Transit Needs Assessment 2003

Transcription

1 Transit Needs Assessment Castilian Drive P.O. Box 8208 Goleta, CA Phone: Fax: May 2003

2 2003 MEMBERSHIP ROSTER SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS SUPERVISORS Member Supervisorial District NAOMI SCHWARTZ SUSAN ROSE (Vice-chair) GAIL MARSHALL JONI GRAY JOE CENTENO FIRST DISTRICT SECOND DISTRICT THIRD DISTRICT FOURTH DISTRICT FIFTH DISTRICT CITIES Member Alternate BUELLTON VICTORIA POINTER BILL TRAYLOR Mayor Councilmember CARPINTERIA RICHARD WEINBERG DONNA JORDAN Mayor Councilmember GOLETA JACK HAWXHURST CYNTHIA BROCK Mayor Councilmember GUADALUPE SAM ARCA LUPE ALVAREZ Mayor Councilmember LOMPOC DICK DEWEES JANICE KELLER Mayor Councilmember SANTA BARBARA GREGG HART MARTY BLUM Councilmember Mayor SANTA MARIA LAURENCE LAVAGNINO BOB ORACH (Chair) Mayor Councilmember SOLVANG DAVID SMYSER BRIAN BACA Councilmember Councilmember

3 Project Staff Jim Kemp Michael G. Powers Ruth L. Garcia Executive Director Deputy Director, Planning Transportation Planner Financial support for the preparation of this report was furnished by: The Federal Transit Administration and the State of California

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION... 1 II. CONSULTATION... 2 III. ASSESSMENT OF POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS... 3 IV. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES V. TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT VI. TRANSIT SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS VII. FINDINGS VIII. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS TABLES 1. Transit Dependency Indicators by City Population by City Population by Age and Gender Race & Hispanic Distribution of Population Disabled Population & Disabled Employment SB County Residents Receiving Services from Tri-Counties Regional Center Labor Market Indicators Federal Poverty Guidelines Distribution of Public Assistance by Person CalWORKS Program Participation & Primary Languages Vehicle Availability by Households North County Households without Vehicle by Race Transportation Systems SB County, South Coast Transportation Systems SB County, North County... 18

5 15. Transportation Services by Region South Coast Transportation Services by Region North County Transit Ridership Santa Barbara County Unmet Transit Needs Summary of Priority Requests Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Findings Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Policy Considerations FIGURES 1. Unmet Transit Needs Definition Reasonable to Meet Criteria APPENDICES A. SBCAG Transit Needs Surveys B. Public Hearing Notices C. Student Population Santa Barbara County D. Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing 1/16/03 (Correspondence & Testimony) E. Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing 2/20/03 (Correspondence & Testimony) F. SBCAG Transit Survey Data (North County) G. COAST Transit Survey & Survey Data (North County) H. Community Accountability Project Transportation Survey (SY Valley) I. SBCAG Transit Survey Data (South Coast) J. VAFB Commuter Survey Summary K. Preliminary Intercommunity Transit Service Exploratory Proposal L. Government Code (c)(1) M. Comments to the Transit Needs Assessment N. Resolution NO O. Advisory Committees Membership

6 I. INTRODUCTION The California Transportation Development Act (TDA), which provides two major sources of funding for public transportation, the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and the State Transit Assistance (STA) fund, requires an annual assessment of regional transit needs prior to making any allocation of TDA funds for streets and roads projects. The assessment, as designated by California Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section , requires Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency to: Consult with the social services transportation advisory council established pursuant to PUC Section Identify the transit needs of the jurisdiction which have been considered as a part of the transportation planning process, including the following: o An assessment of the size and location of identifiable groups likely to be transit dependent or transit disadvantaged, including, but not limited to, the elderly, the handicapped, including individuals eligible for paratransit and other special transportation services, and persons of limited means, including, but not limited to, recipients under the CalWORKS program. o An analysis of the adequacy of existing public transportation services and specialized transportation services, including privately and publicly provided services necessary to implement the plan to meet the identified transit demand. o An analysis of potential alternative public transportation and specialized transportation services and service improvements that would meet all or part of the transit demand. Identify the unmet transit needs of the jurisdiction and those needs that are reasonable to meet. Conduct at least one public hearing for the purpose of soliciting comments on the unmet transit needs that may exist within the jurisdiction and that might be reasonable to meet by establishing or contracting for new public transportation or specialized transportation services or by expanding existing services. Adopt by resolution a finding for the jurisdiction after consideration of all available information that: o o o There are no unmet transit needs. There are no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet. There are unmet transit needs, including needs that are reasonable to meet. 1

7 II. CONSULTATION Advisory Committee Review The Santa Barbara County Transit Advisory Council (SBCTAC), was established in 2001 as the social services transportation advisory council in accordance with Government Code Section This countywide transit advisory council obtains membership and support from its two original sub-regional transit committees, the South Coast Transit Advisory Committee (SCTAC), established in 1988 and the North County Transit Advisory Committee (NCTAC), established in SBCTAC meets quarterly to identify and discuss issues regarding transit needs, and to review and recommend actions to the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA). SBCTAC advises SBCAG on the annual transit needs assessment and other major transit issues, including the coordination and consolidation of specialized transportation services in conjunction with the work done by the North County Transit Advisory Committee (NCTAC) and the South Coast Transit Advisory Committee (SCTAC). On November 6 and November 8, 2002, NCTAC and SCTAC met (respectively) to discuss and approve the survey instruments and distribution of surveys to gather transit needs data from the public (Appendix A). On February 4 and March 18, 2003, NCTAC met to discuss the public testimony and correspondence presented at the public hearings, and the findings of the SBCAG transit survey in regard to North County transit issues. On February 14 and March 14, 2003, SCTAC met to discuss the public testimony and correspondence presented at the public hearings, and the findings of the SBCAG transit survey in regard to South Coast transit issues. The Transit Needs Assessment was presented to the SBCTAC on April 16, The Council reviewed the Transit Needs Assessment 2003 and approved the report and findings with the following comments: SBCTAC supports Intercommunity service between Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base and Santa Maria and the reasonable to meet finding of Option 2: Unmet need, reasonable to meet for pilot program; reserve $ 150,000 TDA funds for CMAQ match for pending pilot program. SBCTAC supports the finding of unmet need, not reasonable to meet to the request for Sunday service provision by SMAT. However, SBCTAC urges SBCAG and the City of Santa Maria (visà-vis SMAT) to work toward the provision of Sunday transit service for the residents of Santa Maria. SBCTAC supports the finding of unmet need, not reasonable to meet to the request for intercommunity service between the community of Los Alamos and the City of Santa Maria. However, SBCTAC urges SBCAG and the County of Santa Barbara to work toward the provision of intercommunity service for the residents of Los Alamos. In addition, the Technical Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC) reviewed the Transit Needs Assessment process, public testimony and correspondence, and SBCAG transit survey results on February 6, The Transit Needs Assessment was presented to the Committee on May 1, The Committee reviewed the Transit Needs Assessment 2003 and approved the report and findings. 1 Government Code states, Each transportation planning agency shall provide for the establishment of a social services transportation advisory council for each county, or counties operating under a joint powers agreement, which is not subject to the apportionment restriction established in Section Committee members must include representation from senior citizen and disabled transit user groups, social service providers to seniors, disabled and low-income persons, transportation providers to seniors, disabled and low-income persons and CTSAs. 2

8 Public Participation The public outreach process included extensive noticing, surveying of transit needs, public hearings and discussions with social service agency representatives, fixed route, paratransit and demand response transit operators, and transit agency administrators. SBCAG conducted two public hearings to solicit input from the public on unmet transit needs. One hearing was held in Santa Maria on January 16, 2003 and the other in Santa Barbara on February 20, In addition, each hearing location provided the opportunity for remote testimony from the other County regional facility. There was noticing of the two public hearings, with public hearing notices published at least 30 days in advance of the hearings, and public participation notices, in both Spanish and English, distributed to social service agencies and interested persons. The advertisement for the January 16, 2003 public hearing was printed in the Santa Barbara News Press, Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record on December 15, 2002, and in the Santa Ynez Valley News on December 12, The advertisement for the February 20, 2003 public hearing was printed in the Santa Barbara News Press, Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record on January 19, 2003, and in the Santa Ynez Valley News on January 16, 2003 (Appendix B). III. ASSESSMENT OF POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS Transit Dependency Transit dependency is generally defined as dependency upon public or private transportation services by persons that are either unable to operate a vehicle, or do not have access to a vehicle. The elderly (over 65 years of age), youth (under sixteen years of age), persons with disabilities, and low-income households 2 are more likely to be transit-dependent than the general population. Nationally, 76 million people are transit dependent (1990 Census data) of which 29 million, or 38 percent, live in rural areas. Thirty-two percent of all rural residents (Americans living in non-metropolitan areas) are classified as transit dependent, as are 30 percent of urban residents. 3 The transit dependency indicators in Santa Barbara County (Table 1) identify the cities of Guadalupe and Santa Barbara as having the greatest percentage of households without a vehicle. Approximately 25% of Guadalupe s population is low income, which may account for some of the 9.1% of households without a vehicle. While 13.4% of Santa Barbara s population is low income, which may be accounted for by senior citizens and students attending UCSB, other factors such as an extensive transit system providing access to quality of life venues, may account for the 9.5% of the households without a vehicle. The City of Solvang has the largest percentage of senior population, with 22.9% of its residents over the age of 65, and the City of Guadalupe has the largest percentage of young population, with 29.6% of its residents under the age of 15. Across the spectrum of the transit dependency indicators, with the exception of the senior population, the City of Guadalupe has the highest percentage of its population meeting these indicators countywide. 2 Low-income generally includes both those households under the poverty line and those near the poverty line. 3 Community Transportation Association of America, Institute for Economic and Social Measurement, Status of Rural Public Transportation 2000, April 2001, 3

9 Table 1 Transit Dependency Indicators by City 2000 City No Vehicle (households) Low-income (population) Disabled (population) Under 15 (population) Over 65 (population) North County % # % # % # % # % # Buellton 4.3% % % % % 521 Guadalupe 9.1% % 1,403 23% 1, % 1, % 482 Lompoc 7.5% % 5,805 21% 7, % 10, % 3,856 Santa Maria 8.6% 1, % 14,823 24% 16, % 20, % 8,776 Solvang 6.3% % % % % 1,221 South Coast Carpinteria 6.7% % 1,480 15% 2, % 3, % 1,766 Goleta N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Santa Barbara 9.5% 3, % 11,846 18% 15, % 15, % 12,727 Santa Barbara County 6.9% 9, % 55,086 18% 64, % 83, % 50,765 Source: US Census Bureau, Table DP-1, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics 2000; Table DP-2, Profile of Selected Social Characteristics 2000; Table DP-3, Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics 2000; Table DP-4, Profile of Selected Housing Characteristics, Demographic Factors A. Population Santa Barbara County s overall growth rate has slowed, with a decreasing South Coast growth rate that is greater than the increasing North County growth rate. Due to housing costs and life style preferences, the North County communities of Buellton and Santa Maria, have been growing increasingly faster than any other portion of the county. 4 Santa Maria, the largest North County city, has less than an 11,000-person difference in population from the City of Santa Barbara. It is interesting to note that the incorporated cities of the North County and South Coast have nearly identical aggregate populations. As well, the North County and South Coast unincorporated areas also have similar sized populations with less than a one percent greater population in the unincorporated South Coast region (Table 2). B. Age and Gender Distribution Age and gender distributions in Santa Barbara County are shifting slightly to a younger (17 and under) and an older (65 and older) population. Between 1990 and 2000, the percent of population age 17 and under rose from 23.02% to 24.9%. As well, the percent of population age 65 and older rose from 12.03% to 14.6%. It should be noted, that those over the age of 80, the most dependent on transportation services among the older age groups, accounts for 3.6% of the population. In all, the younger (under age 15) and the older (over age 65) population segments of Santa Barbara County account for 33.6% of the total population (Table 3). 4 UCSB Economic Forecast Project, Economic Outlook 2000, P

10 Table 2 Population by City 2001 Location Population Buellton 3,984 Carpinteria 14,434 *Goleta 28,155 Guadalupe 6,092 Lompoc 41,671 Santa Barbara 90,696 Santa Maria 80,511 Solvang 5,444 *Unincorporated Santa Barbara County - South Coast 68,676 *Unincorporated Santa Barbara County - North County 68,204 Total 407,867 Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit, Table 2 City/County Population and Housing Estimates, January 1, 2002, * Adjusted for Goleta incorporation and separation of South Coast/North County unincorporated population. Goleta growth rate based on South Coast incorporated growth rate of 0.7%. Table 3 Population by Age and Gender Santa Barbara County 2000 Age Group Total Percent Male Percent Female Percent 17 and under 99, % 51, % 48, % Under 5 26, % 13, % 12, % 5 to 9 29, % 15, % 14, % 10 to 14 28, % 14, % 13, % 15 to 17 16, % 8, % 7, % 18 through 249, % 126, % 122, % and over 50, % 21, % 29, % 65 to 66 5, % 2, % 2, % 67 to 69 7, % 3, % 4, % 70 to 74 12, % 5, % 6, % 75 to 79 11, % 4, % 6, % 80 to 84 7, % 2, % 4, % 85 and over 6, % 2, % 4, % Total 399, % 199, % 199, % Source: Census 2000 Summary File 1, General Profile 1: Persons by Race, Age and Size of Households and Families by Race and by Type, 8/2/01, P. 421, CA Census Data Center. 5

11 C. Ethnicity Race reflects self-identification by people according to the race they most closely identify with. According to the 2000 Census, Santa Barbara County has a 76.4% White population, and a 28.1% non-white population for those reporting race alone or in combination with one or more other races. 5 Of the total population, 34.2% is identified as being Hispanic. It should be noted that the identification of Hispanic includes persons from all ethnic groups: White, Black, American Indian, Asian, and Pacific Islander (Table 4). The City of Guadalupe has the largest percent of Hispanic population among the cities in the county, as 84.5% of its residents are Hispanic. The City of Santa Maria has the largest number of Hispanics, 46,196, and the second largest percent of Hispanic population with 59.7% of its residents being Hispanic. The City of Lompoc has the largest number and highest percentage of the Black population, as 8.4% of it residents are Black. The largest Asian population is located in the City of Santa Maria, with 4,585 Asian residents, with the City of Guadalupe possessing the highest percentage of Asian population, as 7.9% of its residents are Asian. It is interesting to note, that countywide, the ethnic classification of other, which represents 17.5% of the population, is the second largest ethnic classification after White. 5 In combination with one or more of the other races listed, numbers may add to more than the total population and percentages may add to more than 100% because individual may report more than one race. 6

12 Table 4 Race and Hispanic Distribution of Population* Incorporated Cities of Santa Barbara County 2000 City Total White % Black % American Indian % Asian % Pacific Islander % Other % Hispanic % Buellton 3,828 3, % % % % % % % Carpinteria 14,194 10, % % % % % 2, % 6, % Guadalupe 5,659 2, % % % % % 2, % 4, % Lompoc 41,103 28, % 3, % 1, % 2, % % 7, % 15, % Santa Barbara 92,325 71, % 2, % 1, % 3, % % 17, % 32, % Santa Maria 77,423 48, % 1, % 2, % 4, % % 24, % 46, % Solvang 5,332 4, % % % % % % 1, % Santa Barbara County 399, , % 11, % 8, % 20, % 1, % 69, % 136, % Source: US Census Bureau Table DP-1, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: * Reporting one race only. 7

13 D. Disabled According to the US Census Bureau, a person is considered to have a disability if he or she has difficulty performing certain functions: seeing, hearing, talking, walking, climbing stairs, or lifting and carrying; or has difficulty performing activities of daily life, or has difficulty with certain social roles. However, only those who are unable to perform one or more activities, or who uses an assistive device to get around, or who needs assistance from another person to perform basic activities, is considered to have a severe disability. Nationwide, about 20% of the population has some type of disability, whereas only 10% has some type of severe disability. As well, about 77% of the population identified as disabled, do not receive any type of public assistance. 6 With 24% of Santa Maria s population and 23% of Guadalupe s population identified as disabled, the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe have the highest percentage of disabled residents in Santa Barbara County. At 15%, the City of Carpinteria has the lowest percentage of disabled residents in the County. It is interesting to note that countywide, 63% of those ages 21 to 64 who are identified as disabled are gainfully employed (Table 5). Therefore, a majority of those identified as disabled, have the potential to be self-sufficient and not in need of public assistance. Table 5 Disabled Population and Disabled Employment by City City Total population Disabled population (ages 5-64) (number) Disabled population (65 & over) (number) Disabled population (ages 5 & over) (number) % of disabled population (ages 5 & over) % of disabled population employed (ages 21-64) North County Buellton 3, % 67.5% Guadalupe 5,659 1, ,206 23% 58.5% Lompoc 41,103 5,550 1,697 7,247 21% 57.2% Santa Maria 77,423 12,611 3,631 16,242 24% 60.6% Solvang 5, % 61.6% South Coast Carpinteria 14,194 1, ,018 15% 67.3% Goleta N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Santa Barbara 92,325 10,749 4,744 15,493 18% 67% Santa Barbara County 399,347 46,427 18,114 64,541 18% 63.1% Source: US Census Bureau, Table DP-2, Profile of Selected social Characteristics 2000; Table DP-3, Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics Census Brief, CENBR/97-5, December 1997, US Dept. of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, Bureau of the Census. 8

14 In addition to the services provided through non-profit social service agencies, publicly funded services to the disabled in Santa Barbara County are delivered through the Tri-Counties Regional Center, serving Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties. Services include developmental services for the developmentally disabled, mental health services for mental illness and emotional disturbance, and rehabilitation services to enable the disabled to reach social and economic independence (Table 6). It should be noted that group homes for disabled residents over the age of 18, are mainly located in the cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Maria. The City of Santa Maria has the largest number of disabled residents under the age of 18, and the City of Santa Barbara has the largest number of disabled residents over the age of 18 who are served by the Tri-Counties Regional Center in Santa Barbara County. Table 6 Santa Barbara County Residents Receiving Services from the Tri-Counties Regional Center 2001 Region Under Total (All) W/C Amb. W/C Amb. W/C Amb. W/C Amb. Carpinteria Goleta Santa Barbara Total South Coast ,153 Buellton Guadalupe Cuyama (Valley) Lompoc (Valley) Los Alamos Santa Maria Santa Ynez Valley Solvang Total North County ,416 Total Source: Tri-Counties Regional Center, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties. W/C = wheelchair / Amb. = ambulatory 9

