CHAPTER 7 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Goal 1: Access/Mobility Goal 2: Safety Goal 5: Land Use and

Transportation Goal 6: Economic Development

And Transportation Goal 7: Regional Equity And

Financial Plan

CHAPTER 7 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

This chapter describes public transportation services in the region along with MPO objectives and recommended actions for improving public transit. For the purpose of this Plan, public transportation is defined as any transportation service provided by either the public or private sector that is available to the general public. Plan Goals Directly Addressed By This Chapter The MPO’s efforts to increase expand and promote public transportation in the region is most directly related to Goal 1, in that improved transit service will increase mode choice for the people of the region, and provide mobility for people without access to private vehicles. Goal 2 is addressed in efforts such as Operation Lifesaver that encourage transportation safety. Use of transit instead of driving alone reduces emissions of air pollutants, addressing Goal 5. Economic vitality in the region is supported by public transit, as many in the workforce depend on transit to get to work. Even for those who have an option to drive, transit can provide an attractive alternative, and employee transit benefit programs help make regional industry more competitive in attracting workers. Finally, a lack of adequate transit funding has for years been a problem in the region and the state as a whole. Solving this problem must be a central goal of the MPO. A. Background Public transportation clearly plays an important role in addressing the mobility, traffic, and air quality issues this region is facing. It represents a more efficient use of the existing roadway network, by carrying passengers that might otherwise be driving their own vehicles. A successful public transportation system can remove a significant number of vehicles from the roadways, thus reducing the amount of harmful emissions. Public transportation also plays a key role in the regional economy, providing access to employment for those who do not drive themselves, due to personal choice, age, income, or disability. However, many factors challenge public transportation. Land use patterns, which have emerged in our auto-dominated society, relatively low residential density and separation of land uses, are often incompatible with traditional public transportation, which operates best in an area with high population/development densities and mixed land uses. B. Existing Public Transportation Services in the Seacoast In the MPO study area, public transportation is provided by both public and private entities, as shown in Map 7.1. COAST is a publicly funded public bus provider for a portion of the study area. Wildcat Transit obtains funding

2007-2026 Long Range Transportation Plan Strafford MPO

7-2 Public Transportation

through student fees, university contributions and municipal support. In addition, several private companies provide inter-city transportation to the general public. The following is a listing of bus transportation services, tourist/seasonal bus services, planned passenger rail services, and inter-modal transfer sites in the Seacoast area. 1. Local & Regional Bus Service There are five transportation providers offering year-round fixed-route bus service in the MPO study area. Fixed route service operates under a set schedule, traveling between specific origins and destinations. The two public providers are COAST and Wildcat Transit, and one private bus company: C&J Trailways. A description of the services offered by each follows: COAST - Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation Information: (603) 743-5777 ● www.coastbus.org COAST is a public non-profit transit system charged with the task of providing and promoting public transportation in Southeastern New Hampshire. COAST currently provides fixed route service in the region with a mixed fleet of vehicles. COAST also provides complementary demand response service in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Regional Transportation Coordination is an effort being pursued by COAST and various health and human service organizations in the region that provide transportation services to their clients. This effort requires the cooperation of public and private organizations that offer transit services to pool their resources to enhance regional transit offerings. Wildcat Transit - University of New Hampshire Information: (603) 862-2328 ● www.unh.edu/parking/routes.html Wildcat Transit provides three fixed routes for the use of their students, staff, faculty, and general public. Routes 3-5 connect the UNH campus to the Newmarket, Dover, and Portsmouth. Extensive shuttle bus service is also provided on campus and from satellite parking lots to campus. All services are open to the public for a market-based fare.





COAST ROUTE 1 Dover Berwick, Maine Service connecting Dover, Somersworth, and Berwick, Maine COAST ROUTE 2 Rochester Portsmouth Service Rochester, Somersworth, Dover, Newington, and Portsmouth WILDCAT TRANSIT ROUTE 3 Durham Dover Routes 3A and 3B, originating at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, operate counter-clockwise primarily on NH Routes 108 and 155, with stops along Central Avenue WILDCAT TRANSIT ROUTE 4 Durham Portsmouth Routes 4A and 4B, originating at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, operate primarily along NH Route 4 and NH Route 16, with stops in the malls and Market Square WILDCAT TRANSIT ROUTE 5 Durham Newmarket Service along NH Route 108, with stops in residential and downtown areas COAST ROUTE 6 Farmington Rochester Service along NH Route 11 between Farmington and Rochester COAST ROUTE 7 Exeter Portsmouth Service between Exeter and Portsmouth via Stratham, Newmarket, and Greenland COAST TROLLEY Pease Tradeport Downtown Portsmouth Lafayette Road Service connecting Pease Tradeport, the Portsmouth Transportation Center, the malls in Newington, Downtown Portsmouth, the Community Campus, and points south on Lafayette Road DOVER COMMUNITY ROUTES Three routes provide circulator service within Dover, including downtown and Dover High School



