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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-0304 Study Session MIN CITY OF ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION DRAFT MINUTES Monday, March 4, 2019 Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street Mayor Stromberg called the Study Session to order at 5:30 PM 1. Public Input (15 minutes, maximum) David Young - Ashland - Spoke that he resigned from the Transportation Commission. He spoke that he was not respected. He spoke that he is not in support of the transit study. II. 'Presentation by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Executive Director Paul Christy and General Manager Ted Delong spoke to Council giving an update on the status of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Mr. DeLong spoke regarding the environmental concerns and impact to the festival. He spoke that the theaters opened last Friday and so far have had great attendance. Mr. Delong gave Council an overview of their suggested plans for 2019 (see attached). Items discussed were: • Theater performance dates. • Alternative Venue due to air quality - Ashland High School Theater. • Refund policies. • Attendance records. • Funding. • Community outreach. III. Transit Expansion Study Presentation Deputy Public Works Director Scott Fleury and Jamey Dempster presented Council with a PowerPoint presentation (see attached). Items discussed were: • Project Overview. • Existing conditions. • Purpose of the project. • Project Objectives. • Flexible menu of public transportation strategies. • Long-term actions. 0 Oregon Presentation to Ashland Mayor & City Council Shakespeare Delivered March 4, 2019 Festiva ® P.O. Box 158 i5 South Pioneer Street Paul Christy, OSF Acting Executive Director Ashland, Or 97520 Ted DeLong, OSF General Manager 541 4822111 541 482 o446 fax 541 482 4331 box office www.osfashiand.org Thank you for inviting us to address you today; we're here to tell you about the adaptations OSF is plan- ning to be ready for any air quality issues which may come our way in 2019 as a result of wildfire smoke. First, I want to make it very clear that we believe Ashland and OSF are intrinsically linked, and what our community has to offer is as a huge component of why visitors come to OSF, in addition to the experi- ence of attending OSF and the Allen Elizabethan Theatre, and we are not abandoning either Ashland or the Elizabethan. OSF believes that its sustainability is intrinsically linked to the success and sustainabil- ity of the Ashland community in which it is based. For that reason, we are laser focused on this issue both in the immediate and long terms. Here are some specifics of our plans: • As you probably already know, the Angus Bowmer and Thomas theatres started previews this past Friday (March 1, 2019) and will open this coming weekend (March 7-9, 2019). We moved their opening date two weeks later in order to concentrate our audiences in the weeks when, based on past buying patterns, people are more likely to come to Ashland; and to ensure we have full houses, not half-empty ones. This has also had the good side effect of starting rehearsals two weeks after New Year's Day rather than a day or two after, which made the start of the season much easier for our staff. • This year, the Elizabethan will start performances one week earlier, with previews beginning on May 28, the day after Memorial Day, and opening the weekend of June 7. • We will operate the Elizabethan as normal through at least July 12 and if there is smoke before that date, we will probably have to cancel because we won't have an alternate venue available. • From July 13 through July 29, we intend to make a daily decision - which we do based on air quality readings provided by the DEQ sensors at the downtown fire station and forecasts from the National Weather Service office in Medford, as well as the specific health requirements of the cast and crew on each production - about whether to relocate the Elizabethan performance to the Mountain Avenue Theatre at Ashland High School. In our experience, these weeks have a slightly lower likelihood of air quality issues than weeks later in