2013 State Programs Meeting

National Transit Database Topics

Changes to:Fixed-Guideway Data &

Rules for Splitting Rural/Urban

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Overview• New Surface Transportation Bill:

MAP-21• New Fixed Guideway Rules• New Bus Rapid Transit Definition• Rules for Allocating Service • Fixed Guideway Segment Update

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Fixed Guideway Pre-MAP-21One big happy category• Railroads, Ferryboats, Trolleybus, Aerial Trams,

Busways, and HOV (even some HOT) • All VRM and DRM used in 5307 Fixed

Guideway Tier• All VRM and DRM on sections that are more

than 7 years old was used in the Fixed Guideway Modernization formula (a Section 5309 Program)

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Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)

• Went into effect October 1, 2012• Authorizes programs through September 30,

2014• 5309 Fixed Guideway Mod replaced by new

5337“State of Good Repair” formula grants

• New fixed guideway definition that moves HOV lanes into their own category with separate funding

• New definition of Bus Rapid Transit with full fixed guideway treatment for BRT routes4

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5337 – SGR Formula Grants• Formula-based funding

for State of Good Repair(SGR)

• Funding limited to fixed guideway investments (essentially replaces 5309 Fixed Guideway program but is a very different program)

• New formula comprises: (1) former Fixed Guideway formula; (2) new service-based formula; (3) new formula for buses on HOV lanes

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5337 Eligibility• Meet UAFP criteria

– Urbanized Area over 200,000 in population• Segments are 7 Federal Fiscal years old

– In service on 9-30-2007 for 2013 data– Still in service on 9-30-2014– No credit for average monthly DRM if

segment taken out of service

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New Fixed Guideway Rules5337 formula Program now has two funding tiers:• Fixed Guideway Tier – Rail, Ferryboats, Aerial

Trams,Trolleybuses, and Bus Rapid Transit – guideway for exclusive use by transit vehicles

• High Intensity Motorbus Tier– HOV – Bus service operated on HOV lanes– “Grandfather policy” for HOV to HOT conversion

remains in effect, based on HOV lanes in NTD as of 1/11/2007

• Both tiers use Dedicated Route Miles (DRM) and Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM)

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Fixed Guideway Rules (cont.)• 5337 retains requirement for guideway to

have been in service for at least 7 years – SGR Tier gets 97.15% of 5337 appropriation– HIMB Tier gets 2.85% of appropriation

• 7 Years Old on Basis of First Day of Federal Fiscal Year– FY14 funding begins October 1, 2014– Must have begun operation by September 30, 2007

• 5307 Fixed Guideway Tier (30.2% of appropriation)– Same rules, new definitions

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Fixed Guideway EligibilityLanes that are only exclusive for a portion of the day (or week) are not classified as Fixed Guideway (except BRT) but can qualify for 5337 High Intensity Motorbus tier

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Bus Rapid Transit – USC section 5302(a)(2)

New definition: ‘bus rapid transit system’ means a bus transit system(A) in which the majority of each line operates

in a separated right-of-way dedicated for public transportation use during peak periods; and

(B) that includes features that emulate the services provided by rail fixed guideway public transportation systems, including—(i) defined stations;(ii) traffic signal priority for public transportation vehicles;(iii) short headway bidirectional services for a substantial part of

week days and weekend days; and(iv) any other features the Secretary may determine are necessary

to… emulate the services provided by rail fixed guideway...10

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Las Vegas MAX: Example of typical BRT line

Defined & Branded Station

Stations are accessible, provide schedule information, and protection from weather

Lanes are exclusively dedicated to public transportation during peak periods

Exclusive guideway

Branded vehicles run from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM

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Majority of BRT line must be Separated Right-of-Way

More than half of route must be on exclusive guideway, the rest can be in general

traffic (all is counted as FG)

1st Ave. NY exclusive FG

Kansas City exclusive FG

overheadbus-only

sign

bus lane is shaded red

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Exclusive Busways & Ramps are also Fixed Guideway

But – only exclusive part of route counts as FG

Pittsburgh Bus Ramp FG

Miami-Dade Busway exclusive FG

Must be exclusive 24-7(not “during peak periods”

as with BRT guideway)

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Federal Funding Allocation Form (FFA-10)

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Federal Funding Allocation (FFA-10) Rules

Rules for allocation of data among multiple UZAs and non urbanized areas (non-UZA)

– VRM (passenger car revenue miles for rail modes) is a direct measurement of the actual vehicle revenue miles and is used as the factor for proportional allocation of VRH (passenger car revenue hours for rail modes), PMT, UPT, and OE among the areas

– Other methodology – Use the e-file tab to describe the other methodology and show your calculations

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New Federal Funding Allocation (FFA-10) Rules

• Under the revised rules, the transit agency determines which UZA or non-UZA that each mode primarily serves

• The transit agency may then:– Allocate all the data statistics for that mode

to the UZAs or non-UZAs primarily served, or

– Allocate the data statistics proportionally to the UZAs and non-UZAs served using a reasonable and consistent methodology (describe in e-file)

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New Federal Funding Allocation Rules• This rule applies to transit service that

connects:– Two or more large UZAs– Two or more small UZAs– Any combination of one or more large UZAs, small

UZAs, or non-UZAs, as long as no 5311 funds benefit the service

• Data may not be allocated to a UZA within the overall service area that is not served by any route!

