ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022-23
san leandro FREE SHUTTLE
LINKS
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
Executive Summary & Recommendation
The Annual Report includes a brief history of the LINKS shuttle and the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District (BID), ridership statistics; current and planned operations, the LINKS budget and the proposed BID assessment for 2023.
Organization
The West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District was formed in 2000 to provide management and funding for the LINKS Shuttle Program. In 2015, the BID was reauthorized for a period of 15 years and the service area was expanded. In addition to the BID, LINKS is funded by grants, advertising revenue and contribution from City of San Leandro.
The LINKS Shuttle service is administered by the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO), a 501(C) 4 non-profit corporation.
Oversight of the BID is conducted by the West San Leandro Business Improvement District Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The five to seven member Advisory Board includes two City staff designees and three to five business representatives. The Advisory Board's duties include annual review of the LINKS performance for submission to the City Council and annual BID rate recommendation.
LINKS Shuttle Service
The free shuttle provides critical first-last mile transportation from the San Leandro BART station to the industrial area west of I-880 and Marina Blvd. LINKS operates Monday - Friday during peak commute hours (5:45 - 9:45 am and 3:00 - 7:00 pm. With 20 years of service to the community, LINKS has provided over 3 million rides.
FY 2021-22 Activities
Over the last year, the SLTMO provided reliable transportation to LINKS riders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although operations and ridership were impacted, the service continued to operate without reductions or changes to its normal schedule. While large transit providers like 1C Tans 021. A ve mire riders its so rices reb danded much more quickly durings 2020 and 2021
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WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 In 2021, the SLTMO identified a projected budget shortfall beginning in FY 2022-23 resulting from funding decreases and cost increases. The Alameda County Transportation Commission increased the matching requirement for shuttle operations to 75%, effectively reducing the gran allocation by 50%. Additionally, the SLTMO projected increased transportation costs in F) 2022-23.
In response, the SLTMO contracted with a transit consulting firm to review the LINKS service and develop service options that would maximize service levels while reducing service costs.
The consultant team recommended a Dual Interlaced Loop service using two buses with 30- minute headways. This alternative provides the most service under projected funding levels, reduces cost by approximately 50% with only a 10-minute decrease in frequency. Most important, there is no change to stops, service area or operating hours. impact to riders and few rider complaints.
FY 2022-23 Planned Activities
Following is a summary of planned activities for FY 2022-23:
Rider Safety - Continue to provide much needed transportation following current Covid-19 safety protocols.
Dual Interlaced Loop - Continue to monitor and modify the service as needed to meet rider needs.
Outreach - Increase outreach to employers and employees to promote LINKS ridership now that riders are coming back to public transportation.
Grants - Aggressively seek grant and other funding opportunities. The Board will continue to work with the City of San Leandro and Alameda County Transportation Commission to secure critical funding.
Revenue Diversification - Continue to diversify revenue sources by maintaining current contract with Marina Square (advertising) and seek other revenue generating opportunities.
West San Leandro Business Improvement District (BID)
The enabling BID Ordinance requires that the Advisory Board annually review the performance of LINKS service and recommended BID rate adjustment for submission to the City Council.
The Ordinance provides that the City Council may increase the annual assessment in an amount not to exceed the increase of the Consumer Price Index (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose), as part of its review of the annual report.
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WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 BID Advisory Board - Rate Recommendation
Increase the BID per employee assessment rate equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as provided for in Ordinance No. 2009-002. For 2023 the applicable CPI factor is
6.8 percent. This would result in the BID per employee rate increasing from $25.87 to $27.63.
Businesses with three or fewer owner/employees, landlords, and non-profits will continue to be exempt from the BID assessment. The CPI adjustment will raise approximately $26,000. 3 Page
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 Annual Report
Background
In 2000, the City of San Leandro evaluated the feasibility of implementing a commuter shuttle service connecting west San Leandro employment sites with the San Leandro BART station.
Based on the results of that study, the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO) and a Business Improvement District (BID) were formed to provide management and funding for the LINKS Shuttle program.
The SLTMO is a 501(C) 4 non-profit corporation governed by a Board of Directors that includes representation from businesses included in the BID and the City of San Leandro. The SLTMO administers the LINKS Shuttle program.
Oversight of the BID is conducted by the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The five to seven member Advisory Board includes two City staff designees and three to five business representatives. The Advisory Board's duties include annual review of the LINKS performance for submission to the City Council. The Ordinance authorizing the BID also provides that the City Council may increase the annual BID assessment in an amount not to exceed the increase of the Consumer Price Index as part of its review of the annual report.
