Chair, Christina Fugazi, City of Stockton Commissioner, Nancy Young, City of Tracy Vice Chair, Leo Zuber, City of Ripon Commissioner, Bob Elliott, San Joaquin County Commissioner, Debby Moorhead, City of Manteca Commissioner, Scott Haggerty, Alameda County Commissioner, Doug Kuehne, City of Lodi Commissioner, John Marchand, City of Livermore
Executive Director, Stacey Mortensen
SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION TELECONFERENCE BOARD MEETING
Call-In Information: 1 (872) 240-3412 GoToMeeting Link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/530864581
SPECIAL NOTICE Coronavirus COVID-19
In accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Board Members will be attending this meeting via teleconference. Members of the public may observe the meeting by dialing 1 (872) 240-3412 with access code: 530-864- 581 or log-in using a computer, tablet or smartphone at GoToMeeting.com using link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/530864581
Please note that all members of the public will be placed on mute until such times allow for public comments to be made. If a person wishes to make a public comment during the meeting, to do so they must either 1) use GoToMeeting and will have the option to notify SJRRC staff by alerting them via the “Chat” function or they can 2) contact SJRRC staff via email at [email protected] in which staff will read the comment aloud during the public comment period. Emailed public comments should be limited to approximately 240 words as comments will be limited to two (2) minutes per comment.
This Agenda shall be made available upon request in alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. § 12132) and the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code § 54954.2). Persons requesting a disability related modification or accommodation in order to participate in the meeting should contact San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) staff, at (209) 944-6220, during regular business hours, at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the meeting.
All proceedings before the Commission are conducted in English. Anyone wishing to address the SJRRC Board is advised to have an interpreter or to contact SJRRC during regular business hours at least 48 hours prior to the time of the meeting so that SJRRC can provide an interpreter. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the Commission regarding any item on this agenda will be made available upon request in both English and Spanish for public inspection at the Office of the Executive Director located at 949 East Channel Street, Stockton, California, 95202 during normal business hours or by calling (209) 944-6220. The Agenda is available on the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission website: www.acerail.com.
October 2, 2020 – 8:00 am
949 East Channel Street Stockton, CA 95202 (800) 411-RAIL (7245) www.acerail.com
1. Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call Chair Fugazi
Roll Call: Haggerty, Marchand, Elliott, Moorhead, Young, Kuehne, Zuber, Chair Fugazi
Ex- Officios: Chesley, Salazar, Zoslocki, Agar
2. Public Comments Persons wishing to address the Commission on any item of interest to the public regarding rail shall state their names and addresses and make their presentation. Please limit presentations to two minutes. The Commission cannot take action on matters not on the agenda unless the action is authorized by Section 54954.2 of the Government Code. Materials related to an item on the Agenda submitted to the Board of Directors after distribution of the agenda packet are available for the public inspection in the Commission Office at 949 E. Channel Street during normal business hours. These documents are also available on the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission website at https://acerail.com/board-of-directors/ subject to staff’s ability to post the documents prior to the meeting.
3. Consent Calendar 3.1 Minutes of SJRRC Board Meeting August 7, 2020 ACTION 3.2 Rail Commission/ACE Monthly Expenditure INFORMATION 3.3 ACE Monthly Fare Revenue INFORMATION 3.4 ACE Ridership INFORMATION 3.5 ACE On-Time Performance INFORMATION 3.6 Update on Positive Train Control INFORMATION 3.7 Washington Update INFORMATION
4. Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San ACTION Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Certifying an Environmental Impact Report, Adopting Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Adopt the Associated Mitigation Monitoring Plan, Approve the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project and Authorize and Direct the Executive Director to Execute and File a Notice of Determination Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Project and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute any and All Documents Related to the Project (Kevin Sheridan)
5. Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San ACTION Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving Agreement 21-R- 01-00 with Diede Construction, Inc. with an Amount Not To Exceed $458,144 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Agreement (Kevin Sheridan/Autumn Gowan)
6. Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San ACTION Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving a Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Preliminary Engineering Services for the Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $815,000 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects (Kevin Sheridan)
7. Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San ACTION Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Adopting the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan as a Baseline Set of Measures that SJRRC, Along With the Other Bay Area Transit Agencies will Implement to Ensure the Health of Transit Riders and Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Brian Schmidt)
8. Commissioner’s Comments
9. Ex-Officio Comments
10. Executive Director’s Report
11. CLOSED SESSION
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-EXISTING LITIGATION (Paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9) Case Name: Teresa Flores and Luis Flores vs. San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission et. al, Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin, Case No. 39-2009-00210836-CU-PO-STK
12. Adjournment The next regular meeting is scheduled for: November 6, 2020 – 8:00 am
SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
Item 3.1 ACTION Minutes of SJRRC Board Meeting August 7, 2020 The meeting of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission was held at 8:00 am, August 7, 2020 via teleconference. 1 Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call
Chair Fugazi called the meeting to order at 8:00 am and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioners Present: Haggerty, Marchand, Kuehne, Young, Zuber, Chair Fugazi Commissioners Absent: Elliott, Moorhead
Ex-Officio Members Present: Mr. Chesley, Mr. Dumas, Ms. Gayle
2 Public Comments No public comments were made.
3 Consent Calendar
3.1 Minutes of SJRRC Special Board Meeting July 2, 2020 ACTION 3.2 Rail Commission/ACE Monthly Expenditure INFORMATION 3.3 ACE Monthly Fare Revenue INFORMATION 3.4 ACE Ridership INFORMATION 3.5 ACE On-Time Performance INFORMATION 3.6 Update on Positive Train Control INFORMATION 3.7 Washington Update INFORMATION
M/S/C (Marchand/Young) Approve the Consent Calendar. Passed and Adopted by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission on the 7th day of August, 2020 by the following vote to wit:
AYES: 6 Haggerty, Marchand, Kuehne, Young, Zuber, Chair Fugazi
NOES: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 ABSENT: 2 Elliott, Moorhead
4 Update on ACE COVID-19 Containment Efforts INFORMATION
Mr. Schmidt did a presentation on this item.
Commissioner Zuber commented and asked if passengers are cooperating. Mr. Schmidt responded that most passengers are complying. Mr. Schmidt stated that face coverings are provided to passengers if they board the train without and that we do not enforce wearing a face covering because it is not known if someone might have an underlying medical condition.
5 Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin ACTION Regional Rail Commission Approving Amendment 01 to Agreement 20-R- 38-00 with Edgeworth Integration, LLC to Increase the Total Compensation Amount by $131,159 for Additional Equipment, Revised Total Contract Amount Not-To-Exceed $451,120 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects
Sarah Rasheed did a presentation on this item.
There were no comments on this item.
M/S/C (Marchand/Haggerty) Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving Amendment 01 to Agreement 20-R-38-00 with Edgeworth Integration, LLC to Increase the Total Compensation Amount by $131,159 for Additional Equipment, Revised Total Contract Amount Not-To-Exceed $451,120 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects
Passed and Adopted by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission on the 7th day of August, 2020 by the following vote to wit:
AYES: 6 Haggerty, Marchand, Kuehne, Young, Zuber, Chair Fugazi NOES: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 ABSENT: 2 Elliott, Moorhead
6 Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin ACTION Regional Rail Commission Approving to Increase the Contract Amount with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for the North Lathrop Transfer Station Final Design by $608,436, Not-To-Exceed $3,023,036, and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Project
Kevin Sheridan did a presentation on this item.
There were no comments on this item.
M/S/C (Zuber/Young) Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving to Increase the Contract Amount with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for the North Lathrop Transfer Station Final Design by $608,436, Not-To- Exceed $3,023,036, and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Project
Passed and Adopted by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission on the 7th day of August, 2020 by the following vote to wit:
AYES: 4 Kuehne, Young, Zuber, Chair Fugazi
NOES: 0 ABSTAIN 0 ABSENT:: 2 Elliott, Moorhead
7 Commissioner’s Comments
Chair Fugazi commented on the growth of ridership from the month of May to June and hopes that ridership continued to grow in July. Chair Fugazi questioned why there was more fare revenue in May than in June, yet there was more ridership in June.
Brian Schmidt responded that many riders buy monthly passes or twenty trip passes in the prior month and that it’s possible monthly tickets were purchased in May to be used in the month of June. Mr. Schmidt stated that revenue goes to the month of purchase. Mr. Schmidt also stated that there were over 13,000 riders in the month of July.
Chair Fugazi commented that there was not as much of a jump in ridership in July, but ridership is moving in the right direction.
8 Ex-Officio Comments
Mr. Chesley commented that the new State Transit Assistance (STA) Fund was just received. San Joaquin County will be impacted by an anticipated 42% reduction in STA funds and the reduction will have an impact on the Rail Commission.
Mr. Chesley commented that we will have a better understanding of the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) on August 21st and it is anticipated there will be a 50% reduction and a greater reduction going into the next fiscal year, which will impact the Rail Commission.
Mr. Chesley commented that in regard to the Stockton Grade Separation Project, the Trade Corridor Enhancement Project (TCEP) application was submitted on behalf of the Rail Commission by the State of California. Three Northern California Megaregion Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) all signed onto a letter supporting the project. Eight other MPOs also signed letters of support.
Commissioner Haggerty commented that they worked hard to get this into program 1 at MTC and that he hopes nothing is being done to slow the process.
Mr. Chesley responded that they are working to speed it up.
Ms. Gayle commented that RTD is planning to expand some of their services and RTD is following similar COVID-19 protocols.
Mr. Dumas commented that there is a new Director at Caltrans. Mr. McElhinney left in July and Dennis Agar has come back. Mr. Dumas congratulated SJRRC for receiving the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) award of $534,000 from Caltrans for ACE discount ticketing program.
Mr. Dumas commented that Caltrans has started a project in Oroville, CA off of Highway 162. The new section of road was paved with pavement made from 100% recycled plastic.
9 Executive Director’s Report
Ms. Mortensen commented that she with Chair Fugazi and San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) Chair Chiesa had a meeting with the High Speed Rail Authority to begin initial negotiations for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that could potentially allow an interim service on a new line between Bakersfield and Merced. This would be coordinated with the San Joaquins and ACE services. Discussions will likely carry on throughout the next six months to get an initial MOU, and then carry on for the next ten years and we proceed and follow the High Speed Rail implementation.
Ms. Mortensen commented that this consolidates services in the valley and that it makes sense that SJJPA would take the lead on this because they have most of the involved
counties. Both SJRRC and SJJPA will remain at the discussion table. Ms. Mortensen will continue to give further updates on this topic.
10 CLOSED SESSION
11
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:38 am. The next regular meeting is scheduled for:
September 4, 2020 – 8:00 am
Item 3.2
San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Altamont Corridor Express Operating and Capital Expense Report July 2020 8% of Budget Year Elapsed
SJRRC EXPENSE % ACE EXPENSE % FY 20-21 TO SPENT FY 20-21 TO SPENT OPERATING EXPENSES ALLOCATION DATE TO DATE ALLOCATION DATE TO DATE
Project Management, Services & Supplies Subtotal 1,639,567 129,712 8% 4,840,542 237,571 5% Contracted Services Subtotal 472,133 54,288 11% 15,639,400 1,366,824 9% Shuttle Services 742,783 61,899 8% TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES 2,111,700 184,000 9% 21,222,725 1,666,293 8%
CAPITAL EXPENSE FY 20-21 TO SPENT CAPITAL PROJECTS ALLOCATION DATE TO DATE SAN JOAQUIN RAIL COMMISSION 1 East Channel Street Improvements 2,007,500 7,361 0% 2 Robert J. Cabral Station Expansion 1,979,505 37,369 2% TOTAL CAPITAL PROJECT SJRRC $ 3,987,005 $ 44,730 1%
ALTAMONT CORRIDOR EXPRESS 1 SJ COG Loan Repayment 1,118,012 1,118,012 100% 2 A1 & A2 Bond Repayment 3,033,988 - 0% 3 UPRR Capital Access Fee 3,242,516 1,621,258 50% 4 UPRR Capitalized Maintenance Projects 4,000,000 308,407 8% 5 UPRR Safety Fund 500,000 - 0% 6 ACE Extension Natomas to Stockton 5,000,000 32,633 1% 7 ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced 10,000,000 374,467 4% 8 Stockton Diamond Grade Separation 2,000,000 - 0% 9 Locomotives (4) 1,000,000 220,474 22% 10 Platform Extension Projects 3,000,000 - 0% 11 Cabral Track Extension 5,000,000 3,686 0% 12 Positive Train Control 1,221,823 33,283 3% 13 Rail Cars - (5) passenger rail cab cars and (12) passenger coach cars 27,000,000 27,000,000 100% 14 Railcar Midlife Overhaul 6,711,081 127,751 2% 15 Locomotive Overhaul 524,530 - 0% 16 Locomotive Conversion 239,328 - 0% 17 State Owned Equipment Truck Overhaul 1,000,000 - 0% 18 Sunol Quiet Zone Quad Gates 475,000 52 0% 19 Facility Upgrades and Capital Improvements 93,068 - 0% 20 Lathrop/Manteca Station Improvements 779,700 1,735 0% 21 Tracy ACE Station Improvements 1,223,367 - 0% 22 Capital Spares 546,138 - 0% 23 Safety/Security Projects 382,115 525 0% 24 Short Range Transit Plan 26,123 - 0% 25 WiFi Upgrade 820,000 - 0% 26 Public Information Display Systems (PIDS) 500,000 - 0% 27 Network Integration 450,000 16,739 4% TOTAL CAPITAL PROJECTS ACE $ 79,886,789 $ 30,859,022 39%
TOTAL CAPITAL PROJECTS SJRRC & ACE $ 83,873,794 $ 30,903,752 37% Status of FY 20/21 Capital Projects - Notes As of September 2020 SAN JOAQUIN RAIL COMMISSION 1 East Channel Street Improvements - SJRRC received $2 million from the San Joaquin Council of Governments’ Measure K funds to improve the pedestrian and bicycle access along Channel Street between the Downtown Transit Center and Cabral Station. SJRRC has begun the environmental clearance and final design for the project, which is anticipated to be completed in 2020. Construction is slated to begin summer 2021.
2 Robert J. Cabral Parking Lot Expansion -Project will construct a new parking lot at the site of the old Western Pacific depot in Stockton, as well as reconstruct the building. Environmental work has been completed and design is underway for the parking lot and building reconstruction.
ALTAMONT CORRIDOR EXPRESS 1 SJ COG Loan Repayment - Annual payment made July 1, 2020 per SJCOG amended loan agreement. 2 Bond Repayments - Bond repayments are made bi-annually, payments FY 20-21 are due in October 2020 and April 2021. 3 UPRR Capital Access Fee - Payment for calendar year 2021 paid in two installments. First payment to be processed in January 2021 and second payment in May 2021 4 UPRR Capitalized Maintenance Projects - Multi-year project is budgeted at $4,000,000 for the year. Invoices are received throughout the year. 5 UPRR Safety Fund - Ongoing project. 6 ACE Extension Natomas to Stockton - Environmental work for the project is currently underway. The draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was released on March 31, 2020. The final EIR is expected to be adopted at the October 2nd 2020 Board meeting.
7 ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced - The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was certified in August 2018. Final design is currently underway for individual projects along the corridor. Preparation of a project level EIR for Ceres to Merced is underway.
8 Stockton Diamond Grade Separation - The project will grade separate the existing UPRR and BNSF lines creating an uninterrupted flow of rail traffic through the crossing. Project Approval (PA) and Environmental Document (ED) services for the project are currently underway. Coordination with the host railroads and other project partners to identify a preferred flyover concept is ongoing. A Notice of Preparation for the environmental document was released on August 19th, 2020, and public scoping meetings were held the week of September 14, 2020. 9 Locomotives (4) - All four (4) locomotives have been delivered and have been conditionally accepted. Staff is awaiting the final CARB engine certification from Siemens. This will trigger BAAQMD to release the Air District funds. COVID-19 may cause a delay in receiving CARB certification. CARB has completed their testing and the final approval is due by the end of September. At that time reimbursement will be received from BAAQMD.
