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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-11-2016 MTC Minutes FINAL FINAL Minutes MASS TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Council Hearing Room, City Hall, 990 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 – 2:30 pm CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson James Thompson called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: James Thompson (Chair – Technical), Elizabeth Thyne (Vice Chair – Senior), Cheryl Andrus (Cal Poly), Denise Martinez (Disabled), John Osumi (Business), Louise Justice (Member at Large), Diego-Christopher Lopez (Alternate) Absent: Michelle Wong (Student), Heidi Harmon (Alternate) Staff: Tim Bochum (Public Works Deputy Director), Dee Lawson (Transit Coordinator), Megan Cutler (Transit Assistant) ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. John Paul Maier (Assistant City Clerk) led Mr. Osumi in Oath of Office. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. MINUTES Approval of March 9, 2016 Meeting Minutes Mr. Thompson requested an approval of the March 9 minutes. Per the request of MTC members, the minutes were amended as follows: • Page 2 – “shared” was changed to “stated” • Page 5 – “dinner” was changed to “event” • Page 6 - “ques” was changed to “cues” Ms. Justice questioned if Route 2 and Route 3 have been evaluated for a Tripper service. Mrs. Lawson responded there is nothing yet to report. Ms. Justice clarified this service would be for the homeless. Mrs. Lawson responded we cannot single out a particular demographic. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 2 Ms. Thyne questioned LOSSAN (Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Railroad Corridor Agency) agreement. Ms. Andrus clarified there was a brief mention of this agreement at the March 9 MTC meeting. Mr. Thompson requested an approval of the minutes as corrected. Ms. Thyne moved to accept the amended March 9 draft minutes. Ms. Andrus seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. ACTION ITEMS Agenda Item #1: Nomination of Chair and Vice Chair Ms. Justice nominated Ms. Thyne as Chair. Ms. Martinez seconded the nomination. The nomination passed unanimously. Ms. Justice nominated Mr. Osumi as the Vice Chair. Ms. Thyne seconded the nomination. The nomination passed unanimously. Agenda Item #2: 2016-17 MTC Meeting Schedule Mrs. Lawson clarified the meeting time will remain the second Wednesday of every other month beginning with July unless the committee decides otherwise. Per the request of Mr. Thompson the projected 2016-2017 meeting dates are: July 13, September 14, November 9, January 11, March 8, and May 10. DISCUSSION ITEMS Agenda Item #3: Committee Items None. Agenda Item #4: Staff Items a.) Transit Manager’s Report Mrs. Lawson stated overall ridership is increasing. In particular Cal Poly ridership is increasing and general ridership is declining. Pass sales are slightly declining due to high ridership from Cal Poly. Mrs. Lawson pointed out an error on Attachment 2 of agenda. For February ridership, there were 13 courtesy rides, rather than 0 courtesy rides, and 656 children under 5 years old, rather FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 3 than 0 children under 5 years old. For March ridership, there were 16 courtesy rides, rather than 0 courtesy rides, and 735 children under 5 years old, rather than 0 children under 5 years old. Mrs. Lawson stated the LOSSAN (Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Railroad Corridor Agency) agreement begins June 1, 2016. Mrs. Lawson clarified, per the agreement, if a passenger gets off the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner in San Luis Obispo, their train ticket is valid for a one-way ride on SLO Transit. For example, the passenger can ride SLO Transit from the Amtrak station to the Transit Center where they can then transfer to their next destination. Ms. Justice questioned if the LOSSAN agreement only applies to the Pacific Surfliner. Mrs. Lawson responded this is correct. Mrs. Lawson stated the Transit Center project has been put on hold and there is no additional information regarding the status. Ms. Thyne stated the developer, Mr. Firestone, pulled out of the project. There was an item on a recent City Council consent agenda in which the City Manager requested a sum of money to hire a consultant to evaluate the feasibility of having a garage in the Transit Center projec t area. Ms. Thyne acknowledged the City’s General Plan from approximately 10 years ago projected there would be public parking garages in four corners of the City. Ms. Justice questioned whether we know anything further regarding the proposal to parallel park our buses on Higuera. Mrs. Lawson responded, since the developer pulled out, we do not have any further information. Mr. Bochum, City of SLO Public Works Deputy Director, offered to address the Transit Center project. Mr. Bochum acknowledged he reviews much of the developmental review activity, including the Firestone “NKT” project. This project was pulled by the applicant. Mr. Bochum acknowledged this was a conceptual application, not a formal application. This project went to the Planning Commission (PC), the Architectural Review Committee (ARC), and City Council for review of the concept. The applicant did not move forward with a formal submittal due to concerns with timing of approval and other interests in the property. Internal staff is discussing whether or not to move forward with parking analysis of this area. As far as the transit element, meetings are being scheduled with SLOCOG to further discuss pros and cons of transit center options. Ms. Thyne stated, she learned about Firestone project through “Save Our Downtown” committee. Mr. Straw, Executive Director, Regional Transit Authority (RTA), provided insight on Firestone project from RTA perspective. Funding is still being secured to fund the development of a Transit Center, a high priority for SLOCOG, RTA, and SLO Transit. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 4 Mrs. Lawson stated the Automatic Passenger Counters (APC’s), purchased with Prop 1B funds, have been fully installed. Mr. Osumi confirmed the APC’s have been fully installed in 80% of the fleet. Mrs. Lawson stated the APC data allows transit staff to better analyze the ridership boardings and alightings at every stop. Riders using the bus tracker app can also see how full each bus is as the bus approaches their stop. Mrs. Lawson stated Gillig is moving up the bus production schedule for three new buses from April 2017 to January 2017. Production requires 30 days. Three new buses are anticipated by March 2017. These new buses will be 40 foot, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicles. Ms. Cutler provided a marketing update to review the promotional events from April through May. For Earth Day, April 22, SLO Transit provided free rides for all riders. For the SLO Marathon, April 29 through May 1, transit staff attended the marathon expo and encouraged runners and their supporters to choose public transit for the weekend. Special event passes were distributed at the marathon expo. 84 riders used these special event passes. For Mother’s Day, May 8, SLO Transit provided free rides for moms. Ms. Cutler provided an update on upcoming events. For Public Works Night at Farmers’ Market, May 12, SLO Transit staff will be present and two buses will be available for the public to tour. Youth Ride Free (YRF) begins June 1 and is effective through August 31. Youth 18 years old and younger can ride the bus for free. RTA and South County Transit (SCT) YRF begins on June 15 and is effective through August 16. Ms. Thyne questioned if Youth Ride Free (YRF) includes the summer day campers. Mrs. Lawson clarified that the YMCA and Parks & Recreation summer day campers can bring 10 free children and 2 free counselors, up to 20 riders total. An y additional riders surpassing 12 free riders need to pay. The YMCA and Parks & Recreation groups will provide Mrs. Lawson with a schedule before the summer begins, so transit staff can coordinate and ensure both groups are not trying to use our system at the same time. Ms. Thyne questioned smaller summer camp groups, such as churches, and how these small groups are handled under the summer camp group policy. Mrs. Lawson responded we do not coordinate with these smaller groups, but they must follow the same group policy. Ms. Cutler stated that the summer schedule begins June 13. For Father’s D ay, June 19, SLO Transit will provide free rides for dads. Ms. Cutler stated that SLO Transit’s goal for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 is to reach 1,250,000 riders. SLO Transit will push for this ridership goal in June and is planning a competition to encourage ridership. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 5 Ms. Thyne questioned the free rides for moms on Mother’s Day, asking how our drivers monitor whether or not a rider is a mom. Mrs. Lawson clarified if someone says they are a mom, our drivers do not question them. b.) Recommendation of Award for Operations & Maintenance Contract Mrs. Lawson stated the recommendation for award for the Operations & Maintenance contract, following Council’s approval to request proposals, is First Transit. Seven proposals were submitted and these proposals were evaluated by an evaluation team. First Transit will begin the new contract on July 1. Ms. Thyne questioned the number of years First Transit has this contract. Mrs. Lawson responded First Transit has the contract for four years with three single year extensions. c.) Update on SRTP Process; Review of Public Comments Ms. Cutler shared the public comments period was open through May 6. Twelve comments were submitted. Ms. Cutler welcomed the committee to comment on the summarized public comments and corresponding staff comments. Ms. Thyne questioned the stops on the Phillips, Pepper, Johnson loop being eliminated. Mrs. Lawson responded, per the SRTP, these stops will not be eliminated. Rather, the frequency of service will be reduced with less routes traveling this loop and less buses servicing this loop per hour. Ms. Justice questioned the second phase referenced in the staff comments. Mrs. Lawson clarified phase two will follow the Righetti development. Ms. Justice questioned the alternate routes within the SRTP in an attempt to better understand the particular routes SLO Transit will implement. Mr. Straw clarified there is a series of working papers for the joint SRTP with SLO Transit and RTA. Chapter 8 displays the consultant’s recommendations for both systems. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 6 Ms. Justice questioned if the independent 3rd party consultant rode the bus prior to evaluating the SLO Transit system. Mrs. Lawson clarified surveyors rode every route in order to evaluate our system. Ms. Justice announced the City Planning Commission (PC) meeting scheduled for June 8 at 6:00 PM. Mr. Thompson requested an additional meeting for MTC to review the plan. Mr. Bochum acknowledged this SRTP is the first joint SRTP with RTA. He stated historically the MTC advisory body reviews the plan for final comments. The PC advisory body also reviews the SRTP at a higher level because they understand the City’s land use plans. The consultants plan to present to RTA’s board on July 13, so the City plans to take the draft SRTP to City Council on July 12. Mr. Bochum questioned if the MTC wants to schedule a special meeting in June, which would coincide with the PC meeting. Comments and suggestions from these two meetings will then go to City Council. Mr. Thompson requested MTC have the opportunity to review the full drafted plans before the consultant meeting. Ms. Thyne questioned who is being well served by the new revised plan