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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02061990 - 2.4 A ,-004 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS �� Contra FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator Costa 's DATE: February i 6 1990 -------- County Cep,' •CP sp , SUBJECT: COUNTY EMPLOYEE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND INCENTIVES SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: Direct the Community Development Director to seek funding for the TSM Program and incentives from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority under the Measure C funding allocated for TSM programs; and Direct the County Administrator to review within 90 days incentives, similar to those available to Walnut Creek City employees, with the County Employee TSM Committee seeking recommendations on those incentives which will be most effective and are feasible within funding limitations; Direct the Community Development Director to reconvene the County Employee TSM Committee to meet quarterly and to be comprised of the Department Heads, or their designees, from Sheriff, , Public Works, Auditor-Controller, Personnel, Social Service, General Services; representatives from the County Administrator' s Office and Risk Management; and, one representative from each County employee organization; Direct the Community Development Director, working with the Sheriff ' s Department, to administer the Employee Carpool Lot, located at Marina/Pine Streets, in strict compliance with Traffic Resolution No. 3179; Direct the Community Development Director to carry out a County Employee TSM marketing program, including presentations at Department Head meetings on private sector TSM programs; presentations to individual Department Heads and their managers focusing on TSM measures and alternatives for employees; TSM articles in the County employee newsletter; and development of brochures on both the County TSM Ordinance and the County Employee TSM Program;;, CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: (!-A� RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON February 6, 1990 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. cc: Each Department ATTESTED 1990 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382 (10/88) BY DEPUTY -2- Direct Department Heads to encourage implementation of TSM measures and participation in the Employee TSM survey to be conducted during March, 1990 by the Community Development Department; Direct Department Heads to support completion of the Employee Transportation Analysis being prepared by the Auditor-Controller' s staff; Direct the Community Development Director to: (1) prepare an analysis and target goals for each County building or complex based upon the criteria in the TSM Ordinance, ( 2) review with the County Employee TSM Committee the identified targets and actions proposed which will help Departments attain the targets, and ( 3 ) report back to the Board within 120 days on the TSM targets and specific actions recommended to attain the targets; Direct the Community Development Director to work with Tri Delta Transit on developing bus service from eastern Contra Costa County into downtown Martinez, including supporting Tri Delta Transit' s application to use Measure C funding for this service. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Replication of the Walnut Creek TSM incentive program is estimated to cost the County $970,000, assuming compliance with ordinance thresholds for 1991 . Of the $970,000, $935,000 consists of compensating time off for employees and $35,000 would be in other costs. BACKGROUND• On January 9, the Board of Supervisors requested that the County Administrator review the Walnut Creek Transportation Management System Incentive program and prepare a cost analysis of implementing the program for the County. In preparing the analysis, we reviewed the County TSM ordinance, the status of the County program and the plans to increase employee participation in reaching the TSM goals. What follows is a report developed jointly by the Administrator' s Office and the Community Development Department. Current Transportation System Management Program Currently 82 employees are involved in carpooling. Sixty nine of these employees carpool in private vehicles, with 64 in downtown Martinez and 5 in Walnut Creek. The remaining 13 employees use County vehicles to carpool. There is no data indicating the number of employees who utilize public transportation, bicycles or walk to work. For purposes of this study, the following assumptions were used: Total Authorized Full-time and and Part-time 6,039 positions January, 1990 (excludes Fire Districts, temporary and contract positions) Estimated number of employees involved if TSM 1,700 ordinance minimum goals are complied with in 1991 (assumes 35% of employees will be involved in alternative commuting from Central, South, and West County and 2-5o in East County; also, excludes shift workers at 24-hour institutions) . Average hourly cost for salary and benefits of $22 County employee in fiscal year 1989-90. The target of 1700 employees is a high estimate, since it does not exclude County employees who work in complexes occupied by less than 100 employees, as provided in the TSM ordinance. -3- Cost of Replicating the Walnut Creek Program The components of the Walnut Creek program are discussed below, with an estimate of the cost to replicate in the County. 1. TSM Leave Walnut Creek allows alternative commuters one-half hour per week "TSM Leave"., or a maximum of three days, per year of extra leave. Implementation of the County TSM ordinance at the 1991 standards would involve an estimated 1700 employees at 42,500 hours. These hours translate into a maximum cost of approximately $935,000 in 1990 dollars. These costs assume each person will work 50 weeks per year. 2. Monetary Incentive Walnut Creek is planning to have a weekly or bi-weekly TSM lottery with the winner receiving $25 per day for every day they have used a commute alternative. Assuming 50 weeks per year, with the Christmas holidays excluded, the County' s cost would be a maximum of $6,250. 