HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-11-12 - AGENDA REPORTS - SC TRANS COMMUTER EXPRESS (2)AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval '
Item to be presented by:
Ron Kilcoyne
CONSENT CALENDAR
DATE: November 12, 1996
SUBJECT: REPORT ON RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
ON SANTA CLARITA TRANSIT COMMUTER EXPRESS ROUTES.
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
BACKGROUND
At the City Council meeting of October 22, 1996, two transit customers who regularly ride Line 796
to Warner Center addressed the City Council with concerns that they had regarding service delivery
on this Commuter Express bus route. The Council also received a letter from the Warner Center
TMO that included a survey of Line 796 customers addressing the same concerns. The Council
directed staff to return on November 12, 1996 with a status report as to how these concerns are being
addressed.
Line 796 is one of five commuter express bus routes established since the 1994 Northridge
Earthquake, and operated through August of 1996 by Antelope Valley Bus Inc. (AVBI), with
equipment owned by that company and painted in their color scheme. In order to improve overall
management of the transit system, the City chose to contract with a single contractor to provide all
City transit services. ATC/Vancom was selected as this contractor after a competive proposal
process in May of 1996. They assumed operation of the AVBI routes on September 3, 1996. (They
had assumed operation of all local bus service, dial -a -ride and commuter express service to
Downtown Los Angeles that was previously operated by ATE/Ryder with City owned equipment on
August 5, 1996.) Because the AVBI part of the contract was provided with contractor owned buses,
ATC was required (as were all proposers) to provide ten buses to operate these five routes.. ATC
proposed using 1986 Neoplan Metroliners, which they obtained from an intercity bus company that
had gone out of business. Although ten years old, the life expectancy of a highway coach is twenty
years, and these buses are newer than the 1981/82 model buses used by AVBI. Also these buses are
the same model as the city owned buses used on Los Angeles commuter express service.
Report on Problems on Santa Clarita Transit Commuter Express Service
page 2
All of the ten buses were scheduled to be delivered by mid August which would have allowed for
extensive road testing. This did not happen, indeed, three buses were not delivered until late August
resulting in a lack of spare buses to fill in when problems arose. All of the customer concerns relate
to mechanical defects on the buses used to provide this service.. Even complaints about late buses
are maintenance issues, since late or missed trips are due to some mechanical defect.
The following actions have been taken to resolve the problems and prevent their reoccurrence:
A full time air condition/heater mechanic has been employed since October 7.
Two additional full time mechanics have been hired.
All mechanics are working twelve hour shifts until all maintenance issues are
completely resolved.
A spare bus and driver is stationed at the Metrolink Station in the morning and
at Warner Center in the afternoon.
A "Customer Ambassador" program has been established, where customers are
recruited to act as an ombudsman on the bus. They will fill out detailed reports
weekly to provide feedback on the quality of service provided.
ATC will continue to subcontract with AVBI to operate two of the schedules
until we are assured that all buses can operate reliably on a daily basis.
The above actions have restored service standards, however transit staff and ATC are concerned that
these standards can be sustained indefinitely. As a result of subcontracting with AVBI, and the arrival
of all buses, a larger spare factor exists. This will allow all buses to be thoroughly examined by an
independent maintenance expert who will provide an estimate as to what is needed to assure these
buses will operate reliably over the long term. This analysis has begun and should be concluded by
the end of the month. Depending.on the findings of the independent analysis, the ultimate decision
as to what actions are needed to assure maintaining high standards of customer satisfaction over the
long term will be made.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council accept report for information purposes only.
H:MIG ETMCCAGENDAW.GENDCMM.796