHER SIDE OF THOSE.
NOW YOU HAVE A 17 SQUARE MILE AREA, YOU
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CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THAT AREA.SO PEOPLE THAT WERE, WERE NOT CLOSE TO FIXED ROUTE BUS UP THERE, THEY NOW HAVE ACCESS TO VIA LINK.
AND SO THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THAT 30% INCREASE BECAUSE THAT 30% INCREASE.
ANYWHERE WE INCREASE SERVICE, WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE SERVICE.
UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
JEFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND YEAH, I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TOO.
SO NO SHAVE NOVEMBER
AND YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN PRETTY CRITICAL OVER THE YEARS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS MOVING FORWARD WITH VIA, BUT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY COMPLIMENTARY ON WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE WITH THE MONEY THAT YOU'VE HAD.
AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN SOME OF THOSE CHARTS AS WELL, THAT, HEY, Y'ALL HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT, UH, THAT YOU'VE BEEN, UH, GIVEN.
UM, JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THIS HALF CENT, UM, AUTHORIZATION FOR VIA, BUT HOW LONG AGO DID, DID YOU START GETTING THAT A T D? THAT ONE 8 CENT A T D? SO FROM 1979 UNTIL 2004, WE HAD THE HALF CENT.
AND THE OTHER THING I'D REALLY POINT OUT IS THAT EVEN IF WE HAD THE FULL SCENT, WE WOULD HAVE ABOUT ONLY ABOUT HALF THE FUNDING OF THOSE OTHER SYSTEMS. 'CAUSE A A, A PENNY IN SAN ANTONIO DOESN'T GENERATE AS MUCH AS A PENNY IN AUSTIN OR DALLAS OR HOUSTON.
BUT YES, WE STARTED GETTING THE A T D IN 2004.
UM, UM, GOING TO, I'M JUST, I GOT NOTES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THIS AND, UH, I'LL GET TO 'EM ONE AT A TIME HERE ON, UH, THE RIDERSHIP.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ASKED FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
I KNOW YOUR RIDERSHIP HAS GONE UP AND IT'S GONE DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, THE COVID THING AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT FOR ANY POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHETHER IT'S PER WEEK OR PER MONTH OR PER YEAR, UH, YOU KNOW HOW MANY PASSENGER SEATS THAT YOU HAVE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT THIS CITY TOTAL.
AND WE KNOW HOW MANY PASSENGERS THAT ARE E ON EACH ONE OF THOSE BUSES.
I'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR WHAT'S, WHAT'S THAT UTILIZATION RATE? SO WE, THE, THE, WE KNOW HOW MANY PASSENGERS BOARD AND WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S COMING UP THAT WILL START TRACKING, UH, LIGHTINGS BECAUSE YOU NEED BOTH OF THOSE TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE STILL ON BOARD.
SO I MAY SAY, OH, THAT BUS CAME THROUGH AND IT PICKED UP 85 PEOPLE.
RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ALL 85 STARTED HERE AND STOPPED HERE.
OR WHETHER THEY RODE FROM HERE TO HERE TO HERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE A GAP IN INFORMATION.
BUT CAMIE HORN AND HER PEOPLE ALONG WITH THE IT PEOPLE ARE, ARE WORKING ON A SOLUTION THAT WILL START TRACKING, UH, AS PEOPLE LEAVE THE BUS AS WELL.
THEN AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN KEEP A CONSTANT COUNT ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON BOARD AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, AND I'VE KIND OF SAID IT'S, TO ME IT'S A UTILIZE UTILIZATION RATE.
YOU GOT SO MANY SEATS AND YOU GOT SO MANY PASSENGERS THAT YOU'RE CARRYING IN THOSE SEATS.
AND TO ME, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU, YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU, YOU'VE GOT A UTILIZATION RATE OF 95% OR 50% OR WHATEVER THAT RATE IS TO SAY, HEY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FILLING THOSE SEATS WITH HOW MANY BUSES YOU'VE GOT AND HOW MANY PASSENGERS YOU, YOU'VE GOT.