10 Platform Extension Projects - Multi-year project to extend the existing Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco, Livermore, and Pleasanton platforms. A contract for final design was approved in May 2018 and is currently under review by Union Pacific. Environmental and design are currently underway for construction of a 400-foot platform extension at the Fremont ACE Station.
11 Cabral Track Extension - In June, SJRRC received approval from FTA Region 9 for a NEPA Categorical Exclusion. Coordination with Union Pacific on design review is ongoing, with construction anticipated to begin in Spring 2021.
12 Positive Train Control - Multi-year project and work in progress until Caltrain and UPRR are fully FRA compliant, or December 31st, 2020, whichever comes first. On- board equipment installation is complete, and the Hosted Back Officer Server is operational. PTC is operating as designed on the UPRR and Caltrain corridors which ACE operates on.
13 Rail Cars - A contract with Bombardier was Approved at the April 2020 SJRRC Board meeting. The first milestone payment of approximately $16 million was paid in June 2020. This is a Multi-year project for the procurement of five (5) passenger rail cab cars and 12 passenger coach cars. Delivery of the first cars is scheduled for November 2021.
14 Railcar Midlife Overhaul -Midlife overhauls of ACE’s existing fleet of 30 railcars is underway. Currently trucks, carpeting, rubber flooring, lighting and refreshing of the exterior paint scheme to the new colors is underway. The project is scheduled to be completed over the next three years. 15 Locomotive Overhaul - The locomotive overhaul program will be completed in November with the last Head End Power Engine (HEP) going through overhaul. The HEP engine is the smaller engine the original locomotives that provides power to the Cars. 16 Locomotive Conversion - Staff is working with Caltrans on providing pricing for decommissioning two (2) state owned locomotives, and the conversion to Non-Powered Controlled Cars (NPCU) to be used as part of the Intercity Service.
17 State Owned Equipment Truck Overhaul - The overhaul project has been broken into two Phases. Phase 1 is for the purchase of 4 fully built trucks and rebuilt of an additional four or five trucks to be used as a float stock to allow cars to come into Stockton, have the old trucks removed for overhaul and use the newly purchased and rebuilt trucks to be put under the equipment and returned to service. The Phase 1 agreement has been finalized and will be executed by the send of September. This is a 6 to 9 month project. This phase is estimated at $1,627,000. Phase 2 is completing the overhaul of the 88 State owned bi-levels. This agreement is in draft form and is expected to be completed in 2 months.
18 Sunol Quiet Zone - Construction has been completed but to address public concerns, revisions need to be made. Design for the revised project, Four Quadrant Gates on Main Street Sunol, is underway.
19 Facility Upgrades and Capital Improvements - Currently ongoing 20 Lathrop/Manteca Station Improvements - Consultant contract was awarded at the May 3rd 2019 Board meeting. Environmental and design are complete. An invitation for bid was released in early May to complete construction. The construction contract will be awarded at the October 2nd 2020 Board meeting. 21 Tracy ACE Station Improvements - Consultant contract was awarded at the May 3rd 2019 Board meeting. Environmental and design are currently underway. 22 Capital Spares - Preventative Maintenance is ongoing. 23 Safety and Security/Video Cameras - The camera security project was awarded in June 2018 and is in construction. 24 Short Range Transit Plan - Update to FY 2018 - FY 2027 SRTP is ongoing. 25 WiFi Upgrade - Nomad Digital has performed its on-site survey to determine preferred installation locations for CCU on the Cab Cars and Access Points and Switches on the Coach Cars. Survey has been submitted to SJRRC and Herzog for review. Initial outlook looks positive that chosen locations will be acceptable. Nomad Digital procurement of hardware items is well underway.
26 Public Information Display System (PIDS) - Currently ongoing project, PIDS system gives the ability to send train status and general information to ACE stations. 27 Network Integration - Planning consulting services of integrating the ACE and SJJPA services with high-speed rail and other rail transit services. Item 3.3
Fare Revenue
1,000,000
750,000
500,000
250,000
0 Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar-21 Apr-21 May-21 Jun-21 FY TOTAL FY 20-21 Fare Revenue 152,163 110,890 ------263,054 FY 19-20 Fare Revenue 1,038,170 912,427 968,729 1,052,213 816,770 822,711 1,040,903 886,822 508,211 92,586 103,410 88,932 8,331,885
% of Budget Year Elapsed: 17% FY 20-21 % of Budgeted Fare Revenue Received to Date 21.4% Projected Annual Fare Revenue: $ 1,229,580.00 ACE Weekly Revenue Comparison $300,000
$250,000
$200,000
$150,000
$100,000
$50,000
$- July Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Aug. Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 2020/2021 $25,759 $34,569 $34,522 $35,786 $34,778 $25,768 $26,275 $26,275 $26,985 2019/2020 $138,657 $247,843 $245,518 $248,850 $204,467 $204,767 $208,302 $212,538 $209,044
FY 20/21 - Week 1 - 9 : June 29, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 FY 19/20 - Week 1 - 9 : July 1, 2019 to Sept 1, 2019 2020/2021 2019/2020 -81%
-83%
-86% -86% -86%
-87% -87% -87% -88%
July Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Aug. Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Revenue % Diff. YoY -81% -86% -86% -86% -83% -87% -87% -88% -87% San Joaquins Weekly Revenue Comparison $800,000
$700,000
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$- July August Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 2020 / 2021 $305,217 $197,440 $186,410 $178,679 $230,311 $192,450 $186,565 $180,280 $178,971 2019 / 2020 $751,111 $625,935 $616,812 $641,602 $653,713 $626,161 $577,362 $523,681 $619,667 FY 20/21 -Week 1-9 : June 29, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 2020 / 2021 2019 / 2020 FY 19/20 -Week 1 -9 : July 1, 2019 to Sept 1, 2019 -59%
-65% -66% -68% -68% -70% -69% -71% -72%
July August Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Revenue % Diff. YoY -59% -68% -70% -72% -65% -69% -68% -66% -71% Item 3.4
Ridership
170,000
160,000
150,000
140,000
130,000
120,000
110,000
100,000
90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
- Jul-20 Aug-20 Sep-20 Oct-20 Nov-20 Dec-20 Jan-21 Feb-21 Mar-21 Apr-21 May-21 Jun-21 FY TOTAL FY 20-21 Ridership 13,126 13,121 ------26,247 FY 19-20 Ridership 122,770 133,972 124,677 141,701 114,973 101,363 126,661 114,984 53,665 7,252 7,908 12,064 1,061,990 ACE Weekly Ridership Comparison
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
- July Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Aug. Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 2020/2021 2,222 2,982 2,978 3,087 3,000 3,049 3,109 3,109 3,193 2019/2020 16,397 29,309 29,034 29,428 30,022 30,066 30,585 31,207 30,694
FY 20/21 - Week 1 - 9 : June 29, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 2020/2021 2019/2020 FY 19/20 - Week 1 - 9 : July 1, 2019 to Sept 1, 2019 -86%
-90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90%
July Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Aug. Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Riderhip % Diff. YoY -86% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% -90% San Joaquins Weekly Ridership Comparison 30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
- July August Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 2020 / 2021 6,546 6,048 5,808 5,688 6,261 6,272 6,005 5,912 5,714 2019 / 2020 23,844 21,020 21,206 21,448 22,314 21,453 19,698 18,012 20,613
FY 20/21 -Week 1-9 : June 29, 2020 to Aug 30, 2020 2020 / 2021 2019 / 2020 FY 19/20 -Week 1 -9 : July 1, 2019 to Sept 1, 2019 -67%
-70%
-71%
-71%
-72% -72% -73% -73%
-73%
July August Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Riderhip % Diff. YoY -73% -71% -73% -73% -72% -71% -70% -67% -72% ACE ON TIME PERFORMANCE
100
90
80
70
60 OTP% 50
40
30
20
10
0 Aug-19 Sep-19 Oct-19 Nov-19 Dec-19 Jan-20 Feb-20 Mar-20 Apr-20 May-20 Jun-20 Jul-20 Aug-20
Monthly OTP % 78.98 85.8 86 88.1 85.23 59.04 56.67 86.47 96.81 97.50 86.21 90.91 91.67 Item 3.5 YTD OTP % 75.56 76.75 77.83 78.75 79.3 59.04 57.85 66.98 71.45 74.4 75.69 77.21 78.47 SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
STAFF REPORT
Item 3.6 INFORMATION Update on Positive Train Control
As part of the continued standardization of on-board software versions in the industry, ACE will be upgrading the on-board software to the latest version during the week of October 4th, 2020. This upgrade is part of all Railroads being on the same on-board software version. This will allow major upgrades to be coordinated on a semi-annual basis instead of the current nearly monthly, with not all Railroads upgrading.
Communications to Passengers: Staff continues to provide passengers with updated information regarding the delays using the following channels: • ACE Website • Social Media (Facebook and Twitter) • Onboard announcements
Coordination with Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), Caltrain and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): Staff continues bi-weekly conference calls/meetings with UPRR and Caltrain, and regular calls with the FRA on PTC.
ACE is fully PTC operational over the entire 86-mile ACE corridor.
UPRR and Caltrain continue to make progress on becoming fully interoperable with all their tenants prior to January 1, 2021. Neither Railroad is identified by the FRA as being at risk of not meeting the deadline.
The sixth (6th) FRA PTC Collaboration Session is Scheduled for October 14th, 2020 from 10am-12pm EDT. Staff will be attending the virtual meeting.
Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC 810 7th Street, NE 1700 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20002 Washington, DC 20006 T 202 415 9703 T 202 452 7900
TO: San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) FROM: TG&A Staff SUBJECT: Monthly Progress Report for SEPTEMBER 2020 DATE: September 24, 2020
THE ADMINISTRATION/EXECUTIVE BRANCH No relevant items.
2019-2020 TRANSPORTATION-RELATED NOMINATIONS/CONFIRMATIONS/RESIGNATIONS Since the August 2020 Report, following are the only changes in status to transportation-related nominees. A full 2019/2020 listing of “Nominations” is available from TG&A upon request. NOMINEE US DOT ADMINISTRATOR / OTHER STATUS Eric J. Soskin (VA) Inspector General, Department of Received in the Senate and referred sequentially to the Committee Soskin Transportation. [Calvin L. Scovel, on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on 6/22/2020. resigned.] Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held on 8/6/2020. Approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on 9/16/2020 by a vote of 14-12. Robert E. Primus (NJ) Surface Transportation Board for a Nominated 7/21/2020. Received in the Senate and referred to the Primus term expiring December 31, 2023. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on (vice Daniel R. Elliott III, resigned) 7/21/2020. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hearings held on 8/6/2020. Approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on 9/16/2020 by voice vote. Bruce Landsberg (SC) National Transportation Safety Board Confirmed by the Senate on July 24, 2020 by Voice Vote. . Mr. Landsberg (for a term expiring December 31, Landsberg will to continue to serve as Board’s Vice Chairman for 2023) a new term of three years.
APPROPRIATIONS/BUDGET Status of FY 2021 Appropriations (Including US DOT) The House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution (CR - HR 8337) on September 22, 2020 by a vote of 359-57 (Roll Call) after House Democrats reached a deal with the Administration over farm aid and food assistance. The CR will provide funding for the US government beginning October 1, 2020 through December 11, 2020, at pro- rata levels of the FY 2020 appropriation bills. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill sometime later this week. Earlier on September 21, the Committee on Appropriations had released the bill text of the CR which also contains a “Division B – Surface Transportation Program Extension,” which extends the programs of the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” or the “FAST Act” for one year, i.e. through September 30, 2021. See CR Summary.
While the House had passed 10 of 12 regular FY 2021 appropriation bills the Senate has not passed any FY 2021 appropriation bills. Hence, the need for a CR. Provided regular appropriation bills are not enacted by the beginning of the federal fiscal year (October 1, of each year), Congress characteristically adopts the passage of a CR to continue funding until regular bills can be enacted. Typically, a CR will provide funding to departments and agencies at a rate equal to the levels provided in the previous fiscal year appropriation bill. The House-passed CR is basically a “clean” (no significant policy changes) CR funding bill that avoids a government shutdown.
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) had earlier released Statements after Congressional leaders had unveiled the CR for FY 2021, which included a one-year extension of current surface transportation authorization funding levels. Chairman DeFazio stated that “With this one-year extension in place, we can continue work on a long-term, transformational bill that significantly boosts investment in our surface transportation network and moves our transportation systems into the 21st century.”
More on the FAST Act one-year extension immediately below under the heading Status of FAST Act Authorization.
Also see US DOT appropriations status table below.
Appropriation Status Table Link OVERALL APPROPRIATION BILL SUMMARY Bills Passed: House (10 of 12) Senate (0 of 12) Vetoed (0 of 12) Both Chambers: (0 of 12) Enacted: (0 of 12) US Department of Transportation Appropriation Status Table FY 2021
Subcommittee Approval Full Committee Approval Initial Passage Resolution of House-Senate Differences Presidential Transportation-HUD House Senate House Senate House Senate Conference Rpt. House Senate Approval HR 7617 (voice vote) (30-22) (217-197) 7/8/2020 7/14/2020 7/31/2020 H. Rpt. 116-452 (359-57) HR 8337 - CR 9/22/2020
Notes: House Transportation-HUD Appropriations 7/8/2020 Subcommittee Press Release House Transportation-HUD Appropriations 7/14/2020 Full Committee Press Release House Transportation-HUD Appropriations 7/31/2020 House-Passed Press Release House-Passed CR Press Release 9/22/2020
Status of FAST Act Authorization The House-passed CR (359-57 vote on September 22, 2020) contains a one-year extension of the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act” or the “FAST Act” (Public Law 114–94—enacted on December 4, 2015) which expires September 30, 2020. FAST Act extension highlights of the one-year stopgap measure are noted below.
Key Provisions of the One-Year Fast Act Extension Contained in the House-Proposed CR. Amounts authorized to the Highway Account (HA), and the Mass Transit Account (MTA) of the Highway Trust Fund, and the General Fund for FY 2021 to such programs are to be equal to the amounts authorized in FY 2020; Obligation Limitation and formula funds are to be administered in the same manner as in FY 2020; The FAST Act contained a provision capping no more than $500 million in aggregate of the $4.5 billion authorized for the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program for FY 2016 – 2020 to be used for freight rail, ports, or intermodal projects. The CR extension provides an additional $100 million for FY 2021; Additional funds transferred to the HTF/HA ($10.4 billion),to the HA/MTA ($3.2 billion) and to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund ($14.0 billion) from the General Fund; Obligation deadlines for National Infrastructure Investments (aka Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development – BUILD grants) for FY 2017/FY 2018 are extended through September 30, 2021; Blocks the “Rostenkowski Test,” which if implemented would trigger approximately $12 billion in a mandatory reduction in outlays to the MTA causing across-the-board cuts that would impact every public transit system across the country.
Most transportation leaders agree that a one-year extension is needed to provide some stability to the states and to provide the time needed for Congressional leaders to address key issues such as the surface transportation program’s fundamental revenue shortfalls. That is, Congress has given limited consideration to raising fuel taxes in recent years; instead, since 2008 Congress has supported the federal surface transportation program by supplementing fuel tax revenues with transfers from the U.S. Treasury general fund. [See Congressional Research Service Report Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation]
As for the Senate and House efforts in passing a long-term reauthorization bill, recall that the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works advanced S. 2302, America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 July 30, 2019 – a bill to authorize $287 billion over five years, including $259 billion for formula programs to maintain and repair America’s roads and bridges. The full Senate has not addressed that bill nor have several other Senate Committees addressed their relevant reauthorization bill Titles which would need to be included in an overall bill. Meanwhile, the House passed HR 2, “Moving Forward Act” on July 1, 2020. The House bill provided $494 billion over five years to surface and rail transportation plus another $1 trillion for other infrastructure investments. To date, neither bill accounts for the looming Highway Trust Fund shortfall and insolvency expected before the end of FY 2021. The House has also “merged a five-year FAST Act reauthorization into a broad economic rebuilding plan” based on the Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review Act’’ or the ‘‘STARTER Act" according to an article by American Shipper.