LINKS Shuttle Service
The LINKS Shuttle provides free transportation from the San Leandro BART station to the industrial area west of 1-880 and Marina Blvd., a major employment center of the City and the region. LINKS operates Monday - Friday during peak commute hours (5:45 - 9:45 am and 3:00 - 7:00 pm). In July 2022, the service was modified to a Dual Interlaced Loop configuration operating two buses, both of which travel on a North and South Loop. Historically, Links provides 200,000 rides per year with an average of 700 rides per day. Like all public transportation services, the number of rides dropped since Covid. Ridership is gradually increasing and was over 500 rides per day by the end of FY 21-22.
LINKS provides critical "first and last mile" connection between transit and employers in West San Leandro, serving major employers including Amazon, Walmart and Costco, as well as small employers. There are over 800 businesses and almost 15,000 employees in the LINKS service LINKS also provides transportation to commercial nodes including Marina Square Shopping Center and community services such as Davis Street Family Resource Center which serves 10,000 low-income people each year.
Participation in the LINKS BID service area helps businesses comply with the BAAQMD Commuter Benefit requirements. In 2014, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) implemented the Commuter Benefits Program that requires all employers with 50 or more full-time employees to provide commuter benefits to their employees. To comply with the Program, employers must select one (or more) of four commuter benefit options and register 4| Page
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 with BAAQMD. Participation in the LINKS BID satisfies Option 3 ("Employer Provided Transit") under the requirements, allowing businesses to save time and money.
BID Renewal
In 2015, the Business Improvement District was re-authorized for 15-years. When the BID was renewed, the service area was expanded providing more frequent service, shorter round-trip rides and connections to businesses that previously could not access LINKS. BID fees are collected through the City's business license process.
Summary of Annual Activities
FY 2015-16 - The SLTMO focused on getting the expanded service up and running smoothly and updating the LINKS branding with new signage, brochure and website. Bus benches and new signs were installed.
FY 2016-17 - The SLTMO focused on stabilizing LINKS funding by applying for grants and renewing service contracts with Kaiser Permanente and Marina Square Shopping Center.
LINKS received a five year Measure BB grant which helped to stabilize funding for the next several years.
FY 2017-18 - The SLTMO focused on further enhancing the service through the installation of Nextbus technology. Using a mobile app, Nextbus allows riders to find real time arrival predictions for nearby stops instantly, find stops and vehicles on a map, get walking directions and set alerts for favorite stops and times. Nextbus also provides useful administrative reports iransporation resources ver also add pase website furtier maising accesse try to ate as FY 2018-19 - The SLTMO continued its focus on improved performance and rider experience, replacing the LINKS fleet with four new buses. The exterior bus branding was updated, signage on the bus exterior was improved and information racks added to the bus interior. Each bus was fitted with a drive cam which can record the interior and exterior of the bus in the event of an incident.
FY 2019-20 - The SLTMO focused on continuing service reliability, securing grants and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. The SLTMO implemented a variety of safety protocols allowing the shuttle to continue to operate on its normal schedule during the uncertainty of the pandemic.
FY 2020-21 - The SLTMO continued to focus on providing reliable transportation to LINKS riders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although ridership dropped, LINKS ridership rebounded much more quickly than larger transportation providers. As part of the reconfiguration of the San Leandro BART Station, the LINKS shuttle stops were permanently moved to a convenient location on San Leandro Bld with access to cross walk and benches. 2021-22 Activities
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WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 Over the last year, the SLTMO provided reliable transportation to LINKS riders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although operations and ridership were impacted by Covid-19, the service continued to operate without reductions or changes to its normal schedule providing first and last mile connections to facilitate transit use to access employment and commercial centers.
Average daily ridership dropped from 771 in February 2020 to a low of 200 in April. Since then, ridership steadily increased with average daily ridership in June 2022 of 518 rides or 71% of pre- Covid levels. LINKS ridership rebounded much more quickly during 2020 and 2021 than large transit operators such as AC Transit and BART. LINKS ridership during Covid demonstrated that the LINKS Shuttle provides essential transportation to San Leandro businesses, employees and the community.
