RAIL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 1, 2008 1:30 P.M. 101 NORTH FIRST AVENUE 13TH FLOOR BOARD ROOM PHOENIX, AZ 85003
September 24, 2008 To: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer Date: October 1, 2008 Time: 1:30 p.m. Location: METRO 101 N. First Ave., 13 th Floor Board Room Phoenix, AZ 85003 Please park in the garage in the US Bank Building (enter from Adams Street) and bring your parking ticket to the meeting as parking will be validated. Bus passes will be provided to those using transit. For those using bicycles, please lock your bicycle in the bike rack in the garage. Rail Management Committee members may attend the meeting by teleconference. If you have any questions or need additional information regarding attendance by teleconference, please contact Gina Frackiewicz at (602) 322-4455. Item 1. Call to Order 2. Rail Management Committee Officers As noted in the July 7, 2005 minutes of the Organizational Meeting of the Rail Management Committee (RMC), there is to be a Chair and Vice-Chair of the RMC. The minutes also state that the RMC Chair and Vice-Chair will be consistent with the METRO Board of Directors. The METRO Board elects officers at the first meeting of the fiscal year (FY). In September 2008, the Board elected the Phoenix Board Representative, Councilman Tom Simplot, as the Chair and the Tempe Representative, Mayor Hugh Hallman, as the Vice-Chair. Accordingly, the Chair of the RMC will be the member designated by the City of Phoenix and the Vice-Chair will be the member designated by the City of Tempe. Action Requested Information and Possible Action
Rail Management Committee Agenda September 24, 2008 Page 2 of 3 3. Item Call to the Audience A 15-minute opportunity will be provided to members of the public at the beginning of the meeting to address the Rail Management Committee (RMC) on all agenda items. The Chairman may recognize members of the public during the meeting at his/her discretion. Up to three minutes will be provided per speaker. Action Requested Information 4. Minutes Action Summary minutes from the September 3, 2008 RMC are presented for review and approval. 5. Chief Executive Officer s (CEO) Report Rick Simonetta will brief the RMC on current issues and project status. Consent Agenda Information 6. Approval of Consent Agenda Action The RMC is being requested to take action on the Consent Agenda. Committee members may request that items be removed from the Consent Agenda. Items Proposed for Consent Agenda 6a. Armored Car and Cash Management Services Contract Consent Staff is requesting that the RMC recommend that the Board authorize the CEO to execute a contract for Armored Car and Cash Management Services. Please see information attached for Agenda Item 6a for additional information. Regular Agenda 7. Section 5309 Project Budget Adjustments Action Staff is requesting that the RMC recommend that the METRO Board authorize project budget contingency adjustments for cost increases and savings to line item budgets within the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) project. Please see information attached for Agenda Item 7 for additional information.
Rail Management Committee Agenda September 24, 2008 Page 3 of 3 Item 8. Light Rail Service Launch The purpose of this item is to provide information to the RMC related to the launch of revenue operations for METRO light rail service. Please see information attached for Agenda Item 8 for additional information. 9. METRO Grand Opening Update Action Requested Information and Possible Action Information Staff will provide an update to the RMC on events related to the METRO Grand Opening. Please see information attached for Agenda Item 9 for additional information. 10. Park-and-Ride Contingency Plan Information Staff will provide a report to the RMC on the status of providing for potential overflow parking for patrons of the initial 20-mile light rail project, which starts operation in December 2008. Please see information attached for Agenda Item 10 for additional information. 11. Future Rail Management Committee Agenda Items Information The RMC may request consideration of future agenda items. No additional information is attached. 12. Adjournment Action With 24-hours notice, special assistance can be provided for persons with sight and/or hearing impairments. Call 602-254-7245 (voice) or 602-261-8208 (TTY) to request accommodations. If you require information about this meeting in alternate formats, please call the METRO hotline at 602-254-RAIL.
