#2 Public hearing and action to establish bus fares for Janesville-Milton-Whitewater bus service (File Ord. #2012-516)JANESVILLE TRANSIT SYSTEM MEMORANDUM
April 16, 2012
TO: City Council
FROM: Transit Director
Second Reading, Public Hearing and Action on a Proposed
SUBJECT:
Ordinance Establishing Fares for Janesville-Milton-Whitewater
Commuter Bus Service (File Ord. 2012-516).
Executive Summary:
Chapter 10.76 of the Code of General Ordinances
establishes the fares to be charged to customers for the use of the Janesville
Transit System. Fares are established by Ordinance to provide a legal basis for
the charges for service made on the Transit System; and to ensure that the
citizens’ elected representatives review and approve the amounts being charged,
as for any municipal service. Bus fares are reviewed and the Ordinance
amended from time-to-time, generally in conjunction with the annual budget
review. This is done both to ensure that bus riders are paying their fair share of
the cost of operating the system, and to make certain that the fares being
charged are generally within citizens’ ability to pay. In addition, the institution of
new programs or services by the Transit System may also trigger an Ordinance
revision as fares are established for the new service. That is the case at this
time, and the reason that Ordinance 2012-516 is being presented to you.
This Ordinance establishes sub-paragraphs M, N and P of Section
10.76.020 to establish fares for the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater commuter
service. The format and language of these sub-paragraphs follows that of sub-
paragraphs H and I of this Section, which establish the fares for the “Beloit-
Janesville Express”, which like these fares, are distance-based and divided into
separate zones. Zoned fares are typical in the public transit industry, particularly
in larger cities or on commuter services where longer distances are covered.
The relationship between distance travelled and a fare that recognizes that
operating cost increases with the length of the route is a simple concept that is
generally accepted.
City Manager Recommendation:
The City Manager recommends approval. The Janesville-Milton-Whitewater
Commuter Bus Service is in place through the end of the year and the
recommended rates were a part of the establishment of the service. This service
is currently proposed to be funded 100% from user fees, state funding and
outside sources of revenue.
Suggested Motion:
I move the adoption of Ordinance 2012-513, an ordinance
revising the regular bus fare rates for the Janesville Transit System.
Discussion:
Fare Zones:
On the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater service, as with the Beloit-
Janesville Express, passengers travelling on this route whose trip lies completely
within the Janesville City limits will pay the regular $1.50 in-city fare. This
includes those portions of the City which extend north along WI-26 toward Milton.
Beyond this point, the external fare zones described in sub-paragraphs M, N and
P take effect. The “Milton” fare zone includes those areas served by the route
within either the City of Town of Milton, from the southern boundary of the Town
to its eastern boundary. The “Whitewater” fare zone described in sub-paragraph
M includes all areas east of the Town of Milton, extending to the northern and
eastern limits of the City of Whitewater. The ordinance also establishes fares
between Milton and Whitewater as well as the aforementioned fares between
Janesville and those locations.
Bus Passes:
As with the “Beloit-Janesville Express”, JTS will offer multi-ride
passes to customers using the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater route. Aimed at the
commuter market, the passes offer 10 rides (basically one week’s commute) at a
set fee which rewards the customer for purchasing multiple rides in advance by
lowering the cost per ride. The City gets the full purchase price immediately, with
the rides taken over a longer period of time. The proposed Ordinance again
mimics the existing policy on the “Beloit-Janesville Express” by offering 10 ride
passes between Janesville and both the Milton and Whitewater fare zones; as
well as between Milton and Whitewater. These passes will be offered for sale at
all current JTS pass outlets. The Transit System is also discussing pass sales
on-site at Generac with officials there; with the ability for employees to purchase
passes by pre-tax payroll deduction, resulting a further real dollar savings to the
purchaser.
Tracking Ridership and Revenues:
The Transit System maintains on-going
records of bus ridership and revenues received; so that results of operations can
be tracked on a monthly basis. As with the Beloit-Janesville Express, a route-
specific report sheet is filled-out by the bus driver for each run operated, tracking
the number of passengers carried, where they boarded and alighted from the
bus, and the fares collected by type. This level of detail allows us to measure the
performance of the route against projections.
rd
Transit System staff will be present at the Council meeting on April 23 to
answer Councilmembers’ questions on this Ordinance.
ORDINANCE NO. 2012-516
An ordinance revising the regular bus fare rates for the Janesville Transit System, with a
penalty as set forth in JGO 10.76.030.
THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JANESVILLE DO ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. Section 10.76.020 of the Code of General Ordinances of the City of Janesville is
hereby amended by the addition of a new sub-paragraphs M and N to the existing sub A through
L, to read as follows:
10.76.020 Bus fares—Regular fare rates.
“ The regular fare rates that shall be
charged by the Janesville Transit System are as follows:
M.
$4.00 per ride or 10 rides for $36.00 when the 10 rides are purchased as a pass for travel
on the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater route to any location within the City of Whitewater,
Wisconsin, but not including transfer privileges to the Whitewater Shared-Ride Taxi System city
service; except that persons who qualify for reduced fares as outlined in subsection A of this
section are entitled to ride for one half of the regular price.
N.
$1.90 per ride or 10 rides for $17.00 when the 10 rides are purchased as a pass for travel
on the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater route to any location within the City or Town of Milton,
Wisconsin; except that persons who qualify for reduced fares as outlined in subsection A of this
section are entitled to ride for one half of the regular price.
P.
$2.50 per ride or 10 rides for $22.50 when the 10 rides are purchased as a pass for travel
on the Janesville-Milton-Whitewater route from any location within the City or Town of Milton,
Wisconsin to any location within the City of Whitewater, Wisconsin.
SECTION II. The above fare rates shall take effect on April 29, 2012, and shall remain in effect
until modified as provided in Section 10.76.010.
ADOPTED:
Motion by:
Second by:
APPROVED:
Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent
Dongarra-Adams
Farrell
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Kealy
Liebert
ATTEST:
Severson
Steeber
Voskuil
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Tim Wellnitz, Assistant City Attorney
Proposed by: Transit Director
Prepared by: Transit Director