To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Public Hearing
SUBJECT:
title
Unmet Transportation Needs Public Hearing for FY 2020-21
end
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Open a public hearing, receive the staff report and allow the public to comment on transit needs in the unincorporated areas of the county;
2. Close the public hearing; and
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to forward an Action Summary of the meeting to the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) for inclusion in their hearing.
Recommendation
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
N/A
DISCUSSION:
In a letter dated August 23, 2019, HCAOG is requesting that the public hearings for fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 be conducted and completed by the end of October 2019. This will provide Local Transportation Fund (LTF) claimants enough time to evaluate potential unmet needs findings and consider any additional allocations in the new fiscal year’s budget proposal.
The HCAOG synopsis provides that unmet transit needs are, at a minimum, trips requested from residents who do not have access to public transportation, specialized transportation, or private transport services or resources for the purpose of traveling to medical care, shopping, social/recreational activities, education/training, and employment, or proposed public transportation, specialized transportation, or private transport services that are identified in the following (but not limited to): a Transportation Development Plan, Regional Transportation Plan, and/or Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan. The HCAOG Transportation Development Act (TDA) Rules stipulate that, for this process, unmet transit needs do not include: (1) improvements funded or scheduled for implementation in the next fiscal year; (2) minor operational improvements or changes such as bus stops, schedules, and minor route changes; (3) trips for purposes outside of Humboldt County; (4) trips for primary or secondary school transportation; and (5) sidewalk improvements or street and road needs.
The synopsis provides the following criteria on what is reasonable to meet: (1) an unmet need shall not be determined by comparing unmet transit needs with the need for streets and roads, or for the sole reason that there is a lack of available resources to fully meet the identified need; (2) new, expanded, or revised transit service that has not met performance standards in the first two full years of operation can be subject to termination is determined as being unreasonable to meet; (3) the transit operator (Transportation Development Act - TDA claimant) is expected to provide a new, expanded, or revised transit service indicates that it is operationally feasible; and (4) an unmet transit need may be determined to be unreasonable to meet if time constraints make it infeasible to begin service within the coming fiscal year, or if more information is needed to determine whether the unmet transit need is reasonable to meet.
The HCAOG, as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency, is required to make the finding that there are no unmet transit needs that are reasonable to meet prior to approving fund claims for street and road purposes. This process is required by the TDA-Local Transportation Fund (LTF).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the General Fund. LTF, nevertheless, is allocated following a priority funding order namely: (1) TDA Administration; (2) Planning & Programming; (3) Pedestrian & Bicycle Facilities; (4) Community Transit Service Agency; (5) Public Transit; and (6) Miscellaneous Allocations which include local streets and roads, entities contracted to provide public transportation services, facilities exclusively for bicycles and pedestrians, and multimodal transportation terminal.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
HCAOG
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose to not grant a public hearing for unmet transit needs. This is action is not recommended because an “unmet transit needs” assessment is required and the HCAOG Board makes its findings based on the result of testimony received prior to the allocation of any TDA funds.
ATTACHMENTS:
HCAOG Letter: FY 2020-21 Unmet Transit Needs Cycle; Request for County of Humboldt Public Hearing Date
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: J-1
Meeting of: 10-23-18
File No.: 18-1208