15 Economic Factors A. Labor Market With the unemployment rate for Santa Barbara County at 4.2%, the labor market remains strong. However, the City of Guadalupe has a high unemployment rate of 12.5%. The economic activity of Guadalupe is highly dependent upon agriculture, along with some small businesses. The unincorporated area of Isla Vista also has a high unemployment rate, at 7.8%. However, this rate may be the result of a large UCSB student population residing in Isla Vista. The unincorporated area of Santa Ynez has the lowest unemployment rate at 0.9% (Table 7). Although Santa Ynez does not have a large economic base, it is a bedroom community in which a large number of South Coast commuters reside. Table 7 Labor Market Indicators by City 2002 Location Labor Force Employment Unemployment (Number) Unemployment (Rate) Buellton 2,090 2, % Carpinteria 8,460 8, % Guadalupe 2,480 2, % Isla Vista 11,300 10, % Lompoc 18,500 17,420 1, % Mission Hills 1,650 1, % Santa Barbara 53,100 51,200 1, % Santa Maria 31,300 29,390 1, % Santa Ynez 2,380 2, % Solvang 2,740 2, % Vandenberg AFB 2,300 2, % Vandenberg Village 3,070 2, % Santa Barbara Co. 206, ,300 8, % Source: State of California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division, Labor Force Data for Sub-County Areas (Not Seasonally Adjusted), 2002 Benchmark. B. Poverty Status Poverty status is determined by the Federal Poverty Guidelines (Table 8) and by computations of percentages of the guidelines to qualify for public assistance programs. It should be noted that in 2002, Santa Barbara County became the county with the highest median housing costs in California. Lowincome families in Santa Barbara County are particularly impacted by these high housing costs. Public assistance is provided through Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services via CalWORKS, Food Stamps, General Relief and Medi-Cal programs. The distribution of assistance is recorded by region. These regions consist of Lompoc, including the Cities of Lompoc, Buellton and Solvang, and the unincorporated areas of the Santa Ynez Valley; Santa Barbara, including the cities of Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Goleta, and the unincorporated areas of the South Coast including Isla Vista; and Santa Maria, including the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe, and the unincorporated areas of Cuyama and Orcutt. 10

16 Table 8 Federal Poverty Guidelines 2001 Number in Family Gross Yearly Income Gross Monthly Income Approx. Hourly Income 1 $ 8,590 $ 716 $ $ 11,610 $ 968 $ $ 14,630 $ 1,219 $ $ 17,650 $ 1,471 $ $ $ 1,723 $ $ 23,690 $ 1,974 $ $ 26,710 $ 2,226 $ $ 29,730 $ 2,478 $ Source: Federal Register, Vol. 66, No. 33, February 16, 2001, pp Monthly and hourly data calculated by OCPP. *Assumes full-time job for a full year (2080 hours). It should be noted that households participating in the CalWORKS program cannot receive assistance from General Relief, but can receive assistance from Food Stamps, and are simultaneously enrolled in the Medi-Cal program. Because of the simultaneous enrollment, Medi-Cal person counts will not include Medi-Cal recipients participating in the CalWORKS program. However, persons receiving Food Stamps will be counted in both CalWORKS and Food Stamps total participation. As well, persons may be counted more than once in the provision of public assistance within the programs of Food Stamps, General Relief and Medi-Cal, as persons may qualify for all three programs and therefore be counted as recipients in each program. As can be seen in Table 9, the Santa Maria region receives the most public assistance by person of the three regions. It is noteworthy, that with the exception of General Relief, the Santa Maria region accounts for over half of the public assistance provided by the County of Santa Barbara. Table 9 Distribution of Public Assistance by Person Average Number of Adults Receiving Assistance per Month June 30, 2001 July 1, 2002 Region CalWORKS % of total General Relief % of total Food Stamps % of total Medi- Cal % of total Lompoc % 96 18% % 3,720 16% Santa Barbara % % % 7,209 31% Santa Maria 2,225 57% % 1,967 56% 12,324 53% Total 3, % % 3, % 23, % Source: Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services

17 C. CalWORKS California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program (CalWORKS), is a program that provides cash assistance to needy families with one or more children. Program eligibility is based upon the determination of deprivation to a needy child (or children) 7 and meeting the criteria for property, income, residency in California, and age of the children. Participants in the program are allowed to possess one vehicle, if the fair market value of the vehicle does not exceed $ 4,650. CalWORKS program objectives include employment of CalWORKS adult participants, well being of the children involved with the CalWORKS program, and support services, including transportation for CalWORKS participants. The CalWORKS program in Santa Barbara County is administered through three regions: Santa Barbara, including Carpinteria, Goleta and unincorporated South Coast; Lompoc, including Buellton, Solvang and unincorporated Santa Ynez Valley; and Santa Maria, including Guadalupe and unincorporated Cuyama and Orcutt. The CalWORKS participants as of December 31, 2002, are reflected in Tables 9. Region CalWORKS Families Table 10 CalWORKS Program Participation 12/31/02 English Primary Language Spanish Primary Language Laotian Primary Language Hmong Primary Language Santa Barbara Lompoc Santa Maria 1, Total 1,981 1, Source: Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services D. Vehicle Availability The City of Santa Barbara, served by an established transit system and significant non transitdependent ridership, and the City of Guadalupe, with a significant low-income population, had the highest percentage of population, 9.1% and 9.5% respectively, with no access to a vehicle (Table 11). An interesting trend in transit use in Santa Barbara County however, has been transit use by the non transit-dependent. This has become evident in the increased demand for commuter services between the South Coast and North County and the South Coast and Ventura County. 7 Deprivation defined as continued absence, disability or death of either or both parents, or, unemployment of the principal earner. 12

18 Table 11 Vehicle Availability by Household 2000 City Total Households No vehicle available % 1 vehicle available % 2 vehicles available % 3 or more vehicles available North County # % Buellton 1, % 34.4% 41.1% 20.3% Guadalupe 1, % 36.9% 33.7% 20.3% Lompoc 13, % 37.3% 38.0% 17.1% Santa Maria 22,813 1, % 35.5% 38.2% 17.7% Solvang 2, % 35.6% 40.2% 17.9% South Coast Carpinteria 5, % 37.1% 38.2% 18.1% Goleta N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Santa Barbara 37,177 3, % 40.9% 35.4% 14.2% Santa Barbara County 142,901 9, % 34.0% 38.9% 20.3% Source: US Census Bureau, DP-4, Profile of Selected Housing Characteristics: When comparing the percent of households by race without vehicles to race as a percent of the population, in only four instances is the percent of households by race without a vehicle greater than the representation of that race within the local population (Table 12). In the case of the City of Santa Maria, American Indians and Blacks represent fewer than 2% of the population, while both groups represent 3% each, of those households not having a vehicle. In the City of Lompoc, Blacks represent 7.3% of the population, while representing 13% of the households without a vehicle. The greatest variation between the percent of households by race without vehicles greater than that race as a percent of the population, is that of American Indians in Solvang. In Solvang, 9% of the households without a vehicle are American Indian which represents only 0.7% of the population of Solvang. Analysis Demographic and Economic Factors Accounting for 12.7% of the population, transportation needs for those over 65, as expressed through the public process, are those of maintaining independence and a quality of life after losing the ability to drive. A particular expressed concern is that senior citizens lack the ability to access quality of life venues and opportunities for meaningful social interaction due to insufficient transportation opportunities. Twenty percent of the population is under the age of 15. Transportation needs of the young, as expressed through the public process, were those of accessing pre-school and after school activities. This need is one of both families without access to a vehicle, as well as working families who are unable to provide transportation because of a scheduling conflict with work obligations. Local transit agencies have been successful in coordinating efforts with local school districts to provide transportation service to and from school. However, there are some incidences of school transportation needs for those students living in outlying areas. 13

19 Table 12 North County Households without Vehicles by Race 2000 % No vehicle Buellton Race as a % Buellton Population % No vehicle Guadalupe Race as a % Guadalupe Population % No vehicle Lompoc Race as a % Lompoc population % No vehicle Santa Maria Race as a % Santa Maria population % No vehicle Solvang Race as a % Solvang population S l Race White 79% 81.5% 20% 45.5% 46% 65.8% 41% 58.1% 82% 88.2% (alone) Hispanic 21% 25.7% 84% 84.5% 38% 37.3% 48% 59.7% 9% 19.9% (of any race) American 0 1.1% 0 1.9% 1% 1.6% 3% 1.8% 9% 0.7% Indian (alone) Black 0 0.5% 4% 0.7% 13% 7.3% 3% 1.9% 0 0.4% (alone) Asian (alone) 0 1.1% 0 5.9% 2% 3.9% 4% 4.7% 0 1.1% Source: US Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 The population has grown countywide. However, this growth has varied ethnically and geographically. Over the last decade, Santa Maria grew by 26% while Santa Barbara grew by only eight percent. This growth accounted for an increase in the White population of Santa Barbara, and a decline in the White population in Santa Maria. During the past decade, the White population of Santa Barbara County fell by 17,683 persons, while the Hispanic population grew by 38, The County of Santa Barbara does not have a significant Black or American Indian population, which represents 2.8% and 2.2% of the total population, respectively. The City of Lompoc has the largest Black population in Santa Barbara County, with 2,887 Black residents, representing 8.4% of the population. There are over 2,000 tribal members of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians residing throughout Santa Barbara County, including on their tribal homeland of the Santa Ynez Reservation in the Santa Ynez Valley. With the economic success of the Chumash Casino, there should not be an assumption of an economic disadvantage for American Indians of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The City of Santa Maria has the largest population of American Indians and the cities of Santa Maria and Guadalupe have the largest percent of American Indian residents, who represent 3.1% of the population of each city. Countywide, there is a 5.2% Asian-American population. The City of Santa Maria has the largest number of Asians, with the City of Guadalupe at 7.9%, having the highest percentage of Asian population. There is a significant Asian population in Goleta and Isla Vista, which has contributed to 8 Hadly, Scott, Santa Barbara News Press, Population Shift, 14

20 the over 7,000 Asian Americans residing in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The Immigration and Naturalization Service recorded almost 1,700 Asians immigrating to Santa Barbara County between 1991 and This population is a diverse group and includes Filipinos, Chinese, including residents from Taiwan and Hong Kong, Vietnamese, and Indians 9. Hispanics represent 34% of the county population. However, 84% of the population of the smaller City of Guadalupe and 59% of the population of the larger City of Santa Maria is Hispanic. In part, the significant Hispanic population in the North County, particularly in the cities of Guadalupe and Santa Maria, may be attributed to established communities, employment opportunities, and housing costs. IV. TRANSPORTATION SERVICES Public and private transportation providers serve the residents of Santa Barbara County. Transportation services for the transit dependent population, and others, include fixed route and demand response public systems, special transportation public and private systems, inter-regional public and private commuter service, inter-state service via Amtrak Rail Service and Greyhound Bus Lines, and social service agency transportation providers. Transportation systems currently serving the residents of Santa Barbara County are summarized within the categories of public transit, fixed route and demand response service; commuter service, transit and vanpools; specialized transportation services, public and private non-profit; and private transportation services, including bus, rail and taxi service (Tables 13 and 14). As well, the transportation systems are summarized according to the geographic regions of the South Coast and North County (Tables 15 and 16). There are 10 vanpools in the North County and 2 vanpools in the South Coast as recorded by Traffic Solutions, an inter-agency Traffic Demand Management program coordinated through the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. Currently, there are seats available on one of the South Coast vanpools. Traffic Solutions works with employers and employees interested in implementing new vanpool opportunities. Transportation services not summarized in Tables 12 and 13 include social service transportation that is provided by non-profit social service agencies for their clients and student transportation services. The Social Services Transportation Action Plan and Inventory Update for 2001 identified 72 social service agencies that provide some type of transportation service option to their clients. These services accounted for 23,767 client rides in Transportation services for students vary according to the educational institution. In Santa Barbara County, there are four institutions of higher education with an enrollment of 42,700 students, six secondary public school districts with an enrollment of 22,960 students, and 20 elementary public school districts with an enrollment of 43,781 students (Appendix C). In general, public elementary and secondary educational institutions provide transportation service through contract services, vis-à-vis the yellow school bus, based upon established geographic boundaries. This service is supplemented by public transit in both the South Coast and North County regions. 9 Federation for American Immigration Reform, SB County, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc MSA, 15

21 The higher education institutions are served by public transit to the campuses. Allan Hancock Community College is served by City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) at its Lompoc campus and by Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) at its Santa Maria campus. The College does not provide any additional transportation services for its students. Santa Barbara City College is served by Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) and provides shuttle service on campus for disabled students. Westmont College operates a shuttle between its campus and a number of locations around Santa Barbara. Shuttle service is provided Monday through Friday 11:30 AM through 10:31 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM through 12:01 AM, and Sunday 11:00 AM through 10:31 PM. Dial-A-Ride shuttle service is also available to take students to specifically requested locations around Santa Barbara and between Carpinteria and UCSB. Dial-a-Ride provides service Monday through Friday 3:00 PM through 10:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM through 5: 30 PM, and Sunday 9:00 AM through 4: 30 PM. The University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) is served by local transit (SBMTD), ADA complementary paratransit (Easy Lift Transportation), and commuter transit (Clean Air Express). In addition, UCSB has a coordinated vanpool with 6 routes being offered from the North County, and three routes being offered from Ventura County. UCSB, through the Transportation Alternative Program, coordinates carpools through a carpool match program. As well, UCSB is served by a private demand response service, Bill s Bus, which links Isla Vista and Downtown Santa Barbara, Thursday through Saturday 8:30 PM through 2:00 AM. 16

22 Transportation Systems in Santa Barbara County Table 13 South Coast Public Transit Commuter Service Specialized Service Private Transportation Service Fixed Route Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) Demand Response Easy Lift Transportation Carpinteria Area Rapid Transit (CART) HELP of Carpinteria Transit Vanpool All Airport Connectors Coastal Roadrunner Express Shuttle None available at this time American Cancer Society American Medical Response (AMR) AMR Santa Barbara Health Initiative Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) Santa Barbara Air Bus SuperRide Airport Shuttle Bus Lines Rail Lines Taxis Greyhound (Santa Barbara) Amtrak (Santa Barbara) Blue Dolphin Cab California Cab Fly By Night Cab Gold Cab Liberty Taxi Orange Cab Roadway Cab Rose Cab SB Checker Cab Ride N Care Santa Barbara Senior Programs of Santa Barbara City Cab South Coast Taxi United Taxi Yellow Cab 17

23 Santa Barbara County Transportation Systems Table 14 North County Public Transit Commuter Service Specialized Service Private Transportation Service Fixed Route City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Guadalupe Flyer Guadalupe Shuttle Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT) Demand Response City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Cuyama Transit Guadalupe Flyer SMAT & SMOOTH (SM Organization of Transportation Helpers) Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT) Transit Vanpool All Airport Connectors Clean Air Express Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District Regional Service SLORTA CCAT Rt. 10 (San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority) Lompoc to Santa Barbara Santa Maria to Goleta Santa Maria to Goleta American Cancer Society Lompoc American Cancer Society Santa Maria American Medical Response (AMR) (AMR) Santa Barbara Health Initiative Central Coast Shuttle (VAFB) Multi Purpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) SMOOTH Cuyama Central Coast Shuttle Roadrunner Shuttle SuperRide Airport Shuttle Bus Lines Rail Lines Taxis Greyhound (Buellton) -limited- Greyhound (Lompoc) Greyhound (Orcutt) -limited- Greyhound (Santa Maria) Greyhound (Vandenberg) -limited- Amtrak (Lompoc) -bus- Amtrak (Santa Maria) -bus- Amtrak (Solvang) -bus- Amtrak (Guadalupe) Amtrak Surf Station (Lompoc) Lompoc Taxi (Lompoc) A-1 Crown Taxi (Santa Maria) Louie s Yellow Cab (Santa Maria) Nipomo Taxi (Santa Maria) Santa Maria Valley Taxi (Santa Maria) A Taxi (Solvang) 18

24 Santa Barbara County Transportation Systems Table 14 (continued) North County Public Transit Commuter Service Specialized Service Private Transportation Service Fixed Route Demand Response Transit Vanpool All Airport Connectors SMAT Health Care Bus to South Coast SMOOTH Nipomo and SLO County SMOOTH Medical Transportation SMOOTH Santa Barbara County Clinics SMOOTH Department of Social Services Bus Lines Rail Lines Taxis 19

25 Table 15 Transportation Services by Region South Coast City / Community Fixed Route Demand Response Commuter Carpinteria SBMTD CART Help of Carpinteria Coastal Express Vanpools Goleta SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation Clean Air Express Coastal Express Vanpools Isla Vista SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation None Goleta) Montecito SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation None Santa Barbara) Santa Barbara SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation Clean Air Express Coastal Express Vanpools Santa Barbara City College SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation None Santa Barbara) Summerland SBMTD CART Easy Lift Transportation None Santa Barbara) University of California Santa Barbara SBMTD Easy Lift Transportation (Bill s Bus private) Clean Air Express Vanpools Westmont College Westmont Shuttle Westmont Dial-A-Ride None Santa Barbara) *SBMTD: Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transportation District *CART: Carpinteria Area Rapid Transit 20

26 Table 16 Transportation Services by Region North County City / Community Fixed Route Demand Response Commuter LOMPOC VALLEY Lompoc COLT COLT Clean Air Express Vanpools Mission Hills COLT COLT None Lompoc) Vandenberg AFB (to gate) None Lompoc) Vandenberg Village COLT COLT None Lompoc) Allan Hancock College COLT COLT None Lompoc) SANTA YNEZ VALLEY Ballard SYVT SYVT None Buellton) Buellton SYVT SYVT Clean Air Express Los Alamos None None None Los Olivos SYVT SYVT None Buellton) Santa Ynez SYVT SYVT None Buellton) Solvang SYVT SYVT None Buellton) SANTA MARIA VALLEY Guadalupe Flyer None Santa Maria) Guadalupe Guadalupe Shuttle SMOOTH Orcutt SMAT SMAT None Santa Maria) Santa Maria SMAT SMAT Clean Air Express Vanpools CUYAMA VALLEY Cuyama Cuyama Valley Transit Cuyama Valley Transit None New Cuyama Cuyama Valley Transit Cuyama Valley Transit None *COLT: City of Lompoc Transit *SYVT: Santa Ynez Valley Transit *SMAT: Santa Maria Area Transit 21

