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Agenda Item # 8

BOARD MEMORANDUM

The FY 2005 Second Quarter Transit Operations Performance Report presents key performance information regarding the transit operations of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).

DISCUSSION: 

The general performance trend for the first six months of FY 2005 (July 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004) shows continued progress in improving farebox recovery and reducing operating expenses, while continuing to provide safe and reliable transportation for our customers on both bus and light rail.   It also shows continued decline in both System and Bus ridership while Light Rail continues to show month after month improvement.  Fare revenue through the second quarter of FY 2005 increased 3.2% compared to the same period last year.  System operating expenditures decreased 1.2 % compared to the same period last year.  Bus and light rail performance, in terms of service reliability, exceeded established goals.

Through the FY2005 second quarter, VTA bus and light rail service provided 99.49% of scheduled service, exceeding the established goal of 99.30%.   Bus and light rail operators traveled 296,153 miles between each chargeable accident through the second quarter FY2005, an improvement of over 69.2% compared to the established goal.

The average fare paid by each customer is $0.805, an increase from the $0.780 average fare paid the second quarter of the previous year.   The farebox recovery ratio improved modestly from FY 2004 fiscal year-to-date performance by .8%.  System cost per hour increased 1.8% from $157.05 to $159.87, due to a 2.4% decrease in service hours.

Light Rail ridership totaled 3.45 million passengers, an increase of 27.2% over the second quarter of last fiscal year.   Average light rail weekday ridership for the first six months of the fiscal year was 21,652, an increase of 24.1%.  Bus ridership through the second quarter of FY 2005 totaled 15.5 million passengers, a decrease of 7.9% compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.  Average weekday bus ridership was 98,420, down 8.5%.  System ridership through the second quarter of FY 2005 totaled 18.9 million passengers, a 3.0% decrease.  System-wide average weekday boardings were 120,072, down 3.9% compared to the same period in FY2004.

Unscheduled Time-off for both Bus and Light Rail Operators and Maintenance personnel experienced significant improvements.   Bus Operators improved by 24.3% and Light Rail Operators by 17.3% as compared to the same period last year.  Bus and Light Rail Maintenance unscheduled time-off improved by 5.2% and by 36.0% respectively, as compared to the same period last year.

Paratransit ridership through the second quarter of FY 2005 totaled 452,497, down 4.1% from the FY 2004 ridership of 471,726 for the same period.   The average cost per trip through the second quarter of FY 2005 was $25.80, down by 5.7% from $27.36 during the same period last year.

VTA is a funding partner supporting Caltrain, ACE, Highway 17 Express and Dumbarton Express.   Ridership through the second quarter of FY 2005 compared to ridership the same period in FY 2004 is as follows:

• Caltrain ridership was 4,653,754, up 16.5%;
• ACE ridership was 323,299, up 9.4%;
• Highway 17 Express ridership was 97,142, up 56.1%;
• Dumbarton Express ridership was 96,673, down 9.5%. 

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