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Discuss the Role of Transportation in Supporting a Thriving Local and Regional Economy
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Discuss the Role of Transportation in Supporting a Thriving Local and Regional Economy
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To: Members of the Mayor's Economic Development Advisory Panel
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As an island community, transportation plays a major role in defining Alameda's job and business attraction and retention efforts more than in other locations in the region. The purpose of this item is to learn more about current local and regional transportation initiatives and to discuss their role in the local economy and discuss strategies to ensure public transportation and major roadway improvements are supporting economic resilience and growth.
Topics to be discussed include:
* An introduction to transportation demand management initiatives and programs in Alameda and how to participate;
* An overview of the BayPass - the region's universal transit pass pilot program;
* The role of public transit in the region; the upcoming fiscal cliff and potential 2026 sales tax measure;
* Current and upcoming major roadway work and highlights.
The City will bring in a number of guest speakers to present on these topics, with discussion throughout the item
BACKGROUND
Alameda's physical location as an island community is both its strongest asset and vulnerability. In particular, the island will continue to face transportation and access limitations throughout its future. Fortunately, the island is served by four bridges, two tunnels, ten local and regional bus lines, three ferries, and the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle across the estuary.
In this session, we will learn more about the efforts to increase the availability of sustainable transportation options for residents and businesses alike. The City has long supported three "transportation management areas" or TMA's, where businesses and residents pay a fee or assessment to support ongoing programs such as the Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle and BayPass. Residents and employees of companies paying into the TMA are eligible for either an AC Transit EZPass, or a BayPass.
With 27 transit agencies, navigating regional public transit has not been easy to understand. Regional agencies have been working together over the last several years on several initiatives to improve customer experience particularly at points of transfer between agencies (for example, transferring from AC Transit to BART). This has included efforts such as schedule synching, between maps and information, and the BayPass, which is a universal transit pass that was first rolled out among various institutions including the Alameda TMA, and is now available for purchase by major employers.
Moreover, the pandemic significantly reduced transit ridership, which most severely impacted the budgets for the region's most fare-dependent agencies, especially BART, the San Francisco Bay Ferry and Caltrain. These agencies have managed to stretch pandemic era federal funding support to sustain service levels, but are nearing a point they are referring to as the "fiscal cliff," where new funding sources will be needed to avoid a major cut in service, and possible station closures.
Lastly, the City has been undertaking a series of roadway improvements designed to increase safety especially for pedestrians and bicyclists, such as the Central Avenue improvements. Additional improvements are coming, most notably the regional Oakland Alameda Access Project, which is intended to reduce roadway fatalities and public health impacts of traffic in Oakland's Chinatown by providing Alameda traffic with a direct on-ramp to I-880.
DISCUSSION
Transportation plays a constant role in the daily decision-making of employers throughout Alameda and beyond. Where does our labor force live and work, and are their commutes tolerable? Do they have options beyond driving? Is there sufficient parking available for employees and customers?
The many programs, plans and construction projects identified above will affect these decisions for the next several years. It is important for the City and public policymakers to understand the perspective of major employers, educators and institutions as they face these numerous upcoming changes and opportunities.
Some possible discussion topics for the Economic Development Advisory Panel include:
* While roadway and public transportation initiatives might seem tangentially related, are there opportunities for employers to take advantage of programs such as the BayPass to reduce the traffic impacts of upcoming closures?
* What barriers do your employees, customers, and/or students face in accessing alternative transportation modes? Are there ways that marketing, signage, or transit schedules can better position Alameda's residents and visitors to access alternative transportation?
* Are there other strategies the City should incorporate into its Economic Development Strategic plan where transportation is concerned, to encourage business retention, expansion and attraction over the next several years?
* What kind of additional support should the City seek in particular given the Oakland Alameda Access Project?
This item is for discussion purposes only. Staff are interested in learning more about how EDAP thinks about transportation in the context of economic resilience.
RECOMMENDATION
This item is for discussion purposes only. No action is recommended.
Respectfully submitted by,
Abigail Thorne-Lyman
Director of Base Reuse and Economic Development
Exhibits
1. The Alameda TMA - an Overview. Presentation by ATMA Board Members Mike O'Hara and Abby Thorne-Lyman
2. BayPass Pilot Program Overview and Trends. Presentation by William Bacon, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
3. Role of BART in the Region, Seamless Transit, and the Upcoming Fiscal Cliff. Presentation by Hannah Lindelof and Bradley Dunn, BART