Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Transit Development Plan Major Update — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: August 16, 2016 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Elliot Kampert SUBJECT: Transit Development Plan Major Update DEPARTMENT: Growth Management BCC DISTRICT: All STATEMENT OF ISSUE: The Growth Management Department requests that the Board adopt the Okaloosa County Transit Development Plan Major Update, 2017-2026, developed by Tindale-Oliver Associates in conjunction with the Okaloosa County Transit Cooperative, the West Florida Regional Planning Council, Maruti Fleet and Management, and County staff. BACKGROUND: The State of Florida Public Transit Block Grant Program was enacted by the Florida Legislature to provide a stable source of funding for public transit. The Block Grant Program requires public transit service providers such as Okaloosa County to develop, adopt, and annually update a 10-Year Transit Development Plan (TDP) to ensure that the provision of public transportation is consistent with the mobility needs of the local communities. Under legislation that became effective February 20, 2007, the TDP must undergo a Major Update every five years. Each update must be submitted to the appropriate Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Office by September 1st. This major TDP update was initiated by Okaloosa County in cooperation with the Okaloosa- Walton Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) to update Okaloosa County’s 10-year TDP. The attached Access EC Rider TDP represents the community’s vision for public transportation in its service area over the next 10 years. It is important to note that, while the information presented in the TDP is intended to guide the development and growth of the public transportation system, adoption by the board does not obligate the County to any of the programs or improvements recommended by the TDP. The attached presentation ("Access EC Rider TDP - August Board") describes in detail the purposes of the Major Update, the public input and other processes used during its development, and provides a number of recommendations for public transportation improvements. The major update of Okaloosa County’s TDP must be adopted by the Board of County Commissioners and transmitted to the State by September 1, 2016, and will extend the 10-year planning horizon to include Fiscal Years 2017 through 2026. OPTIONS: The Board of County Commissioners may adopt or not adopt the 2017-2026 Transit Development Plan Major Update. Failure to adopt will jeopardize the availability of grant funding. RECOMMENDATION: The Department of Growth Management requests that the Board adopt the Okaloosa County Transit Development Plan Major Update, 2017-2026, and authorize its transmittal to Florida Department of Transportation. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: John Hofstad, County Administrator