27 A total of 8,098,845 rides were provided on public fixed route, demand response, and commuter service throughout Santa Barbara County in Over 7 million rides were provided by Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District, with all North County transit providing over 700,000 rides. Commuter service provided over 125,000 rides from the North County to the South Coast (Table 17). Table 17 Transit Ridership Santa Barbara County Transit System FY 1996 FY 1997 FY 1998 FY 1999 FY 2000 FY 2001* SBMTD 6,631,913 6,846,029 6,771,399 6,908,101 7,070,701 7,179,394 CART N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Easy Lift Transportation 63,096, 60,128 47,182 54,192 62,469 53,941 Guadalupe Flyer N/A N/A N/A 22,027 34,192 N/A SMAT fixed route 441, , , , , ,300 SMAT demand 27,677 25,759 29,313 32,948 26,538 N/A response COLT 137, , , , , ,205 SYVT fixed route 7,504 11,420 24,296 24,956 17,977 26,130 SYVT demand 10,683 13,147 See See 5,682 N/A response above above SB County ,025 Transit/Cuyama Clean Air Express 84,608 82,346 83,781 85,008 92, ,900 Coastal Express 6,950 Total 7,404,541 7,641,793 7,606,349 7,758,434 7,954,663 8,098,845 FY Source: Regional Transportation Plan , Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. *FY 2001 Source: 2001 Travel Trends Report for Santa Barbara County; Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. V. TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT Public Testimony Extensive surveying was conducted for the Transit Needs Assessment in both the North County and South Coast. SBCAG, working with the North County Transit Advisory Committee (NCTAC), South Coast Transit Advisory Committee (SCTAC), and social service agencies, distributed over 1,000 surveys countywide. The survey form for the North County and the South Coast differed according to differences in regional concerns and upon the recommendations of NCTAC and SCTAC. It should be noted, that members of the UCSB community were specifically included in the distribution of South Coast surveys this year. In addition, the Coalition of Sustainable Transportation (COAST) surveyed North County residents in Lompoc and the Santa Maria Valley and provided the surveys to SBCAG. Transportation needs were also expressed through public testimony before the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Board at public hearings, and through the submission of petitions and correspondence. All survey data was reviewed and is documented in summary form. 22

28 Transit needs, as expressed by the public, included service and operational needs, as defined within the guidelines of the TDA and the definitions of Unmet Need and Reasonable to Meet as established by the SBCAG Board. For the purpose of determining a finding of Unmet Need or Reasonable to Meet, only those issues that are service related, and not those that are operational in nature, are assessed in regard to the application of TDA funding. 10 Those needs that are operational in nature are addressed through the Social Services Transportation Advisory Council, NCTAC and SCTAC, in coordination with the affected transit agencies. North County transit service related issues were identified as commuter service, inter-community service, Sunday service, later service hours and earlier service hours. In review of the data, those service issues that were identified by 50% or more of those responding to surveys were deemed to be priority requests. A summary of priority requests, which includes the surveys (SBCAG and COAST), public hearing testimony and correspondence, and petitions, is indicated In Table Operational issues are issues such as, but not limited to, the adequacy or location of bus stops, minor route improvements, marketing and service reliability. 23

29 Table 18 Unmet Transit Needs Summary of Priority Requests Agency / Location Respondents (number) Sunday service (%) Intercommunity service (%) Later service hours (%) City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) SBCAG survey 35 83% 67% 63% Public hearing testimony Public hearing correspondence % 0 COAST survey 81 65% 88% 74% Total % 81% 69% Guadalupe Flyer SBCAG survey 31 *100% 26% 48% Public hearing testimony % 0 Public hearing correspondence COAST survey 32 3% 41% 63% Total 64 56% 34% 55% Guadalupe Shuttle SBCAG survey 4 50% 0 0 Public hearing testimony Public hearing correspondence COAST survey 11 9% 18% 91% Total 15 20% 13% 67% Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) SBCAG survey % 36% 50% Petition for Sunday service % 0 0 Public hearing testimony 8 75% 13% 34% Public hearing correspondence % COAST survey % 50% 51% Total % 37% 39% Santa Ynez Valley Transit SBCAG survey 84 71% 74% 49% Public hearing testimony % 0 Public hearing correspondence % 0 COAST survey Total 87 69% 75% 47% Los Alamos SBCAG survey 23 39% 100% 43% Public hearing testimony Public hearing correspondence % 0 COAST survey Total 24 34% 100% 42% North County Public hearing testimony 12 58% 67% 42% Public hearing correspondence 2 100% 100% 100% Total 14 64% 71% 50% Total - All % 50% 47% Because respondents could answer multiple times to multiple questions, survey category results do not total 100%. *Stated as Guadalupe Flyer weekend service on Transit Needs Survey Summary Table 2. 24

30 VI. TRANSIT SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS Guadalupe Shuttle The Guadalupe Shuttle provides the fixed route in-town service, Monday through Friday between the hours of 10:00 AM and 3:50 PM. The Shuttle had a ridership of 15,780 in , reflecting a 36% increase over the ridership. This increase in ridership is due to the increasing use of the Shuttle by students at the elementary school and senior citizens accessing the Guadalupe Senior Center. Combined with the Guadalupe Flyer, the Guadalupe Shuttle had a farebox ratio of 24.5% for It should be noted however, that the farebox ratio is declining and the projected combined farebox ratio for is 12.5%. Due to its rural status, the Guadalupe Shuttle must maintain a 10% farebox ratio. Although the Guadalupe Shuttle made no operational improvements in service provision during the 2002 calendar year, the Shuttle will be working with the Community Health Centers in the provision of transportation to the Clinic that will be opening in Guadalupe in May City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Currently, COLT provides fixed route and demand response service Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and on Saturdays between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. With the implementation of the Short Range Transit Plan, COLT will provide service Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:30 AM and 8:00 PM, and on Saturdays between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. COLT had over 200,000 boardings in 2002, resulting in a 23% increase in ridership from 2001 to COLT also had a 5% increase in ridership for the first two months of 2003, with over 33,000 boardings. Currently, COLT maintains a 12% farebox ratio, which is supplemented by Measure D funds for a total farebox recovery of 18% of operating costs. 11 This ratio has met COLT s goal of increasing the farebox ratio, while extending service provision. COLT will be implementing operational and service improvements with the adoption of the Short Range Transit Plan in June These improvements will include later and earlier service hours, implementation of bi-directional service, thus reducing headways from every hour to every half-hour, establishing a new route that will serve the Community Center, and the addition of two new buses for demand response service. In addition, COLT will install 20 new bus shelters that provide covered seating capacity for eight to twelve persons and are wheelchair accessible. While service efficiencies have brought about increases in ridership, increases in farebox ratios are being offset by increases in operating costs, specifically, insurance, workman s compensation, and fuel. Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) Currently, SMAT provides fixed route and demand response service Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:00 AM and 7:30 PM, and Saturdays between the hours of 7:30 AM and 6:25 PM. Due to a decrease in the farebox ratio, from 23% in 2002 to the current 18% farebox ratio, SMAT is looking at increasing service fares to increase the farebox ratio, in order to implement additional services and achieve a higher farebox recovery. 11 The farebox ratio is the ratio of fares to operating costs. The maintenance of the farebox ratio at 20% for service in urban areas and 10% for service in rural areas is required by the Transportation Development Act. Local funds, including Measure D funds, can be used by local transit agencies to supplement the fare to operating cost ratio to obtain the 20% ratio. 25

31 SMAT implemented service improvements during fiscal year 2003 (beginning April 1) to include one hour later service to Orcutt, with service ending at 7:30 PM, and providing earlier service on Routes 1, 2, 3 and 4, beginning at 6:00 AM, 6:15 AM, 6:45 AM, and 6:45 AM respectively. This provides an additional ½ hour earlier service. SMAT had an 8% increase in ridership from calendar year 2001 to 2002, with 663,269 boardings. SMAT fixed route service maintains a 18% farebox ratio, while the demand response service, which is supplemented by Measure D funds, maintains a 10% farebox ratio. While service efficiencies have brought about increases in ridership, increases in farebox ratios are being offset by increases in operating costs; specifically, insurance, workman s compensation, and fuel. Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT) Santa Ynez Valley Transit provides fixed route service Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:30 PM and demand response service Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:30 PM. Ridership for was 40,668 (31,023 fixed route and 9,645 demand response). This reflects an increase in ridership of 25% over the ridership (17,977 fixed route and 7,977 demand response). SYVT maintained a combined farebox ratio of 18.4%. With a prior farebox ratio for at 15.7%, SYVT has seen an increase in its farebox performance. The draft SYVT 2003 Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) calls for the implementation of partial bidirectional routing, alignment of demand response service hours with fixed route service hours, and improved connectivity to Amtrak bus service. In addition, SYVT has purchased two new transit vehicles, as called for in the 2002 Transit Needs Assessment, which are currently in service. With these new vehicles, service reliability and on-time performance has improved over the past six months. SYVT has included an on-going vehicle replacement strategy for its fleet within its 2003 SRTP. Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD) Currently, SBMTD provides fixed route service Monday through Friday 5:00 AM through midnight, Saturday 6:00 AM through 11:00 PM, and Sunday 6:00 AM through 10:00 PM (limited routes). Demand response service is provided through Easy Lift Transportation, which provides service Monday through Friday 6:00 AM through midnight, and Saturday and Sunday 6:30 AM through 9:00 PM. SBMTD has seen a 3.8% decrease in ridership from FY , with FY ridership at 6,903,500. However, since September 2002, ridership has been steadily increasing. Accordingly, the farebox ratio declined from 43.8% for to 38.6% in , but is expected to recover with the increase in ridership. SBMTD made operational improvements in service provision during FY to include the extension of Line 12/24 increasing evening service by one hour, more frequent service along the Line 10 corridor, and will provide improved service to the Westside Community Center with the scheduled 2003 service improvements. SBMTD will begin to review service improvements needs, including review by SCTAC, and public hearings for implementation of service improvements in September

32 Inter-community Service Amtrak bus connect service Amtrak currently provides passenger service in Santa Barbara County through a coordinated system of rail and bus service. The bus service, making connections to the Lompoc Surf and Santa Barbara stations, serves Lompoc, Santa Maria and Solvang. Under the current service contract, only rail passengers are allowed to use the Amtrak bus service. Guadalupe Flyer The Guadalupe Flyer provides service between the cities of Guadalupe and Santa Maria, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 6:15 AM and 6:15 PM and on Saturdays between the hours of 8:15 AM and 5:00 PM. Ridership on the Flyer for was 59,058. This reflects an increase of 7% over the ridership. Combined with the Guadalupe Shuttle, the Guadalupe Flyer had a farebox ratio of 24.5% for It should be noted however, that the farebox ratio is declining and the projected combined farebox ratio for is 12.5%. Due to its rural status, the Guadalupe Flyer must maintain a 10% farebox ratio. The Guadalupe Flyer had no service improvements for and has no plans for service improvements for Commuter Services Clean Air Express In meeting the growing demand for commuter service between the North County (housing) and the South Coast (jobs), and in anticipation of greater ridership through increased outreach efforts, four additional routes have been planned and funded for the Clean Air Express. The funding, provided through the 2002 Regional Flexible Funding process (SBCAG), will provide $ 2.8 million in CMAQ 12 funds for the purchase of four new and three replacement buses. Also appropriated is $327,000 over the next three years for operational expenses. The Clean Air Express Service will begin providing additional commuter service in The additional routes will provide service between Santa Maria, Buellton, and Lompoc, and the South Coast. SBMTD Santa Ynez Commuter Service In January 2000, the Clean Air Express stopped subscription commuter bus service in the Santa Ynez Valley. This service was stopped due to a lack of participation from Santa Ynez Valley commuters. To meet a re-emerging demand for commuter service from the Santa Ynez Valley, the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District requested and received $1,900,000 in CMAQ funding through the 2002 Regional Flexible Funding process (SBCAG) to purchase five buses to implement commuter service between the Santa Ynez Valley and the South Coast. SBMTD plans for the service to become self-sufficient in operating costs, with any shortfall in costs being provided from the SBMTD general fund. In addition, as demand for service increases and trends for service develop, SBMTD will provide additional routes and service to meet the demand. This 12 Congestion Management Air Quality Funds (CMAQ) funds are made available jointly through the FHWA and FTA for the purpose of funding surface transportation and other related projects that contribute to air quality improvements and reduce congestion. 27

33 service will include general use fixed route service between the Santa Ynez Valley and the South Coast. SBMTD will be implementing commuter service from the Santa Ynez Valley to the South Coast in the first quarter of Amtrak Amtrak provides passenger service throughout Santa Barbara County through a coordinated system of rail and bus service. Currently, service hours do not correspond to the commute peak hours and therefore Amtrak is not a viable option for a commuter at this time. It has been suggested, through the public process, that Amtrak rail service be considered as an option in meeting the commuter demand for service. Several issues must be considered regarding this option. Availability of funding for service. The Pacific Surfliner, an intra-regional rail service, is funded through the State Department of Transportation (CalTrans) and a State funding procedure. The Coast Starlight, an inter-state rail service that includes a stop in the City of Santa Barbara, is funded directly through a Federal funding procedure. Currently, funding through the State is scheduled to continue. However, Federal funding has not been dedicated for the continuation of the Coast Starlight. It is not known at this time, how or if this funding issue will be resolved. Availability of track use for commuter-related scheduling. Because there is no dedicated track for commuter rail service, scheduling must take place in conjunction with intra and inter-regional passenger service, as well as in conjunction with freight service. Establishment of a dedicated commuter rail service track, as opposed to using the established rail line, would require large capital investments as well as annual operating subsidies. It should be noted that SBCAG will assess the feasibility of commuter rail in addressing congestion relief on Highway 101 as a part of the Highway 101 Implementation Plan. VII. FINDINGS BACKGROUND The Transportation Development Act provides funding for public transportation through the Local Transportation (LTF) Fund and the State Transit Assistance (STA) Fund. Under Article 8 of LTF funding, TDA allocations may be made for transit services, for streets and roads, or for pedestrian and bicycle projects. Upon adoption of a finding that there are no unmet transit needs or that there are no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet, the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) may allocate funds for local streets and roads. However, if the RTPA adopts a finding that there are unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet, then the unmet transit needs shall be funded before any allocation is made for streets and roads within the jurisdiction. Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, as the RTPA, must make a determination of transit needs and whether those transit needs are reasonable to meet but only for those jurisdictions within Santa Barbara County which are not dedicating all TDA funding to public transportation. Although this document encompasses a thorough review of Santa Barbara County in its entirety, the finding of unmet need and reasonable to meet applies only to North County jurisdictions since all TDA funds in the South Coast are used for transit. 28

34 In assessing unmet needs that are reasonable to meet, in accordance with Section of the California Government Code, the following actions were taken: Consultation with the Social Services Transportation Advisory Council (Section 99238) Identification of transit needs through: o Assessment of the size and location of identifiable groups likely to be transit dependent or transit disadvantaged, o Analysis of the adequacy of existing public transportation service and specialized transportation service, o Analysis of potential alternative public transportation and specialized transportation services that could meet all or part of the transit demand, and o Public outreach, that included two public hearings (Section ) Each RTPA, as established in California Government Code 99401, determines the definition of unmet transit need and reasonable to meet criteria for the purpose of TDA. As such, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments has established the criteria under which unmet needs and reasonable to meet criteria are determined (Figures 1 and 2). Therefore, an unmet transit need, as expressed by the public, may not necessarily be the same as the definition of unmet need adopted by SBCAG for the purpose of the TDA funding process. In making its findings, SBCAG evaluates the requested service to determine if it meets the adopted definition of an unmet transit need. Those service requests that are deemed to be unmet needs are then evaluated using the adopted criteria to determine if they are reasonable to meet. This evaluation typically requires an estimation of several factors including the cost of operating a new or expanded service, ridership, fare revenues, and other performance measures. Such estimations can be difficult to make, especially when no comparable service exists. Under the TDA, if SBCAG finds that there are unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet through new or expanded services; such needs must be funded before any TDA funds can be allocated to that claimant for non-transit (i.e. streets and roads) purposes. Transit serves more than transit-dependent populations. This is evident in increasing requests for transit service by those who choose to use transit to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, or for the convenience of the service. This is especially evident in requests for transit services that address commute to work opportunities. Unmet transit needs were expressed through the public process, including transit surveys by SBCAG and by the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST), and participation by social service agencies through the North County Transit Advisory Committee (NCTAC) and the South Coast Transit Advisory Committee (SCTAC). Testimony and correspondence was received through the public hearing process during the Unmet Transit Needs public hearings held in Santa Maria on January 16, 2003 and in Santa Barbara on February 20, All public hearing data has been summarized and presented in Appendices D and E. All transit needs as expressed through the public process were reviewed and evaluated according to SBCAG s definition of unmet transit need and criteria for determining whether unmet transit needs are reasonable to meet. The findings were categorized as priority needs, those service needs identified by the majority of respondents, and other transit needs - those service needs identified by less than a majority of respondents. Dependent upon the transit agency and/or service area, priority needs included: 29

35 Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Resolution Definition of Terms Unmet Transit Needs and Reasonable to Meet Adopted March 19, 1998 Figure 1 Unmet Transit Needs Definition An unmet transit need is the expressed or identified need of a significant segment of the community for additional public transportation services to meet existing basic mobility needs which are not currently being met through the existing system of public transit services or private transportation services. Included, at a minimum, are those public transportation or specialized services that are identified in the Regional Transportation Plan, short-range transit plan, and/or transit development plan that have not been implemented or funded. If an expressed or identified need is determined by SBCAG to be an operational issue, it shall not be considered to be an unmet transit need. Requests that do not require an identifiable additional increment of service will generally be considered operational. Issues such as, but not limited to, the adequacy or location of bus stops, minor route improvements, marketing, and service reliability will generally be considered operational. The identified needs must be for the system of general public transit services. The transportation needs of a limited set of individuals or of the clients of agencies shall not, in and of themselves, be sufficient to justify a finding of unmet transit needs. All eligible users of a given service should have equivalent access or opportunity to use the service. Figure 2 Reasonable to Meet Criteria An identified unmet transit need shall be determined to be reasonable to meet if SBCAG determines that the transit service will be in general compliance with the following criteria: 1. Can be implemented consistent with the transportation improvement priorities, policies and performance standards contained in the Regional Transportation Plan, the transit development plan, or the short-range transit plan for the area. 2. Can be implemented safely and in accordance with local, state and Federal laws and regulations. 3. The additional transit service shall not cause the system of which it is a part of, to fail to meet systemwide performance standards including: A. The operator s ability to maintain the required fare to operating cost ratio; B. The estimated number of passengers carried per service hour for proposed service shall be in the range of other similar services provided; and C. The estimated subsidy per passenger shall be equivalent to other parts of the transit system. 4. When the additional transit service is considered separately, both the fare to operating cost ratio and the estimated subsidy per passenger shall not vary by more than 20% from the average for the type of service provided by the operator. 5. The proposed service would not cause claimant to incur expenses in excess of the maximum allocation of TDA funds. 30