the summer, so we will be selling the full capacity of the Elizabethan and intending to perform outside as much as possible. • During the period from July 30 through August 25 we stay at the Elizabethan as long as we can, but if air quality issues arise, we will move to the Mountain Avenue Theatre and stay there on a sustained basis. We will also be selling only the capacity of the Mountain Avenue Theatre during this time, which is less than a month. Now I know that this part may be concerning so I will offer some context. First, some statistics which underlie the decision to sell fewer tickets during the July 30-Aug. 25 period. Attendance in the Elizabethan in late July and August has been dropping - attendance was down 10% I ill I year over year in July from 2017 to 2018, and down as much as 25% year over year for August from 2017 to 2018. Also, it's very unlikely in general for us to sell out the entire venue, so the capacity drop seems more severe than it really is. The average per-performance paid attendance in the Elizabethan for all of 2018 was less than 800, or two-thirds of the venue's 1200-seat capacity, so we are only lowering our ca- pacity by about half, to 400. Our goal is to do the utmost to meet the expectations of every audience member who comes to Ashland to see a performance at the Elizabethan theatre. Over the past 6 years, the relationship between those audi- ence members and OSF has been repeatedly strained, as air quality issues have forced performance can- cellations, and capacity constraints in the various alternate venues have forced us to turn some patrons away from both locations in the same night. Our solution is to meet this challenge directly, informed by the patterns of air quality issues that have affected OSF's outdoor performances since 2013. For those predicted dates OSF will only be selling the specific number of seats in the Elizabethan that match the al- ternate venue's capacity. The other reason why we are planning, during this time when air quality issues are most likely, to move to the Mountain Avenue Theatre and to stay there, is that the daily decision-making burden of whether to move our shows to another venue has been enormously strenuous for our entire staff. With a season that is already a very long, very intense marathon, this is a way we can relieve staff's uncertainty while reduc- ing the amount of labor required to present our shows in an alternate venue. To return to our timeline of the season: • After August 27, we will resume making daily decisions and may return to the Elizabethan or go back and forth as conditions dictate, and • After September 10 we will return to the Elizabethan theatre for good. Air quality issues that late in the summer are less likely, but if they arise, we would have to cancel performances, as the Mountain Avenue Theatre is not available to us due to use by the high school. It's worth mentioning that the air quality issues related to wildfire smoke which can impact the outdoor performances typically do NOT impact any of the shows running in our indoor venues, and thanks to a generous grant from the State of Oregon, we are taking additional steps this year to ensure good air qual- ity in our indoor venues. We are making other changes next year to give our audience more chances to see our work and to visit Ashland, including adding as many performances as possible in the Thomas Theatre, adding a new set of performances in the Hay-Patton Rehearsal Center, and adding matinee performances of two of the three Elizabethan plays at the Mountain Avenue Theatre. Finally, we want to say that we are working to be more engaged with all facets of the community this sea- son so this is likely not the last time that you'll be hearing from us. One way which we're staying in touch is with a town hall meeting on March 15 with Paul; you should all have received an invitation to that. Finally, I want to give a huge thank you to Superintendent Kelly Raymond and the Ashland School District which have been hugely supportive and understanding and a tremendous help to us in planning for next season. ~~wR""Y.s~ arFFRt. ,eta°S;Ye'r\ '~~t4 v,L 1t;:~4 .n 4 a• i "4 \~"`~l J lit, v:'9U