Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Friday, February 27, 2015

2:30pm

City of Union City City Council Chambers

34009 Alvarado-Niles Road Union City, California 94587

Map

Agenda

1. Call to Order

2. Roll Call

3. Chairperson Comments

4. Public Comment (For items not on the agenda)

5. Consent Calendar

a. Minutes of October 24, 2014 Meeting

6. Report of the Citizens Advisory Panel

7. Information Items

a. New PAC Composition (A. Chan)

b. Alameda County Tri-City Meeting Update (C. Dutra-Vernacci)

c. Dumbarton Bus Service Update (H. Der)

8. Action Item

9. Next Steps

10. Correspondence

11. Requests from Members

12. Next Meeting

13. Adjourn

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes

Page 1 of 6

Meeting: Date: DRC Policy Advisory Committee October 24, 2014

Location: Time: City of Menlo Park Meeting Start: 2:39 pm 701 Laurel St. Meeting Adjourn: 4:08 pm Menlo Park, CA 94025

Notes Prepared By: Issue Date: Shirley Rosales February 19, 2015

Attendees (sign-in sheet attached)

Policy Committee Members

Carol Dutra-Vernaci, ACTC (Chair) –Union

City

Alan Nagy, ACTC- City of Newark

Raj Salwan, ACTC-City of Fremont

Ian Bain, SMCTA- Redwood City

Kirsten Keith, SMCTA- Menlo Park

Lisa Gauthier, SMCTA- East Palo Alto

Tom Blalock, CCJPA

Project Staff

April Chan, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board

Hilda Lafebre, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board

Howard Der, AC Transit

Robert Del Rosario, AC Transit

Shirley Rosales, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers

Board

Members of the Public Please refer to the attached sign-in sheet.

Agenda Item No.

1. Call to Order

Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci, PAC Chair, called the meeting to order at 2:39 pm.

2. Roll Call

Seven members were in attendance. Quorum achieved.

3. Chairperson’s Comments

Mayor Dutra-Vernaci thanked everyone present for achieving a quorum.

Mayor Dutra-Vernaci indicated that there is an effort to set groundwork for renewed political supportfor the Dumbarton Rail project. To this end, she has spoken with Amy Rein Worth, MTC Chair andwith Art Dao, Executive Director of the Alameda County Transportation Commission.

4. Public Comment

Mr. Bigelow with the Menlo Park, Redwood City and San Mateo County Chambers, shared that hehad made contact with Stanford and Facebook, Inc. relative to item 8 on the agenda, but also as ageneral item. These large employers have shown interest and support of bus service initiatives, butare more so interested in continuing to advocate for the rail project. Since funding has been strippedfrom Dumbarton Rail Project, he expressed the need to advocate sufficient funding for the rail projectto help relieve the traffic congestion in the corridor.

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes - October 24, 2014

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5. Consent Calendar

Minutes of the April 25, 2014 meeting were approved unanimously.

6. Report of the Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP)

Jim Bigelow (Redwood City CAP representative) reported on the CAP member’s discussions at their October 15, 2014 meeting and informed the following:

Consideration for a reconfiguration of the PAC membership. Discussed the fact that three MTCrepresentatives will no longer be attending these meetings. The CAP members votedunanimously in support of Action Item #8 on today’s PAC meeting agenda.

Members reviewed the bus proposal: CAP is completely supportive of the replacement of the existing Dumbarton Express buses

with 16 new buses. AC transit described current level of service and explained how they were trying to get a

Caltrans 180K grant to perform a bus service study in order to consider how to expand theservice.

AC Transit reported that the$14.8 million in RM2 funds provided by MTC will be sufficient topurchase 16 replacement buses, and possibly another eight expansion ones. The exactnumber of expansion buses will depend on the bus expansion study described above.Stanford has expressed interest in working with AC Transit about expanded bus service forits students and work force.

CAP members discussed the future of Policy Advisory Committee of the Dumbarton RailProject, and agreed that the PAC should remain to advocate for the rail project. CAPMembers suggested consideration for replacing the three delegates that MTC is not planningto assign with three major employers such as Facebook, Stanford, and Google,. This actioncould help regionally to leverage some funding and make MTC aware of the need of thisproject for thousands of employees coming across the bridge.

7. Information Items

A. DRC Project Committee Structures

April Chan (JPB) provided an update on the status of the DRC project and need for reconstitution of the PAC (Attachment #1).

The Dumbarton rail corridor Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) was originally formed toprovide oversight and guidance for the development and implementation of the DumbartonRail Project.

The project has been placed on hold due to lack of sufficient funding. As a result the NEPAand CEQA process is now on hold...

MTC has notified the Project Team of their intention of no longer appointing three MTCmembers to the PAC.