36 Intercommunity service Local service o Sunday service o Later service hours o Earlier service hours Summaries of transportation survey data from SBCAG, COAST and the Community Accountability Project of the Santa Ynez Valley (North County) and SBCAG (South Coast) are located in Appendices F, G, H, and I. It should be noted that a public process was also conducted for the South Coast of Santa Barbara County, including transit services provided by the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (which includes the Crosstown, Seaside and Waterfront Shuttles), Carpinteria Area Rapid Transit (CART), and Easy Lift. Because these transit agencies receive full TDA funding, there is no finding of Unmet Need or Reasonable to Meet within the context of the Transit Needs Assessment process. However, transit service and operational needs were expressed by residents of the South Coast. Priority requests for transit service in the South Coast included more frequent service, later service hours and the installation of bus stop shelters. In addition, there were requests from the UCSB community to continue service lines during school breaks and to place more bicycle racks on the buses providing service to UCSB. This information has been provided to the transit agencies, and the South Coast Transit Advisory Committee (SCTAC), who works closely with the transit agencies to assist in the implementation of service improvements in the South Coast. SCTAC will continue to work with local transit and public agencies to address ADA accessibility, develop a plan for bus stop shelter implementation, and to respond to the South Coast unmet transit needs as outlined in correspondence from SCTAC submitted to the SBCAG Board through the Unmet Transit Needs public hearing process. DISCUSSION Intercommunity service Lompoc Vandenberg Air Force Base Santa Maria Option 1: Unmet need, not reasonable to meet Option 2: Unmet need, reasonable to meet for pilot program. Reserve up to $375,000 TDA funds for CMAQ match for pending pilot program The need for intercommunity service as expressed through the public process, is a general use need including commute to work, access to government, social services and medical facilities, and general mobility between the communities of Lompoc, Vandenberg Village, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Orcutt, and Santa Maria. This transit need has been subject to great debate over the past few years. Prior consultant studies such as the Craine study and the Moore study have provided divergent opinions about the feasibility of such a service. The feasibility is dependent on an estimation of several factors including costs, ridership, fare revenue and other performance measures. Such estimations can be difficult to make, especially when no closely comparable service exists and the demand for services is untested. At the 2002 Transit Needs Assessment hearing, the SBCAG Board found that intercommunity transit service between Lompoc and Santa Maria was an unmet need, but it was not reasonable to meet. The 31

37 Board recognized that additional planning was required to address a financial analysis, regional service administration, and Vandenberg Air Force Base participation. The Board directed that an intercommunity transit service exploratory proposal be developed by the North County Transit Advisory Committee (NCTAC), a committee of the Social Services Transit Advisory Council for Santa Barbara County. In response, NCTAC instituted the Intercommunity Transit Service Exploratory Proposal (ITSEP) Sub-committee to address the issue of intercommunity transit service in the North County. ITSEP consists of representatives from SMAT, COLT, SMOOTH, Vandenberg Air Force Base and SBCAG. As well CalTrans District 5 and Santa Barbara County have liaisons to the sub-committee. Currently, SMOOTH, operating with a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant, is providing limited social service transportation for public assistance recipients between Lompoc and Santa Maria. Ridership has continued to increase since the inception of the program (July 2001) and is projected to reach an average of 100 passenger rides per month. In addition, commute to work from Santa Maria and Lompoc to Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) has shown the potential for significant ridership on an intercommunity express service. Of those responding to a VAFB sponsored on-base survey conducted in 2002, 72 commuters from Santa Maria and 74 commuters from Lompoc stated that they would consider participating in a transit program for their commute to work (Appendix J). Given that VAFB officials have indicated their interest in providing service from the Main Entrance Gate at SR 135 to the major cantonment area where services and jobs are located, a major historical impediment to addressing the needs of the potential commuter market may be removed. In addition, development of a commuter transit user base would improve the likelihood that a new service would achieve a 20% return of fares to total operating costs. While the number of potential commuters is significant, there is plenty of evidence that indicates on average, nationwide, there will be those who say they will use transit and do not use it when it is in place because it is not specific to their individual need. Likewise, there will be those who will use the service that were not identified in the VAFB survey. Following on the commitment from last years unmet transit needs process, the ITSEP has developed a preliminary proposal for intercommunity transit service in tandem with the 2003 Transit Needs Assessment (Appendix K). This proposal calls for the phasing in of express transit corridor routes that connect to established local transit service. Addition of corridor routes will occur after initial routes are established and proved to be viable, and sufficient ridership demand has been identified. This proposal requires additional organizational development including the development of a detailed service implementation plan and the adoption of an interagency memorandum of understanding. The first phase of the proposed intercommunity service will link Santa Maria, Orcutt, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Vandenberg Village, and Lompoc. This route was identified by ITSEP as having the greatest potential for service viability, including ridership demand, in the North County. Ridership will include commute to work ridership between Santa Maria and Lompoc, and in particular from Santa Maria and Lompoc to Vandenberg Air Force Base, and general ridership, including those needing access to social and government services. The initial phase of the proposed intercommunity service between the communities of Lompoc, Vandenberg Village, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Orcutt, and Santa Maria will include service beginning at 5:45 AM in Santa Maria and 6:15 AM in Lompoc to capture the commuter ridership, and will continue throughout the day to provide general use ridership service with stops to accommodate access to government, judicial and social service agencies, with connections to both the COLT and SMAT systems. Service will end at 6:45 PM in Santa Maria and 6:45 PM in Lompoc to correspond to commuter ridership schedules. This service will be a coordinated effort between the City of Lompoc/COLT, the City of Santa Maria/SMAT, and Vandenberg Air Force Base. 32

38 The service will be contracted to a private operator, with a request for funding through CMAQ, and a 12% local match equally provided by the City of Lompoc, the City of Santa Maria and the County of Santa Barbara using TDA funds. Three funding scenarios for this service have been developed (Appendix K). Scenarios A, B, and C provide for 4,250 service hours per year, connecting Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Vandenberg Air Force Base through seven weekday round trips. Scenario A assumes a capital expenditure of $ 1,200,000 for the purchase of four transit buses, while Scenario B assumes a vehicle lease of $ 432,000 for four transit buses over a period of three years. Scenario C assumes a vehicle lease of $ 288,000 for four transit buses over a period of two years, with a simultaneous purchase of four transit buses with a capital expenditure of $ 1,200,000 for the continuation of service after the pilot program has been proven to be successful. Scenarios A, B, and C assumed the same annual operating cost of $340,000. Fare revenues for the service were projected based upon ridership assumptions using current social services transportation provision through SMOOTH and the Vandenberg Transportation Needs Assessment Survey, with a fare of $ 4.00 per round trip for general ridership and a monthly fare of $ for commuter ridership. The farebox ratio for Scenario A is 16% in 2003/04, 19% in 2004/05, and 22% in 2005/06. The farebox ratio for Scenario B is 14% in 2003/04, 17% in 2004/05, and 20% in 2005/06. The farebox ration for Scenario C is 14% in 2003/04, 14% in 2004/05, and 22% in 2005/06. These farebox ratios assume attainment of 50%, 60% and 70%, respectively, of the projected ridership during the three consecutive service years. Projected ridership is based upon a percentage of 146 weekday VAFB commuter passengers and 5 weekday social service agency passengers. No projections were made for other general use or commuter passengers. There is still work to be done to develop specific details of this service proposal. However, the fundamental components of this proposal point to the potential for a viable pilot program that would be limited to three years if market demand does not support a 20% farebox ratio and/or meet other predetermined performance criteria. Thus, the pilot program will be in general compliance with the reasonable to meet criteria as follows: 1. The pilot program can be implemented consistent with the transportation improvement priorities, policies and performance standards contained in the Regional Transportation Plan, the transit development plan, or the short range transit plan for the area. 2. The pilot program can be implemented safely and in accordance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. 3. The pilot program will not cause the system of which is a part to fail to meet system wide performance standards including: a. The operator s ability to maintain the required fare to operating cost ratio; b. The estimated number of passengers carried per service hour for proposed service shall be in the range of other similar services provided; and c. The estimated subsidy per passenger shall be equivalent to other parts of the transit system. 4. When the pilot program is considered separately, both the fare to operating cost ratio and the estimated subsidy per passenger shall not vary by more than 20% from the average for the type of service by the operator. 5. The pilot program would not cause claimant to insure expenses in excess of the maximum allocated TDA funds. 33

39 Santa Ynez Valley Lompoc Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for intercommunity service as expressed through the public process, is a general use need including commute to work, access to government and social services, retail shopping opportunities and general mobility between the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc. The potential for ridership and system extension is being examined within the context of a North County intercommunity service exploratory proposal. Expansion of service to include express service between the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley (connecting through Santa Ynez Valley Transit) and Lompoc is dependent upon successful implementation of the proposed intercommunity service between the communities of Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base and Santa Maria. At this time, service extension from the Santa Ynez Valley to Lompoc by a single transit operator is problematic in that the population requesting ridership is from the smaller communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition, COLT is a local service provider for the residents of the Lompoc, while this service would primarily serve the residents of the Santa Ynez Valley. Even with a cost sharing agreement between COLT and SYVT, both Solvang and Buellton are using all available TDA funding for current transit service. Thus, intercommunity service by a single transit operator between the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc is an unmet need which is not reasonable to meet under Criteria 3, 4 and 5. Santa Ynez Valley Santa Maria Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for intercommunity service as expressed through the public process, is a general use need including commute to work, access to government and social services, retail shopping opportunities and general mobility between the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria. The potential for ridership and system extension is being examined within the context of a North County intercommunity service exploratory proposal. Expansion of service to include express service between the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley (connecting through Santa Ynez Valley Transit) and Santa Maria would be implemented as a potential future segment of service connecting Santa Maria, Los Alamos and the Santa Ynez Valley. Upon successful implementation of an extension of intercommunity service between the communities of Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc, an exploratory proposal for intercommunity service between Santa Maria, Los Alamos and the communities of the Santa Ynez Valley could be implemented. At this time, service extension from the Santa Ynez Valley to Santa Maria by a single transit operator is problematic in that the population requesting ridership is from the smaller communities of the Santa Ynez Valley. In addition, SMAT is a local service provider for the residents of the Santa Maria Valley, while this service would primarily serve the residents of the Santa Ynez Valley. Even with a cost sharing agreement, Solvang and Buellton are using all available TDA funding for current transit service. Thus, intercommunity service by a single transit operator between the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria is an unmet need which is not reasonable to meet under Criteria 3, 4, and 5. 34

40 Los Alamos Santa Maria Unmet need, not reasonable to meet (County to explore program options with SMOOTH or other social service agency) Los Alamos, a small unincorporated area with a population of 1,372, is located along Highway 101 midway (about 15 miles) between the Santa Ynez Valley and the City of Santa Maria. Los Alamos has no local or intercommunity public transportation services. Current private transportation service includes Community Partners in Caring, providing transportation to medical appointments and other quality of life needs on a case-by-case basis, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping in conjunction with services provided through the Children and Families Commission, and Tri-Counties Regional Center for client transportation. In addition, Medi-Cal contract with American Medical Response to provide nonemergency medical transportation for Medi-Cal clients. Los Alamos demographics include a population that is: 76.9% White 65.3% non-hispanic 75.0% of households are families with children 35.5% speak a language at home other than English 13.1% of the residents are identified in poverty status 5.7% do not have access to a privately-owned vehicle 71.3% of the population is in the labor force 66.3% commute to work in single occupancy vehicles 28.7% carpool Los Alamos is a walkable community. Therefore, transit service within Los Alamos is not an unmet need. The transit need as expressed through the public process is that of an intercommunity need to provide residents access to the communities of Santa Maria and Santa Ynez and the opportunities that those communities offer, including employment, retail and banking services, and government, social, and medical services. It should be noted that there are no medical, dental, full grocery or retail services available in Los Alamos. Transit service in Los Alamos is being reviewed as a component of North County intercommunity transit service, connecting the communities of Santa Maria, Los Alamos and the Santa Ynez Valley. However, this is a long-term proposal that would not provide service in the near future. Therefore, a short-term transit service strategy is recommended. Although service between Los Alamos and Santa Maria is not reasonable to meet under Criteria 3 and 4, SBCAG staff recommends that Santa Barbara County consider options to meet this need in the short term to include: Option 1). Provide transit service based on the model used by Santa Barbara County in Cuyama. Transit service in Cuyama is a demand response inter-regional service offered two days a week during the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM. This service is administered through the Cuyama Recreation District. This model has been successful for the community of Cuyama, a small agricultural community not in close proximity to other North County cities. It should be noted, that with housing and economic development in the North County, Los Alamos is developing population characteristics that reflect these changes. Commuter service as well as fixed route intercommunity service linking Los Alamos to nearby communities will likely be expressed as 35

41 transit needs by the residents of Los Alamos. Consideration should be given by Santa Barbara County to both a short-term and long-term response to the transit needs of Los Alamos residents. Option 2). Contract transit service with an established provider such as SMOOTH 13, for limited intercommunity service as a pilot program. A service that would provide four trips per day, two days per week, with one central pick up location in Los Alamos and in Santa Maria connecting to SMAT services would not exceed a cost of $40,000 per year. The minimum farebox ratio required for this service would be 10%, or $334 farebox revenue per month, as Los Alamos is a rural area. Therefore, 83 round-trips per month, with a fare of $4.00 (round-trip) would meet the farebox ratio. Currently, Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People provides 40 round-trips per month to families with children under the age of 18. In addition, 23 Los Alamos residents requested intercommunity service through the Transit Needs survey. Assuming this request would translate into a minimum of 23 rounds trips per month, total initial ridership would be 76% of the required ridership for meeting the farebox ratio. It is expected that with service implementation, ridership would increase. This limited service would be replaced in the long term by the North County intercommunity transit service as it is able to develop into a viable North County-wide service. It should be noted that this service could qualify for funding through the Section 5311(f) grant. Santa Maria / Guadalupe Cities in San Luis Obispo County Unmet need, not reasonable to meet Currently, service is provided between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo through the Central Coast Area Transit (CCAT) via Route 10, providing service to San Luis Obispo, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Nipomo and Santa Maria during weekday hours from 6:00 AM to 8:40 PM and on Saturdays from 7:15 AM to 5:04 PM. Community Health Centers, a non-profit health center located in Nipomo, has been one identified destination in the request for intercommunity service to Nipomo. The Center provides comprehensive primary care services and accepts Medi-Cal and a sliding fee scale for care. However, the Community Health Centers will be locating a health care center in Guadalupe. Although the clinic was scheduled to have been opened in Guadalupe by Fall 2002, unforeseen circumstances have delayed opening until May Communication with CHC continues, so that SMAT and the City of Guadalupe can coordinate local service to the center. It is not evident from the surveying what transit need is not being met in light of the available Route 10 CCAT service. Furthermore, with the anticipated opening of the Clinic in Guadalupe, Clinic accessibility will not be an issue. North County South Coast Commuter service Unmet need, reasonable to meet (Need will be met through planned expansion of the Clean Air Express and implementation of programmed SBMTD service between the Santa Ynez Valley and the South Coast) In meeting the growing demand for commuter service between the North County (housing) and the South Coast (jobs), and in anticipation of greater ridership through increased outreach efforts, four additional routes have been planned and funded for the Clean Air Express. The funding, provided 13 SMOOTH, as a service contractor, not as the Santa Maria Valley CTSA. 36

42 through the 2002 Regional Flexible Funding process (SBCAG), will provide $ 2.8 million in CMAQ 14 funds for the purchase of four new and three replacement buses and $327,000 over the next three years for operational expenses. The Clean Air Express service is expected to begin providing additional commuter service in the first quarter of The additional routes will provide service between Santa Maria, Buellton, and Lompoc, and the South Coast. To meet an emerging demand for commuter and general use service from the Santa Ynez Valley, the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District requested and received $1,900,000 in CMAQ funding through the 2002 Regional Flexible Funding process (SBCAG) to purchase five buses to implement service between the Santa Ynez Valley and the South Coast. SBMTD plans for the service to become self-sufficient in operating costs, with any shortfall in costs being provided from the SBMTD general fund. In addition, as demand for service increases, SBMTD will provide additional routes and service to meet the demand. This market will include general use as well as commuter ridership. SBMTD will be implementing service from the Santa Ynez Valley to the South Coast in the first quarter of In addition, the SMAT Medical Transportation Shuttle provides service from the Santa Ynez Valley, in route from Santa Maria and Lompoc to Santa Barbara on Tuesdays and Thursdays for medical appointments only. This service is provided by the City of Santa Maria and is contracted through SMOOTH as a function of its Consolidated Transportation Services Agency status. The SMAT Medical Transportation Shuttle currently provides service to an average of 11 passengers per week. The passenger capacity of the vehicle is 16 ambulatory seats, or 12 ambulatory and two wheelchair seats. Sunday service City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for transit service on Sundays as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Operational cost to provide Sunday service is estimated at $2,232 per day. Potential Sunday transit ridership is estimated at 222 based upon 50% of Saturday ridership (industry standard). This would provide fare revenue of $ per Sunday, representing a 7.45% farebox ratio. Due to Criteria 3 and 4 (see Figure 2) this need is not reasonable to meet. Guadalupe Flyer Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The provision of transit service on Sundays is a general ridership need between the cities of Guadalupe and Santa Maria. However, because Guadalupe Flyer service is dependent upon SMAT service, this need cannot be met until SMAT provides Sunday service. In addition, the industry standard for ridership on Sunday is about half that of the ridership on Saturday. Saturday ridership is minimal and generally serves those who are accessing retail establishments. Due to Criteria 1, 3 and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. 14 Congestion Management Air Quality Funds (CMAQ) funds are made available jointly through the FHWA and FTA for the purpose of funding surface transportation and other related projects that contribute to air quality improvements and reduce congestion. 37

43 Guadalupe Shuttle Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The provision of transit service on Sundays is a general ridership need. Currently, there is no Saturday or Sunday service. Saturday service has not been implemented due to a lack of ridership. The industry standard for ridership on Sunday is about half that of the ridership on Saturday and would not provide the ridership or farebox revenue needed to support the implementation of Sunday service. Due to Criteria 3 and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for transit service on Sundays as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Operational costs to provide Sunday service (fixed route and demand response combined) would be $ 2,002 for an eight hour service day (49.44 revenue $40.50 per hour). Sunday transit ridership is estimated at 450 boardings (1/2 of average Saturday fixed and demand response route boardings based on March 2003 data). This would produce a farebox revenue of $147, resulting in a farebox ratio of 7.34%. It should be noted that this calculation is based upon an assumed fare per passenger of $ each, the average for SMAT s 3 rd quarter operations in FY Due to Criteria 3 and 4 (see Figure 2) this need is not reasonable to meet. However, SMAT is sensitive to the need for Sunday transit service, recognizing the request for Sunday service by 188 persons through the SBCAG survey, by 97 persons through the COAST survey, and through public testimony at the Unmet Transit Needs public hearings. SMAT is developing a proposal, based upon system-wide fare increases, to provide Sunday transit service in the future. It should also be noted that the proposal must have public support regarding fare increases, and support by the City Council in order to implement service. Santa Ynez Area Transit (SYVT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The provision of transit service on Sundays is a general ridership need. However, the cities of Buellton and Solvang currently dedicate all TDA funding to transit. Due to Criteria 3A and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. Later service hours City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Unmet need, reasonable to meet (Need will be met through expansion plan as described in the 2003 COLT SRTP) The need for later service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Currently, weekday service ends at 7:00 PM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 8:00 PM for the request for later service hours. COLT s Short Range Transit Plan, which will be reviewed for approval by the Lompoc City Council in June 2003, calls for the implementation of later weekday service hours extending service from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 38

