WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS
NOT READ INTO THE RECORD
1 Michael Dunn
Subject: FW: BH Transit -- Study Session
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2022 9:40:34 AM
To: Huma Ahmed
Cc: 14‐Robert Wunderlich; Lili Bosse; John Mirisch; 12‐Julian Gold; 13‐Lester J. Friedman; [email protected]; 'Wendy Nystrom'
Subject: BH Transit ‐‐ Study Session
Huma
My comments for the Study Session tomorrow are set forth below. I will attend in person if allowed or virtually to answer any questions that the Council may have. If virtual, please let me know the best way to connect.
Please read the following:
I have read the staff report and offer a suggestion for an initial approach to this interesting and important concept.
I believe that if the Council has an interest in exploring the possibility of a BH Transit system, the very first things that should be done are to:
1) Outline for preliminary discussion purposes the features of a hypothetical system, perhaps along the lines of what is set forth below; and
2) Direct the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (“CAC”) for the Climate Adaptation and Action Plan, working with staff to the extent necessary and advisable, to obtain some very preliminary cost estimates for such a system and report back to Council within the next 60 to 90 days.
The following is a general description, arising out of my own thoughts stimulated by the discussions of the CAC of a an example of a type of system that would be designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce traffic and improve quality of life by getting BH residents out of their cars, provide a safe and convenient means of getting from residents’ homes to other locations in the city and providing a safe and convenient method of transporting our young residents to and from BHUSD schools:
Use a fleet of energy efficient mini busses or other vehicles including, perhaps, autonomous vehicles once available and practical;
A fixed route system including, for example:
E/W routes along Wilshire and Olympic;
A business district circle route including Doheny and Santa Monica; N/S routes along Beverly Drive to Benedict Canyon and Coldwater Canyon and service thru Trousdale; and
2 For school children E/W routes along Elevado and Charleville, for students only, operating for drop off and pickup, with a private security guard on each vehicle.
Frequent service (every 10‐15 minutes) for appropriate hours.
A modest fee should be charged.
The fixed route system may be supplemented by an on demand service and/or a Dial A Ride service.
Regarding cost estimates, it is important to understand that the operation of such a system will be contracted out to one of the several services that provides turnkey service to most municipal transit systems throughout the country. There is no need for BH to operate its own transportation department or provide the vehicles or managers or drivers. The BH Dial A Ride for seniors is currently contracted out to MV Transportation Inc. of Dallas TX.
I suggest that we contact two or three of the companies who provide these services and request basic cost estimates. I predict, even tho my crystal ball is broken, that a collateral benefit of these contacts will be that we will get some good ideas about what such a system should look like.
With this information, the Council can assess whether the concept (subject to further definition informed by the Council discussion) is worthy of further pursuit.
Of course, we should seek community input. It may be that we will need the assistance of consultants. But there is no point in taking those steps (which may be very time‐consuming and will certainly be expensive) unless and until we can assess whether the general concept makes sense and unless and until Council can provide some direction to both community discussion and, if necessary, the work of consultants.
Without this direction, community input and the work of consultants would, by definition, be direction‐less, could likely be pointless and we will never know whether or not a BH Transit system will benefit our unique City.
Even when I play “devil’s advocate regarding the above, I cannot see any downside to this approach.
Thank you for your consideration.
Peter O