DESTINATION 2030 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN AUGUST 2004 Preparation of this report has been financed in part through grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official view or policies of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Kern Council of Governments 1401 19th Street, Suite 300 Bakersfield, California 93301 661/861-2191 Facsimile 661/324-8215 TTY 661/832-7433 Kern Council of Governments Board of Directors Kern Council of Governments is the regional planning agency as well as the technical and informational resource, and ride share administrator for the area's 11 incorporated cities and the County of Kern. Following Board direction, staff coordinates between local, state, and federal agencies to avoid overlap or duplication of programs. This intergovernmental coordination enables staff to work with many public agencies to ensure that planning and implementation of programs proceed in a coordinated manner. Chairman: Philip Smith Vice Chairman: David Couch Secretary/ Executive Director: Ronald E. Brummett City of Arvin Ex-Officio Members: John Olivares Caltrans City of Bakersfield Alan McCuen David Couch Military Joint Planning Policy Board City of California City Bill Shelton Nicholas Lessenevitch Golden Empire Transit District City of Delano Howard Silver Art Armendariz City of Maricopa Kern Council of Governments Staff: Aileen Throop Darrel Hildebrand, Asst. Director City of McFarland Peter W. Smith, Senior Planner Ralph Melendez Marilyn J. Beardslee, Senior Planner Robert Ball, Senior Planner City of Ridgecrest Joe Stramaglia, Senior Planner Ron Carter Ed Flickinger, Regional Planner III Bill Larsen, Regional Planner III City of Shafter Bob Snoddy, Regional Planner III Garry Nelson Michael Heimer, Regional Planner II Raquel Carabajal, Regional Planner II City of Taft Vincent Zhe Liu, Regional Planner Ray Hatch Greg Palomo, Administrative Assistant Robert Phipps, Administrative Analyst City of Tehachapi Laurie Collins, Executive Secretary Philip Smith Fasika Montalvo, Secretary City of Wasco Cheryl Wegman County of Kern Jon McQuiston County of Kern Raymond A. Watson FINAL DESTINATION 2030 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary Chapter 1 – Introduction Chapter 2 – Transportation Planning Policies Chapter 3 – Planning Assumptions Chapter 4 – Strategic Transportation Investments Chapter 5 – Financing Transportation Chapter 6 – Environmental Justice Chapter 7 – Future Links Chapter 8 – Monitoring Progress Chapter 9 – References Appendices 1. Valleywide Regional Transportation Plan 2. Public Participation Process 3. Compliance Checklist LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Kern County Figure 3-1 Kern County Population and Housing Figure 4-1 Metropolitan Bakersfield Near Term Projects 2004-2008 Figure 4-2 Near Term Projects in Outlying Areas 2004-2008 Figure 4-3 Metropolitan Bakersfield Long Term Projects Figure 4-4 Long Term Projects in Outlying Areas 2009-2030 Figure 4-5 Financially Unconstrained Projects Figure 4-6 Metropolitan Bakersfield Fixed Route Transit (2000) Figure 4-7 Fixed Route Rural Transit (2000) Figure 4-8 High Speed Rail Alternatives (2002) Figure 4-9 Airports Figure 4-10 Freight Rail Corridors Figure 4-11 Hazardous Material Routes Figure 4-12 Approved Explosive Materials Routes Figure 4-13 Metropolitan Bakersfield Bicycle Routes (2000) Figure 4-14 Incorporated Communities Bicycle Routes (2000) Figure 4-15 Bicycle Accessible Highways Figure 5-1 Transportation Revenues 2004-2030 Figure 5-2 Transportation Investments by Mode 2004-2030 Figure 5-3 Financial Resources for Non-Transit TCMs Figure 5-4 Financial Resources for Public Airport Projects Figure 5-5 Financial Resources for Bus Projects Figure 5-6 Financial Resources for Road Rehabilitation & Safety Projects Figure 5-7 Financial Resources for Non-Motorized Projects Figure 5-8 Financial Resources for Highway, Interchange and Rail Crossings Figure 5-9 Investment Shortfalls Figure 6-1 Environmental Justice Analysis Figure A2-1 Kern County Air Quality Planning Areas LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1 Constrained Program of Projects Table 4-2 Unconstrained Program of Projects Table 4-3 Public Transit Operators within Kern County Table 4-4 Passengers Transported by Kern County Transit Operators Table 4-5 Examples of ITS Benefits EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Destination 2030, Kern County’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), is a planning guide over the next 26 years. It provides transportation and air quality goals, policies and actions for now and into the future, and includes programs and projects for congestion management, transit, airports, bicycles and pedestrians, roadways, and freight. And it provides a discussion of all mechanisms used to finance transportation