City of Palo Alto (ID # 7374) City Council Staff Report Report Type: Action Items Meeting Date: 4/17/2017 Summary Title: VTA Next Network Final Plan & Palo Alto Shuttle Vision Plan Title: Review the Valley Transportation Authority Next Network Initiative Final Plan and the Draft Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan and Direct Staff to Pursue Funding from VTA to Backfill Service Reductions with Local Shuttle Service From: City Manager Lead Department: Planning and Community Environment Recommendation Staff recommends that Council review the Valley Transportation Authority’s Next Network Initiative Final Plan, which is schedule for a VTA Board vote in May, review the draft Palo Alto Shuttle Vision Plan, and: 1) Direct staff to pursue VTA funding to backfill planned reductions in bus service with local shuttle service; and 2) Direct Staff to develop a finance and implementation plan for possible future extensions to the existing Crosstown Shuttle and Embarcadero Shuttle routes as well as a new branding and marketing strategy for the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program. These actions would be contingent on future funding. Executive Summary VTA is planning reductions in bus service in Palo Alto at the same time that Palo Alto has been planning potential expansions in local shuttle service. Expansion of local shuttle service is contingent on funding. This evening’s agenda item allows for a discussion of both planning efforts and suggests that the City advocate for VTA funds to backfill bus service reductions with local shuttle service. City staff is also requesting direction to develop a finance and implementation plan for additional shuttle service expansions as well as a new branding and marketing strategy for the Palo Alto Free Shuttle. Funding may be available from County Measure B and other sources, and would City of Palo Alto Page 1 be a pre-requisite for shuttle service enhancements. Background The 1998-2010 City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan identified “Goal T-2: A Convenient, Efficient, Public Transit System that Provides a Viable Alternative to Driving.” This goal led to the establishment of the Palo Alto Shuttle in 1999. The City of Palo Alto has historically provided free public transit service via a shuttle program that included two routes: the Crosstown and the Embarcadero. In 2014, the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program introduced a new shuttle route in partnership with the City of East Palo Alto, bringing the total number of shuttle routes in the program to three. However, this third route was discontinued by the City of East Palo Alto on September 30, 2016. The Palo Alto Free Shuttle service complements transit services provided by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), as well as shuttle services provided by Stanford University, private companies and other transit operators. The Crosstown Shuttle provides a north-south connection from the Palo Alto Transit Center to Crescent Park, Midtown, the Charleston Road area, and several community centers, libraries, senior centers, neighborhoods and schools in between. The north-south connection is also supported by the VTA route 21, which follows Middlefield Road from the Palo Alto Transit Center to the Mountain View city limits, continuing on to downtown Mountain View. The Crosstown Shuttle route is funded 100% by the City’s General Fund and operates Monday through Friday during the daytime period, excluding some holidays. The Embarcadero Shuttle provides an east-west connection from the Palo Alto Transit Center to the businesses located in the Baylands at the east end of Embarcadero Road. The City currently contracts with the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB) to operate the Embarcadero Shuttle, which is a part of the Caltrain peak-hour commuter shuttle program and subsidized 46.5% by the PCJPB. The remaining 53.5% is funded by the City of Palo Alto General Fund. The shuttle operates Monday through Friday at peak periods only, excluding some holidays. In 2015, with the vision of expanding mobility options for Palo Alto residents, employee and visitors of all ages and abilities, staff retained Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. to develop the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan (Attachment A). In January 2017, VTA released its Next Network Initiative Draft Plan (Attachment B), which included modifications and proposed elimination of several transit routes in Palo Alto. Addressing gaps which would result from the VTA fixed-route transit service changes in Palo Alto was a key consideration in the development of transit route concepts in the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan. VTA is expected to release their Next Network Initiative Final Plan on April 7, 2017 