The Dumbarton project team is therefore asking the PAC to consider a new purpose andconfiguration.

Information on this item was also shared with the PDT and CAP members at their respectiveOctober 2014 meetings.

Staff present at the October 7, 2014 Project Development Team meeting from cities ofNewark, Union City, Menlo Park and Redwood City made the following recommendations:o If the Policy Advisory Committee is to be reconstituted, then the focus of the group should

be: to advance the rail project to secure the necessary funding to seek public -- private partnerships

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes - October 24, 2014

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o If the sole purpose of the committee was to monitor the bus service, then the group feelsthe Policy Advisory Committee is not needed for that function since there are existingDumbarton bus groups comprising five different transit operators tasked with monitoringthe bus service

o The PDT also suggested the Policy Advisory Committee could look at othertransportation options and other rail project alternatives with the purpose of finding asolution to serving the needs of the corridor with a project that is more financially feasible.

o The PAC should consider integrating in their group private business partners such asFacebook, Stanford, Google, and Oracle as they are major employers in the corridor.

o SMCTA and other funding partners had appointed Caltrain as the lead agency for theenvironmental review process and support staff for the rail project. If the DRC PAC andrelated committees are to continue, the financing of the Caltrain support needs to beidentified for its continued role.

B. Dumbarton Express Bus Service Update

Howard Der and Robert Del Rosario from AC Transit provided an update on the Dumbarton Express Service-- DB & DB1 Bus Service Performance, Dumbarton Bus Replacement and Dumbarton Express Bus Service Expansion Study (Attachment #2):

Three-month ridership was 81,010 vs. 83,060 for the same quarter last year. That’s a 2.5%decrease over two years. However, for the total fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 ridershiphas increased from 305,487 in fiscal year 2013 to 319,642 for in fiscal year 2014 – increaseof about 4.6% over period of two fiscal years.

Service is operating on budget. 22:16 The DB is operating at 20% fare box recovery ratio.DB1 fare box recovery ratio is different because it’s a peak period only service – its mandatedto be 30% right now for the quarter, but reporting 22.8%. Per MTC DB1 fare box recoveryration ratio must be met by end of this fiscal year. Funding will be provided through fiscal year2016 and may be discontinued as early as 2017. AC Transit will be meeting with DBROC andDumbarton stakeholders to develop strategies to meet requirements for RM2 funding.

Bus Fleet: AC Transit has received four SamTrans buses to augment the Dumbarton ExpressFleet – buses were outfitted with Wi-Fi, Clipper, etc. Vehicle transfer improves the reliability,considering the age as a whole.

MTC approved on May 28, 2014 to re-direct $14.8 million for the procurement of replacementand expansion buses for the Dumbarton bus service. The vehicles will be purchased as partof AC Transit’s allocation of buses through Contra Costa Transit Authority’s procurementconsortium. At a minimum, the vehicles will have the same level of amenities as DumbartonExpress fleet.

On July 9 2014, AC transit authorized procurement of 16 vehicles as replacement of oldestvehicles in the Dumbarton Express fleet. Because of a backlog in orders, these will not bedelivered until 7/20/2015, at the earliest.

During the May 2014 meeting, stakeholders expressed interest in expanding the DumbartonExpress service using the balance of unallocated funds from the operating monies that fundthe service.

Last published bus operations study was part of the Dumbarton rail project alternatives in2010; since that time, enough factors have changed enough to warrant new studies. Some ofthese include increased employment with continued economic recovery, increased trafficcongestion, and rise in employer provided shuttle services.

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes - October 24, 2014

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Currently the intent is to have the Dumbarton Express service expansion study fundedthrough a Caltrans Sustainable Committees Grant. AC Transit’s Grant Department submitteda request for $180,000.The grant application is due on October 31, 2014 and grantannouncements are scheduled for March 2015. If awarded, grant funds would be availableJuly 2015. A scope of work is being prepared as part of the grant application.

At the last meeting Council member Keith requested a report of the bicycle usage on theDumbarton Express.

o AC Transit developed an online survey tool and published for use from July 1 - October20, 2014. The survey was announced through a link on the dumbartonexpress.comhomepage and notices were sent to subscribers. AC Transit received 26 surveyresponses.

o During September 2014, 36 trips were made by bicycle users on the Dumbarton Express.Fifteen responders took line DB and 11 took DB1. A third of the responders departedfrom the East Bay during the 06:00 hour, and another third during the 08:00 hour; theremainder departed outside of those two periods.

o Over 40% of the respondents had an East Bay bound departure around 17:00 hour. Over20% had this same departure around 19:00 hours or later. One third listed Fremont, andanother third listed Union City as their home city. Hayward, Oakland, Emeryville werealso mentioned. Close to 3/4 of respondents indicated they biked to their destinations onthe peninsula. Close to 3/4th of the respondents also mentioned they rode theDumbarton express three or more days a week.