a 44, a ~w ¢ K r t'a ~ ~ E ° f "lC ~ r i J ~ ~ A r F 6 Y Y ~ a F tl. ~ x ~ 1 t 777 loft.y~ A r V 4' r y ' ll i R'^•c Nc t" . , r w F AIWAM e y t , n •r ~r r w PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES ■ Project overview ■ Existing conditions and needs Recommended opportunities x ■ Near term y,,; x ~P7 e - ;r- ■ Longterm Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. PROJECT SUMMARY Purpose Understand how public fr 41 transportation can best fax, h f eUS STOP , ~ 779•BUSS support local mobility needs and advance the City's long range goals = • a-~ - , Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. PROJECT OBJECTIVES ■ Flexible "menu" of public transportation strategies ■ Operational feasibility } s r ■ Quick wins and long-term actions i' _ ■ Partners ilk ■ Estimated costs Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. PROJECT SCHEDULE k Existing Ilk, Strategy Draft and Final kh, . Development • Needs Assessment • Aug 2018 March - May 1 2018 Feb 2019 MEETINGS • Mobile ® Technical ® Transportation City Workshops Advisory Commission Council Committee Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Existing Conditions i Needs Assessment Population -Ashland -Medford --Jackson County 350,000 300,000 m 250,000 0 0 Q 200,000 0 150,000 1 00,0 00 50,000 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055 2060 2065 Year Nelson\Nygaard Associates, Consulting Population POPULATION DENSITY Data Sources • 201Z-2016 0 Mon 015 ASHLAND Route 10 _-dar.,<± Anne s Airport Oregon Shakespeare Festival y rt City hall Nevada St ' Heiman ®Cmmumfy center Elementary Mountain ~ tlfelEt'IS Stdtl0rl v Meadows Maple St O Health facility 0 Q hbrafv Police Station Wimcr St O North ©High school Mountain Middle Hersey St Park SCh001 Willow Wind Q Elementary school Community Learning O O Sports arena Center Scenic Hills Halc7 l Memorial Park Population Density (by Block croup) - Anrk The Plaza ~r 0-4 people per acre StraN~ EMainst 4.1-8 people per acre 8.1-12 people per acre ScienceWorks M `Ashland Middle Ashland Airport 12.1 or mirr,? per acre A` Ashland High John Muir Acid Castle W luv;a 5,c Elementary a Rocks ' W r ri lly 5' Walker Elementary v Children's World YMCA Lithta Monte-on 4 Q Park ' .Ash1xv15 Southern Ashland St • Oregon siskiyou University Elementary #Vk T S~l~ ~toa Clok Knoll u 2`~ Golf Course c= E} k O Pq a Beliview Elementary Or 1 66 rn Crestview Dr U SSAyo Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, tnc. Low Income Households DAaSwicn(ity r t5(awKS20245 PERCENT • HOUSEHOLDS . • Mon 03 r ; zr r. . ,.hatnr,tP r'ax>+ r•`„`r.•,~~~~ "e" 'I (w•.,~.y. _r.K15X' ( I • r 7r~, 4 ~ - --J T Mountain 4iJ1 S.i1 Meaclovk zr,, fib Ashland q'((a1vltKiNf?(?a!N}YF Canm7unily HospiKik ' 4wn£cuntylevelODA) x tart;a ~ ~ ~ l~~ ~iaakest>earg Festival Y, err '.a l F ~11tY CenteF S~*'r Wit ' Alrrrriesl Pr.Kt © ' ;.,~HiII,V The Plaza . r r i iI Vrba ' Public 5ciencu'Work4 Library A hl A H qh c T"~uatk,. rx ~ y,i~ .k•' - Aehinnd,H ll, ,r r Senior YMCA HoW d 5 r C,.. l Ohio M CentMr ■ f Park - ( 5outiu~n ~ _ Orrrgan Fl'.-M.xrr Food univt-f6ty Bank y mow,....,....>~,.,..,...,...... w ,i i NOW IL Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. Commuting 0,800 PeoO ♦ s ad;~ 5,600 3,800 employees commute , employees leave to Ashland for work ASH LAND Ashland for work 3,300 live and work ~ r Nelson\Nygaard .Associates, Transit Ridership t. ,0 t , ACTIVITY BY STOP I 0 miles ;,~n G © Airport 1,,t 4 IQs s ® Oregon Shakespeare Festival City hall (omrnunity renter Nevada St ti i © Health facility Mountain Q library N r Meadows Maple St x, ` o High school Asante 0 A Middle school Community Hospital w.n,rSt c F' Ridership r° 180 total boardings/ alightings a.,•fl c HerseySt rk _ j - -+warcHihc The Plaza '1St E Main S StfaWfJ / Q LL y` AV - iE 444 c1^ r ScienceW4orks @~ ( 1 . ~ t ' Iowa St 0 o thm .4 Holly St r V < © ©YMCAx Ashland St Ashland St Southern m Oregon a' • University 0 i w M „ Y w --o~rxk k'aac ft ` ` ~ c ~'ntf Cove=n 1 No 0 r ~ z ~ 66 Crestview Dr ~ S~s4Y yor,~ Nelson\Nygaard • • Associates, Demand Response (Paratransit) Rides ORIGINS ASHLAND PARATRANSIT AND . . Data Sources, ofAshland I N NS t % .r= vv rtirpo t 7 