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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-04-21 - AGENDA REPORTS - SHORT RANGE TRANS PLAN (2)BUSINESS ". SUBJECT: 1030911114V51:1►YW BACKGROUND AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by Jeff Kolin do-. April 21, 1992 SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN Public Works Department The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission recently notified the City that Short Range Transit Plans would be due to the Agency on March 27, 1992. The City previously contracted with the Los Angeles Country Department of Public Works for the preparation of the Short Range Transit Plan. The short notice provided by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission gave staff very little time to develop a draft plan and review it with the City Council. Staff completed the Draft Short Range Transit Plan and presented it to the City Council at the March 24, 1992 meeting. The Short Range Transit Plan is a 3 -year plan which includes a narrative of the current Transit operations and programs offered by the City of Santa Clarita. The Plan also includes 'a description of the operation, maintenance and capital needs for the next fiscal year. The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission will use these estimates to determine what requests it can fund in the next fiscal year. The second and third year of the Short Range Transit Plan are used for planning purposes and will be revised in an updated Short Range Transit Plan to be submitted to the Commission next year. Staff was directed by Council to submit the Draft Plan as written and return to Council at its April 21, 1992 meeting for review. The Plan was reviewed with the Commuter Transit Advisory Committee on Monday, April 13, 1992, and the Dial -A -Ride Advisory Committee on Tuesday, April 14, 1992. Their comments are an attachment to this report. APPROVED Agenda Item: Short Range Transit Plan April 21, 1992 Page 2 FISCAL IMPACT The Short Range Transit Plan will serve as the City of Santa Clarita's request to the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission for increased funding in the next operational year 1992/93. Staff has structured the Short Range Transit Plan so that each funding request includes the necessary funds to provide any capital equipment and expanded operation or maintenance funds necessary. Increased TDA funds will be required for operation of the current Transit programs in FY 1992-93. Last year, Prop A reserves from prior years were used to fund ongoing operations. This, coupled with reduced Prop A allocations, significantly increased the use of TDA funds. That the City Council adopt the Short Range Transit Plan. ATTACHMENTS Santa Clarita Transit Short Range Plan (Fiscal Year 1993-1995) Attachment "A" JK:gmm shortmg.agn ATTACIEWEENT "A" Commuter Transit Advisory Committee The Short Range Transit Plan was reviewed with the Commuter Transit Advisory Committee at their regular meeting on Monday evening April 13, 1992. Most members had received copies of the Plan before the meeting. The only comments from the Committee involved the funding and ridership counts for next fiscal year. The funding questions involved Tables L-8 and U9. It was explained to the Committee that the audit addressed in L-8 will be for the County of Los Angeles. The results of that audit will be reviewed with the Council when they are available. Staff informed the Committee that the results will also be made available to that body. The Committee also asked if raising fares 50 % on commuter service would allow for additional service to be implemented. Staff informed the Committee that fares would need to be raised 56% just to cover operating expenses. This increase would not cover the cost of acquiring new buses. The current one-way fare is $2.25. Fares would need to go up to $3.52 to cover the cost of operations and, $5.00 to cover the cost of both operations and capital equipment. The Committee asked why the ridership numbers are shown as going down next fiscal year and increasing the following year. Staff explained that it was anticipated that Commuter Rail Services would draw some ridership from the Commuter Bus service. The increase the following year is attributed to an anticipated expansion of routes to other major employment centers not serviced by Commuter Rail. Dial -A -Ride Advisory Committee The Short Range Transit Plan was reviewed with the Dial -A -Ride Advisory Committee at their regular meeting on Tuesday morning, April 14, 1992. The Committee had very few comments at the meeting, but indicated that they might after further review, Staff explained the purpose of the plan and the tables appropriate to the Dial -A -Ride program. FAX COVER SHEET DATE: APRIL 20, 1992 TINE: 12:30 PN TO: DONNA GRINDEY CITY CLERK] CITY OF,SANTA CLARITA PHONE: 805/255-4390` FAX: 805/259-8125 FRONT KEVIN F. CORCORAN, CTAC MEMBER PHONE: 213/485-2727 FAX: 213/485-7443 SUBJECT: COMMENTS ON UNFINISHED BUSINESS AGENDA ITEM #3 CITY COUNCIL MEETING 4/21/92 MESSAGE: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND . ALL COUNCILPERSONS To REVIEW PRIOR TO TOMORROW'S COUNCIL MEETING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE, NO. OF PAGES (INCLUDING COVER SHEET): 4 COPIES TO COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER, CITY CLERK Vale�� Tod L19# £bt4L-G6b £TZ:ON X31 QSI i ui d0 J.lIO:QI T£:TT NOW Z6.