JD Dillard provided a discussion of the Valdosta-Lowndes County's free shuttle to address mobility needs during the 2016 National Regional Transportation Conference.

1. Making the Case for Transit:
The Valdosta Pilot Shuttle Program

2. Southern Georgia Regional Commission
• 18 Counties, 45 cities, 410,000 people
• Regional Pop.- 51% rural and 49% urban
• 5,142,474 acres of rural pine forests,
national wetlands, and agricultural
farmland
• 11 counties with 5311 Rural Transit
services

3. DHS/5311 Coordinated Transportation
DHS/5311 Non-Coordinated Transportation
Valdosta Urbanized Area
DHS Human Service Transportation

5. Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Area
• Metropolitan status since 2001
• 55k population in Valdosta City Limit
• 77k population in Valdosta Urbanized Area
• 110k population in Lowndes County
• 1 of 25 urbanized areas nation wide that do
not have fixed route transit (489 total UZAs)

7. Valdosta Urbanized Area Transit Study
• In FY16 the SGRC contracted with Tindale-
Oliver to develop an implementation plan for
public transit in the Valdosta Urbanized Area
• Coincide with DHS Pilot Program to utilize real
time data and trends
• Urban Transit has been studied twice since
2006

8. Why a Fixed Route Shuttle?
• In Region 11, DHS applied for the 5317 New
Freedom grant from GDOT/FTA to expand the
base of eligible clients needing transportation
• The program had to be a new, never
previously funded service, that went beyond
ADA requirements, and serve elderly, disable,
and low-income persons

9. How do we identify “elderly, disabled,
and low income” individuals?
“A Report on Key Indicators for Establishing
Environmental Justice in Transportation
Planning in Lowndes County, 2015”

10. Environmental Justice Matrix
Tracts Minorities Elderly Poverty Veh. Access Spanish Education Sum Tracts
101.01 0 101.01
101.02 1 1 101.02
101.03 0 101.03
102.01 1 1 102.01
102.02 1 1 102.02
103.01 0 103.01
103.02 0 103.02
104.01 0 104.01
104.02 1 1 104.02
105 1 1 1 1 4 105
106.01 1 1 106.01
106.04 0 106.04
107 0 107
108 1 1 1 1 4 108
109 1 1 109
110 1 1 1 1 4 110
111 1 1 111
112 1 1 112
113.01 1 1 2 113.01
113.02 1 1 1 1 1 5 113.02
114.01 1 1 2 114.01
114.02 1 1 2 114.02
114.03 0 114.03
115 0 115
116 1 1 116

13. Community Partners

15. How do we track ridership?

16. Tracking Ridership @ SGRC
Mildred Hunter JP Rodgers Industrial Park Walmart Goodwill Valdosta Mall Library/SGMC Lee/Ann St Downtown
Total On 9 1 1 2 9 2 4
Total Off 7 3 1 1 9 5 1
Mildred Hunter JP Rodgers Industrial Park Walmart Goodwill Valdosta Mall Library/SGMC Lee/Ann St Downtown
7 to 8 3
8 to 9 1 1 2 1
9 to 10 2 1 1 1
10 to 11 1 1 3 2
11 to 12 2
12 to 1 1 1 4
1 to 2 1 2 2 2
2 to 3 1 1 2 1
3 to 4 1 1 1
4 to 5 2 1 1 1 1
5 to 6 3 3
Total # of Riders 17

17. Ridership by Location by Time of Day
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
7 to 8 8 to 9 9 to 10 10 to 11 11 to 12 12 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
Downtown
Lee/Ann St
Library/SGMC
Valdosta Mall
Goodwill
Walmart
Industrial Park
JP Rodgers
Mildred
Hunter

18. Southern Route Daily Rider Totals
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Nov.23
Nov.28
Dec.3
Dec.8
Dec.12
Dec.17
Dec.22
Dec.29
Jan.4
Jan.8
Jan.13
Jan.19
Jan.23
Jan.28
Feb.2
Feb.6
Feb.11
Feb.16
Feb.20
Feb.25
Mar.1
Mar.5
Mar.10
Mar.15
Mar.19
Mar.24
Mar.30
Apr.4
Apr.8
Apr.13
Apr.18
Apr.22
Apr.27
May.2
May.6
May.11
May.16
May.20
May.25

19. Avg. Daily Ridership by Month
5.00
7.00
9.00
11.00
13.00
15.00
17.00
19.00
21.00
23.00
25.00
Nov. Avg Dec. Avg. Jan. Avg. Feb. Avg. Mar. Avg. Apr. Avg. May Avg.

