Draft 2001 RTP Overview

SIDEBARS Reaching Out RTP Outreach Highlights Thinking Outside the Box Lifeline Transit Fueling Smart Growth Sample Local RTP Projects ACA 4 - Possible Uses Setting Regional Rail/Bus Priorities Air Quality Trends

MTC is pleased to present this summary of the Draft 2001 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). This long-range planning document proposes a detailed set of investments and strategies to maintain, manage and improve the surface transportation network in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

MTC last updated the RTP in 1998. At that time, agency planners and forecasters had to peer 20 years into the future -- into a new century and a new millennium. Three years later, having crossed the once-daunting Y2K barrier, it is time to extend our gaze yet further into the future. Federal regulations now require that transportation plans cover a 20-plus-year time horizon. In this plan, we choose to look ahead all the way to the year 2025.

New Directions
The plan takes account of shifts in the physical and financial landscape over the past three years. In the realm of new facilities, the BART extension from Colma to the San Francisco International Airport is on track for a 2002 opening; 9.5 miles of light-rail extensions opened for passenger service in Santa Clara County; Caltrans completed rebuilding the massive Interstate 680/Highway 24 interchange; and the FasTrak electronic toll collection system was installed on Bay Area bridges, to name a few. There also has been good news in the funding realm: Last November, voters in Alameda and Santa Clara counties mustered the two-thirds votes necessary to extend their half-cent sales taxes, providing $7.9 billion for new projects and programs, while Governor Gray Davis was successful in steering his $6.8 billion Traffic Congestion Relief Program toward passage, with $1.7 billion of the new funding slated for the Bay Area.

At some 180 pages, this edition of the RTP is almost double the size of its predecessor -- not counting supporting documents such as the environmental impact report that add even more pages to the tally. The extra heft is partially attributable to responses to public input as well as several new initiatives. For instance, system management and environmental justice emerge as key focus areas. The plan also sketches out a Regional Transit Expansion Policy that will identify which bus and rail expansion projects should receive the next round of federal "New Starts" grants. For the first time, MTC introduces the notion of performance measures that will benchmark our progress in meeting key RTP goals. And, we've tried to think outside the box, proposing to study or test a number of experimental concepts, such as converting free parking to paid parking as a way of encouraging transit use, filling up freeway carpool lanes with express buses and allowing express buses on freeway shoulders (see "Thinking Outside the Box"). While many of these innovations could get off the ground with minimal funding, some may encounter public resistance and will require significant consensus-building on the part of MTC, our partner agencies, and state and local elected officials.

You Talk, We Listen
In development for approximately one year, the 2001 edition of the plan is the product of concerted analysis by MTC staff and a team of consultants, a parallel analysis and deliberation process on the part of the nine county congestion management agencies, and extensive public outreach. The outreach campaign was unprecedented in terms of MTC's efforts to hold meetings in low-income communities, the range of techniques used (including MTC's first-ever interactive Web poll), and the sheer number of residents who actively participated in one way or another -- in excess of 4,000 people. (For more details about the outreach, see the following box, and refer to the companion document, Public Outreach & Involvement Program, Phase 1 Summary Report.)

Six major messages emerged from the workshops and the Web survey. Following is a short discussion of each message along with some highlights of how the draft plan responds to the public's concerns.

Message 1
Let's get more out of our existing transportation resources.
After spending billions of dollars on roads and transit in the Bay Area, we should maximize the return on this significant investment through better management, improved maintenance and more efficient operation of the existing system. Specific suggestions from the public included filling underutilized carpool/bus lanes, using signal timing and other technologies to relieve congested streets, improving the performance of existing buses and trains, and filling gaps in the current bike-lane system.

RTP Response
We do need to squeeze more efficiency out of the existing transportation system as well as maintain the system in good working order. Nearly two-thirds of the entire RTP budget is devoted to transit maintenance and operations, and another 14 percent to road maintenance and operations. Of the new discretionary funding, the RTP sets aside a half billion dollars to sustain system management and customer service programs. System management is an ongoing mission of MTC and requires extraordinary cooperation among all the transportation agencies, which MTC seeks to facilitate. A number of these programs are described in more detail below.

