AGENDA DATE: 1/19/2022
TITLE:
Title
Transit Governance Study Funding
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Potential Transit Governance Study Technical Assistance Grant
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Herrick, Filardo, Rapp, McDermott, Hersh-Ballering
PRESENTER (S): Jessica Hersh-Ballering, Kevin McDermott, and Sandy Shackelford, Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors previously supported the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission’s (TJPDC) application for technical assistance funding for a Regional Transit Vision Plan. This application was awarded funding by the Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT), and work is ongoing through the end of FY 22.
The purpose of this Plan is to develop a long-term vision for transit service in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region. The consulting team utilized meetings with the Regional Transit Partnership, a technical advisory committee, and the public, as well as an online public survey, to determine the community’s priorities and make recommendations for how to achieve that vision.
While the vision plan document has not yet been finalized, the consulting team for the study has started to identify community priorities and sketch out broad goals and recommendations. One of the early recommendations from the consulting team is to consider the formation of a regional authority to collect additional revenue in support of regional transit planning and services.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment - Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs.
DISCUSSION:
The TJPDC intends to complete a transit governance study as a follow-up to the Regional Transit Vision Plan, to better understand the benefits, challenges, and impacts of various transit governance structures, such as the plan’s recommended regional transit authority. The transit governance study would answer the question: What is the appropriate governance structure to move the identified regional transit priorities forward?
The TJPDC plans to apply for a DRPT technical assistance grant to partially fund that study. Technical assistance grant applications are only accepted by DRPT once per year (early February), with awarded funds becoming available at the beginning of the next fiscal year (July). While the results of the Regional Transit Vision Plan study will not be complete until June 2022, the TJPDC is moving forward with their technical assistance grant application at this time to eliminate lag between the completion of the Vision Plan and the launch of the follow-up transit governance study. If the TJPDC waits to submit a grant application until after the Vision Plan is complete, work could not begin on the transit governance study until July 2023.
Technical assistance grant applications require 50% local share, which would be divided between the TJPDC and the localities currently represented on the Regional Transit Partnership: Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville.
The TJPDC currently estimates that the transit governance study could be completed for approximately $180,000. As such, Albemarle County’s contribution would be approximately $45,000.
A resolution of support is not needed for the technical assistance grant application. However, staff is requesting feedback and general support from the Board regarding the proposed study and the funding for the grant application.
BUDGET IMPACT: The total impact to the budget in Fiscal Year 2023 would be approximately $45,000. If the technical assistance grant were awarded, the funding sources and impacts would be considered and reviewed as part of the FY 23 annual budget process. Additional cost related to staff time (potentially to include meetings with transit providers and attendance at stakeholder meetings, etc.) would impact the County Budget; however, it is not expected that the staff time commitment would reduce overall staff capacity.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board endorse the completion of a transit governance study to determine the appropriate governance structure to advance the priorities identified in the ongoing Regional Transit Vision Plan.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Transit Governance Study Scope of Work