West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Annual Report FY 2024-25 Page | 1
Annual Report of the
West San Leandro Shuttle (LINKS)
Business Improvement District
For Fiscal Year 2024-25
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West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Annual Report FY 2024-25 Page | 2
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Table of Contents
Background............................................................................................................ 3 LINKS Shuttle Service ............................................................................................. 3 BID Renewal........................................................................................................... 4 Summary of Annual Activities................................................................................ 4 2023-24 Activities .................................................................................................. 5 2024-25 Planned Activities..................................................................................... 5 Dual Interlaced Loop................................................................................................................................. 5 Outreach ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Budget Stabilization .................................................................................................................................. 5 Strategic Planning ..................................................................................................................................... 6 LINKS Budget.......................................................................................................... 6 2022 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Vehicle Registration Fees & TFCA) - $1,180,088....................................... 6 2024 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Measure BB & TFCA) - $331,000 .............................................................. 6 Business Improvement District Revenue .................................................................................................. 6 Budget Deficit............................................................................................................................................ 6 Budget Reduction – Service Modification................................................................................................. 6 Business Improvement District Authorization ........................................................ 6 Annual BID Rate Recommendation – 2025 Business Improvement District Assessment............................................................................................................ 7 Exhibit A: Ridership Statistics................................................................................. 8 Exhibit B: LINKS Shuttle Map................................................................................ 10 Exhibit C: Budget.................................................................................................. 11 Exhibit D: Business License Insert ........................................................................ 12 West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Annual Report FY 2024-25 Page | 3
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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 I-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).
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 600 businesses and almost 15,000 employees in the LINKS service area. 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 with BAAQMD. Participation in the LINKS BID satisfies Option 3 (“Employer Provided Transit”) under the requirements, allowing businesses to save time and money.
Historically, LINKS provided 200,000 rides per year with an average of 770 rides per day. Like all public transportation services, the number of rides has dropped since the COVID-19 Pandemic. In response to the reduced ridership levels and reduction in grant funding, in July 2022 the LINKS shuttle program implemented a Dual Interlaced Loop service, reducing the number of buses from four to two. Since the implementation of this new service configuration, LINKS has provided and average 90,000 per year with an average 346 rides per day. This represents a 45% pre-pandemic recovery, a trend consistent with BART’s recovery levels.
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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 including on-time performance and passenger count information. Google translate and transportation resources were also added to the website further increasing accessibility to riders.
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 Blvd with access to cross walk and benches.
FY 2021-22 - The SLTMO identified a projected budget shortfall beginning FY 2022-23 resulting from funding decreases and cost increases. As a result 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.
FY 2022-23 – In response to the transit consulting firm’s recommendations, on July 1, 2022, the LINKS shuttle program implemented a Dual Interlaced Loop service, reducing the number of buses from four to two. The Dual Loop configuration maintained the existing North and South loops with the central stop at the San Leandro BART Station, where both routes meet.
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2023-24 Activities
Over the last year, the SLTMO provided reliable transportation to LINKS riders. The service continued the Dual Interlaced Loop service that was implemented July 1, 2022, which provides two buses alternating between the North and South loops. The configuration allows for a one-seat ride from any stop to any stop on either route for customers without having to transfer between vehicles.
Historically LINKS provided an average ridership of 770 per day. Like all public transportation services, the number of rides dropped significantly during the COVID-19 Pandemic, reaching a low of 200 in April 2020.
In response to the reduced ridership levels and reduction in grant funding, in July 2022 the LINKS shuttle program implemented a Dual Interlaced Loop service, reducing the number of buses from four to two. At the end of FY 23-24, LINKS ridership was averaging 339 rides per day, with an annual total of 88,280. This represents 45% pre-pandemic recovery, a trend consistent with BART’s recovery levels.
Throughout the year, the SLTMO began implementing new digital marketing strategies to spread information about the program as well as provide service alerts. • A Twitter (X) account was established in order to provide up-to-date service alerts. • In partnership with the City of San Leandro, a 1-minute YouTube video was created to draw attention to the program and was hosted on the City’s YouTube account, which has roughly 8,000 subscribers.
• Route and schedule information was published to Google Maps, Apple Maps, as well as the Transit and Moovit apps.
2024-25 Planned Activities
Following is a summary of planned activities for FY 2024-25:
Dual Interlaced Loop
Continue to monitor and modify the service as needed to meet rider needs.
Outreach
SLTMO Management will increase outreach to employers and employees to promote LINKS ridership now that riders are coming back to public transportation. Management will continue to develop the SLTMO’s social media and digital presence to spread the word about LINKS.
Budget Stabilization
Grants
Aggressively seek local, state, and federal 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. Historically, the City of San Leandro has served as the financial administrator and sponsor for grants, which are typically awarded to transit agencies and cities.
Revenue Diversification
Continue to diversify revenue sources by maintaining current contract with Marina Square (advertising) and seek other revenue generating opportunities.
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Request for Proposal for Operations
In an effort to ensure LINKS is operating with fiscal efficiency, the SLTMO will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for shuttle operations for service beginning January 1, 2026.
Strategic Planning
The SLTMO is currently in a strategic planning phase in which we are exploring what the SLTMO and LINKS will look like in the next 5-10 years.
LINKS Budget
Funding for LINKS comes from the BID, grants, the City of San Leandro and advertising revenue from Marina Square Shopping Center, in which they purchase advertising space on the LINKS buses. 2022 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Vehicle Registration Fees & TFCA) - $1,180,088 The SLTMO received a 2022 Alameda CTC CIP grant for the periods FY 2021-22 through FY 2025-26 in the amount of $1,180,088. Although the full grant request was allocated, the matching requirement for this grant cycle went from 50% to 75% reducing the allowable request and significantly impacting the LINKS budget for the next five years.
