RE: Plans and Programs Committee May 15, 2012

05.09.12 RE: Plans and Programs Committee May 15, 2012 Plans and Programs Committee: Commissioners Avalos (Chair), Kim (Vice Chair), Cohen, Farrell, Olague and Campos (Ex Officio) Anna LaForte Deputy Director for Policy and Programming José Luis Moscovich Executive Director Recommend Programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 Lifeline Transportation Program Jobs Access Reverse Commute Funds to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) established the Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) to fund projects improving mobility for low-income communities. Projects must evolve out of a collaborative and inclusive planning process, address gaps or barriers identified through community-based transportation plans or other substantive local planning efforts, and improve a range of transportation choices for low-income persons. The LTP is complicated to administer, since it is comprised of four different funding sources with varying eligibility requirements which don t always fit well with the program intent. For Cycle 3, responsibility for programming the Prop 1B LTP funds was delegated to the transit operators with concurrence required from the Congestion Management Agencies (CMAs). The Authority was tasked with programming $5,333,667 in LTP funds from the federal Jobs Access Reverse Commute (JARC), State Transit Assistance (STA), and federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds. In February, we released a call for projects for the $1,200,942 in available LTP JARC funds. Applications were due to the Authority on March 14, 2012. Of the four applications we received, only the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency s (SFMTA s) Continuation of the Bus Service Restoration Project met the eligibility requirements for JARC funds, which require a strong linkage to improving access to jobs and job-related activities. The SFMTA s project will continue the expanded service levels and late-night service provided by its Bus Service Restoration Project that received funding through San Francisco s Cycle 2 LTP for six bus routes that serve low income communities: 19-Polk, 21-Hayes, 27-Bryant, 29-Sunset, 44-O Shaughnessy, and 54- Felton. The Cycle 3 LTP evaluation panel determined that the project met the goals of the LTP guidelines, demonstrated its benefit to low-income San Francisco residents, and recommended fully funding the SFMTA s request for the $1,200,942 in available JARC LTP funds. We had postponed programming of the remaining $4,132,725 in Authority LTP funds, and the SFMTA had deferred submission of its LTP Prop 1B project priorities, pending a decision on the free MUNI youth pass. Following the April 17 SFMTA Board approval, with conditions, of a free low income youth pass pilot program, we are now bringing a recommendation on the youth pass and SFMTA s LTP Prop 1B project priorities as a separate agenda item this month. We are recommending programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) established the Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) to fund projects improving mobility for low-income Bay Area residents that: Evolve out of a collaborative and inclusive planning process; Address gaps or barriers identified through community-based transportation plans or other substantive local planning efforts, as well as countywide or regional welfare-to-work plans and the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan; and

