HomeMy WebLinkAbout5. Discussion of Express Bus Service ExpansionS,
CITY OF SHAKOPEE
Memorandum
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
Mark McNeill, City Administrator
FROM: R. Michael Leek, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Discussion of Express Bus Service Expansion
MEETING DATE: October 11, 2010 (Workshop)
INTRODUCTION:
Recently, staff reviewed with the City Council the recently prepared Transit Operations
Plan. This report is to give Council a more specific update on a couple of the expansion
elements of that Plan.
DISCUSSION:
The Transit Operations Plan included information related to an additional bus funded
through the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) funds. In addition, staffs from the
cities of Shakopee and Prior Lake have been working with Southwest Transit (SWT) staff
to implement a plan to have two of their buses serve B1ueXpress riders while providing
replacement service at the Anderson Lakes park and ride site. These are discussed in
more detail below. As the specifics are worked out, they will be brought to the City's
TAC for review and Council for final review.
JARC BUS:
When the process of putting together an application was begun, staff from the cities and
county attempted to contact a number of businesses to discuss their interest. Initial
contacts were made with Seagate, Canterbury Park and the SMSC with the thought in
mind that the sizes of their workforces made them the most likely to be interested in a
reverse commute alternative for their employees.
Over time, the most actively interested employer has been the SMSC. Their interest is
apparently in putting in place an alternative service that would get employees into Scott
County/Shakopee. From there the SMSC might provide shuttle service for the employees
to the enterprises of the SMSC. Staff has asked them to provide more detailed
information about shift times and pick-up locations so that we can begin to plot specific
new bus run times for the reverse commute service. In the meantime, the new MCI coach
has been delivered and final preparation of it is being undertaken. The new bus would, of
course, allow for the expansion of the number of runs into downtown Minneapolis and/or
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reduction of the time between runs. This, in turn, should result in increased ridership on
the BlueXpress.
The current thought is that the new service would be ready to launch toward the end of
2010.
SWT Buses:
The staffs of the two cities have been discussing with the staff at SWT a further plan that
would expand service in the near term. Originally, it was hoped that this could be
launched in September of 2010, and the basic schedule has been worked out, but a
number of issues (both regional and local) have slowed the process down somewhat.
The basic plan would be for a) SWT to start 2 of their buses at Southbridge, b) the SWT
buses would stop at the Anderson Lakes site, and c) two BlueXpress buses would also
stop at the Anderson Lakes site. This would replace more limited service now provided
to the site by SWT. It appears that the roughly 8-10 minute increase in travel time so
serve Anderson Lakes would be largely offset by the savings in time experienced as the
result of the recently completed bus ramp on Stagecoach Road.
Staff has not yet discussed such items as bus identification for the two SWT buses so that
our riders know they are part of the BlueXpress service.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY GOALS:
Matters related to the provision of transit service generally relate to City Goal B, high
quality of life.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Council is asked to provide any specific direction that it may have with respect to a)
implementation of additional reverse commute service with the recently acquired new
coach and b) planning for additional service utilizing two Southwest Transit buses.
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R. Michael Leek
Community Development Director
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