Message 2
We're having tremendous problems moving people and freight -- caused by both traffic congestion and inadequate transit service -- and we're worried because things are getting worse, not better.
Individuals voiced a real sense of urgency about the serious impacts on their lives, their businesses and the Bay Area's quality of life from traffic congestion, inadequate transit service and other transportation problems. A major finding from many of the workshops was that our Bay Area transportation problems appear to be getting worse, not better. Responding to this crisis, workshop participants supported new transportation funding mechanisms. They proposed that transportation planners use trial programs to test new and unique approaches. They also made a plea for stronger leadership from MTC and other transportation agencies to provide the vision and direction that the region desperately needs.

RTP Response
People want faster solutions, and ones that don't necessarily cost an arm and a leg. The RTP lays out a number of areas where innovation may help, including using reversible lanes to add capacity in the peak direction, using the shoulders of freeways to allow buses to get around bottlenecks, and adding new regional express buses on freeways as well as "local" express buses on major arterials. It's also time to think about congestion pricing, whereby bridge tolls are set depending on the time of day, to help spread out the traffic crunch (see sidebar).

Message 3
We'll take transit more frequently if some of the key obstacles are removed.
A number of workshop participants indicated that they would take transit more often if transportation agencies removed some of the key barriers that discourage transit use, such as inadequate local transit connections to rail stations, too many different tickets and passes, and personal safety concerns.

RTP Response
The RTP goes a long way toward making transit a more attractive alternative to auto travel. The TransLink^® universal "smart card" transit ticket will allow riders to easily access all bus, rail and ferry services. The new express bus program will provide significant savings in travel time for commuters. The TravInfo^® regionwide traveler information phone service (817-1717, which will soon transition to 511), the Bay Area Transit Information Web Page and the online TakeTransit^SM Trip Planner are making it easier to access transit maps, schedules, fares and itineraries. Meanwhile, generous funding of transit operating costs means money will be available for better police and security systems.

Message 4
Transit is vital to low-income individuals, but it takes too long.
For individuals who depend on transit and paratransit to get to work, school and medical services, transit is not a choice; rather it's an essential part of their daily lives. The number one issue for those who depend on transit was that trips on transit take too long, sometimes taking two to five times longer than driving. Participants also spotlighted infrequent or nonexistent service to some areas, lack of evening and weekend services, and the high cost of transit. Specific suggestions included expediting bus service by expanding bus-only lanes on streets and freeways; expanding train and light-rail service; providing more direct links to major destinations such as large medical centers; running transit longer hours at night and during the weekend; and subsidizing transit fares for low-income individuals.

RTP Response
MTC is attacking these issues on a number of fronts. For those trying to move from welfare to work, MTC has developed a regional Welfare to Work Plan that calls for reducing or eliminating transportation barriers and gaps that make it difficult for low-income individuals to obtain and keep jobs and access other basic services. Finding new operating funds to continue the recently inaugurated Low-Income Flexible Transportation (LIFT) services will be a key objective. Over the longer term, MTC envisions creation of a Lifeline Transit Network that will operate in the late evenings and close key transit gaps between low-income communities and grocery stores, medical services, educational services and government centers (see sidebar). A pilot program to subsidize transit passes for low-income students is in the works as part of a larger Transit Affordability Study.

Message 5
Land use and transportation cannot be separated.
Workshop and Web survey participants emphatically stated that land use and transportation cannot be separated. Transportation services must be coordinated with land-use planning if we are to avoid increased congestion, decreased mobility and a reduced quality of life. Transportation agencies cannot, by themselves, fix our transportation problems. Addressing the Bay Area's housing crisis is central to solving our long-term transportation problems. Specific suggestions included: building more affordable housing in the central Bay Area; developing much stronger partnerships between government agencies responsible for land-use and transportation planning; building or rebuilding communities around transit, walking and biking; and providing incentives to cities and housing developers to increase the supply of housing near transit services.

