DATE: DATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" October 10, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Response to Council Referral Memorandum: A Bench for Every Stop
SUMMARY
The City of Hayward has a total of 363 transit stops and only 63 stops of the total have bus shelter and seating available, leaving the remaining 300 stops without seating. To improve access and comfort for transit riders, the implementation of Simme Seats, which are small one to two-seater benches, was explored. The cost estimates for installation and maintenance are summarized below as informed by AC Transit:
Simme Seat Installation Cost
Material, Installation (including minor Concrete work): $2,000 per Unit Installation cost for all 300 transit stops without shelters: $600,000 The total cost for multiple installations may be less than $2,000 per unit due to economies of scale. The total cost will be determined after the total number of units is determined.
Simme Seat Maintenance Cost
Pressure washing: $30 per Unit
Cleaning/Trash Pickup/Graffiti Removal: $25 per Unit
Based on the maintenance cost of each Simme Seat, monthly and annual maintenance costs were calculated for the high-range scenario, which assumes bi-weekly cleaning and monthly pressure washing, and the low-range scenario, which involves cleaning and pressure washing once a month. The two cleaning frequency scenarios have been selected to give Council a sense for the annual ongoing costs. The actual required frequency can be determined in future discussions with AC Transit. The estimated costs of the two scenarios are shown in the table on page 2:
Bus Shelter Installations Cost
Estimated Cost
Material & Installation Cost per Unit (One-Time Fee)
$2,000
Material & Installation Cost for 300 Stops (One-Time Fee) $600,000 (or less, due to economies of scale)
Bus Shelter Maintenance Cost
High-Range
(Weekly Cleaning & Bi-weekly
Monthly Pressure Washing)
Low-Range
(Monthly Cleaning &
Monthly Pressure Washing)
Monthly Maintenance Cost per Unit
$84
$55
Annual Maintenance Cost per Unit
$1,010
$660
Monthly Maintenance Cost for 300 Stops
$25,250
$16,500
Annual Maintenance Cost for 300 Stops
$303,000
$198,000
It is noted that the estimated maintenance costs assume Simme Seats are installed at all stops without seatings (300 stops). The actual cost and number of transit stops may be modified upon completion of the ongoing Accessibility Study conducted to determine stops suitable for street furniture installations.
NEXT STEPS
Below are the next steps as requested in the Council referral memorandum along with staff input:
Collaboration with AC Transit to conduct an expedited Accessibility Study of Hayward’s bus stops to determine which stops are suitable for the installation of street furniture before the end of FY23/24. The Referral memo suggests that this collaboration may include financial support from the City not to exceed $30,000, as stated in the referral memo.
Pilot five (5) low-cost Simme Seat at the highest priority shelter-less bus stops according to AC Transit’s Overall Index Score for each stop to determine the cost of maintenance while AC Transit conducts the Accessibility Study from Step 1. The pilot program is needed to help determine the suitable frequencies of maintenance and potential benefits of Simme Seats such as a rise in ridership.
Develop a staff report and project proposal that outlines the cost of installation and maintenance of bus benches across all bus stops in Hayward that currently do not have a shelter and meet the accessibility requirements determined by the Accessibility Study from Step 1. Installation of benches should be prioritized by AC Transit’s Overall Index Score for each stop. Staff’s proposal should include a funding strategy to complete this initiative within five (5) years, utilizing dollars from City CIP budgets, grants, Measure BB, support from local organizations to “adopt” or sponsor a bench, and/or any other relevant funding sources.
Present the project proposal and results of the pilot to the City Council for adoption before the end of 2024.
Prepared by: Jade Kim, Assistant Transportation Engineer Kathy Garcia, Deputy Director of Public Works
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
____________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
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