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Home My WebLink About09/19/2000, LIASON REPORT - SLOCOG/SLORTA NIL-CTING Ar;FNnA DATE � I 'Ou ITEM # bai son REpont September 15, 2000 OCOUNCIL ❑CDD DIR O ❑FIN DIR AO ❑FIRE CHIEF TO: Council Colleagues ATTORNEY ,?'1'W DIR 5F gCLERKIORIO ❑POLICE CLF ❑M M TEAM ❑REC DIR FROM: Dave Romero ❑UTIL DIR iB ❑PERS DIR SUBJECT: SLOCOG/SLORTA Transit Manager Recruitment At its meeting of 9/6/00 SLOCOG determined that it would hire a recruiting firm (headhunter)to recruit for a full time transit manager. This will take several months. Meanwhile, acting Transit Manager John Bates will continue to manage the system. Unmet Transit Needs The Board determined that with the commencement of transit service to Nipomo, no major transit deficiencies existing within the County. All communities are now served by regional, city, or county transit services. STIP Program The Board received a preliminary report regarding funding transportation for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Of particular interest to San Luis Obispo is that improvements to the Los Osos Valley Road interchange is a high priority, with preliminary planning and study funding for the 2002 cycle, and construction tentatively planned for the 2004 cycle. Annual Report The Board also received a copy of the COG annual report for FY 99-00. Highlights are attached. DR:ss ,Attachment RECEIVED SEP 1 9 2000 SLO CITY CLERK San Luis Obispo Council of Governments ANNUAL REPORT s AF�Ei�Fo 0 FY 1999 / 2000 • COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (COG) • REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AGENCY (RTPA) • METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MPO) • SERVICE AUTHORITY FOR FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS (SAFE) SLOCOG 1999 / 2000 Annual Report SUMMARY OF SLOCOG PROGRAMS As the designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways (SAFE) for San Luis Obispo County, and Council of Governments (COG), SLOCOG is responsible for a wide variety of actions that support a comprehensive, coordinated planning and programming process to help assure the development of an efficient and integrated transportation system. This is achieved in part, through the biennial development of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which examines transportation issues, opportunities and needs in the region; and through the development of annual federal and regional transportation improvement programs (FTIP/RTIP). SLOCOG also acts as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the region and as such is a recipient of federal planning funds. The SLOCOG Board (the decision-making body) is composed of one elected official from each of the seven city councils, the elected Supervisor representing each of the County's five supervisorial districts, and an ex-officio representative from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). SLOCOG's work program is divided into four major transportation programs including: 1) Transportation Development Act (TDA) fund administration, a program governed by the codes and statutes of the Transportation Development Act of 1971; 2) Regional Transportation Planning and Programming, which falls under the guidelines of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA); 3) Intergovernmental Coordination, Planning, and Agency Administration; and 4) the Call Box Program, governed by state and local guidelines. 5 SLOCOG 1999 / 2000 Annual Report 1999/2000 HIGHLIGHTS • Highway 101 North Corridor Study adopted. • Route 166 Corridor Plan adopted. • Route 227 Concept Plan adopted. • Route 46 East Corridor Study (Rt 101 to Airport Rd) underway. I. 1111�q9n ■ . Route 46 East (Paso Robles to Wye) Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Issue Analysis • Route 46 West Corridor Study underway. • Intelligent Transportation System Strategic Plan adopted. • Performance Audit of SCAT completed. • Welfare MobilityPlan Phase 2, underway. • SLOCOG Performance Audit - completed. • Cuesta Grade Transportation Demand Management Program implemented. • Bus Stop Improvement Study draft completed, Board review. • Countywide Emergency Call Box Plan Expanded to Route 41. • State and federal legislative programs adopted and responses submitted on draft legislation. • Transit Deficiency Assessment - draft completed, Board review 8/00. • Public Opinion Poll on Transportation Needs completed. • Transportation Enhancement Projects: programmed and funded: Landscaping in Paso Robles; Bike Undercrossing on Cuesta Grade. • Santa Margarita Lake Shuttle pilot program approved. I. t4iq9n ■ Extensive Coordination Meetings Regarding Progress on All Programmed Projects and Scoping Studies (Emphasis: Rail Issues, Cuesta Grade, Rt 46, Rt 166, Rt 101) 6 SLOCOG 1999 / 2000 Annual Report 'Jnder SB 45, Caltrans and the Regional Transportation Planning Agencies cooperate in identifying priorities for upcoming PSRs. In the Spring of 1999, SLOCOG submitted a list to Caltrans outlining SLOCOG's priorities for PSR preparation. Using input from 1998, Caltrans funded and completed several major PSR's in San Luis Obispo County including the Route 101/Prado Road interchange; the Route 101 Operational Improvements - scoping numerous projects recommended as part of the South County Major Investment Study; and Rt. 46 - from .5 miles east of the roadside rest near Shandon to the Route 41/46 E junction (the Wye) to construct a four lane divided expressway and an interchange at the Wye; and Route 46 from the Wye to the Kenn County Line is also underway, with progress on all segments from Paso Robles to 1-5 (Kern County is working with Caltrans on the segment from 1-5 to the SLO County line). A number of other PSRs are also underway or were approved for funding by SLOCOG. These ongoing and "to be implemented studies" will result in a significant number of projects awaiting funding by the 2002 to 2006 STIP Cycles. 1999/2000 PSR STATUS SUMMARY COMPLETED Route 101/Prado Road Interchange (SLO City). Route 101 Operational Improvements (SLO to AG). Caltrans implementing SLOCOG Rt. 101 Major Investment Study. Route 46 East-.Four Lane Extensions (East of Paso Robles). Willow Road Interchange (Nipomo). UNDERWAY Brisco Interchange (AG). El Campo Interchange (AG). Morro Bay Embarcadero Pedestrian Plan. . Traffic Way/Route 101 Interchange (Atascadero). Rote 41/Route 101 Interchange (Atascadero). San Simeon/Highway 1 Pedestrian Access Study. Rt 1/Halcyon Road Grade Improvement Assessment. Rt 1 Passing Lanes South of Harmony. Southland Dr. Onramp (Nipomo). 16'hSt. Onramp (Paso Robles). Rt 101/46 Interchange (Paso Robles). PROGRAMMED Los Osos Valley Road Interchange (SLO). Orcutt Road Railroad Overcrossing (SLO). Atascadero Master Bike Plan. 8 C SLOCOG 1999 / 2000 Annual Report THAT'S A LOT OF DEMAND MANAGEMENT! In 1998/99 CCAT Rt. 9 busses filled 62,000 seats going over the Cuesta grade; in 1999/2000 CCAT Rt. 9 busses filled 90,000 seats - an increase of over 45%! Ride-On vanpools accounted for an additional 67,000 passengers in 1999/2000 choosing to share a ride over the Cuesta grade! TDM - Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs have been very successfully implemented as part of the three-year Cuesta Grade construction project. $3 million is available over the three- year project schedule for SLOCOG to develop and implement a "Project Cuesta Grade" TDM program to reduce travel demand in this corridor during construction. The program, consisting of a variety of alternative transportation programs and public awareness campaigns, was initiated in August 1999. The first year has been promising: ridership on CCAT Rt. 9 has increased by 50% since the project was initiated, and Ride-On vanpools accounted for another estimated 67,000 trips over the Grade. TRANSIT ITS PROJECT SUMMARY (TO BE IMPLEMENTED FALL 2000) • Electronic fare collection on-board transit vehicles utilizing magnetic stripe cards and automated transfers. • Vehicle location tracking and schedule adherence information provided in "real- time" to dispatchers. • Vehicle schedule adherence information provided to vehicle drivers. . Estimate time of arrival information at selected bus stops and available on the intemet. • Automated reporting of fare and loading statistics. • Universal electronic fare system with the County. • Integrated automatic electronic transfers. Transit Planning - Transit planning activities generally fall under mandates of the FTA. This year generally focused on improving the efficiency of the countywide transit system. In coordinat;nn with staff of the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA), SLOCOG coordinated - ..e 11