2. Scheduled Intercity Bus Service

C&J Trailways Information: 1-800-258-7111, www.cjtrailways.com C&J Trailways is an inter-city bus line operating between the NH Seacoast and Boston, serving points including Durham, Portsmouth/Pease, Newburyport and Logan Airport. The C&J schedule includes up to 23 round trips daily between locations. In downtown Boston, C&J utilizes the South Station Transportation Center, where passengers can connect with other bus lines and passenger rail, serving the entire continental United States. Service at Logan Airport is provided to all passenger concourses. 3. Other Public Transportation Services In addition to the transportation providers listed above, there are a number of other transportation services available to residents of the Strafford MPO communities. These can most easily be differentiated by type of service provided. Shuttle & Taxi Services: At least twenty companies offer shuttle services between the Seacoast and Logan and Manchester Airports. Both door-to-door service and scheduled pickups at central locations are available. Ten companies also offer local taxi service. A listing of services is available in the Seacoast Regional Alternative Transportation Guide online at: http://www.rpc-nh.org/mpos.htm. Special Population Services: In Strafford and Rockingham Counties, there are approximately 97 health and human service agencies that provide transportation services. Each program provides transportation to their specific clientele; some provide services directly while others contract for services with other agencies. Specific information about the kinds of services available through human resource agencies in the study area is available in the Seacoast Regional Transportation Guide online at: http://www.rpc-nh.org/mpos.htm. 4. Passenger Rail Service The Downeaster Boston to Portland Service: The long awaited Downeaster passenger rail service began in December 2001 with four round trips/day, and has met or exceeded ridership projections. Station communities in New Hampshire include Dover, Durham, and Exeter. The train service was not structured as a commuter service, however many riders use it to commute to Boston. The state of Maine initiated the effort to restore passenger service from Boston North Station to Portland in 1989, and is the primary funding source for the train.


http://www.cjtrailways.com/

http://www.rpc-nh.org/mpos.htm

http://www.rpc-nh.org/mpos.htm


5. Inter-modal Transfer Points Inter-modal connections with public transportation are shown in Table 7.1. Park and Rides, which also serve as inter-modal transfer points, are described in greater detail in Chapter 8. The region has several major transfer points at which passengers can transfer from the automobile to public and private transit routes, to intra- and inter-city bus routes, and to the Boston to Portland passenger rail service. It is important to make all inter-modal connection sites accessible to both bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as to cars and buses. Table 7.1 Inter-modal Transfer Points

Town Location Connects To Portsmouth Market Square COAST, Wildcat Transit, intercity bus Portsmouth NH 33 at I-95, Exit 3 COAST, intercity bus, bicycle path Dover Shaw's COAST, Wildcat Transit Durham Main St & Mill Rd Wildcat Transit, intercity bus Dover Chestnut & Third St COAST, Wildcat Transit, intercity bus, Amtrak, bicycle pathDurham Dairy Bar on Main St Wildcat Transit, Amtrak, intercity bus Exeter Lincoln St COAST, Amtrak

6. Passenger Airline Service Daily passenger airline service is available from the Pease Tradeport. All passenger airline service out of the TradePort is run by Guilford Transportation through one of two subsidiary airlines: Pan American Airways (purchased out of bankruptcy by Guilford in 1998), and Boston & Maine Airways. Pan Am offers daily service to Sanford/Orlando, FL; Bangor, ME; and starting in May 2003, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Boston & Maine Airways offers daily flights to Baltimore, MD; Bedford, MA, Cumberland, MD; Hagerstown, MD; Manchester, NH; Martha's Vineyard, MA; Westchester, NY; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and St. John's, New Brunswick. Service to Hyannis and Nantucket, MA, is available during the summer. Pan Am also houses its aircraft maintenance operation, known as Pan Am Services, at Pease. C. Progress Since Adoption of 1999-2020 Long Range Plan Encouraging progress has been made in expansion of local and regional public transportation service since the adoption of the 1999-2020 Long Range Plan: Establishment of Downeaster rail service with five round trips per day

between Portland and Boston, with stops in Dover, Durham, and Exeter.

Establishment of Boston-bound commuter bus service from the Dover train station.



Initiation by COAST of the Pease-Portsmouth Trolley in 2000, offering service to Market Square, Pease Tradeport, the malls in Newington, and intermediate stops on Islington Street, Borthwick Avenue, and Woodbury Avenue.

