The MOD Award - Spokane Transit Authority

Spokane WA - The Spokesman Review tells of increased ridership on the Spokane Transit Authority (STA). What's especially nice in reading this story is that the ridership increases were from focusing on the basics of public transit rather than some marketing department campaign that does little except waste money.

From increasing service where needed and improving connections to offering more fare options for its riders, the STA increased it's overall ridership by 9.5% over the course of the year since the route changes went into effect.

The STA increased overall service by 13% overall. While this may seem high, the increased ridership shows it is working. The increases to service were well planned and done in areas that needed and wanted service. As word spreads of the new services and as long as the STA provides convenient and reliable service, the ridership increase will exceed the overall service increase.

The transit system has more changes ahead in its service to improve on the good job they already have done. They have a goal of 22 riders per revenue mile and are already up to 20.2. Those numbers are better than many larger operations in the country who are much more focused on the marketing image of the system rather than the service the system provides.

The basics of public transit is something all systems need to do. Too many public transit operations are focused on marketing an image rather than providing good service and where is it getting them? Nowhere and fast. At least the STA has woken up to the fact that the basics work and hopefully other transit systems will follow the STA's lead.

The Spokane Transit Authority wins a MOD Award for moving back to the basics of providing good service. As it can be seen in Spokane, public transit can work well if it is run properly.

Fayette Area Coordinated Transit - The MOD Award

The Fayette Area Coordinated Transit (FACT) system has moved significantly in the right direction since it's days of just providing limited local service in the Fayette County Pennsylvania area. New buses, expanded and new services, a consolidated maintenance, storage and office complex and most importantly, increased ridership all have contributed to a transit system that is headed in the right direction.

It wasn't cheap but FACT utilized the money wisely and put the focus of their efforts on improving the operation for the ridership. New commuter runs to Downtown Pittsburgh have dramatically improved services for riders by taking them where they wanted to go. Now, service to the Century III shopping mall in Allegheny County are in place for the Fayette County residents who have requested it.

Although still considered a small town transit system which receives little in State operating funding, FACT has turned itself around and is making itself noticed through its services. The continued improvement in focusing on the riders and expanding services, even though many systems in Pennsylvania are making long term fare hike and route cut plans, earns FACT the first MOD Award. By utilizing the basics of public transit, FACT is growing and improving while other operations are faltering.

The Laurels and Lances Awards

I currently offer 4 different "awards" for public transit. These awards are designed to highlight the transit systems, individuals and other entities that do it right and those that do it wrong.

1. Laurel - A move in the right direction to improve public transit.

2. Lance - A move in the wrong direction which ultimately hinders public transit.

3. The MOD Award - To honor a transit operation for dramatically improving operations by using the basics. The basics are service and productivity. This award is named for the MOD era at the Port Authority of Allegheny County in the early 1970's where PAT used the basics and achieved record ridership levels, increased productivity and national recognition.

4. The Chambersburg Transit Authority Award - To "honor" a transit operation for being royally screwed up. This award is named after the Chambersburg Transit Authority in Chambersburg, PA which had to be shut down due to how poorly it was managed.

Other awards may be created later but these 4 should cover the vast majority of public transit issues.