Staff Report. Allocation of Congestion Management and Air Quality Improvement Program Funding

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1 ITEM 7F Staff Report Subject: Contact: Allocation of Congestion Management and Air Quality Improvement Program Funding Eric Cowle, Transportation Program Manager Recommendation: Authorize the Executive Director to take the necessary steps to allocate $27 million for the regional signal synchronization program and $3 million for complementary Sunline quick bus and rideshare programs. Transportation Committee: CONCURS (Meeting of February 5 th ) The Transportation Committee was presented with two options. The Committee selected the above recommendation. Background: What is CMAQ? The purpose of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) is to fund transportation projects or programs that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Eligible projects for CMAQ funding include idle reduction, congestion reduction & traffic flow improvements, transportation control measures (TCMs), transit improvements, bicycle and pedestrian facilities programs, carpooling and vanpooling. The Coachella Valley is currently in non-attainment for ozone and particulate matter, and is eligible for this federal funding. Under the current federal transportation legislation (FAST Act), CVAG s CMAQ apportionment is approximately $6 million per year, with funding expiring set to expire at the end of FY 19/20. This projects to a balance of approximately $30 million available for CVAG to obligate towards projects. Federal CMAQ funds require a minimum local match of 11.47%. Previous CMAQ funding cycles The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) is the lead transportation agency for the County. As in previous CMAQ cycles, CVAG is the responsible agency that recommends projects for CMAQ funds in the Salton Sea Air Basin (SSAB) and forwards the recommendations to RCTC. Over the years, the Executive Committee has opted for various methods to distribute the funding. In some funding cycles, there has been a call for projects. In other years, CVAG has mirrored the practice of other agencies and directly allocated funding to specific projects of regional significance. The fact that CMAQ funds are federal transportation dollars provides complexities in determining whether a project will be eligible for CMAQ funding. In previous cycles, there have

2 been some projects that were deemed eligible at the local level but ultimately found ineligible at the federal level. There have been challenges with the more conventional, capacity enhancement projects as well, including grade separation projects. Part of the issue has been the source of funding itself. As a federal funding program, there are additional requirements that make these dollars more useful for projects that easily meet the congestion management and air quality requirements. Oftentimes, these projects already involve federal agency or Caltrans oversight and involvement. Signal Synchronization The need to improve the region s air quality as well as improve traffic flow was a driving force behind CVAG launching the regional signal synchronization program in The consensus has been that synchronization must be done regionally not city by city, nor even one major roadway at a time in order to have the greatest benefits. This view has been reinforced by the decisions to forgo city-specific signal synchronization projects in favor of a larger, regional project. Signal synchronization is a cost-effective way to expand capacity and improve traffic flow on the regional arterials. Great progress has been made on this regional effort, which is now a federalized project, and an update is being provided as part of a separate staff report at the Transportation Committee meeting. Staff is recommending that $27 million of the CMAQ dollars be reserved for signal synchronization. CVAG s Regional Signal Synchronization Program is designed to improve air quality and reduce congestion and is an eligible CMAQ project. Based on the preliminary engineering and draft Master Plan, the first phase of construction including Highway 111, Ramon Road and Washington Street is expected to cost $16 million. CVAG currently has about $8 million allocated toward this cost, including CMAQ funding. By allocating at least $8 million in additional CMAQ funding during this funding cycle, the entire first phase will be complete. Phase I Construction Funding Current Proposed Regional transportation funds $2.763M $2.763M CMAQ $5.315M $13.315M Total $8.078M $16.078M As noted above, the first phase of construction covers three regional corridors. In June 2017, the Executive Committee prioritized the top 21 corridors and included another 49 un-prioritized corridors into the regional signal synchronization program. When these corridors were presented for approval, CVAG staff noted that additional funding sources would need to be identified for these corridors. CVAG has also heard from member jurisdictions an interest in expediting the remaining corridors on the list. The availability of CMAQ funding is an opportunity to address this issue. It also will fund construction in additional cities, which may not immediately see the benefits from the first three funded corridors. CVAG staff recognizes the desire of member agencies to maximize the project s impact across the valley. An additional $19 million in funding will be considered reserved for signal synchronization but will not be allocated to a specific corridor like the $8 million identified for the first three corridors. Upon completion of the project s design and further work to finalize costs, CVAG staff will return to the Executive Committee to formally approve a project and identify all the corridors that can be funded with CMAQ and any other funds.