and it will likely include changes to the draft plan proposal for VTA service in Palo Alto. Discussion City of Palo Alto Page 2 In 2015, Staff engaged Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. to develop the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan. This study was intended to move the vision of a citywide fare-free transit network forward by developing an expanded system concept for consideration by elected officials and residents alike. The plan is intended to serve as a blueprint for implementing new transit services within Palo Alto that connect residential areas to key employment, shopping, recreation, and school destinations. The vision outlined within the plan also seeks to improve regional connectivity with linkages to Caltrain and other transit providers (e.g. VTA, SamTrans, AC Transit), and take appropriate measures to address and fill gaps which may be presented by the elimination or modification of some VTA transit service in Palo Alto. This Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan was developed in close consultation with current shuttle users, residents, commuters and visitors. The planning process included the following phases:  Community Engagement and Market Analysis (October 2015 to January 2016) - market demand analysis, community survey and community meeting  Route Concept Development (January 2016 to March 2016) - development of universe of route concepts derived from community goals and objectives, community meeting, and high-level operational analysis  Route Concept Screening and Service Plan Development (February 2016 to March 2016) - screening of universe of route concepts against goals and service criteria and development of a five-year service plan including phased implementation of additional service  Monitoring VTA Next Network Initiative (April 2016 to January 2017) – study paused while Staff engaged in advocacy and coordination around the proposed route restricting by VTA  Route Concept Development Phase 2 (January 2017 to March 2017) – route concepts refined based on VTA Next Network Initiative draft plan and pre-release discussions around the final plan VTA Next Network Initiative Update In January 2017, VTA released the Next Network Initiative Draft Plan, which focused on a reduction in coverage-based transit service in order to provide more robust and frequent service to higher ridership routes within the VTA service area. This draft plan included a service concept that was 90% focused on high-ridership routes and 10% oriented toward providing service coverage to other areas. In early April, after the preparation of this staff report, VTA released the Next Network Initiative final plan, which is likely to propose 83% of operating funding be used to improve higher ridership routes, and 17% of funding for routes serving coverage goals. Based on discussions with VTA staff, the Next Network Initiative Final Plan will propose modification to fixed-route service in Palo Alto as described in Table 1 below: Table 1: VTA Next Network Initiative Final Plan - Projected Impacts to Palo Alto City of Palo Alto Page 3 Route Description of Change Routing Frequency Number Change Change 21 (New) The existing routes 35 and 32 would become route 21 NO NO and connect the Palo Alto Transit Center with San Antonio Shopping Center, San Antonio Caltrain Station, Downtown Mountain View, Downtown Sunnyvale and the Santa Clara Caltrain Station. 22 Route will remain but frequency will be reduced. NO YES 35 Current route 35 will be discontinued and replaced with YES YES new Route 21. 88/288 Current routes 88, 88L and 88M will be replaced with YES YES (New) three new routes 288, 288A and 288B that will only run once in the morning and twice in the afternoon. One bus on each of the three routes will travel to Gunn High School and the VA Medical Center in the morning and one bus on each of the three routes will depart the school at dismissal time. One bus on one route will depart at a later time to be determined jointly by the school administration, PTA, greater school community, City and VTA. 89 Route 89 will continue to operate as is between the NO NO California Avenue Caltrain Station, Stanford Research Park and VA Medical Center. 102/103/10 No changes to express routes proposed at this time. NO NO 4/182 Subject to change pending outcome of upcoming study. 