September 2, 2020. The Congressional Budget Office released a Report entitled, “The Outlook for Major Federal Trust Funds: 2020 to 2030.” Within the report the CBO notes that, “From 2008 through 2019, the fund’s spending exceeded its revenues by a total of $127 billion. As a result, lawmakers authorized a series of transfers to the Highway Trust Fund to avoid delaying payments to state and local governments. Most recently, in December 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (also called the FAST Act, Public Law 114-94) transferred $70 billion to the Highway Trust Fund, mostly from the general fund of the Treasury, as the fund’s balance neared exhaustion. Including that amount, the transfers have totaled almost $144 billion.” Furthermore the report cites that, “both the highway account and the transit account would [will] be exhausted in 2021.”
September 2, 2020. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its September 2020 An Update to the Budget Outlook: 2020 to 2030. CBO projects a federal budget deficit of $3.3 trillion in 2020, more than triple the shortfall recorded in 2019. That increase is mostly the result of the economic disruption caused by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the enactment of legislation in response. At 16.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the deficit in 2020 would be the largest since 1945. The deficit in 2021 is projected to be 8.6 percent of GDP. Between 1946 and 2019, the deficit as a share of GDP has been larger than that only twice. As a result of those deficits, federal debt held by the public is projected to rise sharply, to 98 percent of GDP in 2020, compared with 79 percent at the end of 2019 and 35 percent in 2007, before the start of the previous recession. It would exceed 100 percent in 2021 and increase to 107 percent in 2023, the highest in the nation’s history.
See next page for figure on the “Federal Debt Held by the Public.”
SELECTED CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS/BUSINESS September 23, 2020. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing to discuss and receive testimony on, “Driving Equity: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program.” Members are to appear by videoconference or in person in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Committee Link and Testimony. TG&A – summary available upon request.
September 16, 2020. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held an Executive Session (Committee Link) hearing to consider several legislative measures and nominations, such as actions on the following nominations to include: Nomination of Eric Soskin, of VA, to be Inspector General, Department of Transportation (approved); Nomination of Robert Primus, of NJ, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board (approved).
September 10, 2020. The US Senate failed to advance a “skinny” or reduced $300 billion ($650 billion in spending offset by $350 billion in repurposed funds from previous aid packages) version of an earlier larger $1 trillion pandemic relief package that did not receive a vote. The skinny bill entitled Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Business Act (Senate Amendment 2652 to S.178) fell short of the 60 votes (52-47 vote - Roll Call) needed to clear certain procedural hurdles and move the bill forward. Republicans generally supported the bill (with the exception of Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)) and Senate Democrats were united in opposing the bill. [Recall that House Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion pandemic aid bill in May.] Senate Republican were opposed to a larger bill due to concerns about rising debt levels while Democrats opposed the skinny bill as insufficient to meet the country’s health and economic needs. It is unclear whether Congress will again be able to strike a major compromise addressing the economic and health care crises before the end of the federal fiscal year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has intimated that she would accept a $2.2 trillion deal, while the Administration has signaled that it will support a $1.5 trillion deal (as is also supported by a 50-member bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus). Senate Republican leaders have noted that support for any aid package over $1 trillion begins to wane pretty quickly.
The bill, as reported by the WSJ would provide in part: $300 in weekly federal unemployment insurance through December 27, 2020; Establish legal protections for businesses and health-care facilities; $29 billion in health-care funding; $20 billion for farmers and ranchers who’ve been hurt by pandemic-induced losses, and $500 million for fishing and seafood industries; $31 billion for development and distribution of vaccines, drugs and other medical supplies, and $16 billion for testing and contact tracing; $105 billion for schools and; The US Postal Service not to repay a $10 billion loan provided in a previous aid package.
SELECTED CONGRESSIONAL “TRANSPORTATION-RELATED” BILLS – SEPTEMBER HOUSE & SENATE - CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) LEGISLATION S 4623 M. Cantwell (D-WA) A bill to establish a S 178 M. McConnell (R-KY) “Delivering Immediate Relief to temperature checks pilot program for air America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act.” transportation. Introduced 9/17/2020. S.Amdt.2652 to S.178 was not invoked in the Senate by Yea- Nay Vote. 52 – 47 on 9/10/2020. OTHER SENATE BILLS (No Relevant Items) OTHER HOUSE BILLS HR 8337 N. Lowey (D-NY) “Continuing Appropriations Act, HR 8300 J. Langevin (D-RI) To provide for a temporary increase to the 2021 and Other Extensions Act.” Introduced Federal share for certain highway projects. Introduced 9/21/2020. 9/17/2020. HR 8309 M. Rogers (R-AL) “Keep America Secure Act.” TBA P. DeFazio (D-OR) et al. “FEMA Assistance Relief Act of Press Release The bill includes a comprehensive 2-year Press Release 2020.” The bill would adjust certain FEMA cost shares Rogers Op-Ed authorization of all DHS activities, providing $59 declared in 2020 to not less than 90% federal and 10% HR 8309 billion for FY 2021 and $60 billion for FY 2022. nonfederal, according to background the lawmakers Introduced 9/17/2020. provided. Introduced 9/16/2020. HR 8262 N. Velazquez (D-NY) To amend title 49, United H Res 106 F. Wilson (D-FL) Expressing support to designate the week of States Code, to establish a grant program for September 21 through September 27, 2020, Rail Safety infrastructure improvement projects at Week in the United States, and to support the goals and transportation access points to facilitate or ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce rail-related accidents, increase the use of transportation facilities by fatalities, and injuries. Introduced 9/11/2020. individuals with limited mobility. Introduced 9/15/2020. HR 5273 X. Small “Securing America’s Ports Act.” HR 8082 D. LaHood (R-IL) “Freight Rail Assistance and Investment to Requires the Department of Homeland Security Press Launch Coronavirus-era Activity and Recovery (Freight to report to Congress a plan to expeditiously Release RAILCAR) Act.” The bill will incentivize private investment in scan all commercial and passenger vehicles Illinois’ [et al] freight railcar manufacturing industry, support entering the US at a land port of entry using good-paying jobs, and protect America’s supply chain. large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems, Introduced 8/21/2020. such as X-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, or similar technology. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders on 9/9/2020.
FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFOs) - GRANT AWARDS See Addendum A. - Calendar Year NOFO/AWARDS SCORECARD – at end of report.
September 16, 2020. US DOT ANNOUNCED $1 billion in awards through the “Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development” (BUILD) transportation discretionary grants program (formerly known as TIGER). The funding was awarded to 70 projects in 44 states. Fiscal Year 2020 BUILD grants are for planning and capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and were awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact.
BUILD funding supports roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation. For this, (the 12th round of BUILD Transportation grants), the maximum grant award was $25 million, while no more than $100 million was to be awarded to a single State. TG&A supported and advocated for a successful award totaling $20 million in federal BUILD funds, i.e. The Stockton Diamond Grade Separation prepared by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) and the CA DOT (Caltrans) was awarded $20 million to grade separate the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway mainlines in Stockton, CA. The full list of awards can be found here.
August 28, 2020. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued their FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY PROGRAM OBLIGATION LIMITATION – REDISTRIBUTION OF FY 2020 OBLIGATION LIMITATION (AUGUST REDISTRIBUTION) notice. A total of $4,762,052,903 in obligation limitation was made available for redistribution amongst the 50 states and the District of Columbia for FY 2020. The additional obligation limitation must be obligated no later than September 28, 2020.
OTHER TRANSPORTATION-RELATED FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES September 11, 2020. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend DHS regulations concerning the use and collection of biometrics in the enforcement and administration of immigration laws by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Written comments must be submitted on this rule on or before October 13, 2020.
September 4, 2020. The Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), the Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) Coalition, and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are urging Congress to take three “Critical Steps” to address the “unstable future” created by significant declines federal and state transportation and other revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those three steps are as follows: 1. Pass a growth-oriented and turn-key extension of current surface transportation law for one year; 2. Provide backstop federal funding to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and public transit agencies; and 3. Ensure the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund.
OTHER REPORTS/NOTICES/NEWS ARTICLES September 21, 2020. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a Report entitled, “Furloughs Likely If FAST Act and Transportation Appropriations Not Extended by September 30.”
September 21, 2020. The National Academies Press released a Report entitled, “Critical Issues in Transportation 2019.”
September 17, 2020. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced their FY 2021 Transit Training Schedule. To sign up for the training, to the Transportation Safety Institute Homepage and enter your login credentials.
September 14, 2020. The National Academies Press highlighted a previously released Report entitled, “Emerging Challenges to Priced Managed Lanes (2020).”
September 10, 2020. Seven bipartisan organizations representing state and local governments, including NACo, sent a LETTER to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General expressing concerns over recent regulatory changes and oversight process for the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF). Specifically, the letter intimated that, “The new reporting requirements under question 69, and substantiating requirements under questions 69(a) and 69(b), appear to contradict the prior presumption guidance that states and localities have already acted on to make budgeting, payroll, and employment decisions.
At the very least, the change mandated by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) increases regulatory burdens on state and local governments and diminishes confidence in lasting federal support at a time of reduced capacity as a result on unavoidable furloughs necessary to meet balanced budget obligations.”
September 9, 2020. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) along with 87 other organizations co-signed a LETTER to Congressional leadership calling for a one-year “turn-key” extension of current surface transportation funding legislation with the addition of emergency funding for state departments of transportation and public transit agencies. Specifically the letter called for the following: 1. A turn-key, one-year extension of the current surface transportation law with increased investment levels; 2. Emergency federal funding for state departments of transportation and public transit agencies— $37 billion and $32 billion, respectively; and 3. Provisions to ensure solvency of the Highway Trust Fund for the duration of the extension at a minimum.
September 8, 2020. A LETTER Co-signed by some 40 organizations including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) was sent to Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff, calling for presidential support to preserve the 5.9-gigahertz (GHz) wireless spectrum communication band for transportation safety needs. Specifically, the letter emphasized, “Reducing the amount of spectrum available to Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technologies undermines our shared interest in reducing the number of traffic fatalities and injuries that occur each year on U.S. roadways, improving motor vehicle safety, and improving the operational performance of roadways by reducing congestion across the transportation system. Such a decision would also harm U.S. global competitiveness with respect to next-generation automotive safety technologies. We urge you to work with the U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the transportation community to ensure that the 5.9 GHz band is preserved for transportation safety.” In contrast, see the September 8, 2020 LETTER from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) encouraging the Federal Communications Commission to “expand commercial use” of the 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) wireless communication spectrum band: allowing the 5.9 GHz spectrum to be opened to non-transportation use.
September 8, 2020. The National Academies Press highlighted a previously released Report entitled, “White Papers for Right-Sizing Transportation Investments (2020).”
September 3-4, 2020. US DOT released the first-ever National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). The NFSP lays out a vision for long-term investments in infrastructure, the workforce, and other essential parts of the freight system. The Plan describes specific funding programs and initiatives to guide multimodal investments to address safety issues, reduce congestion, improve intermodal connectivity, and support rural communities and industries. The Plan also defines a clear Federal role for leading efforts to improve the performance of the Nation’s multimodal freight system. See US DOT Press Release.
September 2, 2020. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) issued a Press Release urging, “both chambers of Congress and the Administration to provide at least $32 billion in critical federal support to enable the industry to survive during this unprecedented ongoing COVID-19 crisis.” The APTA press release further emphasized that, “A recent survey of APTA members found that reduced revenues due to depressed ridership, paused fare collection, and reduced tax revenues, together with increased operating costs to protect workers and riders, are devastating public transit agency budgets.” In addition the press released noted that, “more than one-third of public transit agencies have had to delay capital projects, and nearly one in five agencies have shifted funds from their capital budget to their operating budget. Many transit systems, both large and small, are predicting significant budget shortfalls due to declining revenues heading into fiscal year 2021 without additional federal support.”
August 31, 2020. The Unlock American Investment Coalition supports the White House Council on Environmental Quality to finalize updates to NEPA which is designed to reduce delays on the permitting process for projects. The Coalition notes that NEPA has not been updated in 40 years which creates delays and hurts economic growth. The coalition further notes that, “NEPA reviews have been misused to gin up opposition, create bureaucratic roadblocks, and delay progress through litigation – adding unreasonable costs and hampering economic activity. See Coalition Letter and Fact Sheet.
August 31, 2020. The National Academies Press highlighted a previously released Report entitled, “Shared Mobility and the Transformation of Public Transit (2016).”
August 28, 2020. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a frequently asked questions (FAQs) guide on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act Community Development Block Grant funding (CDBG-CV) to summarize HUD’s August 20, 2020 Federal Register Notice (FRN) regarding waivers and program changes for the CDBG-CV and regular CDBG program for activities to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19. CDBG is a vital funding resource for local governments for housing, water, infrastructure and human services programs and has been important for reducing the negative impact of the coronavirus on local communities.
August 27, 2020. The National Academies Press highlighted a previously released Report entitled, “Integration of Bicycles and Transit (2005).” Also see Bicyclist Facility Preferences and Effects on Increasing Bicycle Trips (2020).
August 25, 2020. The American Highway Users Alliance (AHUA) sent a Letter to Congressional leaders, “Urges[Urging] Congress to pass a one-year extension of [the] current surface transportation law with increased highway investment funding to ensure [that] important road and bridge projects can continue into the new fiscal year and prevent further disruption to America’s economic recovery.” The letter continued by noting, “Additionally, it is vitally important that the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) retain solvency through the extension at a minimum. The Highway Users urges Congress to transfer funds to the HTF to keep it whole at least through the determined extension length.”
UPCOMING CONGRESSIONAL CALENDAR – OCTOBER
UPCOMING DEADLINES/EVENTS Note: Given the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many upcoming events have/are being cancelled or conducted “virtually” to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
September 21-27 Rail Safety Week 2020 (virtual outreach event); September 21-24 2020 AASHTO National Transportation Management ‘Virtual’ Conference; September 28 AASHTO 2020 Virtual Joint Policy Conference; October 5-6 2020 AASHTO Council on Rail Transportation Virtual Annual Meeting; October 11-14 APTA TRANSform Conference, Anaheim, CA-Canceled; October 21-22 TRANScend – an APTA virtual event; November 3 Election Day; November 9-13 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2020 Annual Meeting – to be held virtual; January 6-9 NRC - 2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION; February 23 Waterways Council - ANNUAL WASHINGTON MEETINGS; TBA 17th Annual NRC Railroad Equipment Auction.
SCUTTLEBUTT August 27, 2020. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent a Letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari urging his office to expeditiously review the matters referred to it by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its August 14, 2020 Legal Decision determining that the appointments of Chad Wolf as the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Ken Cuccinelli as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary were illegal.
August 26, 2020. The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg was designated by President Donald Trump on August 21, 2020 to continue to serve in the position for a new term of three years. Mr. Landsberg began a five-year appointment as a NTSB board member August 7, 2018, and on that same day began a two-year term as the NTSB’s Vice Chairman. The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families.