o In terms of being turned away from service, over 60% of the respondents mentioned theycouldn’t board the Dumbarton Express bus at least once in the last three months as thebike rack being full. Out of the 16 respondents that shared this, over 2/3 indicated theywaited for the next bus as a consequence.

o When asked for suggestions for improving service, quite a few indicated that a three- position bike rack would help. The group has been looking at three-position bike racks –the big issue with these racks in the past has been interference with headlights and withloading bikes themselves since the person loading had to go on the traffic side forloading. But there is now a new design available alleviating some of these issues(Attachment #3). Cost is approximately $1000 per unit ($855 for the rack itself and $170for the mounting labor).

Discussion/comments:

Bicycle usage survey responses also listed other service suggestions such as pathimprovements – like fixing broken pavements

A contributing factor to the backlog for the new replacement buses is the fact that there areonly two heavy duty bus manufacturers left in North America serving our requirements

MTC holds the unutilized RM2 funds allocated for bus operations each year. It goes back tothe RM2 pot waiting to be utilized.

A motion was made by councilmember Kirsten Keith:

The DRC PAC recommends that AC Transit purchase the new three-position bike racks presented

at the meeting and install them on all the Dumbarton Express buses.

Motion Seconded by Lisa Gauthier

Motion Approved Unanimously

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes - October 24, 2014

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8. Action Item: DRC Project Committee Objectives and Structures

Project staff indicated that the Memo to the PAC from item 7.a was provided as the background forthis action item: Purpose of the PAC.

1) New structure going forward as well as the two supporting committees, the PDT (city staffcomposition), and the CAP - (interested citizens) from the respective project cities.

2) Once the PAC has determined the purpose and the associated membership, establish theappropriate agency to staff the committee structure.

Discussion/comments:

One recurring item brought up is how to fund for project staff moving forward. PAC chair indicatedshe discussed funding options with Alameda County Transportation Commission. It was indicatedthat if Measure BB passes, approximately $120 million would be directed to the East Bay cities ofthe DRC service area; however this is being earmarked as Dumbarton area improvementsinstead of the rail project, which could help fund the staff work. PAC members expressed concernover MTC's withdrawal.

PAC chair inquired if VTA funding still exists toward this project or if was reallocated. Staffresponded there is no money in the project currently. The chair reiterated that Stanford andFacebook are expressing interest in the DRC. This would establish private sector interest helpingput pressure on MTC for RM2, and RM3 funding.

Members of the PAC who were present at the meeting expressed support for the project, and thedesire to keep the project going, while acknowledging the challenges with funding and staffing.The PAC requested for more information around the process for continuing, and the specifics ofcosts that would help conversations with the private sector. With ongoing developments inRedwood City, and Facebook campus developments in Menlo Park, the sentiment is there willonly be more traffic congestion.

Redwood City representative substantiated the support for the project and the plan to revise thecommittee, adding that Redwood City is conceptually very interested in the project given theongoing work in the city, the feedback from local businesses, and the situation around WoodsideRoad.

Staff responded to a PAC member's question, that the staffing support for the project would needfinancial resources to continue. The potential effort involved in undertaking technical studies toresearch economically feasible project alternatives, and project advocacy would require funding. .

Members inquired who is tasked with owning the project. Some of the PAC members suggestedthe idea of creating a JPA, although others felt it would be a tough sell in light of ongoingcompeting priorities.

PAC members expressed consensus that the discussion was productive and agreed that thePAC should remain focused on the rail project, reduce the memberships structure to sevenmembers in order to be able to achieve quorum at meetings, seek funding whether throughcounty organizations, or other avenues including public-private partnerships.

A motion was made by councilmember Ian Bain:

That DRC PAC supports the concept of continuing, focused on the rail project; reducing the number of its membership to seven in order to facilitate reaching quorum at meetings; seeking funding for the project whether through County organizations or other means, including private sources.

Motion seconded by Al Nagy.

Motion approved unanimously.

Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Summary Minutes - October 24, 2014

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9. Correspondence

A letter was received from Facebook Inc. dated October 23, 2014 regarding support for DRC Projectand presented to the members for review (Attachment #4).

Public comment was received from a member of the Friends of Caltrain a non-profit organization:

o The Friends of Caltrain Organization expresses its support of the Dumbarton Rail Project

o Regarding the correspondence received from Facebook Inc., the public member expressedthat in the various community and stakeholder organization meetings and discussion aroundMenlo Park General Plan, there has been frequent and robust conversations about theDumbarton Corridor and the desire to see this project as a transportation service for this areaand therefore is very happy to see the letter of support from Facebook Inc. as well as thework of the PAC and the interested community members.

