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SamTrans > General Information > Board of Directors and Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings > Minutes of Board of Directors Special Meeting - June 1, 2005
Minutes of Board of Directors Special Meeting - June 1, 2005
SAMTRANS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
2nd FL. AUDITORIUM
1250 SAN CARLOS AVENUE, SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA
SAN
MATEO COUNTY TRANSIT DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board Members Present:
Jerry Hill (Chair), John Barbour, Shirley Harris, Jim Hartnett, Marc Hershman,
Arthur Lloyd, Michael Nevin, Adrienne Tissier
Board Member Absent:
Michael Guingona
Staff Present: George Cameron, Jennifer Hardie, Rita Haskin, Gigi
Harrington, Chuck Harvey, Ian McAvoy, Martha Martinez, David Miller, Michael J.
Scanlon, Mark Simon
Chair Jerry Hill called the meeting to order at 10:06 a.m.
PUBLIC HEARING: PROPOSED FARE ADJUSTMENTS TO TAKE EFFECT
SEPTEMBER 1, 2005
Chair Hill said the Board will conduct a public hearing for the purpose of
considering proposed SamTrans fare changes to the District's codified tariff.
Chuck Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, said at its regular board meeting in May,
the Board of Directors ratified action taken to set today's public hearing. The
purpose of today's hearing is to receive testimony on the proposed codified tariff
changes effective September 1, 2005. Mr. Harvey gave a presentation on the
proposed fare adjustments including the financial needs, fare history, the public
comment process, proposed fares and comparison of SamTrans fares with relation to
other Bay Area transit systems. Mr. Harvey said a bus ridership committee, FRED,
has been initiated and one of the subcommittees is specifically looking at fare
media. Mr. Harvey said the public hearing today is for information only and a
staff recommendation will be presented to the Board at the regular June 8 Board
meeting with implementation of a fare increase beginning September 1.
The proposed fare adjustments include moderate increases in one-way fares (adult
one-way increases 25 cents, express one-way increases 50 cents, youth one-way
increases 25 cents, and senior and disabled one-way increases 15 cents), monthly
passes and tokens increase accordingly, special service fares increase 25 percent
(49ers football, Aņo Nuevo, Bay to Breakers), elimination of peak express fares
for senior and disabled, increase paratransit fare 50 cents in recognition of high
cost of providing service, lifeline paratransit fare for customers with limited
incomes would increase 25 cents, agency-sponsored trip fares also increasing 25
percent and fixed-route service during non-peak hours free to paratransit
customers.
Noting the $1.4 million anticipated from the proposed fare adjustments for FY2006
and $1.7 million for FY2007, Director Nevin asked what percentage of that is
included in the 25-cent youth fare.
Mr. Harvey replied that he would calculate the figures and report back after
public testimony was received.
Director Nevin said because the youth are the riders of the future, he is cautious
of the proposed 25-cent fare increase because he does not want to discourage youth
ridership.
Jennifer Hardie, Board Secretary, said SamTrans' official public information
campaign to announce today's public hearing and solicit input began after the May
11 Board action. Advertisements appeared in the San Mateo County Times on May 16,
in the Half Moon Bay Review and Pacifica Tribune on May 18, and in El Observador
on May 20. The public hearing also was publicized through the District's printed
agendas, a passenger notice placed on buses, and information placed on the
SamTrans web site. In addition, a news release announcing the proposed fare
changes has been circulated to local media and several of them carried stories of
the proposed increase and today's hearing. Four e-mails and one fax regarding the
proposed fare changes were received and incorporated into the official record.
Chair Hill called for public testimony and set a 3-minute time limit for each
speaker.
Pat O'Rourke, East Palo Alto, said raising the monthly pass and Redi-Wheels
service will adversely affect many low-income seniors, such as herself.
Zena Vigileos, representing Fair Oaks Senior Center in Redwood City, said the
program at the senior center is based on donations and they do not have a
transportation system of their own. She said the majority of the seniors at Fair
Oaks live off $12,000 a year, which mostly is used to pay for medication and
housing costs. She said paratransit service allows seniors to socialize and
receive a nutritious meal at the center. By increasing the fare, many seniors will
not be able to continue to use the service.
Dale Edwards, Chair of the San Mateo County Paratransit Coordinating Council
(PCC), said the PCC has not received nay comments from the consumers regarding the
fare increase. He said the Executive Committee of the PCC will be meeting next
week to discuss the fare increase and then will send a letter of recommendation to
the Board. He also said Advocacy Legislative Committee meeting will be held on
July 5, where all consumers of the transit service may come and share their views
regarding the fare increase.
