THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND TRANSIT DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL
This item supports the Board’s Vision and Goals for “Creating an Efficient and and Accessible Regional Intermodal Transportation Network”.
Staff is requesting approval to add two grant-funded Bus Traffic Controllers positions, to support the I-95 and I-595 Express Bus Services. These positions are funded by the Supplemental Joint Participation Agreement (SJPA) No. 2 for $2,434,476 approved by the Board on June 6, 2017, Item No. 53, but were not included in the item.
As background, at its January 8, 2008 meeting (Item No. 56), the Board approved Broward County Transit Division’s (BCT) participation as a key partner for the transit component of the I-95 Express Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) between the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and FDOT Districts 4 and 6. Phase 1A of this UPA project converted the northbound high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes along I-95 in Miami-Dade County from I-195 to the Golden Glades Interchange into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. Tolls are variable priced based upon demand and collected electronically via "SunPass" transponders. Phase 1B converted the southbound I-95 lanes in Miami-Dade County from the Golden Glades area to just north of S.R. 836. Phase 2 converted the lanes from Golden Glades to I-595 in Broward County. As part of the overall project, BCT implemented an express bus system (I-95 Express) in cooperation with Miami-Dade Transit that transports commuters from Broward County to Miami-Dade County using the HOT lanes.
BCT began operating the I-95 Express service during morning and afternoon peak traffic hours weekdays between Pembroke Pines and downtown Miami in January 2010. In January 2011, an additional I-95 Express route was added between Miramar (Miramar Transit Center) and downtown Miami with stops along the Miami Civic Center business district. The service was so popular that standing room only loads were common on the 60-foot articulated buses used for the service and additional buses and improved frequency was added to the service with supplemental funding from FDOT.
As part of the I-595 improvement project, the Broward County Transit Division (BCT) worked closely with FDOT to initiate the provision of express bus service both during and after construction. The I-595 Express bus service began operations in mid-2012. Express bus service is designed to remove long-distance single-occupant vehicle trips from the I-595 corridor, thereby reducing congestion on the general purpose lanes and improving capacity and mobility for all travelers. The service operates between the BB&T Center Park & Ride lot in western Broward County to downtown Miami and to the Miami Civic Center/Health District in Miami-Dade County.
In January 2014, additional service was added to the I-95 and I-595 Express routes. The costs to operate and maintain the Express routes are funded by FDOT grants, as well as farebox revenue.
In 2016, BCT implemented a new Computer Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system which is a high end sophisticated monitoring and communications system for tracking and managing transit bus operations. The system allows for real-time monitoring of bus service by Bus Traffic Controllers who communicate with bus operators and BCT's Customer Service Center on any unforeseen delays due to traffic, weather, breakdowns, and/or re-routing due to construction activities.
The addition of two grant-funded Bus Traffic Controllers who are dedicated to the I-95 and I-595 express services will allow BCT to efficiently and effectively manage both the I-95 and I-595 Express Bus Services meeting the standards set for this service. |