10. Requests from Members

Councilmember Kirsten Keith requested that project staff provide to the PAC in writing a brief historyof how the Dumbarton Rail Project structure and funding package was originally put together to begindeveloping the project.

11. Next Meeting Purpose and Date

Friday, February 27, 2015 at 2:30pm in City of Union City Council Chambers

Include the following agenda items:

o next steps if Measure BB passes

o Discussion about creating JPA

12. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned 4:09 p.m.

Memorandum

Date: October 24, 2014

To: Policy Advisory Committee Members

From: April Chan-PCJPB

Re: DRC Project Committees Composition

In 2004, the Dumbarton Rail Corridor (DRC) project funding partners agreed to form a Policy

Advisory Committee (PAC) to provide oversight and policy advice during the development

and implementation of the project.

The PAC is comprised of a total of 13 members with the committee membership as follows:

3 members appointed by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA)

3 members appointed by the Valley Transportation Authority

3 members appointed by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC)

3 members appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission

1 member appointed by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority

Members appointed by ACTC represent cities of Newark, Fremont and Union City, while

members appointed by SMCTA represent cites of Redwood City, East Palo Alto and Menlo

Park.

In addition to PAC, a Project Development Team (PDT) structure, comprised of staff

representing the above agencies and cities along the Dumbarton, convene prior to each PAC

meeting to discuss items to better inform their respective members of the PAC.

A Citizen Advisory Panel (CAP), consisting of interested citizens representing cities along the

Dumbarton Rail Corridor, was also constituted to provide advice to the PAC on policy issues.

Since the Dumbarton Corridor Rail Project has now been placed on hold due to the need to

secure a funding plan that can advance the project further, MTC has approved the transfer of

Regional Measure 2 funds from the DRC project to two projects:

Dumbarton Bus Fleet replacement: $14.8 million

Caltrain Electrification: $20 million

Attachment #1

Policy Advisory Committee Members October 24, 2014 Page 2 of 2

The PAC should consider the committee composition resulting from the following:

MTC withdrew the appointment of members to the PAC due to the shift in RM2 funding

from Dumbarton Rail to Electrification and funding for Dumbarton Bus Fleet

Replacement

The purpose of PAC, which was formed to inform and advise on the rail project, has

shifted to review and monitor bus service improvement effort along the Dumbarton

corridor area (DB & DB1).

At the October 24, 2014 PAC meeting, PAC members should discuss the following, in light of

the above developments:

Purpose of the PAC

Appropriate composition of the PAC

Appropriate supporting committees to advise PAC

Alameda Contra Costa Transit District

1600 Franklin Street Oakland, California 94612

MEMORANDUM

Date: September 30, 2014

To: Dumbarton Rail Project Committees (PDT, CAP & PAC)

From: Howard Der, Dumbarton Express Contract Service Administrator

Re: Dumbarton Express Operations Update

The following memorandum provides a current status and overview of the Dumbarton Express bus operation for the 2nd Quarter of Calendar Year 2014, as well as an update on bus fleet enhancement activities and the service expansion study brought forward during the April 2014 Dumbarton Rail Committee meetings.

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

The total Dumbarton Express ridership for the 2nd Quarter of CY 2014 (April-June 2014) was 81,010 compared to 83,060 for the corresponding period in CY 2013, translating to a decrease of approximately 2.5%. The current combined average daily ridership is approximately 1,300 with ridership split fairly evenly between Route DB and DB1. Table 1 below compares ridership activity between the individual months of 2nd Quarter CY 2013 and 2nd Quarter CY 2014.

For the entire Fiscal Year 2013/2014 ending June 30, 2014, the Dumbarton Express ridership was 319,642. In comparison, the ridership for Fiscal Year 2012/2013 ending June 30, 2013 was 305,487. Between the two periods, the Dumbarton Express saw an increase in ridership of 4.6%. Previously, ridership for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 was 259,587, resulting in a ridership increase of over 23% for the two year period between FY 2011/2012 and FY 2013/2014.

To date, the Dumbarton Express is operating on budget. As set by MTC, the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB should be 20% or better and the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB1 should be 30% or better. For the 2nd Quarter of CY 2014 ending June 30, 2014, the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB was 24.1% and the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB1 was 22.8%. These ratios have remained relatively unchanged since the expansion of service in July 2012. Both routes have three years to achieve the farebox recovery. Per MTC, the farebox recovery needs to be met by FY 2014/2015; funding for both DB lines would be provided for FY 2015/2016 but could be discontinued as early as FY 2016/2017. AC Transit with the DBROC and the Dumbarton Rail stakeholders will need to develop strategies to meet the MTC requirements for RM-2 funding.