3 . Emergency Transportation Walnut Creek is planning to assure employees who do not have their vehicle at work that the City will provide necessary transportation to deal with a personal emergency. This program element provides for the employee with a City vehicle, or allows and reimburses another employee to drive them to their destination. Currently, there are 500 County passenger and van vehicles, of which 30 are pool vehicles and 470 are assigned to Departments or individuals. These vehicles are distributed to all areas of the County. General Services reports that the availability of pool vehicles in downtown Martinez is good, except for the summer months, but availability of the other vehicles in the various locations is not known. Assuming one emergency per year for half the persons involved in alternative commuting would cost $11, 900 for County vehicles, based on a four hour trip. Alternatively, the estimated cost for private vehicle reimbursement would be $6,100, assuming a 30 mile round trip. Assuming that both options of emergency transportation would be used equally, the cost for this component would be $9,000. 4. Subsidize Transit Passes Currently, Walnut Creek sells transit passes to employees at a $15 per month discount. Currently, the number of County employees using public transit for work is not known. However, assuming that 40 or 70 of the total alternative commuters will choose this option, the cost for a $15 subsidy per employee per year would amount to $12,600. The 4% assumption is based on the general public usage of public transit. 5. Walking and Bicycles The City of Walnut Creek defines employees who walk or bike to work as alternative commuters. As a result, these employees are entitled to all appropriate benefits listed above. Assuming that the County TSM ordinance includes those modes of travel, costing this component of the program would consist of the provision and installation of bicycle racks at appropriate locations at County facilities. General Services estimates a rack holding eight bicycles at $400. Assuming that 50 of the -4- employees or 85 will use this mode of transportation, approximately $3 ,600 will 'be needed to provide appropriate parking facilities. 6. Marketing Walnut Creek is planning to employ two approaches in marketing the program--first, designating management level coordinators in each Department to work with the TSM coordinator; second, meetings -with all City employees to explain the incentive. The cost of marketing the program in the County would be minimal. The new TSM coordinator has already developed plans to improve the education of employees about the County program. Recommended County Employee TSM Work Program At the present time, County funding is extremely limited for existing programs. Additionally, each group of employees differs in their preferences regarding incentives; what Walnut Creek City employees find attractive, may not serve effectively as TSM incentives for County employees. Moreover, as part of Measure C funding, approximately $250,000 per year is available for grants expressly for TSM program. This money is in addition to the $10 million specifically targeted for transit operations. Given the uncertainty over the types of incentives that will be effective with County employees and the possible availability of Measure C funding for TSM programs, the recommendations allow for specific information on incentives to be obtained through a County Employee TSM survey and for a review of incentives by the County Employee TSM Committee. At the time these actions have been completed, specific incentives will be presented . to the Board in May, 1990, along with the funding proposals. Presently, the Auditor-Controller' s staff is preparing the Employee Transportation Analysis for those Departments located in downtown Martinez. The Employee Transportation Analysis identifies employees by zip code/city within each department. The Analysis is used to link employees interested in forming carpools or vanpools. It is a critical tool as we proceed to work directly with each County Department Head and his/her managers and employees in meeting the TSM targets set in the County TSM Ordinance. Preparation of the information requires input of the addresses of employees by payroll clerks in each department. Thus, the support of Department Heads is important. Community Development staff is preparing the Employee TSM survey for distribution in late February, 1990. The survey provides the database for determining current commute modes and alternative work schedules to measure compliance with the TSM Ordinance. The survey, also, may be used to help identify preferences for incentives. Additionally, the survey creates awareness of the County' s TSM Program among all County employees. Support from Department Heads and managers will assist in obtaining a higher response rate on the survey and, thus, more accurate data. A major effort in marketing TSM among Department Heads, managers, employee organizations, and individual employees is critical for attaining higher TSM goals. Presentations by private businesses operating under . the County' s TSM Ordinances are being scheduled for the April, 1990 Department Heads ' meeting. Following this, work with each department will begin to focus on specific TSM targets and issues relevant to each department and each set of employees. Brochures are expected to be available by mid-April and will outline: ( 1 ) the County' s TSM Ordinances, ( 2) assistance available from the Community Development Department in developing TSM programs, carpools or in using available Park'n'Ride lots or transit services, and ( 3) identifying existing mass transit/bus services available. we Information prepared by Community Development Department staff, along with activities, fostered through the County Employee TSM Committee will be used to create awareness and to attain TSM goals as specified in the ordinance. As part of the TSM marketing program, information on bus/transit services will be included in addition to the current services provided by County Connection and the BART Express, development of the Tri Delta Transit services for East County will be marketed to the 270 County employees living in East County and working in Martinez. Support for Measure C for Tri Delta Transit' s proposal will help establish this bus service. While the TSM Ordinance specifies that in the first year, a 20% reduction in single-occupancy-vehicle use is to be attained, the County has not reached ' this goal.' The recommendations contained in this report are intended to renew participation of all departments in developing activities which will increase carpooling, vanpooling, use of public transit, and alternative work schedules among employees. These are the actions necessary to attain the ultimate goal of a 350 reduction in single-occupant-vehicle use or to attain the alternate goal of a 45% reduction in employees commuting during peak hours.