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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/25/2025 Item 6a, Horn - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum City of San Luis Obispo Council Agenda Correspondence DATE: February 25, 2025 TO: Mayor and Council FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager SUBJECT: ITEM 6A – STUDY SESSION: REVIEW THE ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT OF SLO TRANSIT’S SHORT-RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Staff received the following questions, regarding the Study Session item to review SLO Transit’s draft Short-Range Transit Plan. The questions are below with staff’s response shown in italics: 1) On packet page 241, the draft plan states that $90,000 of the Transit Fund is allocated annually for bus stop improvements. How is this amount determined? The annual amount for bus stop improvements is based on the cost to purchase and have installed approximately three bus shelters and related amenities like benches, schedule holders, trash receptacles, and solar lighting. 2) How far along is the planning for a potential transit center and has a cost been estimated or funding sources identified? The draft Short-Range Transit Plan recommends the City, in partnership with San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) and San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA), resume project development for a consolidated transit center located on the northwest corner of the Higuera Street and Toro Street intersection. Staff has added project placeholders to the City’s Draft Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the purchase of adjacent property, design, and construction. Currently, there are no estimated costs for these project elements. However, in the interim, a Downtown Transit Center rehabilitation project is currently budgeted in the City’s CIP. This includes improvements to the existing transit center on Osos Street between Mill and Palm Streets and plans for new shelters, benches, and a restroom. As part of the 2025-27 Financial Plan adoption, staff is recommending design and construction budget items for this need. The Downtown Transit Center rehabilitation project and consolidated transit center project are good candidates for the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Section 5339(b) Bus and Bus Facilities program. Section 5339(b) is a nationwide Item 6a. Administrative Draft of SLO Transit’s Short-Range Transit Plan Page 2 competitive grant program and award is based on established merit criteria within the guidance document. If the City is unsuccessful at receiving Section 5339(b) program funds, then the FTA’s Section 5307 program would likely be used. Section 5307 is a formula grant program that apportions funds to Urbanized Areas based on population. Section 5307 program funds are a common source of capital and operating funding for SLO Transit. Both programs would cover 80% of total project costs with the remaining 20% being funded through local sources like Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds. 3) Are there any initial findings from the K-12 discount pilot program? In January 2024, City Council approved Resolution No. 11473 (2024 Series) approving a pilot program expanding fare options for K-12 students. The pilot program created a discounted 15-Ride pass for K-12 students. Prior to the creation of the discounted pass option, students often purchased a 16-Ride pass at the regular rate. The pilot program went into effect February 1, 2024, with a sunset date of June 5, 2025, unless further modified by Council via adoption of a new Resolution. The table below shows total student pass sales for calendar years 2023 and 2024 and the percent changes in sales between the two years. Student pass sales overall increased by 68 percent with a majority of the sales coming from Student 1-Ride passes. Sales of the new Student 15-Ride pass accounts for 118 of the passes sold in 2024. Sales of the Regular 16-Ride pass decreased slightly between 2023 and 2024 which is to be expected as students now have a more affordable multi-ride pass option. Pass Type 2023 2024 % Change Student 31-Day 261 285 9% Student 15-Ride 0 118 Regular 16-Ride 206 190 -8% Student 1-Ride 531 1,079 103% TOTAL 998 1,672 68% Based on how many 15-Ride students passes were purchased in 2024 and that the new pass option is not jeopardizing the Transit Fund’s ability to maintain the required 20% minimum farebox recovery ratio, staff plans to recommend the program be permanent. Staff will present a draft Resolution at the same time as the final Short-Range Transit Plan adoption for Council’s consideration. Item 6a. Administrative Draft of SLO Transit’s Short-Range Transit Plan Page 3 4) Table 4: SLO Transit Service Standards in the draft plan (packet pages 288- 289) shows several “data to be verified” entries under the FY 2022-23 Performance Standards column. When will this be completed? Table 4 was produced for Working Paper 2: Goals, Objectives, and Standards before some of the data was available for analysis. The draft plan is a “living document” that will be updated prior to finalization. The “data to be verified” entries will be addressed either with the missing analysis or a recommendation for staff to collect the data needed to track performance moving forward. 