DATE: January 30, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Approve and Appropriate $60,000 to Implement A Bench for Every Bus Stop Pilot Program Project No. 05343
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to approve and appropriate $60,000 in Fund 216, Measure B Pedestrian and Bicycle, to implement A Bench for Every Bus Stop Pilot Program Project No. 05343.
SUMMARY
The City has a total of 363 transit bus stops, of which only 63 have bus shelters and seating available. To improve access and comfort for transit riders, the implementation of Simme Seats, which are small one to two-seater benches, was explored. For the Pilot Program, 12 locations will be selected for Simme Seats to be installed based on AC Transit’s Accessibility Assessment. Staff recommends adopting the resolution to approve and appropriate the $60,000 for the A Bench for Every Bus Stop Pilot Program Project No. 05343.
BACKGROUND
At the June 16th 2023 AC Transit ILC meeting, representatives shared that AC Transit was planning to conduct an assessment of their bus stops to determine which are appropriate for the installation of shelters or benches. The AC Transit staff calculated an overall score for each bus stop to determine priority weighted by:
Person Minutes – The total number of minutes that passengers wait at a stop Percentage of People of Color by Block Group
Percentage of Low-income People by Block Group
Accessibility to Social Services
Council’s ILC representatives requested that staff collaborate with AC Transit on their Accessibility Assessment of bus stops last fall. It was determined that installing seats at bus stops would be cost-effective and a timely way to improve accessibility and comfort for riders.
To validate these estimates and gauge the practical implications, Council requested a pilot program of installing five Simme Seats at the most critical bus stops, as ranked by AC Transit’s Accessibility Assessment. The pilot program was requested to obtain realistic maintenance cost data and observe potential benefits, such as a rise in ridership and user satisfaction. The pilot program was approved at the Council meeting held on October 10, 2023, with a modification for the pilot to include ten seats. However, the pilot program expanded to 12 Simme Seats to meet the minimum order quantity required by Simme LLC, the sole source vendor for Simme Seats.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this project is to improve the accessibility to transit for residents and people traveling to and from Hayward. Twelve (12) bus stops will be selected from the AC Transit Accessibility Assessment and the site conditions review to install Simme Seats without obstructing the pedestrian paths. These 12 seats and locations will help the City determine maintenance costs and effectiveness of seats to improve the transit experience for future locations. QR codes are planned to be installed with Simme Seats to survey user experience.
Location-specific design requirements will need to be researched and determined for each of the 12 bus stops. Sidewalk conditions, bus stop space, and bus stop sign proximity to the curb will influence the work required for each location.
The cost estimate for Simme Seat installation is $2,000 per unit, which includes any minor concrete work that may be necessary at certain bus stops. The maintenance for the Simme Seats is expected to be nominal based on the City of Emeryville’s recent installation of 40 Simme Seats, which have been met with minimal problems according to AC Transit.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The installation of 12 Simme Seats will enhance comfort and access to transit stops, potentially leading to increased transit ridership in Hayward. There will be no impact on the General Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of the A Bench at Every Bus Stop Pilot Program is $60,000. Fund 216, Measure B Pedestrian and Bicycle will be used for this pilot program.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This item supports Council’s Strategic Priority of Invest in Infrastructure. This item specifically relates to the following subcategory:
Invest In Multi-Modal Transportation
Project N7: Work with AC Transit to beautify bus shelters and construct more seating at bus stops to improve the ridership experience.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Increased transit ridership could help reduce use of personal vehicles which would have a positive impact on reducing emissions.
PUBLIC CONTACT
There is no public contact associated with this action.
NEXT STEPS
If Council approves this request, staff will process the project appropriation and begin identifying locations and design requirements for Simme Seats at bus stops. Once the design requirements are determined, Simme Seats will be ordered and installed.
Prepared by: Colin Patterson, Associate Transportation Planner Jade Kim, Assistant Transportation Engineer
Byron Tang, Senior Transportation Engineer
Kathy Garcia, Deputy Director of Public Works
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
_______________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
https://hayward.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1123084&GUID=BBCF9596-4576-4AF7-83C2-492AD25B14E0&Options=info|&Search=