2019-108 2019 Denton Arts and Jazz Festival SummaryDate: May 24, 2019 Report No. 2019-108
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Provide an update on the 2019 Denton Arts & Jazz Festival ridership numbers.
DISCUSSION:
The Denton Arts & Jazz Festival experienced another successful event in 2019. This year, festival staff estimate there were 220,000 people in attendance, a decrease of 5,000 attendees from 2018. On May 20, 2019, staff from Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), Denton Festival Foundation (foundation for the Arts & Jazz Festival), and City Manager’s Office scheduled a
conference call to discuss the ridership numbers over Arts & Jazz Festival weekend.
This year, DCTA provided multiple complementary modes of transportation to and from the festival including the A-Train and bus shuttles that picked up passengers from two stations at the Medpark station and Denton Presbyterian Hospital. Overall, the number of A-Train passengers
decreased slightly from 2018; the following information was provided by DCTA.
The timing of the Festival also coincide with the Early Voting period for the municipal election each year. DCTA offered complementary rides to anyone holding a voucher or that notified their bus driver they were taking public transportation to an Early Voting location. According to DCTA
records, there were zero passengers who took advantage of this promotion.
Table 1 below summarizes A-Train ridership in 2019 compared to 2018, and Table 2 provides bus shuttle service ridership data.
Table 1
Event Day* 2019 Denton Arts & Jazz
Festival A-Train Ridership
2018 Denton Arts & Jazz
Festival A-Train Ridership
Friday 1,495 1,536 Saturday 597 802
*A-Train Service was offered on Friday and Saturday, Arts & Jazz Fest takes place Friday -
Sunday
Table 2 2019 Bus Shuttle Ridership 2018 Bus Shuttle Ridership
Friday MedPark: 247 166
Saturday MedPark: 779
Presbyterian: 122
1,036
N/A
Sunday MedPark: 307 Presbyterian: 29 506 N/A
Total 1,484 1,708
Date: May 24, 2019 Report No. 2019-108
For added convenience, DCTA added a second parking area and shuttle at the Denton Presbyterian Hospital and provided free transportation for Early Voting on Saturday, April 27. Because of this increase in parking and shuttling, there were efforts to advertise these changes to the public. Table 3 outlines the costs of these promotional efforts as well as the cost of on-site staffing.
Ultimately, the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival was successful. There are improvements to be made
regarding the ridership numbers for both the A-Train and bus shuttles; however, 2019 decreases
in transit ridership are aligned with the decrease in attendance from 2018 levels. Staff agreed to the following enhancements for next year’s festival, currently scheduled for April 24-26, 2020 to improve customer experience, enhance communication efforts, and increase the number of DCTA riders:
• Hold a kick-off call in early January 2020 to discuss plans for the event and shuttles.
• Finalize plans for the shuttles by the end of February and begin to advertise the public transportation options. The City of Denton will cross promote public transportation options for the event. STAFF CONTACT: Mario Canizares Deputy City Manager Mario.Canizares@cityofdenton.com
Efforts Cost
2 Buses at Medpark from Friday - Sunday $7,200
2 Buses at Denton Presbyterian Hospital from Saturday – Sunday $5,460
Shuttle Signage $342
Printing Promotional Fliers (Design and Distribution) $285.85
Event Sponsorship $1,500
Tent Fee $275
Brand Ambassador Fee $3,995
News Release, Email Marketing, Social Media, Hop on Board Blog N/A