Just as public transit services must be adjusted periodically to efficiently and effectively respond to the opportunities and constraints of changing operating environments, so do the policies and procedures that govern service planning and development. The Metropolitan Transit Development Board's (MTDB's) Policy No. 43, originally adopted by the board in 1993, outlines methodologies for evaluating existing services and new service proposals. This policy was most recently revised in 2002 to reflect regional transportation goals and objectives, provide flexibility in prioritizing new services for implementation, and position MTDB for developing service reductions during times of fiscal constraints. The revision changed the process for evaluating service proposals and established a lifeline service plan. The original process for evaluating service proposals was limited to a quantitative evaluation based on calculated measures of productivity that did not account for qualitative merits of the proposals. Therefore, the process was revised to include qualitative criteria and the adoption of an annual investment strategy to help prioritize new services for implementation. The revised process results in a more comprehensive evaluation of service proposals and adjusts to the constantly evolving service development goals and objectives. Because of the current budget deficit faced by all MTDB area transit operators, criteria for developing a lifeline service plan were also included in the policy revision. The plan provides a policy framework for service provision in years of major fiscal constraints and establishes a footprint of minimum geographic coverage of transit services that would be retained in the event of major service reductions.
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