Attachment #2

Table 1 Dumbarton Express Ridership

2nd Quarter CY 2013 vs. 2nd Quarter CY 2014

April May June

2nd

Quarter

Total

Total Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 27,641 26,560 26,809 81,010

Line DB Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 13,864 13,848 14,113 41,825

Line DB1 Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 13,777 12,712 12,696 39,185

Ave daily ridership, CY 2014 1,256 1,265 1,277 1,307

Total Monthly Ridership, CY 2013 27,360 28,808 26,892 83,060

Line DB Monthly Ridership, CY 2013 14,530 15,140 13,773 43,443

Line DB1 Monthly Ridership, CY 2013 12,830 13,668 13,119 39,617

Ave daily ridership, CY 2013 1,244 1,309 1,345 1,340

Pct Change Total Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 vs CY 2013 1.0% -7.8% -0.3% -2.5%

Pct Change Line DB Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 vs CY 2013 -4.6% -8.5% 2.5% -3.7%

Pct Change Line DB1 Monthly Ridership, CY 2014 vs CY 2013 7.4% -7.0% -3.2% -1.1%

Pct Change Ave daily ridership, CY 2014 vs CY 2013 1.0% -3.4% -5.1% -2.5%

BUS FLEET

To enhance fleet uniformity and reduce average fleet age, SamTrans transferred 4 retired buses to the Dumbarton Express operation in May 2014. The buses were placed into service as outfitting was completed, such as installation of WiFi equipment and Nextbus equipment. This vehicle transfer improves the overall reliability of the service by making more vehicles available to operate the service considering the age and reliability of the Dumbarton Express fleet.

With the concurrence of the Dumbarton Rail Citizens Advisory Panel (CAP) and the Dumbarton Rail Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), San Mateo County Transportation Authority, informed MTC that the Dumbarton Rail Project would be placed on hold until the project partners can secure a funding plan that can advance the project further. In addition, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority requested that part of the Dumbarton Rail RM-2 capital funds be used for the purchase of new vehicles for the Dumbarton Express fleet.

MTC approved funding for the capital allocation of $14.8 million on May 28, 2014. This amount is estimated to yield up to 24 vehicles. The vehicles will be purchased from Gillig as part of AC Transit’s allocation of buses through the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) bus procurement consortium. At a minimum, the new vehicles will have the same level of amenities as the existing Dumbarton Express fleet.

On July 9, 2014, AC Transit Board of Directors authorized an initial procurement of 16 buses to replace the oldest vehicles in the Dumbarton Express fleet using the redirected Dumbarton Rail RM-2 capital funds. Because of a backlog in orders, anticipated delivery will be December 2015 at the earliest.

SERVICE EXPANSION STUDY

During the May 2014 meetings, the Dumbarton Rail project stakeholders expressed interest in expanding the current Dumbarton Express service using the balance of unallocated RM-2 operating monies that fund the current service. The last published bus operations study was incorporated as part of the Dumbarton Rail Alternatives Analysis in 2010. Since then, enough factors and assumptions have changed to warrant a new study. These factors include increased employment as recovery from the economic downturn continues, shifts in traffic patterns and traffic congestion, and the expansion in employer-provided shuttle services.

The intention is to have the Dumbarton Express service expansion study funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant. AC Transit’s Grants Department reviewed the grant’s call for projects and concluded that a Dumbarton Express Service Expansion study met its conditions, especially considering the Dumbarton Express operates on Caltrans right-of-way. The amount being requested is $180,000 with the grant application is due October 31, 2014. Grant award announcements are anticipated in March 2015 and funds will be available for use by July 2015. The scope of work for the study is being developed and refined by the Dumbarton Bridge Regional Operating Consortium (DBROC); a draft scope of work is included as Attachment B.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The Dumbarton Rail PAC requested a report on bicycle usage on the Dumbarton Express at its April 2014 meeting. AC Transit staff implemented an on-line survey to assess this information. Preliminary survey results suggest that about half the respondents have been turned away at least once due to the bike rack on the bus being full; in general, those turned away waited for the next bus. However, most respondents have identified a three-position bike rack as the solution to remedy this situation.

A fare change was implemented on July 1, 2014 for AC Transit. Under the Dumbarton Express interagency operations agreement, the fare changes also apply to the Dumbarton Express. Key features to new fare structure include discounted local fares for Clipper users, the elimination of transfers, and a shift to a pay-per-ride system. There were no significant changes to Transbay fares; as the vast majority of Dumbarton Express riders are Transbay passengers, they were unaffected by the fare change.

ATTACHMENT A BACKGROUND

Effective December 2011, the Dumbarton Express began operating as a contracted service. Under this arrangement, AC Transit fulfills the administrative and governance functions and MV Transportation fulfills the operations and maintenance functions. The term of the contract between AC Transit and MV Transportation is five (5) years.

