- Overview - Study Area - Project Documents - Public Outreach -
- Project Funding - Contact Info -
The Ontario County Board of Supervisors initiated a comprehensive review of the County Area Transit System (CATS) to help meet the mobility needs of Ontario County residents. The County Planning Department oversaw the effort to identify affordable short-range improvements for the transit system through 2015.
The study focused on increasing CATS operating efficiency, improving service for existing riders, and attracting new riders to the transit system. It looked at ways to coordinate public transit with specialized transportation services provided to clients of human service agencies in the area, and improve connections with bus systems operating in neighboring counties. The final report was completed in winter 2010.
Steering Committee
The project Steering Committee was comprised of:
§ Kristen M. Hughes, Ontario County Planning Department, Director of Planning
§ Lindsey Withrow, Ontario County Planning Department, Senior Planner & Project Manager
§ Janet Starr, Ontario County Transportation Department, Director
§ Bob Torzynski, Genesee Transportation Council, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Program Manger
The County hired a consulting team comprised of New York-based Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Rochester-based Stuart I. Brown and Associates and IBI Group to assist with the study.
The study area encompassed all of Ontario County, New York. The study will also explored partnerships with transit agencies operating in adjacent counties.
The following project documents were produced during the study. To review the documents, please click on the hyperlinked titles.
Final Report: This document encompasses the analysis, input, and findings of the reports below and was adopted by the Genesee Transportation Council at their February 2010 meeting.
- Chapter 2 - Available Transportation Services
- Chapter 3 - Community Profile
- Chapter 4 - Outreach Efforts & Needs Assessment
- Chapter 5 - Individual Route Evaluations
- Chapter 6 - System Evaluations
Existing Conditions Report: A key aspect to gauging the effectiveness of the CATS system is understanding how existing public transportation services work within the full portfolio of transportation resources and the existing demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the service area. To facilitate this analysis, the consultant prepared the an existing conditions report that includes an inventory available transportation services, an overview of the existing socio-economic and demographic characteristics of Ontario County and a summary of comments heard about CATS services as collected through surveys, interviews and public meetings. The impact of these combined resources on public transportation needs and opportunities is discussed in the final section of this technical memo. The purpose of this analysis is to identify opportunities to improve service design so it more accurately reflects stakeholder priorities, passenger needs, and community characteristics.
Ontario CATS Passenger Survey Summary of Results: In Spring 2009, the consultant, working in conjunction with staff from the Ontario County Planning and Transportation Departments, collected data and surveys from existing riders of the CATS fixed route bus service. The passenger survey was designed to collect information on passenger travel patterns, perception of the existing service and preferences for service expansion. This report provides information on key findings.
Ontario CATS Non-Rider Survey Summary of Results: Nelson\Nygaard, working in conjunction with staff from the Ontario County Planning and Transportation Departments, conducted an internet based survey with county residents who do not usually use CATS fixed-route and dial-a-ride (DAR) bus service. The purpose of this survey was to understand non-riders’ knowledge and perception of CATS services and ask them to convey to the County their ideas for changes that would make the service more useful. The survey was also distributed by email to names and email addresses collected through various outreach activities conducted both as part of this study and other planning department activities. Recognizing that not all county residents have access to the internet, printed paper copies of the survey were made available. In total 295 individuals responded to the survey.
Stakeholder Interview Report: During May and June 2009, the consultants conducted stakeholder interviews with major employers, representatives of educational institutions, medical and human service providers and civic leaders. Interviews were conducted in-person and by telephone. Stakeholders were asked to provide an overview of how their constituents use CATS service in Ontario County, their overall impressions of the service, any issues or concerns, and suggestions for improvement. This narrative summarizes the findings from these interviews.
Individual Fixed Route Analyses: CATS operates seven fixed routes. Each fixed route analysis describes the current route alignment and schedule, the level of service, and ridership and productivity. It identifies strengths and weaknesses and offers preliminary potential improvements to service.
- Route 1: City of Geneva
- Route 2A: City of Canandaigua North
- Route 2B: City of Canandaigua South
- Route 3/7: Canandaigua/Victor/East Bloomfield
- Route 4: Canandaigua/Geneva/Canandaigua
- Route 5: Canandaigua/Clifton Springs/Geneva
- Route 6: Canandaigua/Naples
CATS Dial-A-Ride Profile: CATS operates Dial-A-Ride (DAR) throughout most of Ontario County for residents traveling where fixed-route services are not available. This profile evaluates ridership trends and patterns, service costs and productivity, scheduling and operations, and customer feedback. It identifies strengths, weaknesses, and potential improvements.
