SOLTRANS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) AGENDA Technical Advisory Committee 9:30 AM, Monday, November 13, 2017 Finance Conference Room, 1st Floor City Hall 555 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo, CA 94590
Public Comment: Pursuant to the Brown Act, the public has an opportunity to speak on any matter on the agenda or, for matters not on the agenda, issues within the subject matter jurisdiction of the agency. Comments are limited to no more than 3 minutes per speaker unless modified by the Board Chair, Gov’t Code § 54954.3(a). By law, no action may be taken on any item raised during the public comment period (Agenda Item IV) although informational answers to questions may be given and matters may be referred to staff for placement on a future agenda of the agency. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): This agenda is available upon request in alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by the ADA of 1990 (42 U.S.C. §12132) and the Ralph M. Brown Act (Cal. Govt. Code §54954.2). Persons requesting a disability related modification or accommodation should contact Suzanne Fredriksen, Clerk of the Board, at (707) 736-6993 during regular business hours at least 72 hours prior to the time of the meeting. Staff Reports: Staff reports are available for inspection at the SolTrans office, during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. You may also contact the Clerk of the Board via email at
[email protected]. Supplemental Reports: Any reports or other materials that are issued after the agenda has been distributed may be reviewed by contacting the SolTrans Clerk of the Board and copies of any such supplemental materials will be available on the table at the entry to the meeting room. Agenda Times: Times set forth on the agenda are estimates. Items may be heard before or after the times shown.
1.
CALL TO ORDER (9:30 - 9:35 a.m.)
2.
CONFIRM QUORUM/ STATEMENT OF CONFLICT
3.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
4.
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT (9:35 - 9:40 a.m.)
5.
ACTION ITEMS The complete S olTrans Board Meeting Packet is available on S olTrans’ Website at www.soltransride.com
5.A.
Proposed SolanoExpress Phase 1 Route 78 Changes Suggested Action: 1) Receive information on the Solano Express Corridor Study Phase 1 service alternatives to Routes 78; 2) Provide feedback on the proposed July 2018 adjustments on Route 78; and 3) Forward a recommendation to the SolTrans Board to approve the proposed service adjustments, reflecting revisions due to public comment to the Board (PRESENTER: Mandi Renshaw, Program Analyst II) Staff Report - Proposed SolanoExpress Phase 1 Rt 78 Changes.docx Attachment A - Route 78 Rider_Survey.pdf Attachment B - Other Interested Parties Survey.pdf Attachment C - Preferred Alternative Vallejo & Benicia.pdf Attachment D - Preferred Alternative Contra Costa Blvd.pdf
NON-ACTION/ INFORMATIONAL 6.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
6.A.
System Performance Report Suggested Action: Informational. (PRESENTER: Dennis Ybarra, Program Analyst II) Staff Report - System Performance Report.docx Attachment A - System Performance Report.pdf
7.
NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS
7.A.
Farebox Revenue and Expenses for 3 Months Ended September 30, 2017 Suggested Action: Informational. Staff Report - Farebox Revenue and Expenses for 3 Months ended September 30, 2017.docx Attachment A - Revenue and Expenses by Mode.pdf
8.
STAFF BRIEFINGS This time is reserved for SolTrans Staff to provide a five-minute briefing to the TAC on various items of interest. No action will be taken on these matters except to possibly place a particular item on a future agenda for TAC consideration.
9.
ADJOURNMENT
The complete S olTrans Board Meeting Packet is available on S olTrans’ Website at www.soltransride.com
AGENDA ITEM: 5A TAC MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2017
Solano County Transit TO: PRESENTER: SUBJECT: ACTION:
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANDI RENSHAW, PROGRAM ANALYST II PROPOSED SOLANOEXPRESS PHASE 1 ROUTE 78 CHANGES MOTION
ISSUE: Staff is requesting the committee’s feedback and recommendation on Phase 1 of the SolanoExpress Corridor Study preferred alternatives. The public comment period closes at the December 21st Board meeting. DISCUSSION: In partnership with Solano Transportation Authority (STA), SolTrans Staff is working to plan and implement revisions to express services in Solano County. SolTrans Staff has been part of a team including STA, Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST) staff, and consultants to translate the service concepts into actual service plans. Phase I includes modifying Route 78 with a new service that better supports the corridor study goals of simplifying service, reducing duplication, meeting performance standards, and connecting Solano cities better. Staff is currently presenting the proposed changes to the public for review, comment, input, and to begin building awareness of the changes. The service alternatives structure designed by STA and SolTrans Staff includes (see Attachment C and D for map visuals):
Continuing to operate service only from the Vallejo Transit Center Bus Terminal; Faster service through Vallejo and Benicia by removing lesser used stops – currently identified as Curtola Parkway and Napa Street in Vallejo, and Military West and 14th Street in Benicia; Elimination of direct service to Diablo Valley College by serving stops on Contra Costa Boulevard only, requiring a short walk to the College campus or a transfer to a County Connection route; Serving Walnut Creek BART station at all times and Pleasant Hill BART station only at the most critical time of morning rush hour, to maintain the best bus connections but also to accommodate issues with BART train loads.
