Item Coversheet

Agenda Item 5.

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TRANSPORTATION AGENCY FOR MONTEREY COUNTY
Memorandum
To: 

Rail Policy Committee

From:

Christina Watson, Director of Planning

Meeting Date:

August 3, 2020

Subject:

Rail Network Integration Study Update



RECOMMENDED ACTION:

RECEIVE update on the Monterey Bay Area Rail Network Integration Study.

SUMMARY:

The study will lay the groundwork for implementing the State Rail Plan in the Monterey Bay Area. Progress on the study since the last report to this Committee in June includes completion of a draft future service vision memo.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

The study has a budget of $500,000, funded out of the state Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program: $350,000 for consultant costs and $150,000 for staff and in-house costs.

DISCUSSION:

The study focuses on determining the optimal options for: rail connectivity and operations, equipment needs, governance, and community benefits for service between Monterey County and Santa Clara County, Monterey and Santa Cruz, and the Coast Rail Corridor. This study will also assist TAMC by providing the data needed to prepare grant applications for funding new stations at Pajaro/Watsonville, Castroville, Soledad and King City. 

 

The public survey was published on June 2, 2020 and closes on September 15, 2020. As of July 9, 426 people have taken the survey, primarily Monterey Peninsula residents, indicating strong support for the rail concepts presented by the survey and a high tolerance for longer rail trip times as compared to the parallel drive. Staff encourages RPC members to take the survey and to circulate the survey to their constituents - the link is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tamcrail

 

Online as a web attachment is the draft future service vision memo. The team will present an update on work completed to date and solicit input on the future vision memo at the meeting.

 

The revised project schedule (web attachment) shows when the Committee can expect to review the following deliverables:

  • October 2020 RPC:
    • Final Governance & Operations Memo
    • Draft Cost Estimate Memo
    • Draft Ridership Results Memo
    • Draft Fleet Strategies Memo
  • November 2020 RPC:
    • Final Cost Estimate Memo
    • Final Fleet Strategies Memo
    • Final Grant Strategy Memo
  • January 2021 RPC:
    • Final Ridership Results Memo
    • Draft Funding and Finance Strategies Memo
  • February 2021 RPC:
    • Final Funding and Finance Strategies Memo
    • Final Benefits Assessment Memo
  • April 2021 RPC:
    • Draft Network Integration Study
  • June 2021 RPC: 
    • Final Network Integration Study
WEB ATTACHMENTS: