The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 02261991 - TC.1A To. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra /� FROM: �, o t a Transportation Committee Cbsta DATE: February 11 1991 County SUBJECT: Martinez Parking and Transit Improvement Project SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the attached resolution supporting an application by the City of Martinez to the California Transportation Commission, via Caltrans, for Proposition 116 Rail Bond funds for the Martinez Parking and Transit Improvement Project, and to direct the County Administrator and the Director of Community Development to report to the Board on other opportunities available to the County to support the City' s Parking and _ .Transit Improvement Project. FINANCIAL IMPACT None. There is no financial impact associated with endorsing the submission of an application of funds, or with identifying opportunities available to the County to support the project. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/BACKGROUND: Over the past several years, the County has taken a number of actions to address the parking needs of jurors, County employees and rail patrons. The results of the Joint Parking Study in 1987 undertaken in cooperation with the. City of Martinez and the Contra Costa Community College District clearly indicate that additional parking is needed to address the short and long term needs of the downtown area. In addition, the ACR 132 , Intercity Rail Corridor Upgrade Study recommends the development of a project "which would be available to intercity rail passengers as well as employees and customers in the greater downtown area. " (ACR 132 Report, page B-11) Supervisor Schroder represented the County on the study' s Policy Steering Committee. On March 20, 1990, the Board adopted resolution 90/167 supporting action by the Policy Steering Committee to increase rail service at the Martinez AMTRAK station. The Transportation Committee reviewed a report from the City of Martinez on the Parking and Transit Improvement Project (see Exhibit A) . Based on this information and past Board action, the Committee prepared the attached resolution supporting the city's project (see Exhibit B) and recommends its adoption by the Board. Orig.Dept: CDD-TP CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: XX RECOMMENDATION OF COU Y TRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE `ao" ",,,,.A //�/y� � SIGNATURE(S): Sc der Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD ON SUR Imi APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS +� 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT Ir .. ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: - OF SUPERVISORS ONTHE (�DATE SHOWN. I CC' City of Martinez ATTESTED, FEB 26 1991 Community Development PHIL BATCHELOR. CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382/7-83 BY K' a1L1aL ��• DEPUTY E X H I B I T A PARKING AND TRANSIT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION Downtown Martinez is home to a number of significant public use facilities. It is the seat of Contra Costa County including Superior Courts, the adminis- trative center of the Contra Costa Community College District, and the Martinez Train Station served by Amtrak interstate and San Joaquin trains as well as"Fun Trains" and Transciso Tour .trains to Reno and Truckee. One result of the location of these major activities in the downtown Martinez area are significant parking and transportation access problems. The increase in train service to Martinez as well as the anticipated level of court and other governmental uses has precipitated the City' s request to work with affected local and State entities to address these problems The ACR 132 Study indicates that there is a short term parking need at the train station of 125-175 spaces. For this analysis, short term is defined as the beginning of 12 train service in FY 1993/94. However, parking shortfalls could be experienced as soon as additional train service is introduced within _ the year. Long term needs for the station, keyed to year 2010 patronage estimates, include 300-425 additional spaces for a station parking deficiency of 425 to 600 spaces. In addition, parking needs for the downtown area, based on the parking study jointly undertaken by the City of Martinez, Contra Costa County and the Contra Costa Community College District in 1987, indicate the current parking need at 160 spaces and the long term need (year 1995) at 460 spaces, exclusive of any spaces for the station. As a result, the total short term parking need in the vicinity of the station ranges from 285 to 335 spaces. Long term needs range from 760 to 885 addit- ional spaces or a an unmet parking need of 1045 to 1220 spaces. The ACR 132 Study indicates that the "implementation of the intercity rail service should be coordinated with existing planning efforts being made by the City and County." (ACR 132, p.B-11) The report further recommends exploration of two alternatives to meet the parking demand. First, the development of additional parking facilities dedicated to rail passengers which would place the burden of additional parking on other than local entities. The second alternative is "participation in financing of other public facilities which would be available to intercity rail -passengers as well as employees and customers in the greater downtown area." It is anticipated that jurors are included in the definition of customers using the downtown and civic use area. The Parking and Transit Improvement Project is intended to the address parking and transportation access issues in the greater downtown area. In addition to additional parking, project alternatives will include improvements to the bus loading zone at the station. The current bus loading area is no longer sufficient to serve the increased_ number of busses accessing the station. Further, bus access and egress on local streets should be improved to elimi- nate current operational difficulties and to allow for a higher level of service in the future. Project alternatives may need to allow for the aggregation of existing parking facilities in order to accommodate an improved bus loading area , better pedestrian access and external passenger waiting areas as well as the installation of bicycle storage facilities and improved accessibility -features. Project Alternatives A number of project alternatives have been defined to begin the public participation discussion on alternatives to be analyzed in an environmental assessment. Alternatives currently include: 1) No project 2) TSM improvements 3) Structure parking options using publicly owned land on the south side of the Station 4) Surface parking on the north side of the Station. All but the "no project" alternative will include improvements to the bus access and loading areas, improved external passenger waiting areas, installa- tion of bicycle storage facilities, reallocation of existing parking spaces to support a full parking management program. Accessibility features for elderly and disabled persons will be analyzed to determine if improvements can be made. A secondary accessway from the Berrellesa crossing to the north will be included as will minor operational improvements to the Berrellesa crossing. Action Requested The City is seeking the cooperation of other affected local agencies as well as the State to begin to analyze possible solutions to the parking deficiency. Funding for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) , 1970, as amended, and subsequent project construction, as appropriate, is proposed. Funds will be sought from local sources as- well as Section 99622(c) of Proposition 116 approved by the voters in December 1990. The City intends to submit an application to Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission for Proposition 116 Rail Bond funding. In addition to requests for endorsement of the application, the City is seeking to establish financial partnerships. with other local agencies and organizations to support this request. Contributions may take the form of no cost use of land for project alternatives as well as dollars. Direct financial contribu- tions may be phased to meet the needs of the contributing entity. Partial contributions are being sought to support the environmental assessment process targeting to begin in FY 91/92. C:mtxprop