Morrisville Public Transportation Study

Service & Financial Plan

 Routing optimization, which ensures customers are picked up and dropped off in the most efficient way  Onboard GPS operator assistance  Traffic and congestion avoidance  Designated timed transfers with other local providers  GPS based real-time vehicle tracking for customers There are several vendors that provide technology that performs these functions. The cost can range from $40,000 to $200,000 upfront. In addition to the upfront cost, an annual cost of $2,000 to $30,000 should be assumed for software support. This additional cost is not considered part of the total estimated capital cost. Revenues Town Operating Fund The Town of Morrisville primarily funds Town operations through property taxes. The Town can choose to allocate a portion of these existing funds or choose to raise additional funds to support public transportation operations. Wake Transit Community Funding Area Program The Wake Transit Community Funding Area Program (CFAP) is a new funding opportunity available to Wake County communities. The CFAP provides an opportunity for towns and the Research Triangle Park in Wake County, that would otherwise have limited fixed-route transit services, to create or accelerate public transportation services and programs. Morrisville is an eligible municipality under this funding source. Morrisville can use CFAP funds to operate, purchase, or market transit service projects. The CFAP will match up to 50% of the funds Morrisville contributes to the operation of public transportation. Section 5307 Under the preferred service delivery model, GoCary will provide public transportation service for Morrisville. As a public transportation provider, GoCary receives Section 5307 formula grants from the Federal Transportation Administration. The funding formula is based on service area, vehicle miles traveled, and unlinked passenger trips. With the provision of the smart shuttle, GoCary will see an increase in its Section 5307 formula funds. If agreed upon with GoCary, these funds can be allocated to offset the total cost of service to Morrisville. Fares Nearly all public transportation is subsidized in the United States. On average, fares only cover around 15% of the service cost of systems in the country and only around 5% of small city and rural services. It is important to understand that when discussing fares, in almost all cases the fare revenue only accounts for a fraction of total revenues. Making the decision to charge a fare for transit service has significant impacts on potential ridership, operating costs, and administrative complexity. Because ridership is inversely correlated with fare price, the highest potential ridership comes from operating a fare-free service. Any price above free limits the ridership potential based on a standard elasticity measure. It is recommended that the smart shuttle be

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