TRB – Omaha, NE National Conference on Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation October 20, 2008 Connecting The D

1. TRB – Omaha, NE National Conference on Rural Public & Intercity Bus Transportation October 20, 2008 Connecting The Dots Northwestern Trailways – Bill Brannan NBTA – Brandon Buchanan Greyhound Lines, Inc – Tim Lukes

2. The National Bus Traffic Association is: • A non-profit association headquartered in Washington, DC • Founded in 1933 • Home of the Interline Revenue Clearing House • A nexus point for 54 intercity scheduled service carriers located throughout North America • Shared staff resources with the American Bus Association (900 bus operator members, 130 fixed route operators) • Legislative and regulatory service provider for the private motorcoach industry

3. Map of US NBTA Members

4. Interline Revenue Clearing House • Simplified monthly settlement of credit and debit accounts electronically • Carriers submit billing invoices to other carriers online • Ticket revenues are reclaimed through apportioned miles • Passenger travel 500 miles for $60.00 • Company A carried them 180 miles, Company B carried them 250 miles, Company C carried them 70 miles • Company A receives $21.60, Company B receives $30, Company C receives $8.40 • Net payments are deposited and credited to accounts $170 million per year in transactions

5. Characterizing Private Intercity Fixed Route Carriers • How many scheduled service companies exist? • 100-200 carriers • Approximately 70 carriers nationwide are listed in the Russell’s Guide and 54 carriers belong to the National Bus Traffic Association. • How many scheduled service stops are served by private carriers? • Nearly 3,200 bus stations, serving over 4,200 destination points • How many rural intercity passengers are served by private carriers ? • Able to reach 72.9 million passengers, serving over 31 million in 2001 (as reported by 12 of the 203 identified carriers in 2001) • An estimated 14.4 million rural residents don’t have access to anything beyond bus transportation

6. Decline of Communities Served by National Intercity Bus Service 1956 - 2005

7. Transcontinental Pipe * Retained Eliminated Network Transformation: Before and After Route Network * Transcontinental pipes had frequency reductions

8. Opportunities for Intercity Service • Opportunities have never been greater due to federal funds! • There is room for improvement, 61% usage rate of $.

9. Opportunities for Intercity Service • An average of 21 states per year opt to certify the 5311(f) funds • A top down approach is not the answer! • A grassroots approach may give us the results that we desire.

10. NBTA Board 2008-2010 Goals • Staff and Industry Led Outreach • Increase Awareness & Accessibility • Increase Networking & Partnership Opportunities • Improve Channels of Communication • Increase Diversity & Coordination

11. Outreach Action Plan • Identify potential transportation partners and service coordination targets • Metropolitan Planning Organizations • State Departments of Transportation • Public Transportation Associations • Community Transportation Service Providers • Direct NBTA members to information resources and key contacts • Develop partnership recruitment tools for NBTA members to utilize in building relationships

12. Staff & Industry Outreach Mandate • Membership Meeting in 2007 (bi-annual) • Board priority to increase outreach and communication efforts • Fixed route service locations are decreasing • Passengers are losing through bus service • Disconnect in customer information available at the community level • Online trip planning and customer confidence are emerging priorities

13. Increase Awareness & Accessibility • Raise awareness of transportation planners to the services and resources provided by NBTA member carriers and the National Intercity Bus Transportation Network • Involve NBTA member carriers in planning process to introduce new or failed routes and/or develop terminal facilities • Improve the perception of the modern applications of fixed route service • Provide expanded access to federal, state and local transportation funding. • Legislative process • Operating subsidies • Capital subsidies • Marketing subsidies • Pilot programs/experimental routes

14. Increase Networking & Partnership Opportunities • Help establish links among groups with shared interests and goals • Transit agencies • Non-profits • Van pools • Other motorcoach operators • Increase public-private collaborations • Pool limited resources • Provide expanded access to funding • Encourage partnership to become a sub-recipient in federal programs: • 5307 • 5310 • JARC • New Freedom

15. Improve Channels of Communication • Market scheduled bus service beyond current service areas • Provide a forum for non-traditional partners to meet and communicate • Reduce barriers for efficiently implementing transportation plans and utilizing available funds • Facilitate information sharing and lessons learned

