Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Coree Cuff Lonergan
Department: Transportation
Information
Requested Action
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MOTION TO APPROVE staff recommended changes to the Broward County Transit (BCT) Late-Shift Connect Pilot Program (LSCPP), which adds an additional transportation choice for eligible BCT customers by getting them home or to work during late night hours or times when BCT has reduced or no bus services available.
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Why Action is Necessary
Board of County Commissioners' (Board) approval is required to amend this transportation pilot program.
What Action Accomplishes
Authorizes proposed changes to the BCT Late Shift Connect Pilot Program to expand the hours of daily service, increase the number of weekly one-way trips from five to seven, and to increase the not-to-exceed per trip subsidized payment from $15 to $30.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☒County Commission
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Previous Action Taken
December 7, 2021, Item No. 15
September 7, 2023, Item No. 45
December 12, 2023, Item No. 97
Summary Explanation/Background
THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
This item supports the Board's Connected Community Goal of "Cooperatively delivering an efficient and accessible regional intermodal transportation network" and it’s Accountable Government Goal of "Consistently delivering responsive, efficient, quality services to the public and internal customers," by enhancing the Broward County Transit (BCT) Late-Shift Connect Pilot Program (LSCPP), a transportation solution that provides transit-dependent residents access to employment opportunities outside of BCT’s bus service hours.
The LSCPP adds an additional transportation choice for eligible BCT customers and fills a niche in terms of mobility by getting customers home or to work during late night hours or times when there are reduced or no bus services available. Eligible BCT customers are issued a CabConnect, Inc. payment card preloaded with five subsidized trips per week, redeemable for up to $15 per trip after payment of an initial $2 co-pay per trip by the customer. The payment cards used for the LSCPP are restricted from use outside of designated late shift hours. Staff is proposing to expand the hours of service, increase the number of one-way weekly trips from five to seven, and increase the per trip subsidy amount of $15 to $30.
As background, on December 7, 2021, Item 15, the Board approved the implementation of the Late-Shift Connect Pilot Program (LSCPP), authorized the County Administrator to take actions to implement the program, and approved a budget resolution to fund the program which had been reviewed and approved by the Transportation Surtax Oversight Board at its November 19, 2021 meeting as an eligible use of Surtax funds budgeted in the amount of $2 million annually for up to five years.
Although there has been multimedia marketing of the program and outreach to employers, the LSCPP has not had the ridership that was planned when the pilot started in late August 2022. To date, 718 people have signed up for the program. 140 of those were found not eligible due to having work hours outside the 11:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. window. Of the 526 customers approved for the program, only 100 individuals have used the program, taking a total of 1,258 trips. This has resulted in only $77,500 being expensed to date.
At its December 12, 2023, meeting, Public Hearing Item 97, the Board approved a 20% increase to the metered fare that taxis can charge in Broward County. This increase has had a negative impact on the subsidized LSCPP. Under the previous taxi meter rates, the average trip distance, with the $15 subsidy, was 6.55 miles on the LSCPP. Staff analysis has determined that due to the increased rates, riders in the program will now only be able to travel four miles. The average distance between the home and work address for all applicants is ten miles. This could result in customers reducing use of the program or being required to spend more for trips normally travelled out of pocket.
Based on feedback from LSCPP users (an example is attached as Exhibit 1), staff is recommending increasing the per trip subsidy from $15 to $30 to improve the distance customers can travel, this new amount should allow for an approximate distance of ten miles. Additionally, staff proposes to increase the number of trips per week from five to seven to provide flexibility for customers who work more than five days a week and to extend the window from the current 11:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekends to address the number of customers who did not qualify for the program based on their shift times. Additionally, staff has found that some customers have found the program difficult to use when they have more than one location they may have to report to.
BCT will continue to monitor the performance of the LSCPP and may adjust the eligibility criteria, parameters, or subsidy based on observed service demand, rider surveys, level of service/wait times, and feedback from passengers and employers. BCT will provide periodic updates on the service, including a final evaluation of the LSCPP at the conclusion of the pilot.
Source of Additional Information
Coree Cuff Lonergan, Director, Transportation Department, (954) 357-8361
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
Funds budgeted in the Transportation Department’s Fiscal Year 2024 Surtax Operating budget for the LSCPP are expected to absorb the increase in the per trip subsidy.