RTP Response
By devoting 80 percent of available funds to maintaining and operating the existing transportation network, the 2001 RTP recognizes that the first and best defense against sprawl is investment in the urban core. In addition, MTC has a number of initiatives under way to link transportation and land-use decisions (see sidebar). The RTP proposes to triple funding for the successful Transportation for Livable Communities program (funding for small-scale transportation improvements such as pedestrian/bicycle paths, transit plazas and streetscapes) and the Housing Incentive Program (which fosters the construction of high-density housing near transit centers). MTC will actively seek long-term growth solutions in the regional smart growth initiative that is being developed by five regional agencies. The results of that project are expected to influence the 2004 RTP.

Message 6
We don't understand who is in charge.
The complicated transportation decision-making process often confused and sometimes angered workshop participants. In most cases, they were not familiar with the agencies that were listed. Hearing how many entities were involved made it difficult for many to understand who is in charge of improving the transportation system, who makes the decisions, and whom local citizens should be persuading or pressuring. The frustration was heightened by a perception that agencies tend toward "passing the buck." Specific suggestions included consolidating planning agencies and plans, consolidating transit service providers, and defining clearer authority for each transportation agency. Participants also requested more regional leadership from MTC.

RTP Response
The RTP furthers a number of efforts to knit the region's diverse and far-flung public transit services into a cohesive network. The TransLink^® universal fare card is a prime example, as is the TravInfo^® traveler information hotline, which links to more than two dozen transit information centers. In terms of regional leadership, MTC has taken the initiative in launching the Regional Transit Expansion Policy, which will be key to landing sought-after federal "New Starts" funding. This will be the second time MTC has stepped into the breach: In 1988 the agency brokered a landmark regional agreement that resulted in BART extensions to Dublin/Pleasanton, Pittsburg/Bay Point and San Francisco International Airport, as well as new light-rail service in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. There's no arguing, however, that the Bay Area transportation arena is complex, involving many agencies and players. This is in part a reflection of the public's equally strong interest in retaining local control over decisions that affect them.

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A Budget Primer

Projected 25-Year Revenues
	Billions of Dollars	Percent of Total
1 Local	48.7	60%
2 Regional	11.6	14%
3 Federal	10.8	13%
4 State	10.5	13%
TOTAL	$81.6	100%

Under guidelines embodied in two landmark federal bills -- the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), and its predecessor, the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) -- long-range transportation plans must be budget driven. This stipulation is tied to air quality concerns: No longer can planning organizations take credit for transit or highway projects that might be on the books and have some potential for cleansing the air, but which don't stand a chance of being built because funding is insufficient.

So what is the budget for the 2001 RTP? After looking at revenue streams from local, regional, state and federal sources -- including bridge tolls, transit fares, state and federal gas taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes -- MTC's planning staff determined that $82 billion in transportation revenues will flow to the Bay Area over the next 25 years (see pie chart: Projected 25-Year Revenues). However, the vast bulk of this, or $74 billion (amounting to 90 percent), is already spoken for, having been committed by law, ballot measures or recent MTC programming actions. Most of this committed funding will go toward operating and maintaining the region's existing roads and transit systems, or toward rail and bus expansion projects approved by local voters. Included in this calculation is the cost of maintaining or rehabilitating the region's 19,600 miles of local streets and roads, and the day-to day costs of operating the region's far-flung public transit network, which encompasses 9,860 miles of routes, including about 400 miles of rail transit.

After setting aside the $74 billion for committed projects, planners were left with $7.7 billion in discretionary funding that could be assigned to Track 1 -- the heart of the 2001 RTP investment strategy. We'll look at how the Draft RTP proposes to distribute that discretionary pot in a moment. But first, let's address a point that comes up frequently in public forums. There is a perception on the part of some critics that the region is somehow favoring travel by automobiles, and underinvesting in public transit. But when you look at the entire RTP expenditure plan -- both committed and Track 1 discretionary spending -- the criticism couldn't be further from the facts: A full 44 percent is earmarked for transit operating costs (a category that includes drivers' salaries, fuel costs and day-to-day maintenance of vehicles); 19 percent for rehabilitation/replacement of transit vehicles, tracks and other facilities; and 17 percent for transit expansion. In all, an impressive 80 percent of the $82 billion in transportation funding flowing to the region over the next 25 years is earmarked for public transit, as compared to 20 percent for roadway needs (see pie chart: Projected 25-Year Expenditures).