In 2021, AT&T discontinued 3G service impacting the Nextbus app used by LINKS riders. The Nextbus app allows riders to monitor real time bus arrivals on a mobile device. The change required an equipment upgrade to 4G. It was challenging to get the equipment during Covid, but the system was updated with only a short disruption in service to riders.
The SLTMO identified a projected budget shortfall beginning in FY 2022-23 resulting from funding decreases and cost increases. The Alameda County Transportation Commission increased the matching requirement for shuttle operations to 75%, effectively reducing the grant allocation by 50%. Additionally, the SLTMO projected increased transportation costs when the transportation contract expired in FY 2022-23.
In response, the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization contracted with a transit consulting firm to review the LINKS service and develop service options that would maximize service levels while reducing service costs.
The consultant team recommended a Dual Interlaced Loop service reducing the number of buses from four to two. The Dual Loop configuration maintains the existing North and South loops with the central stop at BART where both routes meet. The configuration allows for a one-seat ride for customers without having to transfer between routes. Headway time is saved by reducing the dwell time between loops. With the Dual Loop services, buses run every 30 minutes rather than every 20 minutes. This alternative provides the most service under projected funding levels, reduces operational costs by approximately 50% with only a 10-minute decrease in shuttle frequency and allows for expansion in service if new funding is identified. There is no change to shuttle stops, service area or operating hours.
The contract was successfully renegotiated with the LINKS transportation provider. The Dual Loop service was implemented July 1, 2022 and has been operating successfully with little impact to riders and few rider complaints.
LINKS Budget
Funding for LINKS comes from the BID, grants, the City of San Leandro and advertisingMarina Square Shopping Center purchases advertising on the LINKS buses. 2022 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Measure BB & TFCA) - $1,180.088 6| Page
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 The SLTMO recieved a 2022 Alameda CTC CIP grant for the period is FY 2021-22 through FY 2025-26 in the amount of $1,180,088. Although the full grant request was allocated, the mad shinicamie mpain the LINKS beige for the ne tove ye reducing the allowable request 2024 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Measure BB & TFCA) - $331,000 The SLTMO applied for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28 CIP grant funds (Measure BB & TFCA) in the amount of $331,000. The application is pending.
Business Improvement District Revenue
BID revenue declined significantly year over year in 2020 but 2021 & 2022 revenue has increased back to pre-Covid levels of approximately $400,000.
Projected Budget Deficit
The SLTMO projected a budget deficit beginning in FY 2022-23 as a result of:
• New Alameda CTC matching requirements that limit the allowable grant request.
Unpredictable drop in BID revenue.
• Projected transportation cost increases.
Budget Reduction - Service Modification
Implementation of the Dual Loop configuration provides the most service under projected funding levels and reduces operational costs by approximately 50% with the goal of stabilizing LINKS funding for the next five years.
2022-23 Planned Activities
Rider Safety - Continue to provide much needed transportation following current Covid-19 safety protocols.
Dual Interlaced Loop - Continue to monitor and modify the service as needed to meet rider needs.
Outreach - Increased outreach to employers and employees to promote LINKS ridership now that riders are coming back to public transportation.
Grants - Aggressively seek grant and other funding opportunities. The Board will continue to work with the City of San Leandro and Alameda County Transportation Commission to secure critical funding.
Revenue Diversification - Continue to diversify revenue sources by maintaining current contract with Marina Square (advertising) and seek other revenue generating opportunities.
Business Improvement District Authorization
The BID is a levied benefit assessment on businesses within the BID Area, the proceeds of which shall be used for the public purpose benefit of the businesses in the BID, pursuant to the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989 Section 36500 et seq. of Division 18 of 7|Page
WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2022-23 the California Streets and Highways Code. All of the assessments imposed by the BID Ordinance shall be reviewed by the City Council annually based upon the annual report prepared by the advisory board appointed pursuant to Sections 36530 and 36533 of the California Streets and Highways Code. Pursuant to Section 36533(c), the City Council may approve the report as filed by the advisory board or may modify any particular contained in the report and approve it as modified.
The ordinance defines the boundaries of the BID, the amount of the annual assessment, the approved use of the assessment funds, and the effective period of the assessment. The Ordinance requires that an Advisory Board annually review the performance of LINKS for submission to the City Council. In addition, the Ordinance provides that the City Council may increase the annual assessment in an amount not to exceed the increase of the Consumer Price Index (San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose), as part of its review of the annual report.
