MACON-BIBB COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY RICHARD L JONES CEO

MACON-BIBB COUNTY TRANSIT AUTHORITY: RICHARD L. JONES, CEO September 12, 2016

MTA Overview Rick Jones, General Manager/CEO - July 2009 Fixed Route & Paratransit Services § 28 buses for 12 routes; 12 vans for Para Approximately 90 employees Board of Directors Appointed by the Mayor Confirmed by the County Commissioners Funding Mechanisms 18% Fare box and Other revenues § Up to 50% Net Operating Cost – Federal § Remaining Operating Cost – Bibb County § Capital: 80%-100% Fed. , Balance Local & State Match Substantial challenges identified and new direction set in 2009

Prior Critical Situation Deteriorating Fleet / Poor Service Levels § Breakdowns § No Spares § Low On-Time Performance Funding Issues – GDOT/FTA § Delayed Reimbursements § Credit Line/Match Availability Negative Community Perception § Appearance of Buses § Ridership Demographic Based on “Need” vs. “Want”

NEW DIRECTION

Fleet Assessment Fixed Route Buses § Over half the fleet were Nova’s (18 of 28 buses)– U. S. Division of Company out of business since 2003 Obsolete, out of production Detroit Diesel Series 50 engines, poor parts availability and technological support, poor reliability for pull-out or in service performance § Orion Buses – Same Detroit Diesel Series 50 Engines rapidly approaching mileage and age limits, poor parts availability, poor reliability for pull-out or in service performance

CONTINUATION…FLEET ASSESSMENT § Blue Bird Buses – Renewed focus on school buses § Aged, deteriorating, lack of support, mileage limits Paratransit Vans § Older, mileage limits, maintenance issues, poor reliability for pull-out or in service performance General Condition of Fleet and as a result, service level is poor in both performance and aesthetics Obvious Decision: REPLACE BUSES…But How? ? ?

Funding and Bus Purchases Timely Operating Funds Needed § Credit Lines challenged or exceeded each year since 1999 (up to $2, 000. 00 on 1. 2 mil line of credit) § Poor Employee Morale, Media & Political Relations § Financially unable to use existing Capital Grants to make needed improvements to system § Contacted local politicians, mending fences and solicited support for our efforts § Partnered with GDOT to resolve timeliness of grant contracts § Once Timeliness was met credit lines were cleared & funds were available to meet match requirements. § System improvements begin

Path to Change New Cutaway-Style Buses § Turnaround time of 90 days versus 12 -18 months § Cost of $105, 000 per bus instead of $360, 000 § Increased fuel efficiency: 7 -8 miles/gal. vs. 3 -4 miles/gal. § 14 cutaways ordered and 6 new paratransit vans § More effective utilization of existing FTA grant funding § Rapid and effective improvement in service levels and appearance § 0 emissions 8 New Vehicles Delivered by February, 2011, 5 more in October, 2011 In January, 2012, last Full sized C/Away and 6 Para’s delivered In March, 2012, 5 new Full sized Eldorado’s are delivered + 2 MV-1’s

New Look & Direction for MTA Environmentally recognized Colors of Blue and Green Bus Design Change Logo Incorporating Cherry Blossom Leaf Different Driver Uniforms Stationery Change (Business Cards) New Motto: “We Keep Macon Moving!” Change focus from reactive to proactive, On Time Performance became the guiding factor rather than a non-considered issue Improve Passenger, Community and Employee Perception Foster Partnerships and Goodwill Throughout the Middle GA Region Robins AFB, Colleges, Geico, Middle Georgia Clean Air, City, County, State of Georgia, FTA

We Keep Macon Moving

New Facility/Technologies Modern, High-Tech Transfer Station, August 2010 § Vast improvement for passengers (HVAC, seating, etc. ) § LCD Monitors with updated route information Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Locator (CAD/AVL) System § Bus/Van Location § On-Time Performance Maintenance Management Software § Track Repairs and Parts Ticket Vending Machine

ADDING A NEW DIMENSION…A STATE OF THE ART TRANSFER STATION TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF Macon, Georgia; beginning stage.