In September 2017, the SolTrans Board authorized the public comment period. Staff is holding multiple public workshops in order to reach both the communities of Vallejo and Benicia in rider and non-riders settings. Below is the schedule for the Phase I public outreach comment period:
Work Shops o Benicia Farmers Market, October 19th and 26th, 4-7 pm o Drivers Town Hall, Tuesday, October 17th, 11am-12 pm o Vallejo Transit Center, Wednesday, November 1st , 4-6 pm
o SolTrans Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), November 13th, 9:30-10:30am o SolTrans Public Advisory Committee (PAC), November 16th, 5- 6:30pm o Military and First Street Bus Stops, Wednesday, November 15th, 6-9 am Formal Public Hearing: December 21st SolTrans Board meeting, Benicia City Council Chamber, 4-6 pm
Staff is using SolTrans’ website and social media to reach the public and has created a survey for current Route 78 riders and other interested parties (those who have never ridden nor heard of SolTrans) to gather feedback on the proposed service alternatives. (See Attachment A for the Current Route 78 Rider Survey and Attachment B for other Interested Parties.) Staff hopes to reach a large portion of the current riders with our extensive public outreach plan, as well as to reach non-riders in the hope of changing their travel patterns and encouraging the use of riding Route 78. FISCAL IMPACT: The revision of Route 78 into the new service is intended to be gross-cost-neutral and net-costpositive, in that current hours of service would be maintained but ridership and revenue would increase. It is also possible that if ridership projections suggest significant ridership growth, additional service could be provided to maintain net-cost neutrality and funding the additional gross costs from the additional farebox revenues. PERFORMANCE GOAL: Goal 1 – Deliver transit services which meet the needs of SolTrans’ customers; Objective B – Deliver reliable services; Strategy i – Improve on-time performance of fixed route service; Objective D – Deliver efficient services; Strategy ii – Seek out new service models where existing services are inefficient; Objective E – Deliver accessible services; Strategy i – Identify unserved and underserved trip-making needs; Strategy ii – Review and revise routings, stop locations, and schedules to improve immediate accessibility of existing services. RECOMMENDATION: 1) Receive information on the Solano Express Corridor Study Phase 1 service alternatives to Routes 78; 2) Provide feedback on the proposed July 2018 adjustments on Route 78; and 3) Forward a recommendation to the SolTrans Board to approve the proposed service adjustments, reflecting revisions due to public comment to the Board. Attachments: A. Route 78 Current Rider Survey B. Other Interested Parties Survey C. Preferred Alternative Routing for Vallejo and Benicia D. Preferred Alternative Routing for Contra Costa Blvd.
ATTACHMENT A - Agenda Item 5A
SolanoExpress Corridor Study, Request for Public Comment
For current Route 78 riders
1. How often do you ride the Route 78? Often- 5-7 times/ week Occasionally- 2-4 times/ week Rarely- 0-1 time/ week
2. When do you ride the Route 78? Weekdays Weekends Both
3. Which of the following statement most reflects your thoughts about the Route 78 one way fare of $5? Too low Just right Too high
4. How do you pay your fare Clipper- SolTrans 31-Day Pass Clipper E- Cash SolTrans magnetic pass, 31 Day or 10-Ride Cash
5. Would you consider using an app to pay your fare instead of purchasing a pass or using cash? Yes No
1
6. Which is your preferred stop in Benicia and Vallejo? Military and 7th First and Military East 5th and East N st Military West and West 14th Curtola and Napa Curtola Park and Ride Vallejo Transit Center Would like additional stops added, please list below:
7. Which is your preferred stop in Contra Costa County? Diablo Valley College Contra Costa BLVD ( Sunvalley Mall) Pleasant Hill BART Walnut Creek BART
8. I would ride more often if... (please share with us what we could do differently to make the Route 78 more accessible to you)
9. Thinking about express service to BART stations we should... Please select all that apply. Serve only at Walnut Creek BART Serve Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek BART Limit stops in Benicia Increase stops in Benicia
2
10. If improving the ride time for Route 78 meant only stopping on Contra Costa Blvd in front of Sunvalley Mall and no longer at Diablo Valley College, you would ride... More often Less often No change Unsure- have to think about it