Addendum A. – Calendar Year NOFO/AWARDS SCORECARD. An Excel spreadsheet with “hot-links” is available from TG&A upon request. SELECTED TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES (NOFOs) &/OR AWARDS (SCORECARD for CY 2020) 9/16/2020 TYPE NOFO NOFO $s APPLICATION NOFO $ NOFO TITLE (NOFO / AWARD) ISSUANCE DATE NOFO URL MADE AVAILABLE DEADLINE AWARDS AWARDS URL AWARDED - DATE COMMENTS US DOT FY 2020 INFRA Grants NOFO/AWARD 1/13/2020 NOFO URL 906,000,000 2/25/2020 906,000,000 Awards URL 6/18/2020 $150 m. in prior year available. FY 2020 National Infrastructure Investments (BUILD) NOFO/AWARD 2/19/2020 NOFO URL 1,000,000,000 5/18/2020 ########### Awards URL 9/16/2020 Press Release FY 2020 University Transportation Centers Program NOFO 3/30/2020 NOFO URL 4,925,000 5/29/2020 TBD TBD TBD Inclusive Design Challenge (FY 2018 Funding) NOFO 4/21/2020 NOFO URL 5,000,000 10/30/2020 TBD TBD TBD $5 m. prize purse from FY 2018 “Highly Automated Vehicle Research & Dev. Pgm." US DHS/ FEMA FY 2019 Assistance to Firefighter Grants NOFO 1/27/2020 NOFO URL 315,000,000 3/20/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Transit Security Grant Program NOFO 2/15/2020 NOFO URL 88,000,000 4/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Port Security Grant Program NOFO 2/15/2020 NOFO URL 100,000,000 4/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Intercity Bus Security Grant Program NOFO 2/15/2020 NOFO URL 2,000,000 4/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Intercity Passenger Rail - Amtrak NOFO 2/15/2020 NOFO URL 10,000,000 4/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Nonprofit Security Grant Program NOFO 2/15/2020 NOFO URL 90,000,000 4/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) NOFO 4/7/2020 NOFO URL 350,000,000 5/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD Due date extended to 5/27/2020. FY 2019 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grants NOFO 4/21/2020 NOFO URL 35,000,000 5/29/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program - CARES Act NOFO/AWARD 4/23/2020 NOFO URL 100,000,000 5/15/2020 TBD Award URL 6/19/2020 FY 2020 Flood Mitigation Assistance program NOFO 8/4/2020 NOFO URL 160,000,000 1/29/2021 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program NOFO 8/4/2020 NOFO URL 500,000,000 1/29/2021 TBD TBD TBD DOE FY 2020 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic FOA NOFO 1/23/2020 NOFO URL 97,000,000 4/30/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research FOA NOFO 1/23/2020 NOFO URL 133,200,000 4/14/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 H2@Scale New Markets FOA NOFO 1/23/2020 NOFO URL 64,000,000 4/20/2020 TBD TBD TBD 2/25/20 Deadline/Concept Papers. EPA FY 2020 – FY 2021 Pollution Prevention Grant Program NOFO 1/29/2020 NOFO URL 9,380,000 3/31/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act NOFO 7/17/2020 NOFO URL 50,000,000 10/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 State Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act NOFO 7/17/2020 NOFO URL 5,000,000 9/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2021 Brownfield Assessment Grants NOFO 8/18/2020 NOFO URL 32,000,000 10/28/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2021 Brownfield Multipurpose Grants NOFO 8/18/2020 NOFO URL 8,000,000 10/28/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2021 Brownfield Cleanup Grants NOFO 8/18/2020 NOFO URL 13,000,000 10/28/2020 TBD TBD TBD FAA FY 2018 Small Community Air Service Development Program NOFO/AWARD 5/6/2019 NOFO URL 12,500,000 7/15/2019 12,500,000 Award URL 2/24/2020 FAA Aviation Research Grants Program NOFO 9/8/2020 NOFO URL 6,000,000 9/7/2027 TBD TBD TBD FHWA Accelerated Innovative Deployment Demonstration Program NOFO/AWARD 10/21/2019 Amended NOFO URL 10,000,000 Rolling 8,091,503 Award URL 1/21/2020 Initial NOFO URL FY 2020 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program NOFO 1/31/2020 NOFO URL 1,000,000 3/16/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program NOFO 3/10/2020 NOFO URL 720,000 4/27/2020 TBD TBD TBD Highway Use Tax Evasion Program NOFO 3/17/2020 NOFO URL 8,000,000 5/22/2020 TBD TBD TBD Work Zone Data Exchange Demonstration Program NOFO 6/17/2020 NOFO URL 2,400,000 8/3/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2019 Advanced Transpo. & Congestion Mgt. Tech. Deployment Initiative NOFO/AWARD 6/6/2019 NOFO URL 60,000,000 8/5/2019 43,311,364 Award URL 6/16/2020 FY 2020 Advanced Transpo. & Congestion Mgt. Tech. Deployment Initiative NOFO 7/2/2020 NOFO URL 60,000,000 8/31/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2019/FY 2020 Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives NOFO/AWARD 8/8/2019 NOFO URL 38,020,000 See Comment 15,120,000 AWARD URL 7/9/2020 10/15/2019 and 4/3/2020. Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Program NOFO 8/26/2020 NOFO URL 50,000,000 10/26/2020 TBD TBD TBD FRA FY 2019/2020 Restoration and Enhancement Grants NOFO/AWARD 1/2/2020 Amended NOFO URL 26,337,600 2/5/2020 22,414,816 Award URL 5/5/2020 Initial NOFO URL FY 2019 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements NOFO/AWARD 8/19/2019 NOFO URL 244,621,500 10/18/2019 248,500,000 Award URL 3/12/2020 Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) NOFO 3/16/2020 NOFO URL 35,000,000,000 6/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD Deadline extended to 8/15/2020. FY 2020 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements NOFO 4/20/2020 NOFO URL 311,772,500 6/19/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Supplemental State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee NOFO 5/7/2020 NOFO URL 4,000,000 5/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD Northern New England Passenger Rail Auth. FY 2018-2020 Special Transportation Circumstances Projects NOFO 5/8/2020 NOFO URL 23,108,458 7/7/2020 TBD TBD TBD Funding - AK, WY, and SD. FY 2020 Short Line Safety Institute Program NOFO 5/20/2020 NOFO URL 2,500,000 5/29/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis NOFO 5/27/2020 NOFO URL 400,000 6/5/2020 TBD TBD TBD Nat'l. Academy/Sciences only eligible to apply. FY 2019 State of Good Repair Program (Partnership Program) AWARD 10/8/2019 NOFO URL 396,000,000 12/9/2019 302,600,000 Award URL 5/27/2020 Remaining $93 m. per NOFO/FY 2020 SOGR.
SELECTED TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES (NOFOs) &/OR AWARDS (SCORECARD for CY 2020) 9/16/2020 TYPE NOFO NOFO $s APPLICATION NOFO $ NOFO TITLE (NOFO / AWARD) ISSUANCE DATE NOFO URL MADE AVAILABLE DEADLINE AWARDS AWARDS URL AWARDED - DATE COMMENTS FY 2019/2020 Railroad Trespassing Suicide Prevention Grant Program NOFO 6/9/2020 NOFO URL 293,000 8/10/2020 FY 2019/2020 Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair Program NOFO 6/10/2020 NOFO URL 291,422,706 7/27/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Railroad Safety State Participation Grant Program NOFO 6/18/2020 NOFO URL 424,500 7/17/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program NOFO 7/1/2020 NOFO URL 2,000,000 7/31/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2019 - 2020 Railroad Trespassing Enforcement Grant Program NOFO/AWARD 10/22/2019 NOFO URL 150,000 12/23/2019 528,028 Award URL 7/7/2020 Press Release FY 2020 Magnetic Levitation Technology Deployment Program NOFO 7/16/2020 NOFO URL 2,000,000 7/31/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2020 Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Education & Enforcement Pgm. NOFO 8/4/2020 NOFO URL 1,000,000 8/31/2020 TBD TBD TBD FTA FY 2020 Low or No Emission Grant Program NOFO 1/24/2020 NOFO URL 130,000,000 3/17/2020 130,000,000 Award URL 6/2/2020 FY 2020 Passenger Ferry Grant Program NOFO/AWARD 1/30/2020 NOFO URL 30,000,000 3/30/2020 47,532,044 Award URL 7/24/2020 Awards included prior year funding. FY 2020 Buses and Bus Facilities Program NOFO 1/30/2020 NOFO URL 454,600,000 3/30/2020 463,848,929 Award URL 8/11/2020 FY 2018 Public Transportation Innovation Program NOFO 2/11/2020 NOFO URL 2,000,000 3/24/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2018/2019 Public Transportation Innovation Funds NOFO 2/13/2020 NOFO URL 7,300,000 3/24/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2019 Bus/Bus Facilities Program NOFO/AWARD 5/15/2019 NOFO URL 423,350,240 6/21/2019 423,350,240 Award URL 3/2/2020 FY 2020 Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) Program NOFO 3/3/2020 NOFO URL 8,500,000 5/4/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2017/2018 Integrated Mobility Innovation Demonstration Program NOFO/AWARD 5/8/2019 NOFO URL 15,000,000 8/6/2019 20,355,847 Award URL 3/16/2020 FY 2017/FY 2018 FTA research funds. FY 2019 Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) Challenge Grants NOFO/AWARD 3/18/2020 NOFO URL 11,000,000 4/17/2020 14,000,000 Award URL 8/27/2020 [email protected] Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Pgm. (Tribal Transit Pgm.) NOFO 5/26/2020 NOFO URL 5,000,000 8/24/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2016 Public Transportation Innovation Program NOFO 5/26/2020 NOFO URL 1,250,000 7/17/2020 TBD TBD TBD Real-Time Transit Infrastructure/Rolling Stock Condition Ass't. Demo. Pgm. NOFO 5/27/2020 NOFO URL 1,250,000 7/17/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2018/19/2020 Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program AWARD 891,000,000 Award URL 5/29/2020 Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program NOFO 6/2/2020 NOFO URL 1,900,000 7/2/2020 TBD TBD TBD Option to extend funding for up to 4 years. FY 2020 Mobility for All Pilot Program Grants NOFO/AWARD 11/1/2019 NOFO URL 3,500,000 1/6/2020 3,502,820 AWARD URL 6/5/2020 Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning NOFO/AWARD 9/18/2019 NOFO URL 19,190,000 11/18/2019 22,970,124 Award URL 6/11/2020 FY 20/19/17/16 Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program NOFO 7/28/2020 NOFO URL 225,000,000 Rolling TBD TBD TBD MARAD FY 2019 Short Sea Transportation Program (America's Marine Hwy. Pgm.) NOFO/AWARD 6/14/2019 NOFO URL 7,000,000 6/14/2019 7,503,000 Award URL 1/7/2020 Deadline Extension URL FY 2020 Small Shipyard Grants NOFO/AWARD 1/6/2020 NOFO URL 19,600,000 2/18/2020 19,600,000 Award URL 4/20/2020 FY 2019 Port Infrastructure Development Program NOFO/AWARD 6/18/2019 NOFO URL 292,730,000 9/16/2019 287,303,341 Award URL 2/14/2020 FY 2020 Port Infrastructure Development Grants NOFO 2/19/2020 NOFO URL 225,000,000 5/18/2020 TBD TBD TBD FR NOFO 3 March 2020 FY 2020 Short Sea Transportation Program (America's Marine Hwy. Pgm.) NOFO/AWARD 3/5/2020 NOFO URL 9,481,750 4/24/2020 9,555,750 Award URL 6/15/2020 Updated NOFO URL Maritime Energy Efficiency Pilot/Demonstration Project NOFO 3/14/2020 NOFO URL 1,000,000 5/13/2020 TBD TBD TBD
NHTSA / FMCSA FY 2020 High Priority Program - Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) NOFO 1/7/2020 NOFO URL 25,211,500 2/21/2020 TBD TBD TBD Prosecutor Support for Impaired Driving NOFO 4/15/2020 NOFO URL 1,240,743 5/14/2020 TBD TBD TBD Support for Alcohol Law Enforcement to Prevent Impaired Driving NOFO 4/15/2020 NOFO URL 500,000 5/13/2020 TBD TBD TBD Judicial Education Discretionary Grant NOFO 4/23/2020 NOFO URL 1,273,879 5/22/2020 TBD TBD TBD Support for Probation Services for DWI Offenders NOFO 4/23/2020 NOFO URL 650,000 5/25/2020 TBD TBD TBD State Ignition Interlock Support and Resources NOFO 5/7/2020 NOFO URL 650,000 6/4/2020 TBD TBD TBD An award will be made in August 2020. State Notification to Consumers of Motor Vehicle Recall Status NOFO 5/7/2020 NOFO URL 1,500,000 9/15/2020 TBD TBD TBD FY 2021 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) NOFO 5/29/2020 NOFO URL 304,069,500 8/7/2020 TBD TBD TBD State governments eligible. FY 2020 High Priority Grant Program AWARD 45,163,660 Award URL 8/19/2020 Press Release FY 2020 Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation Grants AWARD 32,702,000 Award URL 8/19/2020 Press Release FY 2020 – Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grants AWARD 1,994,541 Award URL 8/19/2020 Press Release DOC/EDA FY 2020 EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program NOFO 5/7/2020 NOFO URL 30,000,000 No Deadline. TBD TBD TBD Applications accepted ongoing until new NOFO. OSHA FY 2020 Susan Harwood Training Grants NOFO 5/19/2020 NOFO URL 11,500,000 7/20/2020 TBD TBD TBD USDA Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program NOFA 5/22/2020 NOFA URL 20,500,000 9/15/2021 TBD TBD TBD
SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
STAFF REPORT Item 4 ACTION
Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Certifying an Environmental Impact Report, Adopting Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Adopt the Associated Mitigation Monitoring Plan, Approve the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project and Authorize and Direct the Executive Director to Execute and File a Notice of Determination Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Project and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute any and All Documents Related to the Project
Background: Staff recommends to the SJRRC Board to certify the Environmental Impact Report for the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project, adopt the Findings (including a Statement of Overriding Considerations), adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and approve the Proposed project. The Proposed Project is one part of the larger Valley Rail Project, a scalable plan intended to improve intercity and commuter rail connectivity, improve air quality, improve access to economic opportunities and affordable housing to disadvantaged communities, and create opportunities for transit-oriented development (TOD) in the Central Valley. In addition to the Proposed Project, the larger Valley Rail Project also includes an extension of ACE service to Merced, which builds upon ACE funding from Senate Bill 132 and would provide connectivity to future California HSR service. CEQA PROCESS SCHEDULE • September 13, 2019: the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) posted a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project (Proposed Project) to the California State Clearinghouse. • Scoping meetings were held on September 30, 2019 in Lodi, on October 1, 2019 in Natomas, and on October 2, 2019 in Sacramento. Due to community input and request, an additional public meeting was held on November 13, 2019 at The Club at Natomas Park and the scoping period was extended through November 30, 2019. A follow up meeting was held on December 11, 2019 at the North Natomas Club House to provide an update on the project. • The Draft EIR was released for a 45‐day public review period beginning March 30, 2020. In response to requests from reviewers, the comment period was extended to
June 5, 2020. Virtual open houses were conducted during the Draft EIR public review period on April 23, 2020, April 28, 2020, and May 11, 2020. • September 22, 2020: Final EIR and responses to comments posted to project website and notification sent to agencies commenting on Draft EIR. • September 23, 2020: Notification sent to interested parties and stakeholders. • October 2, 2020: Final EIR is presented to SJRRC for certification and project is considered for approval. VALLEY RAIL SACRAMENTO EXTENSION PROJECT: PROJECT DESCRIPTION The EIR describes the Proposed Project as including the elements described below. • Two alternatives for a new station in Lodi: the Lodi Station on a site along the southern side of State Route (SR) 12 (Kettleman Lane) just east of the UPRR alignment; and the Lodi Station South Alternative on a site along the north side of West Harney Lane just east of the UPRR alignment. • Four new stations in Sacramento including City College, Midtown Sacramento, Old North Sacramento, and Natomas/Sacramento Airport. • Track improvements along the UPRR Sacramento Subdivision including siding upgrades/extensions, new crossover track, and curve reconstructions. KEY ISSUES OF CONCERN RAISED IN SCOPING AND DRAFT EIR COMMENTS The following are some of the issues raised in scoping comments and/or comments on the Draft EIR. All scoping comments are included in Appendix A of the EIR. All Draft EIR comments are included in Appendix I of the Final EIR. • Aesthetics—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding light pollution from nighttime lighting at the proposed Midtown Sacramento Station and from the proposed Maintenance and Layover Facility Alternatives. • Air Quality— Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding generation of dust, air quality impacts from vehicles at stations, air quality impacts surrounding the proposed Maintenance and Layover Facility Alternatives, and construction-related emissions. • Biological Resources—Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding project impacts to sensitive species and habitat, Consumnes River Preserve, and Regional SAN Bufferlands. • Cultural Resources—Draft EIR comments requested further coordination during final design and construction. • Hazards and Hazardous Materials—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding contaminated soils in the project footprint. • Hydrology and Water Quality—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding increased flood risk, degradation of water quality, and impacts to levees.