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New Federal Funding Allocation - Exceptions

Exceptions to the primarily served criterion involve 5311 funds (operating or capital) that benefit the service:

1. You must report entirely to non-UZA (UZA 0) any transit service that benefits from grants provided by FTA’s Section 5311

2. You must allocate service that connects non-UZAs and UZAs (large or small) if the service benefits from both 5307 and 5311 operating assistance; you must use the UZA proportion of operating expenses funded by 5307 program (including local matching funds), to allocate the statistics to the UZAs

3. Service that receives 5307 capital assistance and 5311 operating assistance is allocated 100% to non-UZA (UZA 0)

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2013 segment submission process

• NTD S-20 form• The 2015 apportionment will be based

off of RY2013 data• Fields to determine 5337 eligibility

– Segment Type Hours prohibited– Mode

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How is the S-20 data used?• Directional Route Miles Transfer

automatically to other forms–Service Form S-10:

• Fiscal Year End (FYE) DRM–Federal Funding Allocation Statistics

Form FFA-10:• 5307 Formula: all DRM• 5337 Formula: DRM ≥ 7 years old

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Reporting Segments• Agencies report segments to FTA using

the NTD S-20 Form– Fixed Guideway Segments– High Intensity Motorbus

• One form for each Mode and Type of Service combination

• Only use for bus modes when a bus operates on fixed guideway or high intensity bus segment21

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Reporting segments for bus modes

• All information on rail S-20 form• Added information on:

– Segment type (NEW categories in 2012)

– Peak level of service – Safe operation – Hours per week prohibited

and enforced

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New segment type categories

New segment type categories for bus modes

A. Exclusive, physical separationB. Exclusive, visual separationC. HOV, physical separationD. HOV, visual separationE. HO/T laneF. Mixed traffic roadway used by a bus rapid

transit route 23

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Reporting segments for bus modes

Segment Type 168 hrs. 1-167 hrs. 0 hrs.

A. Exclus./Phys. Fixed Guideway HI Motorbus n/a

B. Exclus./Vis. Fixed Guideway HI Motorbus n/a

C. HOV/Phys. HI Motorbus HI Motorbus n/a

D. HOV/Vis. HI Motorbus HI Motorbus n/a

E. HO/T HI Motorbus HI Motorbus n/a

F. Mixed traffic RB n/a n/a Fixed Guideway

All segment types (A – F) for qualifying bus rapid transit (RB) routes are Fixed Guideway

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Urban Formula Program Eligibility

–Length of segment (0.25 mile criteria)–Congested travel corridor

• Level of service “D” or worse–Safe Operation–Restricted use (and hours per week)

• Buses and vanpools, carpools• Enforced

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Short Dist. Access Lanes < .25 Miles

• Eligible if they are running on:– A bridge or in a tunnel or – Connect with a transit

terminal• Otherwise ineligible

– Highway ramps, – Meter bypasses, and – Special turning facilities

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Peak Level of Service (LOS)• Traffic engineering measure of

congestion– LOS ranges from A to F — F is worst– Defined in Highway Capacity Manual

• Report LOS determined by local DOT– Only levels D, E, and F eligible

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Bus Fixed Guideway Safe Operation

• Applies only to expressways with high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes

• Criteria– Must have HOV separation (facility design)

from congested travel lanes– Bus-only facilities qualify as safe operation

• What if not safely operated?– Report as mixed traffic ROW on Service form

(S-10 since it is not fixed guideway)28

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Bus Fixed Guideway Safe Operation

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HOV lanes separated from general traffic lanes by:.

concrete barrier

pylonsdouble solid lines.

fencing

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Not Acceptable Separation for Bus

• By themselves– Roadside or overhead signs

– Diamond marking in HOV lane

– Single line of conventional width between restricted HOV and unrestricted, congested (LOS “D”) lanes

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Using Internet Reporting• Preloaded data• Existing and new segments• Adding, modifying and deleting data

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What is an Existing Segment?• Operated by you in 2012 report year, or• Operated and reported by another NTD

reporter in 2012

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Reporting segments for bus modes

• Transit agencies should check the Segment Type dropdown field to verify correct new categories

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Reporting segments for bus modes

• Verify Hours Prohibited and Enforced

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Modifying Non-editable Fields

• Requests (e-File tab) 60 days before report due• Documentation — data field changes:

– Identify segment (segment code and name)– Describe fully the requested changes including the

existing and requested values– Detail the reason for each change

• If length is changed, must mail detailed maps depicting exact measurement

• FTA approval needed before entered into calculations

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Adding New Segments• Add segment button (select “new

segment”)• Documentation

– Detailed maps which clearly identify each segment, its beginning and ending point

– Length to the nearest hundredth of a mile and other supporting documentation of the measurement

– Proof of agency start date of revenue service — public service announcement/press release, schedule, timetable

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Deleting Segments• Can only delete segment incorrectly

added in 2013 report year• If you stopped operations, enter out of

revenue service date

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BRT Mixed Traffic Segment• Report qualifying Bus Rapid Transit (RB)

lines with mixed traffic directional route miles as segments

• Add these new mixed traffic segments to the S-20 form

• Qualifying RB lines will be considered entirely fixed guideway

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Points to Remember• All agencies must report the segments, but only 1

agency can claim each segment• Report all FG segments regardless of funding

eligibility:– Segments also used by other agencies– Segments used by multiple modes– Segments in your report as both DO and PT– Bus mode (all LOS)

• Use e-File tab to request modifications to existing segments

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Reporting new bus segment types

• NTD Analysts are available to answer questions and assist in completing your report

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Questions Later?• NTD Help Desk (Charlottesville Ops

Center)ntdhelpdesk@dot.gov888-252-0936

• NTD Staff emails– Keith Gates, Keith.Gates@dot.gov– Andy Lofton, Andy.Lofton.CTR@dot.gov

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