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 initial deadline of August 2023. A further explanation for the project steps listed in the Background section is as follows:
Inventory: Staff reviewed the over 200 bus stops within Alameda using Google Maps and updated the City’s inventory of benches and shelters. Additionally, bus stop ID numbers and routes served were corrected during this process. Several stops were either removed or added due to modifications in routes since 2018, when the inventory was last updated.
Feasibility: As the bench inventory was being updated, notes were taken to sort out any locations where benches would be unable to be installed due to inadequate curb width, obstructions such as trees or poles, and other incompatible conditions. Locations where bus stop upgrades are being implemented by future developments or infrastructure projects also were noted.
Priorities: After eliminating stops that already had a bench or shelter as well as stops where bench installation was not feasible, staff produced a preliminary list of stops to further evaluate. This list was combined with ridership boarding data provided by AC Transit to provide a ranking of the stops and then variables were introduced to provide each stop a final “bench score”. The variables included in the rankings were ridership boardings, pedestrian priority street status, disadvantaged or low-income community census tract status, and necessity for infrastructure upgrades surrounding the bus stop (i.e. hardscaping required, posts moved). Once the final rankings were established, the top 25 bus stops were placed on a map to ensure geographic equity and subsequent adjustments were made.
Proposed Locations: Exhibit 1 shows the proposed locations of the bus stops that are currently scheduled to receive a bench. Staff anticipates this map to change if any serious objections are raised by adjacent residents, businesses or property owners. Note: stops marked in green are currently in the process of being sent letters.
Outreach: Resident, businesses and property owners are in the process of being informed about benches that will be installed adjacent to their property. The courtesy letters include an image of the approximate location of the new bench and letter recipients are given an opportunity to provide input or ask questions about the bench installation. If staff and the impacted party are unable to come to an agreement about a bench location, other stops in the area may be considered as a replacement.
Purchase: Three vendors were considered for the bench order and Belson Outdoors was ultimately selected to fulfill the order. The benches selected are made of recycled plastic materials and metal, are four feet long, and resemble other benches currently used in Alameda. The total cost for the 25 benches, including shipping and tax, is $26,111, which equals $1,044 per bench. The order was shipped and received by staff in April. Note that bus shelters cost over $10,000 per shelter in 2020, which does not consider current inflation and that installation costs are higher than benches.
Installation: After all parties have been contacted and the list of bus stops receiving a bench is finalized, staff will begin the process of contacting vendors to install the benches. Once a vendor is selected, staff and the vendor will work together to install the 25 benches.
BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS/FISCAL IMPACT
Alameda County Measure BB provides the City of Alameda with a dedicated funding source for transportation programs serving people with disabilities and seniors. The City’s Measure BB paratransit reserve funds previously paid for the replacement of five bus shelters in 2020 at the following locations:
• West Midway Avenue at Orion Street;
• Main Street at West Atlantic Avenue;
• Santa Clara Avenue at Grand Street;
• Santa Clara Avenue at Walnut Street; and
• Park Street at Otis Drive.
Using the paratransit program reserves, staff use these funds to improve access to/from bus stops including bus benches as well as sidewalk enhancements, curb bulb-outs and bus islands to ensure ADA compliance and to provide amenities. City staff is creating a separate proposed transit project in the next two-year Capital Improvement Program budget. This capital program allows City staff to spend down the funding balance in a fiscally responsible way with one-time investments that will not have an on-going, long-term impact on the program’s operational budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Update on Bus Stop Bench Installations
Respectfully submitted by,
Trey Hannula, Climate Fellow
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Map of Proposed Bus Stop Benches
2. Presentation