Title
Update on Bus Stop Bench Installations (Discussion)
Body
Transportation Commission
May 24, 2023
BACKGROUND
In the fall of 2022, staff began working on a plan to increase the number of benches at bus stops in Alameda. The City would like to increase the number of benches at bus stops to encourage ridership and to increase comfort while waiting for the bus, especially for people with disabilities and the elderly. Approximately 30 percent of bus stops within Alameda have a bench or shelter present. With the installation of 25 new benches, over 40 percent of bus stops will have a place to sit. The intended end date of this project is August 2023.
The City Council has approved two plans in recent years that support this project. The first is the Transportation Choices Plan (2018), which calls for improvements to public transit under Priority Strategy #3 and specifically identifies improving bus stops to enhance rider comfort. The second supportive plan is the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019). Section T1 in the plan highlights that transportation accounts for 70 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda, and measures to decrease vehicle miles traveled are necessary to reach the City's goal of decreasing carbon emissions in half by 2030. Staff recommends the continual improvement of bus stops to address the strategies outlined in the Transportation Choices Plan and Climate Action and Resiliency Plan.
DISCUSSION
The steps outlined in the project were to document the current bus stop bench inventory, note the conditions at each stop to determine installation feasibility, create and prioritize a list of bus stops in need of a bench, purchase benches from a vendor, conduct outreach to adjacent residents and property owners who may be impacted by a bench installation, and find a vendor to complete the installation of 25 benches. Several tasks for this project already have been completed, and it is believed the project will be completed by its...
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