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Home My WebLink AboutFY 2023 (Transportation Agency)z o c�7 3 �o•'�N�W o 8Rp �c �� TRANSPORTATION AGENCY FY 2023 BUDGET AND OPERATIONS SYNOPSIS Celia Mahikoa Executive 1. FY 2022 to FY 2023 BUDGET COMPARSION Department: TRANSPORTATION Fund: GENERAL FUND FY 2022 FY 2023 $ + / - % + / - Salary and Wages 170,254 0 -170,254 -100.0% Benefits 110,661 0 -110,661 -100.0% Utilities 0 0 0 0.0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 0 0 0 0.0% Operations 108,158 0 -108,158 -100.0% 389,073 0 -389,073 -100.0% FY 2022 Operating Budget ■ Salary and Wages ■ Benefits 096 ■ Utilities 096 ■ VehiclejEquip. Lease ■ Operations FY 2023 Operating Budget 0%F0% ■Salaryand Wages 096 ■ Benefits 0% Utilities ■ Vehicle/Equip, Lease Operations FY 2022 and FY 2023 Comparison sao,00a s�o,00a s4o,aaa 12o,00a sao,00a FY 2022 S 0,000 FY 2023 50,000 40,000 20,000 4 Sa lary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Operations Lease 1 Department: TRANSPORTATION Fund: HIGHWAY FUND FY 2022 FY 2023 $ + / - % + / - Salary and Wages 11 1,873,864 1,873,853 17035027.3% Benefits 1,364,651 1,208,672 -155,979 -11.4% Utilities 0 5 5 100.0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 650,002 1,115,005 465,003 71.5% Operations 1,323,832 163,812 -1,160,020 -87.6% 3,338,496 4,361,358 1,022,862 30.6% FY 2022 Operating Budget 40% 0% ■ Salary and Wages ■ Benefits ■ Utilities ■ VehiclejFquip Lease 19 0% Operations FY 2023 Operating Budget ■ 5a lary and Wages 4 2 ■ Benefits 396 ■ Utilities ■Vehicle/Equip, Lea se ■ Operations FY 2022 and FY 2023 Comparison 2,a00,co0 1,s00,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 ■ F'f 202Z 800,000 ■23 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Operations Lease 2 Department: TRANSPORTATION Fund: G.E. TAX FUND FY 2022 FY 2023 $ + / - % + / - Salary and Wages 107 3,821,875 3,821,768 3571745.8% Benefits 1,901,353 2,439,931 538,578 28.3% Utilities 103,200 175,637 72,437 70.2% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 369,950 149,185 -220,765 -59.7% Operations 313,051 1,621,391 1,308,340 417.9% 2,687,661 8,208,019 5,520,358 205.4% 4% —11 FY 2022 Operating Budget 0% ■ Sa a-y aid Wages ■ Benefit ■ Utilities ■ Vehicle/Equip, Lease ■ Operations FY 2023 Operating Budget ■ Sa IarV and Wages 20 ■ Benefits 6% Utilities ■VehicleXquip. Lea se 2% ■ operations FY 2022 and FY 2023 Comparison 4,500,000 4,000, 000 3,500,000 3,000, 000 2,500,000 -A 2,000, 000 1,500,000 1,000, 000 5 00, 000 0 Salary and Wages Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Operations Lease 3 2. MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR VARIANCES IN OPERATIONS BUDGET General fund The removal of all remaining Transportation Agency General Fund line items was prompted by the return of the County's Small Equipment Repair & Maintenance function (Dept/Div 4503) to the Department of Parks and Recreation. All Transportation Agency expenses are now solely for providing public transit and are therefore eligible to be completely funded through the County's Highway Fund, General Excise Tax Fund, and Federal Transit Administration grants. Highway Fund Salary & Wage expenses are being increased by $1,873,853 (Salary, Wages & Hourly Pay, Overtime, and Premium Pay) due to the Federal Transit Administration COVID Relief funding being fully expended in fiscal yearending2022. The Highway Fund will now support 50% of Full -Time Bus Driver payroll expenses. No new positions were obtained. Benefit expenses decreased by $155,979 due to positions transferring between On -Call and Full - Time status, prompting adjustments to reflect the required benefit rates. Vehicle/Equipment, Lease expenses increased by $465,003 due to the significant increase in Federal Transit Administration funds becoming available for the purchase of replacement public transit buses that require 20% in local matching funds. Other Operating expenses were decreased by $1,160,020 in this fund by transferring them to the General Excise Tax fund to merge similar expenses under one funding source. General Excise Tax Fund Salary expense amounts in this account are needingto be increased by $3,821,768 (Salary, Wages & Hourly Pay,Overtime,and Premium Pay) due to the Federal Transit Administration COVID Relief funding beingfully expended in fiscal yearending 2022. No new positions were obtained. Benefit expenses increased by $538,578 due to the full expenditure of the Federal Transit Administration COVID Relief funding received, and having positions transfer between On -Call and Full Time status, prompting adjustments to reflect the required benefit rates. Utilities expenses increased by $72,437 to support the annual cost of the new, expanded Computer -aided Dispatch (CAD)/Automated Vehicle Locator (AVL) program that added several more user-friendly passenger service features, including stop announcements inside and outside of the vehicle, next -stop signage, and a real-time app along with the increased data plan requirements. Additionally, the portable office building was placed in use, which prompted an increase in electricity expenses. Vehicle/Equipment, Lease expenses decreased by $220,765 due to vehicle replacement expenses being transferred to the Highway Fund, along with additional Federal Transit Administration funds becoming available to purchase equipment as necessary for the Base Yard Expansion project. Other Operating expenses increased by $1,308,340, due to expenses being transferred from the Highway Fund to combine similar expenses under one funding source. When looking at the total of expense types, the vast majority remained aligned with the prior fiscal year. 4 3. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES The primary operational challenges the Kaua'i Bus continues to experience follow: 1) Kaua'i's Short -Range Transit Plan was completed in 2018 and provides the County with a list of useful recommendations for improving Kaua'i Bus service that upon implementation will continue to increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and user-friendly nature of essential public transit service for the people of Kaua'i. The ongoing support provided by our Mayor, Councilmembers, and many other partners in public service has provided the County Transportation Agencythe resources and capability to successfully implement some of the significant changes recommended. Meanwhile, the greatest challenge faced by the Kauai Bus continues to be the limited space on which the bus baseyard, repair shop, and administrative facility are located. The current facility was constructed 20 years ago, at which time transit service was extremely limited and ridership was less than 25% of what normal ridership would be today outside of the pandemic conditions. Since then, the fleet size, repair shop requirements, and operations staffing have more than doubled, and ridership of the Kaua'i Bus bythe public more than quadrupled. The existing facilities have reached their maximum capacity, and although a portable office building has been installed to address the shortage of office space, a mezzanine is being constructed within the repair shop, and additional property is pending improvement, space needs remain deficient. The Space Needs Study currently being assembled by PBR Hawaii will provide an assessment of the facility space needed to sustain the anticipated growth in demand for public transit service on Kaua'i in the future, and therefore funds requiring no local match were applied for and awarded by the Federal Transit Administration to proceed with planning, design, engineering, and then the construction of additional repair shop and base yard functional space in the near future. 2) The State of Hawai'i's renewable energy and transportation electrification goals prompted a County Proclamation made December 12, 2017 to describe the County's commitment to converting 100% of the County's fleet to renewable -powered fuels by the year 2035. The County Transportation Agency remains committed to working towards transitioning all Kauai Bus vehicles to a zero emission fleet by 2035, collaborating with statewide partners in the statewide "Hawai'i Zero Emission Bus Pilot Project", and will continue to seek funding and identify collaborative opportunities to successfully achieve this bold vision and goal. The challenge continues to be in identifying ways to secure sufficient alternative fuel supplies at acceptable cost levels to incrementally transition the fleet while simultaneously ensuring that current transit service levels remain safelyand reliably provided through the replacement of 12-15 buses annually. 3) The covid pandemic has prompted many operational challenges, of which the greatest of these has been maintaining sufficient staffing levels to preserve acceptable levels of quality transit service. Additionally, Kaua'i Bus team members continue to encounter challenges with non- compliance when respectfully enforcing customer compliance with regulations related to mask wearing, which includes providing a mask for those who need one. Most customers comply however incidents of non-compliance must occasionally prompt denial of service. 4. TOP 3 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2022 1) The Kauai Bus has deployed most of the features available within its mobile app that provides users a live map of bus routes and the real time status of Kaua'i Buses. It includes real time tracking of estimated bus arrival times, and the ability to receive text updates of service changes. Additional capabilities are being refined and will be activated within the upcoming months. The app is available through Apple Store and Google Play Store. Wi-fi continues to be available on the Kaua'i Buses, providing passengers the benefit while also providing the County with portable Wi- Fi connection points when in periods of disaster and emergency response. 2) Two new bus stops were added to Kaua'i Bus service that greatly improves accessibility for the public. The first is at the Uhu'e Target store on Route 70, the Uhu'e Shuttle, and the second is on Kaumualii Highway near Mahea Road in Eleele on Route 100, the Kekaha to Uhu'e mainline route. 3) Onboard Video installation completed on all remaining Kaua'i Buses has proven extremely valuable in validating accounts of incidents and protecting bus drivers and others from false claims. The resources is providing sound video and audio evidence documenting accidents and incidents that occur on board and within the close vicinity of the buses. I: