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SECTION 2 - SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSIT PROVIDERS The following information addresses the Title VI reporting requirements for fixed route transit providers, as described in Chapter IV of the FTA Circular 4702.113. 2-1 SERVICE STANDARDS FTA requires all fixed route transit providers to develop quantitative standards for all fixed route modes of operation for the indicators listed below. Providers of public transportation may set additional standards as appropriate or applicable to the type of service they provide. As part of the 2013 Transit Development Plan (TDP), the Indian River County MPO conducted a Transit Quality of Service (TQOS) Evaluation. The TQOS is an evaluation of transit service from the passenger's point of view. There are two primary considerations while determining transit quality of service — availability of service and comfort and convenience. Availability of service includes geographical locations of service, time of day, and service frequency (i.e. where, when, and how often is service is provided), service frequency. Comfort and convenience encompasses several factors, such as the waiting environment at a transit stop, the ability to get a seat on the bus, overall bus travel time, reliability of service, passengers' perception of safety, and trip costs relative to other modes of transportation. The TQOS evaluation methodology was based on the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, 2nd Edition (TCQSM, 2nd Ed.), sponsored and developed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). During the course of the evaluation, each service measure was reviewed between nine activity centers, representing the central business district (CBD), shopping centers, a college satellite campus, a hospital, a (predominantly minority) residential neighborhood, and an employment center outside the CBD. For each the service measure, a grade was assigned from "A", representing the best level of service, to "F", representing the worst level of service. A copy of the TQOS evaluation is available in Appendix C. Vehicle Load Vehicle load can be expressed as the ratio of passengers to the total number of seats on a vehicle. For example, on a 40 -seat bus, a vehicle load of 1.3 means all seats are filled and there are approximately 12 standees. A vehicle load standard is generally expressed in terms of peak and off-peak times. Vehicle load, or load factor, is a ratio of the number of seats on a vehicle to the number of passengers on a particular route during periods of either peak or off-peak travel. Load factors are used by transit systems to determine the extent of possible overcrowding or the need for larger or additional vehicles on a route. The County and SRA monitor vehicle loads through feedback from passengers and operations staff, as well as ride checks. Once overcrowding is reported, staff conducts follow-up checks to ensure that the vehicles assigned to these trips can accommodate peak passenger loads. Route 2, for example, provides service from the Main Transit Hub to Indian River Mall and carries the highest passenger loads on the GoLine system. As the Route 2 bus began to reach capacity, SRA added a second vehicle to the route and then acquired a larger vehicle with a higher seating and standing passenger capacity. Title VI Program (2017 Update) Page 14 P123