-OZ-6dU April 20, 1992 Kevin P. Corcoran 22556 Pearson Court Santa Clarita, Ca. 91350 mayor Jill Klajic Councilmember Carl Soyer, 3rd Councilmember Jo Anne Darcy , Councilmember Jan Heidt Councilmember Howard "Buck" McKeon Newly Elected Councilmember George Pederson City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Blvd. Suite 300 Santa Clarita, Ca. 91355 Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, I am a'commuter on Route 799 from Santa Clarita to downtown Los Angeles and a member of the Commuter Transit Advisory Committee (CTAC). CTAC was formed by the City of Santa Clarita so Route 799 commuters could voice their concerns to the City about the problems with the service. CTAC has been meeting with Mike Prior; the city's Transportation Manager. At tomorrow's council meeting, you are scheduled to consider the short Range Transit Plan (SRTP), Unfinished Business Agenda Item #3, which includes a review of current transit operations and programs offered by the City of Santa Clarita. There is one important issue that i would like to call to your attention regarding the Route 799 commuter servicer the immediate need for more buses. on a daily basis commuters are standing on the buses tolfrom Santa Clarita and downtown Los Angeles. Some commuters have decided to drive their car rather than stand on a bus. The members of CTAC have recommended to Mike Prior to add at least two buses to the schedule to alleviate the overcrowding. The need for more buses was emphasized in a petition dated March 30, 1992 (Attachment 1). This petition was addressed to Mayor Jill Klajic, City Manager George Caravalho and Deputy City Manager & Acting Director of Public Works Jeff Kolin to call to their attention the needs of Route 799 commuters. I believe it is very significant, and important, for you to know when the citizens you serve are unhappy. The need for more buses has been identified= the challenge is for the City to determine a'solution, immediately. The Agenda Report for the SRTP indicates the Plan wag reviewed by CTAC. The summary of CTAC comments shown in Attachment "A" of the Agenda Report is not entirely correct. It states "The only comments from the Committee involved the funding and ridership counts for next fiscal year.,, We not only questioned the funding and ridership counts for next fiscal year, we also reiterated the immediate need for more buses. CTAC has recommended several solutions. These include, Using the buses currently targeted for the Century City commuter line for Route 799. Due to the problems the City has experienced with Route 799, 1 believe the Century City line should not begin until Route 799 is operating smoothly. As long as people are standing on Route 799 buses, it is not operating smoothly. at\ctac\mayor.doc Z0d LTS# EVVL-SOB £TZION 131 QSI i dl AO h1I0:QI TZ:TT NOW 26.-OZ-adU * Re -running buses #1 and #2 to create a 9th and loth bus. * Leasing buses to provide a 9th and 10th bus. This was done for the local bus route, using Foothill Transit buses, until the new local buses were received. * Compensating the riders who have to stand. Those who pay the daily fare should not have to pay, those who use a punch card should not have the card punched. Those who use a pass should receive a coupon which would reduce the price of the next months pass. Hike Prior indicated you would have to approve any of these solutions. I am requesting you to approve the funding required to obtain more buses immediately. once the commuter train is operational, the City can then reassess the need for more buses. I would like to call your attention to the SRTP Table L-10 for Fiscal Year 1995 with the "PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Purchase of three (3) expansion commuter buses." Under PROJECT JUSTIFICATION it states "The existing service is very popular and is operating at over 90% capacity." During the discussion at the council meeting, please ask the City's analysts to explain what that means and to describe the threshold where additional buses are needed. Please ask them if commuters are currently standing on the buses. This information should help you recognize the immediate need for more buses.' According to Hike Prior, the fare from the local buses pays for 10% of the operating costs. The fare from the commuter buses pays for 46% of .the operating costs. Why were more buses added to the local service when it doesn't pay for the same percentage of the operating costs as the commuter service? We pay for a greater percentage of our operating costs and have received a fare increase, yet we can't get more buses. Why? Finally, I am concerned about the safety issue with commuters standing. How liable will the City be when a commuter is injured because they had to stand? I am'also concerned about the current brake problem, which has been identified as a faulty computer chip. If the rear end of the bus jumps enough when the brakes are applied and a commuter falls. and injuries themselves, the City could be liable. Does the City want to be in this position? If you have any questions, or would like to discuss some of these issues before the council meeting, please feel free to call me at 213/485-2727 (work) or 297-7588 (home). Thank you for your attention and consideration, on. this matter. sincce/e��rely, P. Kevin F. Corcoran Attachmentst 1 - Petition for Here Buses at\ctac\mayor.doc R0d L194 £VVL-980 £TZ:ON 131 CSI i U7 JO AIID:QI ZS:TT NOW Z6-OZ-'JdFi PETITION March 30, 1992 Whereas, ridership on Line 799 Commuter Service to and from downtown Los Angeles has Increased and Ib Increasing, daily total bus capacity has decreased by 48 seats' (14%) since the City assumed control of this service,, current dally ridership has averaged 90%, well past the threshold where additional bus capacity becomes necessary, and whereas, Line 799 Is a proven success, therefore, we, the undersigned, being regular and faithful patrons of this service, do hereby request that the City Immediately undertake any and all possible steps to add at least two buses to the schedule, even If this means contracting out the service planned to Century City so that buses now being held back for that service could.be used for Line 799, allow CTAC to have input on the new schedule, and add additional new buses to the schedule, using any and all means at the City's disposal, whenever total daily ridership exceeds 780/6. DAYTIME SIGNATURE PRINTED NAME PHONE LRpi"sVAIM799 70d LT9# 247E -S87 2TZ:ON 131 QSl / H1 JO AlIJ:QI 22:TT NOW Z6.-OZ-adH