3 SunLine Transit Agency projects SunLine Transit Agency has requested CMAQ funding for two Agency projects a Quick Bus and a Rideshare that could complement signal synchronization. The projects, which are outlined in the attachments, are both CMAQ eligible and would require approximately $3 million in funding. The first SunLine project is a Quick Bus that would operate on Sunline s Highway 111 line, making 50% fewer stops to significantly reduce travel times between Palm Springs and Coachella. Signal synchronization could further reduce travel times for this service. Sunline estimates this project will cost $1.7 million in CMAQ funding. The second SunLine project would be called Sunline Rideshare, designed to bridge the first/last mile gap of travel. The service would follow turn-by-turn instructions from a navigation system that connects live traffic conditions and real-time requests for pick-ups and drop-offs. The service would be used for short trips under 3 miles in defined service zones, utilizing a smaller zero or low emissions transit vehicle. The Sunline Rideshare program would utilize an application-driven reservation system, and would be entirely consistent with the smart-city initiatives that benefit from the Signal Synchronization Program. SunLine has significant experience with federalized projects and anticipates no issues with adhering to the stringent requirements that come with accepting CMAQ funding. Call for Projects The Transportation Committee was presented with an additional option that would have allocated $8 million to complete Phase I of the Signal Synchronization project and reserved the remaining $22 million for a call for projects. Given the priority that the Executive Committee has consistently shown for regional signal synchronization, there was a strong consensus that the remaining federal CMAQ funding should be allocated to the regional SunLine and Signal Synchronization projects. The Committee selected the recommendation to allocate $27 million to CVAG s Signal Synchronization Project and $3 million to SunLine s two projects. The vote tally was 10 in favor with Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells abstaining. Fiscal Analysis: The recommendations will impact the federal grant funding that s allocated to CVAG. Local matching requirements are the responsibility of the applying agency. In the case of CVAG s requested CMAQ funding for signal synchronization, no additional local match is required as previously-approved funding sources are adequate to meet the 11.47%. Sunline has indicated that they also can provide matching dollars for their two projects. Approving as much as $27 million of CMAQ funding to signal synchronization will fund the first phase of the project and allocate funding to future cycles, thereby expanding the corridors that are funded. It also reduces the need to use local transportation funding sources for future stages of the project. This will, in turn, free up Measure A and Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) funding for other regional transportation projects that, if they were submitted during a CMAQ call for projects, might not qualify because they aren t federalized or don t have the required matching funds. Attachments: SunLine Proposal, Quick Bus Sunline Proposal, Rideshare

