Title
Staff Report for a Resolution Approving $50,000 to Fund Downtown BART Parking Mitigation Measures
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The construction of The Cornerstone and San Leandro Tech Campus, while beneficial for the City in the long term, will have an approximately 18-month impact on BART parking. Over the past three months, efforts have been made to educate BART patrons on transportation and parking alternatives during the temporary closure of the BART surface parking lot on the East side of San Leandro Boulevard. To mitigate the impact on BART parkers who may choose to park in the Downtown parking garage, a pilot shuttle program is proposed. $50,000 in funding is recommended for the shuttle program and potential lighting improvement or other mitigation measures.
BACKGROUND
Following seven years of planning, construction of Phase I of both The Cornerstone and San Leandro Tech Campus (SLTC) is beginning in December 2014. These projects, being developed on two key opportunity sites, will bring the greater density envisioned in the City's award winning Transit-Oriented Development Strategy to the transit rich Downtown.
Phase I of The Cornerstone, constructed by BRIDGE Housing Corporation, is comprised of a 5-story building with 115 family affordable/workforce housing units over an underground parking garage. Phase I of SLTC, constructed by Westlake Urban, will be a 6-story, 132,000 square feet Class A office building and parking garage. The new office building will enable OSIsoft to expand and retain its world headquarters in San Leandro.
These projects together represent a $130 million investment in Downtown San Leandro and will bring more than 750 construction jobs. The Cornerstone is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2016. The SLTC is projected to complete construction in Summer 2016.
While both projects will move San Leandro forward toward its vision of a more vibrant Downtown with additional residents and office workers, over the next 18 months, construction of the projects will impact Downtown San Leandro BART parking. Specifically, The Cornerstone will be constructed on BART's surface parking lot on the East side of San Leandro Boulevard, displacing approximately 325 cars. The SLTC includes the vacation of Martinez Street which will displace 60 cars.
Once completed, The Cornerstone will provide 75% replacement parking on-site and the SLTC should provide over 400 public parking spaces. In the interim, City staff has identified alternative locations for parking. Over 300 spaces are available in Downtown San Leandro, many at the Downtown parking garage and some street spaces near BART. An outreach campaign was launched in September to educate BART parkers about alternative modes of transportation both to BART and San Francisco as well as alternative parking locations. The campaign also included outreach to residents who live near BART to inform them of the potential impact.
At the December 1, 2014 City Council meeting, mitigation measures, such as an evening Shuttle or escorts between BART and the Downtown parking garage and improvements to lighting, were presented for discussion.
Analysis
Based on BART's experience at both the Fruitvale and MacArthur stations where similar projects have been developed that temporarily displaced BART parking, BART believes that some patrons, likely those that don't live in San Leandro, may choose to park at another station. There is currently excess capacity at the Oakland Coliseum station. However, the inconvenience to some BART patrons is unavoidable.
The majority of the alternative parking spaces are an approximately 10-minute walk to BART. Concerns have been expressed regarding pedestrian safety when it is dark outside. Staff researched the possibility of shuttle or escort services during the evening hours as well as improvements to lighting on Davis Street. A summary of these alternatives which were presented at the December 1, 2014 Council meeting follows:
Shuttle BART station to Downtown garage
Weekdays 5pm to 8pm; one shuttle
Cost: ~$4,000/month
Escorts BART station to Downtown garage
Weekdays 5pm to 8pm; two ambassadors
Cost: ~$5,000/month
Enhanced Davis St lighting
79 overhead lights
Cost: ~$75,000 one-time plus increased utility charges
City staff recommends implementation of a free three-month pilot shuttle program to start on January 5 and run through March 2015. The San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO) has indicated that they are able to provide this service through their contract transportation provider. Staff will develop outreach materials to inform the public of the parking opportunities at the Downtown parking garage and availability of shuttle service. Staff will also look for funding partners. An update on the BART parking situation will be scheduled for the March 16, 2015 City Council meeting.
City staff recommends Council approval of $50,000 in funding for the shuttle program (pilot and possible extension) and potential lighting improvements or other mitigation measures.
Fiscal Impacts & Budget Authority
This General Fund program will cost up to $50,000. The City Manager's Contingency Fund (Account 010-14-015) in the FY 2014-15 Budget is to be increased by $50,000 to be funded from the Economic Uncertainty Reserve.
PREPARED BY: Cynthia Battenberg, Community Development Director