CITY OF SAN MATEO
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 8 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 10-4666 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: November 20, 2023
SUBJECT:
2022 San Mateo Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association – Annual Report RECOMMENDATION:
Review and accept the 2022 San Mateo Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association Annual Report.
BACKGROUND:
During 2005, the City adopted the San Mateo Rail Corridor Transit Oriented Development Plan (Corridor Plan) with the goal to “allow, encourage, and provide guidance for the creation of world class transit-oriented development (TOD) within a half-mile radius of the Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain station areas, while maintaining and improving the quality of life for those who already live and work in the area.” The Corridor Plan includes a framework for (1) creation of a TOD, (2) implementation of a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program with a goal of achieving an overall reduction in new vehicle trips by at least 25 percent corridor-wide, (3) establishment of trip generation thresholds, (4) establishment of parking standards, and (5) monitoring of trip generation. The Corridor Plan established a new TOD zone, which generally encompasses key parcels located within a half-mile of the Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain stations.
This land use includes transit-supportive development densities, building heights and design guidelines. The broader Corridor Plan area extends beyond the TOD zone and includes other areas in close proximity to these stations. The Corridor Plan also called for the creation of a San Mateo Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association (TMA).
Participation in the TMA is (1) required for all new development within the TOD zone, (2) strongly encouraged for all new development within the broader Corridor Plan area, and (3) available to any existing uses outside of the Corridor Plan area (Policy 7.18).
The TMA comprises developers and developer representatives that have, or are planning, significant development within the Corridor area. The City participates as a non-voting Board member and does not pay dues to the TMA. The City Council has nominated the Director of Public Works as the City representative to the TMA Board of Directors. The City’s role in the TMA is to provide oversight of each project’s mandated participation as required in the project’s Conditions of Approval (COA).
The TMA facilitates data collection regarding the number of vehicle trips generated by each development per the individual project’s approved TDM plan. Trip generation is determined by collecting driveway counts at all occupied developments. These data are compared to the allowable trip generation threshold identified in each development’s COA.
A development is deemed non-compliant if the observed number of vehicle trips exceeds its trip generation threshold. The TMA Board of Directors hired a data collection firm and traffic engineering consultant to collect relevant data and prepare the 2022 Annual Report (attached).
Per the prepared report, most projects were below their short-term trip thresholds based on their individual project
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Conditions of Approval. Delaware Pacific and 2000 Delaware share a common driveway and thus the trip generation is calculated together; the counted trip generation during the PM peak period was 15 trips above the short-term collective goal for the projects. This is an increase from the 2021 trip counts, when the project was six trips above the trip threshold.
Per the Corridor Plan, “Projects that exceed their trip generation threshold shall be required to modify their trip reduction and parking management plan and incorporate TDM measures that are expected to increase trip reduction.” (Policy 7.24).
It should also be noted that the Azara residential project was at their trip threshold in 2022 and may want to consider options so as not to exceed their threshold in the future.
Delaware Pacific (MidPen Housing) has been participating in a Metropolitan Transportation Commission regional fare pilot pass program that offers residents free multi-agency transit passes via the Clipper Card to encourage transit use. 2000 Delaware is not eligible for this program; the project reports adding a dynamic transit information kiosk to their lobby as an additional TDM measure. Both projects have raised concern about delivery vehicles and transportation services that impact their trip counts; the TMA has taken this feedback into consideration and is evaluating changes to the data collection process for future years to account for these concerns.
Further, the Bay Meadows project exceeded its trip threshold by 3%, or 77 trips, for the first time during the 2022 TMA annual reporting process. No TDM measures have been implemented for the residential buildings. A new tenant is leasing Station 2 in mid-2023 and will be occupying Stations 1 and 5 by mid-2024; this tenant offers free Clipper Cards to all employees and provides a shuttle to their satellite site at Franklin Templeton. Further, SurveyMonkey has implemented one-day a week as compulsory office workdays and allows work from home the remaining workdays, and additionally provides a Clipper Card for commuters. The project expects these measures will help to reduce trips in future years. The project has also raised concern regarding the count process, including if construction along Delaware Street and at the County Event Center contributed to higher trip counts, and if the through trip timing estimation was impacted by construction. Staff has discussed modifications to the data collection process with the TMA for future years and will consider this year an anomaly given those considerations.
The TMA and consultant presented the findings of the 2022 Annual Report to the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission on October 11, 2023. The report to the Commission included review of a survey of member projects and an assessment of TDM measures projects offered to residents or tenants in addition to the data collection and analysis. The Commission reviewed the report and unanimously recommended that the City Council accept the report. Commissioners provided feedback to staff regarding trip threshold compliance monitoring and coordination with projects not meeting thresholds.
Staff has reviewed the report prepared by the TMA Board of Directors and recommends the Council accept the 2022 Annual Report.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budgetary impact associated with this item. The TMA is an IRS 501(c)(4) organization that is funded by its participating members. No City funds are used to pay for the activities of the TMA.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This San Mateo Rail Corridor TMA Annual Report review and acceptance is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 - 2022 Rail Corridor TMA Annual Report
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STAFF CONTACT
Sue-Ellen Atkinson, Principal Transportation Planner
[email protected]
(650) 522-7288