SO I'D, I'D REALLY STILL LIKE TO SEE THAT IF SOME POINT WHEN WE CAN GET THAT DATA, WE'LL CERTAINLY SHARE IT.
I WOULD GO BACK TO THAT ONE SLIDE THAT SHOWED HOWEVER, THAT FOR EVERY UNIT OF SERVICE WE PUT OUT THERE, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST UTILIZATION OF THE 12 SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN, IN THE PEER SET.
I WANNA SEE THAT COMPARED TO HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
UM, STONE OAK, AND THIS ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME UP, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF, I GET A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT WHEN PEOPLE DRIVE BY, THERE'S ONLY TWO OR THREE CARS IN THAT HUGE, MASSIVE FACILITY OVER THERE.
WHAT'S THE PLAN? I MEAN, WHEN ARE WE GONNA START SEEING SOMETHING HAPPEN AT THAT FACILITY BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE NOW COMPLETE GOING OUT OF THAT PLACE AND GOING INTO IT? UM, WE'RE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA BE WITH THAT FACILITY? SO FIRST OF ALL, WHEN COVID STRUCK, WE STOPPED RUNNING OUTTA THAT FACILITY.
SO IF YOU WENT BY AND THERE WERE NO CARS THERE, THAT WAS, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BUSES THERE.
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NO USE IN PARKING THERE UNLESS YOU HAVE TRANSPORTATION.WE REALLY REOPENED THAT SYSTEM.
WHEN DID WE REOPEN ROUTE SEVEN? YES.
WHEN THE H O V CAME ON A FEW MONTHS AGO, RIGHT? AUGUST.
SO WE'VE REALLY ONLY BEEN OPEN SINCE AUGUST, REOPENED SINCE AUGUST.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RIDERSHIP DATA, YOU WILL SEE THE ROUTE SEVEN HAS GOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, BUT THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF ROOM FOR PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
PART OF WHAT LED TO THAT FACILITY BEING WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT IS, WAS THE COR THE, UH, JOINT PLANNING WITH, WITH TDOT BECAUSE THEY WANTED, WE WANTED, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THEY WANTED, WE WANTED A FLY OVER RAMP, AS YOU KNOW, THAT FLIES UP AND OVER IN THE H O V LANE.
SO WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO COME ELEVATED.
AND SO WE SAID, WELL, WE WILL BUILD THE GARAGE AHEAD OF WHEN WE NORMALLY WOULD DO IT IN ORDER TO, TO DO THIS.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT FACTORED IN WAS THAT WE HAD, UM, WE HAD FUNDING, WE HAD SOMEBODY OUTSIDE THAT WAS PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THAT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE NOT RUNNING BUSES, THERE'S VERY LITTLE EXPENSE IN THAT FACILITY.
I, I'VE, I PERSONALLY HAVE GONE BY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND YEAH, IT'S STILL STILL PRETTY STARK.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAD SOME PLAN TO FILL IT UP OR WE, UM, WHAT THE PLAN IS GOING FORWARD.
WE DOUBLED THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WAS THERE BEFORE, BEFORE COVID.
SO PRIOR TO COVID, WE WERE RUNNING AND THEN WE STOPPED MM-HMM.
AND WHEN WE PUT THE SERVICE BACK IN, WE DOUBLED THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
UH, SO WE'RE TAKING A LOT OF STEPS.
BUT THE OTHER THING I'LL SAY TO YOU IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT WE REBUILT, RIGHT? WE REBUILT RIDERSHIP FASTER THAN A LOT OF SYSTEMS AND WE, UH, OUR GROWTH RATE IS HIGHER IS BECAUSE WE DON'T SERVE A VERY LARGE COMMUTER MARKET HERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN HOUSTON, WHERE I USED TO WORK, RIGHT? I HAD, UH, THE TYPICAL PARK AND RIDE HAD 2,700 SPACES.
THEY WERE HUGE AND THEY WERE OVER PARKED AND THE BUSES RAN OUT OF THOSE PLACES EVERY TWO TO THREE MINUTES.