The Dumbarton Bridge Regional Operations Consortium (DBROC) provides operational oversight. DBROC membership consists of staff from AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, Union City Transit, and VTA.

The Dumbarton Express is funded through RM-2 operating funds originally allocated to Dumbarton Rail operations. MTC allocated slightly over $2.4 million for the Dumbarton Express for FY 2014-2015.

The Dumbarton Express fleet consists of 20 Gillig Phantom high floor transit buses. The buses have a suburban commuter layout with high-back seating and WiFi connectivity.

The Dumbarton Express consists of two routes. Route DB operates all day from 5:22 AM to 8:51 PM between Union City BART and the Stanford Oval with 30-minute peak frequency and 45-minute off-peak frequency. Route DB1 operates during the peak period from 5:26 AM to 9:45 AM in the morning and 1:35 PM to 8:43 PM in the afternoon between Union City BART and the Palo Alto Industrial Park area with 20-minute peak frequency. Figure A.1 below depicts the Dumbarton Express route structure in the East Bay and Figure A.2 below depicts the Dumbarton Express route structure in the Peninsula.

Figure A.1 Dumbarton Express Route Structure-East Bay

Figure A.2 Dumbarton Express Route Structure-Peninsula

ATTACHMENT B DRAFT DUMBARTON EXPRESS SERVICE EXPANSION STUDY SCOPE OF WORK

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND The Dumbarton Express (DBX) is a regional public transit service connecting areas of Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties via the Dumbarton Bridge. The service commenced in 1984 as an AC Transit operation, and has since been operated by either AC Transit or by private operators under contract. Currently, MV Transportation operates the Dumbarton Express under the administration and governance of AC Transit. In addition, the Dumbarton Bridge Regional Operations Consortium (DBROC) provides operational oversight. DBROC membership includes AC Transit, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), BART, SamTrans, and Union City Transit. Previously, the Dumbarton Express service was funded proportionately by members of DBROC, with AC Transit funding any operating fund shortfall. The Dumbarton Rail Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and staff investigated transferring its RM-2 operating funds (approximately $5 million annually) to an interim bus service that would build ridership and compliment the transition to rail service. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved transfer of Dumbarton Rail RM-2 operating funds to DBX operations and allocated $2.2 million in RM-2 funds to operate the DBX beginning in Fiscal Year 2012/2013. The RM-2 funding removed need for DBROC members to fund DBX operations, although DBROC retains operational oversight. Originally, the intention was for the Dumbarton Rail PAC to petition MTC to reassign RM-2 funds when rail operations began. However, the Dumbarton Rail project has been put on hold due to funding shortfalls and MTC requested an update from Dumbarton Rail stakeholders as to the capital funds that were already committed to the corridor. With the concurrence of the Dumbarton Rail Citizens Advisory Panel (CAP) and the Dumbarton Rail Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (JPB), as the Dumbarton Rail Project Development Team lead agency, petitioned MTC to permit Dumbarton Rail RM-2 capital funds to be used to purchase new vehicles for the Dumbarton Express fleet. MTC approved the funding for the capital allocation of approximately $14.8 million in May 2014. This amount is estimated to yield up to 24 vehicles. The vehicles will be purchased from Gillig as part of AC Transit’s allocation of buses through the Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (County Connection) bus procurement consortium. At a minimum, the new vehicles will have the same level of amenities as the existing Dumbarton Express fleet. As noted earlier, the amount of RM-2 funds available for Dumbarton Rail operations is approximately $5 million annually. About half that amount is used to fund the

Dumbarton Express bus service and the Dumbarton Rail stakeholders have expressed interest in expanding the current DBX service using the unallocated annual amount. The last published bus operations study was incorporated as part of the Dumbarton Rail Alternatives Analysis in 2010. Since then, enough factors have changed that warrant a new study of expanded bus service in the Dumbarton corridor.

A major consideration is the farebox recovery ratio goal for any new service funded through RM-2. MTC’s benchmark is that any RM-2-funded service must have a 20% farebox recovery ratio for service that operates all day, and a 30% farebox recovery ratio for service that operates only during the peak commute period.

In the past few years, many large employers have begun operation of employee shuttles directly to their campuses. Such employment sites are poor candidates for expanded Dumbarton Express service, as their “closed door” service is seen as much more desirable and attractive for those employees.

TASK LIST

Work tasks for the expansion study consist of the following:

I. Data collection and existing conditions.

a. Description of existing conditions and study area.

b. Home-based journey-to-work information within the study area.

c. Employment site locations and characteristics.

i. Immediately north of the Dumbarton corridor.

ii. Immediately south of the Dumbarton corridor.

d. East Bay “collector” locations.

i. Park & ride facilities.

ii. Transit stations.

iii. Other locations with available space.

