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Agenda Item # 11

BOARD MEMORANDUM

FOR INFORMATION ONLY

BACKGROUND: 

Since the ADA was enacted in 1992, VTA has maintained a continuous capital program to upgrade its bus stops.   Overall, VTA has completed projects to improve more than 450 bus stops throughout Santa Clara County at a cost of $4.1 million.   While some improvements provided concrete pads to fix failed pavement, almost all included some element to improve accessibility.  These improvements consisted of sidewalk widening, pedestrian and wheelchair ramps, and passenger waiting pads.

To initiate the Bus Stop Accessibility Improvement Project for FY 2006, VTA employed several outreach methods to enlist participation.   This included publishing a request in the VTA Take-One, a monthly newsletter distributed on bus and light rail vehicles; reviewing reports received from our Customer Services department; requesting information from VTA bus operators; sending a request letter to community agencies; posting information on VTA’s website; and issuing a press release.   In addition, at their November 9, 2005 meeting, VTA requested that CTA members provide staff with information on bus stops that might need accessibility improvements.

DISCUSSION:

Using the input of these outreach efforts and information taken from ridership reports and field surveys, staff developed a comprehensive list of ADA bus stop improvements.   VTA engineering and construction staff will use this list to evaluate the feasibility of the recommended improvements for each bus stop, complete the design, determine the sequential order of the work, and then construct the improvements.

The attached list is in general priority order, with highest priority given to the recommendations received from community/public comments (the first group of 17 projects).   This group of stops is not listed in any particular order.  The numbering of each project in the group is for reference only.  The next priority is given to 32 stops identified from reports that show high lift or ramp use at a particular bus stop.  These stops are listed in order from highest lift or ramp use to lowest.  The final group of 96 stops was identified based on ridership, again listed from highest to lowest ridership.   These locations typically do not meet the ADA requirement to have sidewalks with a width of eight feet (8’) at the bus stop.  The project list currently has 145 bus stops identified for ADA improvements in 13 cities throughout Santa Clara County.

In terms of project scheduling, overall the intention is to proceed with the stop improvements in the order listed.   Stops lower on the list could get completed before stops higher on the list due to issues such as construction complexity, the ability to get property approvals and permits to build the stop, cost, and geographical location.   New additions to the list can also affect existing priorities if they merit a higher-priority ranking.

The cost of each accessibility improvement varies depending on the work needed at each location.   In Fiscal Year 2006, VTA budgeted $460,000 for bus stop improvements and repairs, of which $300,000 is available solely to construct ADA improvements.   An estimated 30 to 40 bus stops can be completed within this budget.  In fiscal year 2007, VTA budgeted an additional $250,000 to improve an estimated 20 to 25 stops.

Attachment:  Bus Stop Accessibility Project Report

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