44 Guadalupe Flyer Unmet need, not reasonable to meet for weekday and Saturday service (Monitor system with fare box recovery and consider weekday service later in year) The need for later service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service ends at 6:00 PM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 7:00 PM for the request for later service hours. As well, there was the request for Saturday hours to be the same as weekday service hours. Currently, the City of Guadalupe dedicates all TDA funding to transit, however in 2003/04, the City of Guadalupe has some remaining TDA funds. Meeting this need would require the extension of one hour of service, five days a week to a service route that has maintained adequate ridership. The projected farebox ratio for the Guadalupe Flyer is 12.5%. Because this is a rural service area, the farebox ratio must attain 10%. The addition of one hour of evening service should allow for a farebox ratio at a minimum of 10%, however, ADA service requirements would impact system wide revenues and negatively impact the fare box return (Criteria 3). Saturday service has minimal ridership. Extension of this service would not provide the ridership or farebox revenue needed to support additional service hours. Due to Criteria 3 (see Figure 2), later service hours on Saturday is not reasonable to meet. Guadalupe Shuttle Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for later service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service ends at 3:00 PM. SBCAG survey results shows no requests for later service hours, while the COAST survey had 12 requests for later service hours, with a preference of 7:00 PM. Extending service to the time preference would require the extension of service by four hours. Ridership and farebox revenue could not support this extension of service. Due to Criteria 3 and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for later service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service ends at 7:30 PM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 8:00 PM for the request for later service hours. In 2002, SMAT implemented later service hours by adding one hour of service system wide. The current ridership has been modest during this additional increment of service since being provided. In addition, SMAT will be providing a route specific additional hour of service to Orcutt, ending service at 7:30 PM. SMAT is sensitive to the needs of those transit users who may need service until 8:00 PM. However, because there has not been sufficient ridership with the later service ridership over the past year, and in conjunction with low Saturday ridership, SMAT s farebox is operating below the TDA mandated 20% farebox recovery ratio, with a 1 st half FY farebox ratio of 18%. Due to Criteria 3 and 4 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. 39

45 Santa Ynez Valley Transit (SYVT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for later service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service ends at 6:30 PM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 8:00 PM for the request for later service hours. Currently, the cities of Buellton and Solvang dedicate all TDA funding to transit. Due to Criteria 3A and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. Earlier service hours City of Lompoc Transit (COLT) Unmet need, reasonable to meet (Need will be met through expansion plan as described in the 2003 COLT SRTP) The need for earlier service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service begins at 7:00 AM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 6:00 AM for the request for earlier service hours. COLT s Short Range Transit Plan, which will be reviewed for approval by the Lompoc City Council in June 2003, calls for the implementation of earlier service hours to begin at 6:30 AM. Guadalupe Flyer Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for earlier service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service begins at 6:15 AM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 6:00 AM for the request for earlier service hours. However, the Guadalupe Flyer schedule corresponds to its connection with the SMAT schedule. Therefore, this service could not be successfully implemented until SMAT provides earlier service for connection to an earlier Guadalupe Flyer schedule. Due to Criteria 1 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. Guadalupe Shuttle Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for earlier service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service begins at 10:00 AM. SBCAG survey results show one request for earlier service to begin at 8:00 AM. The COAST survey had 11 requests, with a preference of 6:00 AM for earlier service hours. Extending service to the time preference would require the extension of service by two to four hours, dependent upon the use of the SBCAG or COAST survey. Ridership and farebox revenue could not support this extension of service. Due to Criteria 3 and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. 40

46 Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) Unmet need, reasonable to meet (Need met through the provision of earlier service on select routes) The need for earlier service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service begins at 6:45 AM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 6:00 AM for the request for earlier service hours. SMAT will began providing earlier service on Routes 1, 2, 3 and 4, beginning at 6:00 AM, 6:15 AM, 6:45 AM, and 6:45 AM respectively, on April 1, This provides an additional ½ hour earlier service. As well, in the planning for the implementation of intercommunity service, SMAT may be adjusting morning service hours for connectability, which provides for earlier starting times. Santa Ynez Area Transit (SYVT) Unmet need, not reasonable to meet The need for earlier service hours as expressed by the public is a general ridership need. Weekday service begins at 7:00 AM. SBCAG survey results show a preference of 6:00 AM for the request for earlier service hours. Currently, the cities of Buellton and Solvang dedicate all TDA funding to transit. Due to Criteria 3A and 5 (see Figure 2), this need is not reasonable to meet. 41

47 Request Table 19 Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Findings Unmet Need (by definition) Reasonable to Meet (by definition) TDA Funding Available Comments Commuter Services Santa Maria to the South Coast Yes Programmed N/A Planned and Programmed/ Clean Air Express (CMAQ funding) Lompoc to the South Coast Yes Programmed N/A Planned and Programmed/ Clean Air Express (CMAQ funding) Buellton to the South Coast Yes Programmed N/A Planned and Programmed/ Clean Air Express & SBMTD Regional Service (CMAQ funding) Santa Ynez Valley to the South Coast Intercommunity Service Lompoc/VAFB/Santa Maria Yes Option 1: Not reasonable to meet Yes Programmed N/A Planned and Programmed/ SBMTD Regional Service (CMAQ funding) Option 2: Reasonable to meet. Use up to $375,000 of TDA for match to CMAQ funding Santa Ynez to Lompoc Yes No Criteria 3A & 5 Santa Ynez to Santa Maria Yes No Criteria 3A & 5 Yes as a match to CMAQ funding No No Not Reasonable to Meet based on Moore Study and Northern Santa Barbara County Intercommunity Transit Study (2001); speculative nature of service, fare box recovery concerns, and local agencies not meeting fare box recovery. Reasonable to Meet based upon the Preliminary Intercommunity Transit Service Exploratory Proposal (2003), Vandenberg Transportation Needs Assessment Survey (2002), and current social services transportation service provision. 42

48 Request Table 19 (continued) Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Findings Unmet Need (by definition) Reasonable to Meet (by definition) Intercommunity Service cont. Los Alamos to Santa Maria Yes No Criteria 1 & 3B Santa Maria/Guadalupe to Cities in San Luis Obispo County Yes Sunday Service COLT Yes No No Service provided by CCAT Criterion 3 & 4 Guadalupe Flyer Yes No Criteria 1, 3 & 5 Guadalupe Shuttle Yes No Criterion 3 & 5 SMAT Yes No Criterion 3 & 4 TDA Funding Available Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Comments County to develop pilot program with SMOOTH or social service agency. Further assessment is required No connectability, as SMAT does not provide Sunday service Further analysis of implementation in conjunction with a system-wide fare increase SYVT Yes No No Criteria 3A & 5 Later Service Hours COLT Yes Yes Yes Later service hours will be implemented through COLT s Short Range Transit Plan Guadalupe Flyer - weekday Yes No, Criteria 3 Yes Guadalupe Flyer - Saturday Yes No Criteria 3 & 5 Guadalupe Shuttle Yes No Criteria 3 & 5 SMAT Yes No Criterion 3 & 4 SYVT Yes No Criteria 3A & 5 Yes Yes Yes No SMAT will be providing one hour additional service to Orcutt 43

49 Request Table 19 (continued) Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Findings Unmet Need (by definition) Earlier Service Hours (continued) Guadalupe Flyer Yes No Reasonable to Meet (by definition) TDA Funding Available No Comments No connectability to SMAT s morning service hours Criteria 1, 3 & 5 Guadalupe Shuttle Yes No No Criteria 3 & 5 COLT Yes Yes Yes Earlier service hours will be implemented through COLT s Short Range Transit Plan SMAT Yes Yes Yes ½ hour earlier service was implemented on select routes beginning April 1, 2003 SYVT Yes No Criteria 3A & 5 No 44

50 VIII. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS Unincorporated Santa Barbara County Service Issues The provision of transit service in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is an emerging transit policy issue. Development of agriculture and service industry employment, lowincome housing, and an aging existing population will create an increasing demand for transit services. In some cases, this demand can be accommodated with existing services, e.g. SMAT service to Orcutt. In other cases, smaller separate communities, such as Los Alamos, may need some additional level of support to develop transit services. The need for transit service in unincorporated North County areas has been partially met in the case of COLT and SMAT providing incremental service outside the city boundaries, as well as Santa Barbara County s participation in the joint powers authority (JPA) for SYVT. However, in the case of Los Alamos, where there is no established municipal transit agency providing service within close proximity, or in the case of SYVT where significant unincorporated areas are provided service, additional transit funding from Santa Barbara County may be needed. In the case of Los Alamos, there is an unmet transit need that cannot be met through established transit operators in the North County. As an unincorporated area of the County, the residents look to Santa Barbara County to provide minimal public transportation services. In the case of SYVT, two of the three JPA partners City of Buellton and City of Solvang - dedicate their total TDA apportionment to transit. However, the County of Santa Barbara does not dedicate their total TDA apportionment to transit. Even with the total application of TDA funding to transit by Buellton and Solvang, there remains service issues that need to be addressed. In this case, Santa Barbara County could apply an amount greater than their established share to the JPA from TDA funds to allow for service expansion to meet the remaining transit needs. As is the prerogative of Santa Barbara County and the local public agencies, the determination of Santa Barbara County s fair share for transit service to unincorporated areas varies with each agency. Approaches to determining a fair share include costing of service hours, service miles, population, or a combination of determinants. It may be beneficial for Santa Barbara County and local public agencies to determine one standard to determine a fair share allocation for transit service provision by local transit agencies to unincorporated County areas. Intercommunity service: Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County Intercommunity service between the Santa Maria Valley and locations in San Luis Obispo County, including Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, Pismo Beach, Ocean and San Luis Obispo, was specified by 16% of those surveyed by SBCAG and 10% of those surveyed by COAST requesting intercommunity service. 45

51 Currently, service is provided between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo through the Central Coast Area Transit (CCAT) via Route 10, providing service to San Luis Obispo, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Nipomo and Santa Maria during weekday hours from 6:00 AM to 8:40 PM and on Saturdays from 7:15 AM to 5:04 PM. Although service is being provided, an extension of the partnership between SMAT and CCAT should be considered for research and analysis of this expression of unmet need, to develop and implement service responses and to determine cost sharing if applicable. Intercommunity service using a public/private partnership The North County public transit system consists of two municipal transit agencies (Cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria), one joint powers authority transit agency (Santa Ynez Valley, including the cities of Buellton and Solvang), one Consolidated Transportation Service Agency (SMOOTH serving the Santa Maria Valley), and a community shuttle service operating through a community recreation district (Cuyama). The provision of service, while for the most part is meeting the needs at a local level, does not address the emerging demand for intercommunity service in the North County. In evaluating existing transportation systems to meet expressed transportation needs, the Amtrak rail connector bus service and the Chumash Casino bus services were reviewed. These two systems provide private, limited-use service. In some cases, the buses may have empty seats, so people naturally ask why these systems can t be used for general purpose public transit. Amtrak provides bus service in the North County connecting Lompoc, Solvang and Santa Maria to the Lompoc Surf Station and the Santa Barbara Station as a part of its rail service. Under certain conditions, Government Code (c) (1) provides for non-rail passenger use of the Amtrak bus service (Appendix L). Due to the specifications of Section (Senate Bill ), implementation of joint service can occur only if a public agency, other than Amtrak (technically a private enterprise), provides the rail connection service. The service itself may be contracted to a private service provider by the public agency. Amtrak would then provide its share of the program cost to the operating public transit agency. The public transit agency must maintain a service area that includes all the connector stops as well as the rail stations. Therefore, a JPA could be formed to encompass Santa Barbara, Solvang, Lompoc, and Santa Maria to provide intercommunity service for non-rail passengers as well as bus connection service for rail passengers. Amtrak and the JPA would function through a memorandum of understanding. The adaptability of the Amtrak Connector Bus Service within the context of intercommunity transit service is questionable due to the connector bus schedule s dependency upon the Amtrak train schedule. If a train is not on schedule, the connector bus must wait until the train arrives. Because of this issue, there is a significant potential for the lack of service reliability. Without service reliability, ridership will not develop to a point of service sustainability. 46

52 After considering the institutional constraints of implementing a partnership with Amtrak, in addition to the concern of service reliability, it is not believed that a public/private partnership with Amtrak would produce a viable intercommunity transit service at this time. In addition, the Chumash Casino transportation system was reviewed. As a part of its Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan, the Chumash Casino provides complementary transportation to its patrons and employees. Service is provided to the cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria 24 hours every day, to the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and to cities throughout San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties. Peak service hours with buses operating near or at passenger capacity are 11:00 AM through 3:00 AM, with spikes throughout the day in relation to employee shift changes. Although the Chumash Casino is responsive to community needs, a public/private partnership for intercommunity transit service is not feasible at this time for the following reasons: Security Liability Requires the management and operations of service under different Public Utilities Codes (PUC) Current transportation service provision is integral to the Casino s Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM) The Chumash Casino will continue to provide intercommunity transportation service for Casino patrons and employees. However, the Chumash Casino has declined to participate in a public/private partnership for intercommunity service. It should be noted that while participation would assist persons wanting to travel from the Santa Ynez Valley to Lompoc and Santa Maria, it would not assist persons wanting to travel to or from other locations in the North County. 47

53 Table 20 Summary: 2003 Unmet Transit Needs Policy Considerations Issue Components Considerations 1). Service in Los Alamos and other unincorporated communities 2). Enhanced service in Santa Ynez Valley 3). Determining a standard for SB County s fair share to the provision of transit service to unincorporated areas Unincorporated Santa Barbara County Service Issues Intercommunity service: Santa Barbara County to San Luis Obispo County Intercommunity service using a public/private partnership 1). Inter-regional issue with San Luis Obispo County 2). Current service provision by the Central Coast Transit Authority (CCAT) 1). Amtrak connector bus service 2). Chumash Casino bus service 1). No public transportation service in Los Alamos and other unincorporated communities 2). Greater funding opportunities to meet unmet transit needs of those served by Santa Ynez Valley Transit 1). Clarification of unmet transit needs 2). Community Health Centers to be located in Guadalupe 3). Cross-jurisdictional planning & funding for service implementation 1). Service reliability impacted by Amtrak rail schedule/on time service 2). Institutional issues to implement a JPA to administer bus service for Amtrak and North County intercommunity service 3). Chumash Casino bus service is a private enterprise. Regulatory issues Liability & security Impact upon Chumash Casino customer and employee ridership (TDM implications) 48

54 Appendix A SBCAG Transit Needs Surveys Appendix A 49

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68 Appendix C Student Population Santa Barbara County Appendix C 63

69 Higher Education Enrollment Santa Barbara County Table C-1 University/College Location Enrollment Allan Hancock Community College Lompoc & Santa Maria 10,209 Santa Barbara Community College Santa Barbara 12,341 Westmont College Santa Barbara 1,328 University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara 18,822 Total 42,700 Public School - Secondary Enrollment Santa Barbara County - October 2002 Table C-2 District Location Enrollment Carpinteria Unified School District Carpinteria 925 Cuyama Joint Unified School District Cuyama 110 Lompoc Unified School District Lompoc 3,354 Olive Grove Charter Santa Ynez 86 Santa Barbara High School District Santa Barbara 10,932 Santa Maria Joint Union HS District Santa Maria 6,429 Santa Ynez Valley Union HS District Santa Ynez 1,124 Total 22,960 Public Schools - Elementary Enrollment Santa Barbara County October 2002 Table C-3 District Location Enrollment Ballard School District Solvang 128 Blochman Union School District Santa Maria 83 Buellton Union School District Buellton 652 Carpinteria Unified School District Carpinteria 2,093 Casmalia School District Casmalia 35 Cold Spring School District Santa Barbara 213 College School District Santa Ynez 527 Cuyama Joint Unified School District Cuyama 220 Goleta Union School District Goleta 4,110 Guadalupe Union School District Guadalupe 1,198 Hope School District Santa Barbara 1,387 Lompoc Unified School District Lompoc 8,263 Los Alamos School District Los Alamos 232 Los Olivos School District Los Olivos 300 Montecito Union School District Santa Barbara 442 Orcutt Union School District Orcutt 5,032 Santa Barbara Elementary School District Santa Barbara 6,093 Santa Maria-Bonita School district Santa Maria 12,034 Solvang School District Solvang 666 Vista del Mar Union School District Gaviota 73 Total 43,781 64

70 Appendix D Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing Testimony and Correspondence January 16, 2003 Santa Maria, CA Appendix D 65

71 Public Testimony Comment Summary Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing January 16, 2003 Table D-1 Later hours Earlier hours More frequent service Sunday service Intercommunity service North County to South Coast Intercommunity service within North County Service to work Service to medical appointments Service for social service purposes Service to court & probation appointments/ programs General use Other Azevedo, Kathy Bass, Anna 1 1 Bernstein, Corrinne Cook, Kathy (VTC) Fortson, David (SBCAN) 1 Guzmon, Maria Hoskinson, Renee (CPC) Keller, Janice (SBCPDO) Palius, Dean (SYVPHP) VTC- Vocational Training Center SBCAN Santa Barbara County Action Network CPC Community Partners in Caring SBCPDO - Santa Barbara County Public Defenders Office SYVPHP - Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People 66

72 Table D-1 (continued) Later hours Earlier hours More frequent service Sunday service Intercommunity service North County to South Coast Intercommunity service within North County Service to work Service to medical appointments Service for social service purposes Service to court & probation appointments/ programs General use Other Parker, Brent Prate, S. Patrick Pujo, Alex COAST Sparks, Jeanne COAST Stotts, Barry CAN Wilkins, Bruce AAA Total Other : spending all TDA monies for transit service, provide moral and financial support for the creation of viable intercommunity service; service for medical appointments in Los Angeles (UCLA Med. Cntr.) and cancer patients in Cuyama; improved service to Allan Hancock College; improved scheduling and locations of transfer points (including Guadalupe Flyer and SMAT interconnects); greater public outreach and review of transportation policy and systems; improved service in Cuyama; involvement in and progress of NCTAC; statistics on use of transit. COAST - Coalition for Sustainable Transportation CAN - Community Access Network AAA - Area Agency on Aging 67

