Annual Report 2011/2012
A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2 Welcome John C. Spychalski Board Chairman Hugh A. Mose General Manager A Message from the Chairman and General Manager Welcome to the sixth edition of the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) Annual Report. This document provides a snapshot of CATA s organizational structure, financial picture, recent accomplishments and plans for the future, and also includes highlights about our CATA family. It shows how busy the CATA team is not only in making sure that there is a driver for every bus, a bus for every trip, and the requisite organizational support behind the scenes but also in implementing service changes, new technologies, and capital projects, and laying the groundwork for activities to be pursued over the coming year. Funding issues have continued to overshadow CATA s ability to move ahead with both service enhancements and capital investments. The lack of action to address Pennsylvania s transportation funding crisis has caused CATA to defer a number of needed investments, while passage of the new federal transportation funding bill, MAP-21, eliminated the provision in predecessor legislation that had supported large portions of CATA s major capital asset acquisitions. On a positive note, funding obtained before MAP-21 took effect enabled CATA to purchase and place into service twenty-eight (28) new buses. Additionally, we have been able to embark on design work for a major expansion of our bus maintenance facility, for which grant funding has largely been secured. Looking ahead to the coming year, CATA will be confronted with two major challenges to the fulfillment of our mission. First, the lack of sufficient operating funds will continue to impact our ability to meet the growing demand for public transportation in our community. This will be seen most clearly as we try to cope with the impact of the four new student housing complexes that are scheduled to open by next fall. On the capital side, the overarching issue will be securing the remaining funding and completing the architectural and engineering work so that by next summer we can be out to bid on the construction of a new maintenance building. On behalf of CATA s 150+ employees, as well as the Board of Directors, we want to thank everyone who has contributed to CATA s success over the past year. What has been accomplished would not have been possible without the support of our elected officials in Washington and Harrisburg, the municipalities that provide the required local matching funds, our institutional customers who underwrite much of our passenger revenue, and the thousands of passengers who ride CATA services every day. John C. Spychalski, Chairman Hugh A. Mose, General Manager
CATA At A Glance CATA Mission Statement: To deliver safe, reliable, accessible and affordable transportation, provided in a courteous and environmentally, fiscally and socially responsible manner. Service Area: The CATA service area includes the Authority s five member municipalities: State College Borough and College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton Townships, along with Bellefonte Borough and Benner, Halfmoon and Spring Townships, which contract with the Authority for CATABUS and CATARIDE service. Service Area: 135 square miles Population: Approximately 112,000 Services CATABUS Fixed-route community bus system, consisting of eighteen routes, connecting all participating municipalities with Downtown State College and the Penn State University Park Campus, complemented by fare-free downtown/campus circulator LOOP and cross-campus LINK service. CATARIDE Dial-a-ride service primarily for senior citizens (persons age 65 and over) and persons whose disabilities prevent their use of the CATABUS system. Hours of service and territory covered are generally the same as CATABUS. CATARIDE is operated under contract by Ride Right, LLC. CATACOMMUTE Family of transportation services that includes carpool matching, vanpools and the Guaranteed Ride Home program, as well as other services designed to meet the needs of longdistance commuters traveling into or out of the CATA service area. CATA also serves the remainder of Centre County and much of central Pennsylvania through the CATACOMMUTE program.
CATA CNG Program In 1993, CATA, under the leadership of the Authority s Board of Directors and then General Manager Kevin Abbey, and as a result of a partnership with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, made the decision that, going forward, all new transit buses would be powered by clean compressed natural gas (CNG). This action was taken in response to several national priorities: lowering operating costs for essential services, improving air quality through reduced vehicular emissions, and reducing reliance on imported fuels. CATA also had an interest in being able to use fuel produced locally in Centre County. The transition was completed in 2005 when CATA became the first transit authority on the East Coast to have replaced its entire bus fleet with one powered entirely by alternative fuels. Growing recognition of the importance of the Marcellus Shale to the economy of Pennsylvania, continued national interest in energy independence, and the extremely low price of natural gas relative to petroleum have rekindled interest in the use of CNG as a vehicle fuel. As a result, today the CATA staff regularly hosts visitors from throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation, from elected officials to corporate executives, who are eager to learn all about how the Authority has adopted natural gas as its fuel of choice. Fleet Information Fixed Route: (CATABUS) - 64 buses 60 New Flyer, 30-39-passenger, low-floor, CNG-powered buses (28 of these buses were placed in service in 2012) 4 ElDorado, 26-passenger, low-floor, CNGpowered buses Paratransit: (CATARIDE) - 4 minibuses (operated by Ride Right, LLC) 4 Ford, 12-passenger, lift-equipped minibuses 2 Ford, 12-passenger, lift-equipped minibuses (owned by Ride Right, LLC) Vanpools: (CATACOMMUTE) - 37 vans 29 Ford 12-13-passenger vans 6 Chevrolet 15-passenger vans 2 Freightliner Sprinter 12-passenger vans Representative Glenn Thompson, local elected officials, CATA staff, Board Memebers and supporters dedicate the first of CATA s new Xcelsior buses in early March 2012.
