HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-04-17; First-Last Mile Transportation Services Pilot Program; |Fountain, Debbie | Barberio, Gary|/, To the .members-of the:
Cl1Y COUNCIL
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April 17, 2019
Council Memorandum
. To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
{cityof
Carlsbad ·
From:
Via:
Debbie Fountain, Community & Economic Development Director
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager A}
Elaine Lu key, Chief Operations Officerzvr-
Re: First-Last Mile Transportation Services Pilot Program
Background:
There has been significant growth in the city's industrial core surrounding Palomar McClellan
Airport in the past few years. In 2018 alone, there was nearly 1 million net square feet of office
and industrial space leased in Carlsbad. Many of the city's largest tech employers like Viasat,
Thermo Fisher Scientific and lonis Pharmaceuticals have all undergone employment growth
and/or physical expansions on their sites. As jobs continue to be generated in Carlsbad, the ·
employment base often comes from outside the city's limits. Based on 2015 data,
approximately 85 percent of people who work in Carlsbad commute in from outside the city.
During this time of growth, the city's Economic Development and Transportation Divisions have
had conversations with businesses about encouraging transit commuting to Carlsbad and all of
them ci_te the same problem: there isn't a way to efficiently get from the train station into the
city's business parks. This is a common dilemma in many cities and a major deterrent to
choosing transit, known as the first/last mile problem. Without an efficient, fast, and reliable
way to get to and from majo,r transit lines (trains, bus, rapid transit, light rail) to the door of
one's home or office, that major transit line becomes an unlikely transportation option.
No city or employer can compel an entire workforce to live in a particular area. Employees
choose where to live based on a number of factors like cost of living, access to schools,
ambiance and sense of community. Through business retention visits, economic development
staff have heard that companies have lost existing talent due to the commute, have had a
harder time convincing talent located south to work in north county, and have talent willing to
take transit if connections were more seamless. Anticipating the rollout of the Transportation
· Demand Management Program throughout the city, Economic Development Division staff felt it
could support the business community in their talent attraction and retention efforts by trying
to remove barriers that hinder alternative transportation options for t_hose commuting daily
into Carlsbad.
Community & Economic Development Department
Economic Development Division 1635 Faraday Ave. I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2732 t
;.
Memo ID #2019033
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
April 17, 2019
Page 2
Program Summary
In cooperation with SANDAG's iCommute program, nine Carlsbad employers (including the City
of Carlsbad) have had employee surveys completed between 2016-18. Of those employers, 852
employees said they would be interested in transit. Based on this data, employer interviews
and the continued development of new industrial and commercial space in the city, Economic
Development Division staff wanted to test the viability of a market for new transit riders if a
first/last mile solution could move workers more efficiently from the COASTER to the city's
business parks.
On Oct. 5, 2018, the Economic Development Division released a Request for Proposals for a
First/Last Mile Transportation Services pilot program from at least the Poinsettia Train Station
to job sites within the city's core industrial area. While waiting to receive proposals, staff was
contacted by SAN DAG and NCTD with interest in partnering in the pilot program. NCTD was
looking to have SAN DAG execute a number of microtransit pilot projects throughout north
county on their behalf. One of the pilot projects was for first/last mile services from the
· Poinsettia Train Station. The city received a total of four proposals. City staff and NCTD's chief
operations officer reviewed the proposals and requested interviews from three of the vendors.
Two of the vendors provided services through shuttles; one vendor was a transportation
network company (TNC) also known as a rideshare company.
After interviewing the three top vendors, one shuttle vendor withdrew their name from
consideration. The evaluation team determined that for a pilot project of this magnitude to be
successful, and to change behaviors of commuters, the service needed to be a highly visible
service. Thus, the evaluation team preferred the shuttle provider, which uses app-based
technology that allows riders to book, pay for and track their shuttle ride. The shuttle also
provides more flexibility, ADA compliance and greater customer service.
The basic elements of the service include:
• A focus on peak commuting hours, with the possibility for mid-day, off peak service for
short trips throughout the city that could also serve the tourist market.
• The system creates virtual stops that drop off riders within a 5 min. walk from their
ultimate destination.
• Shuttles are equipped with wifi and have the ability to hold bike racks. One shuttle will
be fully ADA compatible.
• Customers without access to smart phones may call in to reserve rides.
• Customers can pay through the app
• Costs to individual riders for the service are yet to be determined; final fare structure
will be determined once the pilot project budget analysis is complete.
l , Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
April 17, 2019
Page 3
In discussion with NCTD and SANDAG, the pilot should run between 6-12 months, to provide
adequate time for people to find out about the service, try it and change commuting patterns.
Staff from ~II three agencies are also evaluating service from the Oceanside Transit Center and
the Carlsbad Village Train Station. Fare structure is being considered in order to align with
existing NCTD fares so that the service does not compete from a cost perspective with existing
services. Marketing efforts are being explored through cooperation among all three agencies
and in consultation with the city's Communications Department.
Financing
As of Jan. 1, 2019, SANDAG and NCTD entered into an MOU whereby SAN DAG is executing
microtransit projects throughout north county. A portion of that entire budget will be put
toward this pilot effort. The Community & Economic Development Department has sufficient
funds in their approved FY18-19 budget for the city's portion of the pilot project.
Next Steps
The city is leading negotiations with the preferred vendor. City staff from the Economic
Development Division will be the project manager for the pilot. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) among the City of Carlsbad, NCTD and SAN DAG will be proposed
together with the vendor contract and presented to City C~uncil for consideration. First, the
MOU will be executed administratively by SAN DAG and by the board of NCTD. Orice those
agencies approve the MOU, Economic Development Division staff will bring both the MOU and
the vendor contract to City Council in late May or June of this year, with service beginning in
late July or August.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Marshall Plantz, Transportation Director
Christie Marcella, Economic Development Manager