Changes ahead for South Shore bus services

One thing is certain, something has to change or there will not be enough money to operate buses around the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. What isn't certain is how those changes will look, where extra funding can come from, or if services will have to be cut.

During Friday's Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) board meeting, options to keep a sustainable transit system in place for Lake Tahoe were discussed. Buses continue to operate at a loss and that cannot continue, according to the TTD staff.

Tahoe Transportation District operates in two ways, one as the local transportation service which has its own "pot of money," and also as the facilitator of transportation projects, also with its own "pot of money." Because of funding source requirements, no money can move between these two functions.

What is known:

$17M is needed to bring the current fleet into a state of good repair. There is no grant funding available for diesel or gas buses, but there is some are some funding opportunities for electric fleets which would be must more costly.

TTD drivers, mechanics and other transportation staff have a non-competitive wage structure, and it is difficult to attract and retain staff due to wages, lack of affordable housing as well as a lack of skilled staff in area. These shortages have led to a lot of overtime over much of last two years.

Operational Concerns of the winter route. This year the buses were involved in 19 collisions, most were not the fault of the bus or driver as other vehicles slid into them. When this happens, buses are taken out of service.

There are expiring funding sources on the horizon. Some grants are going away within two years. Transportation operates with no general funding as every current revenue source has ties to it, and what TTD would like is that general funding to put where needed.

There is some good news. Three electric buses are coming to South Lake Tahoe in 2019 through outside funding. They will need an overhead electric charging system and Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) will be constructing that on their campus as part of a transportation hub. It will be completed by early 2019. TTD will have some operational changes ahead as buses will need to be charged, so different routes will have to meet at the central LTCC hub.

TTD staff presented four scenarios for bus service, from the existing plan to an aspirational step approach including everything they'd like to see in local bus service.

No single scenario addresses everything, all have strengths and weaknesses. Staff said the challenge is determining the transit system’s priorities for the immediate term, while building a sustainable funding base for the near term, up to two years. But all are band-aids and don't provide a sustainable future.

"Transit on the South Shore is in such an acute state we’re not going to meet the objectives everyone has," said Carl Hasty, district manager of TTD. "We need to find a solution."

Vail Resorts, Douglas County and the Ridge Resorts all contribute to services to their locations, currently totaling $1,173,063. A couple of the scenarios below remove service to the top of Kingsbury, though they would come at a hit to the Vail and Ridge contributions. Both of those funds are the only funding sources that come to TTD without restrictions on where they can go, and Vail's substantial contributions are currently used as matching funds for grants.

Steve Teshara, Chair of the South Shore Transportation Management Association, said the biggest untapped source of revenue is from those that don't pay into it, the tourist. No sales tax or tourist occupancy tax (TOT) goes to TTD for transit, though many of them are users of the system, especially during the winter. How that can be done needs to be discussed. Most want to save the environment, and getting people out of cars is their goal, but funds are available to run the buses.

All scenarios include the following features:
• Continuation of Commuter Routes 19X and 20X
• Continuation of the East Shore Express
• Continuation of the West Shore service
• Limit the discounted fare to 65 and over, TTD Demand Response cardholders, Medicare cardholders, and Veterans with a service connected disability
• Consolidate the Demand Response service area to a one-mile corridor from fixed routes
• Discontinue youth fare; age 4 and under ride free; ages 5 through 64 ride at full fare
• Limit automatic eligibility to persons aged 65 or over and Medicare cardholders
• Persons currently under 65 years that are already qualified and maintain their eligibility uninterrupted will not have to wait until they reach 65 years to continue to ride
• Discontinue general public access to the complementary paratransit system
• Discontinue STS Regional Service, no later than September 30, 2018
• Discontinue Mobility Management program
• Transition North Tahoe Truckee Transport Program to Tahoe North Truckee Transportation Management Association
• Charge third-parties for access to Y Transit and Stateline Transit Center
• Raise West Shore fare to $4.00 per person
• Free transfers on commuter routes

Scenario 1 - Existing Approach - Revenue Hours 50,832, Revenue Miles 720,159, Peak Vehicles 25,| Passengers 826,024, 20 Hour Operating Day, Estimated Fares $620,424

• Route 50: Serving the US 50 Corridor, including Barton Hospital, from the South Y Transit Center to the Kingsbury Transit Center
• Route 53: Serving the South of US 50 Corridor neighborhoods from the South Y Transit Center to the Kingsbury Transit Center
• Route 19X: Gardnerville/Minden to Carson City
• Route 20X: Stateline Transit Center to Gardnerville/Minden
• Route 23: Connecting Stateline Transit Center, Kingsbury Transit Center, Tahoe Village, and the Ridge Resorts
• East Shore Express: Connecting remote parking areas in Incline Village with Sand
Harbor State Park
• West Shore: Serving the South Y Transit Center to Tahoe City
• Winter Routes 10 (Pioneer Trail); 11 (Casino Corridor); 12 (Ski Run); 13 (US 50); 14 (Boulder/Stagecoach); and 15 (Stateline to Heavenly NV)

Labor Summary - Operators: 41, Maintenance Technicians: 5, Support: 6. 20% pay increase to represented staff.