and air quality program implementation. The Destination 2030 RTP is a multi-modal plan representing Kern COG’s vision for a better transportation system to the planning horizon of 2030. The Destination 2030 RTP provides the basic policy and program framework for long- term investment in Kern’s vast regional transportation system in a coordinated, cooperative and continuous manner. Transportation investments in the Kern region that receive state and federal transportation funds must be consistent with the RTP and must be included in the Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) when ready for funding. Destination 2030 RTP is a regional long-range and comprehensive plan that coordinates local transportation plans for all communities within the Kern region. Each community has a different transportation emphasis in their local planning documents, which Destination 2030 RTP brings together under one plan. With adoption of the Destination 2030 RTP, proposed multimodal facilities can be constructed and transportation services can be implemented at a level consistent with projected funding. Projects funded in this RTP are based on the assumption that the successor of TEA-21 (federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century) will continue through the 26-year planning period. Chapter 2 – Transportation Planning Policies provides a Table in which the seven goals of the Destination 2030 RTP are linked to the policies for each transportation mode. The seven goals are: 1. Accessibility: the ease of reaching destinations as measured by the percent of commuters who can get to work within a given period of time; 2. Mobility: the ability to move throughout the region and the time it takes to reach desired destinations within a reasonable amount of time; 3. Environment: enhancing the existing transportation system while improving the environment; 4. Cost-effectiveness: maximizing the return on transportation investments; 5. Reliability: percentage of on-time arrivals by both transit and automobiles; 6. Safety: minimizing risk of accidents/injuries as measured by accident rates; 1 7. Equity: equitable distribution of transportation investment benefits; 8. Consumer satisfaction: conditions under which users agree that their transportation needs are being met in a safe, reliable, efficient and cost- effective manner. Chapter 3 – Planning Assumptions describes Kern County’s geographic setting and its demographic profile. The Destination 2030 RTP is required to include an Action Element, to which Chapter 4 responds. Chapter 4 – Strategic Transportation Investments describes by transportation mode: (1) the existing system; (2) accomplishments since 2000, when the previous Regional Transportation Plan was adopted; (3) needs and issues; (4) current activities; and (5) proposed actions. These actions are designed to implement the goals and policies described in Chapter 2. A complete listing of planned improvements by mode is provided in Tables 4-1 and 4.2 at the back of Chapter 4 – Strategic Investments. The list of constrained projects in Table 4-1 and graphic displays of projects are consistent with those projects that have been found to not inhibit regional air quality efforts and progress in attaining federal air quality standards. Chapter 4 also addresses land use issues and intelligent transportation investments. The Destination 2030 RTP is required to include a Financial Element that identifies resources to implement the plan. Chapter 5 – Financing Transportation is responsive to this requirement by providing a cost analysis for implementing the projects included in Chapter 4 - Strategic Transportation Investments. Chapter 6 – Environmental Justice is an important inclusion in the Destination 2030 RTP. The goal of Kern COG’s environmental justice process is to ensure that all people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, are protected from disproportionate negative or adverse impacts caused by the Destination 2030 Program of Projects outlined in Tables 4-1 and 4-2. This chapter examines the methodology Kern COG uses to determine whether all neighborhoods have reasonable shares of the benefits from the Destination 2030 RTP. It is important to identify and preserve transportation corridors needed to expand or enhance transportation for Kern County’s future. Chapter 7 – Future Links discusses the difficulties that Kern region’s local governments could face in ensuring optimal locations for such activities as the proposed high speed rail as well as high-priority interregional routes such as the proposed south, west, and east beltways, the Union Pacific/Burlington Northern rail corridor between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, as well as other key projects. Air quality contingencies are also discussed. 2 As the designated Metropolitan