16. Increase Diversity & Coordination • Introduce new interline partners to intercity bus service • Improve the transportation of special needs passengers • ADA coordination • Demand response scheduling • Educate private bus operators not currently providing intercity fixed route service to the service options available for them and their passengers • Facilitate the assessment of transportation needs • Rural systems • Urban systems • Underserved communities

17. Evaluating Outreach Results Quantitative Benchmarks • Formation of new interline partnerships or expanded routes • # of new members • Associate Members • Operator Members • Sponsored Carriers • # of identified target groups/organizations/affiliates for partnership • Feedback from Member carriers • Service Information • # of states served • # of station stops • Amount of grant monies received • Partnerships • Current • Pending • Past • Increased ridership

18. State Motorcoach Associations AL CA FL GA MD MN NC New England Northwest (WA, OR, ID) NJ NY PA SC South Central (LA, MS, AR, TX) TN TX VA WI Other Industry Resources National Motorcoach Associations • American Bus Association • United Motorcoach Association • International Motorcoach Group • Trailways, Inc.

19. What is Next? • Evaluate success of federal funds in maintaining service levels and customer access • Facilitate the communication of intercity transportation locations • Improve passenger interface and exposure with intercity services

20. Let’s Work Together! National Bus Traffic Association Eric Braendel or Brandon Buchanan 700 13th Street, NW, Suite 575 Washington, DC 20005 (800) 283-2877 (202) 898-2700 nbta@buses.org

21. The National Intercity Bus Network: Truly Transcontinental Transportation

22. Interlining with Intercity (ICB): Expanding Your Service Horizons • Rural Feeders connect with National Services • Coordinating carriers means connecting customers • Shared terminals facilitate customer transfers • Coordinating services can cover your match

23. Regular NBTA Membership vs. Sponsored NBTA Membership

24. Existing, Meaningful Rural Feeder Services • SCAT- South Central Arkansas Transit in AR • Ride Solutions in FL • WAPT –West AL Public Transit in AL • Grapeline, Dungeness & Apple Lines in WA • Sage Stage & Delta Breeze in CA • States With New Meaningful Feeder Services Being Planned • CA, NC, OH, OR, TN, WV • States Subsidizing (Interlined) Private ICB Services • IA, MI, MN, MT, PA, TX • States Studying or Planning ICB Needs Assessments • AL, FL, IN, KS, MO, MN, OH

25. Greyhound Changes • Greyhound has developed and improved a number of technology solutions that make rural feeder service much more meaningful, such as: • An industry-wide ticketing system (TRIPS/MAX) • An improved website offering real-time fare and schedule information and online ticket purchasing WWW.Greyhound.com • Ticketing by phone and mail (800-231-2222) • No-cost ticketing software (MAX) and equipment that requires only a standard PC and high-speed internet connection (For Sponsored Carriers) • Simple, no cost operating and terminal access agreements (BTL) to not-for-profit operators

26. Sponsored Transit Agencies and Not-for-Profits Operators • May enter into a sponsorship arrangement with an NBTA member carrier, who will assist in securing a membership application • Pay a nominal annual membership fee of $100.00 to the NBTA • Sell tickets to intercity destinations on the sponsoring carrier’s ticket stock from destinations originating on the sponsored carrier’s operating lines • Sponsoring NBTA member carrier will secure all applicable reclaims • Honor tickets of NBTA member carriers from intercity points of origin terminating on the sponsored carrier’s operating lines…”Interlining”

27. Interlining tickets with other companies • 50% of passengers use more than one carrier • Each carrier is independent • Each carrier markets locally to their customers • Share the revenue from ticket based on miles One ticket for entire trip

28. Bus Terminal License (BTL) agreements • Terminal access process: • Sponsored transit agency = no-charge • For Profit, non-sponsored transit agency = prevailing rate • Greyhound staff can help with development and execution of the proper agreements and training

29. Greyhound Insurance Requirements • For interlined feeder services, we require a combined Single Limit for injury or damage in any one accident of • $1.5m for vehicles with a seating capacity of 15 passengers or less, • $2.0m for vehicles with seating capacity of 16-30 and • $5.0m for vehicles that seat more than 30 • For terminal access, we require a General Liability Insurance with a combined single limit of not less than $1.0 Million • Greyhound must be an additional named insured in policy

