PLANS AND PROGRAMS COMMITTEE packet agenda
Meeting Notice
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2015; 10:30 a.m.
Location: Committee Room 263, City Hall
Commissioners: Tang (Chair), Christensen (Vice Chair), Breed, Farrell, Yee and Wiener (Ex Officio)
Clerk: Steve Stamos
1. Roll Call
2. Citizens Advisory Committee Report – INFORMATION* attachment
Consent Calendar
3. Approve the Minutes of the June 16, 2015 Meeting – ACTION* attachment
4. Recommend Authorizing the Executive Director to Execute a Partial Release of the Transportation Authority’s Agreement for Quitclaim of Interest in Portions of 77-79 Natoma Street, 564 Howard Street, and 568 Howard Street Parcels To Be Sold as Part of Parcel F by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority – ACTION* attachment
The Transportation Authority granted the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) Prop K sales tax funds to acquire 77-79 Natoma Street, 564 Howard Street, and 568 Howard Street properties in February 2009 and January 2011 respectively. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission also contributed funds toward 568 Howard Street. Each Prop K grant required a Quitclaim Agreement, allowing the transfer of TJPA’s interest in these properties to the Transportation Authority if the Transbay Transit Center was not constructed as planned. In September 2015, TJPA is planning to conduct an auction of the real estate known as “Parcel F” which includes portions of Transbay Parcel F, 75 Natoma, 546 Howard, and portions of the aforementioned parcels for which the Transportation Authority has a Quitclaim Agreement (See Attachment 1). The consolidation of these parcels into a larger Parcel F will maximize the value and usefulness of the property. Revenues from the sale of Parcel F, which originally were earmarked for Phase 2 (Caltrain Downtown Extension) of the project, will be used to fund construction of Phase 1 once the bridge loan from Goldman Sachs has been repaid. TJPA anticipates the receipt of a federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan in Fiscal Year 2016, and this is part of a strategy to fill an estimated $225.1 million funding increase in Phase 1 costs over the $1.9 billion Phase 1 budget approved in July 2013. The estimated budget increase was presented to the TJPA Board on June 19, with the very active construction market being cited as a key contributing factor. TJPA anticipates presenting a revised Phase 1 budget and funding plan to its Board in September. In the meantime, TJPA will be able to obtain more information on costs for bid packages not yet awarded and will continue to refine its strategy to close the funding gap with project partners.
End of Consent Calendar
5. Recommend Appointment of Two Members to the Citizens Advisory Committee – ACTION* attachment enclosure
The Transportation Authority has an eleven-member Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). CAC members serve two-year terms. Per the Transportation Authority’s Administrative Code, the Plans and Programs Committee recommends and the Transportation Authority Board appoints individuals to fill any CAC vacancies. Neither Transportation Authority staff nor the CAC make any recommendations on CAC appointments, but we maintain an up-to-date database of applications for CAC membership. A chart with information about current CAC members is attached, showing ethnicity, gender, neighborhood of residence, and affiliation. There are two vacancies on the CAC requiring committee action. The vacancies are the result of the resignation of Eric Rutledge due to his relocation outside of San Francisco and the term expiration of Jacqualine Sachs. Ms. Sachs is seeking reappointment. Attachment 1 shows current CAC membership and Attachment 2 lists applicants.
6. Recommend Appointment of One Member to the Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Citizens Advisory Committee – ACTION* attachment enclosure
The Transportation Authority has a 13-member Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Citizens Advisory Committee (GCAC). There is one vacant seat on the GCAC for a representative of the Tenderloin-Downtown area. The vacancy is due to the expiration of the term of Richard Marshall, who is not seeking reappointment. Following the issuance of notices seeking applicants to the GCAC, we have received an application from one eligible candidate. Staff provides information on applicants but does not make recommendations on GCAC appointments. Attachment 1 contains a summary table with information about current and prospective GCAC members, showing neighborhood of residence, neighborhood of employment, affiliation, and other information provided by the applicants.
7. Recommend Allocation of $38,780,932 in Prop K funds, with Conditions, and Appropriation of $671,920 in Prop K funds, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedules – ACTION* attachment enclosure presentation
As summarized in Attachments 1 and 2, we have ten requests totaling $39,452,852 in Prop K sales tax funds to present to the Plans and Programs Committee. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) is requesting $14.2 million to support construction management and oversight of the Transbay Transit Center, program management and program controls, and property management of parcels owned by TJPA. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is requesting $2 million to fund conceptual engineering and final design of near-term (Phase 1) improvements for Geary Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and $6.8 million for the project’s conceptual engineering report (30% design), which includes a $471,920 appropriation for our environmental review work. SFMTA is also requesting operating funds for the paratransit program; design of pedestrian safety improvements along the Lombard Street corridor (a Neighborhood Transportation Improvement Program (NTIP) project); signal upgrades and related infrastructure improvements at 32 intersections (including 10 WalkFirst locations) in the Franklin and Divisadero corridors; signal upgrades in the Van Ness Avenue corridor including SFgo intelligent transportation system communications infrastructure; and an NTIP project to construct pedestrian safety and transit stop improvements in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. We are requesting an appropriation of $50,000 to satisfy an existing commitment to allocate to cover Caltrain and San Mateo C/CAG's planned contribution to the study since we’ve been unsuccessful in securing those funds and the study is nearly complete. Finally, with San Francisco Public Works’ (SFPWs’) support, we are requesting appropriation of $75,000 to provide advisory support during the design phase of the 19th Avenue City Combined Project, ensuring continuity and providing technical support as the project transitions to SFPW’s lead.
