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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-1020 Study Session PACKET CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION Wednesday, October 20, 1999 at 12:00 p.m. Council Chambers 1. Discussion regarding the anniversary of City of Ashland's incorporation on October 13, 1874. 2. Transit Options for a Livable Ashland. I City of Ashland Depattment of Community Development Planning •'cv i Memo TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council (/(��y� Rom: John McLaughlin, Director of Community Development(/ cc: Date: 10115/99 Re: Transit Options for a Livable Ashland—Study Session—Public Comments The attached 'gems were received from the public regarding this topic. The responses represent a wide variety of ideas and concepts relating to transit that the Council should include in their discussion of this topic. •Page 1 o n c ug m-transportation Page ;J From: "meadow mouse" <Meadow_Mouse @email.msn.com> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 10/5/99 5:55PM Subject: transportation May I begin by echoing City Administrator Freeman that"The longer it[lack of adequate bus service]goes, the longer people become accustomed to using their cars again." Use of public transit options are in part predicated on availability, cost and ease of use, and part on familiar behavior and expectation patterns. The loss of the RVTD second line was not only inconvenient, it may make future public transit use more difficult to promote. Fifteen minutes and shortened service may not seem like much to folks wedded to cars in the first place or to those who aren't dependent upon public transit, but it definately makes the difference as to whether another significant portion of the population who have more choice hop in their car or walk to the bus stop. Our options were not only cut in half by the loss of the route, but the service even with the route was not full service. Merchants are hurt when transit-dependent folks(elderly, young, disabled, poor, students, etc.) can't get to them on weekends or in the evenings. And, in many ways it is a discriminatory situation which favors drivers at>the expense of the less fortunate. Ashland's demographics are changing in ways which will place even larger demands on transit in the future,just as options are diminishing. Ashland was blessed with a pretty high ridership as it was; a step ahead of most urban areas. Many Ashlanders have been accustomed to or have chosen to ride the bus whether they have been dependent upon it or not Students and others from outside of Ashland and those inside wishing to travel to other communities have been dependable riders. The hot issue of"parking"is certainly exacerbated by reduced options in i public transit I also paraphase Mayor Shaw that creating an excellent transportation system "is critical to solving parking, air quality and road maintenance problems in the City"and the region. I urge the following: 1. Some kind of more frequent, dependable"bus"service(in and out of Ashland) must be reestablished at the earliest opportunity. 2. Bus stops need to have at least minimal shelters and clear route information. 3. Bus service must be part of a comprehensive transportation plan (Citywide and regional). 4. Subsidized service for those in need must be available. 5. Ridership should be positively promoted by all segments of the community (merchants, schools, service organizations, govt, etc.) 6. Some kind of user pay system for parking should be explored fully. 7.All kinds of funding alternatives should be examined. John McLaughlin-transportation age 8. Cooperative agreements between the City and RVTD and between the City and private operators need to be fully analyzed so that the ultimate solutions are meaningful, integrated and cost-effective. Thanks for listening. I am hopeful that transportation planning will be one of the primary elements of the City's Strategic Plan (along with environmental protection, affordable and diverse housing, and education). If there is a mailing list for announcement about meetings on transportation planning, I'd surely like to be on it. My snail mail address is: 1026 Henry #2. My e-mail address is: meadow_mouse @msn.com Susan P. Rust, concerned resident John McLaughlin-Ideas of solutions to Ashland s traffic management problems. a9 From: Bob Taber<taber @mind.net> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 10/4199 3:35PM Subject: Ideas of solutions to Ashland's traffic management problems. Dear John: This is in response to your request in the Tidings and the City News Letter for citizen input regarding the challenging problems involved in the dire need for a new and comprehensive traffic management plan which would necessarily encompass significant reduction of auto use in the city, development of public transit systems, siteing of parking areas, redesigning of and beautification of Maim Street in the core of the city and ways to capitalize and preserve the uniquely historical and beatiful character of the down town ares. I believe the excessive and ever increasing use of the auto is a major factor in the erosion of the livability of this city and is diminishing the quality of life which is possible for all of us to enjoy here in Ashland. I also feel it has been been established beyond any reasonable doubt that the burning of fossil fuels by the automobile is gravely effecting the global climate, is causing unprecedented global warming, creates killing air pollution.As such, it is our responsibilty as individuals and as a city to do our utmost to take action which will correct these destrucitive behaviors and help to preserve the health and survival of our species and the biosystems that supposts our very lives. I see the following steps as feasible and necesaary to the solution of the stated problems. 1. Park and Ride areas at the north and south ends of the city for use of the tourists-with frequent shuttle service to town to their.particular places of overnight accomodation. This would be for long term parking, 24 hours or more. 2. Park and Ride area in the railroad district(in the areas where the tracks are)for local residents use and other short term parking. Shuttle service in and through.down town. 2. Eventually as the people see the possibilty, of actually being able to move themselves around at less expense and more convenience using transit, walking or biking, we could introduce shuttles into the neighborhoods above and below the boulevard. 3. Zone parking meters would be installed through out the city at fees which would provide incentives to use the new transit alternatives.These fees would help to pay for the shuttles. 4. Main Street from Water to Gresham Streets would be redesigned to have two traffic lanes and parking on the east side only. This would provide space for a safe bike lane on the west side continuing south on Siskiyou;- an additional ten feet of sidewalk space on both sides of the street which would be open to the creation of benches, landscaping, fountains and room for sidewalk cafe tables etc. 5. Creating an auto free zone in and as the plaza. This would maximize the the potential beauty of the Plaza embracing the govenmental seat of the city and provide an appropriate entrance to one of the most naturally beautiful parks in the country. I realize these improvements are bold steps and will take the courage and vision of the citizens and the city leaders, but I think anything less John McLaughlin-ideas of solutions to Ashland's Uaffic management problems. age would be like applying a bandaid to a ruptured artery. feel we would not be blazing entirely new teritories, as there are many examples in the U.S. and abroad which verify the proven benefits of such measures both to the commercial and societal components of their cities. While I do not presume to have the complete answers to these challenges, I do know there is considerable support for variations of these proposals. Through open and consciencious dialog among a group of dedicated citizens we could craft a plan of action serving the needs and preferences of this city. 1 would be happy to be a member of such a group and would also like to spend thiry minutes with you discussing some of the enclosed ideas. Hope your life is going well. Regards, Bob John McLaughlin-transit service comments age From: <rossf@jeffnetorg> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 10/13/99 8:12AM Subject: transit service comments Hello, I hope that these comments don't come too late. Mainly, I want to express my appreciation to the city for the discounted RVTD bus passes. I recently began a new job in Medford, and the opportunity to obtain a monthly pass at such a low rate has proved to be a real incentive to leave my car at home, and ride the bus. The main addition to the current transit services that I would like to have is extended hours in the evenings. The last bus for Ashland leaves Medford at 6:00 pm, and there are times that I could really use an extra hour or two in the office. I understand funding for mass-transit is difficult to procure, and do appreciate the services we currently have. Ross Finney 74 Union Ashland 552-1469 John McLaughlin-transit comments age From: "Ruth Coulthard" <ruthcoulthard @hotmail.com> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 10/11/99 11:26 P M Subject: transit comments October 11, 1999 Dear Mr. McLaughlin, This letter is in response to your request for written comments on the local transit study. First, I would like to share some of an article from the Sun., Oct 10th Oregonian, "We'd Better Prepare for Gas Pains." It elaborates on some of the reasons why mass transit must be addressed throughout our world. Our current difficulties with RVTD are providing a focus for us to commit more conscientiously to the goal of realizing an effective mass transit system. "KE.F.Watt, a professor at the University of California at Davis, advises everyone to plan their lives as if gasoline will be$100 per gallon in 10 years."This is not a prediction but an exercise in planning for such change. The exercise will reveal many policies and actions that have been recommended to us for years, including: promoting mass transit, altemative transit and walking to work; developing efficient vehicles using alternative fuels; financing research and development of clean and renewable energy sources such as conservation, renewables, hydrogen, fuel cells and fusion; developing"green"taxes to promote good practices and discourage the bad; and curtailing population growth. Conventional wisdom(old thinking)is to develop(exhaust)all the fossil fuels available on Earth, then make an obligatory and expensive transition to conservation, renewables and alternative fuels... Averting a crisis is a much better policy than reacting to one.We are not running out of fuels, we are running out of cheap fuels. Higher prices could increase the quality of our lives if we have the vision and the time to adapt. Sudden reactive afterthought could make for a bumpy ride." The focus of this article was the global gas shortage that we will be facing in the next decade, or optimistically two decades. This concern joins a host of others that encourage us to promote conservation and alternative transportation in our communities. You may find the article of interest and I will forward a copy by snail mail. In regard to our local bus system, I have a particular interest and some expertise. Not only am I a committed and enthusiastic rider, but I have encouraged my three children to use RVTD from early in grade school. My primary problem with our bus system has generally been the lack of service on evenings and weekends. However, the recent cut back in service that ended the Ashland Loop run (#5) has created new and considerable inconvenience. I know that the details of my family's schedule is not the point, but as an example to those who might not use the bus as their basic transportation, I would like to expand into details for a moment. My o n McLaughlin-transit comments age daughter takes the bus to the High School (about 1 mile)each morning. When the#5 was running, she left the house at 7:40am and arrived at school in good time for her Sam class. Now, she must leave the house at 7:10am in order to get to school on time.You can imagine that the change in schedule has not improved her morning mood. For myself, I have simply been walking more and bus riding less,which is all well and good until the weather changes, at which point my mood may sour as well.We would certainly appreciate the revival of Route#5. My family is very appreciative of Ashland's progressive support of the bus system and particularly for the city's subsidy that helps to make riding the bus feasible for low income families. The current system of buying tokens is obviously a•stopgap measure, helping to waylay the immediate financial impact of the rate change. I do find the additional chore of running downtown (by bus)to purchase tokens(two bags at a time only)for my very bus-friendly family a hassle. (I know your not overly concerned with immediate inconveniences, but while I'm on the subject I can't resist the suggestion that you allow for the purchase of more tokens at a time.) Over the years here in Ashland, I have seen the bus ridership grow.At one time, an able bodied adult was a rare sight on the bus. Recently, ridership has blossomed and expanded. There are more women and children on the bus, lots of seniors, the students, and occasionally working people not just on their way to pick up the car at the mechanics. Those of us who ride the buses regularly are something of a community. There are friendly chats or the option to stare blankly out the window without obligation to socialize. The drivers are almost all wonderful characters-often willing to share bits of their life and thought with those restless souls who ride along for a mile of two They watch out for their regulars and now remember me with a wave as I stoically walk to work.As you make your plans, I would like you to remember and support these workers on whom the system most literally rides. Ideas for expanding Ashland's bus system into something elaborate and new both intrigues and concerns me. There are many times over the years when I myself advocated for the idea of open air trams in the summer shuttling passengers from end to end in town.What about feeder services for unserved neighborhoods like Oak Knoll or Quiet'Village? However, all these exciting ideas worry me when they are not in addition to RVTD services, but in some sense seem to replace them. I can tell you that bus service gets a bad rap. RVTD could use some creative assistance in promoting bus service, but the bus is a utilitarian vehicle and that is part of its charm. I personally have never ridden the park carriage and haven't the faintest interest in doing so. Ashland does not need cutesy transportation. It needs reliable, clean, frequent and cheap transit designed with the needs of residents in mind. I have concerns that the go-it-alone approach to our transit will also continue to exacerbate the"exclusive"character of Ashland. Do we really need to continue to foster our own sense of superiority and with it the continued disdain and irritation of other valley residents? I know that our well run, progressive city works and pays for the innovations it enjoys, but to many other valley residents, the perception of Ashland as privileged snobs prevails. I have heard bus riders and drivers ask why Ashland should John!McLaughlin-transit commentsage get rides for a quarter, when others all pay a dollar, and why should our town enjoy more regular service than any other area?The answers to these questions are not commonly known. But whether we have some mysterious source of wealth and influence or not we must acknowledge that we do enjoy a relative plenty. I would advocate for sharing with our neighbors and friends in surrounding communities through a generous collective approach to mass transit in the valley.The borders of Ashland are artificial constructs.The air we share travels between communities without hesitation. Citizens travel between communities for work and school.Ashland cannot be an island. Our idealism must be generous and contagious to address the problems that reach beyond our borders. I do not understand the financial considerations of the transit options being considered. I would not want to see us lowering bus driver wages and benefits as a means of saving money. I support the concept of a living wage and support the outcome of negotiations between RVTD and its drivers. If we were to have our own system, I believe we must match their wage agreement It also seems likely that any moderate change in our bus system would mean leasing vehicles from RVTD. How could we save money? I'm not sure about the wisdom of buying smaller vehicles. They may be somewhat cheaper, but if you're serious about promoting bus transport, you don't want to turn away folks by overcrowding. It can't be that much cheaper to run full size or natural gas size buses than something smaller. I can't imagine that the tradeoffs on size would be worth the bother. At peak times now,our buses are pretty full and frequently whole school classes of 40 use the bus to travel. (1 regularly see Walker School classes on the bus.)We would not want to restrict such usage through the use of minibuses. Rumors abounded on the buses during the negotiations between Ashland and the RVTD management over the additional funding requested of Ashland. I don't know if the version I heard was anywhere near the truth, but certainly there did seem to be an unnecessary personal and rancorous tone to the interaction between the city and RVTD. Knowing little of the specifics, I naturally assume that the end of constructive negotiations was a mutual failing to some degree. I would like to see.a rapprochement with the assistance of trained mediators to make sure that communication moves past fault finding and toward respectful dialogue. Perhaps a mutually beneficial solution might yet be engineered. Thank you for your hard work on behalf of our community. I look forward to the release of a plan to enhance our public transit. Sincerely, Ruth Coulthard 566 Faith Ave.Ashland, OR 97520 482-4843 PS I never check my e-mail. If you send any communication, please use my street address or phone communication. Thanks. Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmaii.com BBFAN Fax : 5034880828 Jun 12 04:0? To: Ashland Planning Department From: Barbara H. Bean 488-0828 Re: Transportation Planning Date: 10-10-99 I would like to see an unscheduled component to the Ashland Plan. 1 have read that providing transportation for groups, to and from meetings, special events, celebrations and so forth can be profitable for a bus company. It would be particularly,suitable for us because of the large number of people who are still able to drive during the day, but not at night. For Instance I have observed that there are a great number of cars turning off at Ashland after a Medford symphony performance. It might also be possible to cover some of the Britt activities. In- town events might also be a possibility. Someone must have tried it, and written about how it worked. I also worry about the number of parents' cars which will come to ball games at North Mountain park. Could temporary busses take students? Could their parents ride too? Traffic around the theatres is another problem. I believe we need public transportation which would serve the bed and breakfasts and maybe others on an appointment basis. Beyond that I would like to see decentralized parking with very frequent shuttle service at times of heavy traffic downtown. It should serve as a transfer point for Greyhound buses with Ashland passengers. We also need parking for groups taking day trips to the mountains, such as Sierra Club hikes. Perhaps we could have a cooperative effort to meet all the needs of visitors who come here without cars. Some seniors, like me, would prefer the autonomy of a visit on their own, and would rather not be tied to a regular tour. Driving in a strange town is the first thing we would like to give up. Finally I believe that there should be a different taxation standard for cities which plan and execute compact neighborhoods. All your restraint in planning for fewer cars will crash unless you have funds to provide adequately for alternatives. I think it is doable, but that is another letter. John McLaughlin-City Transportation Page From: <BLUEBRUIN@aol.com> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 1016/99 3:39PM Subject: City Transportation Greetings. During the time that my wife and lived in Laguna Beach, Ca, which is very similar to Ashland, in that it has a summer festival and draws about 100,000 per weekend to add to the 21,000 local citizens. You can imagine the parking and traffic problems that all this creates. So, one way that the city handled this, aside from parking meters,was a shuttle tram service that covered almost all of Laguna Beach. For very little, you could jump on these open trams and move around the city without having to worry about parking nor the cost, time, and trouble of keeping track of a parking meter. Plus the trams were fun to ride. And if I were to guess, I think both cities have about the same square miles. Anyway, if you are further interested, you might want to give the city of Laguna a call and check it out farther. Regards, ruben vasquez 885 Palmer rd bluebruin @aol.com John McLaughlin-transit study age From: "Connie Battaile" <oregonbk @mind.net> To: Ashland.Main(Mac) Date: 10/2/99 11:30AM Subject: transit study I hope the transit study will include the full costs of offering bus service nights and weekends, and then look at the possibility of making all Ashland bus routes free. Maybe it would cost less than building new parking lots if Shakespeare goers could catch buses back to their motels after the plays-but we can't look at the argument without some cost figures. Personally I would take the bus often instead of driving if service were frequent(15 minues) and free. I've never taken it because I can never figure out the schedule and what the fare would be and whether I have the change at the time it occurs to me to give it a try. I would happily pay taxes to provide that service, up to say$60/year ($5 month). Connie Battaile The Oregon Book: Information A to Z 1216 Tolman Creek Road Ashland OR 97520 phone 541-488-0368 oregonbk @mind.net FAX 541-488-4178 0 JOHANNA FISHER, Ph.D., Ed.D. 77 MALLARD STREET ASHLAND OREGON 97520 John McLaughlin Director of Community Development City Hall Ashland AUG 3 1 1999 Dear John, I recently sent a later to the Tidings suggesting an alternative to our present system of local transit that would, in addition, help solve our parking problem. Now that I know you will head a study of the local transit system, I thought I would share my idea for a new approach. It is costing our city $192,000 to have those huge RVTD buses . in Ashland, buses that few people use. I suggest that OSU donate or maybe rent (they are hungry for new sources of revenue) that empty lot on the corner of Walker and East Main. Now that we will have no museum, that lot has no purpose. I also know another lot that the city owns. The city would pave a parking lot and a small van, holding about 10 people, would circle Ashland from Walker to the Plaza and to Siskiyou along the college, to Ashland Street, and Walker every half hour. On the hour the trip would include turning at Tolman Creek. People would leave their cars on the lot and easily get downtown or to OSU. As Christina Cober said, "Parking. is such a pain". But she wanted transit that was more convenient and more frequent. This van could be flagged down by anyone (no need for bus stops) and the ride would be free. This kind of arrange- ment would be people-friendly and solve the parking problem in the downtown area. For example, people who work in the stores downtown would not be searching for parking on B street but park on the lot and be driven to their employment. . RVTD would have a stop near the end of LIthia. where passengers could be picked up to travel to Medford. The city would save a huge $192, 000 and the expense of the van and driver would be trivial by comparison. Perhaps it would solve the parking problem to such a degree that we will not have to incur the huge expense of the suggested parking meters that, I assure you,will not solve the parking problem, just make people angry. I hope you give my suggestion due consideration. Jin ly, Johanna Fisher FROM PHONE N0. ; Oct. 03 1998 08:33PM P1 September 6, 1999 City of Ashland Ashland Planning Dept. 