522 Route will remain with increased frequency proposed to NO YES begin in April 2017. VTA has agreed to analyze the addition of more stops within Palo Alto. Paratransit Paratransit service area will likely contract with the YES NO Service reduction in fixed-route service, increasing the fare for paratransit service for residents along the west side of the US 101 freeway on the east side of Palo Alto. The elimination of the all-day route 88 service will move these residents from the standard paratransit area to the extended paratransit service area. These residents could see their paratransit fare increase from $4.00 to $16.00 per trip. Source: Planning and Community Environment Department, March 2017 At the January 24, 2017 City Council meeting, VTA staff presented the Next Network Initiative Draft Plan and received feedback from the Councilmembers. Subsequent to the meeting, both the Mayor and City Manager drafted letters to the VTA Chair and Executive Director, respectively. These letters are included as Attachment C. City of Palo Alto Page 4 Throughout the last phase of the development of the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan, Staff has worked to identify solutions to the proposed reduction in fixed-route transit service for Palo Alto residents. In order to address this, the plan identifies specific expansion opportunities for the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program. Currently, 74% of Palo Alto residents are within walking distance (1/4 mile) of fixed-route transit service. Under the Next Network Initiative Final Plan, it is anticipated that this would be reduced to 61% of Palo Alto residents (Note: this amount increased slightly between the draft and final plans). With the implementation of the recommendations of the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan, 77% of Palo Alto residents would be within walking distance (1/4 mile) of fixed-route transit service. This exceeds the mobility goal of 75% within the draft Sustainability and Climate Action Plan. Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan Recommended Shuttle Route Modifications and Extensions Based on current transit coverage in Palo Alto and gaps in coverage identified through the transit walkshed analysis, proposed changes to the VTA network, and community needs as expressed through the outreach process, a full set of route concepts were developed and screened as part of the visioning process. The outcome developed proposed route modifications to the Crosstown and Embarcadero routes, as well a new South Palo Alto route. The recommended route modifications and extensions seek to enhance coverage, frequency, and span within the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program, while addressing the VTA reduction in fixed-route and paratransit services. South Palo Alto Shuttle The Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan identifies a new route: the South Palo Alto Shuttle (Attachment A, pages 43-44). The South Palo Alto Shuttle would begin at the California Avenue Caltrain Station and terminate at the VA Medical center, serving schools and other destinations along Colorado Avenue, Louis Road, Fabian Way, East Charleston Road, West Charleston Road, Arastradero Road, and Miranda Avenue along the way. A special school run in the morning and afternoon would extend from the California Avenue Caltrain Station to Palo Alto High School, connecting the small sliver of the school’s attendance zone south of Oregon Expressway to the school. This route would provide replacement service for the areas currently served by VTA Route 88, with much more direct and seamless connections to local services and the regional transit network. Implementation of this route in coordination with the new VTA route 288/288L/288M could enable residents, employees and students along the route to depend much more regularly on transit, and increase overall transit utilization along the corridor. Staff recommends that this route be implemented initially through a financial partnership with the Valley Transportation Authority at the same time the Next Network Initiative route changes take effect (currently estimated to be December 2017). Crosstown Shuttle Staff recommends the implementation of Crosstown Variant B (Attachment A, pages 39-40), City of Palo Alto Page 5 which would run primarily on Middlefield Road. This overlaps the proposed VTA Route 21 within Palo Alto and, with coordination, could result in 15-minute headways all day long along Middlefield Road. Coupled with the high-frequency service along El Camino Real, this would put a large number of Palo Alto residents and employees within walking distance of high-frequency fixed-route transit service. As part of the concept service plan, the Crosstown Shuttle is targeted for significant increases in frequency and service span. Implementation of this variant in coordination with the new VTA route 21 could enable residents and employees along the Middlefield Road corridor to depend much more regularly on transit, and increase overall transit utilization along the corridor. The other Crosstown Shuttle alternative, Crosstown Variant A, would generally follow the Middlefield Road corridor, but deviate to serve libraries, community centers and schools, providing greater coverage but resulting in significantly less