Title
Discuss the Citywide Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plans Existing Conditions and Goals/Objectives
Body
Transportation Commission
May 25, 2016
Item 5C
Review/Discussion
Discuss the Citywide Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plans Existing Conditions and Goals/Objectives
BACKGROUND
On January 21, 2015, the City Council directed staff to prepare an approach to a comprehensive citywide transportation planning and implementation effort in response to a City Council referral from Councilmember Tony Daysog. On February 25, 2015, City staff presented its initial thoughts on an approach to a citywide transportation effort at a joint Transportation Commission and Planning Board meeting. Staff then incorporated the input and presented a refined approach including draft goals and a proposed scope of work, to the City Council on April 1, 2015. At this meeting, the City Council directed staff to move forward with a Request for Proposals (RFP), including a draft work scope for the Citywide Transit and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plans. On September 15, 2015, the City Council authorized the Interim City Manager to issue an RFP for the Citywide Transit and TDM Plans. On January 19, 2016, the City Council approved the CDM Smith consulting team, which began this 18-month planning effort.
The purpose of the Citywide Transit and TDM Plans is to help ensure that the City sustains its high quality of life during a time of population growth throughout the Bay Area region from 7 million to an expected 9 million population in 2040. The focus of this planning effort is as follows:
• Transit Plan: Implement transit-related services and infrastructure by directing City funding and by coordinating transit providers such as AC Transit, the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and BART in their near- and long-term route planning and expansion activities. The Transit Plan also is evaluating the financial feasibility of establishing a free intra-city Alameda shuttle similar to the City of Emeryville’s Emery Go-Round service.
• TDM Plan: Create a more efficient transportation system by improving transit services, carpooling, carsharing, walking, bicycling and parking availability to benefit all Alameda residents and workers. Recommend how to best manage transportation funds and place requirements on new developments to most effectively support transportation options that reduce drive alone trips throughout the City. TDM refers to strategies that provide improved transportation options with the overall goal of decreasing congestion, oil dependence, carbon footprint and air pollution.
This coordinated planning effort includes a comprehensive community engagement process consisting of community workshops, organizational advisory group meetings, a public opinion survey, a Citywide Transit and TDM Plans webpage (<http://alamedaca.gov/citywide-transit-tdm-plans>), an ongoing web-based comment page, and Transportation Commission, Planning Board and City Council meetings.
DISCUSSION
Starting in February, the consulting team initiated the project with data collection/review and an internal staff/consulting team meeting, and also began the existing conditions and goals/objectives tasks, which included an Organizational Advisory Group meeting on April 20 and a Community Workshop on May 5. Exhibit 1 summarizes comments received related to these meetings. The work scope for the existing conditions and goals/objectives tasks is as follows:
• Existing Conditions: Prepare a written description and graphic-focused presentation of the existing conditions, opportunities and obstacles in the City of Alameda to provide data-driven talking points about the existing transportation trends and network. Exhibit 2 is the draft Existing Conditions Memorandum.
• Goals and Objectives: Prepare goals, objectives and evaluation criteria for the planning effort, which will help the City evaluate and prioritize potential transportation improvement strategies. Exhibit 3 is the draft Goals and Objectives Memorandum, which focuses on the following two goals that were discussed at previous Transportation Commission, Planning Board and City Council meetings, and various objectives related to these goals. The two goals included in the scope of work are shown below. Based on further discussions within the consultant team and with community members, we strengthened goal #1. Staff received further input to strengthen goal #2 to be more measurable. The team still is reviewing and discussing that request.
Scope of Work Goals
o Goal 1: Minimize the total net of new single-occupant vehicle trips at the island crossings.
o Goal 2: Enhance multimodal intra-city mobility.
Revised Goals
o Goal 1: No increase in drive alone trips at island crossings, especially in the peak period.
o Goal 2: Enhance multimodal mobility within Alameda.
The next steps for these existing conditions and goals/objectives tasks include updating the information based on input received at the Transportation Commission meeting, and presenting the information to the Planning Board on Monday, June 13 and to the City Council on Tuesday, July 19. The subsequent task work for this planning effort will include a web survey, a public opinion survey and the development and analysis of strategies for the near-term strategies memorandum, which will be presented in the fall to the public, Organizational Advisory Group, Transportation Commission, Planning Board and City Council. It is the intent that the near-term strategies will have the potential of being implemented before completion of the planning effort. The consulting team is expected to complete the plans by July 2017.
While the Citywide Transit and TDM Plans are in process, the City and the local transit operators will continue to work together to improve the City’s transportation system. While these other transportation efforts will not be delayed by the proposed Transit/TDM planning effort, they will be coordinated with the consultant effort. For example, the City is working with WETA and AC Transit to improve ferry terminal access to/from both the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal and the Main Street Ferry Terminal. Furthermore, the City is working with AC Transit to restore Line 19 in the Northern Waterfront area as part of AC Transit’s Service Expansion Plan with implementation expected in December. For Alameda Point, the City received a grant last year from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to implement the TDM Plan for Alameda Point, which staff and a consultant will continue to work on and are expected to complete by December 2017.
To assist with this planning effort, please provide input on the draft existing conditions and draft goals and objectives. Specific questions to answer include:
• Are there existing conditions that we need to investigate further?
• Are there existing conditions topics that we missed?
• What do think about the goals and objectives?
• Are there other goals and objectives that we should be covering?
BUDGET CONSIDERATION/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total estimated cost for the Citywide Transit and TDM Plans is $395,000. The funding is coming from the General Fund for $195,000, Measure B for $100,000 and the Base Reuse Department for $100,000. The City Council approved the General Fund budget allocation for the Transit and TDM Plans of up to $200,000 on September 15, 2015 and October 20, 2015. City Council amended the Measure B and Base Reuse budgets to fund the remaining cost of the Transit and TDM Plans on January 19, 2016.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Undertaking Citywide Transit and TDM Plans is consistent with the Transportation Element of the City's General Plan, which states that the City shall update transit and TDM planning documents as shown below:
• Policy 4.3.1.a: Update and implement the recommendations of the Alameda Long Range Transit Plan.
• Policy 4.1.6.e: Support and maintain an up-to-date Transportation System Management (TSM) and TDM plan consistent with state law to provide adequate traffic flow to maintain established level of service.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss the existing conditions and goals/objectives of the Citywide Transit and TDM Plans.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer Base Reuse Department
By,
Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Community Comments on Existing Conditions and Goals/Objectives
2. Draft Existing Conditions Memorandum
3. Draft Goals and Objectives Memorandum
4. PowerPoint Presentation