OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Transit Advisory Board Business Meeting - September 18, 2024

Commissions & Advisory Boards — Wednesday, September 18, 2024
BodyLoudoun County, Virginia
SessionCommissions & Advisory Boards
DateWednesday, September 18, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:22:27

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

So I'm ready.

0:03

Okay.

0:06

Good evening, everybody.

0:09

But also don't know who I am on Ray Bel Pesh.

0:13

And I would like to call the meeting to order.

0:17

Do we have any guests member introduction and do that, right?

0:22

No, yes.

0:23

We have one participant for public comment.

0:27

So would you like to go right ahead?

0:30

Sure.

0:33

So Emily Reese is my name.

0:35

And then I've been writing the so I've been in the Loudoun County community for four years, and there's four years ago, and then I've been riding the bus.

0:42

You look familiar.

0:43

Yeah.

0:46

Um I've been riding community commuter bus for three and a half of the years that I've been here.

0:51

And then I was looking through the board minutes, and haven't been to a meeting before, obviously, but then wondering what some of the decisions were in making the county buses free of service, but then next year, from what I understand, the price for commuter buses is going to go up by a dollar, and then in 2026 is going to go up by another dollar.

1:16

So wondering what the what the ethics and the the reasoning is there for making a service free for a majority of the members of our community, but then for those of us um supposedly going to work, right?

1:29

Is I I mean, is that reasoning that because we have employment that we're expected to pay more, but then those in the community using those free services is assumed that they don't have the means to do so, but then obviously with the commuter bus, um, it's a significant portion of my income.

1:46

I spend at least $400 a month commuting to and from my job.

1:50

And I work for a nonprofit.

1:51

Like this isn't uh it's a rather large investment, but I really appreciate that Loudon County offers that service.

1:59

And I definitely felt the impact last year when there was the strike, and then having to use the rail metro rail, which is a great option, but definitely means that the commuter service was missed.

2:15

And yeah, so hoping that the annual reports from now on can include the financial reporting for how much the local connector buses are costing as well as the commuter buses are costing.

2:33

So I see the ridership numbers, but I don't see the financial numbers.

2:37

That would be a bit simple.

2:41

That's all for me.

2:43

Well, um, what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna pass your question and concern over to Mr.

2:49

Scott.

2:50

Scott, would you like to take that?

2:53

Sure.

2:53

I I can address those answers as to why what has been done has been done.

3:00

Um, on the local fixed route side, the fares have always been a dollar, and yes, the in the presentation that was provided to the board at the main change, it's um the majority of the folks riding the uh local fixed routes were making less than $50,000 a year.

3:22

The majority of the folks riding the commuter buses were making over 150.

3:28

Um the and board guidance, just so you know, board policy for the last seven or eight years is that the commuter bus service is to be revenue, meaning that's advertising revenues will stay eight half the pay for the service.

3:51

It's considered premium bus service as opposed to local transportation, public transportation for those folks in town, you know, that's really designed for challenge folks.

4:03

So that's how that decision was made.

4:06

Um also plays into that is that the majority of the riders who take the bus and work and they're subsidized to the pin $340 a month.

4:22

So it for a number of those folks, they're they're not you know paying pocket either.

4:31

So let me add everything up together.

4:35

That's kind of how those decisions were made.

4:38

Um the commuter bus from the boards, the really the underlying route of why it's so high is that the commuter bus is seen as a premium unnecessary service, especially since rail is here.

5:00

You're sensing barrier in rail, we're sending a bus down the same place that we're already paying millions of dollars to send the metro rail service to.

5:04

So it's it's the option is if you want to higher dollar and take a one send a seat ride, you know, it's gonna be the lack of services, so to speak.

5:15

And then if you don't, then you can take metro rail service down and ride public transportation regularly fast.

5:21

Just to clarify, this is the whole supervisor.

5:25

Not this particular remote.

5:27

Yes, that's good.

5:28

So we are an we are an advisory board and the staff and uh the board of supervisors is that's the policies that we'll settle or it results, it's all and a lot of that.

5:46

If I if I recall correctly, was factored in to when the board 10 years ago decided to participate in Metro when they were looking at the costs of what all of the routes would be, and I used it more for the county a long time ago for the board, and so I think a lot of that was factored in was you know if we continue this service, it would have to be key neutral in order to be able to justify the investment in metro.

6:10

Not that I agree with that, I'm just saying that's the the background.

6:14

That's and that's pretty much the for where that is, and that it is it really mostly has to be because we're we're mirroring.

6:24

Yes, yeah, we'll just go through on just the fact that um the fair system on local buses was up there in the flight and like expensive to run.

6:34

Well, it's it's the same fair systems on their buses, so they're all this they're all the same.

