Title
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Documents with the Alameda County Transportation Commission to Accept $1,000,000 in Grant Funds for the Alameda-Oakland Estuary Water Shuttle Two-Year Pilot Program (2024 through 2026) and to Appropriate the $1,000,000 Towards the Water Shuttle Program and to Appropriate the $1,000,000 Grant Award and $150,000 in Measure BB Local Streets and Roads Funds as Grant Matching Funds in Fiscal Year 2023-24 Towards the Water Shuttle Program.
A Program Environmental Impact Report for the Expansion of Ferry Service in the San Francisco Bay Area was certified in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (State Clearinghouse #2001112048). (Transportation 20962740)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since early 2022, the City of Alameda’s (City) transportation planning staff has worked with a partnership of private businesses and associations on both sides of the Oakland Estuary and the San Francisco Bay Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) (the “Partnership”) to initiate a free public water shuttle service between Oakland and Alameda. Together, the Partnership developed a plan for a two-year, five (5) day a week, year-round program to begin Spring 2024 and run through Spring 2026. The service would be operated by WETA.
The City received a $1 million grant application from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) to fund 25% of the operating costs for a two-year water shuttle pilot to begin in Spring 2024, with the $3 million (75%) local match covered by $150,000 of the City’s Measure BB funds and $2,850,000 contributed by the remaining water shuttle partners. The Estuary water shuttle program includes operating a two-year, five day a week free shuttle between Jack London Square in Oakland and Bohol Circle Immigrant Park at the foot of Fifth Street in Alameda, with possible weekday lunchtime service to Marina Village.
At this time, staff is requesting that the City Council adopt a resolution that includes:
• Accepting and appropriating the $1 million grant, as required by Alameda CTC, and committing to deliver a two-year water shuttle program starting in 2024. If the Partnership is unable to fulfill its commitment to raising the $3 million matching funds, the service would be cut back or eliminated.
• Appropriating $150,000 in City Measure BB funding for the two-year pilot consistent with the June 2022 City Council approval to submit the grant application. The balance of the $3 million needed will be provided by the Partnership.
BACKGROUND
Currently, there is no adequate, safe or convenient access for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the Oakland Alameda Estuary west of the Park Street Bridge. The City , WETA, CIM Group (Jack London Square’s property management company), Blue Rise Ventures (owners of the Marina Village Business Park), Jack London Improvement District, the West Alameda Transportation Management Association, and the Alameda Transportation Management Association (Alameda TMA) all want to provide Alameda and Oakland residents, employees and visitors with convenient, safe, and free access across the estuary by boat.
In 2009, the City’s Estuary Crossing Study recommended a water shuttle as the medium-term solution to closing the gap between Alameda and Oakland in the west end. The need for a water shuttle for pedestrians and bicyclists across the Oakland Alameda Estuary (Estuary) is also recognized in the City’s General Plan, Transportation Choices Plan and Active Transportation Plan.
The long-term solution recommended in the Estuary Crossing Study for this gap in bicycle and pedestrian access is a bicycle/pedestrian bridge, and planning for the bridge is underway with funding from Alameda CTC. However, a successful bridge planning process would not result in a bridge for at least ten years. In the meantime, a water shuttle can be an interim solution.
On June 21, 2022, City Council authorized submittal of a $1 million grant application to fund 25% of the operating costs for a two-year water shuttle pilot to begin in Spring 2024, with the $3 million (75%) local match covered by $150,000 of the City’s Measure BB funds and $2,850,000 contributed by the remaining water shuttle partners.
In 2022, staff began holding regular meetings with waterfront property owners in Oakland and Alameda, WETA, and Alameda’s two transportation management associations to identify funding for a water shuttle. The Partnership continues to meet regularly to review the projected costs, potential schedules and hours of service, and their own financial resources which will be used to fund the water shuttle. Throughout the process the goals for the Partnership have been to:
• Provide a service that is convenient and free to users, ADA accessible and easy for people with bicycles to use.
• Schedule services to best meet the needs of the Partnership members.
On May 25, 2023, the Alameda CTC awarded the City $1 million in grant funding for the two-year water shuttle pilot.
DISCUSSION
Community Interest
In addition to the partners, there is a high degree of interest in a water shuttle service on both sides of the estuary. This April the City conducted an online survey to gauge interest in the water shuttle and determine what service days and hours were preferred. Over 2,300 people responded. A summary of the results is attached (Exhibit 1). Key highlights from the survey are:
• 87% of respondents said they would use a water shuttle for recreational/social trips, while 48% said they would use it for commute trips.