Oregon Shakespeare Festival • ` " u ` m City hall % r- Q Community center c. e. Heiman - Elemenlary % A, Mo uin Q Fir 'FP1S station vvv Meadows. © HEthltfadllty % % st t Q lib i ~ ~ t\\ d Police station % w~inr r St High school vv „N,% m,we school vvv © Willow Wind [lenu:~ntarys(hool, %I Community Learning Center 5cenic Hitla Q Sports arena Hold Memorial P,,, 1, Paratransit service area ~ Strawberry ~ Th'e Plaza ~ Paratransit service area _ - mile from Route 10) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~WorkV ai ),it pick ups/drop otts plcktlpSJdrup offs Ashland ~ Middle Ash~C, nd Airport ~~V A I IY John Meir '.:.l Q Otts .y Acid CasNe Elementa Q Rocks ~ Walker Elemenlary Ali, \191'Childrens world YMCA 1 G1+yia Montessori \4 1 Par ns;,iod,t South err, Oregon s s~ ° Universit `I -yo""1Ru ® I tit I Ook Knoll Golf Caune \ a A Bellview Elementary ; i/ ss Siskiyoo Momrtnin Park Nelson\Nygaard • • Associates, Mobility Trends Technology and service models Traveler / customer information Va On demand scheduling 3 1k rElectronic payment systems Purchased service and contracting Associates, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Funding Trends Statewide ngxxxn'Aa HIrYmxefa' Transportation QUALIFIED TRANSIT ENTITIES ttratroanuu. nom x¢,•a.~ta ld pYfll Y(I~O~OII1xY IkU~~Y Improvement Fund 4 :b n~"tn Ra+f'gItY1W q tYl q plM Woo111 \ Rnv H B 2017 nt~~ r b~" 1 gaxs:arrn ni 'hMill Vivo Vats ' 9ipngx f fxdom lb- ~sn1t11 aICY flxklma: ~ P:IM Ys nuvn _ kfktaa Yfleekr Pain ,s ruxt cxx+n uw taxnn nay N.k ixuntvxufroa griwn r..i.,~ OrckJtn Regional transit revenues lam Yd Rq f.k- ~ ~ ruuY Qnly nunnlnuYr wam MN+timn aana )mom uuralrur amdp x1N ]J it klNf.'H Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, I'm 15 Needs and Opportunities ■ Reduce single-occupancy ■ Expand hours for existing vehicle trips service ■ Expand transit coverage ■ Shorter travel times to ■ Enhance multimodal Medford by bus transportation options ■ Safe and comfortable transit access ■ Frequent, reliable, and affordable transportation ■ Easy-to-find information services Strategy Review STRATEGIES ■ General public demand response ■ Fixed routes o Local coverage , ~+ltVfrRRk { o Central corridor o Medford-Ashland Express ■ Bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements - ■ Transportation demand management *f H' z ■ Electric buses Nelson\Nygaard • • Associates, 19 GENERAL PUBLIC DEMAND RESPONSE ■ Flexible service model s ■ Connect to regional routes ■ Enhanced reservation system sacrt.com/smartride ■ Operator flexibility ■ $100,000 - $300,000 (limited - full day with 2 drivers) "Mia - - 20 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, GENERAL PUBLIC DEMAND RESPONSE ACTIONS r ■ Service planning o Goals~ o Measuring performances - o Supporting programs o Long-range funding ■ Funding applications N rkH L~~ -ate ■ Implement, monitor, improve LOCAL COVE RAGE ROUTE ■ Expand coverage to ~ ' N=rada S' Ashland = `°mm~tal off central corridor Hospital W,mer St t+ar?t- - - Z l_ - ~ "nrk ~ Cr2 ` Proposed Downtown Mama vt Pa,t ■ Expand p a ra t ra n s i tKm~fx Park-and-R~de sr rye r c, Ashland Ashland }fin High cience -Middle area to new areas cdCodM~ Works Rock, HoIlYSt YMC i low Senior ti cc pr.4",y Cenle}, i Polk , ■ Connect to regional Proposed Route F. - Mart rp lot? .W 3/4-MileADA G"° rr c°" Paratransit Service Area y4 F routes ■ Builds on past plans ■ $200, 000 with 1 bus at 1-hour headway Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, fnc. LOCAL COVE RAGE ROUTE ACTIONS, Nevada Sc Ashland Y s ■ Operations and Community Hospital wlmer;t s North ~n capital plan proposed N Hord Downtown 0,, snn c HdL \ Snv bcry Park-and-Ride Ashland sr ~ SVa ~ ■ _tit~ Ashlan Sidewalk and d 1rie. « nMiddl ed High ks E 5- crossing Pod. Ho1 ,V s~ YMC ,Senior Part Center r w improvements - ' ~ Proposed Route as~ r Bi-Mort Cy 4 (1n4 K 3/4-Mile ADA R` C=I. d Paratransit Service Area \ , ■ Marketing and TDM ■ Secure funding ■ Implement, monitor and improve Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. CENTRAL CORRIDOR ROUTE ■ Expand capacity on < ~ Conceptual \ Park-and-Ride Location productive transit (further study needed) Potential Pork ad-Ride Proposed