On June 14, 2005, the Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 2005/357 which recommended to the Local Agency Formation Commission of Contra Costa County (LAFCO) the formation of County Service Area (CSA) T-1, Public Transit, in the Danville Area. The property located within CSA T-1 receives a special and distinct benefit over and above the general benefits received by the public at-large in the form of extended public transit services. These extended public transit services consist of the implementation of Transportation Demand Management programs as discussed in this report, and in the Plan for Providing Services for CSA T-1, which is on file with LAFCO. On October 18, 2005, Resolution 2005/674 stated that the transit services should be supported by a benefit assessment on parcels that receive this special and distinct benefit.
The Measure J Traffic Congestion Relief Agency (TRAFFIX) is a traffic congestion relief program implemented in 2009 and operated cooperatively by Contra Costa County, City of San Ramon, Town of Danville, and San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) to reduce traffic congestion caused by students being driven to and from schools in the San Ramon area.
The properties included within CSA T-1 are known as the Alamo Creek/Intervening Properties Development east of the Town of Danville. Together these developments are commonly referred to as the Integrated Project. The Integrated Project constitutes approximately 767 acres located south of Camino Tassajara between Hansen Lane and Finley Road in unincorporated Contra Costa County, California.
Wilbur Smith Associates (WSA) completed a Transit Improvements Study of the Integrated Project in March 2005. The study acknowledged that a limited market existed for transit services and consequently, a limited transit service is offered in the study area. The study concluded that a latent demand for transit could be satisfied if a regular commuter service were provided. Given the size of the Integrated Project and the workplace destinations and commuting behavior of the adjacent census tracts, as outlined by a census-based demographic analysis, a weekday rush-hour commuter service would provide the greatest benefit of transit services under consideration. Specifically, the report recommended that the proposed transit service include the Walnut Creek Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station and Bishop Ranch Business Park as destinations.
Since the market demand for transit services is currently limited, a full-scale fixed-route CCCTA bus is not warranted at this time. CSA T-1 recognized in addition to providing transit service to workplace destinations, there is currently a demand for school bus services. While awaiting transit demand to increase, CSA T-1’s interim plan is to participate in providing school bus services. The CSA T-1 funds are intended to provide extended public transit services in the form of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs for residents within the CSA T-1 properties. Per the Engineer’s Report, the funds can be used only to provide commuter-related transit service programs. The Transportation Service Agreement with the TRAFFIX school bus program between the CSA T-1 properties and Monte Vista High School is anticipated to be an effective TDM measure to reduce commuter traffic congestion along the school travel routes during the peak hours by removing vehicular trips associated with students who are driven to and from school. Therefore, the TRAFFIX school bus program could be partially funded by the CSA T-1 funds.
TRAFFIX provided data indicating there are 205 students residing within CSA T-1 that attend Monte Vista High School. TRAFFIX considers 50 students as a full bus and will cancel a bus route if there are less than 28 students committed to ride the bus along a route. Participation of approximately 25% would result in a full bus. It is anticipated that at least 50 students would participate, resulting in a full bus.
In the event that there is less than 25% participation, or less than 50 CSA T-1 students utilizing this school bus service, TRAFFIX will allow non-CSA T-1 students to ride this bus in seats that would otherwise be empty. It is not possible to order bus services for a full bus. Keeping this bus exclusively for the use of CSA T-1 students and not allowing these empty seats to be utilized will not reduce costs to CSA T-1. Instead, allowing non-CSA T-1 residents to ride the bus will benefit the CSA T-1 residents in two ways. First, the non-CSA T-1 students will purchase passes that will reduce the cost of the bus operation paid by CSA T-1. Second, although the CSA T-1 students are not utilizing those seats, by allowing nearby students to use those seats it means that a vehicle trip is taken off the road network and thus contributing indirectly to traffic mitigation benefits to CSA T-1 residents.
The TRAFFIX board approved this Agreement at their January 21, 2014 Board of Directors meeting.