5) For the options to serve Avila Ranch, how will construction impacts associated with the Higuera Complete Streets Plan be addressed in Option 2? What other options do we have to address the needs at 40 Prado during construction that will not otherwise burden the service to Avila Ranch? Higuera Complete Streets Project is currently in design and planned to start construction in the fall of 2025 and go through 2026. This project includes mobility improvements to create a safer corridor for people walking, biking and driving. Elements include new pedestrian crossings, protected bicycle lanes, improved access to transit stops, a new center turn lane and upgrades to traffic signals. The draft Short-Range Transit Plan recommends a new direct route to serve Avila Ranch to be implemented FY 2027-28. Consistent with these timelines, the Higuera Complete Streets project will be complete prior to implementation of a new direct route to serve Avila Ranch. That said, construction in the public right-of-way is a continuous and necessary part of maintaining and improving City infrastructure. As with other construction projects across the City, SLO Transit remains in operation throughout this work. While construction may cause temporary service disruptions—such as bus stop relocations, temporary closures, or delayed routes—the City is committed to minimizing these impacts to support community members who rely on transit for mobility. To ensure continued access to transit, City staff—including SLO Transit, Transportation Engineering, and CIP—work closely with contractors to coordinate efforts and reduce disruptions whenever possible. If temporary closures and/or relocation of a stop is necessary, SLO Transit provides advance notification to the public in the form of rider alerts posted at the affected stop(s) and adjacent stop(s). Rider alerts are also posted on SLO Transit’s webpage and on the SLO Transit app. The City’s transit operations and maintenance contractor will also inform riders of any temporary closures and/or stop relocations. If the impact requires detouring for an extended period, then the detour route and stop closures will be added to the printed and digital bus schedules. Additionally, Mobility staff has been actively connecting with people who depend on transit as well as the nonprofits and community partners that advocate for those Item 6a. Administrative Draft of SLO Transit’s Short-Range Transit Plan Page 4 individuals. Staff are committed to strengthening these relationships and maintaining ongoing engagement, including keeping the community informed about potential service impacts to transit, and consideration of other alternatives to support transit-reliant individuals during these impacts. 6) What is the current time frame for delivery of the electric buses? And is this time frame longer or different from what has been reported previously? Do we know why we did not receive the grant requested for the purchase of additional electric buses? Six battery electric buses are on schedule to complete production and be ready for delivery by the end of April 2025. The bus manufacturer originally provided a 24- month build timeline when the purchase order was issued in July 2023, so the buses are ahead of schedule. There are two additional battery electric buses on order through the same manufacturer. A purchase order was issued in March 2024 which means the buses will likely complete production and be ready for shipment by January 2026. This timeline assumes production continues to be slightly ahead of schedule. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) did not provide feedback as to why the City’s request for funding to purchase additional battery electric buses was not approved. The City submitted a joint application along with four other central coast agencies for zero-emission buses and associated charging infrastructure. Of the five total agencies, only two were awarded funds. 7) With the targeted outreach conducted in January 2025, what were the specific responses received through these discussions? Staff conducted targeted outreach in January 2025 with People’s Self Help Housing (PSHH), Community Action Partnership SLO (CAPSLO), Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO) and SLO County Department of Public Health. The responses received by staff from these efforts included: • Request for service along Margarita Avenue near two affordable housing apartment complexes • Later evening service year round • Need for bilingual (English/Spanish) materials and more Spanish speaking drivers • Service closer to start and end destinations • Consider subsidizing passes for transitional housing similar to what the City does for 40 Prado Road Staff plans to continue this engagement to gain a deeper understanding of these needs and explore how the City can better support access to transit for underserved individuals. Item 6a. Administrative Draft of SLO Transit’s Short-Range Transit Plan Page 