Initiation by COAST of service in Portsmouth from Market Square down Lafayette Road/US 1 connecting downtown with Portsmouth High School, retail destinations, and human service centers at the Portsmouth Community Campus.

Initiation by COAST of three community transit routes in Dover.

Replacement and expansion of COAST bus fleet.

Implementation of an internet-based Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) system on COAST buses to improve customer service.

Cooperative funding by the State of New Hampshire and the State of Maine to promote alternative commute options in the I-95 and NH 16 corridors.

D. Public Transportation Issues Several major issues affect the quantity and quality of transit service in the Seacoast. The most significant of these are funding related. Efforts continue to find creative solutions to the challenging environment for transit. Increasingly, we are seeing private niche transit services spring up in response to demand. The MPO works with private transit providers and strongly encourages public-private partnerships in transit. 1. Funding Limited federal, state and local funding has been and will continue to be a major limiting factor in the implementation of public transportation projects in the region. COAST and other transit systems in New Hampshire have difficulty in securing adequate nonfederal matching funding to allow them to access FTA funding allocated to the region. Most states in the U. S. have designated funding sources for financing transit within their boundaries (e.g. gas tax, vehicle registration tax, tire tax, lottery tax, turnpike tolls, sales tax, license plate fees, cigarette tax, motor vehicle excise tax, air emissions fee and others.) In New Hampshire, state courts have interpreted the Constitution to limit use of state gas tax and vehicle registration funds to roads. To date, the state provides only limited direct grant assistance to transit. Past attempts to create a state transit fund from a set-aside of the Highway Fund have been unsuccessful. Historically, COAST has relied on voluntary contributions from local municipalities it serves. COAST calculates and requests a dollar amount from each community, but does not have the authority to require that communities supply the funds. In order for the region to access any increased federal or state



2007-2026 Long Range Transp

funding for public transportation, future local matching funds must also be committed. There are two basic funding options that could be implemented to secure local funding of public transportation in the region: creation of a regional transit authority or implementation of a local or regional transit tax. These options, and all other creative financing methods, should be considered for the long-term financial strength of public transportation both in the Strafford MPO region and statewide. A local option tax for transit could be used to replace the need for general fund appropriations for transit support. Amended RSA 261:153 (HB 648 of 1997), is an example of a local option tax. This law allows municipalities to raise $1 to $5 per vehicle registration. The money would be retained within the community and could be used for a variety transportation needs. The municipality may choose to spend the money on a local match for transportation infrastructure improvements or to fund transit, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, or road repair. While a limited number of town have adopted this fee, the 2002 Regional Transportation Survey showed a majority of respondents supporting a $5/vehicle fee if the funding is used for bicycle/pedestrian facilities (81%), and expanded local and regional transit service (57%). Dover has adopted this fee, and uses the proceeds as matching funds for Transportation Enhancement and CMAQ grant applications. Other communities are considering adoption. Congestion or transit impact fees, also considered local option taxes, are monetary assessments imposed upon developers to mitigate the impact of their new projects on transit services. In 1991, the NH Legislature passed legislation formally enabling the use of impact fees in New Hampshire. Impact fees must be limited to capital improvements. Congestion and transit impact fees are justified on grounds that development will exacerbate peak-hour congestion problems and create the need for more public transportation. Therefore, developers pay a fair share of the cost to increase the capacity of the transit (and highway) system. 2. Land Use

Strafford MPO

The Strafford MPO land use patterns range from dense, traditional urban centers to rural towns. Although less dispersed than many developing areas in the United States, our area is becoming increasingly spread out and land uses increasingly segregated. This creates a need for more travel. Unfortunately, this increasingly dispersed development is not efficiently served by traditional fixed route transit. Increasingly, the Regional Planning Commissions are

“Transit supported development” isa strategy to shape land use anddevelopment to support use of amulti-modal transportation system.This means land use planningwhich is intended to increaseconcentrations of populations andemployment in transit corridors andnodes of transit service. This alsoencourages mixed land use, anddesign development and publicright-of-way improvements that arepedestrian oriented.

ortation Plan


promoting mixed use and pedestrian friendly development, which is more amenable to transit. Another major issue in the Seacoast area is a growing spatial mismatch of jobs and housing. Job growth has increased in the Portsmouth/Pease vicinity. Population growth, driven by lower cost housing, has occurred in the communities to the north, like Rochester. This and other issues related to transportation and land use are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 10. 3. Coordination of Services