6:40

So um on the the commuter bus or the local fixed route fares to put it in perspective, um, pre-COVID, the fares coming in for the commuter bus were a little over nine million dollars and paid most of the most of the served, and between the advertising and the exit state aid, that we were actually collecting more money that we were bringing in on the commuter bus fares after COVID.

7:07

It's dipped.

7:08

We're at about we're running 50% of the service, we're running about 25% of the people, and the fares are coming in at about two million, they're covering about uh 48, 50, 55 percent of the service rates now.

7:26

And remember, the board policy is to be revenue neutral.

7:29

So every year for the last six years or since COVID, I should say, they've waived the fare the fair neutral, the revenue neutral piece.

7:38

Um but we also haven't had a fare increase since 2019.

7:44

So the cost of living is going up significantly since 2019, and we've been operating under a $10 fair since 2019.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Transportation█████████████████████████████████████████████62%
Paratransit Services█████████████18%
Public Engagement██████8%
Budget███4%
Procedural██3%
Child Abuse Prevention█2%
Microtransit█2%
Public Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Transit Advisory Board Business Meeting - September 18, 2024

The Transit Advisory Board (TAB) convened on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Transit & Commuter Services Office in Leesburg, Virginia. Chair Ray Delpesche led the meeting, which focused on public comments regarding fare equity, transit service updates, ridership trends, and future planning including microtransit and weekend service expansion. Board members discussed the 2024 Annual Report and received detailed staff updates on local, commuter, paratransit, and Silver Line ridership.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of July 10, 2024, Meeting Minutes: The minutes from the July 10, 2024 TAB business meeting were approved unanimously (motion by Vice-Chair Suzi Wilson, seconded by Member Vlad Ovchynnikov).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Emily Reese (Leesburg/Long Haul Commuter rider): Expressed concern about fare equity, noting that local buses will become fare-free on January 1, 2025, while commuter bus fares are set to increase $1 in 2025 and another $1 in 2026. She noted she spends approximately $400 per month commuting to work for a nonprofit organization and requested that future annual reports include financial data on both local and commuter bus costs. Staff (Scott Gross) responded that the policy decision was based on ridership demographics: most local fixed route riders earn under $50,000 annually, while most commuter bus riders earn over $150,000. He also noted that many commuter riders receive a $340/month transit subsidy from their employers, and the board of supervisors has historically required commuter bus to be revenue-neutral. Reese further expressed concern that if the commuter bus stop moves from Dulles Transit Center to Ashburn Metro, the paid parking at Ashburn would be prohibitive for her.
  • Member Vlad Ovchynnikov commented that local buses serve a critical need for low-income residents, older immigrants, and people without driver's licenses, citing an example of a Brazilian immigrant in Sterling who relies on the bus to get to work in Leesburg.

Discussion Items

  • 2024 Annual Report: Staff (Sarah Kleckner) outlined a timeline for the annual report, with the final version due at the November 13 TAB meeting and presentation to the Board of Supervisors in December. Vice-Chair Suzi Wilson volunteered to consolidate input and will circulate a skeleton draft within a two-week deadline. Members discussed including anecdotal feedback (e.g., Metro use by youth) and ensuring the report covers accomplishments, future goals, and financial data.
  • Transit Service & Ridership Updates (Scott Gross):
    • Commuter Bus: Ridership remains flat, not growing or shrinking. Ten routes with fewer than 10 riders per day will be eliminated starting December 2, 2024 (e.g., Brambleton, Loudoun Center). The revenue generated from eliminating these routes will fund weekend service on all two-digit local routes.
    • Local Fixed Route Bus: Ridership is above pre-COVID levels. Silver Line connection routes (three-digit) are underperforming, with ridership as low as 1.5 riders per revenue hour. Staff is considering consolidating or converting these to microtransit in FY2026. The two-digit routes (e.g., 70, 80, 82) have higher ridership and serve lower-income areas, but headways are long (45-60 minutes). Staff plans to request FY26 budget adjustments to improve headways on two-digit routes to 20-30 minutes.
    • Paratransit: Ridership has exploded — 2,043 rides in August 2024, compared to a pre-COVID peak of 11,000 per year. The service boundary was expanded in June 2024. Staff will request five additional vehicles and funding due to capacity constraints. Challenges were discussed, including a Disability Services Board member who experienced a late pickup and was left waiting; staff acknowledged a gap in after-hours dispatch availability and will examine driver training for wheelchair securement.
    • Weekend Service: Staff is proposing to add Saturday and Sunday service on all two-digit local routes using savings from commuter bus cuts, which would be budget-neutral.
    • Future Planning: A microtransit study is underway to identify pilot areas, with potential to integrate with paratransit and improve connectivity in underserved areas. A feasibility study for reverse commuter bus service (bringing commuters into Loudoun) will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in October.
  • Paratransit Operations: Discussion highlighted the need for improved dispatch communication and driver training after an incident where a board member could not get timely assistance. Staff noted that paratransit hours match transit operating hours, but the reservation center closes at 7:00 PM, creating a gap for riders needing last-minute changes.
  • Coordination with Childcare Services: Member Dorri O’Brien raised a question about how transit can help low-income parents get to childcare and work. Staff noted that a cross-departmental meeting occurred that morning (including Parks, DFS, Area Agency on Aging) to explore a one-stop phone number for ride options and potential use of microtransit or subsidized rideshare.

