Title
Accept the West Alameda Transportation Demand Management Association Annual Report for 2025 (Action)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Lisa Foster, Secretary to the Transportation Commission
Abby Thorne-Lyman, Interim Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The West Alameda Transportation Management Association (WATDMA), one of two Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) operating in Alameda, serves the Alameda Landing project residents and commercial property owners. It was established as a requirement of the development approvals for Alameda Landing, and the area members pay fees to support programs and services designed to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, which are often referred to as transportation demand management (TDM) programs. WATDMA, like most TMAs, is a private, non-profit, member-controlled organization.
Pursuant to the 2007 Alameda Landing Transportation Demand Management Program (Exhibit 1), WATDMA is to provide an Annual Report on its previous year TDM activities, the results of an annual survey, and any anticipated changes for the upcoming year to the Transportation Commission and City Council for review and comment each year. The 2025 Annual Report is attached as Exhibit 2.
BACKGROUND
Development History
In 2000, the City of Alameda (City) and Catellus, a developer, entered into a Development Agreement for the redevelopment of the former U.S. Navy lands that are currently occupied by the Bayport neighborhood, the Alameda Landing Shopping Center, the Tripoint residential neighborhood, the Bay37 waterfront residential neighborhood, the Bohol Circle Immigrant Park and the warehouses to the west of Bay37.
Over the last 25 years, the following work has been completed on the former U.S. Naval property pursuant to the original and amended Development Agreements:
Bayport Neighborhood. In 2010, the City of Alameda and the Bayport Developer completed the Bayport neighborhood.
Alameda Landing Neighborhood, Shopping Center, Stargell Avenue extension. By 2017, work on the Alameda Landing Shopping Center, adjacent Tripoint Neighborhood and Willie Stargell extension was complete. The Target store opened in 2013.
Waterfront Maritime. In 2017, Bay Ship and Yacht acquired two buildings totaling 364,000 square feet on the Alameda Landing Waterfront and later renovated them for non-residential use.
Bay37 Neighborhood and Bohol Circle Immigrant Park. The Bay37 neighborhood area represented the final phase of the Alameda Landing/Bayport Project. The largest neighborhood in Alameda Landing, it was built in phases and was only fully completed earlier this year. Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, a 4.5-acre City waterfront park, including the kayak and water shuttle public dock, opened in phases starting in 2023.
Alameda Landing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program
Pursuant to the Alameda Landing Development Agreements and Environmental Impact Report (EIR), first Catellus, the developer, and now WATDMA, is required to prepare an annual report on its required TDM program for review and comment by the Transportation Commission and City Council (Exhibit 2).
The Development Agreements and 2007 Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM Plan) (Exhibit 1) for Alameda Landing required the developer, Catellus, to:
• Establish Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) on all the properties (except Bayport) to fund transportation services for the future residents and employees of Alameda Landing and establish a Transportation Management Association (TMA) to collect the fees and provide the transportation services to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
“The overall goal of the Alameda Landing TDM Program is to implement on a permanently funded basis programs and measures intended to reduce weekday peak hour single occupancy vehicle (SOV) trips, weekday total SOV trips, and total emissions, and increase awareness and use of alternative modes of transportation.” (TDM Plan)
• Establish a TMA that could be expanded to include other future City projects, such as Alameda Point.
“The TDM Program for Alameda Landing is designed to allow for expansion of key program elements by additional development in West Alameda. Alameda Point, for example, is expected to ultimately be a participant in the TDM Program. Formation of a TMA, to unify these partners and to manage the TDM Program is part of the overall strategy of this TDM Program.” (TDM Plan)
• Provide an initial “day one” service with the initial development of Alameda Landing that is to include a commute hour (land) shuttle. As the project builds out and revenues increase, the “day one” services are to increase.
“The Alameda Landing Commercial Project Developer will fund the startup cost of the first phase of the TDM Program on Day One. TDM program revenues will grow as Alameda Landing is developed and occupied. Additional TDM program components will be added as TDM revenues equal or exceed cost of operations.” (TDM Plan)
• Provide an annual report for City Council review.
