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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-06-02 City Council (20)TO: City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AGENDA DATE: SUBJECT: June 2, 1997 CMR:268:97 ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF AN APPLICATION TO THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR TRANSPORTATION FUNDS FOR CLEAN AIR FOR THE PALO ALTO CALTRAIN STATION BICYCLE PARKING FACILITY AND THE EMBARCADERO ROAD PEDESTRIAN/BIKE BRIDGE AND BIKE PATH EXTENSION REQUEST The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) is soliciting project proposals for funds from the Transportation ~Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) pursuant to AB 434, for programs and projects that reduce air pollution. Among the types of projects eligible for funding are bicycle improvement projects that are included in an adopted county-wide bicycle plan or congestion management program. Staffhas identified two eligible bicycle projects of interest to the Council and community, for which additional funding is needed. It is recommended that Council authorize the submittal of the applicable grmat applications to the Air District for 1997 TFCA funds for these projects. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution (Attachment 1) authorizing the submittal of applications to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for AB 434 funds for the following projects,-in the amounts indicated: (1) Bicycle Parking Facility at the Palo Alto CalTrain Station $127,000 (2) Embarcadero Pedestrian/Bike Bridge and Bike .Path Extension $449,230 CMR:268:97 Page 1 of 6 POLICY IMPLICATIONS This proposal is consistent with Comprehensive Plan Transportation Policy 12 ("Promote bicycle use") and Environmental Resources Policy 12 ("Support regional, state and national programs which improve air quality in the Bay Area"). The request for funding for an employee guarded bicycle parking facility at the CalTrain Station is consistent with recent Council direction to staff to work with other affected agencies to improve the appearance and use of the Palo Alto CalTrain Station. In addition, in August 1996, Council directed staff (CMR:362:96) to continue to pursue funding for, and completion of, the proposed bridge over Embarcadero Road. BACKGROUND Under Assembly Bill 434 (Sher 1991), the Air District, in conjunction with the Department of Motor Vehicles, imposes a $4.00 surcharge on motor vehicle registrations, which provides funding for the Air District’s Transportation Fund for Clean Air. The Fund is used to implement strategies to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles. Forty percent of these funds are returned to the counties in which they are generated, and are allocated according to county priorities. The remaining 60 percent are retained in the Regional Fund administered directly by the Air District. These funds are distributed to public agencies on a competitive basis. Agencies allocated fimds in this 1997 cycle would have two years to use the funds, from the date of funding approval by the Air District Board later this year. This report relates to an application for funds from the Regional Fund. Under the provisions of AB 434, this is the last year that bicycle projects will be eligible for TFCA funding (bicycle project funding expires December 31, 1997, unless it is extended by future legislation). New legislation (SB 367) is currently pending in the State legislature which would permanently remove the sunset provision in AB 434 funding for bicycle projects. This bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the Assembly Transportation Committee. DISCUSSION Palo Alto CalTrain Station Bicycle Parking Facility Earlier this year, the City, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and CalTrain Joint Powers Board (JPB) staff were contacted by representatives of Bikestations, Inc., the operator of an employee-guarded free bicycle parking facility at the Long Beach Transit Mall, regarding the potential for conversion of the baggage room at the Palo Alto CalTrain Station to a staffed free bicycle parking facility. CMR:268:97 Page 2 of 6 Staffhas pursued further discussions with Bikestations representatives and CalTrain JPB, Stanford University, and VTA staff regarding such a project, and believes that the Palo Alto (University Avenue) CalTrain station is a very attractive site for the first employee- guarded bicycle parking facility along the CalTrain line. The Palo Alto station currently has the highest total ridership and the highest bicycle ridership of all of the stations between San Jose and San Francisco. Bicycle ridership from the Palo Alto station averages 227 bicycles per day (see CalTrain bike ridership survey, Attachment 3). The existing bike lockers at the station are. close to capacity and should be fully rented within the near term. While each train can accommodate 24 bikes, many trains are carrying full loads, and some bicyclists have been turned away at such times. If current usage trends continue, altematives to bringing bikes on board trains will need to be pursued, unless or until the bike storage capacity on the trains can be increased. The primary objective of this project :is to facilitate bike/rail and bike/transit integration, with the goal of increasing bicycle usage and mass transit ridership. The bike parking station at the depot would serve bicyclists who ride to the station from home and take the train, or riders who keep a bike at the station to ride from the train to work, as well as those riders whose bicycle storage need cannot be accommodated on the train. A second objective or benefit of the project is that the bike station would add a full-time staffed operation at the station, adding a human "presence" at the station, which is currently staffed in the morning, but is closed in the afternoon. This proposal would respond to the Council’s assignment of April 22, 1997 (pursuant to a memorandum from Council Members Wheeler and McCown) to create a more welcoming and friendly atmosphere at the