Title
Recommendation to Receive Status Report on Implementation of the Approved Plan for Access to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal. (Base Reuse 819099)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jill Keimach, City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Receive Status Report on Implementation of the Approved Plan for Access to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal
BACKGROUND
On June 6, 2016, the City Council adopted a Plan for the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal (Adopted Plan) to create a long-term solution to address access issues related to increasing ferry ridership and resulting overflow parking issues impacting adjacent residential neighborhoods (Exhibit 1). The Adopted Plan includes the following three parts:
(1) Residential Parking Permit Program for public streets located in the Columbia and Headlands HOAs;
(2) Parking Charges for parking at the 250 parking spaces at the ferry parking terminal; and
(3) Free, Reliable Transit Service through the residential communities of east Alameda and Harbor Bay, where most ferry riders live with a primary focus on an improved AC Transit’s Line 21.
The three components are intended to mutually reinforce one another. Without the free transit service and parking charges, the residential permit program might reduce ferry ridership as riders find it too difficult to get to the ferry terminal. Without the parking permit program and the transit service, the parking charges might encourage more spillover parking as drivers seek free parking in adjacent residential neighborhoods. Without the permit parking program, there is less incentive for riders to choose the transit service rather than to drive and park in the residential neighborhoods near the terminal. Together, the Adopted Plan advances the City’s environmental and transportation goals by reducing solo driving trips and supporting increasing ferry ridership; leveraging the already impressive amount of ferry riders’ bicycling, walking, and shuttle-riding; and minimizing disruption to adjacent residential neighborhoods.
The Adopted Plan was developed in close consultation with the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and the master Harbor Bay Isle Associates and presidents of their 20 sub-homeowner associations (HOA). Harbor Bay Isle Associate’s Master HOA Board unanimously voted to approve the Adopted Plan and extensive outreach was conducted with their residents and WETA’s ferry riders. The City prepared a “Four Fast Ways to the Ferry” brochure that was also extensively disseminated to ferry riders in coordination with WETA (Exhibit 2). Since June 2016, the City, WETA and HOAs have worked closely to implement the Adopted Plan.
DISCUSSION
Overall, the implementation of the Adopted Plan has been successful at minimizing disruptions to adjacent neighborhoods impacted by overflow parking without negatively affecting ferry ridership. That said, a number of ferry riders have expressed concerns about the impact to their regular commute and the reliability of the AC Transit Line 21 as a viable alternative solution to driving. One impacted group that has spoken out are ferry riders with preschool or young school-age kids that have school drop-off in the morning and then take the later 8:30 ferry departure when the parking lot is already full.
The following staff report summarizes the status of implementing the three components of the Adopted Plan since City Council’s adoption of the plan last June, including the latest data associated with each component, and proposed next steps on potential improvements to the Adopted Plan and on elements that still remain to be implemented.
Ferry Ridership
• Overall, ferry ridership has increased by five percent over last year despite implementation of the residential permit program. Exhibit 3 provides a summary of WETA ridership trends since August 1.
Residential Permit Program
• On February 21, 2017, the City Council approved Resolution Nos. 15234 and 15235 allowing the Columbia and Headlands HOAs with public streets to implement a residential permit program consistent with the private programs being implemented in the Bay Colony, Freeport, and Cantamar HOAs with private streets.
• The residential permit program commenced on August 1, 2017, once the Public Works Department installed the appropriate signage and the Master HOA set up the permit program for the affected HOAs. The City and WETA notified ferry riders of the changes and alternative modes of travel, as well as produced a Frequently Asked Questions document for ferry riders (Exhibit 4).
• Upon commencement of the program in the Columbia and Headlands HOAs, the Alameda Police Department (APD) issued courtesy citations of 3-4 per day, including the “Four Fast Ways to the Ferry” brochure, for the month of August and no citations were issued in September. There have been no complaints about the enforcement of the program to APD.
• Upon commencement of the program in the HOAs with private streets (not enforced by APD), Bay Colony HOA received 13 violations in August, 10 in September and three in October (thru October 23); and Freeport HOA received seven violations in August, two in September and none in October (thru October 23). As of October, the Master HOA is no longer receiving any complaints about the program.
• With streets clear of non-resident parking, the HOA members have expressed an improvement in accessing mailboxes and allowing deliveries and other visitor parking in their neighborhoods due to less ferry parking in the neighborhoods.
