11-1: Draft Recommendation on City-Wide On-Demand Transit — original pdf

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PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD RECOMMENDATION YYYYMMDD-XXX Date: Motioned By: Subject: City-Wide On-Demand Micro Transit to Parks and Recreation Centers Seconded By: Whereas many of Austin's favorite parks, including Zilker Park, Vic Matthias Shores, Michael Butler Park, Roy G.Guerrero Park, Bull Creek Park, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt have parking capacity problems on busy days Whereas Austin's voters have indicated support for public transit solutions to the extent of willingness to be taxed specifically for solutions Whereas On-Demand transit (aka Demand-Response transit), which offers shared-ride van service summoned by cell phone, browser app, or telephone, can provide direct transit from a rider's location to their destination, including any City Park, thus relieving the need to take a personal car Whereas compared to conventional fixed-route modes that have first mile/last-mile problems and often involve transfers between vehicles, direct van transit offers an ease-of-use and accessible advantage for carrying recreational equipment, children, and small groups to and from a park Whereas by reducing the number of car and truck trips to parks and recreation centers from any city-wide origin, On-Demand transit can reduce the demand for on-site and near on-site parking Whereas CapMetro currently offers On-Demand van service (Pickup) in several zones around the city, but only within those zones Whereas experience in other cities suggests that On-Demand transit can be successfully offered as a city- wide service, providing rides between any source and destination within the city Whereas the only public transit to many parks is by fixed route/fixed schedule bus, with many parks having little or no public transit access Whereas On-Demand fleets can serve multiple purposes, supporting work commuting on weekdays and recreational commuting during more popular recreational hours Whereas public transit agencies typically set On-Demand fares so that rides are affordable for all citizens Whereas On-Demand service requires no physical infrastructure, so is more adaptable to long-term changes in the configuration of the city and can be financed with much lower capital expenditure than other forms of public transit with the possible exception of conventional buses Whereas commercially available modeling technology is available that would support rich, formal analysis of the potential sizing and functioning of On-Demand public transit integrated with Rapid Bus (BRT) service in the context of Austin's physical layout, traffic data, and other existing transit modes 1 of 2  Therefore the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Board recommends 1. Austin City Council support efforts to implement On-Demand city-wide van service in Austin which would allow better access to our parks system and recreational resources 2. Austin City Council engage qualified professionals to provide detailed, objective modeling of an integrated city-wide On-Demand/BRT transit system as a central feature of our public transit system 3. Austin City Council work with CapMetro to engage in and support such modeling 4. Austin City Council and CapMetro explore all avenues to expanding CapMetro’s On-Demand Pickup service to city-wide scope Vote For: Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: [Staff or board member can sign] 2 of 2