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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11359RESOLUTION NO. 11359 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO APPLY FOR STATE SENATE BILL 1 FUNDING TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM AND TRAVEL PATTERNS WITHIN THE PUEBLO REGIONAL COMMUNITY WHEREAS, the City of Pueblo supports the strategic analysis of the current transit system and the submittal of a grant application to the State of Colorado for Senate Bill 1 funding to conduct this project BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO, that: The grant application for the Strategic Analysis of the current transit system to the State of Colorado Senate Bill 1 funding, a copy of which is attached hereto is approved. The President of City Council is authorized to execute and deliver the Grant Application in the name of the City and the City Clerk shall affix the seal of the City thereto and attest the same. INTRODUCED Auaust 11. 2008 Res. 1135q D �I 0 �I D Background Paper for Proposed RESOLUTION AGENDA ITEM # V DATE: August 11, 2008 DEPARTMENT: PUEBLO TRANSIT DANIEL E. CENTA, P.E. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TITLE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF PUEBLO TO APPLY FOR STATE SENATE BILL 1 FUNDING TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM AND TRAVEL PATTERNS WITHIN THE PUEBLO REGIONAL COMMUNITY ISSUE Should City Council approve the submittal of an application for the Senate Bill 1 State funding to conduct a strategic analysis of the current transit system. RECOMMENDATION Approval of the Resolution. BACKGROUND The State's Senate Bill 1 program provides funding for strategic transportation projects, and there is a legislative requirement that at least 10% of such strategic transportation project revenues shall be expended for transit purposes or for transit - related capital and /or planning improvements. The Senate Bill 1 program is expected to have revenues available over the next five years, in conjunction with the passage of Referendum C. The funding for 2007 -2010 is currently estimated to be $39 million. The strategic analysis of the transit system will require a Request for Proposals (RFP) and the funding is being requested for year 2010 and 2011. FINANCIAL IMPACT The total project cost is $500,000. The state match at 80% is $400,000 and the required City match at 20% is $100,000 to be appropriated out of the City's General Fund if the grant submittal receives approval. This project will not be into effect until year 2010. APPLICANT: City of Pueblo /Pueblo Transit Page 1 of 4 Strategic Transit Project Application Form Applicant Organization: City of Pueblo /Pueblo Transit Applicant address: 350 S. Grand Avenue Pueblo, CO 81003 Contact person: Bill Moore, MPO Administrator Phone: (719) 553 -2945 Email address: bmoore &ueblo.us FAX: (719) 553 -2950 Brenda Broyles, Transit Superintendent Phone: (719) 553 -2725 Email address: bbro, les d pueblo.us FAX: (719) 553 -2724 1. Project Title and Brief Description: (limit to 25 words) Strategic and Logistic Analysis and planning for expanding the current transit system including regional coverage, routes, headways, and days and service hours. Evaluate the proposed system efficiency in its entirety and identify the resources needed to expand into all underserved areas. This study will provide a logical plan to revamp the existing transit system and provide new services and an expansion plan. 2. What is the total project cost? $ 500.000.00 What is the total amount of State SB 1 funding requested? $ _400.000.00 3. Type of Project: Rolling stock: replacement _ expansion Rail or BRT elements Bus Maintenance Facility: replacement: _ expansion _ Bus transfer /intermodal facility: Planning: X Other Describe: 4. Applicant Information and Description of Transit Program: Transit service in the Pueblo area is provided by the City of Pueblo, a Municipal Corporation, operating as Pueblo Transit. Pueblo Transit is a public non - profit organization established and owned by the City to operate their fixed route transit services. Pueblo Transit uses a third party contractor to operate a complimentary .. paratransit service known as Citi -Lift. Pueblo Transit serves all of the City of Pueblo and a small portion of the County. The County of Pueblo subsidizes the portion of the route outside of the City limits. The population of the service area is approximately 104,000. It operates a network of 11 fixed- routes. Service is provided six days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Citi -Lift provides complementary paratransit services during the same days and hours as fixed route service. The overall transit operations consist of a fleet of sixteen (16) buses for fixed route service and eleven (11) cutaway vans for paratransit services. Four (4) out of the sixteen (16) buses are either non -ADA or Pre -ADA and candidates for replacement. The current peak requirement is for 11 vehicles. APPLICANT: City of Pueblo /Pueblo Transit Page 2 of 4 Pueblo Transit operates from a single maintenance and administration facility and its services are oriented around a transit center in downtown Pueblo that serves as a transfer point. 5. Project Description: We are requesting funding for the purpose of conducting a strategic and logistical analysis of extending the current transit system based on travel patterns within the larger regional community. The historic system of routes is only serving the needs of current users. The system must be expanded to meet the needs of residents in unserved and underserved areas and among none - riders of the transit system. The ultimate goal is improving and expanding the coverage of the current transit system to efficiently focus resources on meeting the growing needs of the regional community including Pueblo west, the Airport Industrial Park and the St. Charles Mesa. Part of this study and plan will determine what routing and level of services would cause drivers to switch to transit or to accommodate potential riders who will change modes as fuel prices continue to rise. By focusing on key routes, linking employment sites with all the residential areas within the regional communities and optimal plan will avoid the complex routing to maximize regional coverage and increase of all service quality by evaluating all aspects of the system. 