Coordination of transit services improves the performance of individual transportation providers as well as overall mobility within a region. Coordination strategies range on a continuum from simple sharing of information, to shared route planning, to brokerage systems, to consolidated systems where one agency provides all public transit services in a region. In a brokerage system, one agency serves as a central contact point for trip reservations, scheduling trips on vans run by other agencies. These agencies provide the trips, and then bill the brokerage for the service provided. The brokerage in turn bills funding agencies or funding pools, such as Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF or welfare), FTA funds, etc. Agencies providing transit services are often reluctant to participate in coordination efforts initially, as they require a change in operations and a reorganization of funding. The tendency is for coordination efforts to start small with a few participating agencies and to grow as other agencies see the system work. In New Hampshire, brokerage systems are being developed for the Greater Derry-Salem region and Greater Seacoast region. In the Seacoast, the "Transportation Coordination and Consolidation" effort (or TC2) was initiated by COAST in 1997 to help coordinate purchasing of capital equipment, insurance and other system needs for paratransit, as well as the delivery of paratransit services. COAST hired a consultant to develop a plan for initiating service coordination, and generated interest in participation from a small subset of the service providers in the region. Federal Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) funding has been secured to implement a coordination pilot project. This project was on hold while COAST transitioned to in-house management of its operations, and was revitalized in 2003/2004. Another issue related to coordination of human service transportation is providing adequate liability coverage for volunteer drivers. Human service agencies participating the plan update visioning process indicated increasing difficult in recruiting volunteer drivers due to fear of liability. This problem was also identified in the TC2 planning process. Volunteer drivers are specifically excluded from the provisions of Good Samaritan laws that limit volunteer liability in other settings. Potential solutions to this problem include an expansion of the scope of Good Samaritan laws; and/or establishment of blanket



liability coverage for volunteer drivers who meet safety standards based on their driving record. 4. Marketing and Education

Transportation promotions should: 1: Make people aware of the problems created by the single occupant vehicle, 2: Promote the role of transit in reducing those problems, 3: Make efforts to change the stigma regarding transit, and 4: Provide readily accessible information about service and access.

Marketing and education activities targeted at promoting public transportation can help increase ridership, and thus should be viewed as integral parts of creating a viable and successful public transportation system. Public and private transit operators need to actively promote and advertise their services just as other businesses do with their products. In the past, marketing and education of transit has not played a large role in the Strafford MPO region. However, effective

marketing of transit can affect the entire future of the service. Transit should be marketed just like any other product but the task will be more difficult. 5. Intra-City Transit Needs

In recent years, there has been a call for increased intra-city transit service, i.e. within the city boundaries. COAST provides a connection between large municipalities in the region like Dover, Rochester, Portsmouth, and Durham but there has been limited ability to get around the city once in it. This has been a problem for transit dependent riders who need to get to locations other than those along the limited route, but substantial progress has been made in the past several years. Wildcat Transit’s campus shuttle provides these connections in Durham. COAST's Dover Community Routes have initiated such service in Dover, while the city has secured federal and state funding for an expanded downtown transit loop. E. MPO Objectives & Policies Related to Public Transportation There are many policy changes that can and should be implemented in order to build a healthy transit system. A healthy transit system results in less demand for highways, less congestion, and reduced emissions. This, in the end, reduces personal and public transportation costs. The following policy recommendations related to public transportation are keyed to relevant objectives identified in Chapter Two.



Objective 1.1 Encourage the coordination and integration of existing modes of transportation and promote the development of new Intermodal transportation connections, facilities and services. Continue passenger rail service between Portland and Boston including the

expanded commute hour schedule daily service.

Expand the regional system of Park & Ride lots integrated with local and inter-city bus and rail service.

Objective 1.4 Develop and maintain transportation facilities and services that meet the special needs of the elderly, low-income families, the physically and emotionally challenged, and those without access to private automobiles. Support and encourage the coordination of resources and efforts of

transportation providers toward developing a more efficient transit system throughout the region.

Assist COAST and member urban municipalities in developing and implementing intra city transit routes to allow for better internal mobility.

Objective 1.6 Actively promote the expansion, awareness, and use of transportation alternatives in the region, such as bicycling, walking, and public transportation, instead of single occupancy vehicles. Expand regional marketing of public transportation.

Develop a schools outreach program similar to the Southern Maine RPC's Kids and Transportation program, promoting understanding of the transportation system and use of alternatives to the automobile.

Objective 5.1 Support the coordination of land use and transportation planning to ensure that existing and future industrial, commercial, service centers and housing concentrations are adequately connected by the region's transportation system; and appropriately located to preserve the quality of life in surrounding areas.

Increase service on all COAST routes to make transit a viable, convenient alternative to driving for a larger segment of the community.