• Of those who would use the shuttle for commuting, 34% work in Alameda, 33% in Oakland and 21% in San Francisco.
• 80% live in Alameda and 12% in Oakland.
• 54% said they would likely bike to the dock and 38% would walk.
• 68% would want to bring a bike onto the boat, at least sometimes.
The survey remains open, and is on the water shuttle web page, along with additional project background: www.alamedaca.gov/watershuttle <http://www.alamedaca.gov/watershuttle>.
Two-year Pilot Service
This two-year pilot water shuttle service would:
• Operate for two years, most likely beginning in Spring 2024 and running through Spring 2026.
• Operate five days per week, on dates and at times still to be determined, but including both weekday and weekend days. During the spring, summer and fall months, the service would operate for more hours each day than during the winter months, enabling longer operating hours when ridership is expected to be higher.
• Operate between the new public dock at the foot of Fifth Street, in Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, and the public dock at the foot of Broadway in Oakland’s Jack London Square. On weekdays at lunchtime, it may operate between Marina Village and the Jack London Square dock.
• Be administered by WETA, via a contract with a private boat operator. The City will need to enter into a reimbursement agreement with WETA for the cost of the $4 million service. The City will receive $1 million grant funds from Alameda CTC and $3 million in matching funds from the Partnership, which includes the City’s $150,000 contribution and WETA’s commitment of $190,000 in in-kind funding for administration and marketing. For the Partnership contributions, the City will enter into an agreement with the partners, committing to the funding. For the grant application, the attached letter (Exhibit 2) was signed and submitted by the Partnership, showing the commitment of all partners to funding the project.
Summer 2023 Pilot Service Not Feasible
Last December, the Partnership began working to develop a summer 2023 pilot water shuttle service, with the goals of building community interest and better understanding user needs and preferences for the two-year program. The survey results further confirmed that if the Partnership could find a way to fund and operate a free shuttle, people would use it. WETA administered a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to find an operator, and the partners secured the needed funding. However, of the two operators that responded to the RFP, neither could provide a boat that was fully ADA accessible, which is a requirement for the service. The Partnership is now focusing its efforts on launching the two-year program, including resolving the issue of needing an appropriate and accessible boat.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve staff recommendations.
• City Council could decide not to accept the $1,000,000 grant, in which case the pilot water shuttle program would most likely not move forward.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There are two requests:
1. Appropriate $1 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24, from a new Alameda CTC grant award, towards the two-year pilot program.
2. Appropriate $150,000 in Measure BB Local Streets and Roads funds in FY 2023-24, as grant matching funds, for the two-year pilot service, which is anticipated to start in Spring 2024. The additional operating costs will be covered by the Partnership.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Water Shuttle Pilot program is consistent with the General Plan (2021) and the Active Transportation Plan (ATP, 2022).
General Plan Policy ME-15 Estuary Crossings states: “Work with Oakland, Alameda County, Caltrans, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the State of California, the US Coast Guard, and other local, regional and federal partners to improve and ensure the maintenance and safe operations of Alameda’s existing bridges and tubes, and improve bicycle, pedestrian and transit access between Alameda and Oakland.” Policy ME-15 Action (d) states: “Water Service Shuttles. Work with the Alameda Transportation Management Association, WETA and Oakland stakeholders to develop and support water shuttles or provide short-hop service between Oakland and Alameda.”
The ATP’s 2030 Infrastructure Plan includes Project #9: Estuary Water Shuttle Operations and calls for launching a pilot service by 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Program Environmental Impact Report for the Expansion of Ferry Service in the San Francisco Bay Area was prepared by WETA and certified in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (State Clearinghouse #2001112048). No further environmental review is required under Public Resources Code section 21166 and Section 15162 of the CEQA Guidelines.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Vehicle miles traveled is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda. Providing a public water shuttle service will create a comfortable, enticing and safe opportunity for people on foot and bike to cross the less than 1,000 feet of water that separate west Alameda from Oakland and the rest of the region, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by solo motorists.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute all necessary documents with the Alameda CTC to accept $1,000,000 in grant funds for the Alameda-Oakland Estuary Water Shuttle two-year 2024 through 2026 Pilot Program and to appropriate the $1,000,000 grant award and $150,000 ($75,000 per year) in Measure BB Local Streets and Roads Funds as grant matching funds towards the Water Shuttle Program.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Director of Planning, Building and Transportation
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. April 2023 Survey
2. Partnership Letter