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Home My WebLink About2001 09 10 Regular E Current and Future Public Transit Needs COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM E CONSENT INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING REGULAR X September 10, 2001 Meeting (L---~ MGR I ICA REQUEST: The Community Development Department requests that the City Commission consider making a contribution, which would represent the City's pro rata share of existing basic transit services, as well as explore alternatives for expanding current and future public transit needs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is to request the City Commission's authorization of an appropriation of $13,050 as a funding partner for the continued provision of transit services. Also the purpose of this request is to seek direction from the City Commission on providing for the current and future public transit needs of the community . CONSIDERA TIONS: . ADA Paratransit is a demand- or subscription-responsive program, which provides door-to-door service to transportation disadvantaged (economically, mentally and physically, general ridership, and human service) patrons and does not conform to the scheduled or fixed routes of traditional mass transit. . Seminole County is considering the modification and/or elimination of existing fixed route transit and ADA Paratransit services, beginning in FY 2001-2002. . An additional $185,900 will be required to continue existing countywide ADA Paratransit services in FY 2001-2002. . Increased financial contributions from the municipalities are needed to maintain basic transit services for residents of the community. . A funding shortfall is projected for the continuation of all transit services in the County, due to the following factors: a. The leveling off or reduction in the revenues generated by the 9th Cent Gas Tax, which the County dedicates to the provision of transit services; b. Increased costs to Lynx for continuing existing transit services; c. Contributions from funding partners which has remained stable by comparison to rising operating costs; and September 10, 200 I Regular Agenda Item E Page 2 d. The failure of fixed routes to meet the needs of the County in a cost-efficient manner. . County staff and hired consultants are conducting a comprehensive transit study of transit needs across the County and will report back to the County Commission on September 11,2001. . The County is evaluating overall transit service needs based on interviews with employment leaders in the County and various Cities. It is further exploring the need for new fixed route service to several locations, including the City of Winter Springs. · A Mayors and City Managers meeting will be scheduled following the September 11, 2001 County Commission meeting to further discuss countywide transit needs. FINDINGS: · The requested appropriation of$13,050 would be used to fund Winter Springs' pro rata share of existing ADA Paratransit service, as well as contribute to Seminole County's transit operating funds. . ADA Paratransit currently averages 7,412 trips per year in and around the City of Winter Springs. . Should the City decide not to make the requested contribution, the County would be required to expend funds designated for capital transit expenditures (infrastructure, buses, etc.) to Lynx, in exchange for Lynx's continued provision of the current level of service. The continued trade-off of these resources would reduce the capacity of the County to expand transit facilities, if needs arose in the future. . The City's decision not to make a contribution could also encourage Lynx to reduce the ADA Paratransit service area to the minimum required by Federal law (to within three-quarter of a mile to a bus stop). This would subsequently require some of the City's existing users to find alternative transportation solutions. . The existing and proposed comprehensive plans establish policies that encourage partnerships with Lynx to provide a safe and efficient public transportation system. . Effective public transportation is a major component of Neo- Traditional Development (NTD) principles, upon which the proposed Town Center is strongly based. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Commission consider the following: 1. Appropriate the requested $13,050 for the continuation of ADA Paratransit service to residents in the City of Winter Springs. 2. Provide direction to planning staff regarding the City's level of commitment to exploring public transportation alternatives, which may include funding partnerships with the County and other municipalities to establish fixed transit routes along S.R. 434, Tuskawilla Road, and areas in and around the Town Center. September 10, 200 I Regular Agenda Item E Page 3 ATTACHMENTS: A. Letter from the County Manager's Office, dated August 14,2001 B. Table Depicting Pro Rata Share of Costs for Existing Transit Services by Jurisdiction C. Table Depicting (Ridership) Trips by Zip Code in Seminole County COMMISSION ACTION: ATTACHMENT A COUNTY MANAGER'S OFFICE August 14, 2001 AUG l 2 280t Ronald McLemore City Manager City of Winter Springs 1126 E. State Road 434 Winter Springs, FL 32708 r' CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS City Manager ";:: II,: . , ( Dear Mr. McLemore: At the Seminole County Budget Worksession on July 18, 2001, the Board of County Commissioners authorized me to contact the seven (7) municipalities in Seminole County to inform them that the County is considering modifying and/or eliminating existing fixed route transit services and ADA paratransit services beginning in FY2001/02. In addition, the Board of County Commissioners authorized me to inform you that increased financial contributions from the municipalities are needed to maintain basic transit services for those that work or reside in our community. We are requesting that the municipalities consider establishing new or increased funding partnerships to provide essential transit services for our community. Over the past several months the County has met with representatives of the seven (7) municipalities to discuss a projected funding shortfall to continue existing basic transit services. In response, the City of Altamonte Springs has increased its funding contribution from $100,000 to $150,000. While we applaud their action, we still estimate that there will be a funding gap in the range of $375,000 to $420,000 depending on the level of transit services to be provided. Five major factors are contributing to the funding gap. The first is a leveling off or reduction in the revenues generated by the 9th Cent Gas Tax, which the County has dedicated to the provision of transit services. Including interest, the County estimates that $1,771,750 will be available for transit from the 9th Cent Gas Tax. In addition, our transit funding partners, the City of Altamonte Springs, the City of Sanford and the City of Oviedo, are expected to contribute $150,000, $80,000 and $67,500, respectively. Total available revenue is estimated to be $2,069,250. 