Lake Transit Hub Location Plan Final Prepared for the Lake County/City Area Planning Council Prepared by LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. LAKE TRANSIT HUB LOCATION PLAN FINAL Prepared for the Lake County/City Area Planning Council Under Work Element 6 of the Overall Work Program Prepared by LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. 2690 Lake Forest Road PO Box 5875 Tahoe City, CA 96145 (530) 583-4053 June 7, 2017 LSC #157560 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE I Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 II Existing Setting ..................................................................................................... 5 Lake County and the City of Clearlake....................................................... 5 Existing Lake County and Clearlake Plans ................................................ 9 III Existing Service .................................................................................................. 13 Existing Lake Transit Services ................................................................. 13 Transit Operations ................................................................................... 16 IV Existing Site Conditions ...................................................................................... 21 Existing Transfer Point ............................................................................. 21 V Lake Transit Hub Site Selections ........................................................................ 27 Alternative Site Discussion ...................................................................... 27 VI Transit Center Security Peer Review .................................................................. 43 VII Potential Hub Design Features ........................................................................... 53 Existing and Future Transit Center Program Elements ............................ 53 VIII Lake Transit Hub Location Plan .......................................................................... 59 Preferred Sites ......................................................................................... 59 Alternative Site ......................................................................................... 78 Backup Site .............................................................................................. 79 Potential Funding Sources ....................................................................... 79 Appendix A – Public Input Materials Appendix B – Security Review Maps Appendix C – Security Review Interviews Appendix D – Full Security Report Lake Transit Hub Location Plan LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. Prepared for the Lake County/City Area Planning Council Page i LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1 Population within Lake County ............................................................................. 7 2 Population Projections within Lake County ........................................................... 8 3 LTA Fixed Route Ridership by Route between FY 2013 and FY 2015 ............... 17 4 Lake Transit Authority Vehicle Fleet ................................................................... 18 5 Clearlake Boarding and Alighting Summary ....................................................... 18 6 Existing AM Peak Hour Transit Buses at Ray’s Market ...................................... 18 7 Existing PM Peak Hour Transit Buses at Ray’s Market ...................................... 23 8 Safety Incidents Reported by LTA at the Existing Transfer Point ....................... 26 9 Alternative Site Comparison ............................................................................... 34 10 Peer Transit Centers Near Schools .................................................................... 44 11 Summary of Essential Transit Facility Components and Associated Space Requirements .......................................................................................... 54 12 Summary of Potential Transit Facility Components and Associated .................. 56 13 Lake Transit Corner Transfer Center Cost Estimate ........................................... 70 14 Lake Transit Mid-Block Transfer Center Cost Estimate ...................................... 73 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1 Lake County Site Map .......................................................................................... 4 2 Lake Transit routes ............................................................................................. 14 3 Existing Transfer Hub Location ........................................................................... 22 4 Alternative Sites for a New Transfer Hub Location ............................................. 28 5 Corner Option – Plan view .................................................................................. 60 6 Mid-Block Option – Plan View ............................................................................ 61 7 Corner Option – Bird’s Eye View ........................................................................ 63 8 Corner Option – Main Entry ................................................................................ 64 9 Corner option – Breezeway View ....................................................................... 65 10 Mid-Block Option – Bird’s Eye View ................................................................... 66 11 Mid-Block Option – Main Entry and Breezeway View ......................................... 67 12 Mid-Block Option – Bus Shelter View ................................................................. 68 LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. Lake Transit Hub Location Plan Page ii Prepared for the Lake County/City Area Planning Council Chapter 1 Introduction PROJECT OVERVIEW Lake Transit provides public transit service throughout Lake County including the cities and unincorporated communities, as well as providing connections to Napa County and Mendocino County. An important factor in an effective regional transit network is the transfer point where passengers make connections between routes. The existing transfer site (located at the former Ray’s Food Place Supermarket in the City of Clearlake) for Lake Transit Authority (LTA) includes several deficiencies, particularly pertaining to security issues, inadequate size (requiring turnaround on private land), poor public image, and a lack of control over land and utilities. To address this, the Lake Area Planning Council (APC) has initiated a study of locating a new and enhanced transit hub. While Lake Transit ridership levels declined in the most recent recession and as the result of a labor strike, in the last few years transit improvements have led to a rise in ridership levels. An improved transit center is important in enhancing the overall transit program, and ensuring that adequate capacity is available to accommodate future ridership growth. Transit centers are key elements of a successful public transit agency, for the following reasons: To the passenger, the facility is a crucial link in the overall transit trip and optimally should provide easy access, comfort, protection from the elements, a sense of security, pleasant surroundings, and a clear view of the approaching bus. To the public, passenger facilities are essential in forming the public perception of the transit program, they are visible “on the street,” and part of the community 24/7. To the service provider, facilities can make the boarding and alighting process safer in terms of traffic and passenger safety, and more efficient by speeding passenger boarding through the provision of effective queuing areas, thereby reducing delays getting in and out of traffic. With the assistance of a consulting team consisting of LSC Transportation Consultants, Design Workshop and WRLDCO Consulting, this study evaluates potential sites for a new transit facility for the Lake Transit. More specifically, this study is intended to identify the program, site and configuration of a new transit transfer facility that can maximize the effectiveness of the transportation program, provide secure services and amenities to the riders of the transit service, and serve as a positive element in Lake Transit Hub Location Plan LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc. Prepared for the Lake County/City Area Planning Council Page 1 downtown Clearlake. This facility is intended to focus on the needs of the transit passengers, and not to serve as the office or maintenance/bus storage facility for Lake Transit. This document provides Lake APC, Lake Transit, the City of Clearlake and the public with a summary of existing site conditions and program requirements, an evaluation of potential project sites, and findings on the part of the Consultant Team. The first chapter presents a review of existing local plans and policies in Lake County as well as an overview of demographic trends which typically lead to public transit usage. Next, a summary of the local transit program and the associated requirements for a transit center are presented. The later chapters evaluate a series of potential transit site options, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Lastly, this document provides recommendations for a preferred site, alternative site and back-up site for a new transfer hub along with a program, and general design concepts. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY INPUT A wide variety of community input was sought as part of this planning process. Appendix A presents supporting materials for the stakeholder/community