II. Public outreach and needs assessment.

a. Contact employment sites to ascertain interest in service and potential for

partnerships.

b. Conduct evaluation of what current riders and non-riders need.

III. Analysis.

a. Transit systems and operations analysis.

i. Additional opportunities for existing service.

ii. Consider findings and recommendations of Dumbarton Rail

Alternatives Analysis.

iii. Assess operational feasibility of serving new locations.

iv. Develop routing.

v. Define operational parameters.

1. Number of trips.

2. Frequency.

3. Span.

vi. Forecast operating metrics.

1. Ridership.

2. Productivity.

3. Farebox recovery.

vii. Assess operational needs.

1. Equipment.

2. Costing and financial constraints.

b. Transit infrastructure planning.

i. Park & ride facilities.

ii. Transit stations.

iii. Transit priority improvements.

IV. Recommendations.

a. Service recommendations.

i. Cost/benefit analysis.

ii. Feasibility analysis.

b. Capital recommendations.

i. Cost/benefit analysis.

ii. Feasibility analysis.

DELIVERABLES

Task I: Report including summary of existing conditions, analysis of journey-to-work information as it applies to the study area, identification and description of potential employment sites with the potential to be served by expanded service, and identification and description of facilities available to accommodate passengers on the expanded service.

Task II: Report summarizing public outreach efforts, including employment sites contacted and level of interest and needs of current riders and non-riders.

Task III: Report identifying expanded service alternatives, including routing, operating parameters, destinations served, and resources needed.

Task IV: Report with service and capital recommendations, including discussion and analysis of costs/benefits and overall feasibility for each recommendation; also discussion of alternatives considered but not recommended.

Estimated Budget

As the service administrator, AC Transit will apply for a Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant to fund the service expansion study. Specifically, the grant calls in part for “transportation planning projects that identify and address mobility deficiencies in the multimodal transportation system, encourage stakeholder collaboration, involve active public engagement.” In addition, transit agencies are identified as being eligible primary recipients.

The Sustainable Communities grant calls for an 11.47% local match that AC Transit staff believes can be fulfilled with staff time. Potentially however, the DBROC member agencies could be called on to contribute to the local match.

Attachment #3

Attachment #4

Agenda Item 7a.

Alameda Contra Costa Transit District

1600 Franklin Street Oakland, California 94612

MEMORANDUM

Date: February 6, 2015

To: Dumbarton Rail Project Development Team Dumbarton Rail Citizens Advisory Panel Dumbarton Rail Policy Advisory Committee

From: Howard Der, Dumbarton Express Contract Service Administrator

Re: 3rd & 4th Quarter CY 2014 Dumbarton Express Operations Update

The following memorandum provides a current status and overview of the Dumbarton Express bus operation for the 3rd and 4th Quarters of Calendar Year 2014 (equivalent to first half of Fiscal Year 2014/2015), as well as an update on bus fleet enhancement activities, bicycle racks, and the service expansion study mentioned during the October 2014 Dumbarton Rail stakeholder meetings.

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE

The total Dumbarton Express ridership for the 3rd Quarter of CY 2014 (July-September 2014) was 81,471 compared to 85,701 for the corresponding period in CY 2013, translating to a decrease of approximately 5.2%. For the 4th Quarter of CY 2014 (October-December 2014), total Dumbarton Express ridership was 79,225 versus 75,186 for the corresponding period in CY 2013, representing an increase of 5.4%.

For the first six months of Fiscal Year 2014/2015 (July-December 2014), total ridership was 160,696 as compared to 160,887 for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2013/2014. Through the first six months of current FY 2014/2015, ridership has essentially remained unchanged over FY 2013/2014 levels. The current combined average daily ridership through the first six months of FY 2014/2015 is approximately 1,257 with ridership split fairly evenly between Route DB and DB1. Table 1 below compares ridership activity between the individual months between July and December for both 2013 and 2014.

To date, the Dumbarton Express is operating on budget. As set by MTC, the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB should be 20% or better and the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB1 should be 30% or better. Through the first six months of FY 2014/2015, the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB was 27.0% and the farebox recovery ratio for Route DB1 was 26.0%. AC Transit staff is currently working with MTC staff on strategies for meeting the 30% farebox recovery ratio for Route DB1 by the end of FY 2014/2015.

Agenda Item 7c.