Projected 25-Year Expenditures
	Billions of Dollars	Percent of Total
1 Transit Operations	35.8*	44%
2 Transit Rehabilitation	15.6	19%
3 Transit Expansion	13.6	17%
4 Roadway Maintenance and Operations	11.5	14%
5 Roadway Expansion	3.0	4%
6 Other**	2.1	2%
TOTAL	$81.6	100%
*36% fare revenue/64% subsidy **Other includes bike and pedestrian improvements, Transportation for Livable Communities/Housing Incentive Program grants, system management, etc.

Local vs. Regional Priorities: A Balancing Act
Like past plans, this RTP attempts to strike a balance between county-driven project priorities (often endorsed by local voters) and the need to manage and maintain the diverse elements of the Bay Area's transportation network as a single, regional system. Roughly one-half of the Track 1 pot of $7.7 billion in discretionary revenues has been earmarked for road and transit projects recommended by the county congestion management agencies. These priorities are tailored to local preferences and circumstances, such as prevailing development patterns and community lifestyles.

The other half of Track 1 funds is reserved for regional programs and services recommended by MTC. A top spending priority is backfilling the deficit for transit system rehabilitation over the next 25 years (replacing worn-out vehicles, etc.). The remaining funds in the regional Track 1 pot are earmarked for rehabilitating roads of regional significance, and programs that squeeze more efficiency out of -- or improve access to -- the transportation network, and foster smart growth.

The RTP's regional programs include the following:

• Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC)/Housing Incentive Program (HIP)
  The TLC program provides planning and capital grants for small-scale transportation projects that enhance community vitality. The HIP grants complement the TLC grants by encouraging the construction of high-density housing adjacent to transit hubs.
• TransLink^® transit smart card
  Funds the regionwide roll-out of a universal fare card that can be used as a passport for any of the region's bus, rail or ferry systems. Involves installation of new fare-reading equipment on hundreds of vehicles and in dozens of rail stations. (A test program will begin in fall 2001.)
• Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) and call box network
  The region's fleet of 74 FSP trucks currently patrols 400 miles of freeways and expressways, assisting motorists in distress free of charge while also clearing accidents and debris. In addition, some 3,500 call boxes provide a link to the California Highway Patrol and other emergency services.
• TravInfo^® traveler information system and other traffic management programs
  Continues to expand and enhance a telephone hotline (817-1717, which can be dialed toll-free from any Bay Area area code) that provides real-time information on traffic congestion as well as links to transit information centers; also upgrades the infrastructure for collecting data on freeway conditions.
• Pavement management and traffic engineering technical assistance programs
  Underwrites MTC's efforts to assist cities and counties with assessing pavement conditions and prescribing effective treatments, as well as a second technical assistance program that assists cities and counties with synchronizing and modernizing traffic signals -- particularly along routes that cross jurisdictional lines.
• Rideshare programs
  Underwrites carpool/vanpool ridematching and employer-based commute services throughout the Bay Area.
• Regional transit information and marketing programs
  Supports a suite of MTC-sponsored programs aimed at building public transit ridership, including the Transit Information Web Page (www.transitinfo.org), which provides route and schedule information for five dozen bus, rail and ferry operators in the Bay Area and adjacent regions; the Web-based TakeTransit^SM Trip Planner, which generates instant, detailed transit itineraries; and marketing campaigns to publicize regional transit services.

System Management -- A Common Thread
A good many of the MTC-sponsored regional programs receiving funding under Track 1 fall under the heading of "system management" -- something that MTC is championing in a big way in this RTP. In fact, MTC system management programs account for 7 percent of the Track 1 funds. The idea of system management began to take shape in the early 1990s, when it became evident that metropolitan regions could no longer afford to build their way out of traffic congestion problems in terms of either dollar costs or community impacts.

System management techniques aim to boost the efficiency of the transportation network while improving travelers' access to transportation services. It's also about forestalling costly, major rehabilitation work by keeping up with day-to-day system maintenance.

The Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) is a prime example of system management at work. The white tow trucks cruise up and down congested freeways during commute hours, aiding motorists in distress and removing debris. With 50 percent of freeway congestion attributable to stalls, accidents and other incidents, it's easy to see how (as confirmed in a recent study) every dollar spent on the FSP returns $12 in congestion-relief benefits.