73 Summary of Statements North County Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing January 16, 2003 Azevedo, Kathy: Ms. Azevedo discussed the need for later service hours for those who use the SMAT transit system to get to work. This would provide needed transportation service for those who work in retail establishments, which stay open later in the evening. As well, there needs to be Sunday bus service for those who work on Sundays. Ms. Azevedo discussed the need for more bus stops and an updated and re-written schedule that is user friendly. Bass, Anna: Ms. Bass discussed the issue of commuter traffic and the concern that those commuters are at work and are unable to attend the public hearing to express their concerns. Ms. Bass also discussed traffic congestion and safety issues on Highway 1 (between Lompoc and the junction with Highway 101). Ms. Bass then read correspondence by David Pearce regarding the use of rail service for commuter traffic between Lompoc and the South Coast. Bernstein, Corrinne: (NCTAC member representing senior citizens) Ms. Bernstein discussed the need for Sunday bus service in Santa Maria. Ms. Bernstein stated that there is a demand for the service and that a nominal program could be put into place to start Sunday service. Ms. Bernstein also stated that Saturday ridership on the SMAT system has increased. Cook, Kathy: (Vocational Training Center - VTC) Ms. Cook stated that VTC serves 350 adults with developmental and/or mental health impairments. These clients need public transportation to get to work around the North County including work locations in Santa Maria, Buellton, Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base. Ms. Cook stated that do to Department of Rehabilitation re-organization, VTC is expecting about 100 new clients in the near future. Ms. Cook stated that the SMAT demand response service has been good. Ms. Cook stated that the SMAT fixed route system needs to allow more time for patrons using wheelchairs to board and depart from the bus, and that more wheelchair spaces are needed on the buses. Ms. Cook stated that over all, the SMAT system needs more transfer points (that with only one transfer point, the VTC clients are stigmatized) and that Santa Maria has a need for Sunday and evening service. Fortson, David: (Santa Barbara County Action Network - SBCAN) Mr. Fortson discussed the need for all the Transportation Development Act (TDA) monies to be spent for transit in the central and north county areas of Santa Barbara County. Mr. Fortson discussed the 68

74 transit surveys that were developed and distributed to North County residents by SBCAN and COAST. Mr. Fortson discussed the development of transit in response to traffic congestion issues and the needs of the transit dependent. Mr. Fortson discussed a value judgment in policy decisions and looking at regional planning in regard to the dependence on single occupancy vehicles. Mr. Fortson requested the Board to provide both moral and financial support for the creation of viable intercommunity transit service. Mr. Fortson stated that SBCAN would be present at the South Coast Unmet Needs Public Hearing and would be providing video testimony at that meeting. Guzmon, Maria: (Comments by Ms. Guzmon were spoken in Spanish and translated by Alex Pujo) Ms. Guzmon submitted a petition of 20 transit users requesting Sunday service, stating that she gathered signatures from people in Guadalupe, Santa Maria and Orcutt and believed that if she had more time, she would have gathered more signatures. Ms. Guzmon stated that there is a need to serve the transit dependent and those needing health care. Hoskinson, Renee: (Community Partners in Caring - CPC) Ms. Hoskinson discussed seniors, disabled and low income persons in the North County who have transportation needs. Even though CPC assists those who need transportation (after all other means have been exhausted), there is still a demand for transportation services. Ms. Hoskinson discussed specific needs such as transportation to the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles for specialized medical treatment, and for those persons in remote areas, such as Cuyama, who need transportation for Cancer treatment. Keller, Janice: (Santa Barbara County Public Defenders Office) Ms. Keller stated that there is a need for clients of the Public Defenders Office to get to court appearances, probation appointments, court mandated programs and work. Due to the location of the courts, it is difficult for many clients to meet all appointments and requirements of the justice system. This in turn causes additional costs to the system for follow-up, court processes, warrants, and potential future arrests and incarceration. Ms. Keller stated that it would cost less to get clients to the programs, than to open additional program and court locations. Palius, Dean (Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People SYVPHP) Mr. Palius briefly discussed his participation in prior transit planning and with NCTAC, in responding to the transportation needs of SYVPHP clients. Mr. Palius stated that clients transportation needs include public health, social services, court and work. Mr. Palius referenced a recently completed survey in the Santa Ynez Valley (Community Accountability Project), stating that 40% of those surveyed indicated some type of transportation need. Parker, Brent: Mr. Parker discussed the need for improved transit service to the Allan Hancock College (Santa Maria). Mr. Parker discussed poor scheduling, route locations and connections. Mr. Parker stated that the 69

75 service connections and scheduling to the Transit Center and Orcutt are inadequate for the students at the College. Prate, S. Patrick: Mr. Prate discussed service issues in Guadalupe, as well as those issues related to connecting service to Santa Maria. Mr. Prate stated that there is a need for Sunday service, later service hours, and better coordination between the Guadalupe Flyer and SMAT systems to allow for connections and transfers that meet the needs of the transit users. Mr. Prate stated that scheduling and routes need to be related to mobility needs and noted that not everyone works or needs transportation between 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Pujo, Alex: (Coalition for Sustainable Transportation - COAST) Mr. Pujo discussed concern about transportation policy and systems improvement. Mr. Pujo also discussed the need for greater public outreach to include surveys, flyers, radio advertisement and newspaper articles. Mr. Pujo stated that COAST will continue with outreach activities and provide more testimony at the South Coast public hearing. Mr. Pujo stated that there needs to be more frequent service, earlier and later service hours, public transportation opportunities between Lompoc, Buellton and the Santa Ynez Valley, and discussed a concern about the costs and scheduling of transfers between the Guadalupe Flyer and the SMAT system. Sparks, Jeanne: (Coalition for Sustainable Transportation - COAST) Ms. Sparks discussed the surveys developed and distributed by COAST to transit users in Guadalupe, Lompoc and Santa Maria. Ms. Sparks stated that there is a need for more frequent service, earlier and later service hours, service on Saturday and Sunday, and Intercommunity service. Ms. Sparks also discussed a concern about the cost of transfers between the Guadalupe Flyer and SMAT, stating that these are the transit users who are least able to afford the extra costs. Stotts, Barry: (Community Access Network) Mr. Stotts discussed his participation in NCTAC and the progress that NCTAC has made in regard to transit issues in the North County. Mr. Stotts cited increased and meaningful participation by a diverse group of individuals and social service agencies. Mr. Stotts pointed out that NCTAC lacks representation from the City of Guadalupe and the unincorporated area of Cuyama. Wilkins, Bruce: (Area Agency on Aging) Mr. Wilkins briefly discussed North County transit needs for seniors and presented facts by the AARP regarding the need for public transportation by persons with low incomes, senior citizens, and those in rural areas. 70

76 Correspondence Summary Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing January 16, 2003 Table D-2 Later hours Earlier hours More frequent service Sunday service Intercommunity service North County to South Coast Intercommunity service within North County Service to work Service to medical appointments Service for social service purposes Service to court & probation appointments/ programs General use Other Anderson, N. 1 1 Cook, K VTC Marsh, Mae Pierce, D 1 1 Ruhge, J 1 Stotts, B CAN 1 Tompkins, S 1 1 Williams, L 1 1 Williams, R Total Other: Need for additional demand response service, more time for the disabled to board/depart buses, more transfer points and more / evening service to Allan Hancock College (Santa Maria); user friendly bus stops; rail service between Lompoc and the South Coast; support for road maintenance over increased transit service in rural areas; involvement in and progress of NCTAC; initiate service in Los Alamos; and partnerships with the Chumash Casino and Amtrak for intercommunity transit service. VTC Vocational Training Center CAN Community Access Network 71

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92 Appendix E Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing Testimony and Correspondence February 20, 2003 Santa Barbara, CA Appendix E 87

93 Public Testimony Comment Summary Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing February 20, 2003 Table E-1 South Coast Service Issues Later service Earlier service More frequent service Sunday service Intercommunity service within North County Service to medical appointment Service to work Service for General Use Other South Coast Arnold, D 1 Karmasin, E GVSC Runnels, M CP Sudman, B MS Verhasselt, S SCTAC Total Other: Handicap accessible bus stop at 1451 Camino Trillado; barriers to fixed route use by seniors; due to higher than average suicide rate, senior access to transportation is about more than mobility; establish service to the new Fairview Center; implement demand response service between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara; intercommunity service between South Coast and North County; install crosswalk on Cliff Drive for bus stop access; and include a bus stop on Castillo at Victoria. GVSC Goleta Valley Senior Center UPC United Cerebral Palsy MS Multiple Sclerosis Society SCTAC South Coast Transit Advisory Committee 88

94 Table E-2 North County Service Issues Later service Earlier service More frequent service Sunday service Intercommunity service within North County Service to medical appointment Service to work Service for General Use Other North County 1 Abadia, M Bernstein, C 1 1 Corcoran, J Fortson, D SBCAN Hoskinson, R CPC Pujo, A COAST Sparks, J COAST Talbott, J NCTAC Total Other: Use of cleaner fuel or electric buses; people friendly bus stops; use of all TDA funds on transit programs; clarification on farebox ratio per TDA. SBCAN Santa Barbara County Action Network CPC Community Partners in Caring COAST Coalition for Sustainable Transportation NCTAC North County Transit Advisory Committee 89

95 Public Testimony - Summary of Statements Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing February 20, 2003 Abadia, Monique (Transit users Santa Maria) Ms. Abadia discussed the need for Sunday transit service in Santa Maria to enable the transit dependent to get to work and to attend church services. Ms. Abadia also stated that service hours for Route 2 and 20 need to be expanded to meet the increasing demand for service in these areas. Arnold, Diane / Alvarez, Jose (Cornerstone Home) Ms. Arnold discussed the need to place a handicap accessible stop at 1451 Camino Trillado in Carpinteria, so that residents and guests from the Cornerstone Home could use the trolley service in the area. Ms. Arnold stated that the current handicap accessible stop is too far from the Home to enable ridership by the residents. Bernstein, Corinne (NCTAC Senior citizen transit user representative) Ms. Bernstein discussed the need for Sunday transit service in Santa Maria to enable senior citizens to attend church and to go to work. Ms. Bernstein explained that Santa Maria is not a little town, and that if the communities of Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande can successfully provide transit service on Sunday, so can the City of Santa Maria. Corcaran, Janet (Sister) (Marian Medial Center) Sister Corcaran stated that there are unmet transit needs in the North County and requested the following action be taken to meet those needs: Implement Sunday service in Santa Maria; weekend service for the Guadalupe Flyer, extended service hours for the Guadalupe Flyer, COLT, and SMAT systems to meet the needs of the agricultural workers, intercommunity service between Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez Valley, transportation to medical appointments, the use of cleaner fuel and/or electric buses by the transit agencies, and locating transit stops at people friendly locations. Fortson, David (Santa Barbara Community Action Network) Mr. Fortson provided an overview of the Transit Needs Assessment process and COAST s and SBCAN s outreach, surveying and research activities, including working with SBCAG staff. Mr. Fortson stated that SBCAN encourages all North County jurisdictions to spend TDA funds on transit programs and stated that SBCAN supports COAST s recommendations for implementation of transit service improvements in the North County. 90

96 Hoskinson, Rene (Community Partners in Caring Santa Maria) Ms. Hoskinson discussed the need for additional transit service in the North County. Ms. Hoskinson pointed out that Community Partners in Caring provides transportation services to those who have no other means of mobility, including seniors such as Corrine Bernstein, who had previously testified at the public hearing for Sunday transit service. Ms. Hoskinson stated that even with the efforts of CPC and other social service agencies, there are still unmet transit needs. Ms. Hoskinson stated that mobility allows for the prevention of much costlier program for seniors and the chronically ill and discussed the improvement in the quality of life for the transit dependent when there are mobility options available. Karmasin, Evie (Goleta Valley Senior Center) Ms. Karmasin discussed the programs offered by the Goleta Valley Senior Center and the importance of senior citizens to have social interaction. Ms. Karmasin stated that senior citizens in the Santa Barbara area have a higher than average suicide rate, and that providing transportation services is greater than an issue of mobility. Ms. Karmasin stated that although some seniors use MTD fixed route service, there are many barriers that inhibit fixed route transit use. Ms. Karamsin stated that she is contacted by 3 to 5 seniors a week that have some type of unmet transit need. Pujo, Alex (Coalition for Sustainable Transportation) Mr. Pujo presented an overview of the report, Unmet Transit Needs in North Santa Barbara County. The focus of the presentation was the availability of TDA funds in the North County that are being used for streets and roads purposes and not transit programs. Runnels, Missy (United Cerebral Palsy) Ms. Runnels discussed a new residential complex for the disabled - the Fairveiw Center. Ms. Runnels stated that the Center is located in Goleta and does not have access to the public transit system. Ms. Runnels requested that Line 6 on weekdays and Line 8 on weekends be redesigned to include service to the residential complex (6067 Shirrell Way). Sparks, Jeanne (Coalition for Sustainable Transportation) Ms. Sparks discussed the COAST transit needs survey, stating that it was endorsed by Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, Community Partners in Caring and Marian Medical Center. Ms. Sparks stated that 50% of TDA funding apportioned to North County jurisdictions goes to streets and roads projects, rather than to transit programs. Ms. Sparks noted that the cities of Solvang, Buellton and Guadalupe use almost all of their TDA funding for transit. Ms. Sparks also stated that the farebox ratio required by TDA is 20% is for urban areas and only 10% for rural areas. Because of this, there are service opportunities when using the 10% farebox ratio standard. Ms. Sparks requested the following transit service be implemented: Sunday transit service and service frequency every ½ hour in Santa Maria, Sunday transit service and extension of service hours in Lompoc, and intercommunity service between Santa Maria and Lompoc, with an extension to Buellton. 91

97 Sudman, Bill (Multiple Sclerosis Society) Mr. Sudman stated that Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties provide demand response service with a much shorter wait for service than does the South Coast area of Santa Barbara County. Mr. Sudman also discussed the disabled that need demand response service between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. Mr. Sudman stated that funding had been appropriated in 2002 for demand response service between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, but that service has not yet been implemented. Talbott, Jim (SMOOTH CTSA / NCTAC) Mr. Talbott discussed the work that NCTAC had done in preparation of and during the transit needs assessment process, and its review of the findings of the North County SBCAG transit survey data. Mr. Talbott highlighted the expressed need for Sunday and intercommunity service and gave an overview of the work that has been done by the Intercommunity Transit Service Exploratory Committee to develop a proposal to implement an intercommunity transit service pilot program. Verhasselt, Sue (Easy Lift CTSA / SCTAC) Ms. Verhasselt discussed the work that SCTAC had done in preparation of and during the transit needs assessment process, and its review of the findings of the South Coast SBCAG transit survey data. Ms. Verhasselt highlighted the expressed need for increased service frequency, later operating hours, demand response service between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, intercommunity service between the South Coast and North County, a crosswalk on Cliff Drive for bus stop accessibility, and a change in routing for the Crosstown Shuttle to include a bus stop on Castillo at Victoria. 92

98 Correspondence Summary Unmet Transit Needs Public Hearing February 20, 2003 Table E-3 South Coast Service Issues Transportation for senior citizens Sunday service Later service Earlier service Intercommunity service South Coast to North County Other Johnson, C Russell, N 1 Rossi, A 1 Cornerstone House Total Other: bus passes for low income transit users; allow for greater transfer times in route scheduling. Table E-4 North County Service Issues More frequent service Sunday service Later service Earlier service Intercommunity service within North County Other COAST SBCAN Total Other: Use all TDA funding for transit programs; clarification on farebox returns for TDA funding; COAST survey results. 93

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107 COALITION FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION (COAST) P.O. BOX 2495, SANTA BARBARA, CA UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS IN NORTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FEBRUARY 15, 2003 SUMMARY This report demonstrates that three North Santa Barbara County jurisdictions diverted $3.5 million earmarked for transit to roads in The loss of these funds each year has resulted in unmet transit needs in the North County that are reasonable to meet. Specific improvements to service are requested. 102

108 UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS IN NORTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, 2003 CONTENTS PAGE 1. Documented Transit Needs in North Santa Barbara County 2 2. Feasibility of Intercommunity Service for North County 2 3. The political factors influencing implementation of transit 3 service and intercommunity transit in North County 4. The legislative intent for funds received under the state s 3 Transportation Development Act (TDA) 5. Reasonable to meet and Farebox returns 6 6. Request for Action 8 7. Attachments: a) Public comments from COAST/SBCAN survey questionnaires b) The Need for Intercommunity Transit, COAST

109 1. Documented Transit Needs in North Santa Barbara County a) Transit Surveys. The following transit surveys were conducted in the last four months to determine transit needs in the North County: Survey Organization/Agency Responses Transit users survey SBCAG staff 367 Transit users survey COAST and SBCAN (2003) *308 Personnel survey Vandenberg Air Force Base **432 Santa Ynez Valley survey People Helping People 120 * Findings summarized in SBCAG Staff Report) ** 6% of population b) Analysis of survey responses. Data collected indicates strong needs in the following areas: SMAT Sunday service Guadalupe Flyer Saturday and Sunday service Extended hours for SMAT, COLT and Guadalupe Flyer Intercommunity service between Lompoc, VAFB and Santa Maria Intercommunity service between Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Data collected indicates needs in the following areas: Increased service frequency in SMAT and COLT service Intercommunity service between Lompoc and Santa Barbara Intercommunity service between Santa Maria and Santa Barbara 2. Feasibility of Intercommunity Service for North County COAST presented a report at SBCAG s 2002 Unmet Transit Needs public hearing on the need for intercommunity transit in North County, a copy of which is included as an attachment. The need for this service has been documented in surveys taken both years. Discussions at the North County Transportation Advisory Committee (NCTAC) and among transit providers confirm the feasibility of establishing new service between Lompoc, VAFB and Santa Maria for the peak commute hours. This service would consist of one bus departing from Lompoc, one departing from Santa Maria and meeting at the base South Gate. VAFB would provide in-base transport. The hours of COLT and SMAT would have to be coordinated to make this service work. Extension of intercommunity service to the Santa Ynez valley is feasible and could be phased in the second year. It would consist of buses leaving from Lompoc and Santa Maria and meeting at Buellton. Buellton would be the connecting point between this service and the Valley to Santa Barbara service proposed by MTD for This service could be started as a 3-year trial with CMAQ funds. 104