4 Lead Agency: SunLine Transit Agency Project Name: Quick Bus Line 111 Project Location: Coachella Valley, California Project Description: Passenger convenience is a critical factor in a rider s decision to use public transit. Transit providers must offer convenient services to attract riders away from private vehicles. Those who choose transit reduce their carbon footprint that would have otherwise been made by using private vehicles. It is estimated that by eliminating one car and taking public transportation instead of driving, a savings of up to 30% of carbon dioxide emissions can be realized.* SunLine Transit Agency operates 15 transit lines in Coachella Valley. The transit system is arranged in a linear pattern with a core Line 111 that operates between Palm Springs in the west and populous Coachella in the southeast. Line 111 transports 33% of SunLine s 4 million annual passenger trips. The service operates 7 days per week. Traveling mostly in urban areas, Line 111 is critical in providing transportation from more remote regions to locations where there are employment opportunities, educational facilities, health and social services providers. A leading challenge to Line 111 s appeal to riders is its relatively long operating times. While riding times vary according to the time of day traveled, the average ride length from Palm Springs to Coachella is 114 minutes. Most riders travel between intermittent points along the route, but endure lengthy rides. A Quick Bus is proposed to operate along the line that would make limited stops, i.e., 50% fewer bus stops than the present services, reducing travel times significantly between Palm Springs and Coachella. By introducing Quick Bus on SunLine s 111 route, passengers will be afforded faster service more frequently. Such a dramatic improvement will improve SunLine s ability to compete with private vehicles and shared ride systems. The service will operate in two major segments: between Palm Canyon at Stevens in Palm Springs, and the SunLine transit hub at Town Center in Palm Desert; and between the Town Center in Palm Desert, and the transit center located at 5 th & Vine Streets in Coachella. All 76 fixed route transit buses in SunLine s services have zero or low emissions. Six of those buses have already been allocated for use as Quick Buses on Line 111. It is estimated that the new bus service on Line 111 will have an operating cost of $980,000 per year, or $1.96 million for the two-year trial period. Last year, SunLine inaugurated Rethink Transit, a program currently underway to reallocate the agency s resources away from lightly used services to concentrate on increasing ridership on more productive bus routes. Alternative services and other route realignments will replace any regular routes that were considered not to be productive.

5 Over the two-year period, SunLine will use alternative funding and passenger fare revenue to assume eventual financial responsibility for Quick Bus services. The service is proposed to commence operations after July 1, Schedule and Budget Components CMAQ$ Local Match Other$ Project Start Date Operation $1,700,000 $260,000 Equipment FY20 850, ,000 already FY21 850, ,000 purchased Project End Date $1,800,000 Total $1,700,000 $260,000 $1,800,000 07/01/19 06/30/22

6 Public Transportation s Contribution to US Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Science Applications International Corporation, Sept., 2007.

7 Lead Agency Project Name: Project Location SunLine Transit Agency SunRide Rideshare Coachella Valley Project Description SunLine Transit Agency recognizes the need to create and provide flexible transit options to meet the needs to of residents in our Valley. Many communities still experience a lack of transportation options that require innovative solutions. A lack of density and urbanized area makes traditional fixed route transit an ineffective option. Residents experience long walks to the bus stop under harsh conditions including 120 degree temperatures, high winds and blowing sand. SunLine proposes a new and innovative approach to connect riders to mainline services by bridging the first mile last mile gap. Unlike a standard bus, the service will follow turn-by-turn instructions from a navigation system that uses live traffic conditions and real-time requests for picks-up and drops-offs to generate the most efficient possible shared trips for SunLine customers. The service will be used for short trips under approximately two (2) to 3 (3) miles in defined service zones, and utilize vehicles that are smaller than traditional transit vehicles. This flexible, on-demand rideshare service is designed to connect riders to fixed route system by providing point to point rides along identified fixed route corridors. Whether beginning a trip, completing a trip, or seeking a complete trip solution, riding the new service will be intuitive, user-friendly, and designed to encourage the use of multiple modes of public transportation. It may also serve destination points by providing transportation options for neighborhoods to key locations like medical, shopping or educational facilities. Sun Ride will operate with some of the attributes of other rideshares like Uber and Lyft, but will be focused on improving transit riders access to the fixed route system. SunLine plans to launch ride reservations through an application or electronic reservation system to make reserving rides easy for the Agency and the customer. A strong goal of the Agency would be to deploy this service with zero or low emission vehicles when possible to provide low noise, clean transportation to communities. SunLine Transit has already purchased the scheduling application through other grant sources and hopes to have this service available by the Fall of Work is already underway to determine a pilot service area to test the attributes of the program before launching this service more widely within the transit service area.

8 Schedule and Budget Components CMAQ$ Local Match Other$ Project Start Date Equipment $465,991 $53,449 Rideshare App purchased Project End Date $61,251 - Project Completion $534,009 $25,000 = $36,251 $25,000 Total $1,000,000 $89,700 $25,000 09/01/18 12/31/21