THAT WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE TO THOSE FOLKS, RIGHT? BUT GUESS WHAT, HOUSTON'S NOT DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
THE RECOVER IN THE COMMUTER MARKET IS WAY SLOWED DOWN.
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS COMBINING ALL THE PARK AND RIDES IN THE CORRIDOR INTO A SINGLE THAT RUNS ABOUT EVERY HALF HOUR.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, THEY WERE RUNNING THREE TO FIVE MINUTES INDIVIDUALLY, AND NOW THEY RUN COLLECTIVELY EVERY HALF HOUR.
SO THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR US, DEFINITELY AS, AS WE, WE, UH, AWAIT THE RETURN OF OF COMMUTERS.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST A COMMENT.
YOU HAD THE JUNE RIDER SURVEY IN HERE WHERE NINE TO 10 CUSTOMERS WERE SATISFIED WITH VIA SERVICE MM-HMM.
WHAT, WHAT OTHER EXPECTATIONS ARE OUT THERE? I MEAN, DO YOU EXPECT A HUNDRED PERCENT SATISFACTION ACROSS THE BOARD WITH ALL THESE NEW SERVICES COMING OR WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR UM, I, I COULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WHY ARE WE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY IF EVERYBODY'S, IF 90, 91% ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE NOW? WELL, I WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT, UH, MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND NOT JUST GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, SO PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO DO THINGS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY WITH.
YOU CAN, IT, IT'S HOW YOU DELIVER THE SERVICE.
UM, AND OH, BY THE WAY, WE WILL SEND, WE WILL BE SENDING OUT TO ALL OF YOU THAT COMPLETE REPORT THAT THAT CONSULTANT DID.
BECAUSE HE'LL TALK ABOUT MARKETING STUFF.
HE'LL, HE'LL, IT IS A VERY THOROUGH REPORT.
AND THAT NINE OUT 10, WHEN YOU SEE HOW THAT SPREADS ACROSS ONE TO 10, IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY, IT'S NOT JUST, OH, YOU KNOW, 90% WERE ABOVE A FIVE 'CAUSE A FIVE WAS CONSIDERED FAILING.
SO, OKAY, UH, ON YOUR SLIDE HERE, IMPROVE THE SYSTEM I'D, I'D SAY WHAT NUMBER, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY NUMBERS ON THESE SLIDES HERE.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, YOU HAD, UH, TWO CIRCLE CHARTS THERE AND THEN AN INCREASED SYSTEM COVERAGE BY INCREASING 30%.
AND WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? INCREASING SYSTEM COVERAGE THERE? ARE WE JUST TALKING MORE BUSES AND, AND, UH, WHAT ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THAT? SO THIS REALLY GOES TO THE CHAIRS, THE CHAIR'S QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING ACCESS, PEOPLE THAT NEED ACCESS.
SO THAT 30% IS LARGELY, LARGELY, LARGELY DRIVEN BY NON BUSS, BY VIA LINK TYPE SERVICE.
SO WHEN WE, UP IN, IN THE NORTH NORTHEAST, WHEN WE PUT THAT 17 SQUARE MILE AREA, THERE WAS PROBABLY, I'M, I'M GONNA GUESS 14 SQUARE MILES OF THAT AREA DIDN'T HAVE SERVICE AVAILABLE BEFORE VIA LINK WENT IN.
AND SO MOST OF THE EXPANSION IN COVERAGE IS
[01:20:01]
ON THE V LINK SIDE.WE HAVE COVERAGE IN THE CORE, IT'S IN THE OUTER AREAS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE GREAT COVERAGE.
AND WHERE VIA LINK IS A LOT MORE PRODUCTIVE AND A LOT MORE CONVENIENT, FRANKLY, TO THE PEOPLE THAN PUTTING BUSES OUT THERE.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR, BECAUSE AGAIN, I HATE SEEING THESE BIG WONKY BUSES GOING AROUND WITH VERY FEW PASSENGERS ON 'EM BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY THE UTILIZATION RATE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE AND PEOPLE USING 'EM, THOSE BUSES DAMAGE OUR ROAD SYSTEM THAT WE'RE HAVING TO GO BACK MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY.
