January 2007

The following actions were taken during the RTA’s Board of Directorsmonthly meeting on Thursday, January 25, 2007:

Caltrans Clarifi es Farebox Recovery Regulation

RTA may fi nd it easier to implement new routes and improve existing ones thanks to arecent clarifi cation of state farebox regulations, according to a presentation given to BoardMembers. Until now, the California Department of Transportation interpreted state regulationsas requiring all new bus routes and existing ones changing more than 25 percent to be temporarilyexcluded from farebox recovery calculations. Such interpretation of the law restrictedRTA’s ability to increase service frequency or hours of service. The farebox recovery requirementis designed to ensure that a certain percentage of the Agency’s operating expenses comesfrom passenger fares.

New Passes Are Hit Among Passengers

The 7-Day Pass appears to be gaining support among passengers who say they like theconvenience of buying the new pass on the bus, as well as its economical price, according tofocus group results provided to board members today. An assessment of the 7-Day Pass showed631 people used the pass in December, an increase of 22 percent from numbers presented lastfall. The 10-Tripper, which debuted in December, has provided passengers with another optionfor savings, but it’s too early to accurately gauge its success, according to the report.

December Ridership on the Rise

Board members received new data showing RTA ridership continuing to rise. In December,the Agency logged more than 542,000 riders. Weekday ridership was up 1.86 percent, comparedto this time last year. When comparing fi scal year to date, systemwide ridership is up2.5 percent, directly operated routes increased nearly 1 percent, contracted routes grew 10.5percent, and the number of people using Dial-A-Ride went up 14.1 percent.

Public Hearing Approved for Proposed Rt. 50 Change

Board members approved a public hearing for the proposed changes to Route 50, alsoknown as the Jury Trolley. RTA has been notifi ed that the parking lot at the corner of Third andMarket streets will no longer be used by the courts. With the elimination of that destination forjurors, RTA staff will assess whether to delete a segment of the route north of the downtownterminal.

Comprehensive Operational Analysis Moving Forward

Board members received information from the fi rm conducting the ongoing ComprehensiveOperational Analysis. A representative from the IBI Group said the study could be readyfor board approval as early as this spring. The analysis is designed to examine everything fromscheduling to bus stop locations to route alignments. The fi ndings could help RTA upgraderoutes, bring buses to underserved areas and provide passengers with smoother transfers toMetrolink stations.