Annual BID Rate Recommendation - 2022 Business Improvement District Assessment In order to ensure that funding for LINKS stays current with operating costs, it is recommended that the 2023 BID rate be adjusted by the applicable Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Per the approved Ordinance, the BID per employee rate may be increased annually by the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For 2023 the applicable CPI factor is 6.8 percent.
This would result in the BID per employee rate increasing from $25.87 to $27.63. Businesses with three or fewer owner/employees, landlords, and non-profits will continue to be exempt from the BID assessment. The CPI adjustment will raise approximately $26,000.
EXHIBIT A - Ridership Statistics
EXHIBIT B- LINKS Shuttle Map
EXHIBIT C- Budget
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LINKS Ridership in Fiscal Years
Years of Service: 20
Total # of Rides Provided: 3,294,306
Fiscal Year Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total To Date To Date Avg/Mo Avg/Day
FY 16 16,080 14,646 16,037 18.015 14,685 15,005 15,107 17,309 18.717 17,548 18,144 18,383 199,676 16,640 777 FY 17 16,272 18,573 19,117 18.169 16,455 15,329 15,585 15,389 18.292 16,667 17,815 16,354 204,017 17,001 791 FY 18 16,582 18,746 17,134 18,642 16.732 14,136 15,381 14,519 15.491 15,046 15,777 15,681 193,867 16,156 757 FY 19 15,733 17,585 15,506 18.931 15,963 14,787 17,779 15,329 16,188 17,420 17,327 15,532 198,080 16,507 771 FY 20 16,811 17,344 16,817 19,463 14,465 14,501 15,593 14.633 9.918 4,506 4,888 5,575 154,514 12,876 647 FY 21 6,113 6,374 6,778 7,650 7,129 7,833 6,261 6,531 7,880 7,875 7,252 8,099 85,775 7,148 332- FY 22 7,983 8,537 8,682 8.626 8,651 8.425 8,282 9,131 10.454 10,634 11.838 11,645 112,888 9,407 439 *Shelter in Place Order - March 16, 2020
COVID 19 Impact - Avg Ridership Per Day
Feb '20-Jun 21 Feb Apr Jun July Aug Sept Nor Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Ang Rides/Day June
451 205 233 253 278 303 308 347 339 346 313 327 343 328 329 332 % Drop Since Fed 20 -38% -72% -68% -65% -62% -59% -58% -53% -54% -53% -57% -55% -53% -55% -55% -55%
FY 21-22 July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Mar Apr May June
Avg Rides/Day/Mo 732 380 384 388 410 412 398 377 457
455 494 525 518
* Drop Since Feb '20 -48% -48% -47% -44% -44% -46% -48% -38% -38% -33% -28% -29%
% of PreCovid Ridership 52% 52% 53% 56% 56% 54% 52% 62% 62% 67% 72% 71% 250,000 Total Rides Per Year
199,676 204,017
200,000 193,867 198,080
154,514 Ridership
150,000 to Date
112,888
100,000
85,775
50,000
БУ 16-17 Fy 17-18 FY 18-19
FY 15-16 FY 19-20 FY 20-21 FY 21-22
Service Started January 2002 Expanded Service - March 2015 Cavid - March 2020
CARDEN WARDEN AVE
ST COSTCO
E 14TH SI
DAVIS ST
SHUTTLE STOPS
PIERCE AVE
NORTH LOOP ORCHARD AVE WASHINGTON AVE
POLVOROSA WESTGATE PKWY SAN LEANDRO BLVD
EVERY (29) MINUTES AVE
FIRST STOP - BART
MARINA 9 ALVARADO
MARINA • TEAGARDEN ALVARADO ST
MERCED • MARINA
WILLIAMS + WESTGATE WILLIAMS ST
WILLIAMS • 21 AMENDMENT BREWERY
23 WILLIAMS @ DOOLITTLE DOOLITTLE DR
20 DOOLITTLE • POLVOROSA
DAVIS a DOOLITTLE MARINA BLVD
DAVIS & TIMOTHY (WESTGATES
DAVIS a PIERCE
30 DAVIS a ORCHARD THRASHER PARKE
VERNA CT MERCED ST
LAS SHUTTLE ROUTE MAP SOUTH LOOP
MONTAGUE AVE
EVERY 29) MUTES ji KAISER PERMANENTE
T FIRST STOP -BART ST ALADDIN AVE
ALVARADO a MARINA FAIRWAY DR
ALVARADO a MONTAGUE
4 ALVARADO a TEAGARDEN MILLER ST ALVARADO