AND THE MORE BUSES YOU GET ON THE, THE QUICKER YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPAIR THOSE STREETS.
SO I, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I'LL, I'LL CHIME BACK IN, MA'AM, I JUST HAD ONE MORE QUESTION UNLESS YOU WANNA LET ME DO THAT.
UM, ON THE, THE SLIDE THAT GIVES YOU ALL OF THAT MONEY CARESS ACT, C R R S A A, RIGHT? 270 MILLION R B A LOT OF MONEY, UH, DID Y'ALL EVER THINK THAT MAYBE Y'ALL COULD, UH, HELP THE CITY OUT AND GIVE US BACK OUR $10 MILLION DURING THAT TIME THAT YOU WERE BEING INFUSED WITH ALL THIS OTHER MONEY? AND ARE WE GONNA GET OUR MONEY BACK AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE? I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT YOU WILL SEND 10 MILLION TO ME AND I'M USING THAT FOR SERVICE.
AND I, I SUPPOSE IF WE WANTED TO CUT OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM AND NOT BUILD OUR A R T OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE DIRECTION THAT OUR GOVERNING BOARD IS SET, NOT THE DIRECTION THAT I WOULD, WOULD SET.
NOW IT'S ONLY AN ANNUAL AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW? THAT'S RIGHT.
WE DON'T HAVE A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT.
WELL, YEAH, I, I I DON'T KNOW IT, WE JUST PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S, I I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A SIGNED AGREEMENT.
WELL IF THERE IS, YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S ONLY A YEARLY, YEARLY AGREEMENT ON THAT.
SO, UH, ARE WE EVER GONNA GET THAT BACK AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE? THAT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S DECISION.
SO THIS IS WHAT I'M GONNA SAY, THAT YOUR 10, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE FUNDING, WE ARE PATHETICALLY FUNDED COMPARED TO OUR PEERS.
IT'S NOT LIKE THAT 10 MILLION MAKES US FLUSH, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I UNDERSTAND IT'S YOUR 10 MILLION, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO SAY WE NO LONGER WANT TO PRIORITIZE IT HERE BECAUSE VIA, YOU GOT SOMETHING HERE AND SO YOU CAN BREAK EVEN.
YOU WENT, YOU WON'T GET AHEAD, BUT YOU CAN AT LEAST BREAK EVEN AT SOME POINT.
YOU, YOU COULD DECIDE TO DO THAT.
WELL, COULD I SAY, UH, SAY ONE MORE THING TO PLEASE, COUNCILMAN YOU WOULD BE, YOU WOULD'VE BEEN DELIGHTED TO HAVE TAKEN THE BUS WITH US TO THIS MEETING.
THERE WERE 20 PEOPLE WHO BOARDED AT THAT STOP.
NOW THERE WERE ABOUT SEVEN OF US, SO I'LL BACK THAT DOWN.
BUT YOU, AND WHEN YOU GOT ON THE BUS, IT WAS, I WOULD SAY THREE QUARTERS FULL AND THAT'S AT 1 0 5 IN THE AFTERNOON, WHICH IS AN UNUSUAL TIME IF YOU THINK IN THOSE TERMS. SO NEXT TIME I'LL HAVE YOU COME JOIN US FOR THAT.
COUNCILWOMAN GUSU, UH, THANK YOU.
UM, CHAIR JEFF AND, UH, VIA BOARD COMMITTEE, UM, WITHIN DISTRICT FIVE IS THIS GOBY.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT VIAS GETTING INTO REAL ESTATE.
HOW DOES THAT FACTOR INTO THIS AND WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO THOSE PRIORITIES CATEGORIZE? WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NEED TO INCREASE FREQUENCY, UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING INVESTMENT IN REAL ESTATE.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE GOAL OF THAT? SURE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, UM, VIA IS NOT INVESTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT VIA ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH A DEVELOPER WHO IS TO COME BACK TO US WITH TERM SHEETS TO DETERMINE WHETHER, AND THEN OUR BOARD WILL DECIDE WHETHER THEY LIKE THOSE TERMS, RIGHT? SO, UH, FOR ALL OF THAT, WE ARE FIGURING FROM THE, THIS POINT FORWARD THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING ANY MORE MONEY THERE.