Expenses are $7,787,859 and Revenues are $7,982,403, a surplus of $194,544.

Scenario 2 - Balanced Approach - Revenue Hours 46,623, Revenue Miles 705,467, Peak Vehicles 16, Passengers 747,672, 16 Hour Operating Day, Estimated Fares $644,424.

• Routes 50A & 50B: The existing Route 50 will be split into two routes mirroring the existing Route 50 serving the U S 50 Corridor, including Barton Hospital, from the South Y Transit Center to the Kingsbury Transit Center, with the added benefit of serving LTCC in both directions. Both routes will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Routes 54 & 55: These are two separate routes that will circulate to the west of LTCC and to the east of LTCC, replacing the existing Route 53. The eastern Route 54 will connect Meyers to the South Y Transit Center, Tahoe Verde, Sierra Gardens, and LTCC. The western Route 55 will connect LTCC and midtown to Stateline, including Kelly Ridge. Both routes will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Route 19X: Gardnerville/Minden to Carson City
• Route 20X: Stateline Transit Center to Gardnerville/Minden
• East Shore Express: Connecting remote parking areas in Incline Village with Sand
Harbor State Park
• West Shore: Serving the South Y Transit Center to Tahoe City
• Winter Routes 10 (Pioneer Trail); and 12 (Ski Run)

Labor Summary - Operators: 31, Maintenance Technicians: 4, Support: 4, 20% pay increase to represented staff.

Expenses are $6,573,604 and Revenues are $6,332,366, a deficit of $241,238.

Scenario 3 - Most Sustainable Approach - Revenue Hours 31,442, Revenue Miles 473,698, Peak Vehicles 15, Passengers 541,164, 12 Hour Operating Day, Estimated Fares $570,424

• Route 50A & 50B: The existing Route 50 will be split into two routes mirroring the existing Route 50 serving the US 50 Corridor, including Barton Hospital, from the South Y Transit Center to the Kingsbury Transit Center with the added benefit of serving LTCC in both directions. Both routes will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Route 54: Connects LTCC and midtown to Stateline, including Kelly Ridge. Route will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Route 18X: Commuter service to Meyers twice a day
• Route 19X: Gardnerville/Minden to Carson City
• Route 20X: Stateline Transit Center to Gardnerville/Minden
• East Shore Express: Connecting remote parking areas in Incline Village with Sand
Harbor State Park
• West Shore: Serving the South Y Transit Center to Tahoe City
• Winter Routes 10 (Pioneer Trail); and 12 (Ski Run)

Labor Summary - Operators: 29, Maintenance Technicians: 4, Support: 4, 20% pay increase to represented staff.

Expenses are $6,442,301 and Revenues are $6,440,209, a deficit of $2,092.

Scenario 4 - Aspirational Step Approach - Revenue Hours 71,690, Revenue Miles 957,808, Peak Vehicles 29, Passengers 998,791, 20 Hour Operating Day, Estimated Fares $720,845.

Operational Summary
• Route 50A & 50B: The existing Route 50 will be split into two routes mirroring the existing Route 50 serving the US 50 Corridor, including Barton Hospital, from the South Y Transit Center to the Kingsbury Transit Center, with the added benefit of serving LTCC in both directions. Both routes will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Route 54 & 55: These are two separate routes that will circulate to the west of LTCC and to the east of LTCC, replacing the existing Route 53. The eastern Route 54 will connect Meyers to the South Y Transit Center, Tahoe Verde, Sierra Gardens, and LTCC. The western Route 55 will connect LTCC and midtown to Stateline, including Kelly Ridge. Both routes will operate every thirty (30) minutes.
• Route 19X: Gardnerville/Minden to Carson City
• Route 20X: Stateline Transit Center to Gardnerville/Minden
• Route 21X: Stateline Transit Center to Carson City
• Route 23: Connecting Stateline Transit Center, Kingsbury Transit Center, Tahoe Village, and the Ridge Resorts
• East Shore Express: Connecting remote parking areas in Incline Village with Sand
Harbor State Park
• West Shore: Serving the South Y Transit Center to Tahoe City
• Winter Routes 10 (Pioneer Trail); 11 (Expanded Casino Corridor); 12 (Ski Run –
expanded to include lodging properties west of Ski Run); 13 (US 50); 14
(Boulder/Stagecoach); and 15 (Stateline to Heavenly NV)

Labor Summary: Operators: 58, Maintenance Technicians: 6, Support: 9, 20% pay increase to represented staff + $750/monthly allowance for in-basin residents.

Expenses are $9,301,578 and Revenues are $8,030,899, a deficit of $1,270,679.

Next steps: There was going to be public comment gathered for the next 30 days, then decisions discussed, but that public comment period won't start until the TTD board meeting in May. The board is looking for creative ways to make transit work in the area.

The next two board meetings will be held at the TRPA offices on Kingsbury Grade. The May meeting will focus on the scenarios, and the June meeting will be the US50 Revitalization Project decision.