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 RE: Local Transit Study During the 1960's, Atlantic City, New Jersey had an interesting solution to their local transportation needs. Like Ashland, the town was laid out along a narrow corridor. Very small buses ran at five minute intervals along a main street, which afforded access to most of the town. They were cute, convenient and cheap. Inspired by this memory, we brainstormed a basic concept . for a similar form of transportation here in Ashland, and decided to write it up as a research project proposal for one of the local high school classes. Seeing a recent article in The Daily Tidings soliciting community input on this very issue, we recognized the opportunity to submit the information to the City Planning Department. . We hope you will take this concept into consideration as you address the transporation needs of our town. Sincerely, Donna L. Tamres�_� Rosalind®S�a� /fnche2-Jilek Ge and T. Jil Encl . FROM PHONE NO. Oct. 03 1998 08:34PM P2 Following the defeat of the RVTD levy this past year, several of us decided that there must be a better solution to both the transporation and parking needs of Ashland. We came up with the notion of a line of "minibuses" (with a passenger capacity of perhaps 10-12 persons) which would serve the needs of both locals and visitors. We imagined small green buses with a white swan logo on them, which would appeal to the Ashland community spirit, as well as providing a practical, yet charming, convenience for everyone. Think: San Francisco and cable cars. In keeping with Ashland's environmental consciousness, these buses would ideally be electric-powered (or hybrid electric) . At least a third of them would have handicapped- access. An ideal route would be buses running every ten minutes during peak trafic periods, including weekends, from the Breadboard restaurant at the north end of town along Main Street, down Siskiyou Blvd. , turning left at Tolman Creek Road, then right on Ashland Street, looping down to a turn-around at the Ashland Hills Inn. From there, the buses would go back on Ashland Street to Siskiyou Blvd. , continuing through downtown and returning to the Breadboard. The buses could initially utilize the existing RVTD stops, and perhaps add additional stops later, all indicated with a White Swan logo sign. We estimate an hour-long round trip requiring six buses in peak traffic, with an estimated three additional buses for maintenance rotation. Hopefully, this could be accomplished for no more than a 25¢ fare, with no transfers and no discounts. The purposes accomplished in our vision include; reduced traffic, reduced need for building additional parking lots, low-cost transportation for both locals and visitors, the creation of jobs, and a source of community color and pride. There are many questions to address in order to realize this goal. Here are a few that we came up with (we recognize that there are no doubt more) : - What is the best type of vehicle for this job? Electric/Gas/Hybrid? Cost of Purchase/Maintenance? Long-term costs for replacement/environmental impact? U.S. vs foreign manufacture? Availability of trained mechanics? - What is best way to fund this venture? Public vs Private (Can existing city facilities be used) ? Donations/Contributions (Think: Save Mt. Ashland)? How much taxpayer support required? Revenue generated by fares? Revenue generated by advertising on/inside buses? (Is this desirable?) - What is the best schedule for the buses? J.0 - - - "-s-? +. .. c-^^'^^• b <.,�rTz f c aci«.✓ ,ya, si yr tea:s -�'-- c -t�wr .::�.�5' -r KQ�.. 1 -\ 3 c. <c'(jcwyyr - < +� 4•P •�_> _ I i Wt p --- ------ -- I h y f• Q �n'!'t� C6-sa�•Os�r_.f/-�4��� .�2 GY/sn�_��� '� 4�x dLx i �'e :Crh� C'auviccl _C regon Parks and Recreation Department State Historic Preservation Office 1115 Commercial St. NE .s John A.Ki[zhaher,M.D.,Governor Salem,OR 301- � (503)3)378-4168 4168 FAX(503)378-6447 October 12, 1999 File Code: Ashland Paul Ross 52 Granite Street Ashland OR 97520 RE. Proposed.Hillah Temple Remodelling, and Emil and Alice Applegate Peil House (1910) 52 Granite Street Ashland, Jackson County Dear Mr. Ross: I am responding to your letter of September 29, 1999 regarding the above-referenced proposal, on behalf of James Hamrick. Although I'm familiar with the Hillah building and have spoken with the members of the City of Ashland Planning staff about the plans for it, I've unfortunately never had the pleasure of visiting the Peil House. My information is that there are currently four schemes under consideration for conversion of the Hillah Temple into city offices, and that they vary considerably in proposed height. While we can't intervene purely to protect the viewshed from your house, we will encourage the city to treat its historic context with respect, and I am certain they will. Informally I understand that the departments which will use the facility favor a lower version, although no decision has been made. In any event, your input at this early stage will go a long way toward helping satisfy your concerns. We appreciate your stewardship for a significant piece of Oregon and Ashland history. Please call if you have any questions. My extension is 260. Sincerely, /0 Gx� Dave Skilton Preservation Planner cc Greg Scoles,Assistant City Administrator Mark Knox,Planning Department James Hamrick 73410-0807 1 ID - \ \,\Plaza ey�i�'— 1 / C 7r HS Eau MS � Ashland Hills Inn Airport �I lwbder 5 ¢ •� • Ms,1• • C� AahlsW L ' _ I n �SoUlim FM \ \ 1 CITY OF ASHLAND 1 TRANSIT OPTIONS 1 FOUR A 1 LIVABLE ASH LAND �1 ' Draft September 1999 i _ Mason IWord ' consulting associates 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Table of Contents ' Chapter 1 Overview .........................................................................................3 Background: How We Got Here........................................................................3 ' The Need for City Leadership ...........................................................................4 TheRole of This Report....................................................................................6 ' Chapter 2: Peer Review....................................................................................7 Overview...........................................................................................................7 PeerSystems....................................................................................................9 Chapter 3 Transit Potential in Ashland...........................................................14 ' What is Transit For?........................................................................................ 14 Planning for High Ridership: Density-Based Design .......................................14 Current and Planned Transit-Intensive Corridors............................................16 Coverage-Based Demand Areas ....................................................................18 ' Intercity Demand.............................................................................................18 FestivalDemand .............................................................................................18 ' Chapter 4 Service Design Options.................................................................20 Minimal Options A and B (Line 5 Restoration and North Mountain)................20 ' Option C: Intensified Spine .............................................................................22 Medford Express Service (Free Given Option C)............................................23 Option D: Evening Service .............................................................................26 ' Option E: Full Coverage.................................................................................26 Costs...............................................................................................................29 ' Chapter 5 Organizational Structure and Funding...........................................33 How to Provide Transit Services .....................................................................33 ' How to Fund the System.................................................................................36 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 1. September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' List of Figures Figure 1-1: Existing Services.............................................................................5 ' Figure 3-1: What is Transit For?......................................................................15 Figure 4-1: Minimal Options A and B...............................................................21 Figure 4-2: Option C: Intensified Spine............................................................24 Figure 4-3: Proposed Redesign of Regional Service.......................................25 Figure 4-4: Full Coverage Lines 8, 9, and 11...................................................28 ' List of Tables Table 2-1: Peer City and Transit Service Comparisons....................................8 Table 2-2: Peer City Transit Performance Comparisons..................................8 Table 4-1 a: Local Service Options and Costs: Weekday Service....................30 Table 4-1 b: Local Service Options and Costs: Weekday Service....................31 Table 4-2: Summary of Costs, Hours, Ridership ............................................32 1 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 2 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Chapter 1 Overview On December 17, 1996, the Ashland City Council adopted a very simple goal for public transportation: To create a public transportation system that is linked to pedestrian, ' bicycle, and motor vehicle modes, and that is as easy and efficient to use as driving a motor vehicle." ' Achievement of this goal would eliminate the need for many of the trips that now go by car, resulting in dramatic changes in the quality of life. It would particularly strengthen the city's major nodes or centers, including