Roger Simmons, Daly City, distributed a newspaper article written by Tom Dempsey
entitled, Longtime BART Concerns Vindicated. Mr. Simmons said he does not think it
is an appropriate time to have a fare increase at this time and he feels that
perhaps the issue should be brought to the Grand Jury. He said SamTrans has a
budget deficit now because it has been paying for other services other than the
SamTrans system.
Mr. Scanlon noted that the article is replete with errors including that the
Caltrain system is in a state of near freefall. Mr. Scanlon said this public
hearing is about preserving service with a modest fare increase because cutting
service will be more detrimental than the fare increase for the SamTrans system.
Noreen Donohue, representing disabled riders, said that the people that are most
dependant of the service are the ones that will be hurt the most with the proposed
fare increases. She said she is usually notified of Redi-wheel service changes
through the mail. However, she did not receive notice of this proposed fare
increase.
Ed DeLanoy, San Carlos, said there should be linkage with BART, SamTrans and
Caltrain systems.
Alan Levine, South San Francisco, said as an unemployed rider, he does not think
it is fair to raise the monthly bus pass from $18 to $22.
Ken Feldstein, Chairman of the SamTrans Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), said
the CAC will continue its discussions regarding the fare increase at its meeting
tonight. He said the CAC passed a resolution asking the Board to include transfer
media in their recommendation. He said the CAC recognizes that a fare increase is
needed because of the financial situation. However, the CAC is concerned with the
low-income and disabled passengers that ride several bus routes per day. As part
of the CAC meeting tonight, there will be a discussion regarding forming a
subcommittee to work on the SamTrans fare structure.
Pat Dixon, Redwood Shores, said a 25-cent fare increase may not seem like a lot of
money but it is a huge impact for disabled, seniors and low-income riders who can
not afford to pay more for transportation.
David Miller, Legal Counsel, said by affording the public an opportunity to
comment on the proposed fare changes, the Board has satisfied all legal
requirements. Mr. Miller said the Board may now proceed to close the public
hearing. This matter will be brought before the Board at the regular June 8 Board
meeting for possible action.
The motion to close the public hearing (Tissier/Hartnett) was approved unanimously
and the public hearing closed at 10:42 a.m.
Mr. Harvey said on the youth fare category, the entire delta between the current
fare revenue and the proposed rate increase is $440,000 annually. He said staff
recognizes the sensitivity for youth fares, which is why the fare has not
increased for many years. He said the token discount has increased from 10 percent
to 15 percent to provide a further incentive for youth if they can not afford the
monthly pass. Mr. Harvey said on the Paratransit side, the delta for the regular
fare and the lifeline fare increases for the year will yield approximately
$120,000 in fare revenue.
Chair Hill asked if there have been any increases in token usage.
Mr. Harvey responded that there is an ever-increasing use of tokens. Token sales
have been progressing by nearly a double digit percentage for the past several
years.
Director Tissier asked if it would be possible to have greater discounts available
for tokens or monthly passes and to estimate the affect deeper discounts would
have on ridership and revenue.
Mr. Scanlon said staff can look into the discount percentages but he warned that
since the tokens and monthly passes are already deeply discounted, he does not
know what more can be done. Mr. Scanlon said he thinks the longer term answer lies
in a transfer type media such as a day pass but more analysis and research needs
to be completed before a recommendation is brought before the Board.
Director Hartnett said he would like have the delta for each fare increase
category available before the next meeting. He also requested to have the expense
increase, by category if possible, since the last fare increase. Mr. Hartnett
asked if there was a fare policy for SamTrans.
Mr. Scanlon said staff will provide all requested information by the next meeting.
He said SamTrans is very low with its farebox recovery ratio, which yields
approximately an 18 percent return. Mr. Scanlon said that the Paratransit services
are extremely expensive to operate and reiterated that staff is very sensitive to
those that have low-incomes.
Director Barbour asked where how the remaining budget deficit will be funded.
Mr. Scanlon replied that reserves are being used. He said the majority of reserves
are going towards approximately $35 million in debt services. Mr. Scanlon said he
would like to refinance that debt service in the near future. Many projects will
be coming to the Board in the upcoming year to change the infrastructure of
SamTrans service.
Director Barbour asked if the farebox recovery percentage declined due to
operating expense increases.
Mr. Scanlon replied yes, when the fare increases, it is done only on the farebox
recovery not the operating expense.
DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 at 2 p.m., SamTrans Administrative Office, 1250 San Carlos
Avenue, San Carlos, California
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 10:57 a.m.
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