Special Joint Meeting - City Council/Redwood Coast Transit Board

SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CRESCENT CITY AND THE REDWOOD COAST TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AGENDA Flynn Center 981 H Street CRESCENT CITY, CA 95531 TUESDAY December 6, 2022 4:30 P.M. ZOOM PHONE NUMBER: (253) 215-8782 ZOOM WEBINAR ID: 894 1684 1143 MUTE / UNMUTE PRESS *6 RAISE HAND PRESS *9 The public may access and participate in the public meeting using one or more of the following methods: 1) Attend the meeting in person, public comment at the podium will be allowed. 2) Participate live online via Zoom (details below) or by utilizing the link to join the meeting posted on both the City of Crescent City – City Hall Facebook page and the City of Crescent City website (www.crescentcity.org), public comment may be made by using the raise hand feature on Zoom; 3) Watch the meeting via livestream on YouTube (channel: City of Crescent City, California), public comment may be made by calling in to the meeting using the Zoom phone number; 4) Public comments may be made in advance by submitting written comment via publiccomment@crescentcity.org or by filing it with the City Clerk at 377 J Street, Crescent City, California, 95531. All public comments (via email or mail) must be received by the City Clerk prior to 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please identify the meeting date and agenda item to which your comment pertains in the subject line. Public comments so received will be forwarded to the City Council and District Board and posted on the website next to the agenda. Written public comments will not be read aloud during the meeting.  City of Crescent City/Redwood Coast Transit Special Meeting Agenda December 6, 2022 OPEN SESSION Redwood Coast Transit Board of Directors Call to order Roll call City Council Call to order Roll call Pledge of Allegiance NEW BUSINESS 1. Front Street Transit hub Site Selection • Recommendation: Hear staff report • Technical questions from the Board/Council • Receive public comment • Further Board/Council discussion • Give staff direction regarding preferred location of the transit hub • If appropriate for the transit hub location direct staff to bring back an MOA between the City / RCT Board for the use of public property ADJOURNMENT Redwood Coast Transit Board of Directors: Adjourn to the regular meeting of the Redwood Coast Transit Board of Directors scheduled for January 3, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. at the Flynn Center, 981 H Street, Crescent City, CA 95531. City Council: Adjourn to the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Crescent City scheduled for December 19, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the Flynn Center, 981 H Street, Crescent City, CA 95531. POSTED: December 5, 2022 /s/ Heather Welton 2  City of Crescent City/Redwood Coast Transit Special Meeting Agenda December 6, 2022 Public Works Office Technician City of Crescent City Notice Regarding Americans with Disabilities Act: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk's office at (707)464-7483 ext. 223. Notification 48 hours before the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [28 CFR 35.102- 35.104 ADA Title II] For TTYDD use for speech and hearing impaired, please dial 711. A full agenda packet may be reviewed at City Hall, 377 J Street, during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m., or on-line at www.crescentcity.org 3 December 6, 2022 MEMO TO: City Council and RCTA Board of Directors FROM: Joe Rye, General Manager RCTA SUBJECT: Front Street Transit Center Hub Site Selection RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation Give staff direction regarding preferred location of the future transit hub. If appropriate for the transit hub location direct staff to bring back an MOA between the City / RCT Board for the lease of public property. . BACKGROUND: RCTA has been developing a project to house a staffed presence at RCTA’s main transit center, currently Front Street near the Cultural Center. The project evolved out of negative feedback received during the market research outreach leading up to the 2018-19 Short Range Transit Plan. RCTA scored poorly in security and specifically the Cultural Center hub was cited for its lack of security. This project enjoys support of the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission, who programmed funds to assist with the evaluation of various sites in the Front Street area earlier this year. The project has evaluated a spectrum of investments, from very modest improvements to the current location, to finding another similar stretch of curb space in the public right-of-way, to an off-street location that could host a permanent building. The vision has evolved to include an off-street location where RCTA can build a customer service center, restrooms, and have off-street bays for buses, shelters and seating for boarding and alighting passengers, real-time bus info, etc. DISCUSSION: This project’s need arises from negative public perception of the existing curbside bus stop near the Cultural