In developing transportation related issues and proposals to bring forward for consideration by TWIC, staff receives input from the Board of Supervisors (BOS), references the County's adopted Legislative Platforms, coordinates with our legislative advocates, partner agencies and organizations, and consults with the Committee itself.
This report includes four sections, 1: LOCAL, 2: REGIONAL, 3: STATE, and 4: FEDERAL.
1. LOCAL
Accessible Transportation Strategic (ATS) Plan Update
One of the primary recommendations of the ATS Plan (Approved in 2021) was to convene a Task Force to guide the implementation of the plan. The first meeting of the Task Force was held on October 21st, the following is a summary of actions and discussion from that meeting:
Membership
- Staff discussed the currently empty seat for the low-income community and solicited feedback from the Task Force.
- Debbie Toth (Choice in Aging) proposed adding another seat to include Mobility Matters who is active in the accessible transportation field in Contra Costa
Funding
- Measure X: Staff described the Measure X funding source and process to the Task Force. The ATS Plan scored relatively high in the rankings. The Board of Supervisors will take the issue up at their November 16th meeting. If the ATS Plan is approved it is anticipated that funding would be available in Spring 2022.
- Transportation Network Company (TNC) Access for All (SB 1376): Some funding is available through this recently passed legislation which is meant to address the inaccessibility of the TNC fleet (Lyft, Uber). It is a new program, the amount, availability, and reliability of the funding is still relatively unknown.
Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force
Staff described the intersection between the ATS Plan and this Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) led effort that was initiated in 2020. While the Blue Ribbon effort was initiated with a focus on fixed route transit and safety, it did include recommendations specific to accessible transportation. Those recommendations are similar to the goals of the ATSP, MTC may be looking to Contra Costa as a model for implementation.
Next Steps
The TF discussed future agenda items which include a presentation on the one-seat ride pilot program, a review of different organizational models and funding mechanisms. The TF also discussed the need to form subcommittees focused on these and other specific ATSP recommendations.
2. REGIONAL
No regional report in November.
3. STATE
Update
The County's legislative advocate will be in attendance at the November meeting. The Committees list of tracked bills is attached.
Proposed Accessible Transportation Legislation from the California Senior Legislature
As reported at the October Committee meeting, the California Senior Legislature (CSL) is proposing new legislation to fund and improve accessible transportation statewide. County staff and our legislative advocate have been providing support to the CSL on the topic given the supporting language in our State Legislative Platform (see below). The proposal would create the Accessible Transportation Account (ATA), authorize Consolidated Transportation Services Agencies (CTSAs, authorized under existing law) to oversee expenditures at the local level, and improve the CTSA mechanism. While vehicle registration/license fees are cited as potential revenue sources in the proposal, that specific detail has not yet been finalized.
The origin of the bill was the State's Master Plan for Aging (MPA) process which began in 2019 and was completed in early 2021. The MPA addressed a spectrum of aging issues including housing, caregiving, affordability of aging, fighting isolation, and transportation. The transportation recommendations in the final MPA was an outlier relative to the other topics, the input of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee were disregarded and replaced by non-substantive talking points without explanation or consultation with the Stakeholders. The State's response to the Stakeholder transportation input was unusual not only in its disparate treatment relative to the other topic areas, but also given that the recommendations were relatively modest, strengthening existing statutes and promoting widely accepted best practices. The speculation among staff is that it was the Stakeholders insistence that the State actually fund and implement the recommendations so they don't "sit on a shelf" caused the recommendations to be rejected and rewritten. The frustration with the State's response combined with a legacy of inaction drove several members of the CSL to propose legislation to address the transportation issue. The MPA effort is just the latest transportation recommendations in the aging space to be disregarded by the State, reports in 2005 and 2007 were ignored as well.
Update: The CSL held their annual legislative session in October, from the 26th to the 28th, the legislative proposal was approved.
The proposal is consistent with our adopted State Legislative Platform as follows:
Legislative and/or Regulatory Advocacy Priorities: Transportation for Seniors, Persons with Disabilities
Climate Change: SUPPORT efforts to expand eligible expenditures of the Climate Investments to investments in accessible transit/transportation systems (serving seniors, disabled, and veterans) which result in more efficient service and corresponding reductions in greenhouse gas production, and in investments in infrastructure and programs to promote active transportation, particularly bicycling and walking.
Human Services: Older Adults: • SUPPORT continued and improved funding to expand services for older adults and people with disabilities.
4. FEDERAL
No federal report in November.
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