11. What is your final destination? or Do you connect to another form of transportation, if so what?
3
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ATTACHMENT B - Agenda Item 5A
Copy of SolanoExpress Corridor Study, Request for Public Comment
Other interested parties
The SolTrans Route 78 is an express service that service the Vallejo Transit Center, Benicia, Diablo Valley College and Sunvalley Mall, Pleasant Hill BART and Walnut Creek BART.
1. Have you heard of SolTrans? Yes No
2. What comes to mind when you think of SolTrans?
3. Have you ridden the Route 78? Yes No
4. How often do you travel over the Benicia Bridge to Contra Costa County? Daily, 5-7 times/ week Occasionally, 1-3 time/ week Rarely, less than a few times/ month Never
5. Have you used public Transportation to get over the Benicia bridge? (SolTrans Route 78, Route 76, Route 80s, or pre 2012 Benicia Breeze) Yes No
6. How do you most frequently commute to work/school/shopping?? Bus
Drive alone
Carpool
Walk/Bike
Ferry
Telecommute
1
7. Would you consider using the Route 78? No Yes Yes, if...
2
ATTACHMENT C - Agenda Item 5A
Route B I-680/780 EXPRESS Vallejo and Benicia
Current Route 78
Preferred Alternative Maximize speed Stop only at transit hubs/stations
Vallejo Transit Center
Curtola Pkwy/Napa
Curtola Park & Ride Hub Vallejo Benicia
Military West/14th St
Military West/11th St
Military West/7th St
Benicia City Park (Military/1st St)
East 5th St/East N Street
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ATTACHMENT D - Agenda Item 5A
Route B I-680/780 EXPRESS Concord/Sunvalley Mall/ Walnut Creek BART
Preferred Alternative
-F PM
u /S
u
Sa
/S
AM M -F P M /Su Sa
Sa
AM
Diablo Valley College
S a M -F /S P u M AM
M
AM
-F
Eliminate all service to Diablo Valley College, maintain current operations to Sunvalley Mall
M
PM
Current Route 78
Contra Costa Blvd/ Golf Club Rd/ Sun Valley Mall
S a M -F /S A u M PM
PM M -F A M /Su Sa
PM M -F A M /Su Sa
S a M -F /S A u M PM
Contra Costa Blvd/ Viking Dr/ Sun Valley Mall
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AGENDA ITEM: 6A TAC MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2017
Solano County Transit TO: PRESENTER: SUBJECT: ACTION:
TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE DENNIS YBARRA, PROGRAM ANALYST II SYSTEM PERFORMANCE REPORT INFORMATIONAL
ISSUE: Staff is providing an informational update on ridership statistics to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). DISCUSSION: Ridership trends reviewed regularly are included as Attachment A. Staff continues to review the overall System Performance Report to include other performance measures in the future. Below are performance highlights for the July–September 2017 period: Fixed Route Ridership
Fixed route ridership overall was 337,303, which is approximately 26,000 fewer boardings, or a 7.2 percent decrease from the FY 2016-17 period. Ridership on local routes fell by 10 percent from the prior year. Ridership declines and in a few cases, increases, vary by route. Express ridership is down by 4.1 percent compared with the prior year period.
Demand Response Ridership
The Agency observed an increase in ADA paratransit service ridership of 15 percent for FY 2017-18 compared to the prior year. Staff is monitoring ridership to understand if this is a continuing trend. For the month of September, the increase is only 10 percent. Dial-a-Ride ridership for the fiscal year to date fell by 29 percent from the prior year.
