3. New Service Details
The new express bus service will begin by running on a three-month trial basis. The service would consist of approximately four operating hours per day from CCRT. The rate per hour is $30, i.e., a total cost of $120 for a four-hour day. This equates to a cost of $7,920 for the three-month trial.
The trial service took place in the months of October, November and December 2005. Until the number of riders is established, additional funding will be needed to support the service at its onset. This funding amount will decrease with a sufficient number of riders, however the need for a local contribution will continue. Service for residents of Wahpeton-Breckenridge to Fargo-Moorhead would be paid for from a proposed funding plan as follows:
- Passenger Monthly Passes $110
- Passenger Daily Passes $10 Roundtrip
- Contributions from the cities of Wahpeton, Breckenridge, and Wilkin, and Richland Counties, at $750 each. Totaling $3,000 dollars for the three-month trial.
- The Fargo-Moorhead Council of Governments (the metropolitan planning organization for the Fargo-Moorhead area) would match the $3,000 local contribution with Job Access Reverse Commute funding (JARC).
During the initial three-month trial, the target number of riders was 12-15 per day, which was not achieved. If this number would have been achieved, it would be feasible to continue the service with an additional 12 months of service funded as follows:
- Annual Passenger Fares – $15,840 (for 12 passengers per month)
- Subsidy from Local Jurisdictions – $7,920
- (JARC) Grant Match – $7,920
- Total Cost for 12 Months – $31,680
Implementing the proposed service would also involve a marketing plan which will be carried out by Clay County Rural Transit. Some of the possible marketing avenues include:
- Inserts in Utility Bills
- Local Chamber of Commerce
- Local Church Bulletins
- NDSCS
- City and County Websites
- Public Access Television
Upon project approval, more marketing strategies will be developed and implemented.
Georgia Beaudry, Clay County Rural Transit Manager, commented that everyone to be served by the commuter bus has been very receptive to the idea, and all communities have worked together successfully to implement the service. Ms. Beaudry also offered the following advantages that will stem directly from the new service (Beaudry, 2005). Advantages include:
- Affordable option for Wahpeton-Breckenridge area residents who are commuting to Fargo-Moorhead
- Transportation? Options for residents that would just like to go to Fargo-Moorhead for one day (medical, visiting, shopping)
- Commuters using the service will see it as a value to living in Wahpeton-Breckenridge.
- Potential to add Fargo-Moorhead residents to Wahpeton-Breckenridge. The empty backhaul trips that the commuter bus would take could possibly be used for Fargo-Moorhead residents that work in Wahpeton Breckenridge.
- The JARC grant that can match the local jurisdiction contributions provides a unique opportunity to try the service at a lower cost to the jurisdictions.
- This route would offer transportation to individuals in Wilkin County, an area that currently does not have any public transportation.
- Service complements rural transit in Richland County.
4. Survey Methodology
A three-page online survey was developed by members of the research team, the Fargo-Moorhead Metro Council of Governments (F-M Metro COG), and Clay County Rural Transit. The survey was designed to collect data regarding behaviors and attitudes related to commuter service from those passengers traveling between the Fargo-Moorhead and Wahpeton-Breckenridge metro areas on a regular basis.
4.1 Survey Instrument Design
The survey consisted of 16 questions asking respondents to indicate their various travel behaviors as well as demographic characteristics. Several questions pertaining to the cost of the service, service frequency, and reasons for using the service were included in the survey to determine why riders may use the service and what an acceptable fare would be. Questions involving proposed time periods for offering the service, wait times for bus transfers, and travel subsidy questions were also included. The final three questions of the survey dealt with the demographics of age, education level attained, and income level. Respondents remained anonymous as they were not required to provide contact information.
A table preceded the main body of the survey illustrating the cost of owning and operating a personal automobile and driving between the two metro areas on a daily basis (Table 5.1, Page 18). The table broke down all costs into cents per mile traveled. The average cost of operating a personal automobile was found to be roughly 50 cents per mile. Based on a total round trip of xxx miles and the estimated cost per mile, the cost of driving a personal automobile can easily be compared to the cost of the proposed express bus service. The table also provided a means of comparison between driving and riding the express route between the two metro areas.
4.2 Survey Distribution
An e-mail was sent by the F-M Metro COG on August 8, 2004, to major employers in both metro areas asking potential commuters to respond to the survey. The survey was available online until October 31, 2004. Some major employers contacted to distribute the survey included:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield,
- Meritcare,
- Cass County,
- City of Fargo,
- Fargo's Downtown Community Partnership,
- North Dakota State University,
- Minnesota State University (Moorhead), and
- Concordia College.
A total of 96 individuals completed the survey. Of those, 36 (38%) indicated that they do not currently nor do they plan to commute between the Fargo-Moorhead and Wahpeton-Breckenridge areas. Of the remaining 60 respondents, 54 (58%) indicated that they currently or plan to commute, and six responded "maybe." The 36 respondents who indicated that they did not commute between the areas were asked to disregard the remainder of the survey. Figure 3.1 shows the breakdown of those who took part in the questionnaire, and the overall response to commuting plans between the areas of interest.