downtown and Southern ' Oregon University (SOU). Transit naturally reinforces major nodes while the automobile, by its nature, tends to weaken them. Transit also coexists easily with walking and cycling, while the automobile tends to be an obstacle to both. ' The purpose of this report is to lay out the initial steps that the City would need to take to move towards achieving its goal for public transportation, in light of the current state of public transit in the Rogue Valley region. Background: How We Got Here Ashland is further from its stated goal for public transportation than it was when the goal was adopted almost three years ago. Public transit in Ashland has been cut back, and successful programs subsidizing the use of transit by SOU students have been terminated. These events have been largely outside the city's control, because the City relies on a regional agency, the Rogue Valley ' Transportation District (RVTD), for its transit service. A voter-created Transportation District under state law, RVTD covers most of the ' urbanized area of Jackson County, including Medford, White City, Central Point, Jacksonville, Phoenix, and Talent in addition to Ashland. The Board of RVTD represents this diverse area, and the agency attempts to provide equitable service to all of its member communities. This arrangement has always presented problems for the City of Ashland, ' because the City's goals for transit are much more ambitious than those of any other part of the RVTD district. The voters of the entire RVTD area choose what level of service to fund, and this level of service must then be apportioned ' equitably among the various parts of the region. Ashland's share is inevitably far less than the City needs to meet its goal, because the voters of the RVTD area as a whole simply do not share Ashland's desire to reduce dependence on the ' automobile. Ashland Comorehensive Plan: Transportation, 1996, p. 59. ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 3 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland In March 1999, voters throughout the RVTD area chose not to raise taxes to ' support the continuance of the current level of bus service.2 The result was a systemwide cutback of service that affected transit mobility throughout the region. In this regional service cut, Ashland lost the one route that had provided ' local service within the city.3 This route had been funded in part by additional contributions from the City. These contributions, plus fares, did not make up the full cost of operating the service in the opinion of RVTD. Although Ashland generates the system's highest ridership, the RVTD board chose to make a cut that fell roughly equitably on all parts of the district, Ashland included. ' Ashland's only public transit service is now a single half-hourly route, shown in Figure 1-1. The Need for City Leadership ' Given the experience of the recent years, and the political realities governing RVTD, the City must either: ' A. Abandon its goal for a transit system that is "as easy and efficient to use as driving a motor vehicle", and accept a continued growth in motor vehicle congestion and parking demands, OR B. Attempt to influence the other communities and voters of the RVTD region I outside of Ashland to support Ashland's goals, which would lead to RVTD- funded service that meets Ashland's needs, OR ' C. Assume the primary responsibility for supporting the level of transit service that the City's goal requires, rather than expecting RVTD to do so. ' The first course is, in effect, a "status quo" scenario. Its major disadvantage is that current problems caused by motor vehicles are retained and intensified, while any attempt at new pedestrian-friendly development will be constrained by the need to accommodate cars for most of the development's traffic. The result will be pressure for any further growth to take the most sprawling form that the Urban Growth Boundary would permit, and that pressure to expand the Urban ' Growth Boundary would grow more severe more rapidly. 2 The service operated from 1996 to 1999 had been partly funded by a Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant that expired in 1999. These grants are limited to three years because they are intended to plant seeds of service that will grow and gather local support for their continuation beyond the three-year period. While Ashland's service performed well—in fact, Ashland services have always had the highest ridership in the RVTD system—it was the voters of the entire region who decided whether the added service was worth continuing. Their "no" resulted in the service cuts that eliminated Ashland's local route, while also drastically reducing local service in Medford. 3 This route had been partly funded by the City of Ashland, but not to a degree that fully ' covered its cost to RVTD. NelsonWygaard Consulting 4 September 14, 1999 1 A e■ / \� 1 E) + v ' _ �—� Ago — C�rJ aRi s of _ Wd 1 — ,MN ba— "MIN N € n � � x° ¢ ' z V Tj �M�A1 +aNPlA ifQ,lg �mwed Etcd="P—1 M� 1 � _— 4or+!l Wed � p` 'c 7 MunDM'N l.1 _ • _ £ IIIS IZ Y �M N x 6� N pan PRO U UEN50fJ aap� isl — 4F1/ } Ow nn e= 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland The second course, a "lobby and wait" scenario, is likely to involve a very long ' wait. The rest of Jackson County is simply not in Ashland's situation, and cannot be expected to share Ashland's goals. Over time, other Jackson County cities . are likely to develop increased transit needs and increased support for transit, ' but there is no precedent anywhere for a regional transit agency in a small-urban area such as Jackson County providing the level of service that Ashland desires for itself. ' This report explores the third course, which begins by acknowledging that the City must take lead responsibility for achieving its goal for transit service. This ' does not mean that Ashland must secede from RVTD, though that could be an option. Membership in RVTD can be part of the City's overall transit strategy, but it must be the City's strategy, not RVTD's, because it is based on a goal of the ' people of Ashland, not those of Jackson County as a whole. The Role of This Report ' If we accept that the City of Ashland must take the lead responsibility for achieving the goals it has set for itself, how should it proceed in achieving the goal for transit? This study is intended to identify key steps toward meeting the City's goal for public transit, and for alternatives to the motor vehicle in general. The report proceeds as follows: • Chapter 2 reviews similar peer situations to identify likely range of ' performance and other issues. • Chapter 3 discusses the transit potential of the various parts of Ashland in ' relation to different possible goals for transit that the city may have. • Chapter 4 presents a series of service scenarios that show what public transit might look like in Ashland, depending on financial resources and how the City balances competing priorities. • Chapter 5 outlines organizational structure and funding opportunities. ' Although this study goes into some detail about issues that are likely to arise, the overall intent of the study is strategic. Its purpose is not to propose a particular design of routes and schedules, or a particular organizational structure, but ' rather to assist the City in debating the fundamental choices that face it in achieving its vision of transit mobility for its citizens, students, and visitors. 1 NelsonWygaard Consulting 6 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland Chapter 2: Peer Review Overview ' This chapter explores communities that demonstrate similarities to those of Ashland. Though none of the examined cities is exactly like Ashland, they are similar in fundamentally important ways. The sought after characteristics for the peer systems are: • Presence of music and arts festivals ' • Presence of small university or college • Population of less than 30,000 tThe communities contacted are listed alphabetically. ' Arcata, California • Aspen, Colorado • Cedar City, Utah • Pullman, Washington • Stratford, Ontario Table 2-1 summarizes each of the peers based upon a set of common demographic and transit service attributes. Table 2-2 summarizes each of the peers based on performance data for the local transit system. 1 1 NelsonWygaard Consulting 7 September 14, 1999 � . � � M m ƒ \ Lu t % _ } tea ® _ » . & _ � 2- . ) m ; e ; mom ; E ; e 0 @ § 2 � _ § & ■ £ ± \g § - - J = o 0 @ L ¥ g a § kk z = & J Ci - Ci o0 . oar @ fi § 7r § § E �0 § OM > )§ & w \ Lu . f a; 0= U) �f s g t o © # e E k £ $ .0m » _ Lu \ � \ § , & \ , � / � 2 { ® ® \ ) / « ¥ / 2 � � r . gm 7 c75 m c LU � � $ « _ - \ § � I \ ® R # - - C » \ \ §C LU CL K - - - E ° ° \ - CL 0 ` � \ � � e � k m » E ■ _ k k ) 2 Co ) ) \ 0 CL 6 ) k \ k2 k ƒ A } City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland Peer Systems Arcata, Callfornia Background Arcata is a college town 275 miles north of San Francisco in northern California. The city of Arcata has a population of 15,900. Festivals and Tourism Most of the visitors to Arcata come for the nearby natural areas as well as events sponsored by the local university. The local chamber reports that 7,300 tourists visited Arcata last year. Universities and Colleges Humboldt State University (HSU) has 7,342 students enrolled. The university offers five venues with seating for over 5,000 people for its cultural events. It offers events year-round with an annual summer festival. Parking Parking has not been cited as an issue in Arcata. Public Transportation The city of Arcata manages the Arcata & Mad River Transit System to provide public transportation within the city. Two routes operate from 7:00 AM until 7:00 1 PM five days a week. Service is shorter on Saturdays, running from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM and there is no service on Sundays. Students at Humboldt State account for 74 percent of the ridership. University students ride for free. Under a ' contract with the transit system, the university pays the system for the lost fare revenue. Fares account for 30 percent of the revenues. Most of the remainder comes from the state of California. The state's share is Arcata's share of gas tax ' proceeds based on its population. Aspen, Colorado Background Aspen, Colorado is a vacation destination primarily during winter and summer seasons. Tourists far out-number local residents as the city's population is less than 6,000. The greater Aspen area houses close to 30,000 residents and visitors during peak seasons. ' The town itself is fairly small and is promoted as a walking community. Most activities are located within blocks of the downtown. Residents of Aspen are fairly affluent as the county claims a per capita income of $39,815. ' Festivals and Tourism Aspen has a number of music and arts festivals during the year. These include a year-round film festival, a ballet company with a four-week dance festival and a music festival with over 150 events. The Aspen Stage and numerous galleries provide additional opportunities for those interested in the arts. NelsonWygaard Consulting 9 September 14, 1999 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' More than 85,000 visitors come to Aspen each year. Summer tourists typically ' drive to Aspen while winter visitors will usually fly into town. Universities and Colleges Colorado Mountain College offers classes in Aspen but does not have a true ' campus. The college is not associated with the major arts events offered in Aspen. Parking ' Parking has been a considerable problem in Aspen. The small downtown area has a concentration of both visitors and workers. Aspen has been aggressively ' managing the parking problem with the use of parking fees. Downtown parking is available in a garage for$7.50 per day or on the street with the use of Pay- and-Display meter system for up to two hours. Parking on residential streets ' requires a special permit. A parking enterprise fund contributes excess parking revenues toward alternative transportation programs. Public Transportation The Roaring Fork Transit Agency (RFTA) provides public transportation in the city of Aspen as well as to nearby communities and resorts. RFTA is currently organized as an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Aspen and Pitkin County. Four fixed routes are provided year round and an additional two are offered during the summer months. A deviated-fixed route is also provided within the city. There were 1,090,000 riders on the local system in 1998 with 1 local residents making up the majority of passengers. During the summer and winter seasons, RFTA staff expects to a see a three-to-one ratio of residents-to- visitors on the city buses. Buses operate from 6:00 AM until 2:00 AM seven days ' a week. The agency provides free bus service in town and charges for service to outlying ' areas and the ski resorts. A countywide one-cent sales tax, targeted toward tourists, funds public transportation in the region. The City contributes excess revenue from the parking program as well. This contribution is roughly $130,000 ' per year. ' Aspen's air quality problems were cited as a reason for sustaining high levels of service. Air pollution in the valley resulted in the federal government citing Aspen as a non-containment area. Cedar City, Utah Background Cedar City and the surrounding county bring in about one million visitors a year. Located in southern Utah, Cedar City is on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. It is surrounded by a number of national parks and national monuments. Over 19,000 people reside in Cedar City. Festivals and Tourism The Shakespeare Festival is the comerstone,of the arts community in Cedar City. The festival attracts 135,000 visitors. Another 500,000 visitors to Cedar NelsonWygaard Consulting 10 September 14, 1999 City or Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' City go to the nearby forests and parks. Winter tourism is measured as 175,000 ' skier days. Most tourists are from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, or fly into these cities and drive to Cedar City. 1 The Shakespeare Festival has both summer and fall seasons. The festival is currently using two theaters, one on the campus of Southern Utah University and one across the street from the university's campus. The festival is investigating ' adding a third theater in about four or five years. Twenty percent of festival tickets are sold to groups. Roughly half of those buying group tickets use charter buses to travel to the festival. Some of the local lodging establishments run shuttle buses to and from the theaters. Universities Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. The university has 7,000 students. The university houses one of the Shakespeare Festival venues and works with the festival organizers to promote the downtown area as a walkable community, providing land uses and landscaping to support this effort. Festival use of the facilities is provided rent-free by the university. Parking Downtown parking is an issue, especially when students are attending class during the fall Shakespeare Festival season. The current schedule has a three- week overlap with classes at the university. University parking permits are required in the university's ten parking areas. The festival requests that patrons not park near campus when class is in session. Information provided when tickets are bought and delivered suggests that patrons walk from their place of lodging. The City is considering a downtown parking structure in the future. ' The festival has arrangements with university police to waive tickets for patrons to keep good public relations with their customers. Only eight tickets were issued during the first two and a half weeks of the fall 1999 season. ' Public Transportation Cedar City does not have a public transportation system. The city manager has a personal interest in it and is attempting to promote one. City staff sees a need ' for transit coming from both tourism and permanent residents. A developer is redeveloping the City's historic downtown as well as a conventional retail project at the fringe. He has offered to buy trolley buses if the city is willing to run them. Pullman, Washington Background ' Pullman is a college town in southeast Washington. A small number of local arts events are provided in Pullman and nearby Moscow, Idaho which is eight miles to the east. The city of Pullman has a population of 24,650 and Washington ' State University (WSU) has another 21,000 student enrolled. NelsonWygaard Consulting 11 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Festivals and Tourism ' Most of the visitors to Pullman come for university sponsored events. Pac-10 football creates the largest draw, with other athletic events and graduation attracting a number of alumni and family. The city of Pullman sponsors an ' annual lentil festival that draws 12,000 visitors and Moscow hosts an annual jazz festival that attracts 30,000 patrons. Universities and Colleges ' Washington State University in Pullman enrolls 21,000 students. Students, faculty and staff make up a majority of Pullman residents when class is in session. The University of Idaho in nearby Moscow enrolls 10,800 students. 1 Parking Parking is tight but controlled with charges to park near WSU facilities. Public Transportation Pullman Transit operates service from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM five days a week with shorter service on Saturdays. Seven routes serve the city, with student 1 making up the vast majority of riders. Schedules vary according to class schedules and there is no service on the twelve holidays the university is closed. A local utility tax with proceeds of $500,000 funds about 40 percent of the operations. An equal amount comes from the state and the remainder from fares. Stratford, Ontario Background ' Stratford is a small arts-based community in southwest Ontario, Canada. The Stratford Festival along with a variety of music and art events and galleries attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. Strafford is located 100 miles from Toronto and 160 miles from Detroit. Festivals and Tourism The Stratford Festival puts on over 500 performances during a 25-week run each ' year. 1999 attendance was over 504,000. The City of Stratford funds part of the festival. Universities and Colleges ' Wilfrid Laurie University and the University of Waterloo are in nearby Waterloo; each has 10,000 students. The University of Western Ontario in London has 25,000 students enrolled. The universities are outside of Stratford and do not affect tourism-based activities. Parking Parking in downtown Strafford is tight as the area is constrained. Over ninety- five percent of the patrons arrive in Stratford by car. Most visitors tend to leave their cars at their hotels and walk to the events in town. ' Public Transportation Stratford Public Utility Commission provides public transportation in the city of Strafford. Five routes provide this service six days a week. The service is not ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 12 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' well used by tourists and staff states that ninety-nine percent of the riders are ' permanent residents. 1 1 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 13 September 14, 1999 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland 1 Chapter 3 Transit Potential in Ashland 1 What is Transit For? 1 Transit has two very different goals that always come into conflict. An understanding of these two purposes, and a decision about how to balance them, is an essential starting point for any transit design exercise. Figure 3-1 illustrates 1 the tradeoff graphically. A. The Coverage goal says: "Serve everyone." It aims to provide some service to everyone in a community, even though some areas generate far less ridership than others, and are more expensive to serve per rider. This goal can arise both from the desire for a perception of 1 equity in access to transit, and for the desire for transit to respond to the needs of people who otherwise would have no means of mobility. 1 B. The Productivity goal says: "Put the service wherever it will carry the most people." The Productivity goal reflects environmental and community-livability objectives for transit, because a system designed 1 on this principle will be more effective at competing with the automobile. In systems that charge fares, this goal also achieves the greatest revenue from the farebox, because it carries the maximum 1 possible number of riders for a given cost. Like virtually every community, Ashland cares about both of these things. The Productivity goal — expressed as the goal of reducing automobile-dependence, with transit playing a large role — appears throughout the Transportation section of the Comprehensive Plan. The Coverage goal for transit is expressed in the 1 Comprehensive Plan by Transit Policy #3, "... to provide service within one-fourth mile of every home in Ashland," and by Policy #5: "Incorporate needs of people 1 who don't drive when developing transit routes..." Chapter 4 provides a "banquet" of transit options. Some of these are intended 1 for high ridership and competition with the automobile (the Productivity goal). Others are intended to reach comers of the city that a Productivity-oriented system would never serve, but will have low ridership as a result. Using this 1 presentation, the community can select the mix of services most suited to its needs. Planning for High .Ridership: Density-Based Design 1 As Figure 3-1 indicates, a Productivity-oriented system provides intensive service in areas where demand for travel is highest and the automobile is already at a disadvantage. Density is the key on both counts. Dense neighborhoods mean more potential passengers within walking distance of a given bus stop, while density also correlates to greater difficulties with parking, congestion, etc. NelsonWygaard Consulting 14 September 14, 1999 p ti _ 4i .J 0 IS L4 LL . 1 0 C2 uj ME >>2 . 1 ��'I v .o e c j - i City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland that may discourage driving. Good transit in dense areas can also encourage ' people not to own cars, or to own fewer cars than they have adults in the household. However, transit that competes with the automobile must provide high frequency. A personal automobile is always there ready to go, but a person must wait for transit. Minimizing this disadvantage is the most important element of creating a high-ridership transit system that competes with driving. Because frequency is expensive, a Productivity-oriented system tries to serve the fewest possible route miles necessary to connect the City's dense housing with its major activity centers, so that it can offer the most frequent service possible along the routes it does serve. Current and Planned Transit-Intensive Corridors ' Today, almost all dense development in Ashland is concentrated within walking . distance of just a few corridors: A. North Main between downtown and Maple Street. B. Siskiyou Boulevard between downtown and Tolman Creek Road. C. Scattered portions of Tolman Creek Road, especially near East Main. D. Scattered portions of Ashland Street (Hwy 66) between Siskiyou and Park Street. The biggest activity centers in Ashland, including the Festival Complex, ' downtown, SOU, the High School, and the YMCA are all close to one of these corridors. Two transit-intensive destinations that are not quite within a comfortable walking distance are the Junior High School on Walker and the ' Ashland Community Hospital, located on Maple Street about 1/4 mile west (and uphill) from North Main. ' Within the next five years, a new corridor will be added to this list. This corridor consists of Mountain Avenue between East Main and Nevada Street. (Mountain Avenue is already densely developed south of East Main, but this area is ' walkable to Siskiyou.) The new corridor will include a city recreational facility near Mountain and Hersey, as well as a major new neighborhood on both sides of Mountain between the Creek and Nevada Street. Much of the development in ' the area will be senior-oriented. One major assisted-living facility is already in place. ' Among all of these corridors, the heaviest transit potential extends from the Plaza at the north end of downtown past SOU to the junction of Highway 66. This ' portion of Siskiyou and the downtown couplet is lined with very high-intensity uses of all kinds, including a diversity of shopping, educational, and residential destinations, as well as the Festival complex. A Productivity-oriented system, NelsonWygaard Consulting 16 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland then, would look at Ashland's potential transit corridors and organize them into the following priority groupings: 1. The central corridor from the Plaza to the Siskiyou/66 junction. (Very high demand throughout) 2. Other continuous corridors of relatively high density: ' North Main between downtown and Maple. • Siskiyou between Highway 66 junction and Tolman Creek. ' 3. Fragmented or incomplete corridors of density: • Mountain Avenue between East Main and Nevada. • Tolman Creek Road between Siskiyou and East Main. ' Clay Street between Siskiyou and East Main. • Ashland Street between Siskiyou and Tolman Creek. • Any direct access to Ashland Community Hospital. ' This last group consists of corridors that have densities and activity centers supportive of transit, but also have gaps of either low-density development or other barriers. In general, this group is a set of problems, because they are partly productive and partly not. ' For example, about a third of the Ashland Street corridor consists of a very long overpass over the railway where no stops can be made. A cemetery occupies one side of the street for another long segment, while the remaining development ' is mostly in a typical highway-commercial form that is unattractive to pedestrians and hence to transit users. While Ashland Street has historically had service, it is ' not an ideal transit corridor because of these obstacles, and most of its destinations are within walking distance of hypothetical service on either Siskiyou or Tolman Creek Road. Of course, Tolman Creek Road raises similar problems. ' Much of its zoned density (both residential and employment) has not yet been built, and parts of its catchment area are taken up either by undevelopable land or land already developed at low densities — a permanent limitation on its transit potential. Long range planning for the city should focus on either making these third-tier corridors either MORE transit supportive, or— equally valuable — making some of them LESS transit-supportive so that transit resources can be concentrated elsewhere. To take the most obvious example, the Ashland Community Hospital ' is the only reason to operate a bus into the difficult terrain and narrow streets west of North Main. Any eventual expansion plan for the Hospital should look at new locations on one of the stronger transit corridors, so as to make better use of ' transit that will already exist and eliminate any demand for intense transit service into this difficult area. ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 17 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Coverage-Based Demand Areas ' Areas of the city that would not be served by a Productivity-oriented system, but which the city could choose to serve solely for the purposes of lifeline or equitable access, include all of the single-family and employment areas not ' within walking distance of one of the routes defined above. These areas are: • The neighborhoods served by Laurel, Helman, and Oak Streets north of Hersey. • All areas east of 1-5 —with the possible exception of the lodgings at the SR 66 interchange. ' All of the hill neighborhoods more than 1/4 mile west of North Main or Siskiyou Boulevard. ' Intercity Demand Ashland will continue to experience intercity transit demand. Already, the ' Medford-Ashland line is RVTD's most productive service, and the City of Ashland has identified the need for Medford-Ashland express service during peak hours. . ' Conveniently, the Medford-Ashland demand is bi-directional; there is strong demand both for commutes from Medford to Ashland (SOU students, service workers, and other groups) and from Ashland to Medford (people whose jobs are ' in Medford but who prefer to live in Ashland). The bi-directionality of this market is part of why RVTD's Medford-Ashland service does so well, unlike many commuter services that must run into an employment center and then return ' empty to start another trip. Demand for intercity travel to Ashland is strongest at SOU (which draws students ' from all over the Rogue Valley) and points northwest of there, including downtown and the Hospital area. All of these destinations have the ability to draw trips from other cities. By contrast, most of the destinations east and south ' of SOU are more local in their appeal: the commercial services available in this area are mostly also available in other cities. Of course, this area has residents who work in other cities, but they do not all need DIRECT intercity service; some ' may reach their destinations by riding a local bus to a regional connection. The strongest case for intercity demand into the southeast corner of Ashland lies in the future concentrations of employment there, which will draw residents from throughout the region. Depending on how these developments are configured, this market may support some express service between Medford and the SR 66 interchange area. On the other hand, they may be easier served by vanpool programs given the diversity of origins. ' Festival Demand Finally, a potentially substantial transit demand exists among patrons of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival who are lodging outside of walking distance. ' Some of these patrons lodge in Talent, Phoenix, or Medford, while those staying ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 18 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' within the city are mostly along Siskiyou Boulevard, or around the Ashland ' Avenue (SR 66) interchange on 1-5. The combination of festival and university demand is likely to create an unusually ' high potential for evening service, which is currently not available at all. Evening service is still relatively unproductive compared to service in daylight and commute hours, but a specialized service during the Festival season could be ' very heavily used. The festival market would require that frequent local service continue until 8:30 ' PM. After that, trips would need to leave downtown 15 minutes after Elizabethan and Bowmer Theatre performances end, with a final trip near midnight for those who have stayed downtown after performances. Design possibilities for this ' service are discussed in Chapter 4. Funding possibilities include contributions by the benefiting lodging establishments, as well as the other methods discussed in Chapter 5. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 19 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland Chapter 4 Service Design Options 1 This chapter outlines a range of transit services that could make sense in ' Ashland, and identifies the costs of each. The options are organized as follows. All options are independent of each other, ' so any combination of them may be selected. Minimal Options: (low cost, low benefit) A. Restore Line 5 service as it previously existed, but add no new service. B. North Mountain service. Create new Line 7 to serve the North Mountain area. ' Major Growth Options (higher cost, higher benefits) ' C. Intensified Spine. Double service along the central Siskiyou spine between downtown and SOU, as well as on the Siskiyou and Ashland Avenue branches east of SOU. This option also involves a 1 proposed restructuring of RVTD Line 10 to create peak express service between Ashland and Medford at no additional cost to RVTD or the City for fixed route service. There may be some ' additional expense to the city for ADA services. D. Evening Service. Add skeletal evening service until midnight on the main spine. E. Full Coverage. Provide new services whose purpose is to offer Coverage to all parts of the community, even though they will generate little ridership. By contrast, all of the other options are ' motivated by Productivity goals (maximum possible ridership and vehicle trip reduction). Minimal Options A and B (Line 5 Restoration and North ' Mountain) This package pursues only the most minimal service needs that will obviously ' exist in the next five years: A. Restoration of the service that existed before the 1999 cut, namely ' 15-minute headways between downtown and SOU, and of bi- directional service around the Ashland Avenue —Tolman Creek— Siskiyou triangular loop. ' Nelson Wygaard Consulting 20 September 14, 1999 A ` A / � mg4 a r t N■ � i e o e CD GGGT r> �fl� Ped aleP WRd s ga �Wd Mead G —5 F 1 / -- euua Y+ irl MSaB A� j I MBYaI}1 rl — TAwweN d z � �.. ' / ieun�pyp, a6pug TiMWad mt Aavie .. life • 4 Wed p c uQAnu%'N I A `A waA+�aW'S N 2 ' I uelwry'N — �WB � 9 - mr N\ — g p0 v, . ��% lam anv!� a ubw +� Wo a �. 1 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' B. New service to the North Mountain development area including the ' new civic athletics complex near Mountain and Hersey. Figure 4-1 shows these proposed services. ' Line 5 is identical to Line 10 south of the Plaza except that it operates the east terminal loop in the other direction and would not serve Line 10's outer loop via ' Ashland Hills Inn. The result is service in both directions around the densely developed inner loop, so that people can travel between, say, an apartment at Siskiyou & Clay and a shopping destination on Ashland Avenue, which is not ' possible in both directions now. More importantly for productivity, it restores 15- minute service to the core spine between downtown and SOU. ' Line 7 would operate from downtown to cover the North Mountain corridor from East Main to Nevada. There are several possible configurations of this line, but the recommended one runs from the downtown Plaza via the Main/Lithia couplet, ' East Main, Mountain to turn around in the vicinity of Nevada Street. This configuration offers the maximum directness to downtown, while still making SOU accessible via a fast transfer at the south end of the downtown couplet. It ' also serves the high school via a stop at East Main and Mountain. The City office on East Main is also a short walk east from this stop. Another option for Line 7 would continue the service south on Mountain to Siskiyou, then run into town on Siskiyou, providing direct service from North Mountain to SOU but a longer ride from North Mountain to downtown. ' To meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Line 7 would be operated by a small vehicle with the capability of deviating to pick up disabled patrons who cannot walk to the fixed route. Additional time for this is available in the schedule. (This is not required of Line 5, because Line 5 covers only areas also served by Line 10. Consequently, RVTD already provides the ' complementary paratransit required by ADA wherever and whenever fixed route service exists). ' Option C: Intensified Spine More than any other strategy, this one moves the city aggressively toward competing with the automobile. It essentially doubles the minimal level of ' service, as it existed before the 1999 cuts. Instead of 15-minute headways along the downtown Plaza-SOU spine, 7.5-minute headways are provided. Instead of 30-minute headways each way along the triangular loop east of SOU (Siskiyou, ' Tolman Creek, Ashland Avenue), it provides 15-minute headways. This level of service means that a bus is always coming, and that you can leave your car at home with a strong assurance that you will reach your destination. ' Lines 5 and 6 would form this core service, as shown in Figure 4-2. The services are designed to be clearly identified with streets (Line 5-Siskiyou, 6-Ashland ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 22 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland Avenue) so that they begin to be thought of as intrinsic parts of the street itself. This psychological shift is harder to achieve if you must remember that you take Line 5 to get to your destination and Line 10 to get back, which is how the service works in the Minimal Option A above. ' Line 6 duplicates Line 10 in this scenario. Line 10 provides unique local circulation only along North Main and on the outermost loop serving Ashland Hills ' Inn and Tolman Creek Road north of Ashland Avenue. The reduction of demand for local service via Line 10 opens up the possibility of reconfiguring this service at no cost in a way that provides Medford express service, as discussed in the ' next section. Medford Express Service (Free Given Option C) If Line 10 is no longer needed to provide local service along Ashland Avenue — which is the case in Option C — then Ashland could recommend the following to RVTD (see Figure 4-3): Cut back Line 10 to end at SOU except during the four peak hours (7-9 AM, 4-6 PM). This saves one bus for at least 9.5 hours a day, .possibly more. Turning around via Ashland Avenue, Walker, Siskiyou is possible as an interim measure during off-peak hours. However, to ensure a comfortable cycle time on this line from Medford, a faster bus turnaround should be sought closer to Palm Avenue or even Mountain Avenue— still an easy walk from the campus. ' • During peak hours only, continue Line 10 as Line 12 via Ashland Avenue, 1-5 and by the fastest approach to the Downtown Medford Transportation Center. This adds two buses for four hours a day, or 8 hours a day of service. Since at least 9.5 hours a day of ' service are saved by the above cutback, but peak-only hours are slightly more expensive than all-day hours, we estimate that this would be a break-even proposition for RVTD. ' The proposed Medford-Ashland express service would use the Ashland Avenue interchange and flow through the city in the "reverse" direction. This is more ' logical than it may first seem. During peak hours especially, Ashland Avenue is the more direct way to reach SOU, Ashland's largest commute destination. New employment development in the southeast would benefit from the outbound express service. For the inbound market, the service would'be out of direction for most of Ashland, but would still be much faster than Route 10 (taking only 25 minutes from SOU to downtown Medford). For Ashland residents, the benefits of ' the express would obviously be greatest for those living near SOU or points south and east, but since SOU is very near the centroid of the city's population, . half the city's residents. Even from downtown, the express would be about five ' minutes faster than the current local. ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 23 September 14, 1999 1 Lim + AA L N' art T A90 NpPW°J WRd s Ned Mwd w ,aa_ € — " / ti mW z � _ An 3 �rWW i _ ° ,mod L • W°M `■ '2 1 JE o 7 uquioW'N .� u �S 1 u¢WgN'N _ lop Aeo b IIIIT" ls�dT WBLPJD a qx4 / e]0L91 1 eBPPWW� E �W '/ �!uaaS m IW-0SKp ° F"Em 1 � m ° � A r ..a; 1 < AdUI ( _■ °.r t o; � + .. ; 0 ~ �. rT1 I OWN �. Aeo r mei 1 _LL Wd LU f� N H An JKUPd Am 1 uzw M i - j w°d p � a uelurolYN � .� vI°X+bYI'S- 1 M nN �g �B ' �` ist U S'\ .°lath ' y' w0 Rstel 91, woo �■ mom _ Wpo %� '\ 1 s � a UIIO>OLp �. 4�I-1�4WN iQ1 Bi an 1 �U 1 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' This plan, if combined only with Option C, would eliminate midday service to Ashland Hills Inn and the isolated apartments on the northern part of Tolman Creek. If these services are considered essential, they could be restored by providing a "deviation on demand" of Line 5/6. Line 5/6 would deviate to serve these areas only when requested, and would never make both deviations at the same time. Fast turnarounds would be required at both Ashland Hills Inn and at ' the apartments on Tolman Creek —time does not permit cycling the entire East Main loop that the current Line 10 does. ' Option D: Evening Service Service from 7:00 PM to midnight has an obvious benefit during the Festival season, but also for SOU. University towns often generate significant evening ' transit demand, especially if they have night classes. Because the University and the Festival peak at different times, there is good reason to expect that evening service would perform well throughout the year. This option adds minimal evening service throughout the year on the Line 5/6 spine, with deviations on demand to Ashland Hills Inn and the apartments on ' northern Tolman Creek. It should be stressed that full evening service would require that paratransit ' service be extended to cover the same hours. This could be accomplished late at night by deviation on demand, but earlier in the evening it would probably require an additional bus. Late night service could also be configured in an entirely demand-responsive way,(leaving downtown based on actual times that plays get out, etc.), which would probably eliminate the requirement for paratransit at these times. ' Option E: Full Coverage ' Finally, this option adds a range of services whose purpose is to maintain coverage to all parts of the city, even where ridership will be low. Three routes are proposed: ' Line 8 (East Main) is a fixed route covering East Main from downtown to Tolman Creek, then running via Tolman Creek, Ashland Avenue to Ashland ' Hills Inn. It would eliminate the need for Lines 5/6 to deviate on demand to serve these two areas. In the future, an east west street is planned running from Clay to Tolman Creek at roughly the level of Iowa Street; Line 8 would use that street when available for better coverage to the densities planned here. ' Line 8 would not deviate except for ADA purposes if required. However, it would be operated with a small bus, because from Ashland Hills Inn it would continue as: ' NelsoniNygaard Consulting 26 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland • Line 9 (Southside Flexroute) is a two-way deviated fixed route that takes 30 minutes to travel from Ashland Hills Inn to the downtown Plaza. In addition to the fixed route, it would provide optional deviations on demand to areas not within 1/4 mile of regular service. The basic route would operate via Highway ' 66, Crowson, Siskiyou to Clay Street. From there, the basic route would be via Clay, Mohawk, Park, Siskiyou, Hillview, Peachey, Walker, Woodland, Indiana, Siskiyou, Mountain, Ashland, Guthrie, Gresham, and the downtown couplet to the Plaza. Hourly service is recommended during daytime hours only. t • Line 11 (Northside Flexroute) is a deviated fixed route serving the northwest parts of the city every 60 minutes. The basic route would be a one-way loop from the Plaza via Pioneer, A, Oak, Nevada, Laurel. Hersey across North ' Main into Wimer, Chestnut, Maple, Scenic, Nutley, Winbum then back to the Plaza. In addition to the fixed route, it would provide optional deviations on demand to areas not within 1/4 mile of regular service. This route would ' provide front-door service to the hospital; without it, access to the hospital would be via a walk from Line 10 on North Main. 1 1 1 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 27 September 14, 1999 t a■ L I °w I °O ' I •� lea,J UlU�el (� u4ero]er /AD ko wed s 5 led f ' � wea. e Li.1 tea— �euuoN MxWIH y in p �� + Uam$ 3 MOM I y Hv1A � � R MWILO i auged acme 1L -q vii WM IIIIIE]IIIIIIIIII pev� � ,.m / 4oa+n IWed fn O c --�L uginory-N .s V �4+bW'S UeNmn N w — A 149 PIWJ L OL yam= t� .� �euuayg i �-}- ' ouwM, insil IBM C U City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland Costs ' Tables 4-1 a and 4-1 b present local service options and costs for weekday and weekend service. The cost for fixed route and deviated route is estimated at $50 ' an hour. This cost is based on RVTD average cost for fixed route service as well as a review of costs for comparable services. Most proposed routes will not require additional ADA paratransit service because either RVTD already provides ' it, or the route will deviate to meet ADA requirements. Two routes in Option C, line 5 and line 6, will provide late night service for which the city must provide ADA paratransit. This cost is estimated at an additional $30 a service hour for ' this based on RVTD costs. This may not reflect the true total cost of the individual rides and will need to be further explored. In addition, if RVTD reroutes its system to terminate line 10 at SOU during off-peak hours, Ashland will be responsible for ADA complementary service for line 5 and 6. 1 Table 4-2 summaries costs and hours and estimates ridership of the proposed options. Ridership is based on a nominal fare. If the city decides to charge a fare approximating RVTD fare of $1.00, ridership will decline somewhat. 1 1 1 1 i ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 29 September 14, 1999 1 m �'OOOOOa 000 000 . 000000 Y 00 OOOy 000 N NO p YFN N c$�O O N+ O O N N m mV(y' mm nn m'' rnmw C6 C6 NQNi o1 � Oof N E mIg r n N N n N O n m m n M O n N P ,}m5d 0'1 Cl O C W Vi Vf N N o o o o 0 0 0 008 0 0 0 0 0 0 a 00 000 NNO NN 00O 000 U jN NtrOO Nw;,.nrm '. NNN' ONOONO O O m 01 01 m K N O B of C m 1 r n N N r° N N m m n N OI N R `wUs vi to �wwN °N�wwww �KO ;z .N.'m m m m n n QQO .. ^ Nr°. mm ° 1o $ °mho � a -Y N N N " vO N !� ' h oO $ PNN Q3xp gi Q 1101O S m O O.^ O O W a J _ Z � y{�" OOs . 00O OOO 000 Sm ,. v a' v ae evv veo W m co - r .N- cOi e r tO9 100 100 100 w U W LL o *y W C c ` W N N . NNN NNN NNN LCmm � NN '�NNN(jNNN . NNN. � W Q a z yY U4 p Y 3 O C1 „tW CO W alt m 0 m O pi O 4J Q Q C NNN NNN ( ¢ W, _ y y Z Z W N > W W 0 ? 