AGENDA ITEM 4 Minutes
September 3, 2008 101 North First Avenue 13 th Floor Board Room Phoenix, Arizona Management Committee Members Present Frank Fairbanks, City of Phoenix Glenn Kephart, City of Tempe Jeff Martin, City of Mesa Jamsheed Mehta, City of Glendale Mike Normand, City of Chandler David Moody, City of Peoria Mary O Connor, City of Scottsdale Dave Boggs, Regional Public Transportation Authority 1. Call to Order Chairman Frank Fairbanks called the meeting to order at 1:37 p.m. 2. Call to the Audience There were no public comments. 3. Minutes IT WAS MOVED BY JEFF MARTIN AND SECONDED BY JAMSHEED MEHTA AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO APPROVE THE JUNE 4, 2008 MEETING MINUTES. 4. Chief Executive Officer s (CEO) Report Mr. Simonetta welcomed the Committee back from a summer recess. Staff Update: Jay Harper - Director of Operations and Maintenance Harold Tye - Senior Contracts Administrator FTA Quarterly: The meeting was held on August 21 in San Francisco. The FTA requested that the next focus at quarterly meetings should be on operations and maintenance.
Rail Management Committee Meeting Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 2 of 5 Operations Readiness Review: The senior rail operations and maintenance directors from San Diego, Portland, Salt Lake City, Charlotte, and Dallas met for two days to review METRO s progress. The group addressed some opportunities to facilitate the transition from construction to operations and felt that, overall, METRO was on track to meet its opening date. The panel noted the level of experience and quality of staff. The implementation of the peer review s comments is on-going. Guideway Transition to Operations and Maintenance: The testing continues to expand to downtown Phoenix. The construction is winding down. Regional Office Center (ROC) Update: Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) has agreed to disband the concept of the ROC. MAG and the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA) are in the process of negotiating their lease extension with their current locations. FTA Rail CEO s Safety Summit in Washington, DC: The Rail CEO s from around the country were invited by the FTA Administrator to attend a safety summit on July 23 and 24 to discuss the recent rail accidents. Meeting notes and the Five- Year Rail Transit Safety Performance Overview was available and distributed to the Committee. Mr. Simonetta pointed out that the rail overall has lower accident and fatality rates in comparison to any other transportation mode. I-10 West MAG Action: The METRO Board, City of Phoenix Council, and the Regional MAG Council have approved the action to use the I-10 median for light rail. This action has now been forwarded to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). CMAQ Close Out: The goal of $60 million of federal CMAQ for the 20-mile METRO project has been achieved. Project Update: As of July 31, METRO has used 84.6% of allocated contingency funds and 95.7% of unallocated project reserve. The project is 91.7% complete. Community Advisory Board (CAB) Update: Mr. Howard Steere reported that the CAB program activities are wrapping up with only punch-list items remaining and the following progress being made: Line Section 1 Program completed in July 2008 Line Section 2 Program completed in May 2008 Line Section 3 Final meeting scheduled for September 2008 Line Section 4 Program completed in November 2007 Line Section 5 Program completed in March 2008.
Rail Management Committee Meeting Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 3 of 5 The Public Involvement staff is transitioning from construction to safety awareness and education. The Community Advisory Board Forum is scheduled to discuss policies, administrative issues, and lessons learned from the CAB program. The recommendations from the Forum will be provided to the partnering cities. Ms. Mary O Connor requested that staff that do not normally attend CAB meetings be informed or invited to the Forum so they can utilize the information in their future planning processes. Approval of Consent Agenda Mr. Kephart stated that, before taking a vote, he had additional questions regarding agenda items 5b, 5c, and 5d. He stated that these contracts are being requested to be executed prior the revenue service, which begins on December 29, 2008. Mr. Kephart requested that the contracts be revised to be in line with the start of revenue service and all costs incurred prior to December 29 be charged to construction. Mr. John McCormack, Director of Finance and Administration, concurred with Mr. Kephart. The recommendation to Board will include the revised dates. 5a. Security Services Contract IT WAS MOVED BY GLENN KEPHART AND SECONDED BY MARY O CONNOR AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE CEO TO EXECUTE A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT, WITH TWO ONE-YEAR EXTENSIONS, WITH THE WACKENHUT CORPORATION FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $3,786,707.00. 