Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Access EC Rider TDP - August Draft Report — reading text

the following:  A statewide, multimodal transportation system that supports Florida’s economic and livability goals by providing better connectivity to both urban and rural areas.  Greater reliance on public transportation systems for moving people, including statewide passenger rail network and enhanced transit systems in Florida major urban areas.  A statewide, multimodal system of trade gateways, logistics centers, and transportation corridors to position Florida as a global hub for commerce and investment.  An evolving air and space transportation system enabling Florida to remain a global leader for moving people and cargo between Florida and destinations in other states, nations, and orbit.  A new generation of infrastructure, vehicles, fuels, and technologies to enable travel with fewer crashes, reduced delay, and fewer emissions. Based on these core values of the 2060 FTP, public transportation plays an important role in shaping the Florida’s transportation systems in the future. This implicates the necessities for Citrus County to comply with the 2060 FTP by implementing more rigorous public transportation development approach. State of Florida TD 5-Year/20-Year Plan Developed by the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD), this plan is required under Florida Statutes and includes the following elements:  Explanation of the Florida Coordinated Transportation System  Five-Year Report Card  Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability Review  Strategic Vision and Goals, Objectives, and Measures The long-range and five-year strategic visions were reviewed and used for guidance and are indicated below. Long-Range Strategic Vision Create a strategy for the Florida CTD to support the development of a universal transportation system with the following features: ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-2 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review  Coordinated, cost-effective multimodal transportation system delivered through public-private partnerships.  Single, uniform funding system with a single eligibility determination process.  Sliding scale of fare payment based on a person’s ability to pay.  Use of electronic fare media for all passengers.  Services designed and implemented regionally (both inter-county and inter-city) throughout the state. Five-Year Strategic Vision Develop and field-test a model community transportation system for persons who are transportation disadvantaged by incorporating the following features:  Statewide coordination of community transportation services using Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS) including Smart Traveler Technology, Smart Vehicle Technology, and Smart Intermodal Systems.  Statewide coordination and consolidation of community transportation funding sources.  Statewide information management system for tracking passenger eligibility determination.  Integration of Smart Vehicle Technology on a statewide multimodal basis to improve vehicle and fleet planning, scheduling, and operations. This effort includes vehicle and ridership data collection, electronic fare media, and geographic information system (GIS) applications.  Development of a multimodal transportation network to optimize the transportation system as a whole, using Smart Intermodal Systems. This feature would be available in all areas of the state via electronic access. Florida TDP Requirements (updated August 2009) A TDP is an FDOT-required, 10-year horizon plan intended to support the development of an effective multimodal transportation system for Florida. Public transit means the transporting of people by conveyances, or systems of conveyances, traveling on land or water, local or regional in nature and available for use by the public. TDPs serve a number of purposes for transit agencies; however, the State’s interest in TDPs is governed by Sections 339.135, and 339.155, F.S., as described in Chapter 14-73 (See Florida Administrative Code: Rule 14-73.001 or https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?id=14- 73.001). The TDP serves as the basis for defining public transit needs, which is a prerequisite to receipt of State funds. The rule requires that the TDP be the provider’s planning, development, and operational guidance document. Beyond these administrative motivations, TDPs are intended to serve as strategic planning documents. They define public transportation needs; solicit broad input by coordinating with other plans, involve substantial public participation, and explore community goals with decision makers and other stakeholders; define alternative courses of action, and develop a systematic plan and monitoring program. Although ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-3 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review required by FDOT, the greatest value from the TDP planning effort, gathered data, and resultant documents occurs when an agency uses the TDP to serve the local area and the traveling public by providing a logical, comprehensive basis for exploring near and mid-term public transit needs and opportunities. A TDP can lead to a clear identification of transit needs in a community-wide context, a prioritized listing of recommended actions, a more favorable attitude toward transit by residents, riders, and decision-makers, and a stronger competitive position for the transit agency in obtaining additional funding. The ultimate success of the TDP process will not be decided for several years, but it is possible