• Land Use—Scoping comments expressed concern regarding potential land use compatibility issues with the proposed Maintenance and Layover Facility Alternatives. • Noise and Vibration—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern regarding construction and operational noise and the scope of analysis. • Population and Housing—Scoping comments expressed concern regarding the proposed Maintenance and Layover Facility Alternatives and effects on growth. • Recreation—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern about disruption to park lands and regional trails. • Tribal Cultural Resources—Scoping and Draft EIR comments requested consultation during design, construction and maintaining tribal confidentiality. • Transportation —Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern over access to stations. • Utilities and Service Systems—Scoping and Draft EIR comments expressed concern over project impacts to existing utilities. • Alternatives—Many scoping comments were submitted about the proposed Maintenance and Layover Facility Alternatives. All substantive environmental scoping issues are addressed in the EIR. All suggested alternatives were considered. All Draft EIR comments are responded to in the Final EIR. Subsequent to the circulation of the Draft EIR, SJRRC and SJJPA have continued coordination with the City of Elk Grove on an appropriate site for a station to serve the Elk Grove community. Additional information on a more ideal location for the station has been identified. In addition, SJRRC and SJJPA received numerous comments on the Draft EIR questioning the viability of the proposed North Elk Grove Station described in Draft EIR. As such, the proposed North Elk Grove Station (including all access and siding variants) is no longer under consideration. Final approval of a future Elk Grove Station at a site agreed to by all interested parties will be subject to a separate, stand-alone CEQA document that will be circulated for public review and comment at a later date. SJRRC and SJJPA also received additional information and significant expressions of concern regarding siting of the proposed Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility – a potential Phase II component of the Proposed Project. The site identified in the Draft EIR for the Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility would require purchase or condemnation of two operating business ventures, as well as property owned by a joint landlord. Such purchase or condemnation could be prohibitively expensive for SJRRC and SJJPA and could also result in the loss of significant jobs to the region. For those reasons, SJRRC and SJJPA have deemed it infeasible to site the Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility as shown in the Draft EIR. As such, consideration of all potential Phase II improvements, including the Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility, the West Elkhorn Boulevard Overpass, and expansion of the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station parking lot are no longer under consideration. All references to Phase II have been deleted from this Final EIR. If Phase II proceeds at a future date, SJRRC and SJJPA would site the Natomas Maintenance and
Layover Facility at a more desirable location, subject to additional CEQA documentation and public review. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS The EIR presents the project’s environmental impacts in detail and they are summarized in the Executive Summary. A brief overview of the environmental impacts is presented below. The Proposed Project would have less than significant impacts with mitigation for all environmental resource areas except for the following: • Agricultural Resources: The Lodi Station site is zoned AG-40. The AG-40 zoning designation is established to preserve agricultural lands for the continuation of commercial agricultural enterprises. Transportation services are not permitted in the AG-40 zone. This zoning designation was adopted for the purpose of avoiding a physical environmental effect. The Lodi Station would conflict with existing agricultural zoning by converting land zoned for agricultural uses to transit uses. Mitigation has been proposed to consult with San Joaquin County Community Development Department and Board of Supervisors on the adoption of a change in zoning designation for the parcels proposed for the Lodi Station. However, SJRRC cannot guarantee successful implementation of the mitigation measure, since it is not responsible for approval of zoning designations in San Joaquin County. Therefore, the Proposed Project’s impact from conflicts with existing zoning for an agricultural use would be significant and unavoidable. • Construction Noise: Construction would require construction activities in the daytime, and possibly nighttime, in order to maintain existing freight rail service. Nighttime construction near residential uses would have larger impacts than daytime construction and would result in a potentially significant impact. Although mitigation would reduce impacts in many locations, this may not always reduce construction noise impacts during nighttime construction to a less-than-significant level. Therefore, the Proposed Project’s impact from construction noise would be significant and unavoidable. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED EIR Chapter 2 included two potential sites for the Lodi Station: the Lodi Station on a site along the southern side of State Route (SR) 12 (Kettleman Lane) just east of the UPRR alignment; and the Lodi Station South Alternative on a site along the north side of West Harney Lane just east of the UPRR alignment. Both of these alternatives were fully evaluated in the EIR. While both the Lodi Station and the Lodi Station South Alternative would result in similar environmental impacts, the Lodi Station is being recommended as the proposed project location. Ridership projections show that most Lodi riders would be traveling north to Sacramento and the site along SR 12 is closer to the majority of the Lodi population. The Lodi Station South Alternative would require riders to travel south of Lodi before continuing their rail trip north, which is less desirable. As discussed in EIR Chapter 5, SJRRC considered a wide range of alternatives suggested during the scoping process which were evaluated to select the alternatives to be analyzed in
this EIR. The following alternatives were determined to be infeasible, to not avoid or substantially reduce one or more significant impacts of the Proposed Project, or to not meet all or most of the project’s purpose and need and were dismissed from further analysis: • No Project Alternative: This alternative is required to be analyzed under CEQA. This alternative would not meet the project objectives. • No Lodi Station Alternative: This alternative was dismissed as it was determined that a Lodi Station is necessary to meet the Proposed Project’s goals to improve connectivity in the Central Valley and serve the target ridership in and near the City of Lodi. • Alternative Railroad Alignment: Use of the UPRR Fresno Subdivision (located approximately parallel to, but east of the Sacramento Subdivision) as an alternative alignment to provide the project upgrade to ACE and San Joaquins services was dismissed from further consideration due to lack of support from UPRR. Also, the Fresno Subdivision does not extend north beyond downtown Sacramento and would therefore not facilitate the extension of ACE or San Joaquins service to the Natomas area or provide the opportunity for a convenient shuttle connection to the Sacramento International Airport. • Elk Grove Station Alternatives: A number of location alternatives were considered during the planning process for the Elk Grove Station, including alternatives evaluated in the City of Elk Grove’s Multimodal Facility Feasibility Study. These alternatives were dismissed due to a lack of support, inappropriate locations, difficult right-of-way acquisition, and (in the case of the North Elk Grove Station Alternative) opposition from the Sacramento Regional Sanitation District, the City of Sacramento, the Delta Stewardship Council, the Freeport Water Agency, Reclamation District 1000, Sacramento Flood Control Agency, and the Central Valley Bird Club. SJRRC and SJJPA have continued coordination efforts with the City of Elk Grove on the identification of an appropriate site in Elk Grove for the Elk Grove Station. • Lodi Station Alternatives: Various location alternatives were considered during the planning process for the Lodi Station. These alternatives were dismissed due to less desirable locations and longer travel distances from central Lodi. In addition, any alternative Lodi Station location would not avoid the significant and unavoidable loss of agricultural land as the majority of parcels bordering the UPRR ROW and suitable for a station in the vicinity of Lodi are agricultural land. • Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station Alternatives: Alternative sites for the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station were considered on a 47-acre site south of West Elkhorn Boulevard, west of Levee Road, and just east of the Natomas residential development. In response to community input and concern during the public scoping period, this station was dismissed from further consideration, as well as an interim station on a 20-acre site south of Cement Way and east of Sorento Road. • Natomas Layover and Maintenance Facility: As described above, the Natomas Layover and Maintenance Facility was dismissed from further consideration due to requirement for the purchase or condemnation of two operating business ventures, as
well as property owned by a joint landlord. Such purchase or condemnation could be prohibitively expensive for SJRRC and SJJPA and could also result in the loss of significant jobs to the region. RIDERSHIP Estimated daily ridership in 2025 at each of the proposed stations is shown in Table 1. The values presented in Table 1 represent the sum of boardings and alightings, such that the actual number of unique riders (i.e., individuals) would be half what is shown in most cases, (assuming each passenger passes through the station twice on a given day). The ridership would be spread across five roundtrips for ACE trains and two roundtrips for Amtrak San Joaquins trains. Table 1 Ridership Forecasts (2025 Build) Daily Ridership (passengers) Station ACE San Joaquins Total Natomas/Sacramento Airport 810 180 990 Old North Sacramento 750 270 1,020 Midtown Sacramento 1,450 580 2,030 City College 980 200 1,180 Elk Grove 960 290 1,250 Lodi 200 140 340 Sources: AECOM 2018a, 2018b. Ridership reflects the sum of boardings and alightings at each station, and is derived from annual ridership forecasts based on approximately 250 days of service for ACE and 365 days of service (with average daily ridership on weekends and holidays assumed to be approximately two-thirds, or 67 percent, of average weekday ridership) for the San Joaquins. Actual location of a station in Elk Grove to be determined at a later date.
COSTS Capital costs associated with the Proposed Project would be approximately $262 million. Existing (2017) annual operations and maintenance costs for ACE and San Joaquins services are estimated at approximately $21.6 million and $86 million, respectively. Projected (2020) operations and maintenance costs for ACE and San Joaquins services are estimated at approximately $32.5 million and $110 million, respectively. Projected (2020) revenue for ACE and San Joaquins services is estimated at approximately $12.5 million and $47 million, respectively.
FUNDING Funding for the Proposed Project would be funded from the 2018 $500.5 million Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) award.
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS SJRRC ridership studies have shown that expansion to Sacramento can provide substantial increases in ACE and San Joaquins ridership and provide substantial congestion, air quality, and greenhouse gas benefits. The Proposed Project would support enhanced intercity and commuter rail service between the Sacramento region, the Central Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area by implementing direct passenger rail service between Sacramento and the cities of Stockton, San Jose, and Merced. 1. Staff recommends certification of the EIR as fully addressing the project’s environmental impacts, appropriately considering viable alternatives, and responding to substantive public comments on the Draft EIR. 2. Staff recommends adoption of the CEQA findings including the Statement of Overriding Considerations as making the appropriate findings for environmental impacts and alternatives and for identifying the overriding considerations relative to impacts that cannot be reduced to a less than significant level. 3. Staff recommends adoption of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program which identifies how the identified mitigation will be implemented for the Proposed Project. 4. Staff recommends approval of the Proposed Project, including the Lodi Station Alternative.
Fiscal Impact: None — The funding sources for this agreement are part of the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) funding for the Valley Rail Project. Expenses associated with this agreement are identified in the SJRRC/ACE Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Capital Budget.
Recommendation: Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Certifying an Environmental Impact Report, Adopting Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations, Adopt the Associated Mitigation Monitoring Plan, Approve the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project and Authorize and Direct the Executive Director to Execute and File a Notice of Determination Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Project and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute any and All Documents Related to the Project
RESOLUTION SJRRC-R-20/21-
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION CERTIFYING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, ADOPTING FINDINGS AND A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS, ADOPT THE ASSOCIATED MITIGATION MONITORING PLAN, APPROVE THE VALLEY RAIL SACRAMENTO EXTENSION PROJECT AND AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE AND FILE A NOTICE OF DETERMINATION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) FOR THE PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PROJECT
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission intends to advance feasible projects to increase ACE and San Joaquins ridership and their associated congestion, air quality, greenhouse gas, mobility, and access benefits; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) analyzing the impacts of the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission found that with the adoption of the mitigation measures described in the EIR, the Project would reduce all but two significant effects on the environment to a less than significant level; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has adopted findings concerning the two significant unavoidable impacts and has articulated the overriding economic and environmental benefit considerations in approving the project despite these impacts, and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has considered alternatives to the project and found that there are no feasible alternatives that would meet the project’s objectives as well as the proposed project, while avoiding or substantially reducing the severity of the project’s significant impacts, and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission did circulate the Draft EIR for agency and public comment as required by CEQA; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission did consider any comments made by agencies and public prior to making its decision on the project; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has independently reviewed the EIR and considered the reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the Commission; and
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has prepared the Mitigation Monitoring Plan for the project incorporating all of the mitigation recommendations of the EIR;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission finds that on the basis of the whole record before it, including the EIR and the agency and public comments received, there is no substantial evidence that this Project will have a significant effect on the environment other than the two identified significant unavoidable impacts for which overriding circumstances have been identified;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby certify the EIR;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby adopt the Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations for the project;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby adopt the Mitigation Monitoring Plan for the Project and incorporates the mitigation measures contained therein as conditions to the Project;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby approve the Proposed Project including the Lodi Station;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby authorize the Executive Director to execute and file the Notice of Determination as required by CEQA;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission does hereby authorize and direct the Executive Director to place the documents and other materials that constitute the record of proceedings upon which this decision is based on file at its offices at 949 E Channel Street, Stockton 95202.
PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the Board of Commissioners this 2nd day of October 2020, by the following vote:
AYES: NOES: ABSENT:
ATTEST: SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION
______STACEY MORTENSEN, Secretary CHRISTINA FUGAZI, Chair
SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
STAFF REPORT
Item 5 ACTION Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving Agreement 21-R-01-00 with Diede Construction, Inc. with an Amount Not To Exceed $458,144 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Agreement
Background: The ACE Lathrop/Manteca Station is located in between the downtown areas of Lathrop and Manteca and is at or beyond capacity under normal (pre COVID 19) operating conditions. In addition to the parking provided at the station, two local transit operators, Manteca Transit and Modesto Area Express (MAX) provide shuttle service to the lot from other, off-site parking areas. Currently, buses enter the station from Shideler Parkway and circulate through the lot for passenger pick-up/drop-off. Relocation of the transit service to a pullout along West Yosemite Avenue will facilitate improved bus service times and could reduce traffic congestion within the lot.
Growth in the area has made the Lathrop/Manteca ACE station very popular with commuters. The parking lot adjacent to the station is usually full to capacity. Currently, eastbound buses enter the station from Shideler Parkway and circulate through the lot for passenger pick-up/drop-off. During the morning commuter period, the buses unload passengers and then exit the lot. In the afternoon/evening commuter period, the buses wait for the commuter rail arrival and load passengers adjacent to the station platform. While the buses are loading passengers during the PM commuter period, motorists also exit to their parked vehicles and attempt to leave the parking lot. There is usually significant congestion within the parking lot during this period due to the number of passenger vehicles attempting to leave the lot at the same time, and the buses are forced to wait within this queue before exiting the parking lot.
Relocation of the transit service to a pullout along West Yosemite Avenue will facilitate improved bus service times and will improve circulation within the lot. In addition, minor parking lot restriping could increase lot capacity for vehicles.
Invitation for Bids and Selection Process: On July 1, 2020 SJRRC released an Invitation for Bid (IFB) via vendor portal PlanetBids for the solicitation of Construction of the Lathrop/Manteca Station Shuttle Pullout Project. The Notice Inviting Bids was also shared with Planning Rooms and published in local newspapers directing interested firms to register on PlanetBids. By utilizing PlanetBids, 288 firms were notified of the opportunity and twenty-one (21) firms downloaded the solicitation documents. SJRRC hosted a virtual pre-bid meeting on July 09, 2020 for potential bidders, with one (1) firm attending.
On the due date of July 31, 2020, three (3) bids were received through PlanetBids from the following firms:
Diede Construction, Inc. $458,144. FBD Vanguard $463,650. United Pavement $511,512.
The bids received were publicly opened by teleconference and reviewed for initial completeness. At the Bid Opening, Diede Construction, Inc. was announced as the apparent low bidder.
Following the public bid opening, bids were thoroughly reviewed. Staff found one (1) discrepancy in the Bid submitted by Diede Construction, Inc. The indicated sum on Diede’s bid form was different than the correct sum of the column. Section V of the Instructions to Bidders requires that discrepancies between the indicated sum of any column of figures and the correct sum thereof will be resolved in favor of the correct sum. The resolved sum of the columns in Diede’s bid is $458,144, making Diede’s bid the low bid.
SJRRC determined that Diede Construction. Inc. is the lowest, most responsive and responsible bidder with the bid amount of $458,144.
The Notice of Intent to Award was published on August 14, 2020. Pursuant to the approved and adopted protest procedures for publicly bid construction projects, the bid protest period closed on September 4, 2020 at 2:00 P.M. PDT. No Bid Protests were received.
