Advisory Committee on Accessibility (ACA)

The agenda for the July 17, 2008, meeting, and the minutes of the June 19, 2008, meeting, of the Advisory Committee on Accessibility were furnished to the Transportation Committee. Copies are available in the Office of the District Secretary and on the District’s web site.

Bus Passengers Advisory Committee (BPAC)

There was no meeting of the Bus Passengers Advisory Committee in July 2008; therefore, no meeting materials were furnished to the Transportation Committee.

Ferry Passengers Advisory Committee (FPAC)

There was no meeting of the Bus Passengers Advisory Committee in July 2008; therefore, no meeting materials were furnished to the Transportation Committee.

Action by the Board – None Required

Authorize Execution of an Agreement Between the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the Marin County Transit District for the Provision of Intercounty Paratransit Services

In a memorandum to Committee, Paratransit Coordinator Cynthia B. Petersen, Director of Planning Alan R. Zahradnik, Deputy General Manager/Bus Division Teri W. Mantony and General Manager Celia G. Kupersmith provided staff’s recommendation to authorize execution of an Agreement between the District and the Marin County Transit District (Marin Transit) for the provision of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) intercounty paratransit services, effective July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

The report stated that, in accordance with ADA requirements, the District has annually contracted intercounty paratransit services with Marin Transit for the past 15 years, utilizing local paratransit service contractor Whistlestop Wheels (Whistlestop). The District and the Marin Transit staffs have developed the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, which will continue the terms and conditions of the previous intercounty paratransit agreements and also will reflect the principles of the Agreement with Marin Transit for Marin Local Bus Service, which will remain in effect through June 30, 2017.

As background, Whistlestop provides a detailed line-item budget based on fixed and variable expenses, including projected hours, total miles, vehicle allocation, staff and passenger services. Applicable operating costs also include fuel expenses, radio service, as well as a combined one-time expense in the projected amount of $174,466, for the Paratransit Vehicle Procurement Match and the Marin Transit-sponsored Mobile Data Terminal Project. As stated in the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, the actual costs will be based upon actual project costs and formulas for cost sharing will be based on the latest vehicle mile information available at the time the expense is incurred.
The combined operating expenses reflected in the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, in the amount of $1,292,679, are 9.7 percent higher than similar expenses in the FY 07/08 Paratransit Agreement, including the cost–per-service-hour of $73.51, which is 7.4 percent higher. These increases are due to additional service hours, roll-over funding and an increase in fuel costs.

The report further stated that, under the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, all fare revenue, which is estimated to be $100,030 or a 7.7 percent farebox recovery, will be credited towards the combined operating expenses, resulting in a net deficit of $1,192,649. The adopted FY 08/09 Bus Transit Division Operating Budget includes $1,098,700 for the net intercounty paratransit operating expenses, as defined in the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement. During the term of the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, staff will monitor the actual expenses that have incurred and will recommend any necessary budget adjustments to the Board. A copy of the staff report is available in the Office of the District Secretary and on the District’s web site.

At the meeting, Celia Kupersmith briefly described the FY 08/09 Paratransit Agreement, noting that the District provides paratransit services in Marin County, as required by law, and that the paratransit agreement serves as a complement to the Agreement with Marin Transit for Marin Local Bus Service. On a separate note, Ms. Kupersmith stated that District staff has already started the planning process for next year’s Muir Woods Shuttle Bus Demonstration Project, which service has been provided by the District for the last four years, and that the District will cooperate with the service’s transition from Marin County to Marin Transit responsibility.

Staff recommended and the Committee concurred by motion made and seconded by Directors COCHRAN/MOYLAN to forward the following recommendation to the Board of Directors for its consideration:

RECOMMENDATION

The Transportation Committee recommends that the Board of Directors authorizes execution of an Agreement between the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the Marin County Transit District for the provision of intercounty paratransit services, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, effective July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

Action by the Board – Resolution
NON-CONSENT CALENDAR

AYES (6): Chair Brown; Vice Chair Cochran; Directors McGlashan, Newhouse Segal and Sanders; President Moylan (Ex Officio)
NOES (0): None
ABSENT (3): Directors Grosboll, Kerns and Pahre

Monthly Report on Activities Related to Marin Local Service Contract with Marin County Transit District

The monthly report on activities related to the Marin Local Service contract with the Marin County Transit District (Marin Transit) was furnished to the Transportation Committee. The report included the following elements:

1. A spreadsheet from the Planning Department outlining GGT bus service performance of both District regional routes and Marin Transit local routes, providing statistics regarding riders per hour, revenue per hour, cost per hour, fare recovery and deficit per passenger for the two types of bus service, for the months of June 2008; and,
2. A spreadsheet from the Auditor-Controller outlining the history of payments made to date by Marin Transit to the District for intra-county bus transit services in Marin County, under the five-year Agreement for Marin Local Bus Service, which became effective on May 1, 2006.

Due to the high volume of agendas and minutes from Marin County agencies related to this item, hard copies of those items were not provided to the Committee. Instead, electronic versions of the following items were posted on the District’s web site:

Copies of all of the above-listed items are available in the Office of the District Secretary and on the District’s web site.

At the meeting, Ms. Kupersmith clarified a question from Director Cochran that ridership drops during the summer months because students are out of school.

Action by the Board – None Required

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

Adjournment

All business having been concluded, the meeting was adjourned at 9:55 a.m.