HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7946
City of Palo Alto (ID # 7946)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Action Items Meeting Date: 4/11/2017
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Summary Title: Approval of RM3 letter to State elected officials
Title: Staff Recommendation to Approve Sending a Letter Supporting the
State's Latest Regional Traffic Relief Plan
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation
1. Staff recommends that Council discuss and approve the Mayor’s signature on the
attached letter (Attachment A) to the state legislative Bay Area Caucus
supporting the most recent iteration of the Regional Measure supporting a
Regional Traffic Relief Plan.
2. Staff recommends that Council approve future letters to elected officials, as
needed and after City Manager approval, concerning this Reginal Measure.
Executive Summary
From time to time, Bay Area Regional Measures (RM) are passed by the legislature to
fund transportation-related projects affecting the Bay Area. The last RM was passed in
2004 by seven Bay Area Counties and funded projects addressing traffic bottlenecks,
new mass transit options, and highway improvements. Funding came from a $1 toll
increase on all Bay Area bridges except the Golden Gate bridge.
Now, Bay Area legislators are discussing the next version of a Regional Measure, RM3.
This third Measure would also fund traffic-related projects in the Bay Area and would
also receive funding from a bridge toll increase. The specifics of the funded projects are
the topic of current discussions in Sacramento; a bill will develop as a result of these
discussions. In order to ensure projects important to Palo Alto are included in the
forthcoming bill, staff recommends Council approve (1) a letter to Bay Area legislators
informing them of our transportation- related priorities, and (2) follow-up letters as
needed to support this RM as it proceeds through the legislative process.
Background
In 1998, voters in the Bay Area approved RM1, which raised bridge tolls and funded
only bridge corridor improvements. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
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was responsible for overseeing the program. MTC administers the revenue from the Bay
Area’s seven state-owned bridges, and can raise bridge tolls for bridge seismic and
repair work only. In order to use bridge tolls for any other purposes, state legislative
authority and voter approval are necessary.
In 2004, Bay Area voters approved RM2, which raised six bridge tolls by $1 to fund
bridge corridor improvements in the South and North Bay and transit options and traffic
relief in San Francisco and Oakland.
Since the last RM over 13 years ago, the population in the Bay Area has increased and
traffic has followed. Mass transit assets require improving and roads require
maintenance. Therefore, Bay Area legislators are currently discussing bringing forth a
bill allowing voters to decide on another toll increase to fund transportation projects. If
a bill is developed and passed, a ballot measure will appear in 2018. If approved by Bay
Area residents, the toll increase and projects would begin in 2019.
Discussion
Prior to a ballot measure or a bill, this effort requires deciding which projects should be
included in the overall RM3 “package;” that is, which projects should be funded.
Currently, Bay Area legislators are meeting to decide on these projects. Our state
representative in Sacramento has met with our elected officials to speak about Palo
Alto’s transportation priorities including: Caltrain electrification and grade separations,
funding solutions from the SamTrans Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study, adding
express lanes on Highway 101 in San Mateo County, and the restoration of eliminated
VTA bus services due to the Next Network Initiative.
Speaking with our elected officials about our priorities is one advocacy method. Another
is to submit in writing letters outlining the need for funding and our priority projects.
Such letters would reach a wide audience simultaneously, ensure each office has a
similar understanding of our priority projects, and does not depend on the memory of
each legislative office when discussing projects.
Consequently, staff recommends Council approve (1) the sending of Attachment A to
the legislative Bay Area Caucus as they deliberate on RM 3 projects, and (2) authorize
the sending of additional letters of support, as needed, to other elected officials, with
City Manager approval.
Timeline, Resource Impact, Policy Implications, Environmental Review (If
Applicable)
Presently, an RM3 bill is in the discussion phase; there is no bill in front of the
legislature. This provides Palo Alto an excellent opportunity: to present our projects to
the entire Bay Area Caucus as they decide on the langauge to appear in a bill.
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Therefore, the timing of today’s action is important.
Such action aligns with the Council-approved General Legislative Priority of protecting
and increasing funding for specific programs and services.
This action has no policy or financial implications, and does not require an
environmental review.
Attachments:
Attachment A: RM 3 Support letter to the Bay Area Caucus
April 12, 2017
The Honorable Jerry Hill The Honorable Marc Berman
California State Senate California State Assembly
State Capitol, Room 5035 State Capitol, Room 6011
Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Support from the City of Palo Alto for Regional Measure 3/Bay Area Toll increase
Dear Senator Hill and Assembly Member Berman:
On behalf of the City of Palo Alto, I want to express our support for Regional Measure 3 also known as the Bay
Area Toll increase.
It is no secret that the roads, traffic, and congestion in the Bay Area is near the worst in California. Per MTC the
“congested delay,” defined as time spent in traffic moving at speeds of 35 miles per hour or less, surged 22
percent in 2015 from 2.7 minutes in 2014 to an average of 3.2 minutes per commuter each weekday. This marks
the Bay Area’s highest recorded level of congested delay on a per-commuter basis and a nearly 70 percent
increase over the 1.9-minutes-per-commuter-per-day figure registered in 2010.
There are many factors that impact traffic and transportation, such as:
Population: The Bay Area’s population rose to 7.6 million by the end of 2015
Employment: Bay Area employment hit an all-time high of 3.7 million in 2015
Housing: Permitting of new units continues to run well below 1970s and 1980s levels, despite a much larger
2015 population and a deepening affordability crisis
Miles Traveled in Congestion: 94 percent of the Bay Area’s total freeway mileage was traveled in free-flow
or moderate-flow conditions last year, down a percentage point from 2014
Travel Time Reliability: Despite rising congestion, travel times during peak periods have seen minimal
changes in day-to-day reliability since 2010
Transit Asset Condition: Nearly 30 percent of the region’s buses, railcars, tracks and other transit assets are
past their useful life
Palo Alto uses our general fund to help address our transportation needs; we also have a county sales tax
measure to help offset transportation issues. But these funding streams are just not enough. That is why we
support RM3.
Our specific, RM3 funding priorities include:
1. Grade Separation for Caltrain tracks that run through Palo Alto impacting four specific intersections and
causing traffic congestion and delays throughout our City;
2. The electrification of Caltrain;
3. Funding solutions from the SamTrans Dumbarton Transportation Corridor Study;
4. Adding express lanes on Highway 101 in San Mateo County; and
5. The restoration of VTA bus service cuts due to the Next Network Initiative
Overall, we feel that a universal RM3 package should include:
Clipper 2.0 to integrate with fares
Funding for Paratransit;
Support for transit passes for low income residents; and
Funding for ATP though some flexibility with the disadvantage communities’ definition
It is for these reasons that the City of Palo Alto supports Regional Measure 3 and offers our help in passing
this measure. We thank each of you for your hard work and leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
H. Gregory Scharff
Mayor
City of Palo Alto
CC: The Bay Area Caucus