AG 2000 04 17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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service is being paid for with a grant from the Public Transit DiviSion of the NCDOT and the cities of Concord and Charlotte. Passengers are charged $2.00 for each trip which results in a farebox recovery of about 20% of total costs. CONCLUSIONS There is a clearly demonstrated need for scheduled transit service, particularly for essential trips such as social services, medical and shopping. A strong demand for job-related trips will develop as a result of the Concord Mills Mall project and related development. Respondents from the survey of Department of the Aging clientele indicated a willingness to use scheduled transit services in lieu of current dial-a-ride services. Rowan Transit Service reports that they have more requests for trips from S. Rowan County into Cabarrus County than can be supplied. Four (4) proposed transit routes have been developed that provide a strong level of service to medical, social services, education, shopping, employment and higher- density housing within the dynamic north-south corridor from China Grove to Concord Mills Mall. The routes proposed would connect to the existing Concord/Charlotte commuter service at the Northeast Medical Center terminus and at Lowe's Motor Speedway. There is the potential for private participation in funding the new service and this should be pursued as plans for service implementation are formalized. Given the potential for job-related trips, longer hours of service and weekend service should be explored as part of the service implementation process. RECOMMENDATIONS Implement all four proposed routes at the same time to provide the synergies among the routes and better corridor coverage. This will also provide a stronger perception of service and better stimulate ridership. Initial service should be contracted with a private contractor (operator) to allow the development of locally based expertise in this specialized area. The possibility of obtaining capital funding to purchase the busses and leasing them to the contract operator for one dollar per year should be explored by the Contract Administrator.