Bloomington Transit ridership saw a 9% decline from 2014 to 2019, according to the BPTC strategic plan. (WFIU/WTIU File Photo)
A new 10-year strategic plan by the Bloomington Public Transit Corporation (BPTC) Board of Directors calls for integration with IU Campus Bus, expanding bus service beyond Bloomington city limits, and offering on-demand and zero-emission public transit options.
The plan, presented at the group’s Tuesday meeting, was prompted by a 9% decline in BPTC ridership from 2014 to 2019 and seeks to find new ways to improve service for existing riders while also attracting new riders and increasing efficiency.
“In the coming years, we will embrace new types of services like microtransit, coordinate more closely with our partners, and use technology to help create a seamless customer experience across various modes,” Board Chair James McLary said in a letter. “We believe that this approach, called mobility management, is the best way to improve transportation in our community.”
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Microtransit refers to small-scale, on-demand public transit service. It has been utilized in metros such as Los Angeles, Seattle and Columbus, Ohio, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
BPTC currently has a microtransit pilot project through which it offers subsidized Lyft and Uber rides within a designated zone after regular service hours. The plan says doing so has allowed BPTC to “reallocate resources away from unproductive late-night bus service while continuing to provide transportation services to those who need them.”
Achieving a zero-emissions fleet
The board also wants to make a full transition to battery-electric buses to achieve a zero-emissions fleet. However, BPTC’s current facility does not have the space for a full battery-electric bus fleet and charging stations.
That is a reason why the plan cites a need to expand its current operations and maintenance facility or construct a new one.
Expanding the current BPTC facility or building a new one
BPTC’s current facility sits on Indiana University property, so expanding it would require the acquisition of adjacent property, according to the plan.
“Increased organizational and operational integration will be required if our organizations are to jointly embark on a facility expansion. Alternatively, it is possible Indiana University could elect to function independently and operate out of a different facility,” it reads. “Upgrading the agency’s facility, either through expansion or relocation, will require a reassessment of our relationship with Campus Bus and Indiana University.”
BPTC also wants to consider ways it can collaborate, and possibly integrate, with IU Campus Bus.
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If BPTC and Campus Bus are unable to integrate, the plan says BPTC plans to approach Campus Bus about departing from their shared facility.
“While the arrangement has benefited both agencies, the operation of two parallel systems results in unnecessary costs and reduces the seamlessness of the passenger experience,” the plan says.
Establishing BPTC as the community’s mobility manager
On top of that, BPTC is thinking of ways to establish itself as the community’s mobility manager — the entity that oversees and coordinates various transportation services.
The plan says BPTC is best positioned to assume that role as the largest transit agency and designated recipient of federal funds in the region.
Under this strategy, BPTC would provide planning, marketing and customer service support to public transportation services, including ones it does not directly operate.
The plan acknowledges a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan announced by the city in June 2022 but says, “Although Bloomington recently established a TDM program, such activities would be more coordinated if they were operated from within BPTC.”
Expanding service outside Bloomington
Another one of the major points laid out in the plan is the desire to expand service to Ivy Tech, Cook Medical, Baxter Healthcare and commercial areas outside the city.
“While development has spread beyond Bloomington’s boundaries, our operations remain restricted within the city limits per the 1982 ordinance that created that agency,” the plan states.
It goes on to acknowledge the city’s progress toward annexing some areas but states there is uncertainty surrounding those efforts.
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Toward that end, the plan calls for working with partners to pursue potential legislative changes.
The four initiatives and overall strategies for each include the following:
- Partnerships and Engagement: “We will build and strengthen our relationships with external partners, ensuring we are an engine for mobility, economic development, and equity in the Bloomington community.”
- Modernizing Operations: “We will strive to be a national leader among small transit providers innovation and efficiency. New technology and operating practices will make us more responsive to the needs of our customers.”
- Employee Recruiting, Retention and Satisfaction: “Our employees are our organization. We will continue to invest in recruitment, staff training, and well-being.
- Customer-facing service improvements: “We will continue to optimize and improve our services, from making our bus services more convenient and responsive to customer needs, to expanding alternative service models like microtransit.”