Work with individual municipalities, the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the NH Office of Energy and Planning to: 1) develop zoning regulations which encourage compact and limited mixed use development, where appropriate, to allow more efficient servicing by public transportation, and 2) establish site plan and subdivision regulations which accommodate pedestrians and public transportation facility needs.



Objective 7.2 Solicit the participation of local officials, community groups, and individual citizens in the transportation planning process. Encourage all private and public transportation operators, as well as

members of other community organizations, to attend and participate in the MPO's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings.

Objective 9.1 Encourage the state and municipalities to provide continuous, dedicated funding assistance for the development of non-highway projects such as public transit, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Assist communities in analyzing and adopting local vehicle registration fees as provided for under HB 648/RSA 261:153, to provide a funding stream for transit improvements.

Assist public transportation providers in securing funding from municipalities and private sources to support transit service improvements.

Support a change/reinterpretation of the state constitution to allow dedicated funding assistance for public transportation from state gas tax and/or vehicle registration revenues.

Encourage and monitor further legislative proposals regarding state support for public transportation, and take supportive actions as appropriate. The MPO encourages individual members, agencies, and organizations to contact their own legislators to express their views on state support for public transportation.

Continue to educate the public, state representatives, and others on the merits of transit and the need for dedicated state funding.

Explore the potential for flexing federal transportation funds from traditional highway uses to support public transportation in the region.

Encourage communities to establish Congestion Impact Fee requirements for funding public transportation.

Objective 10.2 Prioritize projects and programs that contribute to the achievement of federal air quality standards. Expand use of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies in the region,

including bio-diesel, compressed natural gas, solar-electric, and hybrid fossil fuel/electric.

Objective 10.8 Encourage and support projects and plans that aim to make social and public services and recreational and cultural activities available by multiple modes of transportation. Initiate rail and bus options in the NH 16 corridor North to the Lakes and

White Mountain Regions.



F. Programmed and Planned Public Transportation Projects Transit Projects in the 2003-2005 TIP Dover downtown transit loop (#13509) ($500,000) - This project will provide

intra-city transit service. 2000 CMAQ project.

Durham rail station improvements (#13868) ($190,000) - Expansion of accessible platform, indoor waiting area, improved access for pedestrians and buses to platform. 2002 CMAQ project.

COAST Marketing Initiative (#13859) ($225,000) - Expansion of COAST marketing efforts to promote transit ridership. 2002 CMAQ project.

Transit Projects in the State Ten Year Plan

COAST Spaulding Turnpike Express Service ($1.1 Million) - COAST commute hour express service connecting Rochester, Somersworth, Dover, and Portsmouth. This will require Park & Ride lots serving Dover and Rochester. 2002 CMAQ project.

Durham/UNH Main Street Improvements ($630,000)-Transit/bicycle/ pedestrian improvements from western edge of campus to Pettee Brook Lane. 2002 CMAQ project not yet added to the STIP. 2002 CMAQ project.

Transit Projects Envisioned But Not Programmed The following are transit projects that have been identified by towns, public comment, or MPO staff as regional needs, but for which no funding or construction schedule has been determined. Cost estimates, where they are available, should be taken as order of magnitude only, and are not intended to be used for programming of projects within the TIP. For project programming additional detail regarding the scope, schedule, and costs of a project should be developed.

Portsmouth-Seabrook Bus Service on US 1 ($500,000) - Service along US 1 corridor from Portsmouth to Seabrook. Capital plus three years operating. This could be an extension of planned COAST pulse route service on Lafayette Road.

Expanded Downeaster Schedule - ($13.5 Million - Vision Element)

Expand Downeaster schedule to improve service during commute hours. Capital cost of an additional train set, and three years operating subsidy.

Increased Service Frequency on all COAST Routes (Cost TBD) – Service

improvements on all existing COAST routes to include regularizing a decreasing headways.




Demand Response Transit Coordination ($300,000) - Expansion of paratransit service including coordination with regional human service transportation providers.

Route 16 Bus Service - ($1.2 Million) Intercity bus service on NH 16 from the Seacoast to Conway, including communities in Northern Strafford County. Capital and three years operating costs shown.

G. Conclusion In conclusion, the Strafford MPO believes that public transportation can be a viable alternative form of travel in many specific corridors of the region. Public transportation is a necessity of the future in terms of air quality, economics, tourism, and general quality of life. It can play a positive role in economic development, regional mobility, and accessibility. It enhances, not replaces our highway system. Public transportation is an essential part of a balanced transportation system; and it must be developed, evaluated, and constantly modified to remain cost-effective and tailored to user needs.

Documents

CHAPTER 7 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION