Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMITTEE
JANUARY 20, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: METRO COUNTYWIDE BIKE SHARE PROGRAM
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status report on Metro Countywide Bike Share Program Update.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
At the June 2015 meeting, the Board awarded a two-year contract to Bicycle Transit Systems (BTS) for the equipment, installation and operations of the Metro Countywide Bike Share Phase 1 Pilot in downtown Los Angeles (DTLA Pilot). At the July 23, 2015 meeting, the Board approved Motion 22.1 providing staff with direction on interoperability objectives. At the December 3, 2015 meeting the Board approved a fare structure and a three-step interoperability strategy for the Metro Countywide Bike Share Program.
Staff has been working with the City of Los Angeles towards the launch of the Pilot in summer 2016. On a parallel track, staff has been working with bike share ready cities identified in the Metro Countywide Bike Share Implementation Plan to prepare them for implementation, if authorized by the Board. Also staff continues to work with the TAP department to implement steps that will facilitate interoperability between Metro’s Bike Share system and other transit and bike services in Los Angeles County.
Below is a more detailed update on work carried out to date.
Downtown Los Angeles Pilot Update
The following is a brief overview of work that has been carried out in the last few months as it relates to the DTLA Pilot:
Public Outreach
Building upon the preliminary crowdsourcing station siting maps that were launched in fall and winter of 2014 and in partnership with LADOT, Metro published an online interactive online map at metro.net/bike share for public input. This interactive map served as the next step in the station site selection process by further refining station locations. The public input period was from November 10 to December 31 and we received extensive feedback on station sites. The online map was publicized on the Metro Source blog and through social media channels (including @MetroLosAngeles and @BikeMetro feeds). The station sites published represented a final draft of the station sites planned for the DTLA pilot and this input will be utilized as station siting moves into the final design and installation phases.
During the months of November and December Metro and LADOT staff has presented plans for the DTLA Pilot at over 15 downtown business improvement district and neighborhood council meetings. Additionally, we held a bike share demonstration kiosk booth at the October Heart of LA CicLAvia event and had thousands of participants see and experience the system. Additional demonstrations may be scheduled as we near the DTLA Pilot launch date.
Station Siting Permitting
A test batch of station site plans have been routed internally at Metro and the City of Los Angeles and are pending approval. This first batch of station site plans being routed is intended to test the bike share station permitting and approval processes within each city department in order to ensure a streamlined process for permitting for the remaining sites which will be submitted this winter.
Equipment Order
Staff placed an equipment order with BTS on October 30, 2015 for 1000 bicycles and 82 stations. A prototype bicycle has been delivered and accepted. Based on additional analysis on station size by BTS, our final station configurations and scope provides 20% more station locations than originally planned to provide greater network density. High bike share station density has been shown by international and national studies improve system access, ridership and system success.
Marketing Plan
We are developing a bike share marketing plan that will leverage Metro’s annual active transportation campaign. The marketing plan will stress education on bike share, safe riding practices and include promotional activities to encourage bike share registrations and walk up usage. Staff is working closely with the Communications Department in developing all materials.
Equity Programs
Staff is conducting research on best practices and has been meeting with leaders in the bike share industry and local bicycle community to explore grant opportunities and partnerships. We will return to the Board in March 2016 with a recommendation for how to further address equity as part of bike share.
Sponsorship
Previously we used the RFP process to find a sponsor, which resulted in no viable proposals. As a path forward, we have amended BTS’s contract to include a provision for sponsorship. BTS staff is currently working with their partner Spectra to find compatible sponsors. Spectra has strong experience securing bike share sponsorships.
Countywide Expansion Progress.
Staff has conducted outreach to plan and prepare for expansion phases in bike share ready communities. In the past few months we have held bi-monthly working groups with the City of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, County of Los Angeles, Culver City, and Pasadena. For these cities we have prepared a draft financial analysis and timeline for planning and implementation of bike share in their communities. We have also presented to cities in the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments Transportation Committee and Planners TAC and South Bay Councils of Governments on Metro Countywide Bike Share Program. To date, the cities of Burbank, Downey, Glendale and San Fernando have indicated that they intend to join Metro’s Bike Share Program.
AHSC Developer Component Menu
Staff has worked with the Sustainability group in developing a bike share developer component menu that is being considered as a separate Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) January Board action item. This component menu would enable developers who are applying for AHSC grants to pay for the inclusion of a bike share station in their proposals, with Metro and the corresponding jurisdiction’s consent. The Strategic Growth Council's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program funds land-use, housing, transportation, and land preservation projects to support infill and compact development that reduces greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will return to the Board in March with updates on a Countywide Bike Share equity program and interoperability strategy implementation.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Metro Board Report December 2015
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Avital Shavit, Transportation Planning Manager, (213) 922-7518
Laura Cornejo, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-2885
Diego Cardoso, Executive Officer, (213) 922-3076
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Calvin E. Hollis, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7319