5b. Facilities Maintenance Services Contract IT WAS MOVED BY GLENN KEPHART AND SECONDED BY JEFF MARTIN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD EXECUTE SIMULTANEOUSLY A THREE-MONTH CONTRACT (10/1/08 12/28/08) CONTAINING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, AND A FOUR-YEAR AND NINE MONTH CONTRACT (12/29/08-12/31/10) LESS THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS WITH THREE OPTION YEARS WITH DMS FACILITIES SERVICES FOR FACILITIES MAINTENANCE SERVICES FOR AN AMOUNT THAT IS BEING DETERMINED THROUGH FINAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT WILL NOT EXCEED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. 5c. Cleaning Services Contract IT WAS MOVED BY GLENN KEPHART AND SECONDED BY JEFF MARTIN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE AUTHORIZE THE CEO TO EXECUTE SIMULTANEOUSLY A THREE- MONTH CONTRACT (10/1/08 12/28/08) CONTAINING FEDERAL
Rail Management Committee Meeting Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 4 of 5 REQUIREMENTS AND A TWENTY-FOUR MONTH CONTRACT (12/29/08-12/31/10) LESS THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS WITH THREE OPTION YEARS WITH DMS FACILITY SERVICES FOR CLEANING SERVICES FOR AN AMOUNT THAT IS BEING DETERMINED THROUGH FINAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT WILL NOT EXCEED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. 5d. Lands Keeping Services Contract IT WAS MOVED BY GLENN KEPHART AND SECONDED BY JEFF MARTIN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE CEO TO EXECUTE SIMULTANEOUSLY A THREE-MONTH CONTRACT (10/1/08 12/28/08) CONTAINING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND A TWENTY-FOUR MONTH CONTRACT (12/29/08-12/31/10), LESS THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, WITH THREE OPTION YEARS WITH DMS FACILITY SERVICES FOR LANDS KEEPING SERVICES FOR AN AMOUNT THAT IS BEING DETERMINED THROUGH FINAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT WILL NOT EXCEED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. Chairman Fairbanks asked when METRO will accept the responsibility for the maintenance of vegetation along the alignment. Mr. Brian Buchanan, Director of Design and Construction, stated that in some line sections METRO has already taken responsibility. The remainder of the maintenance will be turned over to METRO around September/October. Mr. Kephart asked when the final contract amounts will be negotiated related to the contracts above. Mr. McCormack stated that staff is in the final stages of negotiations and the final numbers will be available at the September METRO Board meeting. Mr. Martin stated that the Board Memos do not mention the maintenance of the transit centers. Mr. Harper stated that METRO is currently negotiating these services with the cities per their request. Chairman Fairbanks stated the importance of the stations being clean and attractive creating a community pride and safety. Regular Agenda 6. Section 5309 Contract Budget Adjustment and Line Section 5 Contract Final Payment Mr. Buchanan presented information regarding contingency adjustments to various project elements in order to close out the Line Section 5 Contract. The budget adjustments are within the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA). Mr. Buchanan reviewed the impact of the facilities and overall budget based on the recommended adjustments.
Rail Management Committee Meeting Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 5 of 5 IT WAS MOVED BY GLENN KEPHART AND SECONDED BY MARY O CONNOR AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES TO THE SECTION 5309 PROJECT CONTINGENCY BUDGETS: INCREASE THE LINE SECTION 5 CONTRACT CONTINGENCY BY $3,600,000 TO $11,008,135 AND CLOSEOUT THE CONTRACT AT A TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE OF $84.45 MILLION; INCREASE THE STATION FINISHES CONTINGENCY BY $250,000 TO $796,000; INCREASE THE SIGNALS AND COMMUNICATIONS CONTINGENCY BY $500,000 TO $6,303,000; INCREASE THE FARE COLLECTION CONTINGENCY BY $300,000 TO $874,535; DECREASE THE PARK-AND-RIDE CONTINGENCY BY $500,000 TO $1,343,525; DECREASE THE TRACTION ELECTRIFICATION TOTAL CONTRACT BY $500,000 TO $61,652,003; DECREASE THE PRIOR RIGHTS UTILITY BUDGET BY $2,500,000 TO $31,500,000; DECREASE THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT BUDGET BY $500,000 TO $53,053,279 AND; DECREASE PROJECT RESERVE BY $650,000 TO $2,642,497. 7. Future Rail Management Committee Agenda Items Chairman Fairbanks stated that the system is very well done; however, the station directional signs are confusing for first time users. Mr. Simonetta stated that staff are working on improving the signage. Mr. Kephart requested for staff to present at the October meeting a comprehensive report for the Grand Opening. 8. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 2:19 p.m.
