Morrisville Public Transportation Study

Service & Financial Plan

Financial Plan Operating Cost

The total service hours provided is used to determine the smart shuttle annual operating costs. Based on the proposed operating span of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week with an estimated operating cost of $55.86 per hour, the total operating costs are $444,000 annual (see Table 8). This annual cost assumes the operation of two vehicles during weekday rush hours and midday and evening hours on weekends, with one vehicle in operation at all other times. This cost does not include vehicle leasing, described in capital cost below. Table 8 | Smart-Shuttle Operating Costs

Weekday

Saturday

Sunday

Revenue Hours

Daily Cost

Revenue Hours

Daily Cost

Revenue Hours

Daily Cost

Days

Days

Days

Annual Cost

255

21

$1,170

52

25

$1,400

52

25

$1,400

$444,000

Capital Cost Capital costs are determined by the assets and infrastructure required to support service operations. The capital costs required for the smart shuttle includes vehicles, nodes, and essential technology assets. Costs can vary based on decisions to lease or buy and specific manufacturers, however, total smart-shuttle costs are estimated to range from $1,110,000 to $1,176,000. Vehicles Smart shuttles generally utilize cutaway vehicles to provide service. These vehicles utilize a van chassis and body construction as a base platform, which can be fitted with a passenger compartment capable of seating 8 to 30 customers. The vehicle’s size makes them ideal for navigating through neighborhoods and parking lots, where larger transit vehicles may not be able to maneuver. The size also provides some fuel efficiencies over larger buses. Cutaway vehicles may be equipped with bike racks, fareboxes, and

wheelchair access. Traditionally cutaway vehicles have utilized rear wheelchair lifts for accessibility, however, recent improvements have placed wheelchair ramps in the front of the vehicle as shown in Figure 20. The Town has two choices when deciding how to acquire vehicles for operation. The Town may buy the vehicles directly or, alternatively, the Town can contract with GoCary to lease vehicles through GoCary's existing service contract. Table 9 shows the cost difference between each alternative. While both options are

Figure 20 | Cutaway with Side Ramp

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