The offices of Diede Construction, Inc. are located in Lodi, CA. Housley Demolition Co., Inc., Ragsdale & Son Inc., Anderson Striping & Construction, Inc., Richter Fence, Inc., Big B Construction, Inc. and Pinnical Electric, Inc. are all listed as subcontractors.
The project completion is estimated at one hundred twenty (120) calendar days following the Notice to Proceed.
Fiscal Impact
The funding sources for this agreement are Measure K and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP). Expenses associated with this agreement are identified in the SJRRC/ACE Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Capital Budget.
Recommendation
Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving Agreement 21-R-01-00 with Diede Construction, Inc. with an Amount Not To Exceed $458,144 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Agreement
RESOLUTION SJRRC-R-20/21-
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION APPROVING AGREEEMENT 21-R-01-00 WITH DIEDE CONSTRUCTION, INC. WITH AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $458,144 AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (“SJRRC”) desires to construct a shuttle pullout at the Lathrop/Manteca Station; and
WHEREAS, funding of the project comes from Measure K and Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) that is included in the SJRRC 2020/2021 fiscal year Capital Budget; and
WHEREAS, Notice Inviting Sealed Bids for Construction of Lathrop/Manteca Station Shuttle Pullout was issued on July 1, 2020 with bids due and publicly opened on July 31, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Diede Construction, Inc. was the lowest responsive, responsible bidder; and
WHEREAS, the Rail Commission came to agreement on the terms and price with Diede Construction, Inc. for Construction of Lathrop/Manteca Station Shuttle Pullout;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission hereby Approve Agreement 21-R-01-00 with Diede Construction, Inc. with an Amount Not To Exceed $458,144 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Agreement
PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the Board of Commissioners this 2nd day October 2020, by the following vote:
AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT:
ATTEST: SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION
______STACEY MORTENSEN, Secretary CHRISTINA FUGAZI, Chair SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
STAFF REPORT
Item 6 ACTION Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving a Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Preliminary Engineering Services for the Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $815,000 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects
Background: The Valley Rail/ACE extension from Lathrop to Ceres/Merced includes many new station and track connection projects. To complete these projects and make ready for construction, SJRRC enters into contracts with engineering consulting firms to prepare the final engineering and design. As the owner operator of the rail facilities that ACE operates over, the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) must review and approve all engineering plans. To review engineering plans the UPRR uses Preliminary Engineering (PE) agreements to perform agency project reviews and approvals prior to construction.
To ensure the timely delivery of the Valley Rail Project, SJRRC staff identified locations from Lathrop to Ceres to combine final engineering design segments for approximately twenty-three miles. The result of this effort significantly reduced the number of PE agreements from the Lathrop Wye to Ceres Station. The PE agreement identified in this staff report covers track improvements from State Route 120 to Modesto (approximately ten miles), Austin Overcrossing, a new station platform in the City of Ripon, and a new bridge crossing over the Stanislaus River.
The new track, bridge, and station projects are required to begin service to Ceres/Merced. The new bridge crossing over the Stanislaus River will be required to further increase service as part of the Valley Rail Project. Under this PE agreement the UPRR will complete reviews and approvals necessary to enter into UPRR Construction & Maintenance (CM) Agreements for these project elements.
Staff is requesting to enter into a reimbursement agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad for the project elements identified above.
Fiscal Impact: The funding source for this agreement is part of the SB 132 funding for the Valley Rail Project. Expenses associated with this agreement are identified in the SJRRC/ACE Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Capital Budget.
Recommendation: Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Approving a Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Preliminary Engineering Services for the Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects, for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $815,000 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects
RESOLUTION SJRRC-R-20/21- RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION APPROVING A REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD FOR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE AUSTIN OVERCROSSING, RIPON STATION PLATFORM, STANISLAUS RIVER BRIDGE, AND ASSOCIATED TRACK PROJECTS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT- TO-EXCEED $815,000 AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE PROJECTS
WHEREAS, SJRRC will enter into and execute a reimbursement contract with the Union Pacific Railroad to provide preliminary engineering services for the Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects; and
WHEREAS, SJRRC and UPRR have agreed upon terms and desire to enter into an agreement for these services for Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission hereby Approve a Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific Railroad for Preliminary Engineering Services for the Austin Overcrossing, Ripon Station Platform, Stanislaus River Bridge, and Associated Track Projects for an Amount Not-to-Exceed $815,000 and Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute Any and All Documents Related to the Projects
PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the Board of Commissioners this 2nd day of October 2020, by the following vote:
AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
ATTEST: SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION
______STACEY MORTENSEN, Secretary CHRISTINA FUGAZI, Chair
SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION Meeting of October 2, 2020
STAFF REPORT
Item 7 ACTION
Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Adopting the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan as a Baseline Set of Measures that SJRRC, Along With the Other Bay Area Transit Agencies will Implement to Ensure the Health of Transit Riders and Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Staff has been working with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the other transit operators in the nine Bay Area counties to initiate research, study U.S. and international efforts, and review information from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This is part of MTC’s Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Taskforce. The goal of this effort is to help reduce the spread of COVID- 19 and reassure customers and the public that transit is safe and continues to perform a critical role connecting people to jobs and vital services. As part of the work completed, the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan has been developed. The goal of the plan is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in coordination with the other transportation agencies. While ACE has previously implemented several of the recommendations identified in the plan, staff continues to explore ways to increase awareness and provide various methods for passengers to sanitize their hands and surrounding area on the train.
The plan that has been developed is a living document and will change as more information is known about COVID 19 and how it is transmitted, what needs to be done to ensure agencies provide a safe environment for both customers and staff, and reduce the spread of COVID-19. A brief overview of the plan is shown below:
The purpose of the Plan is to: 1) Identify consistent health and Safety Standards for Public Transportation customer to do and public transportation providers to implement as the Bay Area eases out of the COVID 19 stay- at -home orders,
2) Clarify expectations and responsibilities for transit customers and transit providers,
3) Recommend communication strategies and key messages to promote public transportation customer and provider compliance with support for mitigations.
Scope of Plan: 1) Applies to Bay Area public transportation providers (non-aviation) including rail, bus, ferry, paratransit, demand response and micro-transit 2) Limited to COVID-19 recovery efforts and mitigations 3) Covers public transportation services provided both directly by the public transportation providers and those provided under contract 4) Flows down mitigations from public transportation providers to contractors, as needed.
As part of the supporting the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan, MTC has requested that all participating transit agencies adopt a resolution in support of the Plan. Attached Is the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan.
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact.
Recommendation: Approve a Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Adopting the Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan as a Baseline Set of Measures that SJRRC, Along With the Other Bay Area Transit Agencies will Implement to Ensure the Health of Transit Riders and Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
RESOLUTION SJRRC-R-20/21
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION ADOPTING THE BAY AREA HEALTHY TRANSIT PLAN AS A BASELINE SET OF MEASURES THAT SJRRC, ALONG WITH OTHER BAY AREA TRANSIT AGENCIES WILL IMPLEMENT TO ENSURE THE HEALTH OF TRANSIT RIDERS AND WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
WHEREAS, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission number one priority is the health of riders and transit workers, as is the priority with other Bay Area transit systems; and
WHEREAS despite an unprecedented loss of ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many riders continue to depend on Bay Area systems for essential travel; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented transit systems with a historic set of challenges, including the need to adjust protocols and procedures to ensure a safe operating environment; and
WHEREAS, since the start of the pandemic, transit systems have collaborated with each other and with regional leaders, transit workers, rider advocates, public health experts, and others to create the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan, that outlines a baseline set of measures that transit systems will implement to protect riders and workers; and WHEREAS the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan provides guidance in the areas of vehicle disinfecting, physical distancing, face coverings, touchless payments, ventilation, employee personal protective equipment, testing, contact tracing, and employee wellness assessments; and
WHEREAS, the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan will coexist and complement system specific plans developed by individual transit agencies; and
WHEREAS, the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan is a living document and is intended to evolve as transit agencies continue to monitor rider and employee health on their systems and collaboratively take steps to respond to changing conditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED;
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission supports:
1) The implementation of the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan on our system and throughout the Bay Area to keep transit riders and workers healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
2) that through the method established for transit system reporting of health metrics related to the COVID-19 pandemic SJRRC will report monthly on performance in aligning with the baseline health measures set forth in the Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan.
PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the Board of Commissioners this 2nd day of October 2020, by the following vote:
AYES: NOES: ABSENT:
ATTEST: SAN JOAQUIN REGIONAL RAIL COMMISSION
______STACEY MORTENSEN, Secretary CHRISTINA FUGAZI, Chair
Riding Together : Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan
August 2020 b
Contents
To our Customers, Employees and Partners 1
1.0 Plan Overview 2
2.0 Alignment with State Pandemic Resilience Roadmap 4
3.0 Health and Safety Risk and Public Transportation Benefits 4
4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations 5
5.0 Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations 12
6.0 Communication Strategies and Key Messages 15
7.0 References 20
Appendix A Bay Area Transportation Provider Participants 22
Appendix B Assessing Plan Effectiveness and Reporting for Accountability 22
Due to the changing conditions and growing body of knowledge about the pandemic, this plan may be updated and or modified.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan To our Customers, Employees and Partners 1
To our Customers, Employees and Partners The COVID-19 Pandemic has been a massive strain for everyone. And it presents transit systems with a historic set of challenges, including the need to adjust protocols and procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for everyone. Collectively, we as the transit operators in the nine Bay Area counties, have joined forces to initiate research, study U.S. and international efforts, and review information from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), to develop common commitments and expectations for employees and passengers in our Bay Area transit systems. From this work, we developed Riding Together—Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan. Development of our plan has additionally included collaboration with regional leaders, transit workers, paratransit providers, rider advocates, public health experts, and others. As we are all guided forward by our State and local leadership toward business resumption, we view the safety of our employees and passengers as job number one. This plan serves as a tool for us, providing common commitments that have been set in place for our employees, our current passengers, and those who will be returning to transit. This is a plan we own. A plan we will report on. And a plan that we will modify to the fluctuating nature of this pandemic. Furthermore, we are committed to the success of this plan, and look forward to a partnership with our customers and the shared responsibility for reducing transmission by properly wearing face coverings and meeting other expectations. We are all in this together. We look ahead to serving our customers as well as teaming with them to work through this challenging time that faces everyone. Bay Area Transit Operators 2
1.0 Plan Overview Bay Area Public Transportation Providers (Appendix A) have collectively developed a cohesive health and safety plan—this plan—to bring the region’s public transportation providers together around transit-related health and safety standards and mitigations. This plan will provide guidance for the mitigations to be consistently applied across the network to best serve essential workers currently riding transit and help the Bay Area ease out of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order. While county-specific guidance may vary, these minimum standards give transit customers consistent expectations across all Bay Area public transportation operations and identify mitigations for public transportation providers and employees regarding workplace health and safety. Although many of the public transportation providers have their own individual plans or measures in place, this plan clarifies the responsibilities of public transportation customers and public transportation providers across the Bay Area in implementing the health and safety minimum requirements and mitigations and recommends communication strategies and key messages to promote health and safety awareness. The guidelines in this plan reflect current understanding of the COVID-19 virus and the most prevalent methods of person-to-person transmittal: 1 ³ Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. ³ By touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching the nose, mouth or eyes.
Plan Purpose Scope of Plan • Identify consistent health and • Applies to Bay Area public safety standards for public transportation providers listed in transportation customers to do and Appendix A (non-aviation) including public transportation providers to rail, bus, ferry, paratransit, demand implement as the Bay Area eases out response and micro-transit. of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order. • Limited to COVID-19 recovery efforts • Clarify expectations and and mitigations. responsibilities of transit customers • Covers public transportation services and transit providers. provided both directly by the public • Recommend communication transportation providers and those strategies and key messages to provided under contract. promote public transportation • Flows down mitigations from customer and provider compliance public transportation providers to with and support for mitigations. contractors, as needed.
KEY TERM * Mitigations: Actions or practices that public transportation customers and providers, including employees, collectively take to slow the spread of COVID-19. Mitigations help the Bay Area’s public transportation network operate safely as the region eases out of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 1 Source: CDC, What you should know about COVID-19 to protect yourself and others. 1.0 Plan Overview 3
The identified mitigations are based on US and international health agency guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The application of the mitigations is informed by US and international transit industry guidance including guidance from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA 2020a; APTA 2020b; APTA 2020c), the CDPH (CDPH 2020a), a survey of 21 Bay Area public transportation providers regarding current COVID-19 health and safety practices and coordination with Bay Area public health representatives. See Section 7 for reference documents. In August 2020, APTA implemented its National Transit Recovery Commitment Program. Participating agencies (members) of APTA may display the program seal on vehicles and facilities. This new program from APTA is designed to support public transit agencies implement individualized policies for health agency guidance, cleaning, sharing of information, and other healthy best practices for passengers and employees. This is a living plan and is based on current, known COVID-19 transmittal factors and disrupters of those transmittal factors (mitigations), and the current COVID-19 situation and public health response in the Bay Area and California. This plan may change and adapt as research around COVID-19 evolves, as performance against this plan is achieved and/or as the COVID-19 situation in California changes. This plan currently anticipates that with continued compliance with California-mandated face covering requirements, physical distancing recommendations may change over time to allow for increased vehicle capacity to serve more Bay Area customers, while still complying with epidemiological research and transit best practice. Using the current guidelines and mitigations in this plan confirms that Bay Area public transportation providers are following public health recommendations while balancing the need to move toward increased capacity service. This plan’s approach is consistent with a Safety Management System approach that evaluates and balances risk recognizing society’s need for and value of public transportation. The Federal Transit Administration requires, as part of the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan final rule, the evaluation of safety risks and the application of mitigations to reduce risks as part of a transportation provider’s Agency Safety Plan. This regional COVID-19 plan is consistent with managing risks associated with this pandemic to gradually move to resume capacity and service.
Gradually resume normal operations in a dynamic system in which transit and rail are comparable in risk to other activities Frequently communicate passenger and operator risks, responsibilities, and expectations
Successfully implement effective public health measures in the transit and rail system 4
2.0 Alignment with State Pandemic Resilience Roadmap California is currently in Stage 2 of the state’s Pandemic Resilience Roadmap (CDPH 2020b), allowing specific lower risk sectors to open and modified school programs and child care to resume. Indicators to modify the Stay-at-Home Order include: ³ Ability to test, contact trace, isolate, and support the exposed ³ Ability to protect those at high risk for COVID-19 ³ Surge capacity for hospitals and health systems ³ Therapeutic development to meet the demand ³ Ability of business, schools, and childcare facilities to support physical distancing ³ Determination of when to reinstitute measures like Stay-at-Home
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Safety and Lower-risk Higher-risk End of prepardness workplaces workplaces Stay-at-Home
There are nine counties that are represented in the Bay Area Transportation Providers: Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco. As of August 2020, all the nine counties were being monitored for data that does not meet indicator objectives (CDPH 2020c). Public transportation providers have impacts or supporting roles on the emboldened bullets in the above list. Committing to support contact tracing where appropriate, protecting high-risk persons during travel and supporting physical distancing are all part of this plan and support the ability of the state to modify the Stay-at-Home order and provide for further re-opening. At Stage 3, counties may choose to move forward at their own pace, relaxing orders, which can impact the demand for public transportation. By supporting the community indicators, transportation providers will demonstrate partnership and community-mindedness, allowing for the easing of restrictions and the ability to increase capacity in a safe and moderated way. 3.0 Health and Safety Risk and Public Transportation Benefits Public transportation, like other businesses, has had to weigh risks of providing equitable transportation service against health and safety risks. The Federal Transportation Administration requires public transportation providers to identify, evaluate and manage risks for the best outcome to the public and to those who provide the services. The societal benefits of providing affordable transportation exceed any risks presented by public transportation related to COVID-19. This plan seeks to minimize further risks related to COVID-19. As with other safety hazards, the most effective measures are layered for maximum results. Layering good hand hygiene, face coverings, ventilation, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfecting, limited time exposure, as well as, passenger personal accountability provide for a safer environment than only one or two of the mitigation measures alone. The Bay Area transportation providers are committing to layering safety measures along with passenger personal accountability to keep public transportation available for essential workers who are keeping the Bay Area in business and for others as the region emerges from the current conditions. Using other prevention measures in combination with social distancing, such as wearing a mask, will modify the threshold of Social Distancing, and thus enable to increase the occupancy rate of the trains. (UIC2020)
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations 5
4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations Public transportation customers and providers and their employees can all help keep California on a path to continue safely reopening and remaining open by following several key health and safety mitigations. Each health and safety mitigation is based on US or international public health recommendations. This plan includes mitigations for customers and providers to implement for a healthy Bay Area transit system. Paratransit and demand response is discussed in Section 5, Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations. 4.1 Customer Facing Mitigations Face Coverings The CDC is advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others (CDC 2020a).