Key Outcomes

  • Approval of July 10, 2024, Minutes: Unanimously approved.
  • 2024 Annual Report: Draft will be circulated by Vice-Chair Wilson within two weeks; final report due at November TAB meeting.
  • Commuter Bus Cuts: Staff confirmed that 10 low-ridership commuter routes will be eliminated on December 2, 2024, freeing funds for weekend local service.
  • Weekend Service Proposal: Staff will formally propose adding Saturday and Sunday service on all two-digit local routes in the FY26 budget request.
  • Paratransit Expansion: Staff will request five additional vehicles and operating funds due to surging demand; dispatch improvements and driver training will be addressed.
  • Microtransit Study: A pilot study is expected to begin shortly, with results to inform future service design.
  • Next Meeting: The next TAB business meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Transit & Commuter Services Office.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at [time not specified in transcript].

Meeting Transcript

So I'm ready. Okay. Good evening, everybody. But also don't know who I am on Ray Bel Pesh. And I would like to call the meeting to order. Do we have any guests member introduction and do that, right? No, yes. We have one participant for public comment. So would you like to go right ahead? Sure. So Emily Reese is my name. And then I've been writing the so I've been in the Loudoun County community for four years, and there's four years ago, and then I've been riding the bus. You look familiar. Yeah. Um I've been riding community commuter bus for three and a half of the years that I've been here. And then I was looking through the board minutes, and haven't been to a meeting before, obviously, but then wondering what some of the decisions were in making the county buses free of service, but then next year, from what I understand, the price for commuter buses is going to go up by a dollar, and then in 2026 is going to go up by another dollar. So wondering what the what the ethics and the the reasoning is there for making a service free for a majority of the members of our community, but then for those of us um supposedly going to work, right? Is I I mean, is that reasoning that because we have employment that we're expected to pay more, but then those in the community using those free services is assumed that they don't have the means to do so, but then obviously with the commuter bus, um, it's a significant portion of my income. I spend at least $400 a month commuting to and from my job. And I work for a nonprofit. Like this isn't uh it's a rather large investment, but I really appreciate that Loudon County offers that service. And I definitely felt the impact last year when there was the strike, and then having to use the rail metro rail, which is a great option, but definitely means that the commuter service was missed. And yeah, so hoping that the annual reports from now on can include the financial reporting for how much the local connector buses are costing as well as the commuter buses are costing. So I see the ridership numbers, but I don't see the financial numbers. That would be a bit simple. That's all for me. Well, um, what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna pass your question and concern over to Mr. Scott. Scott, would you like to take that? Sure. I I can address those answers as to why what has been done has been done. Um, on the local fixed route side, the fares have always been a dollar, and yes, the in the presentation that was provided to the board at the main change, it's um the majority of the folks riding the uh local fixed routes were making less than $50,000 a year. The majority of the folks riding the commuter buses were making over 150. Um the and board guidance, just so you know, board policy for the last seven or eight years is that the commuter bus service is to be revenue, meaning that's advertising revenues will stay eight half the pay for the service. It's considered premium bus service as opposed to local transportation, public transportation for those folks in town, you know, that's really designed for challenge folks. So that's how that decision was made. Um also plays into that is that the majority of the riders who take the bus and work and they're subsidized to the pin $340 a month. So it for a number of those folks, they're they're not you know paying pocket either. So let me add everything up together. That's kind of how those decisions were made. Um the commuter bus from the boards, the really the underlying route of why it's so high is that the commuter bus is seen as a premium unnecessary service, especially since rail is here. You're sensing barrier in rail, we're sending a bus down the same place that we're already paying millions of dollars to send the metro rail service to. So it's it's the option is if you want to higher dollar and take a one send a seat ride, you know, it's gonna be the lack of services, so to speak. And then if you don't, then you can take metro rail service down and ride public transportation regularly fast. Just to clarify, this is the whole supervisor. Not this particular remote. Yes, that's good. So we are an we are an advisory board and the staff and uh the board of supervisors is that's the policies that we'll settle or it results, it's all and a lot of that. If I if I recall correctly, was factored in to when the board 10 years ago decided to participate in Metro when they were looking at the costs of what all of the routes would be, and I used it more for the county a long time ago for the board, and so I think a lot of that was factored in was you know if we continue this service, it would have to be key neutral in order to be able to justify the investment in metro. Not that I agree with that, I'm just saying that's the the background.

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