frequency along Middlefield Road. This variant, along with Crosstown Variant B, includes an extension to the Stanford Shopping Center, San Antonio Caltrain Station and San Antonio Shopping Center. These key destinations were identified during our community engagement process and would likely lead to an increase in ridership. Embarcadero Shuttle Staff recommends modifying the Embarcadero Shuttle (Attachment A, pages 41-42) by extending the current route to serve municipal service buildings and other businesses along West Bayshore Road and East Bayshore Road, as well as the portion of San Antonio Road nearest to US 101, which includes the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and other important trip generators. The segment along West Bayshore Road would provide new fixed- route transit access to several existing multi-family housing communities, as well as the Palo Alto residents who would see their VTA paratransit access reduced under the Next Network Initiative final plan. This modification could allow for the expansion of the City’s Caltrain Go Pass program to employees that work at the Municipal Service Center and on Elwell Court. Currently the Embarcadero Shuttle is managed and operated by Caltrain, but 53.5% of the services funding comes from the City of Palo Alto. When the route began, the City of Palo Alto only funded 25%, but this has increased as Caltrain and transportation grant funds have tapered off. With the change in funding allocation, staff recommends that the City of Palo Alto initiate discussions with Caltrain on taking ownership of the management and operation of the service (subject to available funding), which can allow for synergy of marketing, branding, and provide a unified customer service experience across City-funded shuttle services. Several other variations of the Embarcadero Shuttle were brought into the Route Concept Screening and Service Plan Development phase but were not moved forward. These are included in Appendix C of the Palo Alto Transit Vision Plan. City of Palo Alto Page 6 Policy Implications The following Goals, Policies and Programs from the Comprehensive Plan are directly related to this discussion: • Goal T-1: Less Reliance on Single-Occupant Vehicles • Policy T-2: Consider economic, environmental, and social cost issues in local transportation decisions. • Policy T-3: Support the development and expansion of comprehensive, effective programs to reduce auto use at both local and regional levels. • Goal T-2: A Convenient, Efficient, Public Transit System that Provides a Viable Alternative to Driving • Policy T-4: Provide local transit in Palo Alto. • Policy T-5: Support continued development and improvement of the University Avenue and California Avenue Multi-modal Transit Stations, and the San Antonio Road Station as important transportation nodes for the City. • Policy T-6: Improve public transit access to regional destinations, including those within Palo Alto. • Policy T-7: Support plans for a quiet, fast rail system that encircles the Bay, and for intra- county and transbay transit systems that link Palo Alto to the rest of Santa Clara County and adjoining counties. • Policy T-9: Work towards integrating public school commuting into the local transit system. • Policy T-11: Support efforts to integrate train, bus, and shuttle schedules at multi-modal transit stations to make public transit use more time-efficient. • Policy T-43: Provide and/or promote demand-responsive paratransit service. Resource Impact The recommended action suggests that the City pursue funding from VTA for local shuttle service (a new South Palo Alto route) to backfill reductions in bus service. As shown in Table 2b, below, the estimated cost for this new shuttle service would be approximately $1M annually. Table 2a outlines the current City financial support of the existing routes for the FY 2017 Adopted budget, amended for the termination of the funding agreement with the City of East Palo Alto for the East Palo Alto shuttle route (Staff Report #7170). The recommended action also suggests that Council direct staff to develop a finance and implementation plan with a comprehensive funding strategy to advance the new route and existing route modifications and extensions for the Crosstown and Embarcadero Routes. Ideally, this funding strategy will leverage the existing annual General Fund expenditures on the Palo Alto Free Shuttle System and the Caltrain contributions to the operations of the Embarcadero Shuttle to secure newly-available Measure B funding from the Transit Operations Program and/or Local Streets and Roadways Program, as well as regional and state City of Palo Alto Page 7 transportation grants. A draft Transportation Nexus Study, which is currently underway, suggests that a portion of the City’s Transportation Impact Fees may also be directed toward