110 3. The political factors influencing implementation of transit service and intercommunity transit in North County. Several factors are at play influencing transit decisions in Northern Santa Barbara County: The North County does not have a unified, independent transit agency to serve the region, comparable to MTD in the South Coast. There are too many transit providers, creating inefficiency, redundancy of services and lacking the economy of scale, i.e.: spare buses, insurance, maintenance facilities, marketing, etc. Transit is provided by departments controlled by Public Works directors. Three of these jurisdictions have an established practice of allocating a large portion of TDA funds for road maintenance and traffic engineering. 4. The legislative intent for funds received under the State s Transportation Development Act (TDA) Transit needs are the highest priority for funds received under the State s Transportation Development Act (TDA Statutes, Article 2, 99222; Article 3, 99233). a) How is the TDA funding implemented? The Transportation Development Act (TDA) provides funds under two programs: the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and the State Transit Assistance (STA). These funds are provided annually by the State to SBCAG for allocation to local agencies. In order to use these funds for roads, it is necessary for SBCAG to make the finding that there are no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet. 1. LTF is the lion s share of TDA funds, about $12.7 million per year. It is derived from the sales tax (¼ of 1 percent). It is distributed to claimants based on population. The North and South portions of Santa Barbara County have approximately equal population numbers. 2. STA is a much smaller fund, about $725,000 per year. It is derived from fuel taxes and it is allocated at the discretion of SBCAG. 3. LTF and STA have different timetables. LTF funds are usually allocated in June, and STA funds are usually allocated in September. b) How were the LTF funds allocated in the cycle? In the most recent cycle (2002-3), LTF funds were allocated County-wide as follows: Total $12,666, % Transit $8,659,906 68% Roads $3,504,675 28% Bikeways $253,323 2% Planning (SBCAG) $248,257 2% 105

111 While the percentage of transit funds allocated to road maintenance county-wide (28%) does not appear excessive, a closer look reveals how the majority of transit funds for North County residents are diverted from transit to roads. South County used 100% of its LTF funds for transit and bikeways as intended by the legislation. North County diverted almost 57%, over $3.5 million, of their LTF funds to roads. Allocation by sub-region: North County $6,170, % South Coast $6,247, % Planning (SBCAG) $248,257 2% In the South Coast, these funds were allocated as follows: Total $6,247, % Transit $6,121,203 98% (MTD: 96%; Easy Lift: 2%) Roads $0 0% Bikeways $126,061 2% In the North County, these funds were allocated as follows: Total $6,170, % Transit $2,538, % Roads $3,504, % Bikeways $127, % The distribution of transit funds in the North County divides into two groups. Buellton, Guadalupe, and Solvang used nearly all the available LTF funds for transit. Three jurisdictions did not. Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the County used most of their LTF funds for roads. The exact figures reflecting the percentage of funds used for transit by each jurisdiction are difficult to understand from the LTF Allocation Chart prepared by SBCAG (June 20, 2002). Footnotes in the chart indicate that some transit funds used in one jurisdiction were supplied by another. The following is the breakdown of how the cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria, and the County of Santa Barbara allocated their share of LTF funds: 106

112 LTF Allocations by Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the County in North Santa Barbara County Lompoc LTF $1,498,748 (From TDA chart) - $251,831 (County contribution to COLT) + $33,107 (Lompoc contribution to SMAT) Total LTF $ 1,280,024 (100%) Transit $469,643 (From TDA chart) - $251,831 (County contribution to COLT) + $33,107 (Lompoc contribution to SMAT) Total Transit $250,919 (19.6%) Roads $1,002,993 (78.4%) Bikeways $26,112 (2%) Santa Maria Total LTF $2,784,131 (From chart) - $ 33,107 (Lompoc contribution to SMAT) - $ 440,554 (County contribution to SMAT) Total LTF $2,310,470 (100%) Transit $1,302,791 (From TDA chart) - $ 33,107 (Lompoc contribution to SMAT) - 440,554 (County contribution to SMAT) Total Transit $829,130 (35.9%) Roads $1,431,779 (62.0%) Bikeways $49,561 (2.1%) S.B. County LTF $1,174,473 (From TDA chart) North County Portion + $ 251,831 (to Lompoc transit) + $ 440,554 (to Santa Maria transit) + $ 117,123 (to Santa Ynez Valley transit) - $ 42,012 (Assumes ½ bikeways are in South Coast) Total LTF $1,941,969 (100%) Transit $851,559 (43.9%) Roads $1,048,399 (54.0%) Bikeways $42,012 (2.1%) 107

113 c) LTF Fund Diversion to Roads Summary The South County and North County cities of Buellton, Solvang, and Guadalupe allocated nearly all LTF funds for transit. Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the County diverted nearly $3.5 million North County LTF funds for roads. % Transit funds (LTF) apportionment diverted to roads $ Transit funds (LTF) apportionment diverted to roads Lompoc 78.4% $1,002,993 Santa Maria 62.0% $1,431,779 County (North) 54.0% $1,048, Reasonable to meet and Farebox returns Public Works Directors responsible for providing transit in the North County (Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the County) state that their transit agencies are barely making the minimum fare box ratio (FBR) required by the law. (FBR is the amount collected at the farebox divided by the operating cost of providing the service.) Under those circumstances, they ask, how can they be expected to expand service? In addition, they claim that COLT and Santa Ynez Valley Transit have yet to achieve the critical mass necessary to generate a steady increase in ridership. The fact that a community s transit service is in its infancy and is having trouble achieving the minimum FBR is no excuse to transfer to roads the LTF money that is supposed to establish the area s transit system. The TDA law is explicit in allowing provisions for exemptions to the minimum FBR to allow time for the new service or extended service to generate ridership over time, as well as provisions for modification of the minimum ratio required, as explained below. On the South Coast, after years of investing all available transit funds in improved service, MTD continues to generate ridership, has achieved an FBR of over 40% and appears able to increase its service without lowering that ratio. The minimum FBR is 20% for operators in urban areas; rural area operators need only achieve a 10% ratio. For intercommunity service, it should be noted that: The service needs to achieve the full 20% FBR ratio only if both ends are in an urban area with no service provided to the rural area between the cities, e.g. Lompoc to Santa Maria. If buses stop in between, the required FBR is to be revised based on the percentage of service supplied to the rural stops along the way, as allowed under the rules of TDA. The 20% FBR only applies to the urban areas and is not applicable if, for example, there is a stop at the gate at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The ability to achieve the minimum FBR is the main component of the reasonable to meet definition approved by SBCAG. In that regard: 108

114 TDA allows exemption of the minimum FBR requirements for new service and service extensions for up to three years (year put in place, plus two) (TDA Article 4, Section ). If an operator is serving both urbanized and rural areas such as intercommunity service the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA), in our case SBCAG, must adopt rules and regulations to determine what portion of the services of the operator serves urbanized areas and what portion serves non-urbanized areas in order to determine the required FBR (TDA Article 4, , and Section 6645 b of California Code of Regulations). The RTPA has to submit the rules and regulations to Caltrans for approval. SBCAG has the responsibility to develop rules and regulations to cover the FBR issue. Local transit agencies are allowed to supplement fare revenues with local support to achieve the FBR (Article 4, Section is the TDA's FBR Supplementation provision). The regulations also allow the RTPA in a county with a population of 500,000 or less (like Santa Barbara County) to specify the FBR at 15% if specific findings are made by the RTPA justifying the reason for the reduced ratio (California Code of Regulations Section (d)). In Ventura County, the adopted rules of the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) have a phased approach to achieving the full FBR requirement by the third year, acknowledging the fact that it takes time for a new service to build ridership and become efficient. The performance of the transit agencies in the North County is not uniform. The Guadalupe Flyer achieved a very high FBR (40%) in its first year, and Santa Maria s SMAT has record ridership levels. It had surpassed minimum FBR requirements until a recent increase in insurance rates. The FBR could easily be reached again with a small fare increase. MTD s experience shows that fare increases do not have a negative impact on ridership and can, if service levels stay the same or improve, result in increased ridership. Ridership Source: Transit Needs Assessment 2002 FY 1998/99 FY 1999/00 FY 2000/01 Lompoc (COLT) - Declining 156, , ,059 Santa Ynez Valley - Steady 24,296 24,956 23,659 In actuality, Lompoc s system, COLT, is the system with the greatest difficulty in meeting the FBR without local support. COLT s lackluster performance may be the result of the way the system is designed and the lack of allocation of sufficient funding necessary to establish more productive service. Statistics show that a majority of COLT s riders are students, with a substantial reduction in the number of passengers over the age of 25. Another reason COLT is struggling is lack of sufficient marketing. The last significant radio/tv marketing campaign was undertaken in

115 6. Request for Action As a result of the diversion of North Santa Barbara County transit funds by Lompoc, Santa Maria, and the County, there are unmet transit needs. Transit riders have identified improvements that would be reasonable to meet if the funds were used for transit instead of roads. COAST therefore requests the following expanded and new transit services in the North County: a) SMAT Sunday service. b) SMAT service expansion to every one-half hour on routes where service is currently only every hour. c) Expansion of COLT service to include extended hours, Saturday and Sunday service, and improved marketing for new and existing services. d) Guadalupe Flyer Saturday and Sunday service. e) Intercommunity service between Lompoc, VAFB, and Santa Maria. f) Intercommunity service between Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria implemented in a phased approach, one year after implementing intercommunity service between Lompoc, VAFB, and Santa Maria. 7. Attachments a) Public comments from COAST/SB CAN survey questionnaires 1. Santa Maria Survey 2. Lompoc Survey 3. Guadalupe Survey b) The Need for Intercommunity Transit, COAST,

116 JANUARY 25, 2003 UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS 2003 Santa Maria Survey Survey cards prepared by Coast/SB CAN received as of 1/20/03 Number of Surveys received: 214 (100%) Surveys in English: 187 (87%) Surveys in Spanish: 27 (13%) Respondents with Spanish surnames: 104 (49%) Requests for improved service: 198 (92%) Earlier service on weekdays: 104 (49%) Later (longer) service on weekdays: 127 (59%) More frequent service: 66 (31%) Earlier service on Saturday: 61 (29%) Later (longer) service on Saturday: 70 (33%) Sunday service: 89 (42%) Requests for inter-community service: 143 (67%) No requests: 71 (33%) One city only: 50 (23%) 2 or 3 cities: 37 (17%) 4 or 5 cities: 15 (7%) 8 or 9 cities: 14 (7%) Need bus service between Santa Maria and: Lompoc: 60 (28%) Vandenberg AFB: 26 (12%) Santa Ynez: 33 (15%) Buellton: 28 (13%) Solvang: 24 (11%) Los Alamos: 35 (16%) Los Olivos: 18 (8%) Ballard: 14 (8%) Santa Barbara: 61 (28%) 111

117 Under other or specific destination : Guadalupe: 33 (15%) Orcutt: 9 (4%) San Luis Obispo: 7 (3%) Pismo Beach: 4 (2%) Tanglewood: 3 (1%) Oceano: 2 (1%) Nipomo: 2 (1%) Arroyo Grande: 2 (1%) More bus stops/benches: 4 (2%) Comments: - The overwhelming majority answered the survey in English, even though almost half of the respondents were of Spanish descent and some showed limited knowledge of English. - The questions regarding SMAT service requested information about specific transit lines, i.e., earlier hours on line 7, or more frequent service on line 1. Less than 1/3 of the answers provided that kind of detailed information responses came from riders from Guadalupe, perhaps on their way back home. - Most of the Guadalupe riders requested longer hours. - Most of those who marked only one or two boxes for inter-community service, besides the Guadalupe riders, requested service to Lompoc and/or Santa Barbara. - 7 responses came from VTC enterprises and had no other personal identification. They requested service to the Mall every ½ hour. - 7 responses came with no requests, just personal identification requests were for inter-community service only, not for improved SMAT. 112

118 JANUARY 25, 2003 UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS 2003 Lompoc Survey Survey cards prepared by Coast/SB CAN received as of 1/20/03 Number of Surveys received: 59 (100%) Surveys in English: 57 (97%) Surveys in Spanish: 2 (3%) Respondents with Spanish surnames: 22 (37%) Requests for improved service: 59 (100%) Earlier service on weekdays: 31 (52%) Later (longer) service on weekdays: 35 (59%) More frequent service: 16 (27%) Earlier service on Saturday: 28 (47%) Later (longer) service on Saturday: 32 (54%) Sunday service: 34 (58%) Requests for inter-community service: 53 (90%) Need bus service between Lompoc and: Santa Maria: 36 (61%) Vandenberg AFB: 26 (44%) Santa Ynez: 11 (19%) Buellton: 13 (22%) Solvang: 10 (17%) Los Alamos: 5 (8%) Los Olivos: 6 (10%) Ballard: 5 (8%) Santa Barbara: 20 (34%) Under other or specific destination : Allan Hancock College: 7 (12%) Mission Hills: 2 (3%) 113

119 Comments: - The request for inter-community service elicited many types of response. Some people marked only one or two destinations, but others marked all, or almost all. - 7 people checked all the boxes for inter-community service. - Most people that had specific requests for intercommunity service (those that checked only a few boxes) checked Santa Maria, and then Santa Maria and Vandenberg. - Santa Barbara appeared alone 3 times; with Santa Maria 5 times; and with Santa Maria and another city 3 times. This number (11) represents a strong response. 114

120 JANUARY 25, 2003 UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS 2003 Guadalupe Survey Survey cards prepared by Coast/SB CAN received as of 1/20/03 Number of surveys received: 31 (100%) Surveys in English: 25 (81%) Surveys in Spanish: 6 (19%) Respondents with Spanish surnames: 21 (68%) The survey covered the Guadalupe Shuttle and the Guadalupe Flyer. Requests for improved service in both lines: 9 (29%) Requests for improved Shuttle service only: 3 (10%) Requests for improved Flyer service only: 15 (48%) Guadalupe Shuttle: Earlier service on weekdays: 12 (39%) Later (longer) service on weekdays: 10 (32%) More frequent service: 5 (32%) Saturday Service: 9 (29%) Guadalupe Flyer: Earlier service on weekdays: 11 (35%) Later (longer) service on weekdays: 16 (52%) More frequent service: 6 (19%) Saturday Service: 12 (39%) In addition, 6 people (19%) requested Sunday service (under other category). Inter-community service: Requests for inter-community service: 15 (48%) # of people who checked all inter-community boxes: 2 (6%) # of people who did not check any of the inter-community boxes: 15 (48%) Need bus service between Guadalupe and: Lompoc: 7 (23%) Vandenberg AFB: 3 (10%) Santa Ynez: 3 (10%) Buellton: 1 (3%) Solvang: 3 (10%) 115

121 Los Alamos: 5 (16%) Los Olivos: 2 (6%) Ballard: 2 (6%) Santa Barbara: 5 (16%) Under other : Service to San Luis Obispo: 2 (6%) Need benches/additional stops: 2 (6%) Flyer handicap service: 1 (3%) Comments: - Some people had difficulties filling the forms because of the 2 services included. - Some people checked the earlier box, but wrote the time for service that is already provided. - Some people wrote Santa Maria for intercommunity service requested, even though that is exactly where the Flyer goes. 116

122 Appendix F SBCAG Transit Survey Data (North County) Appendix F 117

123 SBCAG Transit Survey Summary Table F-1 Agency % Bus stop inaccessibility % Barriers to infant/toddler ridership % Add a new bus stop % Provide Sunday service % Provide earlier service hours % Provide later service hours % Provide intercommunity service COLT 26% 14% 63% 83% 54% 63% 67% Guadalupe Flyer 23% 3% 26% 3% 26% 48% 26% 100% 0 31 Guadalupe Shuttle 50% 0 50% 50% 25% % 0 4 SMAT (with petitions)* 19% 5% 18% 86% 16% 27% 20% 2% SMAT (without petitions) 34% 8% 33% 74% 31% 50% 36% 4% SYVT 21% 7% 51% 71% 42% 49% 74% Los Alamos** % 39% 61% 43% 100% 0 100% 23 Total All (with petitions)* 19% 6% 35% 73% 29% 37% 40% 10% 6% 396 Total All (w/out petitions) 26% 7% 46% 64% 38% 50% 54% 13% 8% 296 Multiple responses affect calculations. *Petitions signed by 100 persons for Sunday service in Santa Maria were submitted to SBCAG **The community of Los Alamos does not have transit service COLT City of Lompoc Transit, SMAT Santa Maria Area Transit, SYVT Santa Ynez Valley Transit % Provide Guadalupe Flyer weekend service % Provide service in Los Alamos Respondents (number) 118

124 Table F-2 Bus stop inaccessibility I Can t get to the bus Stop because: (Number of respondents) % The bus stop is too far away % There are no sidewalks % There are not handicap ramps or curb cuts % It is not safe because of traffic Agency City of Lompoc Transit 8 88% 13% 13% 0 Guadalupe Flyer 6 100% Guadalupe Shuttle 2 100% % Santa Maria Area Transit 45 73% 11% 2% 29% Santa Ynez Valley Transit 16 81% 19% 6% 19% Total - All 77 79% 12% 4% 22% Table F-3 Barriers to infant / toddler ridership Barriers to infant/toddler ridership (Number of respondents) % No place for stroller or infant seat % Not allowed to bring stroller or infant seat on board bus Agency City of Lompoc Transit 5 100% 0 Guadalupe Flyer 1 100% 0 Santa Maria Area Transit 12 92% 42% Santa Ynez Valley Transit 7 86% 29% Total - All 25 92% 28% 119

125 Table F-4 Use public transportation I use public transportation (number of respondents) % it is convenient % It stops where I want to go % It stops when I want to go % It is affordable % It is important to the environment % I have no other means of transportation % The bus stop is accessible Agency City of Lompoc Transit 14 29% 21% 14% 21% 36% 5% 14% Santa Maria Area Transit 33 24% 18% 6% 21% 9% 61% 12% Santa Ynez Valley Transit 50 40% 26% 22% 36% 36% 44% 2% Los Alamos 12 67% 17% 0 17% 0 17% 8% Total - All % 22% 14% 28% 24% 47% 18% Table F-5 Do not use public transportation I do not use public transportation (number of respondents) % it is inconvenient % It does not stop where I want to go % It does not stop when I want to go % It is too expensive % I have other means of transportation % The bus stop is not accessible Agency City of Lompoc Transit 17 29% 29% 12% 12% 47% 12% Santa Maria Area Transit 13 8% 23% 8% 0 54% 15% Santa Ynez Valley Transit % 15% 0 69% 12% Los Alamos % % 30% Total - All 66 9% 21% 11% 3% 58% 14% 120

