Objective 5.6.1. - Level of Service Standards for Line Haul (Fixed Route) Transit.

Establish and use the following infrastructure and performance standards to maintain or improve current levels of service through appropriate capital and operating expenditures on the line haul transit system.

Policy 5.6.1.1. Provide and fund, subject to limitations described in Policy 5.6.1.3 below, a fixed route (line haul) mass transit system which is designed to provide service at a projected level of 9.81 Annual Passenger Miles per Capita. As used in calculating this per capita infrastructure standard, population shall be total resident population for Manatee County, within both incorporated and unincorporated areas.

Implementation Mechanism:

(a)

Annual calculation by Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) of total projected demand (number of passenger miles) on the line haul transit system within any one-year, current or future, using:

Demand = Projected Annual Passenger Miles = (Projected Total Resident Population) x (9.81)

Policy 5.6.1.2. Project total annual capital and operating expenditures necessary to address the demand projected using the adopted infrastructure standard, contained in Policy 5.6.1.1 above. Demand shall be projected by calculating Annual Projected Passenger Miles, and by using this Annual Projected Passenger Mile Total for any year to project annual operating costs.

Policy 5.6.1.3. Address the increased demand for line haul transit service which is projected to occur concurrent with increase in total resident population by budgeting, and expending as necessary, local funding to address the projected annual operating and capital costs, as calculated pursuant to Policy 5.6.1.2 above.

Implementation Mechanism(s):

(a)

Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) calculation of projected one-and five-year capital and operating costs, as described in this policy, and submittal to the Financial Management Department as part of the annual County budget process. Also, determine local share of the one-year projected capital and operating expenditures, and estimate projected local share of capital and operating expenditures for years two (2) through five (5).

(b)

Manatee County Planning Department providing MCAT with annual population projections to facilitate MCAT calculation of capital and operating expenditures.

Policy 5.6.1.4. Establish the following performance standards for design and operation of the fixed route transit system. Compliance with these performance standards shall be achieved where financially-feasible. These performance standards shall be used to evaluate the quality of the transit system's service, achievement of intermodal pedestrian/transit coordination efforts, and shall be utilized to review proposed capital expenditures for compliance with the adopted level of service standards.

(1)

A systemwide average of one (1) bus stop every one-quarter (¼) mile.

(2)

A systemwide average of one (1) bus shelter every one and one-half (1½) route miles.

Implementation Mechanism(s):

(a)

Periodic systemwide assessments by Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) to ensure compliance with these performance standards.

(b)

Budget request by MCAT, and to the Financial Management Department where required and where feasible, to fund systemwide compliance with these performance standards.

Policy 5.6.1.5. Continue to develop implementation strategies to reduce transit vehicle headways during peak hour periods to improve overall line haul transit services.

Implementation Mechanism:

(a)

Coordinate between Community Services, Transit Division, Planning, and Public Works Departments to develop implementation strategies.