20. Tindale-Oliver Community Survey Data
• 512 responses from
Feb. 1 - Mar. 31
• 74% - feel need for
public transit
• 21% - no vehicle 74%
9%
4%
10%
Definitely Not At All
Not Sure Somewhat

21. If reliable public transportation service were available
within the Valdosta area, would you consider using the
service?
No
19%
Yes
78%
Undecided
3%

22. How often would you likely use public
transit?
1 to 2 days per week
19%
3 to 4 days per week
31%
5 or more days per
week
48%
Less than once per
week
2%
1 to 2 days
per week
19%
3 to 4 days per
week
31%
5 or more days
per week
48%
Less than once
per week
2%

23. How should public transit be funded?
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Other
I do not think public transit should be funded
Millage Rate Increase
Ad Valorem Tax Increase
Sales Tax Increase
Advertising Revenues
Rider User Fees
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Other
I do not think public transit should be funded
Millage Rate Increase
Ad Valorem Tax Increase
Sales Tax Increase
Advertising Revenues
Rider User Fees

24. Where would you like it to go?
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Walgreens - Baytree
Troupeville/Brooks County
Other
Ora Lee West Area
Mildred Hunter Center/Hudson-Docket
Stone Creek/Grove Point
Forrest St./Park Ave.
Castle Park/Piggly Wiggly
City of Hahira
Gil Harbin Industrial Blvd.
Moody Air Force Base
Wiregrass Tech
Bemiss Road towards Moody
Dept. of Labor/Dept. of Health
Northside Drive/VSU North Campus/Bemiss Road
Baytree Rd/City of Remerton
VSU
Five Points
South Georgia Medical Center/South Georgia Regional Library
Inner Perimeter Road
Downtown Valdosta
Valdosta Mall Area/Norman Dr

26. Northern Ridership by Time of Day by Stop
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
7 to 8 8 to 9 9 to 10 10 to 11 11 to 12 12 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6
Azalea Towers
Convergys
Walmart
Five Points
Wiregrass
eLead/Fresh
VA Clinic
SGMC Library

27. Northern Route Daily Rider Totals
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Mar.
14
Mar.
16
Mar.
18
Mar.
21
Mar.
23
Mar.
26
Mar.
29
Mar.
31
Apr.
2
Apr.
5
Apr.
7
Apr.
9
Apr.
12
Apr.
14
Apr.
16
Apr.
19
Apr.
21
Apr.
23
Apr.
26
Apr.
28
Apr.
30
May.
3
May.
5
May.
7
May.
10
May.
12
May.
14
May.
17
May.
19
May.
21
May.
24
May.
26

28. Avg. Daily Ridership by Month
North Route
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
8.00
9.00
10.00
Mar. Avg Apr. Avg. May. Avg.

29. North and South Daily Rider Totals
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Nov.23
Nov.27
Dec.1
Dec.4
Dec.8
Dec.11
Dec.15
Dec.18
Dec.22
Dec.28
Dec.31
Jan.5
Jan.8
Jan.12
Jan.15
Jan.20
Jan.23
Jan.27
Jan.30
Feb.3
Feb.6
Feb.10
Feb.13
Feb.17
Feb.20
Feb.24
Feb.27
Mar.2
Mar.5
Mar.9
Mar.12
Mar.16
Mar.19
Mar.23
Mar.28
Mar.31
Apr.4
Apr.7
Apr.11
Apr.14
Apr.18
Apr.21
Apr.25
Apr.28
May.2
May.5
May.9
May.12
May.16
May.19
May.23
May.26

30. Combined Daily Rider Totals
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Nov.23
Nov.27
Dec.1
Dec.4
Dec.8
Dec.11
Dec.15
Dec.18
Dec.22
Dec.28
Dec.31
Jan.5
Jan.8
Jan.12
Jan.15
Jan.20
Jan.23
Jan.27
Jan.30
Feb.3
Feb.6
Feb.10
Feb.13
Feb.17
Feb.20
Feb.24
Feb.27
Mar.2
Mar.5
Mar.9
Mar.12
Mar.16
Mar.19
Mar.23
Mar.28
Mar.31
Apr.4
Apr.7
Apr.11
Apr.14
Apr.18
Apr.21
Apr.25
Apr.28
May.2
May.5
May.9
May.12
May.16
May.19
May.23
May.26

31. Was it a success?
• Did we create a “new, never previously funded
service, that went beyond ADA requirements,
to serve elderly, disable, and low-income
persons?”
• Did we generate data for local officials to use
in their decision making process?
• Did we show a need and demand for public
transit?

32. Lessons Learned
• We can’t compare directly to other Urban
Transit Systems, because we aren’t one
• Partnerships are key
• There’s never enough publicity

33. Contact Information
JD Dillard
Transit and Mobility Coordinator
229-333-5277
jdillard@sgrc.us