and schedules. MTC members represent different parts of the community, so it is imperative that the entire committee review the plans together. Ms. Thyne requested that MTC see the final product before it officially is reviewed by the PC. She questioned if the preliminary SLO Transit route and schedule changes have been presented to other authorities, such as the Housing Authority, and other City departments. Mr. Bochum responded by questioning MTC regarding their desire to be involved in an in depth review of the SRTP draft. Ms. Andrus stated the last time she heard about the changes was when the consultant came and discussed the reasoning behind the recommended changes, such as based on the ridership. She acknowledged the meeting with the consultant was the last time MTC had the opportunity to provide input regarding the SRTP and have discussion. Mr. Bochum shared two options for MTC: (1) providing the MTC with a full draft SRTP for MTC review or (2) providing MTC with more discussion on full draft SRTP, so MTC can provide consultant with input and comments on current draft prior to consultant’s final recommendations. Mr. Thompson requested MTC provide input on full draft SRTP before draft is finalized. Mr. Thompson requested the full draft SRTP be formally presented, so MTC can then provide input. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 7 Mr. Straw acknowledged the joint MTC/RTAC meeting already reviewed the first approximately 140 pages of the document. Mr. Thompson stated providing service on the Pepper, Phillips, Johnson loop was recommended to be removed from the plan, which has not be en done. There are currently two routes servicing this loop. Mr. Thompson requested more discussion regarding the method for the alternative routes displayed within the draft SRTP. MTC needs to give more input. Mr. Bochum requested a group consensus to review the draft. MTC agreed that they desire to review the draft SRTP in greater depth prior to finalization. Mr. Bochum informed the MTC that the full draft SRTP will need to be reviewed by both the MTC and the PC, which will most likely require a special MTC meeting for the in-depth review they requested. Mr. Osumi suggested meeting with the consultant via a video conference. Mr. Bochum and Mr. Thompson requested a motion from the MTC for the special meeting. Ms. Thyne moved that the MTC arrange at least one meeting with the consultant to review the projected changes to the routes and schedules via tele-conferencing or in-person at 3:38 PM. If a second meeting is needed prior to being presented to the PC, the MTC will make themselves available for a final review of the document. Ms. Justice seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Mr. Bochum requested MTC review the full draft SRTP before the special meeting, record notes, and send notes to staff. Mr. Bochum pointed out where the full draft SRTP is located on the City’s website. By navigating to the SLO Transit webpage, select the General Info button toward the top of the page, then select the SRTP button toward the top of the page. Follow the link that reads “View full Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) draft here”. Mr. Bochum confirmed that the MTC will need hard copies of the full draft SRTP document. Ms. Justice questioned if negotiations at Cal Poly have been completed . Mrs. Lawson responded the Cal Poly negotiations have not been completed. Ms. Justice questioned if SLO Transit is doing anything with Cuesta. Mrs. Lawson responded SLO Transit is not doing anything with Cuesta. Ms. Justice questioned the potential of Tripper buses to Laguna middle school. Mrs. Lawson responded Laguna Middle School students ride Route 4 and Route 5. FINAL Minutes – Mass Transportation Committee Meeting of May 11, 2016 Page 8 Mr. Thompson raised the concern that the modification of Route 4 and Route 5 will reduce service in the western portion of the City, including lack of service for Laguna Middle School. Mrs. Lawson stated there are a significant amount of Laguna Middle School and Cal Poly students that live in the northern portion of the City, so they typically ride on Foothill toward Los Osos Valley Road. Ms. Justice questioned a letter outside Council Hearing Room from a resident at Judson’s Terrace who spoke with Mrs. Jennifer Rice, City Transportation Planner/Engineer, regarding the speed bumps on Augusta. According to the Letter, Mrs. Rice informed the resident that Judson’s Terrace is up for review in two years. Ms. Justice questioned if this will affect the SLO Transit bus routes. Mr. Bochum responded there are traffic calming efforts on Augusta to encourage motorists to travel at 25 mph. Other streets within the City will be under review until Augusta is reviewed again in two years. Ms. Thyne questioned the temporary traffic circles on Chorro. Mr. Bochum responded the primary objective of the traffic circles is to monitor vehicle speeds and ensure vehicles are traveling no faster than 25 mph. Mr. Bochum acknowledged street speed limits are considered in the development of bus route schedules. Since these traffic circles are temporary, they are still under review. Ms. Justice questioned the elimination of the bus stop in front of the Salvation Army on Chorro at Islay. The buses have not been stopping here. Mr. Osumi acknowledged there is a sign on the door of the bus yard indicating that the Route 3 Chorro at Islay stop no longer exists. Mrs. Lawson acknowledged that she will investigate this stop. Mr. Bochum stated any comments regarding the full draft SRTP can be directed to Mr. Anguiano and copied to Mrs. Lawson. Ms. Thyne moved to adjourn meeting at 4:03 p.m. to the next regular meeting of Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. Ms. Justice seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Megan Cutler APPROVED BY THE MASS TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: 07/13/2016.