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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2002 0206 CC REG ITEM 10AITEM 1110.4 V -. c V ACC eCE c ei Moorpark City AGENDA REPORT TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: John Brand, Senior Management Analyst' 66 DATE: January 22, 2002 (CC meeting of February 6, 2002) SUBJECT: Consider Receiving Public Comments on Unmet Transit Needs in Ventura County and Forwarding the Comments to the Ventura County Transportation Commission to be Included in its Annual Process of Making Findings and Determinations Regarding Unmet Transit Needs in Ventura County that are Reasonable to Meet. This would allow the interested public to suggest new or expanded transit services in Ventura County. Under state law, The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) must consider the comments on unmet transit needs each year and make findings to determine those comments that are reasonable to meet. The findings become a priority in the expenditure of Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds for the affected jurisdictions. BACKGROUND The Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing is an annual process throughout California. The purpose is to allow the public to identify transit services that may be needed. Public transit is the priority for expenditure of the 1-4� state sales tax authorized by the Transportation Development Act (TDA). A portion of this revenue is distributed based on population to the cities and counties as the Local Transportation Funds (LTF). TDA funds must first be spent on transit needs that are "reasonable to meet." After those needs are met, any remaining TDA funds may be used for streets and roads by the receiving jurisdiction. Traditionally, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) conducts one public hearing each year in Camarillo. They also 000168 Unmet Transit Needs CC Meeting of February 6, 2002 Page 2 accept written comments by mail, and email, and voice mail messages. This year the public hearing is on Monday, February 4, 2002 at Camarillo City Hall. The public may make comments at this City Council meeting by submitting a standard Council comment card. Comments may also be submitted to VCTC directly via regular mail by addressing their comments to the Ventura County Transportation Commission, Unmet Transit Needs Process, 950 County Square Drive, Suite 207, Ventura CA 93003; via email to vkamhi @goventura.org; from the VCTC website at www.goventura.org; or by calling VCTC at 1- 800 - 438 -1112. The public comment period closes Monday, February 11, 2002. The specific requirement of the TDA act, Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section 99401.5 (c), requires that the transportation planning agency (VCTC) hold at least one public hearing pursuant to Section 99238.9 for the purpose of soliciting comments on the Unmet Transit Needs that may exist within the jurisdiction and that may be reasonable to meet by establishing or contracting for new public transportation or specialized transportation or by expanding existing services. All Unmet Transit Needs that are reasonable to meet must be funded before any allocation is made to streets and roads pursuant to PUC Section 99401.5 (e). According to the California Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section 99401.5 (d) the Commission must decide, by adopting a resolution, either that: 1. There are no Unmet Transit Needs; 2. There are no Unmet Transit Needs that are reasonable to meet; or, 3. There are Unmet Transit Needs, including needs that are reasonable to meet. The resolution must include information that provides the basis for the Commission decision. In accordance with PUC Section 99401.5 (c) the Commission adopted definitions of "Unmet Transit Need" and "Reasonable to Meet" at the January 5, 1996 VCTC meeting. Attachment "A" provides the adopted definition of Unmet Transit Need. OOOJL69 Unmet Transit Needs CC Meeting of February 6, 2002 Page 3 DISCUSSION Councilmember Mikos suggested that the City Council allow the public to make comments about possible unmet transit needs at a City Council meeting. This is a convenience to the public and allows the full City Council to hear the comments first hand. It is not necessary for the City Council to evaluate or respond to the comments made by the public. The comments are in fact directed to VCTC. RECOMMENDATION Receive comments from the public and the Council, direct the City Clerk to forward a summary of the comments to the Ventura County Transportation Commission to be included in the Unmet Transit Needs Comments submitted to the Commission prior to the February 11, 2002 deadline. 00011,20 Unmet Transit Needs CC Meeting of February 6, 2002 Page 4 ATTACHMENT "A" UNMET TRANSIT NEED "Unmet Transit Needs are, at a minimum, those public transportation services that have been identified by substantial community input through the public hearing process or are identified in a Short Range Transit Plan or the Regional Transportation Plan and have not yet been implemented of funded." Following information is the adopted definition of " Reasonable to Meet." REASONABLE TO MEET An Unmet Transit Need shall be considered reasonable to meet if the proposed service is in general compliance with the following criteria: Equity 1. The proposed service will not cause reductions in existing transit services that have an equal or higher priority. 2. The proposed service will require a subsidy generally equivalent to other similar services. Timing 1. The proposed service is in response to an existing rather than future transit need. Feasibility 1. The proposed service can be provided within available funding. 5 2. The proposed service can be provided with the existing fleet or under contract to a private provider. Performance 1. The proposed service will not unduly affect the operator's ability to maintain the required passenger fare ratio for its system as a whole. 2. The proposed service will not meet the scheduled passenger fare ratio standards as described in Attachment A. 3. The estimated number of passengers to be carried will be in the range of other Similar services, and /or the proposed service provides a "link" or connection that contributes to the effectiveness of 0001x171 Unmet Transit Needs CC Meeting of February 6, 2002 Page 5 the overall transit system. Community Acceptance 1. The proposed service has community acceptance and /or support as determined by the Unmet Transit Needs public hearing record, inclusion in adopted programs and plans, adopted governing board positions and other existing information. Under state law, transit services in urban areas to be achieving a 20% passenger fare ratio by the end of the third year of operation. A passenger fare ratio of 10% is desired for special services (i.e. elderly and disabled) and rural area services. Under certain circumstances, transit serving both urban and rural areas, per state law, may obtain an "intermediate" passenger fare ratio. For example, the farebox ratio for Moorpark Transit is 14.9 %. VCTC must use the adopted definitions of "Unmet Transit Need" and "Reasonable To Meet" and give special consideration to the transit needs of senior citizens, the mentally/ physically challenged and persons of limited means. Consistent with Public Utilities Code Section 99401.5, VCTC as the hearing board shall not make its recommendation, nor shall the commission make its determination of needs that are reasonable to meet by comparing Unmet Transit Needs with the need for streets and roads. PUC Section 99401.5(c) also states that the fact that an identified transit need cannot be fully met based on available resources shall not be the sole reason for finding that a transit need is not reasonable to meet. ®0O17d