8. Recommend Adoption of the Chinatown Neighborhood Transportation Plan Final Report – ACTION* attachment enclosure presentation
The Chinatown Neighborhood Transportation Plan (NTP) is a community-based transportation planning study led by the Transportation Authority, in partnership with community organizations in the Chinatown neighborhood. The NTP was funded by Prop K sales tax and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Community-Based Transportation Planning program. The NTP focuses on strategies to improve pedestrian safety on two high pedestrian-injury corridors in Chinatown: Broadway Street between Van Ness and Columbus Avenues, and Kearny Street between Bush and Jackson Streets. On Broadway Street, the study finds that safety improvements are planned for each intersection between Van Ness Avenue and Columbus Street, and will be delivered within the next two years. The study encourages consideration of additional changes to signal timing to further enhance pedestrian safety. On Kearny Street, the study recommends immediate implementation of near-term pedestrian safety treatments at the intersection of Clay and Kearny Streets, where an elderly pedestrian was killed in June. It also recommends that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) identify and implement a plan for improving safety all along the corridor, which is in the top 10 percent of pedestrian high injury corridors in the city. For Kearny Street, the study recommends that SFMTA consider a series of pedestrian scrambles, a road diet, or systematic signal timing and striping treatments to eliminate pedestrian injuries and fatalities while meeting other objectives for the street including implementation of Muni Forward and the SFMTA Bicycle Strategy. Commissioner Christensen requested that we accelerate adoption of this report to address the need for urgency in implementing safety treatments on Kearny Street. We are working with her office and SFMTA to explore the possibility of Neighborhood Transportation Improvement Program funding to advance implementation of some of the study’s recommendations. SFMTA staff will attend the Plans and Programs Committee meeting to discuss how existing and planned SFMTA efforts will build upon the report’s recommendations.
9. Recommend Adoption of the Geneva-Harney Bus Rapid Transit Feasibility Study Final Report – ACTION* attachment enclosure presentation
The Geneva-Harney Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line is a proposed rapid transit service envisioned to provide existing and future neighborhoods along the San Mateo-San Francisco County line with a bus connection to key regional transit system hubs in the Geneva-Harney Corridor, connecting Balboa Park BART/Muni Station, Bayshore Caltrain Station, Muni T-Third at Sunnydale and Arleta, and a future transit center in Hunters Point. The Geneva-Harney BRT Feasibility Study focused on determining feasible routing and configuration options for a near-term project that heralds the long-term investment in a major new growth Corridor. This bi-county, multi-agency effort developed three near-term full-feature BRT alternatives that deliver dedicated transit lanes, transit signal priority, and pedestrian access improvements to the Geneva Corridor. Each near-term option would reduce end-to-end travel time by as much as 15 minutes over today (a 30% improvement), increase ridership by as much as 8%, and provide opportunities for improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities, all with little to no reduction in motorist delay. While this demonstrates clear options for a feasible near-term BRT project, there is a fair amount of variation on the character and impacts of alternatives, particularly in the eastern most section of the study area. As such, the study report details the factors that require more detailed design, technical analysis, stakeholder and community engagement, and interagency coordination before recommending a specific alternative for implementation. The pre-environmental phase of work is expected to begin as early as fall 2015, led by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency in coordination with bi-county multi-agency partners.
10. Major Capital Projects Update – Transbay Transit Center and Caltrain Downtown Extension – INFORMATION* attachment presentation
The Transbay Transit Center (TTC) project, one of the signature Prop K projects, is being built in two phases: Phase 1 is the TTC building, bus ramp, and related improvements, and Phase 2 is the downtown extension of commuter rail service into the new TTC, accommodating both Caltrain and high speed trains (DTX). In 2013, the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) conducted a full cost and schedule Risk Assessment Workshop for Phase 1. In July 2013, the TJPA Board approved a revised Phase 1 budget of $1.899 billion, an increase of $310.4 million over the May 2010 baseline. On July 9, 2015, the TJPA Board was briefed on an additional Phase 1 budget increase of $246.92 million, to be approved at its September meeting. The increase is attributed to changed market conditions, complex facility design, overly optimistic cost estimates in some instances, and a competitive bidding environment, which now require replenishing project contingencies and program reserve at prudent levels. TJPA staff has proposed deferral of the offsite bus storage facility (reduces cost by $19.5 million)and has identified $160 million in additional revenues through the sale of land (Parcel F) originally designated for DTX (see agenda item 4 on partial release of quitclaim interest in portions of various parcels financed with Prop K funds) leaving a $87.5 million funding gap. Possible sources to close the gap include redirecting Community Facility District revenues from Phase 2, land sales, sponsorship, and federal grants. Phase 1 construction began in November 2008 and as is about 50% complete. Bus operations at the new TTC are scheduled to commence in December 2017, reflecting a three month delay relative to the last project update in fall of 2013. DTX is essentially on hold given a significant funding shortfall, which will be larger after dealing with Phase 1 cost increases.
11. Introduction of New Items – INFORMATION
During this segment of the meeting, Committee members may make comments on items not specifically listed above, or introduce or request items for future consideration.
12. Public Comment
13. Adjournment
* Additional materials
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