to suggest measures of success now. These might include increased ridership (as latent mobility needs are met), improved customer satisfaction, additional funding for the transit system, and a better overall image for transit. Chapter 341, F.S., Public Transit Block Grants Chapter 341 creates Public Transit Block Grants (PTBG) to be administered by FDOT. Block grant funds are provided only to urban and rural providers designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Community Transportation Coordinators, as defined in Chapter 427, F.S. Eligible providers must establish public transportation development plans consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with approved local government comprehensive plans of the units of local government in which the provider is located. In developing public transportation development plans, eligible providers must solicit comments from regional workforce boards established under Chapter 445. The development plans must address how the public transit provider will work with the appropriate regional workforce board to provide services to participants in the welfare transition program. Eligible providers must provide information to the regional workforce board serving the county in which the provider is located regarding the availability of transportation services to assist program participants. Costs for which PTBG program funds may be expended include:  Costs of public bus transit and local public fixed guideway capital projects  Costs of public bus transit service development and transit corridor projects  Costs of public bus transit operations All projects must be consistent, to the maximum extent feasible, with the approved local government comprehensive plans of the units of local government in which the project is located. Chapter 341 also requires each public transit provider to establish public transportation development plans consistent with approved local government comprehensive plans where there is an approved local government comprehensive plan in the political subdivision or political subdivisions in which the public transportation system is located. In particular, each public transit provider must establish productivity and performance measures, which must be approved by FDOT and which must be selected from measures developed pursuant to Section 341.041(3). Each provider must report annually to FDOT relative to these measures. In approving these measures, FDOT will give consideration to the goals and objectives of each system, the needs of the local area, and the role for public transit in the local area. In addition, each public transit ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-4 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review provider must publish the productivity and performance measures established for the year in the local newspaper of its area and a report that provides quantitative data relative to the attainment of established productivity and performance measures. Regional Documents Okaloosa-Walton TPO 2035 LRTP Whereas the Comprehensive Plan provides a vision of where the County wants to go, the LRTP is a 20-year guide for transportation goals and needs that provides the year-by-year methods to reach those transportation-related goals. Development of a needs plan gives the community an opportunity to visualize and evaluate possible transportation solutions along with anticipated travel demand. The possible solutions can be later selected for implementation based on available funding. Although these needs are determined at the local level, they must be consistent with federal and State requirements to maintain funding. The Okaloosa-Walton TPO is responsible for updating the LRTP for the urbanized areas of Okaloosa and Walton counties. The LRTP lists transportation related improvements for roads, public transportation, and bicycle/pedestrian facilities. The current plan, which includes a planning timeframe through 2035, was adopted in 2012. The LRTP is updated every five years. It is anticipated that the 2040 LRTP update will be completed in spring 2017. With respect to transit, the plan identifies the need for eight park-and-ride lots, multimodal corridors, several express transit routes, and water transit routes within the region. Table E-1 lists the adopted needs for express transit service and park-and-ride lots. Note that these needs do not factor the available financial resources required to fund them, as only 4% of the $6 billion (in 2010 dollars) in estimated needs can be funded by the TPO. The Cost Feasible Plan is a plan that factors financial constraints. This plan lists transit improvements including building five park-and-ride lots, at SR 285 and U S90 (SR 10) at Mossy Head, SR 85 and Commerce Drive, SR 85 at Rattlesnake Bluff Road, SR 20 and East Bay Loop Road (Freeport), US 331 (SR 83) and Rockhill Road (CST/CEI FY 16-20), and providing two express transit service from Niceville to Destin and from Fort Walton Beach to Destin, as summarized in Table E-2. The 2035 Cost Feasible Plan includes transit funding for operations and maintenance of existing transit services and routes. ACCESS EC RIDER | Okaloosa County’s 10-Year Transit Development Plan E-5 Appendix E: Plans and Studies Review Table E-1: Adopted Needs Plan Table Project Roadway From To Improvement ID High-Capacity Transit Projects 69 Express Transit Service Crestview Eglin Air Force Base Provide express transit service 70 Express Transit Service Crestview Fort Walton Beach Provide express transit service Navarre (Santa 71 Express Transit Service Hurlburt Field Provide express transit service