Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Agenda Item - 6

 

 
Text Box:                                                                                                                    City of Burbank Park, Recreation and Community Services Department

 

 
Memorandum

 

DATE: January 23, 2007
TO: Mary J. Alvord, City Manager
FROM: Eric Hansen, Park, Recreation and Community Services Director
SUBJECT: BURBANK BUS PASSENGER SURVEY 2006

 

PURPOSE   

 

The purpose of this report is to update the City Council on recent survey results of the passengers of the Burbank Bus Transit System. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

During the month of May 2006, the consulting firm of Moore & Associates conducted a survey of Burbank Bus riders.  The survey was designed to provide additional insight into rider travel patterns as well as assess customer satisfaction regarding the Burbank Bus service.

 

A group of field survey staffers from Moore & Associates, the City contracted transportation consultant, distributed the self-administered customer survey throughout a 5-day week.  A postage-paid envelope was included with each survey form to facilitate response.  During this week, 170 valid surveys were obtained, which is approximately a 42.5 percent response rate.  The survey data was coded, cleaned, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.  The primary benefit of SPSS is that it allows the data to be cross-tabulated between data sets, illustrating or forecasting behavioral relationships. 

 

The analysis included both system-wide as well as line-specific conclusions where appropriate.  The information obtained was then compared with the data obtained during the 2001 and 2004 Burbank Local Transit on-board survey.  As a frame of reference, the ridership total for FY 2000-01 was 170,495, FY 2003-04 was 186,195, and for FY 2005-06 was 285,499.

 

ANALYSIS

 

Three important outcomes were achieved during this survey: 1) Identification of Travel Patterns; 2) Identification of Areas of Service Improvement and/or Growth; 3) Assessment of Rider Customer Satisfaction.

 

1.         Travel Patterns

 

The most common inter-service transit connection is between the Burbank Bus transit service and the Metrolink rail service.  Among those riders surveyed, more than 73 percent were connecting with Metrolink trains.  This represents a 23 percent decrease from the 2004 customer survey.  While numerically significant, both staff and the consultant believe much of this decrease can be attributed to the recently implemented Burbank Bus service focusing on destinations other than the City�s downtown rail center.

 

Of the inter-service Burbank Bus riders connecting with Metrolink, 35.3 percent traveled on the Antelope Valley Metrolink Line that serves the Northeast San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and Antelope Valley.  The Metrolink Ventura County Line, serving the West San Fernando Valley and Ventura County, accounted for 18.2 percent of bus-rail connections.  The second most commonly cited inter-service transit connection was between Burbank Bus and any of those services (bus and/or rail) provided by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).  The following connections were cited:  Red Line (13.5 percent), Orange Line (5 percent), and unidentified Metro buses (3.5 percent).  Lastly, 3.5 percent indicated �walking� as a means of connecting with Burbank Bus.

 

The morning peak ridership for Burbank Bus occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. while the afternoon peak occurs between 5:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.   Slightly more than 92 percent of survey participants indicated riding Burbank Bus at least four times per week.  Based on Moore and Associates market research experience in numerous other California communities, this frequency of use is extremely high for a community-based transit service.  However, the consultant did not find it surprising given the primary mission of the Burbank Bus program:  providing the complimentary link between Metrolink rail service and key employment destinations throughout Burbank. 

 

The 2004 survey revealed more than two-thirds of the respondents indicated they used the service for a period greater than 12 months.  However, during this latest survey nearly 40 percent of riders had used the service for less than six months.   This is attributed to the recent service expansion.

 

2.         Areas of Service Improvements and/or Growth

 

Overwhelmingly, on-time performance is the most important service attribute influencing selection of Burbank Bus (as a transportation alternative).  By contrast, comfort onboard the vehicle was the least important factor.  However, it should be noted that the comments section of the survey included numerous write-ins regarding perceived vehicle crowding as well as a request for more seats/capacity.   �More frequent service to existing destinations� was the most frequently cited  (61 percent) service improvement, followed by �midday service� (56.4 percent) and �more seats� (32.7 percent).

 

Approximately 26 percent of all survey participants indicated some contact with the popular Burbank Bus telephone information/assistance service.  Of those persons, 70.5 percent rated the experience from �excellent� to �fair,� 29.5 percent rated the service as �poor�.  Staff believes the primary reason for this poor rating is the accurate perception that the customer service representatives are unable to immediately resolve rider complaints. 

 

3.         Customer Satisfaction

 

Nearly 79 percent of those customers surveyed rated the overall performance of the Burbank Bus transit service as �excellent� or �good�.  While certainly rewarding, it still reflects a slight decline from the approval rating associated with the 2001 survey.  The primary reasons for this decline is the conversion from a curb-to-curb service, similar to a taxicab service, to a fixed-route service in the Downtown and Airport/Empire areas, thus requiring long-time patrons to walk to a bus stop.  Another factor is the frequent overcrowding, especially when smaller contract vehicles are used.  Independent field observations have indicated that the Media District Service and Airport/Empire buses typically operate at or above capacity. 

 

Data obtained during the 2004 customer survey revealed a market growth opportunity with respect to the Metro Red Line Station in North Hollywood.  In March 2005, the City initiated fixed-route service linking the Red Line station with the Media District.  The latest survey indicates that among persons riding on the associated line (i.e., NoHo Media District), 100 percent believe Burbank Bus performance is �excellent� or �good�. In November 2005, a second fixed-route line opened, linking the Red Line station with the Airport/ Empire area.  This latest survey indicates that among those persons riding this line, all but one ranked its performance as �excellent� or �good�.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Receive and File.

 

EXHIBIT A      Burbank Bus Survey and Analysis 2006

 

 

 

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