Public Transportation Policy Paper
DRAFT May 2005
Definition:
Public Transportation includes the on-going campaign to seek a stable and reliable source of funds to operate and maintain public transportation systems, including fixed route transit and paratransit services such as ACCESS. It also includes efforts to address future public transportation operations per the Strategic Regional Transit Visioning Study “20/20 Transit Vision” for Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Best Practices:
Local Funding and Planning Initiatives
· Modern Transit Partnership/CORRIDORone
The Modern Transit Partnership (MTP) is a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes public transportation with the ultimate goal of bringing commuter rail to Central Pennsylvania. Launched in 1997 by the Capital Area Transit (CAT) Board of Directors, this partnership is made up of business, community, government and individual members to develop a regional transportation plan that will meet tomorrow's transportation and infrastructure needs. Working together, CAT and MTP are striving to give Central Pennsylvania the quality of life it cherishes by designing a true multi-modal transportation system - allowing passengers to make connections via several modes of mass transit.
· San Mateo County (California) Transportation Authority
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) is an independent agency formed to administer the proceeds of a county wide half-cent sales tax. SMCTA has a Citizens Advisory Committee comprised of 15 representatives from various segments of the community and acts in an advisory capacity to the Transportation Authority policy board. Responsibilities include providing input on the needs of current and potential transit issues.
· The Strategic Regional Transit Visioning Study "20/20 Vision"
The Port Authority of Allegheny County and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) and others are developing a regional vision to identify transportation needs and recommend transportation improvements for Southwestern Pennsylvania. The 20/20 Vision is also incorporating public input, transit analysis and transportation recommendations resulting from the Pennsylvania High-Speed Maglev Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Eastern Corridor Transit Study and Airport Multimodal Corridor Study into the 20/20 Vision Study. Work on those initiatives will conclude with the completion of the 20/20 Vision Study, scheduled for 2005.
· Opportunities for Sustainable Development – Sustainable Pittsburgh Input to Plans
20/20 Transit Vision
- Recommendation of a regional land use plan to strengthen existing communities and curb sprawl.
- Call for public investments as incentives for smart growth necessary to sustain transit, including the role of transit to promote social equity and quality of life through transit oriented development.
Eastern Corridor Transit Study
- Recommend weighing transit alternatives developed by the community against regional trade-offs, i.e., transit investment vs. roadway investment.
- Use of pubic incentives for smart growth including higher density development standards, e.g,, transit-oriented development, multi-municipal plans, and high amenity passenger facilities.
Transit agencies role in Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) decision making
· The Federal Transit Administration has prepared a document “Transit at the Table: A Guide to Participation in Metropolitan Decision Making” that provides detail on how transit agencies can participate in the MPO planning and programming process. The study encourages transit agencies to share their planning concerns and questions with their FTA Regional and FHWA Division Office partners.
Benefits of public transportation for people who do not use the system
· Paul Weyrich and William S. Lind “How Transit Benefits People Who Do Not Ride It: A Conservative Inquiry”.
Five areas in which transit benefits are derived by the non-user of the system: reduction of traffic congestion, aiding conservation efforts, saving non-riders money, the benefits of occasional transit use by non-riders, and how rail transit raises property values (transit-oriented development).
Policy Recommendations:
1. The Commonwealth in partnership with the Counties, public transportation providers, and local governments are urged to develop a stable and reliable source of funds to operate and maintain public transportation systems, including fixed route transit and paratransit services such as ACCESS. This effort should be considered in the development of the Pennsylvania Mobility Plan, SPC’s Long Range Plan as well as individual county comprehensive plans. This will complement the efforts of the Governor’s Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. The goal of this effort is to develop the appropriate funding mechanisms at the state, regional, and local level to ensure a stable and reliable source of funds for each public transportation system in the region or a future Regional Transportation Authority.
2. SPC is urged to adopt the Strategic Regional Transit Visioning Study “20/20 Vision” to serve as guidance for the coordination of land use and transportation, particularly Transit Oriented Development, to the update of the SPC Long Range Transportation and Development Plan and the individual counties’ comprehensive plans. The study’s governance (regional transit system) and land use concepts (focused growth scenario) should be incorporated into the public participation effort prior to discussing the types and costs of improvements to specific corridors.
3. SPC is urged to review and make a recommendation on the formation of a regional transit authority per the 20/20 Vision.
4. Following the adoption of the 20/20 Vision, SPC and the individual counties are urged to consult with the public transportation agencies to develop cooperative regional corridor studies that include both roadway and public transportation alternatives.
5. SPC is urged to incorporate rural paratransit and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary transportation services into the SPC’s Long Range Plan. The individual counties’ are also encouraged to do so for their respective comprehensive plans. SPC is further urged to appoint both a Rural Paratransit and an ADA complementary representative (of an advisory committee composed of persons with multiple types of disabilities, such as the Committee For Accessible Transportation in Allegheny County) to the Transit Operators Committee to advise the SPC Board.
6. County planning and economic development professionals are urged to consult with their respective public transportation agency and workforce development agency on development proposals at the earliest opportunity. Such consultation shall address issues such as site development standards to accommodate public transportation, e.g., building placement adjacent to sidewalks, accessibility of the site and building to accommodate transit vehicles, and the need to adjust existing or provide new public transportation services to serve the employees of the project.
7. The Commonwealth, SPC, the Counties, and municipalities are urged to build a seamless public transportation system that integrates fixed route, paratransit services, regional car and van pool efforts (CommuteInfo), along with bicycle and pedestrian connections to achieve the best mobility options for the region.