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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Nichol Bourdeaux, Chief Planning & Engagement Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Russ Fox, Director of Planning |
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G.J. LaBonty, Manager Customer Experience |
TITLE:
title
Approval of International Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for Planning & Engagement Peer Observation
end
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Other Approval
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve International Travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for UTA’s Planning & Engagement Office participation in peer observation. Attendees to include Leo Masic - Customer Experience Planner, Samantha Aramburu - Community Engagement Specialist, and Preston Larson - Senior Service Planner
BACKGROUND:
The Planning Department continually researches best practices from other transit agencies. Doing so informs the department’s work in innovating for our riders- including in areas of customer experience, community engagement, service planning and alternative transit modes. Previous peer reviews conducted by the Planning Department have resulted in concrete changes that have benefitted UTA riders (like improved wayfinding, bus stop signs, service planning practices, and on-board announcements).
DISCUSSION:
This memo identifies the components of the proposed agency site visit - including topical areas of discussion and anticipated travel expenses, accommodations, and meal expenditures.
It is proposed to conduct the peer review in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. TransLink is the public transportation agency that we would visit and review. The review is proposed to take place in October 2023.
Travel Itinerary
10/22/2023 - Fly to Vancouver (arrive at 11:35 pm)
10/23/2023 - Morning and afternoon meetings with TransLink/Ride and observe system in the evening
10/24/2023 - Morning meetings with TransLink/Ride and observe system in the afternoon
10/25/2023 - Ride and observe system
10/26/2023 - Ride and observe system
10/27/2023 - Fly back to Salt Lake (7:00 am)
Proposed UTA staff
o Customer Experience Planner - Leo Masic
o Community Engagement Specialist - Sam Aramburu
o Senior Service Planner - Preston Larson
Information sharing
Upon return, UTA staff will develop a presentation and white paper summary of the peer review for the Planning Department, Executive Team and Board Members as well as any other interested departments at UTA.
International travel
Travel to Canada requires approval from the Board of Trustees. The Planning Department believes a trip to Canada is justified because of:
o Higher transit usage per capita compared to the Wasatch Front (population 2.6 million, pre-covid weekday ridership approximately 156,200):
o Vancouver (population 2.6 million, pre-covid weekday ridership 1.4 million)
o Similar variety of modes Vancouver (bus, light rail, BRT, commuter rail)
o Best practices in wayfinding, next-stop announcements, and other signage
o Multilingual information (due to Canada’s official status as a bilingual country)
o Geographic proximity (800 miles away)
o Federal/local rules related to fares
Topics of Discussion
o Customer experience plan
§ Customer Experience Action Plan
§ Do you use a consultant to help prepare the document?
§ Do you know an approximate cost to produce the document?
§ Do you plan to keep releasing updated plans every five years?
§ How was the list of ‘key projects’ developed?
§ It looks like many of the key projects span a variety of TransLink’s departments (i.e. bus, rail, bicycle, fare payment, information technology). Are the individual departments responsible for the implementation of the initiatives, or does the Customer Experience team act as the Project Manager for each project?
§ How were the five priorities for the next five years developed?
§ How do you tie your improvement efforts to improving your customer experience rating (8.2)?
§ Explain your Customer Effort score. Have you implemented it yet? What stages of the customer journey will be included in that score?
o Announcements and real-time signage
§ Do you provide next-stop signage inside your buses? Do you announce every stop? Do you use a pre-recorded voice?
§ Did you retrofit old buses with electronic signs?
§ Other real time signage and information
§ What is your strategy and vision governing decisions regarding customer-facing information?
How do you accommodate riders who lack access to technology vis-à-vis customer-facing information?
§ Decommissioned real time signs (2G issue?)
§ RapidBus totems <https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-rapidbus-stops-real-time-digital-countdown-signs>
§ Sidewalk information totems, including LCD real time information
o Customer outreach/engagement
§ Transit Ambassador Program
§ How do engagement teams interface with the agency’s marketing and communications department(s)?
§ Art in Transit
§ How do you leverage social media to engage with riders and the community as a whole?
§ Tap-in-to-Win Customer Contest/Rider recovery from COVID?
§ TransLink Store - is it popular? Who manages it?
o Service planning and bus stops
§ What is your philosophy on bus stop spacing
§ Urban vs suburban
§ Bus stop balancing program - How does engagement work and how does it fit within the larger program, is this ongoing?
§ How do you determine amenities at bus stops?
§ What are your Facilities personnel requirements for additional shelters installed?
§ Alternate shelter materials - how do you deal with vandalism?
§ How do you manage the shelter and bus stop inventory out in the system
§ What does the bus stop improvement process look like; how are stops prioritized for improvement?
§ More info on BSMS system - is this more for external data export or for internal management of bus stops?
§ Solar vs. Hardwired lighting - which is preferred and implementation challenges?
o Environmental considerations
§ Wind-powered light rail
§ Electric bus pilot project
o Fare Collection Technology
§ Fare Zones - are they successful?
§ Fare media types?
§ Hardware/back-office vendors?
§ TVM’s, card readers, fareboxes manufacturers Mobile ticketing
ALTERNATIVES:
No travel approved, and Planning & Engagement will attempt to learn from other peer agencies.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Travel Authorization, Preston: $2253.50
Travel Authorization, Leo: $2253.50
Travel Authorization, Sam: $2253.50
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Total: $6,760.50
NOTE: This funding is included as part of the current 2023 operating budgets under Planning & Engagement.
ATTACHMENTS:
None