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AGENDA REPORT
TO: The Honorable City Council
FROM: John Brand, Senior Management Analyst
DATE: May 21, 2001 (CC meeting of June 6, 2001)
SUBJECT: Consider Establishing A Summer Beach Bus Pilot Program
Providing Public Transportation From Moorpark To Zuma
State Beach.
SU14MARY
The City Council is being asked to consider a summer Beach Bus
program as a pilot public transportation service. The concept is to
operate the bus two days per week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from June
1 9th through August 23rd. The Beach Bus will be an unsupervised public
transportation service similar to those operated by other
communities. The total cost of the project is estimated to be
$8,800. The recommended fare is $1.00 each way. If approved, this
program would be funded using TDA (Transportation Development Act)
money.
BACKGROUND
Many transit operators customize service and routes seasonally.
Summer Beach Bus services are offered by the cities of Los Angeles,
Agoura Hills, Calabasas and SCAT (South Coast Area Transit) in
western Ventura County. Moorpark has had requests for a Beach Bus
but has never offered this service in the past. To explore the
feasibility of a Beach Bus, staff surveyed the local operators to
see 'how their programs work.
It was found that the most important factors were to provide a bus
with sufficient storage and to travel to a popular beach with more
complete 'amenities: good sand, well - formed waves, lifeguards,
restrooms, telephones, and food service. From an operational
standpoint it is also important to make sure that beach property
can accommodate transit buses. Staff found that the beach that
Beach Bus Program
CC Meeting of June 6, 2001
Page 2
offers the best features is Zuma State Beach in Malibu. This is the
beach that Agoura Hills and Calabasas travel to as well. Zuma State
Beach is approximately 28.1 miles from Moorpark City Hall.
DISCUSSION
Staff began checking into the feasibility of a summer beach bus by
looking at how other cities provide the service and exploring how
it might fit into the City's transit and recreation programs. Staff
found that cities design their summer bus as a public
transportation program and not a recreation field trip. This
greatly reduces the staff expense and liability exposure of the
program. It was found that Zuma State Beach is the local beach that
has the best combination of amenities with good access. It is about
28.1 miles from Moorpark City Hall.
AVRC offers many recreation opportunities for the teens and the
entire community. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the two weekdays that
may offer the best chance of success in attracting teens to the
summer Beach Bus because on those days there will be less schedule
conflicts and competition with other programs at AVRC.
The bus itself must have plenty of storage for umbrellas, chairs,
coolers, surfboards, and the host of other accessories people like
to take with them to the beach. Having four pickup points around
Moorpark would make it convenient for the public to access the
beach bus. Possible City Beach Bus stops are: Griffin Park;
Moorpark City Hall; AVRC; and Peach Hill Park. A beach bus could
pick up riders beginning at 9:00 a.m., depart for the beach by
10:00 a.m., and arrive at Zuma State Beach around 11:00 a.m. The
final pick up of the day would depart from Zuma at 3:00 p.m. and
finish dropping off in Moorpark at 5:00 p.m. If there is interest
from the public, this schedule may afford a second mid -day round
trip between the first and last trips. Nearby cities pay about four
hundred dollars per day for similar service. Staff anticipates that
a Moorpark summer beach bus might cost about the same amount, plus
or minus ten percent. The cost for a Moorpark summer Beach Bus
operating on twenty days (twice a week for ten weeks) is projected
to be no greater than $8,800 less fares. Since this is a pilot
transit program, staff recommends that the summer Beach Bus fare be
the same as the regular bus, $1.00 per single trip each way.
On April 20, 2001 staff sent out an informal Request for Proposals
(RFP) to local bus companies to assess the availability of service
Beach Bus Program.doc k 6 4
Beach Bus Program
CC Meeting of June 6, 2001
Page 3
for a summer Beach Bus. The RFP asks for a bus capable of
accommodating about forty passengers with storage. Several
potential bidders expressed interest in the Moorpark summer Beach
Bus, but they requested a time extension to May 30 to submit
proposals because this is a particularly busy time for transit
bids. Staff may have a verbal update on the proposals at the June
6th City Council meeting.
If the Summer Beach Bus program is approved, the four trips
occurring in the current Fiscal Year (June 18, 21, 26, & 28) can be
paid for out of public transit funds left over in the current
budget. In order to implement the rest of the Summer Beach Bus
pilot program, the City Council may wish to direct staff to
increase the proposed FY 2001 -2002 transit budget by approximately
$10,000 (providing a $1,200 contingency.) This would pay for the
first year of the summer Beach Bus. The City Council is also asked
to authorize the City Manager to finalize an Agreement with the
contractor with the best overall proposal.
STAFF RECOMMNDATION
Approve the summer Beach Bus as a pilot program, authorizing the
City Manager to make final approval of the most qualified proposal
and execute an Agreement with the successful bidder. Direct staff
to make the necessary adjustment within the Transit Fund (TDA
Article 8c) revenue for the proposed FY 2001 -2002 budget, not to
exceed $10,000.
Beach Bus Program.doc