2024 Alameda CTC CIP Grant (Measure BB & TFCA) - $331,000 In May 2023, the Alameda CTC the SLTMO’s application for FY 2026-27 and 2027-28 CIP grant funds (Measure BB & TFCA) was approved in the amount of $331,000.
Business Improvement District Revenue
BID revenue over the last four years (20/21 – 23/24) has averaged roughly $410,000 per fiscal year.
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 in FY 22/23 provided 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.
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 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 West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District Annual Report FY 2024-25 Page | 7
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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 – 2025 Business Improvement District Assessment
In order to ensure that funding for LINKS stays current with operating costs, it is recommended that the 2025 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 2025 the applicable CPI factor is 3.0 percent. This would result in the BID per employee rate increasing from $28.79 to $29.65. 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 $13,576.
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Exhibit A: Ridership Statistics
Years of Service: 23
Total # of Rides Provided: 3,473,720
Monthly Total Ridership Daily Average Ridership
PreCOVID
Total
FY 19
Previous
FY Total
FY 23
Previous
FY Total
FY 24
+/- from
Previous
Year
% PreCOVID
Baseline
(FY 19)
PreCOVID
Average
FY 19
Previous
FY
Average
FY 23
Previous
FY
Average
FY 24
+/- from
Previous
Year
% PreCOVID
Baseline
(FY 19)
July 15,733 7957 7047 -11% 45% July 749 379 336 -11% 45% August 17,585 9288 8492 -9% 48% August 765 404 369 -9% 48% September 15,506 7950 7479 -6% 48% September 775 361 356 -1% 46% October 18,931 8565 8584 0% 45% October 823 408 390 -4% 47% November 15,963 7278 6989 -4% 44% November 760 347 318 -8% 42% December 14,787 6653 5560 -16% 38% December 739 317 265 -16% 36% January 17,779 6611 6512 -1% 37% January 773 315 283 -10% 37% February 15,329 6697 6446 -4% 42% February 766 335 307 -8% 40% March 16,188 7715 7026 -9% 43% March 771 335 335 0% 43% April 17,420 6779 8229 21% 47% April 792 339 374 10% 47% May 17,327 8061 8540 6% 49% May 753 350 371 6% 49%
June 15,532 7580 7376 -3% 47% June 777 345 369 7% 47%
FY Total 198,080 91134 88280 -3% 45% FY Ave. 770 353 339 -4% 44% Fiscal
Year Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total Avg/Mo Avg/Day FY 17 16,272 18,573 9,117 8,169 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 FY 23 7,957 9,288 7,950 8,565 7,278 6,653 6,611 6,697 7,715 6,779 8,061 7,580 91,134 7,595 353 FY 24 7,047 8,492 7,479 8,584 6,989 5,560 6,512 6,446 7,026 8,229 8,540 7,376 88,280 7,357 339 COVID Shelter in Place Order - March 16, 2020
Dual Interlaced Loop Service Started - July 1, 2022
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35,778
109,869
121,721
146,032
173,509
209,690
160,130
145,066
142,507
177,645
193,570
191,646
165,109
173,217
199,676
204,017
193,867
198,080
154,514
85,775
112,888
91,134
88,280
-
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 FY 13 FY 14 FY 15 FY 16 FY 17 FY 18 FY 19 FY 20 FY 21 FY 22 FY 23 FY 24 Lifetime Fiscal Year Ridership
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Exhibit B: LINKS Shuttle Map
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Exhibit C: Budget
FY2020-21 FY2021-22 FY2022-23 FY2023-24 FY2024-25 FY2025-26 REVENUE Actual Actual Actual Actual Budget Budget
BID Revenue 407,501 404,182 373,546 453,827 422,097 435,978 City Contribution 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 Grant Revenue 382,000 324,989 107,106 109,750 131,606 138,222 Other - Shuttle Services, Advertising 7,500 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 6,000 Misc./Interest 2,656 1,914 - - 4,436 7,680
Kaiser Shuttle & TDM Mgmt - - - - - -
TOTAL REVENUE 849,657 787,085 536,652 619,577 614,139 637,879 EXPENDITURES Actual Actual Actual Actual Budget Budget
LINKS Shuttle Operations 711,128 741,527 453,533 478,593 542,474 591,061 NextBus/Real-Time Tracking 6,000 19,089 6,000 6,162 6,200 6,200 Management 59,760 59,860 74,331 76,602 79,020 81,391
Survey 29,505 4,500 - 5,000
Marketing, Advertising, Misc. Operations 7,192 680 2,160 - 5,000 5,000 Information Systems/Technology 270 630 731 700 700
Bank Charges, Non-Profit Fees, Misc. Admin 476 733 490 1,235 1,000 1,000 Insurance 2,260 2,412 2,346 2,366 2,500 2,500
Accounting/Tax Services 825 1,100 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,200 Legal - - - - 2,000 2,000
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 787,641 855,177 540,491 571,290 640,094 696,051 Beginning of Year Fund Balance 580,012 642,028 573,937 570,098 618,385 606,855 Balance 62,016 (68,092) (3,839) 48,287 (11,530) (22,946) End of Year Fund Balance 642,028 573,937 570,098 618,385 606,855 583,909 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 reducing transportation costs. 2022-26 - 2022 CIP Grant revenue based on projected reimbursement not full grant allocation. 2023-25 – For the 2024 calendar year, MV implemented a 20% increase to transportation costs.
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Exhibit D: Business License Insert