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Benefits of Centralizing Transportation Services at Tulane University. NACAS South - May 8, 2012. Steps to Getting There. History of Transportation at Tulane Reorganization Analysis and Road Map Challenges & Improvements Looking Ahead. Transportation Prior to Centralization.
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Benefitsof CentralizingTransportation Services at Tulane University NACAS South - May 8, 2012
Steps to Getting There • History of Transportation at Tulane • Reorganization • Analysis and Road Map • Challenges & Improvements • Looking Ahead
Transportation Prior to Centralization • Different Entities running: • Inter and Intra campus shuttles • Extracurricular transportation for faculty and students • Community Service transportation for faculty and students • Student Government Motor Pool
Campus Shuttles • Tulane University Police Dept. (TUPD) & Local Motor Coach Company • Operated shuttles which provided: • Connections for faculty, staff and students to other Tulane campuses • Grocery and Entertainment shuttles taking students to the mall, movie theater, and Walmart • From main campus to car or residence within a 1 mile radius of Tulane. Initially funded by library due to students studying late night • Transportation provided by 10 passenger vans, 14 & 24 pax buses, motor coaches--none of which were handicap accessible
Research & Learning • TIDES-Tulane InterDisciplinary Experience, 2002 • Seminar program which offers incoming freshmen opportunity to get to know some of our most distinguished faculty and their fellow students both as scholars and friends while exploring an academic topic with an interdisciplinary approach • TIDES topics focus on issues of social and academic relevance • Utilized streetcar, cabs, & school bus companies for transportation
Learning & Community Service • Center for Public Service (CPS), January 2006 • Established as part of the university’s Renewal Plan, instituted after Hurricane Katrina. The Center supports a university curriculum and research agenda by uniting academics and action, classroom and communities and is a graduation requirement • Meant to provide faculty, staff and students with unprecedented research, learning and community service opportunities that will have a lasting and profound impact on them, the city and the region • Transportation provided through the purchase of vans and 14 passenger buses and hiring of 4 drivers • Ride reservation system (CPSIS) created internally by Tech Services • Management of requests and driver assignments done via pencil and notebook (and lots of cursing :-0 )
Reorganization & Transition: Leadership Objectives for Centralization Shuttles & Transportation within University Services • Enable TUPD, CPS & TIDES to focus on core mission • Reassign police officers to focus on enforcement & protection duties • Allow CPS to focus on community partner engagement • Let TIDES staff concentrate on faculty/student relations • Optimize Service Delivery at Tulane University • Manage Transportation Contractor • Fixed Route Expansion & Efficiency • Integration of fixed route and point-to-point driver corps • Create single transportation resource for Tulane University • Evaluate Integration with New Orleans RTA • Identify & Implement Transit Best Practices • Introduce transit technology for management and passenger information • Standardization of fleet and maintenance procedures • Improve driver skills, customer service, operational & safety training • Expand marketing & passenger communication • Standardize schedule and create impactful routes
Route Evaluation and Design • Focus on Operational Efficiency • Define Tulane Objectives for Service Goals • Residential Needs • Inter/Intra Campus Shuttles • Parking
Demographics Analysis Tulane Service Sites # of Students
Center for Public Service (CPS) • Independently managed transportation division • Up to 120 point to point trips per day • Completely manual operation • No cross training or cross maintenance/operations • Significant group trip demand • Limited accountability for service level commitments Data Gathered from Original CPS Analysis (Completed March 2010) Actual CPS Rides Provided August 23, 2010- August 28, 2011
CPS Individual Trip Request Process Flow Requires Tulane USERID & PASSWORD Scheduler searches request system each morning for new requests Logon to cpsis.tulane.edu Requests manually typed by Scheduler into Route Coordinator Person requesting trip enters required information in “NEW RIDE REQUEST” New trip request window is closed. Trips loaded on vehicles based on driver schedules in Route Coordinator. Email confirming request only sent to user Initial vehicle manifest sent to Manager Manager sends changes to Scheduler FEEDBACK LOOP No Shows or Suspended Riders are sent to Scheduler to update in Route Coordinator as well as CPS Changes updated in Route Coordinator by Scheduler Final Vehicle Manifest distributed to drivers 15
Group Trip Request Process Flow Requestor Submits Group Trip Request Web Form Manager Determines if Trip will be provided IN-HOUSE by TULANE or CONTRACTED Out Scheduler Receives Email and Types Info into Route Coordinator Assigned to Vehicle in Route Coordinator by Scheduler In House Outsource Manager selects vendor and confirms trip details with them. Assigned to Vendor and vehicle in Route Coordinator by Scheduler 16
Technology • GPS Tracking and Public Viewer-StreetEagle • Passenger Counting-IncroMaxx • Route Coordinator Scheduling Software • REPORTS: Trend Analysis, Service by Department-Zoho 17
Budget • Original CPS point-to-point budget: $108,000 • $92K – 4 drivers • $12K—fuel • $4K--maintenance • Original TUPD fixed route budget: $618,000 • $120K—5 drivers & OT • $498K – cost for third party to operate Green Line shuttle, fuel for other shuttle lines • Additional Funds requested after centralization : • $180K -- Capital Equipment purchase (one time only) • $331K – Mgr. and Coordinator salaries, S&E, add’l maintenance & fuel • FY11 Consolidated Shuttles & Transportation Budget: $1.237M • FY12 Budget—$1.057M (took away capital expense $) • FY13 Budget--$1.073M—salary , Cost recovery ($100K) 18
Fixed Route Ridership Overview July to April year over year comparison—31% increase in ridership from FY11 to FY12! 23
Benefits of centralization • Allowed all shuttle routes to be operated in-house thus creating synergy with drivers and greater route flexibility and efficiency. • Better understanding of who needs transportation. Now transporting Service Learning internships, Community Service Scholars, student organizations, Federal Work Study students, TIDES, paid departmental and university sanctioned event trips. • Working with Student Affairs to operate special shuttles to city events such as The Voodoo Music Experience, Jazz and Heritage Festival, and French Quarter Festival • Cost recovery in excess of $100,000 this fiscal year • Working with Risk Management to establish policy for chartering ground transportation, signed agreements with approved third party transportation providers, permanent spot on university’s Risk Management Standing Committee. • Reporting system set up (TTRS) to see how many students are being transported for what trip types and iPod touch set up for fixed route passenger counting • Standardizing fleet 24
Milestones Office of Shuttles & Transportation created (Jun ‘10) Transition to 100% Self-Op (May ‘11) $100K Cost Recovery(Jun ‘12) TUPD transition(Jul ‘10) Roadmap (Fall ‘09) 2012 2010 2011 2009 Manager & Coordinator hired(Aug ‘10) 31% in Fixed Route Ridership(Apr ‘12) TTRS Development(Jun ’11+) Route Coordinator Implemented (Aug ‘10) GPS TrackerDeployed (Mar ‘10) Absorbed CPS Transportation (Aug‘10)
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