One Plan, Two Tiers
At the same time as specifying how MTC intends to spend the $7.7 billion in uncommitted transportation funding likely to flow to the region from existing local, regional, state and federal sources between now and 2025, the RTP presents a second tier of projects falling under the rubric of the Bay Area Transportation Blueprint for the 21st Century.

The Blueprint began to take shape in 1999, when MTC undertook an ambitious planning effort to look beyond current funding limits, and identify the full range of projects and programs needed to provide mobility for the Bay Area in the new millennium.

Encompassing about $33 billion in spending, the Blueprint proposes to first fill funding shortfalls for basic infrastructure and services. At the same time, the Blueprint includes a number of large-scale transit and highway projects that would substantially expand the network's people-carrying capacity -- and help meet the 30 percent surge in travel expected over the next two-plus decades.

Already, the Blueprint has met with considerable success, helping the Bay Area to score $1.7 billion in the governor's Traffic Congestion Relief Program in 2000. The Blueprint positions the Bay Area to take full advantage of any new revenues that might flow from a major new funding mechanism -- whether at the federal, state or local level.

ACA 4: The Next Frontier
By presenting two tiers of projects and programs -- Track 1, or those that can be funded with existing revenues, along with the more far-reaching Blueprint -- the RTP asks, "What if?"

• What if we could restore our road, bus, rail, ferry and carpool network to mint condition?
• What if we go beyond such nuts and bolts, to close gaps in the region's bus, rail and carpool lane network?
• What if we go a step further, and strategically expand the system so that it keeps pace with the region's growth?
• What if we could inspire legislators, the administration in Sacramento and local voters to dig a little deeper into our collective pockets so as to meet the Bay Area's pressing transportation problems head on?

As the staff and commissioners at MTC prepared to release the draft RTP, this series of "what ifs" became considerably more tangible when the Legislature acted to put a major transportation financing measure on the state ballot as soon as the spring of 2002. Under Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4 (Dutra), voters will be asked to make permanent a temporary funding mechanism that fully dedicates the existing state sales tax on gasoline to transportation purposes. This sales tax provides a steady stream of funding for a vital part of the state's infrastructure. For the Bay Area, the extension would generate an impressive $6.3 billion in new transportation revenues over the next 25 years -- nearly doubling the pot of uncommitted transportation resources! (See sidebar.)

The infusion of gas sales tax money would be enough to fill virtually every remaining pothole in the region; restore every transit system to its original condition; modernize outdated technologies and equipment; and begin to deploy a "Lifeline Transit Network" that caters to the needs of low-income residents -- with money left in the bank to beef up the region's fleet of express buses and extend the rail network in several directions. If the measure passes by the simple majority vote that it requires, drivers won't spend anything beyond the taxes they currently pay. Indeed, travelers have nothing to lose and everything to gain, in the form of assurance that there will be a direct correspondence between what they pay at the gas pump, and the benefits they receive.

While the extension of the sales tax on gasoline has generated considerable excitement in the transportation community, it is not the only possible funding source for the Blueprint for the 21st Century. It is likely that Contra Costa, San Mateo and San Francisco counties will pursue extensions of their special half-cent transportation sales taxes (which all expire by 2010). If the experience of Santa Clara and Alameda counties is any indication -- both passed extensions of their transportation sales taxes in 2000 with more than the required two-thirds vote -- success is within reach. It's also possible that the roster of so-called "self-help" counties will ultimately include four additional Bay Area counties that have yet to pass a transportation sales tax: Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma. And while rising gas prices have made a regional gas tax off-limits for the moment, MTC remains committed to testing voter support for this idea when the political and economic climate improves.

Works in Progress

The Draft 2001 RTP is just that -- a draft that was prepared under strict federal deadlines. At this writing, a number of parallel efforts are under way to further define specific components for improving the region's transportation network. Several of these are timed to reach completion by the time the RTP is adopted in November 2001, and in effect will be amended into the plan at that point.