Improve a range of transportation choices for low-income persons. As the Congestion Management Agency (CMA) for San Francisco, the Authority was responsible for establishing San Francisco s project priorities in 2006 for $2.75 million in Cycle 1 LTP funds and in 2008 and 2010 for $9.93 million in Cycle 2 LTP funds. The list of San Francisco projects that received LTP funds in the first two cycles is shown in Attachment 1. In 2011, MTC performed an evaluation of the prior LTP cycles and incorporated several recommendations into the Cycle 3 guidelines. The LTP is complicated to administer, since it is comprised of four different funding sources with varying eligibility requirements which don t always fit well with the program intent. For Cycle 3, MTC has assigned the largest LTP fund source, Prop 1B state infrastructure bond funds, directly to transit operators for programming. As the CMA for San Francisco, the Authority is required to provide concurrence for San Francisco-related transit operators LTP Prop 1B project priorities prior to their submission to MTC. CMAs are also responsible for programming the other three LTP funding sources, i.e., federal Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC), federal Surface Transportation Program (STP), and State Transit Assistance (STA) funds, as well as for administration and oversight of the overall LTP. Combined, these three sources total $5,333,667 for San Francisco, in addition to the Prop 1B funds that are directly programmed by the transit operators. Attachment 2 shows the available Cycle 3 LTP funds by source and operator. On February 3, 2012, we released a call for projects for the $1,200,942 in LTP JARC funds, since federal guidelines require that projects receiving JARC funds be selected through a competitive selection process. We had postponed programming of the remaining $4,132,725 in LTP STA and STP funds, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) had deferred submission of its LTP Prop 1B project priorities, pending a decision about whether to commit a portion of its LTP funds to a new free MUNI youth pass program. On April 17, 2012, the SFMTA Board approved, with conditions, the Free Muni for Low Income Youth Pilot Program. Both the Authority Board and MTC will need to take actions to fully fund the youth pass program. We are recommending programming of $400,000 in Cycle 3 LTP STA funds to the youth pass program and concurrence with the SFMTA s LTP Prop 1B project priorities in a separate agenda item. The purpose of this memorandum is to present the results of the Cycle 3 LTP JARC call for projects and to seek a recommendation for programming $1,200,942 in LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project. After releasing the call for projects on February 3, 2012, we reached out to public agencies, community stakeholders, and members of the public via email, our website, and our social media pages. Before the application deadline, we conducted a workshop for potential applicants where we provided information about the program and the eligibility requirements. We also met one-on-one with interested parties to explore their application ideas. Applications for San Francisco s LTP JARC call for projects were due to the Authority on March 14, 2012. By the application deadline, we received four applications, as shown in Attachment 3. Of the applications we received, only the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project met the eligibility requirements for the JARC funds which, per the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidelines, can only be used for projects that improve access to employment and employment-related activities for low income populations. The Bayview Hunters Point Foundation (BVHPF) has withdrawn its two applications for the 24/7 Mobility Options project and the BVHP Community Transportation Shuttle Service project because

these projects, as proposed, had significant scope elements which were not eligible for JARC funds due to limited linkage to improving access to employment and employment-related activities. We will work with BVHPF and other community partners, through the Authority-led Bayview Hunters Point Mobility Solutions Study, to better understand the needs that the proposed projects were intended to address and to help identify ways to meet them, including consideration of service delivery options, mobility management needs, and potential funding options. The Chinatown Community Development Center (CCDC) submitted a request for a planning effort that raised two primary concerns in terms of LTP JARC eligibility: 1) a poor linkage to improving access to employment and employment-related activities, and 2) the proposal for a plan (versus a specific project) that did not have a direct link to implementation. MTC concurred with this assessment and determined the project was not eligible for LTP JARC funds. We are currently working with CCDC to see if we can help address the planning needs through another fund program. On April 5, 2012, the Cycle 3 LTP Evaluation Panel met to review the remaining application, the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project, previously funded through San Francisco s Cycle 2 LTP. Per MTC s guidelines, the panel was comprised of a representative from the MTC Policy Advisory Committee and other professionals familiar with transportation needs for low-income communities, including representatives from San Francisco s Human Services Agency, AC Transit, and Authority staff. After discussing the SFMTA s application, the panel determined that the project met the goals set in the LTP guidelines and demonstrated its benefit to low-income San Francisco residents, and therefore recommended fully funding the SFMTA s request for the $1,200,942 in available LTP JARC funds. This project would continue the funding that San Francisco s Cycle 2 LTP provided for increased frequencies and late night service on six SFMTA bus lines that serve low income communities: 19-Polk, 21-Hayes, 27-Bryant, 29-Sunset, 44-O Shaughnessy, and 54-Felton. The SFMTA had reduced service on these routes through its service realignment in May 2010, but then successfully obtained LTP funds to restore the service because these routes provided critical access for service workers and other low-income employees who depended on nighttime transit service to reach industrial and non-traditional work hour employment centers, such as hotels and hospitals. Attachment 4 shows the routes that would be supported by the project and their relationships to low-income and minority census tracts in San Francisco. While this project would not provide new service on these routes, it would allow the SFMTA to maintain existing service levels, including increased frequency and hours of operation. MTC requires LTP sponsors to track performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of LTP projects and to submit annual reporting statistics to CMAs and MTC. The SFMTA will be tracking service delivery, ridership, and cost per passenger information as well as other data for monitoring and evaluation purposes. MTC requires CMAs to submit their priorities for LTP JARC, STP, and STA funds by May 15, 2012. MTC staff has indicated that it is fine and without any significant impact on when funds would be available to sponsors if we defer action on our STP and STA funds until funding decisions are made related to the SFMTA youth pass. For the subject JARC recommendation, MTC will approve the LTP project list on June 27, 2012, and FTA is expected to approve the applications in early 2013, after which the Fiscal Years 2010/11 and 2011/12 JARC funds ($789,600) would become available for expenditure. Fiscal Year 2012/13 JARC funds ($411,342) are anticipated to be available in Summer or Fall 2013. We are recommending programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project.

1. Recommend programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project. 2. Recommend programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project, with modifications. 3. Defer action, pending additional information or further staff analysis. There are no direct impacts on the Authority s Fiscal Year 2011/12 budget or future Fiscal Years budgets associated with the recommended action. Recommend programming of $1,200,942 in Cycle 3 LTP JARC funds to the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project. Attachments: 1. Cycles 1 and 2 Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) San Francisco Project Lists 2. Estimated Funding Targets for Cycle 3 LTP 3. Summary of Applications Received for the Cycle 3 LTP JARC Funds 4. Route Maps for the SFMTA s Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project

Attachment 1. Cycles 1 and 2 Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) San Francisco Project Lists Project Sponsor 1 Project Name LTP Funding - LTP Funding - Prop 1B 2 Other Funds Total Project Cost Cycle 1 BVHPF Bayview Hunters Point Community Transport n/a $924,879 $1,156,879 SFMTA Lifeline Fast Pass Distribution Expansion n/a $219,334 $274,166 SFMTA Muni Route 109/Treasure Island n/a $525,000 $874,094 SFMTA Muni Route 29 Service n/a $946,222 $1,182,778 THC Outreach Initiative for Lifeline Transit Access n/a $137,741 $227,870 Cycle 1 Total n/a $2,753,176 $3,715,787 Cycle 2 (as amended) Balboa Park Station Eastside Connections Project BART (BART) SFMTA Balboa Park Station Eastside Connections Project (SFMTA) $1,153,610 $752,440 $2,801,050 $863,710 $219,567 $1,354,096 SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Project $0 $1,698,272 $2,309,000 SFMTA Persia Triangle Transit Access Improvements Project $802,734 $0 $1,003,418 SFMTA Randolph/Farallones/ Orizaba Transit Access Project $480,000 $0 $599,600 SFMTA Route 108 Treasure Island Enhanced Service $0 $1,165,712 $1,097,000 SFMTA Route 29 Reliability Improvement Project $0 $727,200 $1,672,560 SFMTA Shopper Shuttle $0 $1,560,000 $2,170,500 SFMTA/MOH Hunters View Revitalization Transit Stop Connection $510,160 $0 $708,176 Cycle 2 Total $3,810,214 $6,123,191 $13,715,400 Cycles 1 & 2 Total $3,810,214 $8,876,367 $17,431,187 1 Project sponsor acronyms include the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement (BVHPF), Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH), San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), and Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC). 2 The Cycle 1 LTP did not include Prop 1B funds. P:\Lifeline Program\2011 Lifeline Program\Prop 1B\SF Cycle 1 & 2 Project Lists - Prop 1B Page 1 of 1

Attachment 2. Estimated Funding Targets for Cycle 3 Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) 3-year total 3-year total ($) (% of the region) Estimated Funding Target for the San Francisco County Transportation Authority Job Access and Reverse Commute $1,200,942 State Transit Assistance $2,957,621 Surface Transportation Program $1,175,104 Authority LTP Total $5,333,667 13.1% Estimated Funding Target for Prop 1B Transit Funds per Transit Operator 1 AC Transit $8,403,487 18.1% 2 BART $8,173,010 17.6% 2 County Connection (CCCTA) $484,534 1.0% Golden Gate Transit/Marin Transit $1,477,729 3.2% 2 Wheels (LAVTA) $240,910 0.5% Muni (SFMTA) $11,723,430 25.2% 2 SamTrans $2,272,697 4.9% 2 Tri Delta Transit (ECCTA) $327,019 0.7% VINE (NCTPA) $597,647 1.3% Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) $9,186,049 19.7% WestCat (WCCTA) $147,335 0.3% Solano County Operators $1,547,328 3.3% Sonoma County Operators $1,938,791 4.2% Transit Operator LTP Prop 1B Total $46,519,967 100.0% 1 Prop 1B amounts represent three years of funding. Only transit operators who have previously received Prop 1B Lifeline funds are included in the formula distribution. 2 Transit operators with operating segments in San Francisco. P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\MTC Guideline\Funding Estimate\Cycle 3 LTP Funding.docx Page 1 of 1