Our Employees CATA Board of Directors John C. Spychalski, Chairman, Ferguson Township Joseph Davidson, Vice Chairman, College Township Richard Kipp, Treasurer, Harris Township Gary Powers/Tom Kurtz, Patton Township Kathryn Bittner/Tammy Gentzel, State College Borough Employees Bus Drivers: 93 Management/Supervisory: 11 Maintenance: 18 Administrative Support: 17 Earlier this year CATA lost one of its finest Bus Drivers, Bob Moses, who passed away as a result of medical complications following a motor vehicle accident. Bob was with CATA for twentytwo years and in addition to driving, had played an integral part in the service planning process for the Authority. A Moment of Remembrance was observed on Sunday, January 22, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. on all CATA buses. A plaque has been placed in Bus #3 in Bob s memory. Employee Anniversaries Twenty-five Years: Freeman Crater, Driver Twenty Years: Don Lightner, Mechanic Employee Retirements Fifteen Years: Lonnie Smith, Driver Justin Schmidt, Operations Supervisor Ten Years: Jerry Roan, Driver John Beaver, Driver Marcy Baker, Maintenance Person Jennylind Crum, Driver Bob Moses, seen here with other members of the Service Planning Team, was instrumental in the planning process, particularly with regard to routing and schedule adjustments.
CATA 2012 Superstars CATA annually recognizes at least one employee at the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association s Annual Meeting as being its Superstar of Public Transportation. This year, CATA recognized two of its most valuable employees at the event. Judi Minor CATA 2012 Superstar: Judith Minor As CATA s Director of Administration for over 25 years, Judi has been resolute in her efforts to maintain the integrity of our business processes and our full compliance with all state and federal regulations. She has also had responsibility for developing budgets, administering grants, conducting procurements, providing accurate and timely financial reports, developing sound risk management practices, and otherwise making sure that CATA is in excellent administrative shape. Becky Kellogg CATA 2012 Superstar: Becky Kellogg Although her position is classified Bookkeeper, in 2009 Becky began taking an interest in an area that, frankly, others didn t have much time for, which was getting people reconnected with items they had left on CATA buses. Observing how poorly CATA s existing Lost and Found system was working, Becky began, at her own initiative, tracking down the owners of various found items. By July 2010, Becky had developed an entirely new program, and as a result, we are able to get lost items returned to their owners quickly and expeditiously. All CATA employees attend bi-annual training, which includes on-the-road instruction on enhancements made to service during the service planning process.
Financials Operating Expenses $12,117,851 Wages & Salaries Benefits Operating Expenses by Category Materials & Supplies Services Misc. Expenses Operating expenses per passenger trip - $1.70 Operating revenues per passenger trip - $0.86 Revenues & Subsidies $12,117,851 Operating Cost Recovery Ratio - 50.3% Passenger Revenues Federal Funding State Funding Local Funding Operating Revenues by Category
Ridership CATABUS Annual Ridership CATABUS Ridership 7,036,832 Average Weekday Ridership during the PSU School Year 34,741 Total Vehicle Miles 1,744,650 Total Revenue Hours 125,207 CATARIDE Ridership 34,655 Seniors 18,361 Persons with Disabilities (non-seniors) 15,127 General Public/Care Attendants 1,102 Total RideShare participants 1,837 Active Carpoolers 234 396 Active Vanpoolers 396 Vanpool Program Total Annual Ridership 56,586 Number of Active Vanpools Average Daily Riders 30/245
FY 2011/2012 Recap CATA and its staff have accomplished much over the past fiscal year. Some of the highlights include: Integrity of the Service As always, the staff has focused most of CATA s organizational energy on the integrity of its services on the street, in the shop and in the office, striving to ensure that the internal business processes of CATA are kept fully in order, and that the Authority consistently provides safe, on-time, customer-friendly, efficient transit service. The Operations staff has developed a performance tracking dashboard this year that enables the staff to pinpoint and deal with problem areas, while a new customer comment tracking system allows us to respond to and follow up on complaints and compliments. Service Changes CATA s annual service planning process for FY 2011/12 was a particularly complicated undertaking. In response to reductions in federal and state funding, in August CATABUS service was cut roughly five percent, and several routes were restructured to improve efficiency. By working creatively, the service planning team managed to avoid outright elimination of any routes, except to the University Park Airport, where ridership was extremely low. The individual trips that we cut were among the least productive in our entire system, and as a result the impacts on CATA s riders have been minimal. CATARIDE On April 1, CATA s long-time paratransit provider, Handy Delivery, was replaced by a new contractor, Ride Right LLC. The new firm brought in a strong start-up team, and as a result the change-over went smoothly, although, as with any transition, there were a few rough edges. Ride Right has modernized and professionalized the system, implementing computerized trip scheduling and reporting as well as enhanced driver training and more consistent adherence to policies and procedures. CATACOMMUTE By the end of the fiscal year, escalating gasoline prices, CATA s outreach efforts, and word-of-mouth had combined to push the number of people registered in the RideShare database to a record high of over 1,800 and the number of active vanpools on the road to 30. One surprising development was the burgeoning carpool and vanpool activity at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, where no fewer than nine vanpools groups have now been established. Exterior Bus Advertising Last summer, in response to declining state and federal subsidies and increasing operating costs, CATA began a pilot program of exterior bus advertising. The trial, conducted with in-house personnel handling all sales, demonstrated that advertising can generate significant revenue, that few of the expected problems actually materialized, that ads can coexist with CATA s brand and image, and that, if done properly, exterior bus advertising will be accepted in the community.