the capital infrastructure required to operate the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program (i.e. benches, signs, shelters, etc.). Planning-level cost estimates shown in Table 2b will be refined in the finance and implementation plan and will depend significantly on the operational model selected to provide the program in the future. Implementation of expanded service is contingent on funding. Table 2a: Current Shuttle Services City Finances Route FY 2017 Adjusted Current Annual Budget Operating Costs Shuttle Services $484,422 South Palo Alto - Crosstown $281,911 Embarcadero $135,100* Administration costs (staffing) $107,078 $107,078 City Funding TOTAL $591,500 $524,089 *The City pays 53.5% of costs, and the JPB pays 46.5% (up to $117,300) for a total cost of $252,400. Source: Planning & Community Environment, April 2017 Table 2b: Planning-level Cost Estimates for Recommended Shuttle Route Expansions and Modifications Route Current Annual Enhanced Service Level Full Service Level Operating Costs Annual Operating Costs Annual Operating Costs South Palo Alto -- $625,107 $1,026,704 Crosstown $281,911 $864,119 $1,564,931 Embarcadero $135,100 City Funds $376,903** $821,940** (JPB Funds up to $117,300, Total Cost: $252,400)* TOTAL $527,051 $1,866,128 $3,413,575 *The City pays 53.5% of costs, and the JPB pays 46.5% (up to $117,300). **The assumption is that the JPB can continue to fund $117,300 for this service, if grant continues Source: Nelson/Nygaard, March 2017 City of Palo Alto Page 8 Timeline The current schedule for the VTA Next Network Initative is detailed below:  April 7, 2017 – Final Plan published in agendas for Technical Advisory Committee and Policy Advisory Commitee  April 12, 2017 – Final Plan presented to VTA Technical Advisory Committee  April 13, 2017 - Final Plan presented to VTA Policy Advisory Commitee  May 4, 2017 - Final Plan presented to VTA Board of Directors  December 2017 (dependent on date of BART Berryessa Extension opening) – Implementation of fixed-route service changes identified in adopted plan After receiving direction from Council, Staff will seek VTA funding for the new South Palo Alto route via a Memorandum of Understanding with VTA. If successful, staff will return to Council for approval of this MOU. Staff will also seek funding for other shuttle service enhancements and return to Council with a finance and implementation plan later in 2017. A new branding and marketing strategy for the Palo Alto Free Shuttle Program would be presented to Council concurrently with the roll-out of shuttle route expansions and modifications when funding is identified. All recommended actions are contingent on funding. Environmental Review This program is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations since it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the acceptance of this plan may have a significant effect on the environment. Attachments: Attachment B - VTA Next Network Initiative Draft Plan (PDF) Attachment C - Letters from City to VTA (PDF) Attachment A - Palo Alto Transit Vision (PDF) City of Palo Alto Page 9 7.4 Date: December 22, 2016 Current Meeting: January 5, 2017 Board Meeting: January 5, 2017 BOARD MEMORANDUM TO: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors THROUGH: General Manager, Nuria I. Fernandez FROM: Interim Director - Planning & Program Development, Carolyn M. Gonot SUBJECT: Next Network Draft Plan Policy-Related Action: No Government Code Section 84308 Applies: No ACTION ITEM RECOMMENDATION: Approve the Draft Transit Service Plan for release to the public for review and comment. BACKGROUND: Under VTA’s Transit Ridership Improvement Program (TRIP) initiated in 2015, VTA began a two-year planning and outreach effort to develop a redesigned transit network. This project was known as Next Network, with implementation of a new transit service plan to occur concurrent with the opening of BART Phase 1 service at the Milpitas and Berryessa stations. The project aims to engage the community in developing a new bus and light rail transit network that reflects our transit needs and values, while increasing ridership, improving farebox recovery, and integrating BART service into the transit network. VTA engaged Jarrett Walker + Associates, an internationally-recognized leader in transit planning, to assist with the effort. The project's major milestones include: - Late 2015: Independent assessment of VTA’s service and market - April 2016: Transit Choices and Alternatives reports to VTA Board - Summer 2016: Community outreach phase 1 - November 2016: VTA Board decision on ridership-coverage allocation (85/15) - January 2017: Draft transit service plan released - January-February 2017: Community outreach phase 2 3331 North First Street ∙ San Jose, CA 95134-1927 ∙ Administration 408.321.5555 ∙ Customer Service 408.321.2300