station, by such means as enhanced tunnel maintenance, secure bicycle parking, improved signage, general improvement to the landscaping and cleanliness, and potential use of the station building for compatible uses. The baggage room is currently being used by the Red Cross mad the City’s Fire Department for emergency equipment storage. If the grant funding for the bike station is approved, the emergency equipment storage would need to be moved to a more optimal location(s). The proposed bike station would be compatible with other uses being considered for the depot. As proposed, the facility would operate from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, with slightly shorter hours on Saturday and Sunday. Up to 150 bicycles could be stored in the baggage room. There would be no cost to the bike rider, in keeping with the goal of encouraging bicycle commuting and transit use. The cost of the rental would need to be very low in any ease, to keep it in line with (or lower than) vehicle parking charges at the station CMR:268:97 Page 3 of 6 ($,50/day) or the current bike locker rental rate (an average of $ .25/day). In addition to secure bicycle storage, the facility could offer ancillary services such as bike maintenance, sales of bicycle accessories and bike rentals.. The availability of bicycle rentals at the station is viewed as an enhancement which could promote weekend recreational bicycle trips around thePalo Alto/Stanford area. The proposal from Bikestations~ Inc. projected the cost for the project in the first year as $193,000:$69,000 of capital improvements for the baggage room and purchase of capital equipment, including rental bikes, and $124,000 in operating expense. These costs would be offset from operating revenues generated from sales, bike rentals, and bike repair ($44,000), City funding included in the 1997 proposed budget as seed money for the project ($20,000), an additional $2,000 City contribution to cover the rental of the baggage room, and $127,000 in TFCA funds from the Air District. If funding for the project is approved by the Air District in September, staff would issue a request for proposals for an operator of the facility. The projected time line milestones include selection of a contractor by December 1997, construction permit processing and historic and architectural review from November 1997 to February 1998, construction from February to May 1998, and opening for business by June 1998. Embarcadero Pedestrian!Bike Bridge and Bike Path Extension This project involves the construction of a pedestrian/bike path along the west side of the CalTrain tracks, from Churchill Avenue to the north end of the CalTrain parking lot along the Urban Lane Extension to University Circle. The City will build the section of the project from Churchill to just north of Encina. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation will build and maintain the remaining section north through its site and the extension to the CalTrain station, as ’a condition of approval of the new PAMF Urban Lane campus. Thedesign of the City’s portion of the project was completed in Spring 1996; however, the bidding process resulted in bids that were over 50 percent higher than the engineer’s estimate and the available funding. Consequently, in August 1996 Council rejected the bids and directed staffto restructure the project into two phases: (1) construction of the pedestrian/bike path as proposed, but with the deletion of the new Embarcadero bridge, and (2) pursuit of alternative funding sources for construction of the proposed bridge structure. The current estimated cost of the project is $1,166,000, of which $716,770 is currently funded, leaving an unfunded deficit of $449,230. CMR:268:97 Page 4 of 6 Staffis actively pursuing all potential altemative funding, for this project, including funding through the State Transportation Improvement Progr.am (STIP) process, as well as this TFCA grant proposal. We will continue to pursue funding’ oppommities as they arise, if this grant proposal is not successful. Application Process The deadline for submittal of applications to the Air District for Regional Funds was May 30. Staff submitted the applications by this deadline and advised the Air District staff that this item would be brought to the City Council on June 2. It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution formally authorizing the City’s application for 1997 TFCA funds for the CalTrain bicycle parking facility and the Embarcadero Bridge/Path project. If the City Council decides not to pursue one or both grants, staff will advise the Air District to withdraw one or both of the City’s applications from consideration. Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee At its May 6, 1997 meeting, the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee voted to endorse the request for Air District TFCA funds for both the CalTrain bike parking facility and the Embarcadero Bike/Pedestrian Bridge and Bike Path Extension project. A memorandum from PABAC is included as Attachment 2. FISCAL IMPACT The request for funding for the Embarcadero bridge and.bike path project will fully cover the unfunded cost of the.project, as currently designed. It is anticipated that no additional City funds would need to be contributed to the project, unless it is deemed necessary to change the project scope. The City’s contribution to the CalTrain station bicycle parking facility project in 1997-98 would be $22,000, as. discussed earlier in this report. These funds, together with operating income and the proposed TFCA grant funds, would fully cover the first year capital and operating costs. Staff estimates the operating costs would be approximately $88,000 in the second year. Operating revenue would continue at approximately $44,000, leaving a funding shortfall of $44,000. Staff believes a suitable funding plan for future years can be developed if the TFCA grant is approved, and has identified the following alternative funding scenarios for the second and subsequent years: (a) City maintains current funding level and other interested agencies (VTA, JPB and Stanford) contribute funding; (b) City applies for TFCA funds for operations on a year-to-year basis, if funding for bicycle projects is extended; (c) vendor services, e.g., a coffee cart, are established to supplement operating income; (d) City increases funding level to $44,000; (e) vendor charges a nominal fee to CMR:268:97 Page 5 of 6 bicyclist for storage of bicycles, to generate additional revenue; or (f) bike station services are cut back to .reduce deficit. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT A Negative Declaration (94-EIA-16) was previously approved by Council for the Embarcadero Pedestrian/Bike Bridge and Bike Path Extension project. The CalTrain bicycle parking facility project, which consists of exterior signage and minor interior modifications to the baggage room is a minor alteration involving a negligible expansion of use to an existing facility, and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of this historic resource. Therefore, it is considered to be exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA guidelines. ATTACHMENTS 1.Resolution authorizing th~ submittal of TFCA grant application 2.Memorandum from PABAC : 3.CalTrain Bicycle Ridership Survey results 4.TFCA grant application - CalTrain Station Bicycle Parking Facility 5.TFCA grant application - Embarcadero Bike/Pedestrian Bridge and Bike Path Extension Project Note: (Distribution of applications limited to Council Members; copies available in Transportation Division Office) Prepared By: Department Head Review: City Manager Approval: Gayle Likens, Senior Planner KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planning and Community Environment EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager Jim Unites, Valley Transportation Authority Jeffrey Tumlin, Stanford University Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee Tom Davids, Joint Powers Board Susan Frank, Chamber of Commerce CMR:268:97 Page 6 of 6 ATTAC!iMENT 1~ RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF AN APPLICATION TO THE BAY AREAAIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR FUNDS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR CLEAN AIR PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 44225 AND 44241 FOR THE PALO ALTO CALTRAIN STATION BICYCLE PARKING FACILITY AND FOR THE EMBARCADERO BRIDGE AND BIKE PATH EXTENSION PROJECT WHEREAS, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is authorized to impose a surcharge on motor vehicle registration fees with its jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, the surcharge provides, f~nding for the Transportation Fund for Clean Air, which is used to implement strategies to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto is a s~pporter of clean air and wishes to take action to enhance air quality within the San Francisco Bay Area; and WHEREAS, the City of Palo Alto intends to submit an application to the Bay Area Air Quality. Management District for~ funds pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 44225 and 44241 for the implementation of a bicycle storage facility at the Palo Alto Caltrain Station and for additional funds for the Embarcadero Bridge and Bike Path Extension Project. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Palo Alto does resolve as follows: SECTION io The City Council hereby authorizes the City Manager to file an application with the BAAQMD for funding from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air for the Palo Alto Caltrain .station bicycle storage facility and for the Embarcadero Bridge and Bike Path Extension Project. SECTION 2. The Council further authorizes the Mayor to execute funding agreements with the BAAQMD for said projects if said applications are approved for funding. // // // // // // 9705~7 iac 0031539 1 SECTION 3. A Negative Declaration (94-EIA-16) was previously approved by Council for the Embarcadero Pedestrian/Bike Bridge and Bike Path Extension project. The CalTrain bicycle parking facility project, which consists of exterior signage and minor interior modifications to the baggage room, is a minor alteration involving a negligible expansion of use to an existing facility, and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of this historic resource. Therefore, it is considered to be exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQ~’) pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA guidelines. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Senior Asst. City Attorney City Manager Director of Planning and Community Environment ATTACHMENT 2 May 21, 1997 Members of the City Council City of Palo Alto Dear Council Members: On Tuesday, Tuesday, May 6, 1997 the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee considered the proposals for the City’s 1997 application to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) funds for bicycle projects. By unanimous vote, the Committee ’ adopted a motion in support of the submittal of TFCA grant applications for the Embarcadero Road Bicycle/Pedestrian Path and Bridge Project and the Palo Alto Caltrain Station Bicycle Parking Facility. The Committee feels both projects will improve conditions for bicyclists and improve air quality. Thank you for your favorable consideration of these comments. Ellen Fletcher Chair CALTRAIN BICYCLE COUNTS AVERAGE WEEKDAY San Francisco ,22nd Street Paul Avenue Bayshore So. San Francisco San Bruno Millbrae Broadway Burlingame San Mateo Hayward Park Bay Meadows Hillsdale Belmont San Carlos Redwood City Atherton Menlo Park Palo Alto Stanford California Ave. Castro Mountain View Sunnyvale Lawrence Santa Clara College Park San Jose (Cahill) Tamien Captiol Blossom Hill Morgan Hill San Martin Gilroy Total FEBRUARY 1997 257 27 1 10 39 34 20 22 21 50 25 1 49 ¯ 28 26 6O ~2 78 25 96 79 59 47 4 90 31 5 6 7 3 8 1,446 232 36 2 11 39 33 21 22 25 52 24 3 46 37 49 77 36 63 115 0 77 27 87 84 57 53 6 85 28 4 ¯ 7 3 3 5 1,446 489 62 2 20 78 67 40 44 46 102 49 4 95 65 89 163 61 123 227 O 155 52 183 163 116 101 10 175 59 9 13 10 5 13 ATTACHMENT 3