126 Appendix G COAST Transit Survey and Survey Data 2003 (North County) Appendix G 121

127 COAST Transit Survey Summary Table G-1 Respondents # Earlier wkday hours % Earlier wkday hours # Later wkday hours % Later wkday hours # More frequent service % More frequent service # Earlier Sat. hours % Earlier Sat. hours # Later Sat. hour % Later Sat. hours # Sunday service % Sunday service # Intercomm. service % Intercomm. service COLT % 62 76% 23 30% 49 64% 51 67% 50 66% 66 87% Guad. Flyer Guad. Shuttle % 20 74% 7 26% 14 52% 14 52% 4 15% 11 41% % % 5 45% 10 91% 10 91% 1 9% 2 18% SMAT % % 60 31% 59 30% 75 39% 94 48% 97 50% Total % % 95 31% % % % % Multiple responses affect calculations. 122

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130 Appendix H Community Accountability Project Transportation Survey and Survey Data 2003 (Santa Ynez Valley) Appendix H 125

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134 Appendix I SBCAG Transit Survey Data (South Coast) Appendix I 129

135 SBCAG South Coast Transit Survey Data Summary Table I-1 SBMTD Respondents Add bus stop Add bus stop shelter More frequent service Earlier service hours Later service hours Add service area More bicycle racks needed on buses Total % of Total 100% 19% 24% 53% 19% 32% 24% 11% Note: because respondents could choose more than one category, totals are greater than 153 or 100%. 130

136 Appendix J Vandenberg Air Force Base Commuter Survey Summary Appendix J 131

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149 Appendix K Preliminary Intercommunity Transit Service Exploratory Proposal (Lompoc Vandenberg Air Force Base Santa Maria) Appendix K 144

150 North County Intercommunity Transit Service: Phase I Preliminary Implementation Proposal Service Planning Area Santa Maria Orcutt - Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg Village - Lompoc (A cooperative effort between the City of Santa Maria, City of Lompoc, County of Santa Barbara, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CalTrans, and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments) Service Hours, Frequency, and Routing Service will be provided five days per week (weekdays), with commuter peak and mid-day service. Service routing will be bi-directional, originating from the Santa Maria and Lompoc transit centers. This scheduling is in response to the demand for the commute to work between Lompoc, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and Santa Maria, and the more limited demand for general use, including access to social service agencies, government facilities, and medical appointments during the day. The general use demand is focused on access to Santa Maria from Lompoc. Therefore, the midday scheduling reflects service from Lompoc to Santa Maria during those times believed to be most effective for access to the social service agencies, government facilities and medical appointments, with sufficient time for the return trip. Santa Maria Commuter peak (5:45 AM; 6:15 AM -and- 3:45 PM; 4:15 PM; 5:45 PM) Begin at: Town Center Mall Transit Center southbound Highway 135 Stops at: Santa Maria Airport Foster / Hwy 135 Clark / Hwy 135 (Park & Ride Lot) Vandenberg Air Force Base / Main Gate Highway 1 / Constellation (Vandenberg Village) End at: Mission Plaza Transit Center Lompoc Commuter peak (6:15 AM; 6:30 AM, -and- 4:15 PM; 4:45 PM; 5:45 PM) Begin at: Mission Plaza Transit Center northbound Highway 1 Stops at: Hwy 1 / Constellation (Vandenberg Village) Vandenberg Air Force Base / Main Gate Clark / Hwy 135 (Park & Ride Lot) Foster / Hwy 135 Santa Maria Airport End at: Town Center Transit Center 145

151 Santa Maria General service (Departing Santa Maria at 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM) Begin at: Town Center Transit Center southbound Highway 135 Stops at: Betteravia Government Center Santa Maria Airport Foster / Hwy 135 (SB County Social Services Offices) Clark / Hwy 135 (Park & Ride Lot) Vandenberg Air Force Base / Main Gate Highway 1 / Constellation (Vandenberg Village) End at: Mission Plaza Transit Center Lompoc General service (Departing Lompoc at 8:30AM and 11:30 AM) Begin at: Mission Plaza Transit Center northbound Highway 1 Stops at: Hwy 1 / Constellation (Vandenberg Village) Vandenberg Air Force Base / Main Gate Clark / Hwy 135 (Park & Ride Lot) Foster / Hwy 135 (SB County Social Services Offices) Santa Maria Airport Betteravia Government Center End at: Town Center Transit Center (Mall with access to SB County Court House) Service Times (Departure) Town Center Santa Maria Vandenberg AFB (Main Gate) (Arrival) Mission Plaza - Lompoc (Commuter) 5:45 AM 6:30 AM 6:45 AM (Commuter) 6:15 AM 7:00 AM 7:15 AM 12:30 PM 12:45 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 4:15 PM 4:30 PM (Commuter) 3:45 PM 4:30 PM 4:45 PM (Commuter) 4:15 PM 5:00 PM 5:15 PM (Commuter) 5:45 PM 6:30 PM 6:45 PM (Departure) Mission Plaza Lompoc Vandenberg AFB (Main Gate) (Arrival) Town Center Santa Maria (Commuter) 6:15 AM 6:30 AM 7:15 AM (Commuter) 6:45 AM 7:00 AM 7:45 AM 8:30 AM 8:45 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM 11:45 PM 12:30 PM (Commuter) 4:15 PM 4:30 PM 5:15 PM (Commuter) 4:45 PM 5:00 PM 5:45 PM (Commuter) 5:45 PM 6:00 PM 6:45 PM 146

152 VAFB Access Transportation officials from VAFB have conceptually agreed to provide a shuttle service from the Main Gate to the main Cantonment area to ensure authorized persons can access the bus stop and get from the bus to the main employment, retail, and service areas on the Base. Local Transit Connections Local transit agencies will need to determine how they will extend service hours to provide local connection to the earliest headways of the corridor commuter route. Intercommunity transit service schedules will be established to facilitate mid-day time-transfer connections to local transit services in order to minimize wait times. Vehicle Description (4) Thirty-five foot - low floor transit buses Fuel type o propane o clean diesel (alternate choice) 35 passenger capacity Two wheelchair slots Upgraded interior and seats Bike racks Exterior branding Service Administration The xxxxx will be the lead agency, with ongoing technical support from an advisory committee consisting of staff from the City of Lompoc, City of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbra, CalTrans, and SBCAG. The service will be contracted to a private operator. Emergency Ride Home For the peak commuter pass holders, an Emergency Ride Home service, at no cost to the pass holder, will be provided. The Emergency Ride Home service will be funded and administered by Traffic Solutions, a division of Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. ADA Complementary paratransit service Intercommunity transit service, as described within this proposal, is exempt from the provision of ADA complementary paratransit service. However, if at the discretion of the involved agencies, limited paratransit service is provided as an additional public service, this service would be contracted-out separately from the service operations contract. 147

153 Funding Initial intercommunity service will be funded as a three year pilot program using CMAQ funding, with the 12% local match from TDA funding by the Cities of Lompoc and Santa Maria and the County of Santa Barbara (to be divided equally between the three agencies). Three funding scenarios are considered: Purchase fleet contract service Lease fleet contract service Lease fleet contract service purchase fleet With a successful three-year pilot program, additional sources of funding for the extension of intercommunity transit service will be sought, and may include CMAQ, Measure D, JARC, or Section 5311(f) funds. In addition, Vandenberg Air Force Base will support ridership of this service through the Transportation Incentive Program (TIP). TIP is a Department of Defense program developed to reduce federal employees contribution to traffic congestion and air pollution and to expand the employees commuting alternatives. This program is a result of Executive Order 13150, which requires federal agencies to establish transportation fringe benefit programs. TIP provides reimbursement to all military service members and civilian employees, including non-appropriated fund (NAF) employees, for transportation expenses up to $100 per month if incurred for mass transit or vanpools. 148

154 Scenario A Purchase fleet contract service Three year pilot program Capital expenditures $ 1,200,000 Operating costs $ 1,020,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50,000 Marketing $ 30,000 Bus stop/shelters $ 20,000 Total $ 2,320,000 Fares $ 246,300 CMAQ funding $ 1,780,857 TDA (12% local match) $ 242,843 TDA (Consultant) $ 50,000 Total $ 2,320,000 TDA 2003/ / /06 City of Lompoc $ 76,523 $ 11,117 $ 9,974 City of Santa Maria $ 76,523 $ 11,117 $ 9,974 County of Santa Barbara $ 76,524 $ 11,116 $ 9,975 Total $ 229,570 $ 33,350 $ 29,923 Budget 2003/ / /06 Income Fares $ 68,580 $ 82,080 $ 95,640 TDA (12% match) $ 179,570 $ 33,350 $ 29,923 TDA (Consultant) $ 50, CMAQ (Capital) $ 1,056, CMAQ (Operational) $ 260,850 $ 244,570 $ 219,437 Other Total Income $ 1,615,000 $ 360,000 $ 345,000 Expenses Buses (4) purchase $ 1,200, Service contract $ 340,000 $ 340,000 $ 340,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50, Marketing $ 15,000 $ 10,000 $ 5,000 Bus stops/shelters $ 10,000 $ 10, Total Expenses $ 1,615,000 $ 360,000 $ 345,000 Net *Fair Box Ratio (FBR) (operations & capital) 16% 19% 22% 1. Fares calculated: 50% of projected ridership; 60% of projected ridership; 70% of projected ridership. 2. Operational costs based upon $ 80/ hr. for 4,250 service hours per year. *FBR based upon capital expenditure annualized over the life of the vehicle (12 years) 149

155 Scenario B Lease fleet Contract service Three year pilot program Vehicle lease (4) $ 432,000 Operating costs $ 1,020,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50,000 Marketing $ 30,000 Bus stop/shelters $ 20,000 Total $ 1,552,000 Fares $ 246,300 CMAQ funding $ 1,105,017 TDA (12% local match) $ 150,683 TDA (Consultant) $ 50,000 Total $ 1,552,000 TDA 2003/ / /06 City of Lompoc $ 34,283 $ 16,877 $ 15,734 City of Santa Maria $ 34,283 $ 16,877 $ 15,734 County of Santa Barbara $ 34,284 $ 16,876 $ 15,735 Total $ 102,850 $ 50,630 $ 47,203 Budget 2003/ / /06 Income Fares $ 68,580 $ 82,080 $ 95,640 TDA (12% match) $ 52,850 $ 50,630 $ 47,203 TDA (Consultant) $ 50, CMAQ (Capital lease) $ 126,720 $ 126,720 $ 126,720 CMAQ (Operational) $ 260,850 $ 244,570 $ 219,437 Other Total Income $ 559,000 $ 504,000 $ 489,000 Expenses Buses (4) lease $ 144,000 $ 144,000 $ 144,000 Service contract $ 340,000 $ 340,000 $ 340,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50, Marketing $ 15,000 $ 10,000 $ 5,000 Bus stops/shelters $ 10,000 $ 10, Total Expenses $ 559,000 $ 504,000 $ 489,000 Net Fair Box Raito (FBR) (operations & lease) 14% 17% 20% 1. Fares calculated: 50% of projected ridership; 60% of projected ridership; 70% of projected ridership. 2. Operational costs based upon $ 80/ hr. for 4,250 service hours per year. 150

156 Scenario C Lease fleet Contract service Purchase Fleet Three year pilot program Vehicle lease (4) $ 288,000 Capital expenditures $ 1,200,000 Operating costs $ 1,020,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50,000 Marketing $ 30,000 Bus stop/shelters $ 20,000 Total $ 2,608,000 Fares $ 246,300 CMAQ funding $ 2,034,297 TDA (12% local match) $ 277,403 TDA (Consultant) $ 50,000 Total $ 2,608,000 12% TDA local match 2003/ / /06 City of Lompoc $ 34,283 $ 64,877 $ 9,974 City of Santa Maria $ 34,283 $ 64,877 $ 9,974 County of Santa Barbara $ 34,283 $ 64,876 $ 9,974 Total $ 102,850 $ 194,630 $ 29,923 Budget 2003/ / /06 Income Fares $ 68,580 $ 82,080 $ 95,640 TDA (12% match) $ 52,850 $ 194,630 $ 29,923 TDA (Consultant) $ 50, CMAQ (Capital lease) $ 126,720 $ 126, CMAQ (Capital) -0- $ 1,056, CMAQ (Operational) $ 260,850 $ 244,570 $ 219,437 Other Total Income $ 559,000 $ 1,704,000 $ 345,000 Expenses Buses (4) lease $ 144,000 $ 144, Buses (4) purchase -0- $ 1,200, Service contract $ 340,000 $ 340,000 $ 340,000 Consultant (service plan) $ 50, Marketing $ 15,000 $ 10,000 $ 5,000 Bus stops/shelters $ 10,000 $ 10, Total Expenses $ 559,000 $ 1,704,000 $ 345,000 Net Fair Box Raito (FBR) (operations, capital & lease) 14% 14% 22% 1. Fares calculated: 50% of projected ridership; 60% of projected ridership; 70% of projected ridership. 2. Operational costs based upon $ 80/ hr. for 4,250 service hours per year. *FBR based upon capital expenditure annualized over the life of the vehicle (12 years) 151

157 Fare structure Monthly commuter pass: $75.00 (Disabled / senior) $37.50 One-way fare $ 2.00 (Disabled /senior) $ 1.00 * No transfer privileges full fare on COLT and SMAT systems Marketing and Public Information Program To insure the success of intercommunity transit service, a marketing and public information program will be needed. Marketing and public information includes both the provision of public information on routes and schedules, and the general promotion of the service. The program will also include coordination between COLT, SMAT, Vandenberg Air Force Base and Traffic Solutions. Annual goals and objectives addressing ridership and fare box recovery will need to be established. Annual performance criteria 2003/ / /2006 Ridership (commuter round trip) 1,460 / month avg. 1,760 / month avg. 2,040 / month avg. Ridership (general use round trip) 60 / month avg. 70 / month avg. 80 / month avg. Farebox Ratio 14% 17% 20% On time performance (arrival / departure w/in 5 min.) 80% 85% 90% Quality of service survey (service rated as satisfactory) 80% 85% 90% Future capital projects for service accessibility After service implementation, the following factors will be monitored and further capital improvements may be needed: Adequate parking near selected commuter stops Enhanced park and ride facilities Pedestrian friendly walkways from parking location to stop location Bus turn outs for commuter and general use stop locations Bus shelters for commuter and general use stop locations Electronic fare collection system to facilitate inter-system transfers and revenue accounting Where appropriate, planning and project development activities will occur between the responsible agencies (City of Lompoc, City of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbara, CalTrans, and VAFB). 152

158 Service Implementation: Phases II and III In the long term, dependent on ridership levels, farebox returns, ongoing operational costs, available funding, and other factors that emerge from Phase I, subsequent phases of an intercommunity service could include: Phase II: expansion of the Lompoc-VAFB-Santa Maria service to add more frequent service, extend service duration during the weekday, or addition of weekend service in response to market demand. Phase III: extension of the service to Buellton from the west, via Lompoc, or the north, via Santa Maria (with service to Los Alamos). 153

159 Appendix L Government Code (c)(1) Appendix L 154

160 BILL NUMBER: SB 804 CHAPTERED 09/21/99 CHAPTER 458 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 21, 1999 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 21, 1999 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 30, 1999 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 23, 1999 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 14, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 28, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 11, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 14, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senator Perata FEBRUARY 25, 1999 An act to add Section to the Government Code, relating to transportation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 804, Perata. Transportation: rail feeder bus service. Existing law authorizes the Department of Transportation to contract with common carriers, as defined, or with any other entity to provide feeder services to or from rail passenger terminals or intercity bus transportation. The bill would require the department or its successor in interest to encourage the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and motor carriers of passengers, as defined, to undertake specific actions and would authorize the department or its successor in interest to provide funding to Amtrak for the purpose of entering into a contract with a motor carrier of passengers for the intercity transportation of passengers over regular routes, if, among other things, the motor carrier is not a public recipient of governmental assistance, as defined in federal law, except as specified, and the service is provided only for trips where passengers have had prior movement by rail or will have subsequent movement by rail. The bill also would authorize the department to provide funding to Amtrak for the purpose of entering into a contract with a motor carrier of passengers to transport Amtrak passengers on buses operated on a route, if the buses are operated by the motor carrier as part of a regularly scheduled, daily bus service that has been operating consecutively without an Amtrak contract for 12 months immediately prior to contracting with Amtrak. 155

161 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section is added to the Government Code, to read: (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Intercity passenger bus service provided by intercity bus companies on a regular route basis is the only public mass transportation service in the state to provide surface transportation without public subsidy. (2) The long-term maintenance of private sector intercity passenger service is of vital importance to the state. (3) Intercity bus companies serve over 250 communities throughout California, providing a network of connection points without equal by any other mode of public or private transportation. (b) To the extent permitted by federal law, the department shall encourage Amtrak and motor carriers of passengers to do both of the following: (1) Combine or package their respective services and facilities to the public as a means of improving services to the public. (2) Coordinate schedules, routes, rates, reservations, and ticketing to provide for enhanced inter-modal surface transportation. (c) Except as authorized under subdivision (e), the department may provide funding to Amtrak for the purpose of entering into a contract with a motor carrier of passengers for the intercity transportation of passengers by motor carrier over regular routes only if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The motor carrier is not a public recipient of governmental assistance, as defined in Section 13902(b)(8)(A) of Title 49 of the United States Code, other than a recipient of funds under Section 5311(f) of that title and code. This paragraph does not apply if a local public motor carrier proposes to serve passengers only within its service area. (2) Service is provided only for passengers on trips where the passengers have had prior movement by rail or will have subsequent movement by rail, evidenced by a combination rail and bus one-way or roundtrip ticket. (3) Vehicles of the motor carrier, when used to transport passengers pursuant to paragraph (2), are used exclusively for that purpose. (4) The motor carrier is registered with the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) and operates in compliance with the federal motor carrier safety regulations, and provides service that is accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with applicable DOT regulations pertaining to Amtrak services, in accordance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law ). (d) The department shall incorporate the conditions specified in subdivision (c) into state-supported passenger rail feeder bus 156

162 service agreements between Amtrak and motor carriers of passengers. The bus service agreements shall also provide that a breach of those conditions shall be grounds for termination of the agreements. (e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (c) and (d), the department may provide funding to Amtrak for the purpose of entering into a contract with a motor carrier of passengers to transport Amtrak passengers on buses operated on a route, if the buses are operated by the motor carrier as part of a regularly scheduled, daily bus service that has been operating consecutively without an Amtrak contract for 12 months immediately prior to contracting with Amtrak. (f) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) "Amtrak" means the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. (2) "Department" means the Department of Transportation or the department's successor with respect to providing funds to subsidize Amtrak service. (3) "Motor carrier of passengers" means a person or entity providing motor vehicle transportation of passengers for compensation. 157

163 Appendix M Comments to the Transit Needs Assessment 2003 Appendix M 158

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