BUT THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS THIS, THAT CENTRAL PLAZA WHERE I, I JUST TOLD THE COUNCILMAN WE BOARDED THE BUS AND I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
IF YOU WANT TO GET SOMEWHERE IN BEXAR COUNTY ON TRANSIT, THAT IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE.
WE SERVE OVER A MILLION BOARDINGS A YEAR.
THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF THAT BUILDING COULD BE RENOVATED AND INCLUDE HOUSING AND MAYBE OFFICE, BUT HOUSING SO THAT PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE CARS ONLY HAD TO CROSS THE STREET AND IT COULD, IF THEY NEEDED TO GET THE MEDICAL CENTER, THEY GET ON THE 100 AND THEY'RE OUT AND THEY'RE OUT THERE.
SO THAT WAS REALLY THE THOUGHT.
IT'S TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITY TYPE DEVELOPMENT.
UH, BUT THAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND IT.
'CAUSE I, I SEE A LOT OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS ABOUT THE MOST
[01:25:01]
ECONOMICALLY POOR CENSUS TRACK, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE HOUSING UNITS WOULD HOUSE, UH, THAT DEMOGRAPHIC.UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WILL, THAT WILL BE A, I'M SORRY.
IN THE EVALUATION OF WHAT THEY BRING FORWARD TO US.
UM, SO UP UNTIL LIKE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, I WAS PRIMARILY PUBLIC TRANSIT DEPENDENT.
SO I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE VALUE THAT VIA HAS BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING TO SUPPORTING, UH, VIA AND BASED OFF OF EXPERIENCE CONVERSATIONS WITH FOLKS THAT I'VE HAD ON THE BUS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF DISTRICT FIVE.
AND WHAT CONSTITUENTS ARE CALLING ABOUT, UM, IS, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? UM, THAT VIA WILL COME TO PICK UP SOMEONE AT THEIR HOUSE, BUT THE SIDEWALK IS UNLEVELED OR THERE'S A C P S POLE.
SO VIA HAS TO PARK A BLOCK DOWN, AND THEN WHEN IT'S RAINING, IT'S JUST INCONVENIENT TO GO DOWN IN YOUR WHEELCHAIR TO GET ON THE BUS.
UM, IS THERE A CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO IDENTIFY, UM, SIDEWALK GAPS OR, UM, FAILED STREETS WHERE IT MAY CAUSE AN INCONVENIENCE TO THE RIDER TO ACCESS? WE HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE PROVIDED MAPS IN THE FACT IN THE PAST CERTAINLY CAN UPDATE THAT, BUT I FULLY REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I WAS ONE TIME CHALLENGED TO TAKE A WHEELCHAIR FROM A, A PERSON'S HOME OVER TO THE GALLERIA IN HOUSTON.
SO YOU'RE CROSSING WESTHEIMER IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCEPT OF WHAT WESTHEIMER IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FIRST THING IS BETWEEN HER HOUSE AND WESTHEIMER, WE HAD TO, WE, WE WERE IN THE STREET BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY PLACES THAT THERE WERE A TREE GROWING IN THE SIDEWALK MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO WE HAD TO GO IN THE STREET.
AND THEN OF COURSE WHEN YOU'RE ROLLING ACROSS, UH, UH, WHEN YOU'RE IN A WHEELCHAIR AND YOU'RE ROLLING ACROSS WESTHEIMER, THE CARS ARE A LOT TALLER WHEN YOU'RE SITTING IN A CHAIR.
AND I REALLY RESPECT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO DO.
BUT YES, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO DO THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY THOSE SIDEWALKS WHERE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO WORK ON OUR LIST.
UM, BUT, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT VIA HAS, UH, GREAT BUS SHELTERS.
UM, YOU SAID 18%? I THINK IT'S 18%.
LEROY PROBABLY CORRECT ME 'CAUSE I TOLD YOU HE'S A SMART ONE.
NO, NO, THAT'S A DIFFERENT FACTOR.
