MAP - 21 Surface Transporta/on Authoriza/on. Review of Changes to Sec8on 5307 Funding Levels Harmful to Public Transit Users

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "MAP - 21 Surface Transporta/on Authoriza/on. Review of Changes to Sec8on 5307 Funding Levels Harmful to Public Transit Users"

Sherman Merritt
5 years ago
Views:

1 MAP - 21 Surface Transporta/on Authoriza/on Review of Changes to Sec8on 5307 Funding Levels Harmful to Public Transit Users

2 49 U.S.C The Surface Transporta/on Program is funded in part by Federal gasoline sales taxes. Funds are distributed to States and Local Governments by Congress for public transporta/on uses. Local Governments and Transit Agencies must match these funds with local dollars. The Urbanized Area Formula Funding Program (Sec/on 5307) makes these funds available to urbanized areas for transit assistance. Eligible ac/vi/es include planning, engineering design, other technical transporta/on- related studies; facili/es, bus and bus- related ac/vi/es and opera/ng assistance in areas with popula/ons below 200,000 (small urban). Areas exceeding 200,000 in popula/on are ineligible to receive opera/ng assistance with some excep/ons. The Houston Urbanized Area ( HUZA ) popula/on exceeds 200k making it ineligible for opera/ng assistance. The HUA is made up of several ci/es and Coun/es. Urbanized boundaries are adjusted awer each census.

4 Current Alloca/on Process HUA 5307 Large Urban Alloca/on of Funding is appor/oned on the basis of legisla/ve formulas. For large urban areas the formula is based on: Bus revenue miles Bus passenger miles Fixed guide way revenue miles(rail or trolley services) Fixed guide way route miles Popula/on and Popula/on Density which includes areas outside of the geographic area of the principal (Largest) Transit Agency. Both Harris County and Ft. Bend County currently are a\ributable to approximately 20% of the resources used to calculate Houston s Urbanized Area( HUZA ) formula share. The Metropolitan Planning Organiza/on(MPO) programs funds into the Transporta/on Improvement Program based on nego/a/on among stakeholders. Houston s MPO is the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC). AWer the 2000 Census, special language was added to 49 U.S.C. which allows opera/ng expenses in the HUA and areas around the State of Texas for small operators with no restric/on on the amount programmed for opera/ng expenses.

5 Pre MAP- 21 Language Sec/on 5307 (F) Opera/ng Cost (F) Opera/ng costs of equipment and facili/es for use in public transporta/on for local governmental authori/es in areas which adopted transit opera/ng and financing plans that became a part of the Houston, Texas urbanized area as a result of the 2000 decennial census of popula/on, but lie outside the service area of the principal public transporta/on agency serving the largest city within the Houston urbanized area.

6 HUZA Alloca/on FY 12 - $70.28 mil Currently a nego/ated split among systems. Houston METRO Capital and Planning Expenses Only Harris County Capital, Planning & Opera/ng Expenses Growing Systems Fort Bend County Capital, Planning & Opera/ng Expenses Of the Total Alloca/on, Fort Bend & Harris County Budgeted Opera/ng Expense in the FY 2013 TIP is: $3.18 million or 4.8% of the total. 20% of the total HUZA Alloca/on is generated by these two en//es.

7 MAP- 21 Language Restric/ng Small System Use of Opera/ng Funds Opera/ng Expenses Allowed Determined by formula. Sec Urbanized Area Formula(a)(2) Special Rule.- (A) (2) SPECIAL RULE The secretary may make grants under this sec/on to finance the opera/ng cost of equipment and facili/es for use in public transporta/on, excluding rail fixed guideway, in an urbanized area with a popula/on of not fewer than 200,000 individuals, as determined by the Bureau of the Census (A) for public transporta/on systems that operate 75 or fewer buses during peak service hours, in an amount not to exceed 75 percent of the share of the appor/onment which is a\ributable to such systems within the urbanized area, as measured by vehicle revenue hours; and (B) for public transporta/on systems that operate a min. of 76 buses and a max. of 100 buses during peak service hours, in an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the share of the appor/onment which is a\ributable to such systems within the urbanized area, as measured by vehicle revenue hours

8 WHAT S THE DIFFERENCE for Small Systems Pre MAP- 21 AIer MAP- 21 Funding alloca/on is nego/ated among Local Systems regardless of system size. Local Systems determines how to use the funds for: - Capital - Planning - Opera/ng Funding alloca/on is nego/ated among Local Systems regardless of system size. Local Systems determines how to use the funds for: - Capital - Planning Amount used by small systems for opera/ng expenses is determined by formula.

Opera/ng Expense Cap Formula FY 2013 Funds System Annual Revenue Hours (2010 Na8onal Transit Data Base) % of Total Revenue Hours Metro 5,122,039 97.47% Fort Bend Harris County 85,555 46,338 1.634%.

9 Opera/ng Expense Cap Formula FY 2013 Funds System Annual Revenue Hours (2010 Na8onal Transit Data Base) % of Total Revenue Hours Metro 5,122, % Fort Bend Harris County 85,555 46, %.885% First, determine system s % of the total Revenue Hours for HUA Harris System Name % 45,936 of HUA FY12 HUA.885 % Total Hours Revenue Hours 4,063,522 Alloca8on % of Alloca8on Fort Bend Harris County %.885 % $68.8 mil Same $1,124,192 $608,880 Apply system s % to the HUA Alloca/on. System Name Alloca8on Adjustment Based on Fleet Size System Opera8ng Cap (75% of Above Amounts) Calculate Opera/ng Cap (based on Fleet Size). Fort Bend Harris County 75% 75% $843,000 $457,000

these funds for opera/ng expenses by Smaller Systems in the HUA would be capped.