AGENDA ITEM 6A Armored Car and Cash Management Services Contract
AGENDA ITEM 6A To: Through: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer John McCormack, Director of Finance and Administration Date: September 24, 2008 Re: Armored Car and Cash Management Services Contract PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is to request that the Rail Management Committee (RMC) recommend that the METRO Board (Board) authorize the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute a contract for Armored Car and Cash Management Services. BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION The Armored Car Service will be responsible for the pick up and delivery of cash from Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) as directed by METRO management staff. This service will also provide re-filling of ticket stock, receipt paper, and coin hoppers. Additionally, the contractor will provide cash processing services related to the revenue picked up, sorting, and deposit preparation of TVM funds. On May 27, 2008 METRO issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) # LRT-08-108-ARM for Armored Car and Cash Management Services. The procurement was advertised in accordance with METRO s Public Notice procedure. The bid opening was on July 10, 2008 at 3 p.m. The two (2) firms submitting proposals were: Brink s U.S. Dunbar Armored The Selection Committee Members, to evaluate proposals received, was comprised of METRO Finance, Security, and Public Relations staff. Proposals were scored and ranked based on the following criteria: 1) Qualifications & Experience of firm 2) Suitability to meet METRO s requirements 3) Proposal price. A copy of the anticipated contract document is not attached to this Memorandum. The contract terms and conditions are standard for such procurements and will not significantly vary. General Counsel will provide concurrence of the final contract documents prior to execution by the CEO. Negotiations commenced the week of
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 2 of 2 August 25 and a final negotiated contract is expected by September 30. This is a one-year contract with two one-year options. FISCAL IMPACT Funding for the award of this contract is as follows: November 1 through December 28, 2008 - pre revenue training is funded under the 5309 Start-up Budget (estimated cost $5,000.00) December 29, 2008 through June 30, 2009 funded via the adopted FY 2009 Rail Operations Budget (six months estimated cost $115,000) July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 to be funded via the FY 2010 Rail Operations Budget (twelve months estimated cost $245,000) July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011 to be funded via the FY 2011 Rail Operations Budget (twelve months estimated cost $275,000) July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 to be funded via the FY 2012 Rail Operations Budget (six months estimated cost $145,000) RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the RMC recommend that the Board authorize the CEO to execute a one-year contract with Brink s U.S. for an amount not to exceed $239,000 with two one-year options not to exceed $546,000 for Armored Car and Cash Processing Services.
AGENDA ITEM 4 AGENDA ITEM 7 Section Minutes 5309 Project Budget Adjustments
AGENDA ITEM 7 To: Through: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer Brian D. Buchanan, Director of Design and Construction John P. McCormack, Director of Finance and Administration Date: September 24, 2008 Re: Section 5309 Project Budget Adjustments PURPOSE The purpose of this item is to request that the Rail Management Committee (RMC) recommend that the METRO Board (Board) authorize project budget contingency adjustments for cost increases and savings to line item budgets within the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) project. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION The contingency budget enables funding of contract change orders, which arise as construction proceeds. Section 5309 contingency budgets affected are within the FFGA budget. Contract changes requiring use of contingency are reviewed by member city staff and approved by Change Control Committee prior to approval by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Total funding for the line section contracts include a combination of Federal Section 5309 funds included in the FFGA and locally funded Concurrent Non-Project Activities (CNPA s). Today s action pertains only to the section 5309 fund budget. Line Section One: The current Board-approved LS1 5309 Budget is $47,164,715, which includes a contingency budget amounting to $9,213,056. The contractor requested an equitable adjustment for schedule and efficiency impacts suffered during the relocation of utilities. These impacts included additional craft hours, equipment and supervision as well as an extension of time to complete the work with associated costs. Negotiations with the contractor concluded with a funding requirement of $2.0 million from the section 5309 contingency. Today s action will add $2,000,000 to the contingency bringing the total to $11,213,056. The total LS1 5309 contract budget is increased to $49,164,715.