MTA’s new transfer station…getting people from where they are to where they want to be!

New Initiatives Implemented New Safety Incentive Plan § Resulted in $220, 000 Insurance Decrease in 2 Years Restrictions on Senior/Disabled and Student Discounted Times Removed § Increased Ridership by Almost 400% (Fiscal YTD) Discounted College Passes Created Bulk 4 -Ride Passes Available Awarded Management of Terminal Station Process underway for transfer of title from City to MTA Plans are ongoing for the acquisition and construction of a new state of the art maintenance facility, completed in 2014

Little Sister to Grand Central Station in New York Historic Terminal Station, Macon, Georgia

New & Potential Service to Robins Air Force Base (“Bi. RD” Route) § Nov. 2009 - 6 Passengers (First Day) § September 2011 – Approximately 3700 Monthly Optimization of Service on Existing Routes Geico Industrial Express Route Downtown 2 nd Street Corridor (Mayor Reichert) Service Expansions Pending and Being Explored Ocmulgee, Macon Mall Warner Robins/Houston County Transit Feasibility Study State of Georgia DHS Middle Georgia Transportation Request (11 Counties)

Fare Type Amount One-Way $1. 25 Transfer $0. 50 Adult 10 -Ride $10. 00 Adult 20 -Ride $20. 00 31 -Day Card $57. 50 Senior/Disabled One. Way Senior/Disabled 10 -Ride $0. 65 Senior/Disabled 20 -Ride $10. 00 Student One-Way $0. 75 Student 20 -Ride $12. 50 Para-Transit One-Way $2. 50 Para-Transit Roundtrip $5. 00 Para-Transit 20 -Ride $40. 00 Para-Transit 31 -Day $115. 00 $5. 00

AND OUR NEW HORIZONS… AMOUNT OWED…THEN: UP TO $2, 000. 00+ NOW: $0. 00 FLEET CONDITION…THEN: POOR NOW: EXCELLENT LIABILITY INSURANCE…THEN: $429, 000. 00 NOW: $209, 000. 00 ON TIME PERFORMANCE…THEN: POOR…NOT TRACKED NOW: FIXED ROUTE… 87%+ AND IMPROVING PARA TRANSIT. . 90%+ AND IMPROVING CUSTOMER, COMMUNITY, POLITICAL LEADERS, COMMUNITY SATISFACTION THEN: POOR NOW: GOOD RIDERSHIP IN ALL AREAS ARE CLIMBING DRAMATICALLY, FIXED. . +15%, PARA. . +20%, SENIOR/DISABLED. . +50% CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE STATE IS GROWING AND MACON-BIBB COUNTY TRANSIT IS BEING ASKED TO EXPAND SERVICE NOT TO JUST WITHIN MACONBIBB BUT TO THE ENTIRE 11 COUNTY MIDDLE GEORGIA REGION. WARNER ROBINS/HOUSTON COUNTY HAS ASKED THAT CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO MTA TO CREATE AND MANAGE A SYSTEM THERE. THE EFFORTS AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MTA HAVE BEEN GRATIFYING; CONTINUED GROWTH WILL ENHANCE NOT ONLY PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WITHIN BIBB COUNTY AND BEYOND. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY OF SERVICE PROVISION; THE SYSTEM AND ITS SUPPORTS MUST CONTINUE TO GROW TO MEET THE NEED.

Alternative Fuel Considerations § Orion Buses(2) – Detroit Diesel Series 50 Engines Have exceeded mileage and age limits, poor parts availability, poor reliability for pull-out or in service performance, are not environmentally sensative. Since 2005, Bus engines have become more and more environmentally sensitive. Our 5 Blue. Birds, purchased in 2007 were considered in the forefront in 2007, but not nearly so today. They are scheduled for replacement in 2019. Our fleet of Chevy Dura. Max Cut-A-Way buses purchased between 2010 and 2011 were more fuel

Continued: efficient and cleaner burning, with particulate traps and a means by which contaminates were burned off in the exhaust systems before being disbursed into our atmosphere. These buses have reached their life expectancies and are scheduled for replacement. Our fleet of International Cut-A-Way buses were a step up from the Chevy’s and considered to be “ 0 -emmision” buses. These buses have already, or are soon to reach their live expectancies and scheduled for replacement. As a result, Macon Transit needs to replace ½ of it’s current fleet for Fixed Route transit service.

