STAR has developed a proposal for a regional transit development agency. This is not “Sacramento Regional Transit” which operates solely with a portion of Sacramento County, but regional in the sense of our region. The region includes Sacramento and Yolo counties, probably Placer county, and perhaps El Dorado, Yuba and Sutter counties. These six counties constitute the SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments) six county area, and it makes some sense to have the same boundaries. We are not proposing that SACOG be that agency, but it could be as some MPOs (Municipal Planning Organizations) serve as a transit agency.

Our two page proposal (an abbreviated version of our entire idea) is included in the post below and also available as a pdf.

To summarize the summary:

• the agency would receive dedicated sales tax funding
• funding would be used to encourage or develop regionally oriented projects and to fill gaps where the local agencies cannot provide service
• the agency would ensure integration of the transit agencies on fare, transfers, and connections, but would not replace any existing transit agencies
• the agency would ensure that service is being provided in an equitable manner to vulnerable communities and populations
• the agency would review land use decisions of the cities and counties to encourage transit-friendly development, but would not have land use authority

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Proposal for a Regional Transit Agency and Funding

With the failure of Measure B, there is an opportunity to evaluate what our region really needs in the way of transit development and funding. Population and employment are up, but transit ridership is declining. The present structure and funding are not doing the job.

Regional Transit Agency

The transit agencies we have are not meeting regional needs. Employment and residential centers are dispersed throughout the region, and the region is unified by a single economy. To achieve mobility and air quality goals, transit in Yolo, Placer, and possibly other counties must be integrated with transit serving Sacramento County. A new transit development agency serving as a coordination and funding umbrella for the region is needed. There are successful models in San Diego, Seattle, Europe, and other places.

The regional agency will:

• Connect all transit systems through coordinated scheduling and integrated fare payment.
• Make powerful investments that can effectively address declining ridership throughout the systems .
• Streamline services and fares to vulnerable populations/communities.

One System – Coordinated Operation by Multiple Transit Agencies

• The regional agency will identify, fund, and build routes of regional significance.
• The regional agency will set ridership goals for agencies and the region and provide accountability for meeting those goals. Transit should be developed to achieve the highest ridership possible for a given public investment.
• From the customer’s point of view, it would be one overall comprehensive system with a unified regional fare structure and  unified fare collection, information and marketing systems – but with service delivered through multiple operators. Existing transit agencies will continue to operate transit, and will provide much of the funding for operations and maintenance through existing or additional funding sources.

Funding (The Carrot)

• The regional agency will incentivize transit agencies to meet ridership goals, to innovate, and to operate systems of regional significance – and their connecting local services – by providing targeted funding. The result will be better and coordinated decisions and better transit projects throughout the region.
• Nothing less than a permanent ½ cent sales tax or equivalent for development and support of public transportation in the region is acceptable.
• The agency will work with SACOG, counties, cities and transit agencies to develop a comprehensive and specific plan.
• The regional agency will fund maintenance and operations for services of regional significance, not provided by local agencies.

Ridership

Transit ridership will be the primary measure of success for the regional transit agency. Increased ridership will result in: reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT), reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of personal vehicle use, fewer trips and shorter trip lengths, increased employment, education, social and cultural opportunities for all members of the community, better air quality, livable and walkable communities, correction of past disinvestment in communities of color and low-income, and increased effectiveness of transportation expenditures. Ambitious, specific goals are necessary.

Transit ridership can be measured in trips per capita or passenger mileage per capita. A possible goal is an increase in ridership of 50% over current levels in five years, and a doubling of ridership in ten years. The achievement of such ambitious goals requires that all transportation expenditures and planning efforts in the region support this goal.

Linking Transit with Land Use and Transportation Decision Making

The linkages between transit, land use planning, and affordable housing are critical, as none of these concerns may succeed without integration of the others. Therefore, the regional transit agency will be given the power to review projects and actions within the region, counties, cities and transit agencies in order to ensure that transit receives consideration in all major decisions. The agency will not have land use planning authority, but all governmental entities will be required to address the regional transit agency’s comments in their projects and funding decisions.

The over-arching goal for all government actions must be to increase transit ridership consistent with goals in S.B. 375 and related state legislation, the regional Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), and the circulation elements of general plans.

Specifically, the actions, projects and funding that shall be reviewed include:

1. Location of state offices: The location of state workers in state office buildings (whether owned or leased) can either support or detract from successful transit. All state office buildings with 50 or more employees must be located in consideration of effective transit service. State agencies must offer the same or better benefits to workers using transit (and walking and bicycling) as driving.
2. State, regional, and local funding of transportation projects: All projects over $2M must be reviewed for their impact on transit. Funding of projects benefiting private motor vehicles, particularly single occupancy vehicles, can decrease the efficiency of transit. All transportation expenditures must either support or be neutral to transit, and must support achievement of the goals in the Sustainable Communities Strategy. Listing of a project in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan will not be taken as evidence that the project supports the SCS.
3. Parking polices: Free and under-market-value parking detracts from transit by encouraging private vehicles use and thereby congestion, and generates a demand for on-street parking that may affect decisions to re-allocate roadway space to transit. The agency will recommend modification of any parking policies which negatively impact transit, whether on-street, surface lots, or parking garages.
4. Greenfield development: All greenfield development projects with a value of $20M or more, submitted to counties and cities, will be reviewed to determine if effective transit can be provided to the new development. Where it cannot, the agency will recommend denial of the application.
5. Complete streets: All complete streets or repaving projects over $2M, submitted for state, region, or county funding, will be reviewed to determine compliance with the concepts and solutions provided by the NACTO Transit Streets Design Guide. The agency will recommend denial of any project that does not consider transit streets.
6. General plans: All county and city general plans will be reviewed to ensure that policies and projections support transit and regional ridership goals.

• general