CATS System Performance Memo: The analysis provides an overview of the CATS system performance for its fixed-route and dial-a-ride services. It is intended to take a high level view of the system characteristics in terms of overall cost effectiveness and cost efficiencies. By looking at key performance measures and considering how the system is performing in terms of previous years and in comparison to other similar systems, it permits an assessment of relative performance. This analysis helps to determine if system productivity is improving over time and/or is within the desired range.
Ontario County System-wide Recommendations: This memo is a culmination of the series of outreach and analytical steps described in the preceding documents. It presents the consultants’ proposed recommendations for adjustments to service.
Several different mechanisms for public involvement are incorporated into the project's process. Click here to view the Public Participation Plan.
1) Project website-This website serves as an outlet for general information about the project, as well as public meeting notices, surveys, and project reports. If you wish to submit your comments privately, please take advantage of the comment card and contact information for Lindsey Withrow, Senior Planner with the Ontario County Planning Department and project manager.
2) Transit Blog- Visit http://ontariocats.blogspot.com/ for an opportunity to get a public discussion initiated. Comment on our posts and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.
3) Facebook® - Check out the Ontario County Planning Department page on Facebook®. Search for 'Ontario County Planning' and become a fan. This is another opportunity for you to get information on public meetings, start a community discussion, and find out about other Department happenings.
4) Rider Surveys- These were geared toward fixed route riders and distributed on the buses on Tuesday April 28 and Wednesday April 29. On lighter routes, they were distributed by drivers; on heavier ones, an additional person from First Transit, the County, or the consultant was on board. Thank you to all who participated. Click here to see the rider survey.
5) DAR Rider Comment Cards-Comment cards are being placed on DAR buses the week of April 27 and May 4. Click here to see the DAR Rider Comment Card.
6) Non-rider Survey-This survey was distributed at public meetings and at the job fair. It was also available online and in hard copy until mid-August. Click here to see the Non-rider Survey.
7) Job Fair-The County hosted a booth at the Tuesday April 28 Job Fair at Eastview Mall. The booth was an opportunity for the public to learn more about the system, fill out a survey, and provide comments and suggestions. A representative from First Transit was available to answer questions about existing service and the consultant was there to understand what changes to service people would like to see.
8) Public Information Meetings-The first round of meetings was held on Wednesday April 29 at the City of Canandaigua Courthouse. There was a brief presentation by the consultant about the system and the project and a group Q & A session. The first part of the meeting was followed by a more informal 'open house,' during which meeting attendees could participate in activity stations, fill out surveys, and talk one-on-one with the consultants, representatives from the County Planning and Transportation Departments, and First Transit.
For a copy of the presentation by the Consultant, click here.
For a copy of the public meeting notice, click here.
For those people who attended the meeting and needed transit service to get home, DAR rules were adjusted. DAR typically does not pick up/drop off people on a fixed route, but since the last fixed route of the day from the Canandaigua Transfer station leaves at 5:30 and the meeting went later than that, the rules were relaxed to afford people who rely on public transportation and were interested in attending the meeting the option.
The consultants provided several project products subsequent to the April 2009 public meetings. Two public meetings were held in September 2009 to review the findings to date and gather public input. These meetings, which were in an open house format and offered the same content, were held at the following times and in the following locations:
DATE TIME LOCATION Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 4:00pm to 7:00pm Ontario County Municipal Building
3rd Floor Conference Room
20 Ontario Street, Canandaigua
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 4:00pm to 7:00pm Geneva Public Library Community Room
244 Main Street, Geneva
9) Stakeholder Interviews-The Planning Department worked with the Transportation Department, First Transit, the Office of Economic Development, and others to come up with a representative list of businesses, agencies, organizations, etc that
- generate significant CATS ridership;
- are major destinations;
- may be interested in coordinating services with CATS; and/or
- represent a constituency that has a big stake in bus service in Ontario County.
This includes educational institutions, major local employers, hospitals and other health-related organizations, local government and non-profit agencies, and other regional transit providers. The consultant is conducting the interviews in a variety of formats, depending on the nature of the stakeholder (e.g. group round table, in-person one-on-one, over the phone, etc).
This project was funded by the Genesee Transportation Council through the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP is the program of federally-funded transportation planning activities to be undertaken each year by GTC staff, its member agencies, and other jurisdictions in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region. Ontario County is a member of the Genesee Transportation Council.
For additional information about the project, contact:
Lindsey Withrow
Senior Planner
Ontario County Department of Planning
20 Ontario Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Tel: 585.396.4455
Fax: 585.393.2960