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PTAC Minutes 12/19/2017 MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC TRANSIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING December 19, 2017 Naples, Florida, LET IT BE REMEMBERED, the Public Transit Advisory Committee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 3:15 P.M. in REGULAR SESSION at Administrative Building "F", Suite 501, Collier County Government Complex Naples, Florida with the following members present: Chairman: Mr. John DiMarco, II Vice Chairman: Mr. Arthur Dobberstein Mr. Dylan Michael Vogel Mr. Richard Duggan ALSO PRESENT: Ms. Michelle Arnold, Director, Public Transit and Neighborhood Enhancement Mr. Omar De Leon, Senior Planner, Public Transit and Neighborhood Enhancement Ms. Michele Mosca, AICP, Principal Planner, Transportation Planning Staff Page 1 Call to Order Chairman DiMarco called the meeting to order at 3:15 p.m. II. Roll Call Roll call was taken and a quorum was established. III. Approval of Agenda Mr. Duggan entered a motion to approve the December 19, 2017 meeting agenda. Mr. Dobberstein seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion was carried unanimously. IV. Approval of Minutes October 17, 2017 meeting minutes Mr. DiMarco entered a motion to approve the October 17, 2017 meeting minutes. Mr. Duggan seconded the motion. All were in favor. The motion was carried unanimously. V. Committee Action VI. Reports and Presentations a. Transportation Elements Policies Ms. Arnold introduced Ms. Michele Mosca, Principal Planner, Transportation Planning Staff, to the Advisory Committee. Ms. Mosca had previously requested input from the Advisory Committee with regard to the comprehensive planning process being undertaken to the Transportation Elements Policies. Ms. Mosca reported that there are presently four study areas ongoing throughout the county, with the community planning staff addressing transportation issues in these different areas. Ms. Mosca shared a draft copy of the multi-modal policies with the committee, which showed existing transporation policies, elements previously reviewed by the Advisory Committee, as well as new multi-modal policies which have recently been added. The final draft will undergo internal staff review, public review, as well as additional review by the Advisory Committee. A request for recommendation will be made of the County Attorney's office with regard to the use of the verbiage "will"versus "shall" within the policies document, and Ms. Mosca will share this recommendation with the Advisory Committee. Ms. Mosca stated her objective was to incorporate multi-modal policies into the draft, as well as to streamline the elements by combining like elements under a single objective, resulting in five total objectives on the present draft. A discussion of the elements of the draft ensued, as follows: Existing Policies: Policy 1.1.12: Mr. Dobberstein requested clarification with regard to the verbiage, "shoulder sufficient for pull offs" and whether this included a bus shelter, or just an area for the bus to pull into, off of the main roadway. Page 2 Per Ms. Arnold, this verbiage does not typically include a bus shelter,but refers to an area for the bus to pull into, out of the flow of traffic,providing a safety element as well. Unofficial pull off areas exist throughout the county at the beginning of turn lanes, to allow for motor vehicles to go around the stopped bus. Ms. Arnold suggested adding"bus stops and shelters"prior to "shoulder sufficient for pull offs"verbiage. Mr. De Leon clarified that having a shelter at a bus stop does not ensure ADA compliance. Policy 1.1.3.3: Mr. Dobberstein pointed out that no mention of sidewalk interconnectivity with the bus stop is made. Ms. Mosca stated that this particular policy is making reference to the Comprehensive Pathways Plan with regard to pedestrians and bicyclists,to ensure a continuous pathway, with no gaps. Ms. Mosca stated that transit related verbiage is included elsewhere in the document, specificially Policy 2.1.1.1. Mr. Dobberstein recommended that in each instance throughout the document in which connectivity for pedestrians and/or bicyclists is mentioned,that connectivity to bus stops, shelters, and turnouts be included as well, if applicable. It was also pointed out that a recent change was made to the name of the Comprehensive Pathways Plan, expected to be adopted in June 2018,which will be"Comprehensive Pathways Plan—Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan." Policy 1.1.5.3 Per Ms. Mosca,just as a Traffic Impact Statement(TIS) is required to be submitted with all development proposals, a Mobility Analysis requirement is being suggested as well, the criteria of which has yet to be determined. Policy 2.1.1 Mr. Dobberstein requested clarification of the intent of this policy. Ms. Mosca stated that for the purposes of evaluating the viability of a rapid transit corridor for High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) and/or buses, it is important for an existing policy to be in place. Policy 2.1.1.2 Mr. Dobberstein suggested that the verbiage"public transit"be added to this policy to encourage employers to assist with the reduction of motor vehicles on the road. Ms. Arnold was in agreement with this suggestion and mentioned that a corporate discount incentive is presently offered to employers who meet specific parameters with regard to number of employees. Policies 2.1.1.3/2.1.3.2 Mr. Dobberstein recommended more detailed verbiage regarding the improvement of services for the transportation disadvantaged. Ms. Mosca stated that policies are sometimes written generally,with more specific language entered later under Land Development Code guidance. Ms. Arnold pointed out the necessity for shared responsibility with developers in servicing the needs of specific communities by developers providing an