Legislative Advocacy The CATA staff spent time this year actively monitoring the status of state and federal transit funding legislation in light of the reduced funding available to the Authority. Senior management spent time meeting with local, state and federal elected officials and participating in government affairs efforts alongside other transit agencies in Pennsylvania. The General Manager s appointment to the Governor s Transportation Funding Advisory Committee is strong evidence of the respect that CATA enjoys in Harrisburg. In Washington, the General Manager represents the interests of small transit systems nationwide by serving on the American Public Transportation Association s Legislative Steering Committee. Regional Commuter Bus Service In the spring CATA executed an interagency agreement with the Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania (ATA) that will allow ATA to begin running commuter buses from Clearfield County through the Moshannon Valley and into State College. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond CATA s control, the service was not implemented in August as expected. The CATA staff also continues to work with our counterparts at the Centre County Office of Transportation on strategies to better coordinate our respective paratransit services. Site Plan Reviews The CATA staff and the Transportation Planner we share with the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) continued to work with the development community, planning commissions and local elected officials to make sure that new real estate developments are laid out in a way that facilitates transit access and usability. While this activity is always important in making public transportation a viable alternative to driving in newly developed areas of the community, the emergence of several major new student housing complexes during FY 2011/12 made these efforts especially critical this year. Capital Projects Maintenance Facility Expansion Early in the year CATA selected CDM Smith as the design consultants for our maintenance facility expansion project. Throughout the year the staff worked with the firm and their sub-contractors to evaluate the long-term viability of our Cato Park site, undertake the programming for different phases of the overall project, and work with Ferguson Township to address zoning ordinance issues that needed to be resolved in order for our facility to be expanded on our current site. Working with Delta Development Group, the staff submitted a federal grant application that resulted in an award of $12.3 million, by far the largest in CATA s history. Construction also began on the first element of the project, an auxiliary parking lot on the Whitehall Road side of our building. New Buses In the spring, for the first time in more than a decade, CATA took delivery of new full-size buses twentyeight new CNG-powered New Flyer coaches. The first eleven of these buses, which were New Flyer s first Xcelsior models to be powered by CNG, were funded through a combination of federal earmarks secured for CATA by our congressional delegation, and state formula grant monies. The remaining seventeen were funded through a $6.3 million Federal Transit Administration State of Good Repair grant. All of the buses were ready for service in time for the start of the Fall Semester at Penn State. Technology Working with CATA s partner, Avail Technologies, the staff continued to pursue CATA s Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) initiative. Automated Stop Annunciators and Automatic Passenger Counters were placed in service early in the fiscal year and are now fully functional. The availability of APTS data also allowed the development of smart-phone apps that provide real-time bus arrival information, which has proven to be a true killer app. To meet the new Federal Communications Commission s (FTC) narrow-banding requirements, in the summer we replaced major components of our twenty year old
FY 2012/13 Work Plan two-way radio system. The following list highlights some of the key activities that the CATA staff expects to pursue over the coming year. CATA s Core Bus Service As always, most of CATA s transportation efforts will be devoted in the coming year to ensuring that there is a bus on every run, a driver for every bus, and that all of the supporting elements are in place to keep the service running smoothly. At least ninety percent of CATA s organizational energy is devoted to these core functions. Planning and Service Development The opening of no fewer than four large student housing complexes, all of which are expected to contract with CATA for bus service for their tenants, will require the deployment of additional service in several corridors. At the same time, the uncertainty of CATA s state and federal funding may require selected service cuts in other areas. Needless to say, service planning will be a major undertaking over the coming year. Ensuring that new real estate developments are laid out in a way that facilitates transit access and usability will require ongoing effort on the part of the CATA staff and the CRPA Transportation Planner. Legislative Advocacy Although new federal transportation legislation (MAP- 21) was enacted just last year, because it s only a twoyear bill, the staff has already begun to work on the development of the transit industry position on the next bill. Because MAP-21 eliminated the federal discretionary bus and bus facilities account, which CATA has relied on for most major capital investments, we will be especially