Parking Charges
• On November 10, 2016, the WETA Board approved System-wide Parking Fee Program Policy Goals for all of its ferry terminal parking lots (Exhibit 5), which include policy goals for implementing parking charges and permit programs.
• WETA has not yet implemented a specific parking charge program for the parking lot at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, but has indicated they intend to evaluate a specific parking charge and permit program for Harbor Bay in early 2018.
Alternative Transportation, including Free, Reliable Transit Service
• Prior to implementing the parking permit program, AC Transit worked closely with the City and WETA to improve the Line 21 service by ensuring that: (1) all ferry departures and arrivals had a scheduled Line 21 bus connection; and (2) ferry riders would have a free bus trip if they transferred from or to the Line 21 when using their Clipper Card.
• While these AC Transit changes were significant improvements over the previous service, there are still questions about the Line 21 arriving late in the morning and leaving early in the evenings, which may make it difficult for ferry riders to rely on this bus service. Line 21 has experienced a number of no-shows or missed shifts over the past year, which also impacts reliability. Exhibit 6 provides a summary of AC Transit ridership and on-time data regarding the reliability of the Line 21 and its connection to the ferry.
• On October 5, 2017, LimeBike, a dockless bike share company, implemented a 6-month pilot program in the City, including at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal and around Harbor Bay. The program includes 300 bikes dispersed throughout the City and averages 300 bike trips per day.
• WETA installed additional bike racks in September, effectively tripling bike rack capacity at the terminal.
Increased Parking Supply
• The City added a total of approximately 140 public parking spaces along North Loop Road and Harbor Bay Parkway (HBP) prior to implementation of the parking changes that can be used by ferry riders.
• Upon indication from BCDC of their intent to deny the City’s application for 46 parking spaces’ along HBP (the closest portion of HBP to the ferry terminal), the City put on hold their application. BCDC staff indicated that their recommended denial would be due to the parked cars’ interference with the views of the Bay.
Next Steps
As mentioned above, the implementation of the Adopted Plan has been successful at minimizing disruptions to adjacent neighborhoods impacted by overflow parking without negatively affecting ferry ridership. However, there are further steps that should be taken to improve the Adopted Plan and to address the concerns raised by affected ferry riders. The following provides a summary of City’s proposed next steps:
• More Parking. In close cooperation with the affected ferry riders and Master HOA, re-submit the City’s application to BCDC for the 70 additional parking spaces along HBP and Adelphian Way.
• Improved Bus Service. Continue to work with AC Transit to improve the reliability of Line 21; increase ridership on the Line 21 to the ferry terminal; and promote the Transbay Line OX bus service as another alternative option for transbay commuters in Harbor Bay and eastern Alameda. Revisit the reliability issues at the next Interagency Liaison Committee of the City Council and AC Transit Board in January.
• Increased LimeBike Coordination. At the request of ferry riders, find areas near existing parking locations along North Loop Road and HBP to place LimeBikes so that ferry riders can park and then save time getting to the ferry terminal by hopping on a bike instead of walking.
• Implement Parking Permit and Charges. Work closely with ferry riders and WETA to implement a parking charge program that will create a disincentive for ferry riders that live close to the ferry terminal and take the early ferries from parking at the ferry terminal.
City staff will continue implementing these improvements to the Adopted Plan working closely with ferry riders, the HOAs, WETA and AC Transit.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Adopted Plan and its implementation are not likely to impact the General Fund, as enforcement revenue covers enforcement cost and the Master HOA pays for the cost of implementing and maintaining the residential permit program.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This report is consistent with the conceptual plan for addressing the parking and access issues at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal adopted by the City Council on June 7, 2016. This plan will assist in meeting the goals of the City of Alameda's Local Action Plan for Climate Protection.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is for information only.
RECOMMENDATION
Receive status report on implementation of the Approved Plan for access to the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ott, Base Reuse and Transportation Planning Director
Liam Garland, Public Works Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal Parking Plan
2. “Four Fast Ways to the Ferry” Brochure
3. Ferry Ridership Data
4. Frequently Asked Questions
5. WETA’s Systemwide Parking Fee Program Policy Goals
6. AC Transit Data on Line 21 Bus Connection