Additionally, on June 18, 2020, the State of California required people in the state to wear face coverings when they are in certain situations including the following related to public transportation operations for both customers and employees (CDPH 2020d): ³ Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space. ³ Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle. ³ Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when interacting in-person with any member of the public, working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time, working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities, and in any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance. ³ Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended and maybe required based on local guidance. ³ While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible. Customer Responsibilities Public transportation customers are expected to bring and properly wear their own face coverings when accessing public transportation services and facilities to comply with the State of California’s order. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities To support compliance with the State of California order, all public transportation providers require the proper use of face coverings on their systems, including in facilities, for all passengers over the age of 2 years, unless the customer is exempt per the State of California order. Public transportation providers will: ³ Remind passengers of the face covering requirements. ³ Have the right to refuse to carry anyone not wearing a face covering, unless the person is exempt. ³ Communicate the requirement in transit vehicles and facilities noting the state requirement for face coverings for transit customers and employees. ³ Require employees to adhere to face covering requirements. 6
³ Develop, implement and communicate to employees a process for equitable face-covering compliance strategies. At a minimum, to protect bus operators or others in direct contact with public, provide de-escalation options and support if conflict ensues. • Optionally, as a de-escalation technique, provide or make available face-coverings, as capabilities allow, at defined locations (from staff or for sale such as vending machines). • Consider other de-escalation techniques and inform operators of their options, such as dealing with face coverings in a similar manner as fare payment. Paratransit and demand response face coverings is discussed further in Section 5, Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations. Physical Distancing COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with each other and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks (CDC 2020b). The World Health Organization and multiple European transportation agencies are using a 1 meter (approximately 3 feet) minimum requirement for physical distancing when face coverings are worn.
The CDC currently advises 6 feet, however, it should be noted that face coverings were not encouraged or mandated by CDC when the 6-foot distancing metric was introduced. Where practicable, Bay Area public transportation providers will provide for a minimum 3-foot physical distancing metric, coupled with mandatory, properly worn face coverings. Customer Responsibilities Public transportation customers are expected to remain a minimum of 3 feet or optimally 6 feet, as practicable, from others not in their households when in stations, transit facilities or in vehicles, in addition to complying with the facial covering requirement. If assistance is required from the operator or other staff, the customer will allow the operator to manage the securement in the safest manner possible for both passenger and operator. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Communicate to their customers the physical distancing minimum standards for safely riding public transportation. ³ Manage capacity, as possible, to provide spacing to achieve the 3-foot physical distancing minimum requirement. ³ Evaluate disability device securement and advise operators how to manage securement practices to reduce risk to all parties. Paratransit and demand response physical distancing is discussed further in Section 5, Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations. Hand Hygiene Good hand hygiene can help slow the spread of COVID-19. This includes washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol (CDC 2020a).
Customer Responsibilities Public transportation customers should bring hand sanitizer or disinfecting wipes to clean their hands before and after using public transportation and after contact with potentially contaminated surfaces or use hand washing facilities, as available.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations 7
Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Provide information if hand-washing stations or hand sanitizer dispensers are available to customers. A Quiet Ride Campaign Droplets expelled through talking, singing, and other verbal activities are known to contribute to virus dispersion (CNN 2020; NEJM 2020). Bay Area public transportation providers will temporarily adopt the “Quiet Ride” communication campaign, requesting passengers minimize talking, singing or other verbal activities while riding public transportation to slow the spread of COVID-19. Necessary verbal activities, such as requesting a stop, are not precluded.
Customer Responsibilities ³ Reduce talking, singing, or other verbal activity to the extent possible while in public transportation facilities and on vehicles. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Communicate and promote the “Quiet Ride” campaign to customers.
Vehicle and Facility Conditions – Cleaning and Disinfecting Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces reduces the risk of infection by removing potential contamination. To restore passenger confidence and provide for a healthy environment, vehicles and facilities must be cleaned and disinfected more frequently than pre-COVID-19 practice. If not already doing so, public transportation providers will implement cleaning and disinfecting on a more frequent schedule than pre-COVID-19 practices and will follow APTA-recommended practices (APTA 2020a; APTA 2020b).
Customer Responsibilities ³ Customers must stay at home when they are sick in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, evaluating their own symptoms or exposure. ³ Customers will dispose of tissues or other potentially contaminated materials in trash cans. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Daily clean and disinfect in-service vehicles, factoring in the level of use, with an emphasis on high-touch areas. ³ Provide elevated cleaning if a vehicle is reported to have carried an infected or potentially infected person. Reports could come from a public health agency, customer report or employee observation of a person displaying symptoms. ³ Use EPA-List N disinfectants applied through methods outlined in the APTA standard or EPA/CDC recommendations. ³ Coordinate with public health officials if reports of potentially-infected,2 known or confirmed infected persons utilized the public transportation system. Paratransit and demand response cleaning is discussed further in Section 5, Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations.
2 Potentially-infected (person) is defined as a person who is observed to exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or has been recommended by a medical professional to undergo COVID-19 testing or quarantine. 8
Vehicle and Facility Conditions – Ventilation Increased air flow can provide for a healthier environment for transit customers and employees (CDC 2020e; APTA 2020a). On some vehicles, such as buses and light rail vehicles, doors are frequently opened to allow passengers to board or exit. Other vehicles have less frequent door cycling and are more dependent on the vehicle heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Buses and ferries may have windows that open, allowing additional ventilation. Where feasible, public transportation providers will increase ventilation in vehicles and in facilities.
Customer Responsibilities Customers will not close windows that are open without consulting the operator or other public transportation employee. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Maximize fresh air in vehicles and facilities, based on ventilation options, and other factors such as climate or air quality. ³ Confirm maintenance is performed on ventilation systems in vehicles and station facilities and that the systems function at peak-performance. ³ Use the highest MERV-rated filter appropriate for the HVAC system in vehicles and facilities, as feasible. ³ Provide guidance to operators or other public transportation employees regarding the opening of windows and doors, including direction if other health hazards such as air quality issues arise. Touchless Fares Reducing cash fare payments reduces touch and virus transmittal potential and can reduce the need for face-to-face transactions.
Customer Responsibilities ³ Public transportation customers should use touchless fare options, when possible, to include Clipper cards or online or mobile ticketing. ³ If using cash fare, have correct fare ready for payment on boarding to minimize exposure to others boarding. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Communicate all touchless fare payment options to customers. ³ Encourage use of touchless fare payments, as feasible, while still allowing for cash options. Paratransit and demand response touchless fares is discussed in Section 5, Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations 9
4.2 Transit Employees Mitigations Keeping employees safe and well is critical for the operation of Bay Area public transportation providers. The following minimum standards apply to public transportation employees. Employees should adhere to company requirements and be assured that other employees will also adhere to requirements and be held responsible. Employee COVID-19 Assessments Assessing employee wellness is part of evaluating fitness for duty. During the COVID-19 pandemic, additional COVID-19 assessments can support whether employees are ready for work and minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others around them. It is critical to understand that many people who have COVID-19 are asymptomatic and may not know that they are infected. Also, note that temperature scan results can be unreliable. Some temperature instruments only test skin temperature which can be impacted by external climate or human activity. Also, normal human temperature can range from 97° to 100° F, so a fever cannot be assumed based on a slight elevation in temperature. Staff rainingt also factors into the reliability of a temperature scan. Employee Responsibilities Employees will cooperate with the employer-developed protocols for COVID-19 assessment and provide facts when completing any requested assessments. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Develop and implement a COVID-19 assessment protocol for employees prior to accessing transit facilities or vehicles. The COVID-19 assessment may consist of a self-assessment, questionnaire or temperature scan or other activities that provide information about whether it is safe to be at work. ³ Develop, implement and communicate a policy for employees around the COVID-19 assessment protocol including expectations of those who may be prevented from working based on the COVID-19 assessment. ³ Provide for employee health privacy in any COVID-19 screening activity. Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is inclusive of face coverings, face shields, and gloves. As per the State of California order, face coverings are required for all in work place settings (CDPH 2020d). Some job categories may require different PPE than other job categories. Public transportation providers are recommended to perform some type of job hazard analysis (JHA) to determine specific hazards or exposure possibilities and base PPE allocation on that assessment.
Employee Responsibilities Employees will wear the combination of PPE defined for their job requirements to safeguard themselves and others while in the work environment. If any portion of the PPE defined for an employee’s job requirements cannot be complied with, the employee is responsible for alerting their employer and cooperating with the development of alternatives to provide for a healthy working environment, as feasible. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Determine and supply minimum levels of PPE, including the required face coverings (unless exempt). ³ Perform some type of job hazard analysis to determine specific hazards or exposure possibilities and base PPE allocation on that assessment. These can be broad categories based on exposure (for example, public facing duties or job duties that require close proximity to other employees or passengers). Positions at a higher risk for exposure, such as mechanics or right-of-way maintainers who work in pairs to perform tasks or bus operators, should be considered for higher levels of PPE. 10
³ Provide supervision and oversight to confirm compliance and develop protocols for non-compliance. ³ Identify any spaces where face coverings are not required (e.g. private offices), as allowed by local health guidance. ³ Communicate requirements to all employees. ³ Develop and implement a policy to manage employees who do not or cannot comply with the increased or changed PPE requirements. Physical Distancing Physical distancing is one of the primary mitigation measures, in addition to face coverings, recommended by the public health agencies to minimize the risk of COVID-19. There are several factors that are currently considered in transmitting the infection. Both time and space are being evaluated, with exposures of greater than 15 minutes or closer than 3 feet both factors related to transmission (WHO 2020a; WHO 2020b). Public transportation providers will consider distancing, facial coverings and time in their employee physical distancing requirements.
Employee Responsibilities Employees will comply with physical distancing requirements and facility modifications. If employees cannot comply with physical distancing requirements or function with facility modifications, employees must alert their employer and discuss alternatives to support a safe work environment. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers should evaluate the following spaces and put into practice measures to manage physical distancing. Where work duties allow, provide for virtual work to reduce exposure of employees. Providers should evaluate facility capacity and develop a plan for all job categories to assess remote work, staggered shifts and other strategies to alleviate crowding that would challenge physical distancing. Common Spaces Common spaces include, but are not limited to, vestibules, restrooms, break rooms, lunchrooms, conference rooms, shared workspaces and operator report areas. Public transportation providers will: ³ Determine common space capacity based on space size and configuration and define limits. ³ Stagger work hours and breaks to spread use of space. ³ Encourage eating outside, at desks, or at physically-distanced spacing, as possible. ³ Enforce face covering requirements for all common spaces. ³ Communicate expectations for physical distancing in common spaces. ³ Clean and disinfect common spaces regularly, using EPA-List N disinfectant materials. ³ Remove or provide for cleaning of recreational equipment (pool tables, ping pong tables, or other) that might encourage close proximity or provide cleaning for high touch potential. ³ Enforce physical distancing requirements for meetings or group activities, reducing in-person participation, encouraging virtual participation, utilizing larger meeting spaces or moving meetings outside, as possible.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 4.0 Health and Safety Mitigations 11
Vertical Transport Vertical transport includes elevators or stairs, areas that have the potential to place persons in close proximity within enclosed spaces. Public transportation providers will: ³ Either limit capacity of elevators or ensure exposure time is less than 15 min. ³ Encourage stair use, as possible, to reduce elevator congestion. ³ Consider allocating one elevator for vulnerable persons who may be at higher risk of life-threatening COVID-19 complications, as needed. Work Space Modification Public transportation providers should evaluate work spaces for each job category to either allow for physical spacing or the placement of temporary or permanent shielding. Public transportation providers will: ³ Provide dividers in group work spaces or provide additional space. ³ Provide protection for bus operators utilizing minimum 6-feet physical distancing between operator and passengers or protective measures to include permanent or temporary shields, rear door boarding, if available, elevated PPE and/or elimination of seating within close proximity. ³ Provide station agent or other field staff with shielding or elevated PPE. ³ Provide individual work equipment or provide sanitation materials for cleaning between employee use. Infected Employees/Contact Tracing Public transportation providers will track employees who access transit facilities or equipment, as feasible. If an employee reports an infection, or possible contact with an infected person, public transportation providers should document and maintain records of what other employees may have come into contact with the exposed or infected employee and notify other employees. Public transportation providers should inform employees if the provider is notified from a customer contact or other notification, that an infected person has been in a specific vehicle or facility. Public transportation providers should report any confirmed infections to the appropriate public health agency.
Employee Responsibilities Employees will inform their employer if they test positive for COVID-19, have been exposed to someone confirmed to have COVID-19 or suspect exposure to COVID-19. Employees will not report to work under these conditions and will abide by public health requirements for infected or exposed persons. Public Transportation Provider Responsibilities Public transportation providers will: ³ Record which employees are in facilities or vehicles at any time. ³ Notify other employees if they have been possibly exposed to a suspected COVID-19-positive person to allow them to take appropriate action. ³ If notified that a confirmed or suspected-positive person has traveled on a specific trip or bus, if possible to determine, the operator will be notified and provided options for reporting, testing, quarantine and return to work. ³ Define polices specific to handling any reported health information, notification processes and rights and responsibilities of infected or quarantined employees who miss work. 12
5.0 Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations This section adds additional detail to applicable minimum mitigations described in Section 4.1 and 4.2. Paratransit providers and customers should review Sections 4.1 and 4.2 in addition to Section 5 for minimum mitigations related to physical distancing, touchless fare, hand hygiene, and ventilation which all have applicability to paratransit transportation. Face Coverings The population of customers utilizing paratransit service may have a higher likelihood of being exempt from the face coverings requirement due to other health issues. This provides for additional potential exposure of other passengers and operators.
Customer Responsibilities Customers must wear face coverings unless exempt and should inform the paratransit provider if unable to wear a face covering to allow for additional protective measures, as feasible. Paratransit Provider Responsibilities If informed that a specific customer cannot wear a face covering, additional spacing between customers should be allowed (6-feet) and, if possible, the space should be disinfected after the customer is transported. Physical Distancing As per fixed route service, a minimum of 6-feet physical distancing should be maintained between operator and passengers and 3-feet between passengers. Aides or family members are considered part of the passenger household unit.
Customer Responsibilities Customers should maintain a minimum of 3-feet physical distance from those not within their household unit. Customers exempt from face covering requirements should attempt to increase the physical distancing to 6-feet, as possible. Paratransit Provider Responsibilities Capacity on vehicles should allow for maintaining a minimum of 3-feet physical distancing between customers/household units, as feasible, with additional space allowed if face coverings are not possible. Vehicle Condition - Cleaning and Disinfecting Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in the paratransit or demand response sector is important as these customers are frequently more vulnerable due to underlying health conditions and may be more likely to be exempt from the face covering requirement. Often this population has limited alternative transportation choices. Paratransit providers should have heightened concern to maintain clean and disinfected vehicles servicing these customers (APTA 2020a).
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 5.0 Paratransit, Demand Response and Vulnerable Populations 13
Paratransit Provider Responsibilities ³ Daily clean and disinfect in-service vehicles, factoring in the level of use, with an emphasis on high-touch areas. ³ Spot clean high touch areas during service hours, as possible with passenger loads, with additional attention after carrying passengers who are exempt from face covering requirements. ³ Elevate cleaning if a vehicle is reported to have carried an infected or potentially- infected person. ³ Use EPA List N disinfectants applied through methods outlined in the APTA standard or CDC/EPA recommendations. Employee Personal Protective Equipment and Supplies A paratransit or demand response operator is one specific position that will require different level of PPE from other job categories, as most are required to work in close proximity to customers to secure or otherwise assist customers as part of their job duties.
