Capital Metro
Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee
Minutes

DATE:                     July 13, 2004
TIME:                     6:00pm
LOCATION:          Capital Metro

Members: Rene Barrera, Ruth Young, Colleen Fisher, Bob Harkins, Joseph Thorton, Richard Graonacy, Verona Thorton, BJ Taylor, Jane Schroter, Renee Brill, David Peterson

CMTA Staff: Barbara Chavis, Sandra Maggitt, Rene Brill, Mary Helen McClure, Jane Schroeder, Aida Douglas.

1. Meeting was called to order by Rene Barrera and followed by introduction of members and CMTA staff.


2. Since there was no quorum the minutes for May and June will be tabled until next month. The minutes for May and June will be corrected at that time. Action items from those two months will also be discussed and corrected.


3. Recognition for Thomas Gunter was postponed due to his absence from this meeting he had business conflicts and apologized for not being at this meeting.


4. August Bus Service Changes - Mary McClure:
• Route 19 was changed due to public comment. An agreement was made for mixed services. The regular route will be from 7-10am and 1-4pm; this will run southbound into the neighborhood for 5 trips only. The other times the bus will not be going through the neighborhood.


• QUESTION: How will the public be notified of this route change? Flyers will be sent out in both English and Spanish


• Realignment for Routes 16 and 331. Route 16 will cut short of and will be taken over the 311 at Mopac and 290 that portion of Route 16 was not utilized by riders.


• Changes due to construction on East 2nd St. Route 17 will continue northbound on Brazos and the route. Route 26 will change due to construction on E 2nd St westbound on Cesar Chavez and northbound travel on Brazos, to westbound 3rd northbound across Congress and then the regular route.


• Some stops will be closed while others will open temporarily.


• Colony Park - Note going in on the Colony Park East bound trip, but is stopping basically in front of Colony Park on Loyola. People can cross on the cross walk and then it goes to Wentworth. There is a layover turn around and then goes into Colony Park as it did on the regular route. The reason is that the drivers making a left turn into Colony Park going eastbound was a safety concern for making a left turn, due to the fact that there was no protected left turn signal. Coming back westbound it was easier for the drivers to turn right on to Colony Park.


• Route 127 will have some impact due to construction.


• Route 137 is similar to the Route 37 with the same impact related to going in and out of the neighborhood.


• On Route 174 we are working with ACC to discontinue service onto the Campus of ACC, since there were too many students and where the buses were coming around the pavilion the buses were getting too close to the parked cars and this was a traffic hazard for the cars. Pictures were taken and ACC decided that the buses should not come onto the campus so the service was moved off campus. Students and faculties were upset since service was not on campus and they had to walk to Metric and Stonehollow. For those who were handicapped it was hard for them to climb the hill to the bus stop, so service was requested back on the ACC Campus.


• The 242 3am and 3pm service at North Park and Howard were eliminated. This service was moved to Tandem and Wells Branch.


• The 174 provided on campus support to ACC and then the evening and late night classes the 272 provides support.


• The 311 have the same problem as the 16 and 311 and are taking a portion of Route 16.


• Stops at Western Trail are being removed at Western Trails at Sagebrush and Western Trail at the Strip Center. Western Trail Round up and Western Trail Red.


• The new stops for the # 16 are northbound at Westgate and the 290 frontages and Packsaddle pass at US 290.


• The 7 and 311 would get the bus stop that it had on Western Trail and Westgate would be closed and the bus stop would be at Westgate Blvd and Mopac, which would be serviced by the # 16.


• Roberto will answer questions that were asked at last month's meeting at the next meeting.


• Going inside the parking area would be hard due to the fact that we would have to ask permission. 1) It is difficult to go in and out with the parking. 2) Have to ask permission and not the easiest thing to do. Buses are asked to serve Shopping Centers and it is hard to do so in some cases.


• Action: Find out which shopping centers allow us to service them with direct service.


• On the Route 37, is there is a shop right there would the bus still be able to go there? Perhaps but no plan are being made at this time.


• Route 225 west bound will no longer enter the North Cross Mall facility. The stop North Cross Mall will be stopped. The new stop will be across the street at the Houston's Restaurant across the street on Anderson and Burnet.


• The 331 Oltorf route will end westbound at West Gate Mall after the layover service will return eastbound via northbound on West Gate eastbound on the frontage of 290 and northbound on Victory by Porter Middle School and back to the regular route.


• Eastbound at the bus stop on Western Trail and Sagebrush on the 2600 block of Western Trail. Similar to the 311 and 16 routes.


• The EBus is having an impact to the 339. They are opening a new Goodwill Industry by the Wal-Mart. The route will go into the property and serve the Wal-Mart and then will service Goodwill. The route will be leaving after Goodwill first and it will go back to the regular route.


• The Ebus West Campus will be closed at Speedway due to change made to the direction of services travel from Lavaca northbound to 15th and eastbound to Trinity St and northbound. The 221 westbound will stop at Jester and will be closed. The new stop will be at 21st and Speedway across from Jester.


