For City Council Meeting [June 11, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Interim City Administrator
FROM: Robert G. Eisenbeisz, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Request City Council to Approve the Passenger Amenity Program Agreement with Omnitrans for Bus Stop Facilities in the City of Rialto.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Omnitrans, a California Joint Powers Authority (Omnitrans), provides public mass transportation within San Bernardino County. Established in 1976, Omnitrans includes 15 cities and portions of the unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. The City of Rialto is a member of the joint powers authority. Omnitrans administers programs to install and maintain bus shelters and other passenger amenities in cities. The partners recognize that upgraded, well-maintained bus stops and amenities benefit City residents, City's business community, and transit riders region-wide.
There are 139 bus stop facilities within the City of Rialto as shown on the map and listed in the Agreement within Exhibits B and C. The City owns and maintains nine of the 139 bus stops in Rialto. The nine City-owned bus stops are located along the Riverside Avenue corridor.
On June 27, 2018, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) received a presentation from Omnitrans regarding the bus stop amenities agreement. Based on the discussion with the EDC, the agreement reflects in-kind contribution costs by the city to the bus stop program in exchange for waiving the plan check and inspection services fees. Additionally, the EDC instructed staff to include a development condition to require the installation of premium shelters at Rialto’s bus stops.
The scope of this agreement includes the following highlights:
• Omnitrans will provide bus stop facilities within boundaries of the City, and receive all revenue, including advertising, from operation of the amenities.
• The City grants Omnitrans the right to administer and maintain the passenger amenities program at current and future bus stops throughout the City.
• The City and Omnitrans will coordinate on the placement of bus stop facilities based on ’Omnitrans Transit Design Guidelines (2013) <http://design.omnitrans.org/>, <http://www.omnitrans.org/news-and-resources/plans-reports-and-guidelines/files/Omnitrans-Transit-Design-Guidelines.pdf>, ridership, funding availability site constraints and other determined needs.
• Omnitrans will collaborate with the City to pursue funding whenever possible for installation of concrete improvements or accessibility improvements needed for installing facilities at bus stops.
• At a minimum, the City may use two (2) advertising panels within the City’s boundaries for public service announcements.
• The City will provide plan check and inspection services at no cost to Omnitrans, documenting the cost of these services as in-kind contributions toward the bus stop program. Staff estimates a cost of approximately $4,000 in staff time as in-kind contributions for each shelter. City staff will track these in-kind contributions on a continual basis.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
On August 28, 2018, the City Council approved the Passenger Amenity Program Agreement with Omnitrans for Bus Stop Facilities in the City of Rialto. Subsequently, Omnitrans desired to revise the agreement to reflect their updated advertising policy language including the following:
“All advertisements installed on the Amenities will comply with the Omnitrans Advertising Policy and Content Guidelines, as may be updated from time to time (“Advertising Policy”), and of which a copy has been provided to City and is available on file with Omnitrans or online at <http://www.omnitrans.org/about/pdf/Omnitrans_System_Advertising_Policy.pdf>.”
The Omnitrans Advertising Policy is included as Attachment 1.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The administrative process to annex properties into a Special District is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3 in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Encouraging Rail and Bus Ridership
Goal 4-6: Provide for all residents and businesses to have equal access to reliable and convenient public transit services.
Policy 4-6.1: Support the establishment of an east-west Bus Rapid Transit line through the Valley along on Foothill Boulevard.
Policy 4-6.2: Establish new bus turnouts along appropriate arterials based on and in coordination with local and regional transit providers’ master plan of stops.
Policy 4-6.3: Require major developments to include bus turnouts, bus shelters, and other transit facilities as appropriate.
Policy 4-6.4: Encourage accessible, flexible, and efficient public transit to all major activity areas in the Inland Empire.
Policy 4-6.5: Encourage clean, lighted, and convenient bus shelters and transit stops that are within walking distance of major activity areas and residential neighborhoods and along arterial roadways.
Policy 4-6.6: Provide reliable and convenient paratransit services and other transportation service for individuals with disabilities and seniors who are unable to use fixed-route transportation systems.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved this staff report and agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
Omnitrans is solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bus stops owned by the transit agency. As part of its efforts to recoup costs, the transit agency sells advertising at some locations within the City. Omnitrans supplements advertising revenue with other sources of income.
Annual maintenance of the nine bus stop facilities owned by Rialto uses City forces, which is currently budgeted in the programs of the maintenance division in Public Works. The agreement waives plan checking and inspection fees normally charged for plan review and inspection services. The estimated in-kind contribution of waived fees is approximately $4,000 per bus shelter installation as noted in the agreement.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no project in the City’s current capital improvement program budgeted for bus stop facility installation.
Licensing
This action does not require a business license.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Passenger Amenity Program Agreement with Omnitrans for Bus Stop Operations and Maintenance in the City of Rialto.