Center, especially comparing this modest “extended bus stop” to what other transit agencies in the country have built as their main transit transfer centers. RCTA did extensive outreach to its riders and members of the general public during market research outreach for the 2018-19 Short Range Transit Plan. Riders and non-riders alike provided input that the unstaffed and spartan facility on Front just west of US 101 was in need of upgrading. While RCTA buses “pulse” every 30 minutes at this location, when buses are not present, riders felt alone and vulnerable without RCTA staff to turn to for information or assistance. RCTA began exploring options for relocating its transit hub just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the planet, disrupting society but also leading to special “one-time” federal funding being allocated to transit agencies to mitigate the pandemic’s financial impacts. RCTA originally lacked financial resources to acquire property or build a permanent, off-street transit hub, so initial efforts focused on analyzing if a new location could be found to develop a transit hub over time, starting perhaps with a mobile kiosk. As RCTA’s pandemic funding materialized, and RCTA proactively managed its service levels during the lockdown period, it became apparent that RCTA might emerge from the pandemic with the ability to build a facility in phases over time (pay-as-you-go) using reserve funds accrued because of robust pandemic relief federal funding and frugal management. RCTA engaged Green Dot Transportation to evaluate locations in the Front Street/Downtown area that could be developed into either an enhanced bus stop (for a mobile kiosk) or an off-street transit center. Having a location where dispatch staff (currently housed at the Williams Drive Maintenance & Operations Facility) can be based so that they can provide a human presence to improve security while providing information and ticket sales is a top priority for RCTA. RCTA wishes to keep its “timed-pulse” local routes operation in close proximity to the Downtown and find a location with additional space for RCTA and other regional buses and Dial-A-Ride. In April 2022, the RCTA Board selected the City-owned parking lot on Front between H and I streets as its preferred site after considering 6+ locations near Front Street/Downtown. The City has expressed interest in supporting RCTA in the developing of this important civic project and may be willing to lease the property to RCTA at little or no cost. City has asked that a second City-owned parking lot be considered before RCTA invests further in the project design. The second location is the City-owned lot at Front and K, in the northern portion of the library parking lot, less than a block from the current RCTA bus stop at the Cultural Center. The City sees this location as advantageous in that it’s a bit closer to US 101 and the Front and H site might be more attractive to future developers due to its size and proximity to the park and its current and future amenities. The project promises to compete well for grant funding, and a joint application with City and RCTA is in discussion for Clean California Grant Funds as well as a regional application with partner transit agencies for TIRCP grant funding. RCTA desires to approach the project as a phased project, starting with building the island and bus bays using existing funds, including infrastructure for the future buildings, while submitting grant applications to secure funding for the ultimate brick and mortar structure which will include a staffed ticket office (coffee kiosk sized building), employee restrooms/break room, and public restrooms that would be maintained by the City. Other amenities could include green space, last mile transport rentals (bikes, scooters, e-bike charging, etc) real-time bus arrival info, and perhaps additional alternative fuel charging infrastructure. RCTA and City staff are seeking direction from the policy makers on which of these two suitable sites would be optimal for entering into a Memorandum of Understanding or similar document that would commit the City and RCTA long term to the project and outline the roles and responsibilities of each entity in the development and maintenance and operation of this new civic facility. RCTA has engaged Green Dot to craft concept plans for both candidate sites. Green Dot and Adkins Engineering are under contract with RCTA to develop the design and permitting needed to build (at least) Phase 1 as soon as 2023. Whichever site is selected as the preferred site today will then be included in a future MOU between the City and RCTA that will be brought back to both policy boards in the near future for approval so that Phase 1 design work can commence. Attachments: Concept Design A Public Parking Lot (Front Street between H & I Street) Concept Design B Public Parking Lot (Front Street between Play & K Street) Concept Design A Concept Design B BENCHES TRANSIT KIOSK K STREET PARK AND GREENSPACE BENCHES RESTROOM CAFE BIKE STORAGE EX. TESLA SUPERCHARGERS (6) EX. EV CHARGING STATIONS (3) FARMERS MARKET FRONT STREET