• Added t the 21st and San Jacinto, westbound across from the San Jacinto residential services. Services will operate at 15 minutes intervals from 10pm - 3am.


• QUESTION - Find out how long will the construction take for this area?


• Eastbound due to traffic service will travel from Riverside, northbound to Congress, northbound and eastbound to San Jacinto.
• The convention shuttle, North, South, Town Lake only operate during key convention major events. During these events the shuttle will travel northbound at Trinity and 2nd, northbound on Brazos, eastbound on 11th St., southbound on the frontage road of IH 35. Westbound on Cesar Chavez and northbound on Trinity.



• South bound travel at the convention center from Trinity and 2nd, southbound on Congress, westbound on Barton Springs Road, northbound on South 1st, eastbound on Cesar Chavez to westbound of Trinity.


• Convention shuttle - Town Lake will only be used when necessary. Service will be provided every 10-15 minutes.


• The Starlight Dillo #463 has been impacted due to the construction on 2nd Street and with the route through 3rd and between San Jacinto and Congress traveling southbound, the bus stop will be closed at San Jacinto and 2nd and open at S Congress and 2nd.


• Tour of the Town is being impacted by the construction on 2nd Street. Bus will stop close on westbound Brazos and 2nd will open Congress and 2nd southbound.


• Update at the next meeting on rider ship of Night Owl bus. What types of vehicles are used?


• Night Owl 482 is also impacted by the construction on 2nd Street. Use the westbound travel on Cesar Chavez, northbound on Brazos, westbound on 3rd, northbound on Congress and onto the regular route.


• Westbound stop at 2nd and Brazos will be closed, then opened northbound on Brazos and 2nd.


• The 982 Pavilion Express is impacted by changes on 2nd Street. The change is on the layover points for this. Routes will be diverted as follows, southbound to Guadalupe, westbound on 3rd and San Antonio, and the new staging is for the buses.


• Changes will be made on the northbound trip at 3rd Street and San Antonio, northbound on San Antonio, east bound on 4th Street and northbound on Lavaca. Closes will be on the eastbound stop at 5th and Lavaca, 5th and Congress, 3rd and Congress and northbound Lavaca and 4th. Open routes will be eastbound on 4th and Guadalupe, north on 3rd and San Antonio same thing is happening with the 983 bus.


• QUESTION - Have they said when the construction will be completed?


• 3rd Street has become a way street.


• Annette Pool to give an update, since she has worked with the construction project.


• During the summer bus trips and routes that mainly targeted students are being suspended, but will resume again in August.


• Holiday Schedule: 1) MLK Day - expanded levels of Saturday services will be discontinued and will have regular Saturday routes. The following special Saturday Routes will not operate 410, 411, 463, 464 and the 470. 2) The day after Thanksgiving, Friday and Saturday the expanded services will be discontinued and will operate on regular Saturday service schedule. 3) Memorial Day Saturday service will discontinue and Sunday will continue with regular service. Website - Renee Brill from IT/Planning talked about the new website implemented for Capital Metro. She had a handout for the ATPS - Automated Trip Planning System that assists customers with routes. They just need to input the start and end destination with the times they want to leave and arrive and the bus route will be shown on the screen with the correct bus #'s to take. This also give the option that is you want to walk it will give you the choices of several route depending on how far you may want to walk. Any feedback you can send to Renee Brill@capitalmetro.org.
5. Fare Box Project - Jane Schroter and Aida Douglas - Aida Douglas discussed the new fare boxes to be put on the buses. The fare boxes designed in 2000 did not do the job we wanted. The new fare boxes as of June 18 were put in 45 units as pilots. This pilot testing will last until August 20th. Based on the success of the testing, a decision will be made on when to rollout to the entire fleet. Everything should be up and running in about 5 days from the start of rollout. Jane Schroter demonstrated the farebox and the new media types it will accept.
• QUESTION: Why are you still doing transfers and not day passes? Capital Metro wants to minimize the changes affecting the customers and not overwhelm them with changes. Now that we have more flexibility in our fare collection system, Capital Metro will be able to examine its fare policies, structure, and media and make changes as appropriate.


• Directions on how to use the new fare boxes will be in the new schedule booklets to be out in August. UT students ID's will have a strip on their ID's to use for the buses since they use the buses for free. Other will have to pay who use these buses who are not students.


• The $.50 tickets will still be accepted until December 31, 2004.


• A motion was made to shift the meeting date after a holiday. It was 1st and 2nd to move the Tuesday meeting after a holiday to another day.


• Future Agenda Items
1. Greyhound Bus Station & Tour of the Town Update- Planning Department


2. Downtown Circulator Design - Planning Department
3. TOD Guidelines - Sam Archer
4. Adopt-A-Stop - Sam Archer
5. CSAC Membership
6. Projected Corridors for Green wave
7. Time Transfer

The meeting was adjourned 8:00pm

Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2910 East 5th Street | Austin, Texas 78702 | (512) 389-7400
Specific Route Information | (512) 474-1200