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

Home Browse Search

SAN MARCOS TRANSIT PLAN I FINALREPORT City of San Marcos Developing a unifiedbrandis a keycomponent of developing a successful marketing strategy. By having a single name, logo, website, and identity, customers will be able to more seamlessly navigate transit service in San Marcos. The City and Texas State University should work together to develop a brand that reflects each entity yet portrays abetter sense of cohesiveness. The current Bobcat Shuttle and real-time sites serve as a strong guide for what a standalone combined website could look like. Bus stops, the proposed downtown transit plaza, and newly acquired vehicles would need to be updatedwith the unified branding. Additionally, all print media, socialmedia, and advertisingwould need to be updated. The pure ose of establishing scheduled service changes for the City is to improve awareness and transparency aroundtransit service decision making. Fall, spring, and summer are San Marcos' three keytime periods regarding service changes. During thefall, University Express serviceramps up and major service changes to local and express service are implemented at the startof the fall semester which runs from August to December. Minor schedule and route adjustments to local and express service are implemented at the startof spring semester (January -May). Express service ramps down during summer semester which runs from June through August. In addition to the three major service change periods, there are service adjustments during special events such as semester exams, gamedays, and commencement ceremonies. The following actions are neededto coordinate San MarcosTransit and Bobcat Shuttle systems: ■ Develop an Interlocal Agreement between the City and the University ■ Develop a single brand for both systems ■ Sign a long-term contract with a third -party transportation provider ■ Potential FTA grantee status for the University as they desire access to transit grant funds Existing staffing levels are not adequate to meet administrative and grants compliance requirements. An additional full-time employee is needed to support the Transit Manager with the procurement, compliance, and reporting requirements of FTA grants. As the two transit systems coordinate services and more grants are administered, more personnel or professional services will be required to assist with the workload. Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 14-9