Attachment 3. Summary of Applications Received for the Cycle 3 Lifeline Transportation Program (LTP) Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Funds Sponsor 1 Project Name Brief Description Funding Type Total Project Cost Amount of LTP Funds Requested 1 BVHPF 24/7 Mobility Options 2 carsharing, bikesharing and a Kids Cab program at the Provide a pilot 24/7 transportation program via Alice Griffith Residential Complex. Operating $ 984,000 $ 492,000 2 BVHPF 3 CCDC BVHP Community Transportation - Shuttle Service 2,3 Chinatown Neighborhood Transportation Study 4 Continue to provide transportation resources to lowincome residents of Bayview Hunters Point, including community shuttle and coordination with other agency resources. Develop conceptual plans for the Chinatown Central Subway station area to improve access to job opportunities, training and services. Operating $ 776,000 $ 388,000 Capital $ 510,000 $ 340,000 4 SFMTA Continuation of Bus Service Restoration Project 2 Maintain service levels for 44 O'Shaughnessy, and restore nighttime operations on 19 Polk, 21 Hayes, 27 Bryant, 29 Sunset, and 54 Felton. Operating $ 3,361,000 $ 1,200,942 TOTAL: $ 5,631,000 $ 2,420,942 Sponsor acronyms include BVHPF for the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation, CCDC for the Chinatown Community Development Center, and SFMTA for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. BVHPF has withdrawn its two applications because these projects, as proposed, had significant scope elements which were not eligible for JARC funds due to limited linkage to improving access to employment and employment-related activities. We will work with BVHPF and other community partners, through the Authority-led Bayview Hunters Point Mobility Solutions Study, to better understand the needs that the proposed projects were intended to address and to help identify ways to meet them, including consideration of service delivery options, mobility management needs, and potential funding options. 1 2 Project funded through previous LTP cycles. CCDC submitted a request for a planning effort that raised two primary concerns in terms of LTP JARC eligibility: 1) a poor linkage to improving access to employment and employment-related activities, and 2) the proposal for a plan (versus a specific project) that did not have a direct link to implementation. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission concurred with this assessment and determined the project is not eligible for LTP JARC funds. We are currently working with CCDC to see if we can help address the planning needs through another fund program. 3 4 P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\Cycle 3 LTP Applications Received

Attachment 4 Route Maps for Continuation of the SFMTA s Bus Service Restoration Project Map 3-1: Route 19, 21, 27, 39, 44, and 54 and Minority Census Tracts Note: SFMTA s Title VI program defines minority census tracts as census tract that have more minority residents than the Citywide average. P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 1 of 8

Map 3-2: Route 19, 21, 27, 39, 44, and 54 and Low Income Census Tracts Note: SFMTA s Title VI program defines low-income census tracts as census tract that have more low-income residents than the Citywide average. P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 2 of 8

Map 6-1: Route 19 Polk P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 3 of 8

Map 6-2: Route 21 Hayes P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 4 of 8

Map 6-3: Route 27 Bryant P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 5 of 8

Map 6-4: Route 29 Sunset P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 6 of 8

Map 6-5: Route 44 O Shaughnessy P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 7 of 8

Map 6-6: Route 54 Felton P:\Lifeline Program\2012 Lifeline Program\Project Applications and Monitoring\SFMTA Bus Restoration\Cycle 3 LTP - SFMTA Bus Service Restoration Maps.doc Page 8 of 8