SR-032696-6L
TD: JBC: SG: jW/F \TRANS'ADMIN\COUNCILIWPFILES\SRTP96
Council Meeting: March 26, 1996
Santa Monica,
c~6rnia L
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TO:
Mayor and city Council
MAR 2 6 1996
FROM:
city staff
SUBJECT: Authorize the city Manager to File a Short Range
Transit Plan and Applications for Funds
Introduction
This report requests that the City Council authorize the City
Manager to file a Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) to permit the
Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines to remain eligible for federal
and state transit funds. In addition, this report requests that
the City Council authorize the City Manager to file applications
for funds based on the SRTP.
Backqround
In accordance with requirements of the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) ,
the
Southern
California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA), every three years the City must
file a Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) in order to remain
eliglble for federal and state funding assistance.
The SRTP
projects the Municipal Bus Lines' operating expense and capital
program requirements, including fleet replacement,
facility
improvement, equipment modernization and other capital needs.
While the primary purpose of the SRTP is to provide budget
information and justification to the MTA for its use in making
funding allocations for FY 1996-97, the plan does provide
MAR 2 6 1996
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projections for the four-year period FY 1997-2000, based on the
information currently available.
In addition to annual operating and financial documentation, this
year's SRTP contains a summary of a line-by-line patronage
analysis conducted in FY 1994-95 by ATE Management and Service
Company. Information obtained from the survey has been used to
analyze system performance and passenger opinions of the service
provided. It should be noted that 98% of the survey respondents
found the services offered by Santa Monica's Big Blue Buses to be
adequate or better, with 84% of those rating the service as
"good" or livery good. It
Financial Analysis
The Municipal Bus Lines' financial plan util~zes funding
proj ections based on its share of MTA' s proj ected county-wide
formula allocation of transit funds for fiscal years 1996-97
through 1999-2000. For FY 1996-97, the formula allocation funds
to be used by the Transportation Department for operations are
projected at $11 million. In addition, local operating revenues
(fares, charter, advertising, interest, lease and Proposition A
Local Return revenues) are estimated at $8.6 million.
The FY 1996-97 program contains a $20.8 million capital
improvement program which includes a facility expansion,
replacement of transit vehicles, and modernization of the
Transportation Department's administrative and maintenance
buildings to accommodate increased service capacity. Projected
capital expenditures are fully funded from subsidy sources.
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Beyond FY 1996-1997, the SRTP emphasizes operational improvements
which will be refined after the completion of the Department I s
community outreach process.
Recommended service improvements
which are adopted by Council will be reflected in future SRTP
updates.
Financial projections for FY 1996-97 will serve as the basis for
preparation of the Transportation Department budget, which will
be considered by the city council during the City budget process.
Fiscal years beyond 1996-97 will be addressed again next year in
an update to the SRTP, and in future City budgets.
Recommendation
city staff recommends that the city council:
1) Authorize the City Manager to file the Short Range Transit
Plan for FY 1997-00 with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportatlon
Authority
and
the
Southern
California
Association of Governments.
2) Authorize the city Manager to file applications for funds
made available by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority.
prepared by: John B. Catoe, Jr., Director of Transportation
Stephanie Griffin, Senior Administrative Analyst