1101 EAST FIRST STREET SANFORD Fl 32771-1468 TElEPHONE (407) 665-7219 FAX (407) 665-7958 Ronald McLemore August 14, 2001 Page 2 The second is the increased costs to continue existing transit seNices. Lynx has informed us that to maintain one-hour headways on Route #46/Sanford will require adding an additional bus. Approximately one-fourth of the additional seNice hours provided by this bus would be applied to Route #46/Sanford. Lynx has recommended that the remaining available seNice hours be used to provide for 30-minute headways (currently 60-minute headways) on Route #39/US 17/92, the backbone of transit seNice in Seminole County. The additional seNice hours will cost approximately $180,000 less the increase in farebox revenue. " Ill': ... Lynx has also informed us that to continue existing countywide ADA paratransit seNices will cost an additional $185,900. The Lynx Board is considering an option to reduce the ADA paratransit seNice area to the minimum required by Federal Law (to within three- quarter of a mile of a bus stop). However, this option will still cost an additional $142,400 over the current year cost and require some existing users to find alternative transportation. The total estimated cost to continue to provide basic transit seNices is $2,742,126 to $2,785,596 depending on the level of ADA paratransit seNice provided. The third and fourth major factors are interrelated. Over the past several years, the costs to provide basic transit seNices have increased on the average of 5% to 6% per year. While the costs to provide transit seNices has substantially increased, the contributions from our funding partners have remained relatively stable and no new funding partners have stepped forward to share in the costs. The fifth factor is that our fixed routes are not meeting the community's transit needs in a cost-effective manner and some needs are not being addressed at all. Three of our seven fixed routes (Routes #34, #46 and #47) are in the bottom one-fourth-of all Lynx routes in the three-county area in terms of cost performance measures, such as, farebox return, cost per rider, etc. To address the last major factor the County's staff and consultants are conducting a comprehensive transit study of oUf community's transit needs and will report back to the Board on September 11, 2001. The study is considering major changes to our existing transit seNices and seNice providers. The Board will also consider the FY2001/02 transit funding issues at that time. Ronald McLemore August 14, 2001 Page 3 Specifically, the Board of County Commissioners is requesting that the City of Winter Springs consider contributing its pro rata share of existing basic transit seNices. Based on information provided by Lynx, the City of Winter Springs' pro rata share of existing basic transit seNices is $13,050. This figure includes $13,050 for ADA paratransit seNice. No funds for fixed route bus seNice are included because the city is not currently seNed by fixed route transit. r' '.. " ~~, > 111,1 !- I For your information, as the county evaluates its transit seNice needs, it is considering . the need for new fixed route seNice in your area to serve .the east-west travel corridors. Seminole County looks forward to working with the City of Winter Springs as a funding partner for the provision transit seNices, which address the needs of our community. Your consideration of this request prior to the County's Transit Work Session and FY2001/02 Budget adoption public hearing in September 2001 will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or if you need additional information, please contact Mr. Dick Thomas or Ms.. Alice Gilmartin of our Planning staff at (407) 665-7371. Sincerely, Q. . JC:::;~/)~ /)/'f~-c~ . Kevin Grace County Manager Ene: c: Seminole County Board of County Commissioners ATTACHMENTB Pro Rata Share of Costs For Existing Transit Services by Jurisdiction '::. <;,J',. . ",'; .'. ,. ".' . I. "( .'.,.".(:r... .. . ,'~ . ";,l;';~~':Cltrc'c '1,"'""; " Fixed Route;., , : : ADA' Raratran.sl,t ' .: Altamonte SprinQs $409,275 $147,194 Casselberry $213,258 $56,364 Lake Mary $25,607 $13,439 LonQwood $86,733 $15, 185 Oviedo $153,635 $13,439 Sanford $477,220 $53,155 Winter SprinQs $0 $13,050 Unincorporated $611,400 $314,044 Total $1,977,128 $625,870 1. Fixed route cost share based on route miles by jurisdiction. 2. ADA paratransit cost share based on trip origin by jurisdiction. 3. Adjusted to fl'eflect Lynx FY2001l02 Budget Request. . i~3rotal . " $556,469 $269,622 $39,046 $101,918 $167,074- $530,375 $13,050 $925,444 $2,602,998 ATTACHMENT C ~ Paratransit Trips by Zip Code in Seminole County AlIGIlcV 3%70' 32103 32107 32108 327'4 32130 32732 32146 32750 32151 3276& 32766 32711 ~n3 327111 327" 327g8 Unkllown TollW Blind $eMClI8 0 0 0 '2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0' 0 0 0 0 0 0 '2 Voc. Rehab. , 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 :5 0 0 0 0 21l ~ LYHX I ADA 5010 10~ 2294 3384 1004 3111 0 1165 3689 1690 2452 272 4048 2707 2223 4&93 0 \164 45691 - Coo.<Iil\8tsd 3029 80 2194 669 628 926 0 545 1574 1043 3308 0 8653 5118 194 '315 0 14~ 3018! Medlcaid 2609 960 3250 1292 3045 1411 152 ~7 '661 710 lnl 260 11n!'> 243C 81 2045 . U!\() 3125( Tran$D.Disad.... 195(1 394 1568 1995 2603 414 388 1668 2353 379 422 215 .310 S52 828 14~ 12 2712 2~2! WAGES 4) 7 6 60 0 0 0 107 36 4) (] 0 0 0 4. 0 0 6 261 Totals 125.9 2506 t3U 7412 13281 5912 MO 4272 "'9 ~22 7953 747 28789 lOM7 3370 9406 76 82,e 13841" YRa~ 2eeo