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CO 0) W 00 Z Z Hi co CA CA O Q r W CL 1 O W 1 Q W W O 1 U J J W U U. 1 W WU U) < cr a z wU) LU 1 A w W 000 z WCZ > > 1 H W a > LL J > U W O I- OJ < Ja O z z VC0 U) 0 W O O Q JLLLL2Cn CO O N �' aQCnFnZ W W 1 � E U � ww � ZZ E ? m U w W F" CO o ¢ o000O 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland 1 ' Chapter 5 Organizational Structure and Funding ' How to Provide Transit Services Ashland has three major organization options in how it provides transit. The city may: • Contract with a service provider that will give turnkey service; that is it will operate all aspects of the service including most ' administrative, planning and marketing tasks. • Contract with a provider that will provide, operate and maintain the ' buses and also hire drivers. The city would administer, plan for and market the program. ' manage and operate the transit service as a city department. ' In choosing among these three options the city will want to consider: • Cost of the alternatives. What are the total costs including ' operating (including needed ADA services), capital and administrative expenses? ' • Quality of service. Will the service be reliable; will buses be clean and drivers courteous? t Availability of service. Are there providers in the area or outside the area who are willing to come to the area that can offer the services the city needs? ' Administrative ease. Which alternative seems most doable? ' City government constraints and opportunities. Is there enough room to house more staff? Does the city have excess capacity in its garage so it can provide its own vehicle maintenance at no ' additional cost? • City identity. Can Ashland put identifying lettering or logo on the buses? Is that important to the city? ' Turnkey Service The City of Ashland would contract with a provider to conduct all aspects of this service. Most likely Rogue Valley Transportation District would be the vendor of ' choice for this service, but not necessarily. While the fully allocated cost of 1 Nelson Wygaard Consulting 33 September 14, 1999 1 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' operating both fixed route and paratransit is about $80 an hour, RVTD is already ' providing paratransit for its existing route. The city might well be able to contract with it to provide service for about $50 an hour for deviated-route services. RVTD is also appealing because it has several small 14-seat lift-equipped vans, sitting idle at this time, which could be used on local routes. While these vehicles have the RVTD logo, specific lettering could be added to identify these buses as Ashland local service. ' Contracting with RVTD would be administratively easy. If the city chooses to do this, it should ensure the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) clearly defines the ' routes, span and frequency of service. The IGA should also specify the inclusion of the routes in the RVTD schedules and the types of vehicles it will use. Ashland should establish a committee to oversee this service and review the contract. The committee should have no more than six members representing the city council, SOU, business, Shakespeare Festival, users and the elderly and disabled. Either Public Works or Community Development should staff this ' committee. This job would require about 0.1 FTE. City staff indicates that the quality of RVTD service has been good and reliable. ' It is likely that that will not change. Moreover, RVTD would be able to ensure coordination between local and intercity service. If, however, RVTD wants to charge Ashland the fully allocated cost of $80 an hour, it may be prohibitively ' expensive to contract with it for local service. Also, if the city decides it wants to use rubber-tire trolleys or some other distinctive vehicle, RVTD may not be able to meet this request. Contract Just Service In this option, the city would contract with a bus operator to run and maintain the ' vehicles while retaining management, planning and marketing of the service. The operator.would hire drivers and mechanics as appropriate, while the city would need to hire a transit coordinator to manage the program. The city would ' need to go out to bid for a contractor. The'winning proposal should have the best overall package of service, not just the lowest price. Potential criteria to consider include: ' 0 Ability to provide quality, uninterrupted service • Commitment to maintenance of vehicles ' 0 Provisions for driver training in customer service and security • Current operations and maintenance facilities • Previous experience in providing comparable service • Risk management standards including hiring procedures that evaluate past driving and possible criminal record ' • Plans for mechanical failures, absent employees and other problems to ensure that service is not interrupted. ' Nelson Wygaard Consulting 34 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Once a proposal is chosen, the City and the contractor would negotiate a ' contract. This contract must provide adequate assurances to the City of Ashland that the contractor will meet all requirements and fulfill expectations of high- quality services. This includes provisions for incentives and penalties to ' contractually obligate the contractor to minimum requirements and reward the contractor for outstanding service. ' The City would need to hire a coordinator to oversee the program. Duties of this coordinator would include: • Contract Management: One of the main tasks for the Transit Coordinator would be to manage the contract with the service provider(s). This will include oversight of the contract, ensuring that ' the contractor is providing quality service, handling billing, and monitoring compliance with all contract provisions. ' Public Information and Outreach: The Transit Coordinator would need to lead the efforts to keep the service as visible as possible. This includes schedules and periodic flyers offering updates to ' riders about any special services, such as ridematching or trips to special events if these occur. Schedules should be easy to understand and highlight the essential information that riders need to use the service. The transit coordinator would also be responsible for coordinating with public works to locate signs. In addition he or she would coordinate with RVTD, Oregon Department of Transportation and other transit providers as appropriate. ' Customer Service: Even the best transit service will occasionally have complaints from riders. The Transit coordinator would need to receive complaints, recommendations, and compliments from riders. The coordinator should strive to respond to all comments as soon as possible. • Planning Functions: The coordinator will have responsibility for any planning functions necessary to keep Ashland Transit working ' effectively. This would include collecting and reviewing ridership figures to determine if route changes are needed as well as keeping current about land use changes to assess if new routes or ' modifications are needed. This position would need to work with planners and engineers to integrate transit planning with both general transportation planning, land use and street improvements. ' Financial planning. The coordinator should create quarterly reports about the current payables and receivables as well as performance ' measures such as ridership and total operating costs. NelsonWygaard Consulting 35 September 14, 1999 City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Keeping some of the functions of the transit service in-house creates an administrative burden for the city. However, it may give the city more control over quality of service, type of vehicles, and marketing programs. It also may ' give the city more flexibility in adjusting service to meet its needs. On the other hand, other than RVTD, the Ashland area does not have a wide range of operators that would compete to provide service. Those located further away ' may be encouraged to bid if they can use the City of Ashland garage to house And maintain their vehicles. The city may want to consider some sort of arrangement that will lower costs. Certainly more competition in the bid process ' can lead to a lower overall service price. This type of service might end up being more expensive than turnkey service, ' especially when the costs of staff are included. While the program only calls for one additional full-time staff person, the program will absorb planning, public works, human resource, finance and legal staff time. It will be essential to ' compare costs between the two options before making any decisions. In-House Service ' In this option the transit program will become a city department. This transit department would provide all transit services including purchase, operation and maintenance of vehicles as well as hiring of drivers and other staff. One ' advantage of this approach is the ability to use city resources such as the city garage and diesel fuel supply. The option would have significant start-up costs, especially vehicle acquisition. While the city would be able to hire qualified personnel to make this program work, it would be difficult to start from scratch. Since Ashland is part of a transportation district, it might not be eligible for the federal funding for vehicle acquisition or other projects that RVTD enjoys. This ' might make the cost of this program significantly greater than other options. As the system grows, it may become more realistic to consider having a city transit department. It is not clear whether contracting out for service or keeping all service in-house is better. In fact the neighboring cities of Albany and Corvallis both have transit systems, yet Corvallis contracts out the service while t managing the system and Albany runs the entire service. Each community made a different decision about what was best for it. ' How to Fund the System Ashland's position is unique. It is part of a regional transportation district to which city property owners already pay $0.17 per one thousand of assessed ' value in property tax. This totals about $200,000 a year from Ashland. For the past several years the City has paid an additional $100,000 a year from its utility tax for additional service frequency. Recently RVTD determined that this service ' would cost about $200,000 more. Ashland was unable to pay the money at that time because the request came after the budget cycle was completed. 1 ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 36 September 14, 1999 ' City of Ashland Transit Options for a Livable Ashland ' Additionally the city has provided about $50,000 a year for elderly/disabled ' transportation. This service has been discontinued because many eligible riders have moved to new senior housing that provides its own transportation. ' This means that Ashland may well be able to budget between $100,000 and $150,000 or more for improved transit services without seeking additional revenue sources. ' This report does not go into detail about other possible funding sources, but lists several options that should be further explored. • Increase the transient room tax from eight percent to ten percent. This would raise about $200,000 additionally every year. It would be a steady source of income as well. A two- percent increase would add $2.50 a night to the cost of a $125 room, not enough to turn tourists away. • Develop a parking fee for on-street and off-street parking. This system could be set up so that Ashland residents would pay a ' nominal yearly fee for a parking permit, while tourists would be required to buy a coupon from a centrally located kiosk on each block. This coupon would be displayed on dashboards. Aspen, ' Colorado and Vancouver, British Columbia have similar systems. • Solicit financial commitments from SOU and the Shakespeare ' Festival. • Pass a local option levy of $0.10 to raise an additional $125,000. A ' local option levy must be voted on every three years for operating expenses and five for capital. t ' NelsonWygaard Consulting 37 September 14, 1999