Route corridor A,hPondPonds \ 3f4-MiieADA Paratransit Service Area W Nevada St ~ y ` ■ Link to parking - u rr. E Hersey St program to tia rtP Shawtxcrr -0St Memor3a Pak , ' part _ incentivize transit \ St awl EMain St - k Ivxa St Iowa St ~ 05 , Add CSg\ Holly St - z , v ~ use Q `•~.LPark Ashland St Potad Park-and-Ride. r ' ~ c'FaE t:nnfl ~r c l' .fiQt' ■ Builds on - transportation, climate plans ■ $400,000 and 2 buses at 90 minute headway Associates, NelsonkNygaard Consulting 24 CENTRAL CORRIDOR ROUTE N ACTIONS Conceptual Park-and-Ride Location (further study needed) potefdw Proposed Route ■ Operations + capital a:5r 3/4-MileADA Paratransit Service Area plan W N.vada St O t` ti t ■ Managed parkin a~ ~w V ,k E Hersey St 47 n ~ Scemt riiUs . j , Memor)at Prnt Pa+ ■ Design, construct nst 5traµ.~ E Main St Adder fie m Holly St ~t parking facilities °oast oWast 1 ° Ashland St i Park w 1 P.it-and-Ridle., 4ok Ktall ■ Transit vehicle - ` Gaff Cre s storage and fueling facility ■ Bus stop and sidewalk improvements ■ Implement and monitor transit service Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 25 I MEDFORD-ASHLAND EXPRESS ■ Increase convenience and access for MEDFORD regional trips ■ Augment Route 10 service on Highway 99 ■ Builds on past local and regional transit Conceptual ® Park-and-Ride Location plans (further study needed) ASHLAND ~ Proposed Route ■ $1401000 +1 vehicle at 90 minute headway Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. MEDFORD-ASHLAND EXPRESS ACTIONS ■ Operations and MEDFORD capital plan ■ Support regional marketing and information ■ Integrate with parking programs and policies (ZConceptua► Park-and-Ride Location (further study needed) ASHLAND ■ Support bike - p e d Proposed Route infrastructure ■ Ongoing monitoring and improvements Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. ELECTRIC VEHICLES ■ Common are large, 30-40 feet - smaller vehicles emerging ■ Charge time and scheduling ■ Wheelchair access, other compliance requirements - ■ Combine with local route or demand response, _0 $50, 000 - $1, 000, 000 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. ELECTRIC VEHICLES ACTIONS ■ Match vehicle to service 'A `Ty r , ■ Request for information k-t AW- ■ Vehicle storage and charging facility ■ Vehicle specifications and _ procurement ■ Monitor and improve ` Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. 29 BICYCLE - PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE r ■ Access improvements = x ti 5 o comfort, convenience, safety ■ Bus stop improvements o Amenities maintenance, access - _ t '^d ■ $5, 000 to $100, 000+--~ es~ BICYCLE - PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE ~ r ACTIONS 4 x # x,11 B .,3.. v ■ Prioritize and implement active ,r transportation projects w ■ Bike share expansion study - ■ Review / align land use code low b. i - - oniuilf TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT ■ Actively promote public transportation information s■ Support transportation options T ; v ' a + R ■ Support carpool program; explore vanpool options rf P"Y ■ $20, 000 - $80, 000 a:J 32 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ■ Create Ashland-specific marketing material U, FAZ - Wit. ■ Create a local transportation management association or program 's ■ Provide staff support to RVTD and other partners Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. NEXT STEPS Near term opportunities r- gus r STOP ■ Active transportation 779-BUSS ' improvements ■ Information and marketing ■ Demand response transit pilot R~ project r r,. t K f T1 34 Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. NEXT STEPS R Statewide transportation Improvement Fund - y 6U5 STOP 4", 779-Buss Discretionary ■ Every 2 years Statewide transportation P-' Improvement Fund - Formula ■ RVTD solicitation process 4 4 1 :Rc a`te' ~ ■ Plan ever 2 ears Federal formula funding t. ■ Existing services Q h F y~~ r '14 b, did • +lZ` , %l~ i Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. Questions and comments Thank You! NELS~~ ~r tl Y E'T ~ ~.:,M°(' r ~-'fry„£e .k syr ~3' ~ ".y'~ F~ ~ r Rai~~v w.~,ti' ~ i ~ P~ ~G~~~,n. ! 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