To meet this need Macon Transit will seek to acquire vehicles that are considered to be the most effective in fuel efficiency and environmentally sensitive. The last buses acquired were New Flyer, 40 foot “clean diesel buses” that will carry 40 passengers seated and 35 standing. We have considered CNG, Hybrid Diesel and Electric buses in our search. We currently are enthusiastic with the advances and vehicles offered that are “all electric”. In partnership with Bibb County and Mayor Reichert, and the President’s Strong Cities initiative, it was decided to pursue electric bus acquisition. We have discussed these possibilities with New Flyer, Proterra Bus, and BYD Bus. In this search we have visited the New Flyer Plant

(cont. )in Anniston, Alabama, the Proterra Plant in Greenville, South Carolina, as well as visiting the system in Tallahassee, Florida who had this vehicle in operation. We were provided the use of a BYD electric bus for service in our routes for one week. The following were our conclusions: New Flyer, Anniston, Alabama, this was a well made, very well designed bus that had a range of around 60 miles. It would require a charge after that was provided by a “fast charge” station that would be located either end of the route assigned. This would

(cont. )allow the bus to have continued operation for the entire schedule of operation. Charging of the bus took around 5 minutes. Cost of a charging station was between $200, 000. 00 and $300, 000. Battery cost is high, currently almost $200, 000. New Flyer estimates that batteries will have to be replaced in 6 years or half of the bus life of 12 years. Cost of the bus was between $700, 000. 00 and $800, 000. Electric bus manufacture was relatively new to New Flyer and they had one system in Canada just starting service with two of their electric buses. New Flyer is the oldest bus manufacturer and considered to be extremely reliable in their products.

Proterra Bus Company, Greenville, South Carolina, this company is the first electric bus manufacturer in America and has buses placed in locations throughout the Country. We were privileged to visit one of these locations in Tallahassee, Florida with our Mayor and members of his staff as well as the Strong Cities Team. The system seemed to work well there and the Tallahassee Transit employees seemed very receptive. This bus is built with the same principles of the New Flyer Bus with a 60 mile range and the requirement of a fast charge station somewhere along the assigned route.

Cost of a charging station was between $200, 000. 00 and $300, 000. Battery cost is high, currently almost $200, 000. Proterra estimates that batteries will have to be replaced in 6 years or half of the bus life of 12 years. Cost of the bus was between $700, 000. 00 and $800, 000. As with the New Flyer, this type of system would require the permanent assignment of the vehicle to one exclusive route, unless the charging station was located at a central location serving multiple routes. BYD Bus Company, Las Angeles, Cal. , is a China based company that originated primarily as a power supply company that provides batteries in the production of vehicles and other power systems.

When they expanded into the production of buses, they developed a manufacturing plant in Las Angeles, California to produce, sell and distribute their product. They have since become a leading provider of electric buses in America. They offered a bus that had the capability of operating for 8 to 9 hours without a charge and furnished a charging station with the purchase of each bus. This is not a “rapid charge” station and takes 4 to 5 hours to charge. The price of the bus was still in the range of the two mentioned earlier, without the requirement of a “fast charge” station. BYD also guaranteed their batteries for 12 years or the life expectancy of the vehicle.

Our concern with the BYD vehicle is whether it could actually provide 8 to 9 hours of service with one battery charge. BYD provided us with the use of one of their buses for one week and it did indeed meet and exceed expectations. Our employees and our customers had nothing but praise for the vehicle. In 2015 we had the opportunity to apply for a Low or No Emissions Grant(LONO) with an extremely short timeline. With the Mayor’s encouragement, we went before the Bibb County Commission and were able to acquire their support for match moneys in the amount of $800, 000. 00 for purchase of 10 BYD buses. We were not successful in that request or the next, but our intent is to continue to pursue electric bus acquisition.

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