Table 1 Dumbarton Express Ridership

3rd & 4th Quarter CY 2013 vs. 3rd & 4th Quarter CY 2014

Ju

ly

Au

gu

st

Sep

tem

ber

Octo

ber

No

vem

ber

Decem

ber

3rd Quarter

CY Total

4th Quarter

CY Total

Semiannual

Total Fiscal

Year

Total Monthly Ridership CY 2014 28,415 26,485 26,571 30,450 25,307 23,468 81,471 79,225 160,696

Line DB Monthly Ridership CY 2014 14,877 13,370 13,049 15,395 12,803 12,101 41,296 40,299 81,595

Line DB1 Monthly Ridership CY 2014 13,538 13,115 13,522 15,055 12,504 11,367 40,175 38,926 79,101

Avg daily ridership CY 2014 1,292 1,261 1,265 1,324 1,332 1,067 1,273 1,241 1,257

Total Monthly Ridership CY 2013 28,520 30,552 26,629 29,702 23,995 21,489 85,701 75,186 160,887

Line DB Monthly Ridership CY 2013 15,092 15,822 13,701 15,250 12,294 11,385 44,615 38,929 83,544

Line DB1 Monthly Ridership CY 2013 13,428 14,730 12,928 14,452 11,701 10,104 41,086 36,257 77,343

Avg daily ridership CY 2013 1,296 1,389 1,331 1,291 1,200 1,023 1,339 1,171 1,255

Pct Change, Total Monthly Ridership CY 2014 vs CY 2013 -0.4% -13.3% -0.2% 2.5% 5.5% 9.2% -4.9% 5.4% -0.1%

Pct Change, Line DB Monthly Ridership CY 2014 vs CY 2013 -1.4% -15.5% -4.8% 1.0% 4.1% 6.3% -7.4% 3.5% -2.3%

Pct Change, Line DB1 Monthly Ridership CY 2014 vs CY 2013 0.8% -11.0% 4.6% 4.2% 6.9% 12.5% -2.2% 7.4% 2.3%

Pct Change, Avg daily ridership CY 2014 vs CY 2013 -0.4% -9.2% -5.0% 2.5% 11.0% 4.2% -4.9% 5.9% 0.1%

BUS FLEET

As reported in the October 2014 meetings, AC Transit is leading the procurement of 16 buses to replace the oldest vehicles in the Dumbarton Express fleet using redirected Dumbarton Rail RM-2 capital funds. AC Transit staff met with MV Transportation staff to develop bus specifications in October 2014. Those specifications are now being negotiated between AC Transit staff and representatives from Gillig.

Due to production backlog, the 16 buses will not enter Gillig’s production line until December 2015. Delivery of the new buses will begin in the first quarter of 2016.

BIKE RACKS

AC Transit is continuing to explore the feasibility of three-position bike racks on the current Dumbarton Express fleet. We anticipate purchasing these racks for the entire fleet shortly. However, prior to committing to this purchase, AC Transit must ensure that there are no safety issues associated with the larger rack relevant to blocking vehicle headlights and loading/unloading bicycles. If feasible, AC Transit will purchase these bike racks in the next quarter.

SERVICE EXPANSION STUDY

As reported in the October 2014 meetings, AC Transit applied for a Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant to fund a study that would examine opportunities for expanded Dumbarton Express bus service. The grant application in the amount of approximately $221,000 was submitted to Caltrans on October 31, 2014. Grant award announcements are anticipated in March 2015 and funds will be available for use by July 2015.

It should be noted that various partners submitted letters of support for the grant application. They included all the DBROC member agencies—BART, SamTrans, Union City, and VTA—as well as the City of East Palo Alto and Facebook.

ATTACHMENT A BACKGROUND

Effective December 2011, the Dumbarton Express began operating as a contracted service. Under this arrangement, AC Transit fulfills the administrative and governance functions and MV Transportation fulfills the operations and maintenance functions. The term of the contract between AC Transit and MV Transportation is five (5) years. The Dumbarton Bridge Regional Operations Consortium (DBROC) provides operational oversight. DBROC membership consists of staff from AC Transit, BART, SamTrans, Union City Transit, and VTA. The Dumbarton Express is funded through RM-2 operating funds originally allocated to Dumbarton Rail operations. MTC allocated slightly over $2.4 million for the Dumbarton Express for FY 2014-2015. The Dumbarton Express fleet consists of 20 Gillig Phantom high floor transit buses. The buses have a suburban commuter layout with high-back seating and WiFi connectivity. The Dumbarton Express consists of two routes. Route DB operates all day from 5:22 AM to 8:51 PM between Union City BART and the Stanford Oval with 30-minute peak frequency and 45-minute off-peak frequency. Route DB1 operates during the peak period from 5:26 AM to 9:45 AM in the morning and 1:35 PM to 8:43 PM in the afternoon between Union City BART and the Palo Alto Industrial Park area with 20-minute peak frequency. Figure A.1 below depicts the Dumbarton Express route structure in the East Bay and Figure A.2 below depicts the Dumbarton Express route structure in the Peninsula.

Figure A.1 Dumbarton Express Route Structure-East Bay

Figure A.2 Dumbarton Express Route Structure-Peninsula