Report: Waukesha Metro Transit has Favorable Performance

Waukesha Metro Transit has a favorable performance for cost-effectiveness, farebox recovery and service per person in area, according to a draft report reviewing the system completed by Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

“The system was improving compared with its peers in the number of passengers it carried per capita,” the report states. “The system’s passenger productivity was below average and declining in comparison to the peers. However, even in the areas of below average performance, the results for Waukesha Metro Transit were not significantly out of line from the peer average.”

The draft report also states city and transit staff works well with the system’s decision making and policies, creating no need for change.

The city's Transit Commission will be discussing the report in detail during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 201 Delafield St.

The draft report suggests no changes to route nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 during the weekday performance. However, route nos. 1, 6,7 and 15 “merit further study to determine if changes to improve performance should be considered.”

The draft reports states that the majority of the weekend routes meet performance targets but some of the routes could use improvement.

During the hours of 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. during weekdays, route nos. 2, 4, 8 and 9 operate at “acceptable performance levels.” The other routes –nos. 1, 3, 5/6 and 7 – did not meet any of the performance levels and potential change can be considered, the report states.

None of the routes reached maximum capacity, the report states, and route nos. 3, 7 and 15 were not more than 50 percent full. Rout nos. 2 and 7 could operate with smaller buses, the report states.

“Issues other than passenger loads should be examined when considering whether smaller vehicles should be added to the transit system’s bus fleet,” the report states.

The report also address the public perception that the Waukesha Metro Transit buses are empty and do not need to use 35-foot buses.

“If a resident sees a large bus that is empty or nearly empty at the end of the route or during an off-peak time period, they may think that operating a 35-foot bus is wasteful and inefficient,” the report states. “However, the size of the transit vehicle needed on a route is determined by the maximum passenger load on the route, which usually occurs only once or twice a day.”

Other items of interest included in the report:

• Fringe benefits in 2008 accounted for more than 36 percent of operating costs. Fringe benefits accounted for 29 percent of operating costs among its Wisconsin peers and 24 percent for the national peer group.
• The $2 adult fares charged to ride the bus is the highest of all peer systems.
• The average cost per rider during the week is $4.41 per person with evening service averaging $7.53. During Saturdays, the cost increases to $5.01 per person and it is $5.45 per person on Sundays. Farebox recovery fluctuates between 11.6 percent and 19.6 percent average recovery.
• The transit system is above average when compared to similar systems across the state and country.
• Only two other bus systems in the Waukesha Metro Transit’s peer group offer Sunday service. The two other systems are La Crosse and Johnstown, PA.
• Some routes could use later hours to serve those working in retail.