active in trying to get such funding restored. Meanwhile, if the Governor and the General Assembly put state transportation funding in play, the staff will be fully engaged in Harrisburg, trying to maintain and expand the positive elements of Act 44. Regional Commuter Bus Service CATA and the Centre County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) continue to assist the Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania (ATA) with the planning of commuter bus service from Clearfield, through the Moshannon Valley, and into State College. If and when implemented, the service will provide two commuter trips per day in each direction Monday through Friday. Those using the service are expected to have the option of registering for CATA s Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program. Universal Transit Access Study Over the coming year CATA, with consultant assistance, will complete the evaluation of Universal Transit Access, the concept where a university prepays so that students (and sometimes other members of the community) can enjoy fare-free transit service. The study is looking at a range of alternatives and their likely impact on CATA and the community. The study is being funded by a Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative grant. Exterior Bus Advertising To increase the Authority s revenues to offset, in part, declining federal and state funding, the CATA Board of Directors approved a 12-month extension to last year s pilot exterior bus advertising program. A part-time commissioned salesperson is being hired to actively sell the ads, which will continue to be limited to the tails of the buses. In the spring, when it s time to renew CATA s contract for interior bus advertising, an evaluation of all transit advertising will be undertaken.
CATACOMMUTE Expansion If gasoline prices resume their upward trend, demand for carpools and vanpools is expected to grow. Over the coming year we will acquire at least four more Sprinter vans; between those vans and the vehicles already on hand, we expect to grow the vanpool program by up to five more groups. It is likely that at least one or two of the vans that will go out of service in the spring will be donated to local non-profits for their use in providing human service transportation. Paratransit Coordination A consultant study of the paratransit programs operated by CATA and the Centre County Office of Transportation (CCOT) resulted in a set of recommendations on how the two transportation programs could be more effectively integrated, beginning with the establishment of a Coordination Committee. Over the coming year we hope to move the process forward by beginning to share trips with the CCOT taking some of CATA s Bellefonte trips, while we handle some of the County s trips in the Centre Region. Capital Projects Building Upgrades/Maintenance Facility Expansion The expansion of CATA s bus maintenance and storage facility at Cato Park in Ferguson Township will be our largest undertaking of the coming year, and is by far the largest construction project in CATA history. Estimated to cost in excess of $25.0 million, the multi-year project will include an entirely new bus maintenance building and an expanded bus storage area large enough to meet CATA s expected needs for the next generation. If we are able to maintain the current schedule, by the end of FY 2012/13 the design work should be finished, and the construction documents complete and ready for bidding. Technology Over the coming year CATA will continue pursuing Phase III of the Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) initiative. In addition to upgrading the Avail Infopoint system, onboard video cameras will be installed in the new Xcelsior buses, all of the vanpool vans will be outfitted with GPS units, and two-way radio repeaters will be installed in the bus storage area. Real-time information displays will be installed at the College and Allen Street bus stop, and, as funding permits, other high-volume boarding areas on campus. Vehicles With the new federal transportation bill (MAP-21) eliminating federal discretionary capital funding, it appears that CATA will be unable to purchase any of the twelve remaining option buses included in the current bus procurement. However, we expect to acquire additional vanpool vans and at least one replacement service vehicle. If funding becomes available, we may also purchase one or more additional paratransit vans for the CATARIDE program. We also expect it will be necessary to restore to active status several, and perhaps all, of the 1996 Orion buses in our contingency reserve fleet. On-street Facilities Each year CATA works hard to enhance its on-street facilities such as shelters, benches, information displays, etc., both by investing our own funds and by securing improvements as part of the site plan review process. Early in the fiscal year CATA installed the first of the new Penn State style bus shelters on Shortlidge Road; a second at the new Millennium Science Complex is expected to follow later in the year. Other shelters will also be installed at high boarding volume locations in the community, and through a collaborative effort between Patton Township, the owners of Nittany Crossing apartments and West Penn Power, lighting will be added to the extremely dark bus stop on the Vairo Boulevard curve.
Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) 2081 W. Whitehall Road State College, PA 16801 Tel: (814) 238-CATA(2282) Fax: (814) 238-7643 Web: www.catabus.com / realtime.catabus.com