6. In which calendar year (s) do you desire funding for this project? 2009 $ 2010 $ X 2011 $ X 2012 $ Describe the "readiness" of the project. Provide evidence of what steps have been taken to make this project ready for implementation. What steps remain? The goals and objectives have been discussed and if funding is awarded, the City will move forward with its procurement process to solicit bids. 8. The proposed local match of 20% is $ 100.000 and will come from the following source(s): The 20% local cash match will be obtained from the City of Pueblo's General Fund. 9. Describe the commitment of your organization to maintaining the project and sustaining the service that would be provided over the life of the project. The City of Pueblo, the City Council and the City Manager are committed to the betterment of public transportation and accessibility to the transit system in Pueblo. The City has always supported public transit and it has consistently subsidized the operations and the capital improvements of the transit system. The information obtained from this strategic planning study will support other studies of the feasibility of creating a Regional Transit Authority to provide additional financial resources to expand and operate a regional system. APPLICANT: City of Pueblo /Pueblo Transit Page 3 of 4 10. To the best of your knowledge, is this proposed project consistent with regional priorities as expressed in the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan for your region? Yes, within the PACOG 2035 LRTP, the need to improve the efficiency of the existing system is identified as a first step to expanding the system to meet regional transit demand. The transit demand within the regional communities has grown rapidly in response to increased needs and higher fuel cost. To accurately reflect these changes a travel survey is needed to determine the actual origins and destinations of existing passengers and determine potential riders for a regional transit system linking major employment centers with expanded regional development patterns between communities in the Pueblo region. 11. What is the strategic importance of implementing this particular project? We are applying on the basis of increasing transportation and ridership through improved transit connections between communities, the Pueblo region and interregional commuter patterns to adjacent counties (i.e. El Paso and Freemont.) The study will target improvements in selected routes, attracting choice riders, expanding services and elevating the visibility and reliability of the transit system throughout the regional communities. The existing transit system has significant roots in the former rail based trolley system and does not represent the most efficient network to serve the City of Pueblo and the surrounding areas of the region. The O -D survey and the stated preferences will allow for creation of a regional transit system to better meet the needs of the communities in the both the near and,long term planning horizon. The current ridership of the transit system is just over 1 million riders per year, however previous estimates show that potential transit demand is more than 5 million. This study will help identify ways that regional transit service could serve a much larger portion of the potential regional transit demand. 12. Describe how you think the project increases mobility on congested portions of the state highway system (if it does so). Within the 2035 LRTP, the need to connect regional residential areas to employment as identified as a higher priority. Because there is no transit service to Pueblo west, the residents there must utilize the highly congested US Hwy 50 corridor. Expanding regional transit service will help to minimize that congestion and the need to add more lanes. Additionally, since there is no transit service to the Airport Industrial Park, approximately 4,000 workers must access the site via US Hwy 50 east where congestion is increasing. By providing transit service, to this major regional employment center, there will be lower demand and fewer vehicles on the State highway system. 13. Indicate whether your project leverages funding from other sources and /or offers an overmatch. No overmatch is being provided. The City of Pueblo is committed to provide a cash match of 20% of the total project cost. APPLICANT: City of Pueblo /Pueblo Transit Page 4 of 4 14. Indicate the criticality of your project, referring to the guidance set forth in the application instructions. (Respond to (a) and (b), respond to (c) through (e) if applicable.) This project is critical to our organization and our community in that it will provide much needed transportation services to the public. We have submitted two applications for projects and this is the second one in priority order with the request for paratransit vans for expansion being the primary request. 15. Provide any other pertinent information regarding the project. This project will provide a plan to develop a transit system that best serves the needs of existing transit riders and expansion to provide transit services to those low /moderate income persons in the communities who are not currently being served by the existing transit system. At present the lack of public transportation is a barrier for many of the pueblo residents. This funding, if granted, need to start in year 2010 in order to coordinate with the U.S. Census and a study of travel behavior along the entire front range. Barbara Vidmar President City Council of Pueblo LLI z LLI V) Z 0 Z z 0 0 x w LLI w IL C � ff � v 4L. f; -4 c f �SD r j Hill 0