THAT'S, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF, SO 90, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT FACTOR.
95% OF THE BOARDINGS IN OUR SYSTEM HAPPEN AT A PLACE THAT'S SHELTERED.
NOW, SHELTERED INCLUDES LIKE, UH, THE PLAZA, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
'CAUSE I, I WROTE THAT NUMBER DOWN.
OR WE COULD, UH, GET THAT NUMBER OFFLINE.
UM, BUT, UH, I, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOAL IS THAT PUBLIC TRANSIT IS SO FREQUENT THAT YOU'RE NOT WAITING LONG ENOUGH TO NEED A BUS SHELTER.
UM, BUT I WOULD STILL ENCOURAGE THAT WE STRIVE TO INVEST IN BUS SHELTERS, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE CITY TO ADD TREES NEAR THESE SHELTERS.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BUS SHELTER THAT'S RIGHT BY A TREE AND ONE THAT ISN'T.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THE FOLKS, UH, WHO GO GET DIALYSIS AND TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
UH, IN MY DISTRICT IT'S PRIMARILY SENIORS WHO RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO I WANNA ENSURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SHADE STRUCTURES ON THESE BUS ROUTES, UM, TO ENSURE THAT AS WE EXPERIENCE THESE SCORCHING HEATS THAT FOLKS ARE PROTECTED.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, RIGHT? AGAIN, I KNOW THE MORE FREQUENT, THE MORE WE, UM, WILL DRAW THE CHOICE BUS RIDER.
UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, GOING BACK TO LIKE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD, UH, COMMUTING ON THE BUS, UM, ESPECIALLY COMMUTING FROM THE U T S A DOWNTOWN CAMPUS TO 1604, UM, WHEN I WOULD TALK TO CLASSMATES ABOUT TAKING THE BUS OR THEY WOULD OFFER RIDES SOMETIMES IF THE WEATHER WAS BAD AND THEIR REASON FOR NOT JOINING ME ON THE BUS 'CAUSE I WOULD OFFER THEM TO JOIN ME, UM, WOULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHADE OR IT'S TOO HOT.
WORKING WITH U T SS A TO POTENTIALLY CREATE A SECURE BUS SHELTER, KIND OF LIKE AT CENTRO.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, NO ONE WANTS TO SHOW UP TO CLASS OR TO WORK SWEATY OR DRENCHED 'CAUSE OF THE RAIN.
UM, BUT IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WITH THE NORTH, SOUTH, SOUTH ART AND THE EAST WEST ART, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR OUR OFFICE TO RECEIVE THE DESIGN OF WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE? I, I KNOW THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN FUNDING, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT DESIGN LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT HAPPENS, REMEMBER I MENTIONED ABOUT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM.
SO YOU HAVE TO SU SUBMIT PLANS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEY HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, WE'LL TAKE YOU INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
I DIDN'T SHARE THIS EARLIER AND I SHOULD HAVE THE BIG DEAL ABOUT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT YOU'RE IN IN LINE, IS THAT FROM THAT POINT ON ANY MONEY YOU SPEND ON THE PROJECT, PARTICULARLY DESIGN IS COUNTED AS LOCAL MATCH TOWARD THE PROJECT AT THE END.
SO IT'S A BIG DEAL, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THEN THE F D A WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD INTO DESIGN.
SO WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT, BUT WE HAVE OKAY.
WE HAVE INFORMATION BEYOND JUST A LINE ON A MAP.
AND SO WE CERTAINLY CAN PROVIDE THAT
[01:30:01]
YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT.
OUR, UH, UM, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS CHAIR.
UM, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN, UH, BRA BRAVO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE 31 RIGHT NOW, THE KEEP SAN ANTONIO MOVING ACCELERATION, UH, PLAN PHASING.
AND, UH, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF THESE ADVANCED RAPID TRANSIT CORRIDORS.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE GETTING MOVING ON THE NORTH SOUTH ONE SOON.
UH, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THE EAST WEST ONE START SOONER, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE.
