Title
Adopt a Resolution to Authorize the City Manager to Approve an Application for Alameda County Transportation Commission Administered Funding for the San Leandro LINKS Shuttle Program, Commit any Necessary Matching Funds, and State Assurances to Complete the Project
Staffreport
SUMMARY
This action will authorize the City Manager to file a grant application to the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) 2026 Comprehensive Investment Program (CIP) requesting $386,000 in grant funding for the shuttle operations phase of the San Leandro LINKS Shuttle Program. This is the first year that Alameda CTC is requesting resolutions from applicant jurisdictions like San Leandro. Previously, the City applied administratively.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends approval of the resolution and authorization for the City Manager to file a grant application to the Alameda CTC 2026 CIP for the San Leandro LINKS Shuttle Program.
BACKGROUND
In 2000, the City of San Leandro evaluated the feasibility of implementing a commuter shuttle service connecting west San Leandro employment sites with the San Leandro BART station. Based on the results of that study, the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO), a 501(c)4 non-profit corporation, and a Business Improvement District (BID) were formed to provide management and funding for the LINKS Shuttle program.
The LINKS Shuttle provides critical “first and last mile” connection between the San Leandro BART station to the industrial area west of I-880 and Marina Blvd., a major employment center of the City and the region. There are over 800 businesses and almost 15,000 employees in the LINKS service area. LINKS also provides transportation to commercial nodes including Marina Square Shopping Center and community services such as Davis Street Family Resource Center which serves 10,000 low-income people each year. LINKS operates Monday - Friday during peak commute hours (5:45 - 9:45 am and 3:00 - 7:00 pm).
Since 2016, the City of San Leandro has served as the applicant/sponsor for Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP) grants to help fund the LINKS Shuttle Program. As a non-profit corporation, the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO) that operates the LINKS Shuttle is not eligible as a direct recipient of Alameda CTC grants. Since 2016, the LINKS Shuttle Program has been awarded $1,988,000 in Alameda CTC programmed funds, which will assist operations of the shuttle through Fiscal Year 2027/2028.
The Alameda County Transportation Commission is responsible for planning, funding and delivering transportation projects and programs within Alameda County. Alameda CTC’s Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP) is the near-term strategic planning and programming document through which fund sources administered by Alameda CTC are programmed to maximize investments in transportation infrastructure and program operations needs that are essential for enhancing, developing and maintaining the county’s multi-modal transportation system.
The 2026 CIP recently released a call for projects for $100 million in combined Alameda CTC-administered discretionary local funding sources, including Measures B and BB (MB/MBB), Vehicle Registration Fee (VRF), and Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) for eligible capital projects and programs within Alameda County. Per the Alameda CTC 2026 CIP Program Guidelines, applicants may request up to a maximum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) for each project submitted for consideration.
Analysis
To apply and receive discretionary funding available from the Alameda CTC 2026 Comprehensive Investment Plan, the City Council must adopt a resolution of local support to submit concurrently with the CIP application.
Staff recommends submitting an application to the Alameda CTC 2026 CIP for shuttle operations of the San Leandro LINKS Shuttle Program in the amount of three-hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars ($386,000). This grant amount is determined based on applicable expenditures as included in the budget forecast for FY 2028-29 and FY 2029-30. The grant may not exceed 25% of the total budget. The requested grant amount is equal to 25% of the applicable budget for fiscal years 2028-29 and 2029-30.
Current Agency Policies
• Ordinance No. 2004-013, adopted June 21, 2004, amending Title 2 of the San Leandro Municipal Code to add a new Chapter 15 establishing the West San Leandro Business Improvement District
• Resolution No. 2004-153, adopted October 4, 2004, forming the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Advisory Board
• Ordinance No. 2004-021, adopted October 18, 2004, specifying the time and manner of collecting the West San Leandro Shuttle BID assessments
• Resolution No. 2008-130, adopted October 20, 2008, amending Resolution No. 2004-153, modifying the membership of the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Advisory Board
• Resolution No. 2009-014, adopted February 2, 2009, approving a Resolution of Intention to re-form the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District
• Ordinance No. 2009-002, adopted April 6, 2009, amending Title 2 of the San Leandro Municipal Code to add a new Chapter 15 re-establishing the West San Leandro Business Improvement District
• Resolution No. 2010-008 RDA, adopted September 20, 2010, the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Leandro 2010-2014 Implementation Plan. The West San Leandro-MacArthur Boulevard Project Area identifies the maintenance of LINKS as an Economic Development Priority Program.
• Ordinance No. 2014-023 re-establishing the West San Leandro Business Improvement District for a period of fifteen years.
Applicable General Plan Policies
Goal 15.03 of the General Plan specifically encourages the use of shuttle buses as a viable alternative to driving and Action 15.03-A urges continuation of public/private partnerships to provide shuttle services and the pursuit of grant funding opportunities for such activities.
Financial Impacts
There is no fiscal impact with this action. The Alameda CTC CIP grant application will request a funding amount of $386,000. As per the customary application process, the grantee is required to provide matching funds for the remaining 75% of the cost of shuttle operations, in the amount of $1,157,000 (approximately $775,000 per year). The majority of the costs of operating the LINKS Shuttle are funded by West San Leandro Business Improvement District assessments, which are from a per-employee charge on business licenses within the district. The remaining funding for the shuttle is generated by grants, including the Alameda CTC CIP grant, advertising revenue, interest revenue, and the City’s annually budgeted allocation towards LINKS.
While a gap in available funding for future fiscal years is currently shown, the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO) is actively working to close this gap through increased grants, assessments and revenues and decreased costs where possible. An increase in the City’s annual contribution may be considered as a part of future budget cycles to reflect increased costs and inflation that have occurred since the current City contribution amount was established in Fiscal Year 2018. This contribution has not been adjusted in the past seven fiscal years.
Estimated Revenue for Matching Funds:
|
SOURCE |
FY 2028-29 |
FY 2029-30 |
TOTAL |
|
REQUEST - 2026 CIP Revenue |
187,810 |
197,771 |
385,581 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
MATCHING REVENUE |
|
|
|
|
Bus. Imp. Dist. Assessments |
465,905 |
482,211 |
948,116 |
|
City of San Leandro Unadjusted Budget Allocation |
50,000 |
50,000 |
100,000 |
|
Other - Shuttle Services, Advertising |
6,000 |
6,000 |
12,000 |
|
Misc./Interest |
12,000 |
12,000 |
24,000 |
|
Funding TBD |
29,526 |
43,100 |
72,627 |
|
Sub-Total Matching Revenue |
563,431 |
593,312 |
1,156,743 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
751,242 |
791,082 |
1,542,324 |
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A: Resolution
PREPARED BY: Lars Halle, Economic Development Specialist I, Community Development Department