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 2 Line Section Three: The current Board-approved LS3 5309 Budget is $99,596,850, which includes a contingency budget amounting to $20,348,232. The contractor requested an equitable adjustment for schedule and efficiency impacts suffered during the relocation of utilities. These impacts included additional craft hours, equipment and supervision as well as an extension of time to complete the work with associated costs. Negotiations with the contractor led to a hearing by the Disputes Resolution Board (DRB), which offered a recommended settlement. METRO and the contractor have accepted the DRB s recommendation, which has resulted in a funding requirement of $3.3 million from the section 5309 contingency. Today s action will add $3,300,000 to the contingency bringing the total to $23,648,232. The total LS3 5309 contract budget is increased to $102,896,850. Miscellaneous Construction: The current Board-approved budget for Miscellaneous Construction is $1,600,659. This budget was established to cover necessary construction activities which arise during the project that are outside the scope of the major contracts. To date the expenditures total $484,000, most of which were for electrical improvements to the Operations and Maintenance Facility. With the project nearing completion, the need for this funding has been reduced. Today s action will reduce the Miscellaneous Construction budget by $750,000 bringing the total to $850,659. Wheel Profiling Machine: The current Board-approved Wheel Profiling Contract Budget is $1,080,107. The equipment has been delivered and tested. Expenditures to date total $967,000 and forecast at completion is $980,000. Today s action will reduce the Wheel Profiling Contract Budget by $100,000 bringing the total to $980,107. Owner Furnished Equipment: The current Board-approved Owner Furnished Equipment Budget is $33,839,200. This budget covers rail, special track work and traffic signal hardware purchased by METRO directly and provided to contractors for installation. Expenditures to date total $33.1 million and forecast at completion is $33.3 million. A $160,000 contingency over and above the forecast will remain for possible purchases required. Today s action will reduce the Owner Furnished Equipment Budget by $379,096 bringing the total to $33,460,104.
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 3 Program Management and Administration: The current Board-approved Program Management 5309 Budget is $63,609,298. This budget covers METRO staff and office, project insurance costs and the Community Advisory Board Program. Expenditures to date total $54.1 million and forecast at completion is $60.7 million. A $400,000 contingency over and above the forecast will remain for potential additional costs. Today s action will reduce the 5309 Program Management and Administration Budget by $2,500,000 to $61,109,298. FISCAL IMPACT The contingency budgets affected are within the FFGA budget. Changes to the budgets are shown in the tables on the attached pages. RECOMMENDATION: Staff is requesting that the RMC recommend that the Board authorize the following changes to the Section 5309 project budgets: Increase the Line Section 1 contract contingency by $2,000,000 to $11,213,056; Increase the Line Section 3 contract contingency by $3,300,000 to $23,648,232; Decrease the Miscellaneous Construction Budget by $750,000 to $850,659; Decrease the Wheel Profiling Machine Budget by $100,000 to $980,107; Decrease the Owner Furnished Equipment Budget by $379,096 to $33,460,104; Decrease the Program Management and Administration Budget by $2,500,000 to $61,109,298 and; Decrease Project Reserve by $1,570,904 to $1,071,593.
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 4 CP/EV LRT Project Sec 5309 Construction Project Budget Changes For October 2008 Board Action
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 5 CP/EV LRT Project Sec 5309 Project Budget Changes For October 2008 Board Action
AGENDA ITEM 84 Light Rail Service Launch Minutes
AGENDA ITEM 8 To: Through: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer Jay Harper, Director of Operations and Maintenance Date: September 24, 2008 Re: Light Rail Service Launch PURPOSE The purpose of this item is to provide information to the Rail Management Committee (RMC) related to the launch of revenue operations for METRO light rail service. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION The METRO Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, December 27, 2008. The Grand Opening activities include opening the system for free rides on Saturday and Sunday. As is currently planned, revenue operations would begin on Monday, December 29. When starting a new bus route, it has been the practice of Valley Metro/Regional Public Transportation Authority (VM/RPTA) to be free service for the first week of operation. The intent of this practice has been to encourage ridership and commemorate the inception of service. The new Mesa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is scheduled to begin service on the same day as METRO. The initial week of METRO operations is the week between Christmas and New Years days. Transportation demand in general is greatly diminished during this week of the year. Arizona State University is not in session so faculty, staff, and student ridership would be significantly curtailed. However, the Tempe Block Party and Insight.com Bowl occur during opening week. These events draw upwards of 200,000 participants from around the Valley. METRO anticipates ridership from these events to be 10 percent to 12 percent of the attendees. One option under discussion is to delay fare collection over the week following the Grand Opening weekend activities. Including the two days of free service for the Grand Opening weekend, that would translate into nine days of rail service without collecting fares. Advantages of offering a free fare week would include: Providing an opportunity and incentive for the public to try light rail for free;
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 2 Creating an incentive for participants of the special events to ride light rail; and Assuming VM/RPTA offers free service for new service beginning when light rail begins, there would be consistency of fare collection (e.g., someone riding the Mesa BRT service for free would not have to pay a fare for riding METRO. Advantages of charging fares beginning Monday, December 29 would include: Fares would provide revenue to the system at the inception of the system s operations; A precedent would be established early that light rail requires a fare to ride; Fare enforcement would begin at the inception of service, establishing the enforcement of the proof of payment system and opportunities to educate riders of the need to pay fares. FISCAL IMPACT The fiscal impact is difficult to assess. Without actual daily and special event ridership data to draw from, METRO estimates the loss of revenues to be between $50,000 and $200,000. RECOMMENDATION This item is presented for information and possible action to either: Maintain the current plan of beginning fare collection on Monday, December 29, 2008; or Delay the inception of fare collection to Monday, January 5, 2009.