9 TEAGARDEN BEFORE ALADDIN
5 FAIRWAY a MILLER (KAISER) BERMUDA AVE
MERCED a FAIRWAY CATALINA ST
NICKS @ BURROUGHS
WICKS a PIKE
BURROUGHS AVE
19 WICKS FARALLON
11 FARALLON BEFORE GRIFFITH
• FARALLON • CATALINA
PIKE AVE WICKS BLVD
san leandy DOOLITTLE a BERMUDA NOTHI GRIFFITH ST
DOOLITTLE a FAIRWAY
• DOOLITTLE a MARINA
i MARINA a VERNA COURT
IT MARINA d TEAGARDEN MARNE'S:
1ª ALVARADO e MARINA DR
NORTH LOOP SOUTH LOOP SHARED ROUTE NEXTBUS APP
EXHIBIT C - LINKS BUDGET FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24
FY 2022-23 & 2023-24 Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Budget Budget Income:
TFCA Grant 45,000 7,500 37,500 12,500 65,000
Lifeline Grant Cycle 3 Supplemental 181,409
Lifeline Grant Cycle 3 ($185,000/yr) 332,250 38,750
Measure BB Grant FY 2019-20 297,859 250,000
Measure BB Grant FY's 20-21 132,000
2022 CIP Grant (MBB.TFCA) 317,604 99,906 104,126
Business Improvement District 334,259 326,475 367,921 400,381 409,338 355,607 407,501 404,182 400,000 400,000 Kaiser Shuttle & TDM Mgmt. 434,831 444,549 545,249 482,133 131,108 Other - Shuttle Services, Advertising 8,121 4,375 3,000 5,500 8,137 7,045 7,500 6,000 6,000 6,000 Interest 468 1,293 914 1,809 6,552 4,588 2,656 1,914
RDA/City Contribution 50,000 95,000 75,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 Total Income: 872,679 1,211,442 1,068,334 1,133,732 605,135 780,099 849,657 779,700 555,906 560,126 Expenses:
LINKS Shuttle - Transportation 330,677 430,221 536,927 599,102 590,644 672,978 773,147 746,221 393,622 410,503 Kaiser Shuttle - Transportation 348,602 314,756 443,230 493,048 Executive Director 40,000
Galvan/Transit Strategies 73,269
Consulting Services - SLTMO Admin 95,048 83,960 60,880 65,121 59,760 69,720 59,880 60,000 60,000 Consulting (Audit and Rider Survey) 6,861 5,000 29,505 10,000 10,000 Marketing, Advertising, and Misc. 15,105 2,624 1,256 8,934 3,673 7,192 2,408 5,000 5,000 Insurance. Tax Return, Bank Charges, Non-Profit
Fees 1,337 3,687 3,069 4,089 5,270 3,343 3,561 2,786 5,000 5,000 Improvements/Technology (Nextbus) 48,406 5,736 22,583 6,000 19,089 6,000 6,000 Total Expenses: 815,851 846,336 1,073,442 1,205,525 675,705 762,336 859,620 859,889 479,622 496,503 Net Income 56,828 365,106 -5,108 -71,793 -70,570 17,763 -9,962 -80,189 76,284 63,623 BUDGET NOTES:
2015-16 - Net Income: Appears high because 90% of the two-year Lifeline Cycle 3 grant was drawn in 2015-16 making the rev. for that year appear high. 2017-18 - Deficit: Reflects Kaiser payments not received and 13 months of transportation costs for Links and Kaiser Shuttle. 2018-19 - Deficit: Reflects FY 18-19 TFCA & Measure BB Grants which will be received in FY 19-20 2019-20 - Expenses: Transportation costs increase due to full year at new rate, Imrovements Tech includes Nexibus equipt for new buses 2019-20 - Measure BB reimbursement ($250,000) will be posted in 2020-21 when received 2020-21 - Expenses Include: 13 months transportation, 14 months SLTMO Admin 2021-22 - 2022 CIP Grant combined TFCA & MBB into one grant - Total Grant FY 21-22 = $323,470 (TFCA $64,000, Carryover $59,470, MBB $200,000) 2021-22 - Deficit result of increased transportation costs, transit study and Nextbus upgrade to 4G 2022-23 - Modified service to Dual Interlaced Loop and went from 4 buses to 2 buses reducting transportation costs. 2022-23 - 2022 CIP revenue based on projected reimbursement not full grant allocation.