“Conditions of Master Plan approval and the Alameda Landing Commercial Development Agreement require that an Annual Report on the TDM Program be submitted to the City Council for review.” (TDM Plan.)
WATDMA Creation
In 2013 with the opening of the Target store, Catellus created WATDMA as a 501(c)(4) non-profit association of commercial and residential property owners at the Alameda Landing project. WATDMA was the City’s first TMA to be established. TMA’s are generally private, non-profit, member-controlled organizations, established to create and implement programs and services that will reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips. TMA revenues typically come from the members (homeowners and businesses) who pay fees. TMAs, in general, are intended to be more cost effective than programs managed by individual businesses or homeowner associations. TMAs allow small employers/homeowner groups to provide TDM services comparable to those offered by large companies/groups.
Today, the properties paying annual fees to WATDMA have grown to include three residential communities (Bay37, Alameda Landing and Symmetry) and three commercial groups (Target, Swire for the waterfront warehouse, and Vestar Property Management for the Alameda Landing shopping center). Stargell Commons is part of WATDMA and benefits from the programs, but because it is affordable housing, the residents do not pay into the organization. A map of these areas is found on the WATDMA web page: <https://westalamedatdma.org/>.
In 2016, City staff approached Catellus to initiate the process to add Alameda Point to WATDMA. After a year of discussion with Catullus, staff decided it would be faster and easier to create a separate citywide Alameda TMA for Alameda Point and the Northern Waterfront projects. In 2017, the City in association with Alameda Point property owners and tenants and Northern Waterfront projects, including Del Monte, Mulberry, Marina Shores, the Alameda Housing Authority, and Wind River, established the citywide Alameda TMA (Alameda TMA), a separate 501(c)(4) to provide transportation services for all new developments in Alameda except Alameda Landing. Since it was created, Alameda TMA has provided members with various transit pass programs, an electric bike rebate program, and weekend shuttles. It is a key partner in the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle. New development projects in Alameda now typically join the Alameda TMA.
In 2019, the WATDMA Board voted unanimously to support WATDMA’s merger with Alameda TMA subject to completing documentation with the City and Alameda TMA. Those discussions were paused during the Covid pandemic. In December 2022, City Council recommended that WATDMA and Alameda TMA merge, after discussions with all stakeholders and Transportation Commission review. Substantial progress was made on this effort, as reported in the 2025 Annual Report; however, the newly configured 2025 WATDMA Board chose not to move it forward, and the final merger document was not executed.
DISCUSSION
The attached Alameda Landing 2025 Annual Report was prepared by WATDMA’s Executive Director and was reviewed and approved by the WATDMA Board in April. It includes a broad range of information on the 2025 activities and plans for 2026, including:
• work done on, and status of, the WATDMA and Alameda TMA merger;
• current WATDMA membership;
• approved 2026 budget;
• termination of the Alameda Landing Express land shuttle;
• summary of initiation of the AC Transit EasyPass program and its utilization,
• contribution towards the water shuttle program;
• results of the annual member survey; and
• WATDMA goals for 2026.
This report fulfills the TDM Plan requirement to, “report results of an annual survey and summarize key TDM activities of the previous year and anticipated changes for the upcoming year in the annual report to the Alameda City Council for review.”
The WATDMA Board includes a City-appointed Director. Before this year, a community member filled this role. In February 2026, City Council appointed a City employee to this role: Rochelle Wheeler from the Planning, Building and Transportation Department.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Review of an annual report has no impact on the General Fund or any other City funds. The TMAs are independently funded non-profit organizations.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Provision of supplemental transportation services as a condition of project approval is consistent with General Plan policies to manage transportation demand through such services and reduce single occupant vehicle trips and automobile congestion in Alameda.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the 2025 Annual Report.
Respectfully submitted,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Alameda Landing TDM Plan (2007)
2. Alameda Landing Annual Report (2026)