10 Based on MAP- 21 Changes HUA Alloca/on FY 13 - $68.8 mil Funding split would s/ll be nego/ated but Houston METRO Harris County Fort Bend County Use of these funds for opera/ng expenses by Smaller Systems in the HUA would be capped. FY 2013 Agency Projected Opera8ng Expense MAP- 21 OPERATING CAP Difference Ft. Bend County $1,767,000 $843,000 ($924,000) Harris County $1,118,000 $457,000 ($661,000)

Financial Impact FY 2013 HUA Alloca/on FY 13 - $73.

Harris County Fort Bend County Assumes the same opera/ng hours as in previous example.

Projected expenses per present H- GAC Transporta8on Improvement Program (TIP).

11 Financial Impact FY 2013 HUA Alloca/on FY 13 - $73.2 mil Es/mated FY 2013 Funding awer Census Adjustments (Source APTA) Houston METRO Harris County Fort Bend County Assumes the same opera/ng hours as in previous example. NTD data available only through Projected expenses per present H- GAC Transporta8on Improvement Program (TIP). FY 2014 Agency Projected Opera8ng Expense Proposed Rule- OPERATING CAP Difference In TIP Amount Ft. Bend County $2,561,000 $843,000 ($1,789,000) Harris County $1,470,000 $457,000 ($1,013,000)

12 Smaller Operators such as Fort Bend & Harris County loose the ability to spend funds for opera/ng now and as they grow or as larger operators such as Metro grow. If revenue hours increase within the HUA, and the smaller systems remain constant it decreases the opera/ng funds available for small systems. If a smaller provider needs to increase service hours it has no opera/ng funds to provide those services hindering growth of transit. Crea/ng a cap based on limits the func/onality of our systems and the Greater Houston Area we serve.

13 Request REVISED Senate Language S.1813 Sec Urbanized Area Formula(a)(2) Special Rule.- (A) (2) SPECIAL RULE The secretary may make grants under this sec/on to finance the opera/ng cost of equipment and facili/es for use in public transporta/on, excluding rail fixed guideway, in an urbanized area with a popula/on of not fewer than 200,000 individuals, as determined by the Bureau of the Census (A) for public transporta/on systems that operate 75 or fewer buses during peak service hours, in an amount not to exceed 75 percent of the share of the appor/onment which is a\ributable to such systems.within the urbanized area. as measured by vehicle revenue hours; and (B) for public transporta/on systems that operate a min. of 76 buses and a max. of 100 buses during peak service hours, in an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the share of the appor/onment which is a\ributable to such systems within the urbanized area. as measured by vehicle revenue hours Removal of the revenue hours provision would allow the local service provider to best decide on how to allocate funds without causing harm to the public. A more equitable distribu8on could have been based on popula8on as demonstrated below.

14 Pupng It In Perspec/ve 4,927,015 Popula/on in The Houston UZA $68,835,000 in FY 2013 Funds Jurisdic/onal UZA Contribu/ons to Sec/on 5307 Funding Jurisdic8on Popula8on In HUZA Percentage Of Popula8on Funds Represented METRO UZA 3,397, % $47,461,732 Harris County UZA 655, % $9,161,938 Ft Bend County UZA 495, % $6,917,917 Brazoria County UZA 154, % $215,591 Galveston County UZA 119, % $167,269 Missouri City UZA 104, % $145,861 The above table depicts the jurisdic/onal contribu/on of popula/on to the Houston UZA. METRO primarily serves the City of Houston but has popula/on outside of the City of Houston for which it receives funding. MAP- 21 would have be\er served the small transit providers if it allocated funds first based on popula/on.

15 Transit Systems With Nega8ve Impacts From MAP- 21 Opera8ng Expense Caps Texas Transit Agencies Urbanized Area (UZA) Population >200,000 Brownsville Conroe-The Woodlands DALLAS/FORT WORTH Houston Primary Transit Authority (Designated Recipient for 5307) City of Brownsville (32 vehicles) Brazos Transit District DART-Dallas The T-Fort Worth METRO (Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority) Transit Operators in the same UZA Negatively Affected By Wording in Map 21 City of Brownsville Brazos Transit District City of Conroe Arlington Mesquite Public Transit Services Fort Bend County Harris County Connect (Gulf Coast Center) Brazos Transit District Killeen Hill Country Transit Hill Country Transit Laredo City of Laredo El Metro City of Laredo El Metro San Antonio VIA Metropolitan Transit New Braunfels

16 Other U.S. Transit Agencies with Nega8ve Impacts due to MAP- 21 Urbanized Area of Service Provided City State Public Transporta8on System Operator Lancaster- Palmdale, CA Lancaster CA Antelope Valley Transit Authority Los Angeles- Long Beach- Anaheim, CA Lancaster CA Antelope Valley Transit Authority Sacramento, CA Woodland CA Yolo County Transporta/on District Lafaye\e, LA Lafaye\e LA Lafaye\e Transit System Shreveport, LA Shreveport LA Shreveport Area Transit System Greensboro, NC Greensboro NC Greensboro Transit Authority Poughkeepsie- Newburgh, NY- NJ Kingston NY Ulster County Area Transit Columbus, OH Delaware OH Delaware Area Transit Agency Pi\sburgh, PA Rochester PA Beaver County Transit Authority Scranton, PA Kingston PA Luzerne County Transporta/on Authority York, PA York PA York County Transporta/on Authority Richmond, VA Petersburg VA Petersburg Area Transit Washington, DC- VA- MD Culpeper VA VRT- Culpeper Region

MODULE 1: FUNDING TRANSIT IN TEXAS MODULE 1 1

MODULE 1: FUNDING TRANSIT IN TEXAS MODULE 1 1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this module, you should be able to: Explain the categories of public transportation systems in Texas. Recall the state laws