30. Local In-Kind Match Option Feeder Service (Point A to Point B) Net Operating Cost (Actual Costs less Farebox) =$ 10,000 Connecting Intercity Bus Service (Point B to Point C) # Point B to C Miles x 50% of Fully Allocated Costs =$ 10,000 Total Project (Point A to Point B to Point C) Net Operating Cost Deficit =$ 10,000 + Local In-Kind (From Greyhound) =$ 10,000 Total Project Costs =$ 20,000 50% 5311(f) Reimbursement =$ 10,000

31. Commission Ticket Agency • A rural transit agency can become an agent and sell Greyhound tickets and receive a commission on each ticket sold or package shipped • Commissions for rural feeder operators are 9% • Commissions are applied to both feeder and Greyhound trip segments: total trip accounting • Commissions paid in addition to feeder service fares • Commission revenue eligible for use as local cash match against feeder service operator FTA grants

32. Sponsored Carrier – Accounting Process • Greyhound will establish a Corporate Account for the Rural Feeder • The Rural Feeder can accept any of the following as an FOP • Credit Card – All CC processing fees paid by GLI • Corporate Account – GLI handles all billings and collections • Check • Cash • Wampum Bucks  • However, when they accept either cash, check or wampum bucks as the FOP, they use the corporate account established for them

33. Accounting Process (Continued) • At the end of each month an invoice is created by accounting. • All credit card purchases are settled by GLI • All corporate accounts are settled by GLI • Remittance = sales activity x commission rate, minus credit card and charge account activity. Difference is the commission $ earned • The invoice is e-mailed to the Rural Feeder and payment is expected within ten working days.

34. The End Result – Reconnect the Dots: • Expand the service network of rural communities • Provide consistent and sustainable high quality service • Increase community awareness of services • Support more regional interconnectivity • Increase coordination among interstate and regional providers

35. Greyhound Contacts Randy Isaacs, State Government Affairs risaacs@greyhound.com (615) 338-0847 Tim Lukes, (Manager, Field Operations) tlukes@greyhound.com (214) 849-7096 http://www.greyhound.com/revsup/rfs/

36. Interlining with Intercity Bus Service Connectivity Selling Intercity Bus Tickets Nationwide Earn Commission Part of Information Network Community Public Service Increased Ridership Bill Brannan Chairman - National Bus Traffic Association

37. Decline in Washington State Intercity Bus Service -1982

38. New Intercity Funding Approach

39. Travel Washington Intercity Bus • Project funded with FTA 5311(f) funding and local “in-kind” match provided by Greyhound’s unsubsidized capital costs • Definition includes rural feeder service segments to interstate trunk-line Greyhound service in Washington. • The service schedules will help meet regional travel needs in addition to making the Greyhound connections. • Initial three rural feeder routes are: Travel Washington Grapeline- Walla Walla to Tri-Cities Travel Washington Dungenessline- Port Angeles to SeaTac Travel Washington Appleline- Omak to Ellensburg (October 2008)

40. RFP ProcessNo Grant Applications • RFP’s Issued on Corridor Basis • Gives More Control • Sets Expectations in Advance • Makes Sure we Tie in with Greyhound Schedule

42. Manual tickets MAX Manual Agent EXpiration • Developed by Greyhound • Provides on-line ticketing at agencies • Automatic reporting and statistics

43. We would like to take a moment to give you a brief demonstration of a MAX sale.

44. Sponsorship Advantages for Transit Agencies and Non-Profits • Nationwide visibility and quotation of the services offered by sponsored transit agencies • Increased ridership • Convenience of through ticketing for customers • Expanded access for rural residents to the national transportation network • A more seamless and coordinated national ground transportation system • Access to additional funding sources • Ticket Sales Commissions • 5311 • 5311 (f)3 • Decreased paperwork

45. Payment Through the Interline Revenue Clearing House • The Association operates the interline revenue clearing house which provides for the monthly settlement of credit and debit accounts electronically. • Each month the carriers submit billing invoices to reclaim their portions of the thru ticket revenue, in addition to other categories of charges aligned with bus operations, such as: facilities rents, fuel, maintenance, etc. • Carriers can submit their invoices requesting payment from other carriers online through the Association’s website www.bustraffic.org, as well as view the amounts that they owe. • Net payments are deposited and credited to the appropriate accounts through an electronic funds transfer.

46. Computerized MAX ticket

47. Northwestern Trailways Number of Passengers Continue to Grow Passengers

48. What’s in your future