5 8) What mechanisms will we use to conduct outreach and marketing of transit services to people in non-digital formats, especially outreach on any changes in services and reiteration of existing services? Paper notices in English and Spanish are posted when services change at all relevant bus stops, on buses, at pass sale outlets, and at public facilities downtown. Notices for minor and for reoccurring changes like Summer Schedule are posted a minimum of two weeks prior to the service change. Notices for a major service change are posted a minimum of 45 days prior. Additionally, City staff provides printed information and participates in orientation and “open house” events for several schools within the City, including SLO High School, Laguna Middle School, and Pacheco Elementary, to talk directly with parents and students about SLO Transit’s K-12 focused services and programs. Staff is also collaborating with local organizations that represent and advocate for individuals with low incomes or mobility challenges to arrange informational sessions at their managed properties, providing updates on current transit services and upcoming changes. 9) If we were to start planning for a new consolidated transit center at 1166 Higuera Street, what would the planning process look like? In general, typical steps would include: 1. Stakeholder Engagement 2. Refining Project Scope 3. Identifying a Funding Strategy 4. Preliminary Design and Traffic/Mobility Analysis 5. Community Engagement and Public Input (meetings, surveys, workshops to inform design) 6. Environmental Approval 7. Secure Grant/Funds 8. Final PS&E The planning process could take two to three years since the project would require review and approval by multiple agencies, environmental review, and award of grant funds for either or both design and construction phases. The project may also be dependent upon the acquisition of additional properties adjacent to 1166 Higuera Street which can take a significant amount of time. 10) What would happen to the Downtown Transit Center adjacent to City Hall if a new one is built? There is no determined future use for this site currently; however, SLO Transit would likely continue to service the Downtown Transit Center to some extent given its central location to civil offices. Item 6a. Administrative Draft of SLO Transit’s Short-Range Transit Plan Page 6 11) Cal Poly anticipates going to year-round in summer 2027. Has staff given any thought to lining up year-round academic service with that year (July 2027) instead of FY 2026-27? Yes, staff considered several timing options as to when year-round academic service should begin. At the time the service alternatives analysis was completed, beginning year-round academic service in FY 2026-27 made the most sense because there is a general community benefit to increasing service levels during summer months, it would give staff and contractors time to fine tune year-round services before Cal Poly expands class offerings, and it would create consistency for driver schedules that may help to retain current transit workers. However, as discussed in the staff report, the Mass Transportation Committee recommended making two adjustments to the draft plan’s recommendations. The adjustments include delaying implementation of year-round academic service until FY 2028-29 to align with Cal Poly’s new schedule for a year-round semester system. The adjustments are based on an announcement made by Cal Poly in November 2024 after the service alternatives analysis for the Short-Range Transit Plan was completed. 12) How many completed units are currently contained in the Avila Ranch development? How many do we anticipate being completed by FY 2026-27? So far, 152 detached single-family have been constructed in the Avila Ranch development area. By July 2027, the developers anticipate a total of 317 units will be completed. Apartment and condo units are not anticipated to be completed until 2028 or later. 13) Are there future plans to align bus services with the existing Calle Joaquin Park and Ride lot located off of Los Osos Valley Road? No, the Short-Range Transit Plan does not include a recommendation to service the Calle Joaquin Park and Ride Lot. San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) is preparing a Request for Proposals to update their Park & Ride Lot Development Study. This study is an appropriate planning process to evaluate adding bus service to the Calle Joaquin Park and Ride Lot. It is important to note that, as the routes are currently organized, the Calle Joaquin Park and Ride Lot would be served by Routes 2A/2B. The draft Short-Range Transit Plan recommends Routes 2A/2B’s cycle length would be increased from 60 minutes to 90 minutes and to serve San Luis Ranch in addition to already serving the Prado Day Center, along Los Osos Valley Road near Laguna Middle School, and the South Higuera Street area. Further increasing the cycle length of the route to include service to the park and ride would make trips inconvenient for passengers and, thus, affect ridership. A new route and/or further realignment of the route may be needed to serve the park and ride lot.