YOU KNOW, I TALK A LOT TO PEOPLE IN THE CYCLING COMMUNITY AND THEY TELL ME, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR CITY IS REALLY LACKING IN, UM, IN, IN, UM, CONNECTIVITY CONNECTED BIKE LANES OR SAFE BIKE LANES, UH, IS EAST WEST, RIGHT? AND SO WE DON'T, IT'S GONNA BE A WHILE BEFORE WE'RE GONNA HAVE CONNECTIVITY THERE.
AND SO LIKE WHEN, FROM LIKE A TRANSPORTATION JUSTICE OR EQUITY, UH, STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE ON THE EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE, YOU WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE CENTER CITY OR, OR ACROSS THE CITY.
LIKE, I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE US OFFER MORE EAST WEST, AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT KIND OF FUNDING WOULD IT TAKE TO ACCELERATE THAT TIMELINE AND GET THAT EAST WEST CORRIDOR GOING? SO WE, WE HAD A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE FEDERAL MATCH.
NOW THAT'S GONNA CHANGE SOMEWHAT BECAUSE THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF THAT PROGRAM SOMEWHAT, UH, THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE FEDERAL MONEY THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
BUT THAT, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT THAT ESTIMATE WAS IN THE 100 TO HUNDRED 20 MILLION, UH, AREA, IF YOU WILL.
NOW, DON'T FORGET THE BOTTOM LINE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, VIA WILL HAVE THE EAST WEST LINE IN OPERATION ON MY 100TH BIRTHDAY
YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT IT FASTER THAN THAT.
I MIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S GONNA BE HAVING MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE ARPA FUNDING.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR A PORTION OF OF THE CITY'S ARPA FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO BE APPLIED TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT VIA NEEDS? UM, WHETHER IT'S HERE OR IN OTHER AREAS? IF, IF MY BUDDY COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I WERE TO GET TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN SEND SOME ARPA FUNDING OVER TO VIA, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OPPORTUNITIES THERE? ABSO ABSOLUTELY ABSO UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DEFERRED THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY A BIT.
SECOND OF ALL, IF WE CAN START BUILDING A RESERVE SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT MATCH FOR THE EAST WEST LINE, WHICH IS PROBABLY MY, MY PREFERENCE, MY HIGHEST PRIORITY FRANKLY, IS FINDING A WAY TO GET EAST WEST BUILT.
NOW, JUST AS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND THERE, THE ONLY REASON NORTH SOUTH IS, IS IN PROCESS AND EAST WEST IS NOT, IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES A SERIES OF, OF MEASURES TO DECIDE WHETHER SOMETHING SHOULD BE FUNDED.
AND WE OF COURSE KNOW WHAT THOSE MEASURES ARE AND HOW THEY'RE MEASURED.
AND OUR CONSULTANT WENT THROUGH AND SCORED THE LINES.
AND THE ONE THAT WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE FUNDABLE WAS THE NORTH-SOUTH LINE.
SO WE, WE LED, IF YOU WILL, WITH OUR STRONG SUIT.
THE EAST WEST LINE IS HEALTHY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULDN'T MAKE THE CRITERIA, BUT THAT'S HOW WE STARTED NORTH-SOUTH.
BUT THE EAST WEST, WE'VE ALWAYS SAID NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST CREATES THAT, THAT CORE NETWORK, IF YOU WILL.
UM, JUST MAKING SURE, UH, COUNCIL, DID ANYBODY HAVE ANOTHER ROUND? ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY, WELL, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I THINK IT VERY INFORMATIVE AND, AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST TIME THAT VIA WILL BE JOINING US.
I THINK, UH, WE WILL START TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAKE IT A LITTLE MORE PIECE BY PIECE SO THAT WE CAN GET, DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO WHAT, UM, YOU'RE DOING, WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU.
AND, UH, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE JUST REALLY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, ALL OF YOU TODAY.
UM, THANKS FOR YOUR, YOUR TIME AND AND CONSIDERATION OF, UM, OF OUR, OF THESE VERY THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS THAT I HEARD TODAY.
OUR NEXT TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD IN JANUARY.
AND WITH THAT SAID, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.