Regional Transit Expansion Policy
With the BART extension to San Francisco International Airport due to open next year, two BART extensions in the East Bay already in revenue service and the second half of the Tasman light-rail line under construction in Santa Clara County, the Bay Area transportation community and lawmakers are asking, "What's next?"

In an effort to answer that question, MTC has adopted a Regional Transit Expansion Policy, and is developing a set of projects under its direction. The new initiative takes the place of Resolution 1876, the Regional Rail Agreement forged by MTC in 1988. That earlier pact allowed the Bay Area to speak with one voice in Washington and obtain $930 million in fiercely competitive federal "New Starts" funds. The 1988 funding package paved the way for the SFO BART line as well as the BART extensions to Dublin/Pleasanton and Pittsburg/Bay Point in the East Bay, both of which were completed in the late 1990s. In all, MTC's 1988 agreement expanded the regional rail network by some 40 miles.

While Resolution 1876 focused exclusively on rail, its successor broadens the scope of the regional consensus-building exercise to also include express/rapid bus transit. As envisioned by MTC, a fleet of long-distance coaches could close gaps in the region's transit network and take some of the load off crowded freeways while capitalizing on the region's web of commuter lanes. The first wave of roughly 100 buses is already funded, and should begin to roll into the Bay Area in 2002.

A number of candidate projects have been listed in either Track 1 or the Blueprint tier of the 2001 Draft RTP on a contingency basis, pending the outcome of deliberations in the weeks leading up to the adoption of the final RTP. (See sidebar for a list of sample candidate projects.)

Regional Bicycle Master Plan
MTC is developing a Regional Bicycle Master Plan that for the first time would define a regional, interconnected network of bike routes, paths and trails and lay the groundwork for closing gaps in that network. A major focus is the completion of two regional trail systems: the Bay Trail, designed to be a continuous path along the edge of San Francisco Bay, and the Ridge Trail, which will encircle the region along an inland route. The plan also will look at improving the connectivity between bike facilities and transit lines; implementing transit policies that will make it easier for riders to put their bikes on buses, trains and ferries; enhancing rider safety; and increasing the availability of secure bike parking at transit stations and other key locations around the Bay Area. Planners also will develop model ordinances to help local jurisdictions become more bike friendly, and identify funding sources for expanding bike facilities.

The effort is guided by a broad-based policy committee that includes representatives from the congestion management agencies, transit operators, Caltrans, MTC's Advisory Council and the Regional Bicycle Advocacy Coalition. MTC hosted two well-attended workshops this past spring, with another two scheduled for September 2001. The plan will wrap up this fall, in time for findings to be incorporated into the final RTP.

Pedestrian Safety
At the same time as working to promote bicycling as a viable transportation option, MTC is exploring ways of making streets safer for pedestrians. In early 2001, MTC established a Pedestrian Safety Task Force made up of staff from city and county planning and public works departments, representatives from law enforcement agencies, and interested citizens. MTC will host a Bay Area-wide summit on the topic in October 2001 to generate wider public involvement in the project. In developing a regional pedestrian safety program, the task force is looking at what are known as the three "Es": enforcement, education and engineering. One outcome might be a technical assistance program in which MTC deploys experts to analyze and solve local safety issues. Preliminary findings will be folded into the final 2001 RTP.

Federal Air Quality Plan
While Bay Area air quality is improving overall (see sidebar), the region continues to exceed the federal one-hour ozone standard a few days during the summer, mainly on hot afternoons in the inland valleys. A related document, the 2001 Bay Area Ozone Attainment Plan, will lay out an action plan designed to bring the region into full compliance with federal ozone standards by 2006. MTC and two regional agency partners -- the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District -- are putting the finishing touches on the Ozone Attainment Plan, with the goal of an October 2001 adoption. A separate conformity analysis report ensures the consistency of this RTP with air quality objectives.

Public Review: We're Still Listening
Just as public input was instrumental in the formulation of the Draft RTP, the public will play a vital role in reviewing the document before the Commission takes final action, scheduled for November 2001. MTC will host a series of outreach meetings and public hearings in the fall of 2001 around the region to solicit comments (for dates, times and locations, call our Public Information Office at 510/817-5787). If you can't come to a meeting, you can send your comments via e-mail, fax or mail: