NON-TRADITIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES WHEN ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL:

2 “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” “In most endeavors, measuring, monitoring, and tracking results are among the most crucial elements of understanding real outcomes.” -Lou Earle, Austin FIT

WHY MEASURE PERFORMANCE? Assess progress towards meeting goals Support the decision making process about where, when, and how service should be provided Meet regulatory reporting requirements (Source: TCRP Report 141)

WHY DOES ONE SIZE NOT FIT ALL? 4

WHAT’S AT STAKE? Program success Conducting activities that will not achieve desired outcomes (scope creep) Not meeting customer needs Accountability/ transparency/ reputation Funding 5

LOGIC/PATHWAY MODEL Inputs Money Time Equipment Activities Transit Service Advocacy Travel Training Planning Outputs Miles & Hours Brochures & Meetings People trained Plans prepared Outcomes Improved air quality Increased funding Increased independence Compliance

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY OUTCOMES? Outcomes = What you want to achieve Long-term: Improve air quality Reduce congestion Medium Term: Reduce single occupant vehicle trips Short-term Increase transit ridership Outputs = Results of the things you do Increase hours and miles of transit service Activities = The things you do to achieve your desired outcome Invest 5311 funds in transit service

EXAMPLE OUTCOMES Increased use of transit services by seniors in rural areas Universal access to a travel information system Transportation options for residents in urban gap areas Multi-modal transportation options for every county Enhanced access for transit-dependent individuals Employer sponsored shuttle programs for commuters Improved options for veteran population Increased ridership overall 8

OUTCOME MEASURE QUESTIONS How is the service affecting the community and region? How does the transportation service impact health and quality of life outcomes? How does the service impact the area economy and jobs? How much of the population is being served? What share of needs is being met? How does providing public transit service increase household income or reduce costs?

10 NATIONAL TRENDS TRENDS IN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

THE “HUMAN” IMPACT OF SERVICE 11 Image Credit: Senior Solutions of Colorado Image Credit: cuny.edu

ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED 12

CREATING CONNECTIONS Developed vs. Non-developed area Rapid growth in urbanized areas Planning for both decreases in rural areas and new urbanized areas Image Credits: Bike Across America

MEASURES FOR FUNDING DECISIONS Nontraditional measures can describe the system’s impact on the community. 14

15 CASE STUDIES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PERFORMANCE

CASE STUDIES: CITY-COUNTY TRANSPORTATION 16 Operates within Johnson County, Texas Dispersed population and development patterns Part of North Central Texas Council of Governments 16-county coordinated region South of Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex Large veteran & older adult populations

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MEASURES FOR CITY-COUNTY TRANSPORTATION Local investment per operating expense Overall increase in local match from cities Passengers per revenue mile Revenue miles per operating expense Monitor performance measures and establish review process to increase performance 18

LESSONS LEARNED: CITY-COUNTY TRANSPORTATION 19 Coordination with the larger region; especially for NEMT and veterans’ services Critical to set agreed-upon plan with cities in Johnson County Enlist partners to help further the vision Incorporating transit and transit coordination into long-range regional plan

CASE STUDIES: MARIN COUNTY Funded through Measure B Marin Catch A Ride (CAR)Catch A Ride Volunteer driver programs Travel navigators Providing choices Isolation survey to measure program success 20

MARIN COUNTY MEASURES Ridership trends, including the change in ridership demand for paratransit vs. C-A-R program Costs associated with reduction in overall paratransit service provision Use information to justify moving funds between programs 21

LESSONS LEARNED: MARIN COUNTY Think outside the box when looking for sustainable funding streams Work together with regional partners despite the competition Programs weren’t meant to work in a silo Be persistent with outreach & education 22

CASE STUDIES: IDAHO 23 Statewide mobility management program Community Transportation Association of Idaho (CTAI) Established I-Way Consideration for multiple services, or “choices” statewide Local Mobility Management Networks

I-WAY MEASURES Total Passenger Trips Provided broken down by rider type and by service mode Total Service Miles, Hours, and Days broken down by service mode Operating and Capital Costs broken down by service mode Revenue Sources (Federal, State, Local, and Rider Fares) broken down by service mode Changes to services (route structure, times, etc.) ADA or general service complaints received by service provider Other operating information including the number of accidents and incidents, completed training, drug and alcohol testing, and contracts with disadvantaged business enterprise firms. 24

LESSONS LEARNED: IDAHO 25 Need strong leadership at the state level Must have a clear vision Consideration for demand, not population Urban and rural, not urban vs. rural Consideration of trade-offs No “one size fits all”

CASE STUDIES: SOUTHWEST AREA REGIONAL TRANSIT 26 Regional transit district in Southwest Texas Lead agency for coordinated transportation in the Middle Rio Grande Valley Highly rural Competes with local economy for workers Underwent MAJOR agency change

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SWART MEASURES Number of new lines of credit for day-to-day operations and maintenance purchases. Increase number of Veteran and non-Medicaid clientele ridership Establish monthly reporting to banks and TxDOT Public Transportation Division Obtain comptroller’s Gold Leadership Circle 28

LESSONS LEARNED: SWART 29 Support from State and District TxDOT offices Sell, sell, sell Share your successes and measures Consistent reporting Don’t be afraid of numbers that are not increasing It’s never as bad as you think…

LESSONS LEARNED FROM CASE STUDIES No two programs are alike Need for creative sustainable funding streams More focus on the impacts of programs Use goals & outcomes to develop measures Need emphasis on qualitative measurements 30

THIS PRESENTATION & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS ARE BASED ON: TxDOT Research RMC : Performance Measures for Public Transit Mobility Management Best practices in Mobility Management, sponsored by the National Center for Mobility Management Research findings funded by TxDOT’s Cooperative Research Program and the Federal Transit Authority Full research reports may be accessed at the following link, under projects & publications:

32 Meredith Highsmith, AICP Associate Research Scientist Transit Mobility Program Texas A&M Transportation Institute