appropriate number of vehicles and qualified drivers for that community's use. Page 3 Policy 3.1.1.5 (b) Residential developments Ms. Arnold suggested the verbiage be modified to state "providing transit shelters or amenities within and/or adjacent to the development", as buses are prohibited from entering a housing development. Further discussion was had regarding DOT modification of guardrails to allow for bus stop access, such as adjacent to Isles of Capri, as well as at Airport Road/Vanderbilt Road. Policy 3.1.1.5 (c), (g) Commercial developments Discussion was had with regard to developers/employers offering specific incentives for public transit ridership. Ms. Arnold favored the use of general language, stating specific language regarding bus passes would be limiting with regard to other potential incentives which may also be considered. Policy 3.1.3 Mr. Dobberstein questioned whether"transit" should be added to the verbiage of this policy. Ms. Mosca clarified that this policy is existing language specific to the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program(NTMP), detailing what is allowable with regard to traffic in certain areas. Ms. Arnold suggested that a separate policy be drafted specifically with regard to transit as a means for potential reduction of traffic congestion. Under this topic, Mr. Dobberstein questioned whether the term "transit shelter" should be used throughout the document, as opposed to "transit stop." Ms. Arnold pointed out that the school district does not provide bus shelters; therefore, there should be no public confusion as to the verbiage used. It was the general consensus of the Advisory Committee to use the term"transit stop"throughout the document. New Policies Proposed: Policies 1.1.2 / 1.1.2.1 Mr. Dobberstein recommended the policy be rewritten to include paratransit services. Ms. Arnold suggested the verbiage be modified to "Prioritize funding of improvements that increase the availability,frequency, duration and reliability of public transit services within the County." Policy 1.1.3.1 Mr. Dobberstein questioned whether canals and waterways should be included in the verbiage as a means of multi-modal transporation. Ms. Mosca will investigate the feasibility of the inclusion of this language. Policies 3.1.3.4/5.1.3 Ms. Mosca will consider expansion of the language to address issues related to neighborhood through traffic. Ms. Mosca stated she will likely be adding policies as a result of the ongoing studies being conducted throughout the county. Page 4 b. CAT Performance Measures Mr. De Leon reviewed the 2017 Ridership Performance Measures report. While some months reflected steady performance in comparison to the previous year, other months reflected a decline in ridership. Specifically, September ridership was significantly lower following Hurricane Irma, with regular service suspended almost one week, coupled with community and work related challenges. Various agencies are conducting studies to determine the causes for the reduction in ridership, as well as ways to mitigate the decline. Mr. Dobberstein suggested perhaps ride sharing services such as Lyft and Uber have contributed to the decline in transit ridership. Mr. De Leon stated that obtaining local data tracking is difficult within these organizations, as only large scale useage data has been made available. It was felt this could be part of the conversation with Uber and Lyft representatives at a future Advisory Committee meeting. Ms. Arnold felt a potential partnership with the ride sharing services may be beneficial, both as a supplement to the fixed route service, as well as for paratransit services. In response to Mr. Vogel's inquiry as to how ride sharing services would be able to meet ADA requirements, Mr. De Leon replied that Uber has begun purchasing and providing ADA modified vehicles for their drivers. It was noted that a certificate of appreciation was presented by Ms. Arnold and Commissioner Taylor to Collier Area Transit after prompt restoration of service following the hurricane VII. Member Comments Mr. Dobberstein requested clarification with regard to the possibility for"door to door" bus service on Marco Island and the potential for cost sharing with the City of Marco Island with this program. Ms. Arnold stated that this concept is presently being explored further and that there has yet to be any discussion with the City of Marco on this topic at the present time. Mr. Dobberstein inquired as to whether representatives of Uber and Lyft are planned to be present at a future meeting. Mr. De Leon stated that preliminary inquires have been made to each organization to determine if a representative may attend a future Public Transit Advisory Committee meeting in the near future. Mr. Dobberstein requested clarification with regard to existing bus stops which may provide easy access to Lowes at the corner of U.S. 41 and Coller Boulevard. Mr. De Leon stated that buses do presently stop adjacent to the 7-11 in front of the Lowes parking lot,which is a sheltered bus stop; however, a bus may not enter the actual parking lot. Mr. De Leon reported that a fare study was currently being conducted, with associated public meetings. Page 5 Mr. De Leon also stated that a walkability study is being conducted in Golden Gate City, also with public meetings scheduled. A flier was made available to Advisory Committee members for review if so desired. Ms. Arnold reported that the beach route is.scheduled to begin on December 29, 2017. VIII. Public Comments No members of the public were present for comment. IX. Next Meeting Date—January 16,2017 X. Adjournment There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the chair at 4:30 p.m. Public Transi -,dvisory Committee arFt jAr 1p, , r PI i -,-,___.--- aa__-c--- ACt. John DiMarco, Chairman These minutes approved by the Board/Committee on as presented or as amended .