Res 2020-192/approving the San Marcos Transit Plan, also referred to as the Five-Year Strategic Plan for Transit Service

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SAN MARCOS TRANSIT PLAN I FINALREPORT City of San Marcos M1M 3. Significant and inefficient overlap on University Lines and City Lines should be designed out • Proposed Lines 2, 3, and 5 share considerable overlap with presentlly-termed University Express lines; University lines perpetuate "student shuttle service" versus integrating into a bus system for everyone ■ This reinforces the problems presented today by separate systems - a fast, frequent front -door shuttle for students that just want to get to the University and a slow, infrequent subsistence bus system for those traveling anywhere other than the University ■ Front -door service for private student apartment complexes is unreasonable, inefficient,. and likely a core issue preventing any efficiency improvements with this combined system in the proposed plan_ It must be re-evaluated and instead lines provided within a reasonable 5 - 10 minute walk -shed • Lines should be better integrated to eliminate redundancy and improve service for all users 4. Investigate dividing and redesigning Line 5 to eliminate the redundant time spent looping 1-35 Time spent on 1-35 and its access road is generally not productive time for intercity transit vehicles where there is frequently traffic, few stops, and safety concerns The portion of Line 5 that currently overlaps with the legacy university line could become one line servicing downtown, Hwy 123, and Wonder World Drive ., The southernmost portion of Line 5 servicing the outlet malls could be incorporated with the southernmost portion of Line 1 to create a separate line running off 1-35 between Wonder World Dr and Centerpoint, with augmented transfer stations to the northern/downtown-bound portions of Line 1 and Line 5 5. Overall, degraded frequency of service on city lines is unacceptable and must be addressed • Moving to less -frequent 60 -minute service on most city lines is antithetical to increasing ridership and disregards the community survey responses received that placed more frequent service as the top request v Recommend incorporating alll or at least some of these suggestions to achieve better frequency and legibility ■ A core benefit of a combined system is increased ridership unlocking externai funding not presently available to either the City or University. Clearly, this integration will make new funds available. However, the City must begin reallocating some of its internal funds scheduled for roadways into capital and operational improvements for public transportation in order to make this effort a success and align with the goals of the Transportation Master Plan and City Council's long-term Sustainability efforts We recognize that change can take time, but this is a strategic visioning exercise. The City and University must first design the system it wants to achieve together and then work from that point backward to identify necessary intermediate steps required to arrive at the desired condition - not vice versa. The process thus far appears at risk of being subverted by an unwillinglness to consider a future beyond present conditions. As the Transit Master Plan is of utmost importance to MoveSM, we appreciate your work on this criticall effort as well as your review of this feedback. Our group would vallue the opportunity to discuss these concerns in further detail in person with your team, so please let us know if we could arrange for a meeting during the month of February We look forward to your response and again thank you for your time. Sincerely, The Collective Members of MoveSM Attached: MoveSM Integrated Transit Line Example - MAP MoveSMIntegrated Transit Line Example - Goal State Operating Schedule Y Budget Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. ( B-54