AGENDA ITEM 9 METRO Grand Opening Update
AGENDA ITEM 9 To: Through: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer John Farry, Director of Community and Government Relations Date: September 24, 2008 Re: METRO Grand Opening Update PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update to the Rail Management Committee (RMC) on events related to the METRO Grand Opening. BACKGROUNG AND DISCUSSION The METRO Grand Opening is scheduled for December 27, 2008 and will be a historic event for the region. It is the introduction of a new mode of technology to the regional transportation system. The current Grand Opening plan includes three days of activities that will include: Media Preview Pass Day Appreciation Dinner Grand Opening Ceremony Ride METRO Free Weekend and Station Celebrations Based on grand openings of other light rail systems, it is anticipated that the METRO system may experience from 150,000 to 200,000 boardings during the free ride weekend. As this will be the first time that anyone experiences light rail in the region, it is important that the experience is a safe and positive experience for riders. Staff will provide an update at the meeting on the status of planning for the Grand Opening events. FISCAL IMPACT Fundraising is underway to cover the costs associated with the Grand Opening events. RECOMMENDATION This item is for information only.
AGENDA ITEM 10 84 Park-and-Ride Light Rail Service Launch Minutes Contingency Plan
AGENDA ITEM 10 To: Through: From: Chairman Fairbanks and Members of the Rail Management Committee Richard J. Simonetta, Chief Executive Officer Wulf Grote, Director of Project Development Date: September 24, 2008 Re: Park-and-Ride Contingency Plan PURPOSE The purpose of this item is to update the Rail Management Committee (RMC) on the status of providing for potential overflow parking for patrons of the initial 20-mile light rail project, which starts operation in December 2008. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION Over 3,500 parking spaces are under construction and will be available to serve patrons of the light rail line when it opens later this year. The number and location of spaces were programmed at the time of adoption of the locally preferred alternative. Since then, conditions have changed significantly along the corridor. There has been an increase in land use intensities and densities in both downtown Phoenix and Tempe. Arizona State University (ASU) has developed a significant downtown Phoenix campus. ASU has also decreased the number of parking spaces on the Tempe campus and increased parking costs. Further, the University has a strong program that promotes transit ridership. Experience, from other recently constructed light rail projects around the country, shows that parking demand is often greater than anticipated. These other cities sometimes had to rush at the last minute to find parking alternatives, resulting in inconvenience to transit passengers. In an effort to prepare for possible higher than expected parking demand, a contingency plan for additional parking spaces is being developed. The focus for added parking has been in three general areas: near Camelback and 19 th Avenue, in the East Washington Corridor, and near the end-of-line on Apache Boulevard/ Main Street area. Staff from METRO and the cities of Mesa, Phoenix, and Tempe are working together to identify potential locations that could be leased from property owners, initially on a short-term basis. The following table provides information about these opportunities.
Rail Management Committee Memo September 24, 2008 Page 2 Table: Potential Contingency Park-and-Ride Locations No. Location Additional Spaces 1. Main & Sycamore, in Mesa adjacent to LRT Park-and-Ride 2. Apache & SR-101, City of Tempe lot adjacent to LRT Parkand-Ride 3. Apache & SR-101, City of Tempe parcel north-side of Apache at LRT station 4. Washington & 38 th St at Gateway Community College 5. West Camelback Road at 7 th Avenue 192 In negotiation Status 290 Availability not anticipated until end of March 2009 120 +/- This is a fallback location to No. 2 above. Staff is in discussion with City of Tempe about potential use. Site may require improvements. To be determined Gateway Community College (GCC) open to overflow parking on west side of campus 200 Meeting being scheduled with property owner by City of Phoenix FISCAL IMPACT Funds are available to implement this program. METRO staff worked with professionals from Tempe and Phoenix along with experts in the local parking industry to estimate the cost to lease finished surface parking in the community. Based upon this information, $250,000 is within the FY 2008 budget to cover the hard and soft costs to lease supplemental parking. RECOMMENDATION This item is for your information. No action is required.