STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: March 26, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Mike Roberts, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: CCTA Feasibility Study Update for Expanded Ferry Service in Contra Costa County – Hercules Location RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
It is recommended that the City Council receive a status update from Contra Costa County Transportation Authority (CCTA) Executive Director Tim Haile on the draft Ferry Feasibility Study for the Hercules location and discuss the information provided.
BACKGROUND:
In November 2023 the Hercules City Council approved a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Cities of Antioch, Martinez, and Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority, and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to evaluate the feasibility of expanded ferry service in Contra Costa County including the Hercules Hub at a participating cost of $40,000 in Measure J Funding.
The Hercules Hub is a regional, state-of-the-art housing and transportation development located on the waterfront overlooking the San Pablo Bay. It will connect thousands of housing units with a new train stop along the Capitol Corridor, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, bus routes, carpool options, and potential ferry service. To date $46M in capital improvements have been constructed for this new facility and the City is fully engaged in securing the funding needed to design and construct the remaining infrastructure.
The scope of work includes assessing existing infrastructure, capital improvement costs, operational and maintenance costs including the use of small vessels, permitting requirements, ridership, fare structure, evaluation of possible management structures of the service, and identifying funding options including grant opportunities. As the lead agency, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is completing the majority of the work under the MOU while each agency is participating through a designated representative.
Participating in the MOU is laying the groundwork for future service to the Hub by leveraging service expansion through the joint effort of 7 public agencies, providing the studies needed to better understand and plan for service, and the completion of a written plan by the regional transportation planning agency (i.e. CCTA) needed for the City to be competitive on future grant funding opportunities.
The study is nearing completion and the presentation tonight is intended to provide a high level assessment of the Hercules site.
ANALYSIS:
This section of the staff report is covered in the attached presentation which will be elaborated upon in the verbal presentation.
ATTACHMENTS:
Presentation