Possible Reasons for the Decline in Fixed Route Ridership Staff believes that the continuing improvement in the Bay Area and local economies is raising income levels, such that more people can afford to own cars. Recent studies conclude that the trend toward greater environmental considerations in consumer choices about car ownership and single occupancy driving after the recession reversed course beginning in 2013. Car ownership rates are now higher than pre-recession levels. However, because the studies are national in scope, we cannot necessarily assume the exact trends apply to our service area. At the same time, changes in traffic and rider travel patterns have made the system less efficient. Staff is continually reviewing underperforming routes or adding buses to routes that cannot make the scheduled times during times of peak traffic. Staff continually works with our transit
contractor, National Express, to ensure SolTrans provides riders with reliable service in wellmaintained buses and bus stops. FISCAL IMPACT: This is an informational item with no fiscal impact. PERFORMANCE GOAL: Goal 1 - Maximize the safety, reliability and efficiency of transit services to allow for long-term system sustainability and competitiveness for grant funds; Objective B – Establish process for developing service plans and implementing service enhancements for improving system performance; Strategy iii – Continuously document system strengths/weaknesses and outline solutions for improvement. RECOMMENDATION: Informational. Attachment: A. System Performance Report
AGENDA ITEM: 7A TAC MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2017
Solano County Transit TO: TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESENTER: KRISTINA BOTSFORD, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER SUBJECT: FAREBOX REVENUE AND EXPENSES FOR 3 MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 ACTION: INFORMATIONAL
ISSUE: Staff is providing a quarterly update to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on SolTrans’ financial position. DISCUSSION: Expenses for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 are right on track for the first 3 months of the year (see Attachment A) and are under budget by $137,608. The Transit Services Contract appears to be over budget but the actuals include estimates for September and actual results may vary. Farebox revenue is under budget by $21,002. Staff is analyzing fare revenues along with the decline in ridership that is contributing to the lower fare revenue. Historically, summer months are lower for fare revenue, and we hope to see fare revenue rise this fall. Overall farebox recovery at September 30, 2017 is 26.5% versus the budget of 26.1%. FISCAL IMPACT: This is an informational report only. PERFORMANCE GOAL: Goal 3 - Optimize fiscal health and sustainability; Objective A: Maximize revenue from federal, state and regional grants; Objective B: Ensure compliance with federal, state and local fiscal regulations and reporting. Strategy ii: Maintain accounting records to successfully complete the financial audit and report to the State Controller. RECOMMENDATION: Informational. Attachment: A. Farebox Revenue and Operating Expenses for 3 Months Ended September 30, 2017
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SolTrans Farebox Revenue & Operating Expenses FY 17-18
ATTACHMENT A Agenda Item 7A
Full Year Adopted Budget Farebox Revenue
Bus Parking Revenue Paratransit/Dial-A-Ride Local Taxi Scrip
Bus Expenses
Transit Services Contract Fuel Security Advertising/Marketing Facilities Maintenance/Parking Ops Salaries and Benefits Professional Services Accounting, Auditing & Legal Technology General Administration Subtotal Bus Expenses Farebox recovery
Paratransit/DAR Expenses
Transit Services Contract Fuel Salaries and Benefits Professional Services Advertising/Marketing General Administration Subtotal Paratransit Expenses Farebox recovery
Taxi Scrip Expenses
Scrip - Local Salaries and Benefits Professional Services General Administration Subtotal Taxi Scrip Expenses Farebox recovery
Total Expenses OVERALL FAREBOX RECOVERY
$
3,465,000 175,000 55,000 80,000
3 months actuals at 9-30-17
3 Month Budget
$
866,250 43,750 13,750 20,000
$
Over (Under) Budget
824,911 59,229 19,854 18,755
$
(41,339) 15,479 6,104 (1,245)
$
3,775,000
$
943,750
$
922,748
$
(21,002)
$
7,712,442 850,000 275,000 182,707 340,744 1,490,595 387,043 96,320 143,792 916,735 12,395,378 29.4%
$
1,928,111 212,500 68,750 45,677 85,186 372,649 96,761 24,080 35,948 229,184 3,098,845 29.4%
$
1,950,454 213,151 69,095 30,885 64,751 366,154 89,135 36,484 23,829 146,558 2,990,496 29.6%
$
22,344 651 345 (14,792) (20,435) (6,495) (7,626) 12,404 (12,119) (82,626) (108,348) 0.2%
311,070 42,500 54,920 13,502 6,374 27,899 456,264 3.0%
$
40,000 16,181 2,250 6,461 64,893 30.8%
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
1,244,278 170,000 219,681 54,006 25,494 111,595 1,825,054 3.0%
160,000 64,724 9,001 25,845 259,570 30.8%
14,480,002 26.1%
$
$
$
$
$
$
3,620,001 26.1%
$
$
$
$
348,480 32,161 40,130 9,019 3,233 19,124 452,147 4.4%
27,576 8,295 1,372 2,506 39,749 47.2%
3,482,392 26.5%
$
$
$
$
$
$
37,411 (10,339) (14,790) (4,483) (3,141) (8,775) (4,117) 1.4%
(12,424) (7,886) (878) (3,955) (25,144) 16.4%
(137,608) 0.4%
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