Paratransit Provider Responsibilities ³ Review the level of contact required of their demand response operators and provide elevated PPE if exposure is elevated. Considerations should include face shields or eye protection and face coverings, gloves, spray or wipe-on disinfectant, and hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes. Passenger COVID-19 Wellness Screening Most demand response service has some type of advanced scheduling ability, with follow-up reminders or communication. This is an opportunity to ask passengers to self-assess their wellness as an additional safeguard to other passengers and the operator.
Customer Responsibilities Customers will review their own COVID-19 wellness and exposure and schedule trips based on the review. If exposed or symptomatic, customers should advise the paratransit provider to determine alternate transportation options or to allow the provider to schedule or arrange travel in the safest manner possible. 14
Paratransit Provider Responsibilities ³ Review scheduling protocols and, as possible, include a simple self-assessment questionnaire which would indicate to the potential passenger if they should continue with their ride or cancel or arrange alternate transportation due to any symptoms or exposure. The assessment should consider the following areas of review: • Exposure to persons with confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days. • New symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, chills or muscle aches. Note that the list of symptoms continues to evolve with the most recent found at https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html. ³ Develop protocols and inform schedulers and staff regarding proper handling of customer reports of exposure or infection. Options might include providing ride as a single passenger (unit), arranging for alternate transportation, advising of other transportation options or denying ride based on direct threat. Contact Tracing Paratransit providers have customer information that could be used to support contact tracing. If a passenger has likely come into contact with an infected person through their paratransit use, that customer, as well as the public health agency, should be contacted and provided information of the potential contact.
Customer Responsibilities If a customer using paratransit services, subsequently tests positive or develops symptoms and is presumed to be positive, the customer will notify the paratransit provider to allow follow up with other potentially exposed persons. Paratransit Provider Responsibilities: ³ Provide information either directly or through the public health agency if an exposure is reported. ³ Notify the operator and provided options for reporting, testing, quarantine and return to work. ³ Allow for appropriate quarantine of operator or other staff, as advised by the public health agency.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 6.0 Communication Strategies and Key Messages 15
6.0 Communication Strategies and Key Messages
Goals: Tactics: • Reinforce the State of California order requiring facial • Distribute key messages in multiple and or cooperative coverings. communications channels of individual transit agencies. • Encourage behaviors that reduce potential exposure of And, when possible, agency communications teams will customers and employees while riding or working in the utilize uniform message structure as well as cooperative Bay Area transit systems. scheduling, information and events throughout the • Increase passenger and public awareness of individual Bay Area. responsibilities and actions for healthy practices in public • Echo a partnership with the public in all messaging— spaces, transit vehicles and transit facilities. operators view customers as partners in this effort • Increase public confidence in and support for using and plan. transit as the Bay Area emerges from the COVID-19 • Build on the behavioral and social foundations and stay-at-home order. common-sense practices already established in grocery • Broaden public awareness of cooperative strategies and stores and other essential businesses. health mitigations adopted by Bay Area transit operators. • Leverage and load Bay Area agencies’ owned, earned and • Coordinate communications efforts to promote public paid media channels with essential and uniform messages transportation customer and provider compliance with at key service resumption times. and support for mitigations. • Distribute key messages via applicable business and employer communications channels. Strategies: • Share information and key messages with media as well • Inform transit customers and employees of the plan’s as elected and community stakeholders. identified and implemented minimum safety and health • Work with paratransit providers for special communication mitigations for public transportation as the Bay Area eases needs for both operators and passengers. out of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, and more transit • Deliver messaging in a variety of equitable channels to services phase in. reach LEP travelers. • Inform transit agency customers and employees of • Utilize simple graphics and minimal text to convey key cooperative expectations and responsibilities of riding and messages. working in the Bay Area’s transit systems. • Coordinate agencies’ existing and forthcoming customer Target Markets: research data to refine distribution channels and • Current transit customers and transit dependent travelers messaging as conditions warrant. • Previous transit customers who paused commuting during • Leverage key messages as a call to action for healthy the COVID-19 stay-at-home order practices while using and working in transit systems. • Occasional transit riders • Deliver key messaging and approaches to agencies • Bay Area residents so they may augment and adapt to individual agency • Transit agency employees communications efforts to passengers and employees. • Paratransit customers and providers • Encourage customer compliance and cooperation in behaviors and mitigations for healthy use of public • Schools, colleges and universities transit as the Bay Area emerges from the COVID-19 • Bay Area businesses and employers stay-at-home order. 16
Transit Agency Customers
Face coverings - California requires people Ventilation - Increased air flow can provide in the state to wear face coverings outside of for a safer environment for customers and their homes. employees in the transit.
Properly worn face coverings are We’re keeping the air flowing to mandatory. help keep everyone healthy.
Physical distancing - The World Health Organization and multiple European Touchless fares - Minimizing of cash for fares transportation agencies are using a 1 meter helps reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. (approximately 3 feet) minimum requirement for physical distancing when face coverings are worn. Using electronic payment can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Give others space to keep everyone Please check with your provider healthy. Plan your trip and avoid for details. crowded vehicles.
Testing - Keeping everyone safe and healthy is Keep hands clean - Frequent hand washing can a priority. help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Don’t ride if you are sick. If you feel you have been exposed to COVID-19, get tested. Contact your Wash hands before and after your health provider or local public trip. Carry hand sanitizer with you. health department.
A quiet ride - Talking, singing, and other Personal protective equipment (PPE) - verbal activities increase the risk of COVID-19 PPE is inclusive of face coverings, face shields, transmission. and gloves. Per CA requirement, face coverings are required for all in a workplace setting. PPE requirements may differ for employees Reduce the spread – minimize based on job category. talking when possible. We’re providing employee protective equipment and modifications to protect our Cleanliness - Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces employees and keep passengers reduces possible COVID-19 transmission. healthy. Vehicles and facilities are cleaned and disinfected frequently.
We’re frequently cleaning and disinfecting our vehicles, stations, workspaces, and high-touch areas to keep everyone healthy. 6.0 Communication Strategies and Key Messages 17
Transit Agency Employees
Employee wellness assessments - Assessing Testing - Public transit workers are deemed employee wellness is part of evaluating fitness essential and have been given priority testing. for duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage testing of employees who have symptoms or think they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Agencies have employee wellness assessments in place to protect our Don’t come to work if you are sick. employees and passengers. If you feel you have been exposed to COVID-19, get tested. Contact your healthcare provider or local public health department.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) - PPE is inclusive of face coverings, face shields, and gloves. Per CA requirement, face coverings Paratransit Agency Customers are required for all in a work place setting. PPE requirements may differ for employees based on job category. Face coverings - California requires people in the state to wear face coverings outside of their homes. We’re providing PPE such as face coverings, face shields, and gloves to our employees. PPE requirements Properly worn face coverings are may differ based on job category. mandatory.
Physical distancing - The World Health Organization and multiple European Touchless fares - Minimizing of cash for fares transportation agencies are using a 1 meter helps reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. (approximately 3 feet) minimum requirement for physical distancing when face coverings are worn. Using electronic payment can help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please check with your provider Give others space to keep everyone for details. healthy.
Contact tracing - If an employee reports an infection or possible contact with an infected person, transit providers should maintain records of what other employees may have come into contact. Transit agencies should report any confirmed infections to the appropriate public health agency.
We have an employee contact tracing program in place to keep our employees safe and healthy. 18
Recommended Messaging Approach and Channels Sharing information and consistent messaging will help ensure a successful implementation of this plan. While individual agencies have separate policies, facilities, services and communications methods, it is recommended to feature the key messages from this plan in prominent communications channels. Communication is critical for a successful implementation for everyone that interacts with the transit system. With shared and uniform messages in place, passengers traveling across providers will experience consistency in expected conduct and environment. Communication Channels – Owned ³ Agency Website – Prominently feature the key message points and information on frequently-used landing pages, customer/fare pages and microsites, employee intranet, and media pages as well as a link to healthytransitplan.com. Site analytics should be used to monitor. ³ Share and post co-produced information video on agency websites and social media platforms. ³ Social Media Platforms – Post key message points at times recognized for highest engagement. Add applicable key messages in engagement and individual messages. Utilize applicable video clips as aligned with key messages. ³ Other Digital Communications - Frame key plan messages in customer-facing newsletters, blogs and/or e-blasts. ³ On-vehicle/Station and Stop Monitors – Add key messages. ³ Customer Service Call Centers/Touch Points – Add key messages to customer touch points such as call center floodgates or hold messages as well as any open customer service and or ticket windows. And, encourage integration of key message points, when applicable, into responses to customer inquiries. ³ Post distancing and entry/exit modifications on vehicle floors and ceilings. ³ On vehicle signage – Post key messages on vehicles and applicable boarding/fare gate areas and ticket vending equipment, points of entry, customer ticketing and service areas. ³ Publish messages on shared revenue advertising space within or outside vehicles. ³ Add applicable information to on-location rerouting notices. Communication Channels – Earned ³ News release(s) – as planned by the Communications Team ³ Media advisory – as planned by the Communications Team ³ Cooperative media event – as planned by the Communications Team ³ Information video – as planned by the Communications Team ³ B-roll – as planned by the Communications Team ³ Op Ed – as planned by the Communications Team ³ Suggesting a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) – featuring key moderators/participants ³ Suggesting a cooperative letter or simplified MOU with agencies to show collaboration
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 6.0 Communication Strategies and Key Messages 19
Communication Channels – Paid ³ Consider/explore use of paid/boosted posts on social media channels. ³ Explore options for cooperative advertising options in/around stations: Out-of-home including in-station, on-vehicle and geo-fenced ads served to mobile users within proximity to key stations. Communication Channels – Community Outreach and Stakeholder Outreach ³ Meet with and engage community leaders for best approach to reaching communities of color, lower-income, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations as well as share materials and key messages. ³ Engage customer advocacy groups and individuals. ³ Share ADA compliant and remediated materials from websites with paratransit partners. ³ Distribute key message point to business and employer groups. ³ Distribute information to Clipper and 511 for cooperative announcement, and encourage integration of key message points, when applicable, into online customer engagement responses. ³ Distribute and or post information at open community center locations. ³ Share key information and message points to Board members and executive teams. ³ Share key information and message points to agency community and passenger working groups. Employee Communications Distribute key message points in cooperation with human resources and union representatives at key points: ³ Building entry and exit points ³ Newsletters/eblasts ³ Offices, breakrooms, shops, gyms and other facilities ³ Team calls and huddles ³ Dispatch and scheduling areas 20
7.0 References • American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Standards Development Program. 2020a. Cleaning and Disinfecting Transit Vehicles and Facilities During a Contagious Virus Pandemic. APTA-SS-ISS-WP-001-20.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Standard Development Program. 2020b. Developing a Pandemic Virus Service Restoration Checklist. APTA-SS-SEM-WP-016-20.
• American Public Transportation Association (APTA). 2020c. The COVID-19 Pandemic Public Transportation Responds: Safeguarding Riders and Employees. April 13, 2020.
• Bromage. https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them, May 2020
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 2020a. COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Public and Private Passenger Carriers, Transit, and Intercity Passenger Rail. https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-transit-rail.pdf. Accessed July 2, 2020.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 2020b. Pandemic Resilience Roadmap. https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap/. Accessed July 27, 2020.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 2020c. County Data Monitoring. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID19CountyDataTable. aspx. Accessed July 27, 2020.
• California Department of Public Health (CDPH). 2020d. Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings. June 18, 2020. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20 Document%20Library/COVID-19/Guidance-for-Face-Coverings_06-18-2020.pdf. Accessed June 23, 2020.
• CNN. 2020. Experts tell White House coronavirus can spread through talking or even just breathing. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/health/aerosol-coronavirus-spread-white- house-letter/index.html. By Elizabeth Cohen. April 4, 2020. Accessed June 25, 2020.
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Runway to Recovery. https://www.transportation. gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2020-07/Runway_to_Recovery_07022020.pdf. July 2020.
• International Union of Railways (UIC). UIC COVID-19 Task Force, Management of COVID-19: Potential measures to restore confidence in rail travel following the COVID-19 pandemic. April 2020.
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force. 2020. Public Transportation Provider Survey. 2019.
• The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). 2020. Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid Droplets with Laser Light Scattering. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2007800?query=featured_home. Accessed June 25, 2020.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan 7.0 References 21
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020a. Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html. Accessed June 23, 2020.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020b. What Bus Transit Operators Need to Know About COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/bus-transit-operator.html. Accessed June 23, 2020.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020c. How to Protect Yourself & Others. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html. Accessed June 23, 2020.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020d. When and How to Wash Your Hands. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html. Accessed June 24, 2020.
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2020e. COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/office-buildings.html. Accessed June 25, 2020.
• World Health Organization (WHO). 2020a. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 66. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200326-sitrep-66-covid-19.pdf. Accessed June 25, 2020.
• World Health Organization (WHO). 2020b. COVID-19: Physical Distancing. . Accessed June 25, 2020. 22
Appendix A Bay Area Transportation Provider Participants • Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) • Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) • Caltrain • Central Contra Costa Transit Authority (CCCTA) • City of Dixon Readi-Ride • County Connection • Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (Tri Delta) • Fairfield and Suisun (FAST) • Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (GGBHTD) • Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA) • Marin Transit • Napa Valley Transportation Authority (VINE) • Petaluma Transit • Rio Vista Delta Breeze • SamTrans • San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) • San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) • Santa Rosa CityBus • Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) • Solano County Transit (SolTrans) • Sonoma County Transit • Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) • Tri-Valley Wheels • Union City Transit • Vacaville City Coach • Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) • Western Contra Costa Transit Authority (WestCAT) Appendix B Assessing Plan Effectiveness and Reporting for Accountability Data collection and accountability is an important component of assessing plan effectiveness and to monitor if adjustments need to be instituted to meet the goals of the plan. This plan provides a framework for Bay Area transportation operators to collect, share and report data, and be accountable to each other as well as provide information to the public to build confidence in the Bay Area public transportation system. It is important to note that public transit operators are primarily accountable to the health guidance issued and updated by county public health officers pursuant to changes in State guidance. As the administrators of this plan, each Bay Area public transportation provider will report on the metrics outlined in Table 1. This data and any related actions will be updated monthly, shared with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) as requested, and be publicly accessible on the following website: healthytransitplan.com.
Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan Appendix B 23
Each transportation provider will: ³ Define an individual agency process to gather data listed in Table 1, allowing for an agency-specific statistically valid percent sample of data gathering across modes, across facilities and vehicles. ³ Define who, within each public transportation provider is responsible to manage and report the data and report the date as individual agencies. Table 1 identifies metrics to support management of this safety and health plan.
Table 1. Safety and Health Plan Metrics
Common Commitments
All Agencies
State mandated and properly-worn face coverings Safe distancing and capacity Daily cleaning Sharing data between agencies
Paratransit
Contact outreach if reported infected customer
Individual Agency Commitments
Strategic, Plans and Processes
Plan/process for transportation provider facility staffing (% of occupancy) Communication strategy and reporting on posted, verbal, email and social distancing communications to include non-English language – internal and external
Individual Agency Metrics Timing
Customer Facing
Estimate of face covering compliance – random statistically significant sample across modes, including facilities and vehicles Agency data Goal: 95% compliance (allows for non-exempt) Reported monthly to dashboard Critical metric as the closer physical distancing assumed in this plan is based on face covering compliance, in addition to other measures Estimate of vehicle capacity - random statistically significant sample across modes Agency data Goal: Estimate of vehicle capacity to allow for physical distancing Reported monthly to dashboard
Employee Facing
Percent (%) of internal contact tracing completed if confirmed infected employee Agency data Goal: 100% of confirmed employees Reported monthly to dashboard Estimated compliance across employee groups for face coverings Agency data Goal: 100% (exempt employees counted as compliant) Reported monthly to dashboard Riding Together : Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan
healthytransitplan.com