In 2003, the Transportation Agency purchased the Monterey Branch Line with Proposition 116 funding, with the intent of supporting passenger service along the corridor. TAMC explored rail and bus rapid transit options and light rail was selected as the locally preferred alternative by the TAMC Board in 2009. Light rail, however, was deemed too expensive at that time, and did not have the transit ridership to support it. The Federal Transit Administration suggested pursuing Bus Rapid Transit along the corridor, at least in the near-term. In 2014, the TAMC Board supported Bus Rapid Transit as an interim solution as a way for bus riders to circumvent the traffic on Highway 1. In 2016, the Board adopted and 2/3rds of the voters approved the Measure X Transportation Safety and Investment Plan, which (as noted above) includes $15 million for the Highway 1 Traffic Relief - Busway.
In 2018, MST completed the Monterey Bay Area Feasibility Study of Bus Operations on State Route 1 Shoulders and the Monterey Branch Line. The study analyzed seven alternatives and concluded that implementing a bus rapid transit corridor on a segment of the Monterey Branch Line would provide the best benefit-cost value. In Fall 2019, MST hired Kimley-Horn to conduct environmental review and preliminary design work, and which officially kicked-off on November 21, 2019.
Goals of the SURF! Busway and Rapid Transit project include:
- Improving air quality through reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Increasing transit ridership
- Reducing traffic on Highway 1
- Enhancing mobility through improved bicycle trail connections
- Improving travel time reliability for transit users
- Improving transit connections
Additionally, one of the major goals has been to design the busway in a cost-effective manner that also minimizes the impact on the tracks, to preserve the option for future rail use. The project is not intended to replace rail, but provide an opportunity to build ridership demand supportive of rail.
The following outlines the project's progress regarding stakeholder coordination, project design and funding.
Stakeholder Coordination
The project team initiated outreach with key stakeholders early in the project's development, including coordination with the California Coastal Commission, State Parks, Caltrans and LandWatch Monterey County. The formation of an internal project development team fostered discussion with public works and planning departments from the underlying jurisdictions. The project team has generally received good input and positive feedback from engaged stakeholders.
The project team is also planning to institute a virtual public outreach program. As part of the outreach, the project team is developing video simulations. The first simulation will be shared during the committee meeting.
Project Design
The Busway enters the Monterey Branch Line right-of-way at Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue in the City of Marina, and exits the rail right-of-way at California Avenue and Fremont Street in Sand City. The busway parallels Highway 1 and the Monterey Branch Line for approximately six miles, envisioned as two-lanes with one stop along the corridor at the proposed 5th Street Station. The majority of the busway runs on the east side of the rail right-of-way, with minimal crossings over the tracks. An overview map is provided as an attachment to this report.
The project also includes a proposed roundabout at the exit of the rail corridor and the re-entry into mixed traffic at California Avenue and Fremont Street. The roundabout provides the best solution for safe bus operations, eliminating an uncontrolled left turn across traffic. Additionally, it provides for improved traffic flow at the intersection and the ramp.
Other design features of the project include signing, striping and gates that will prevent unauthorized users from entering the busway.
Funding
MST is actively coordinating with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to apply for a Capital Investment Grant, a discretionary grant program that supports transit capital investments including busways and bus rapid transit corridors. The project has been accepted into the Project Development phase of the Capital Investments Grants program. Per the requirements of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, the following activities must be completed during project development:
- Complete the environmental review process;
- Select a locally preferred alternative;
- Have the locally preferred alternative adopted into the fiscally constrained long range transportation plan; and
- Complete the activities required to develop sufficient information for evaluation and rating under the Capital Investment Grant criteria.
MST and TAMC also jointly submitted a grant application for $25 million to the state's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program on January 15, 2020. The application scored competitively but was ultimately not awarded funding this cycle due to the project being in early stages of development. The project team anticipates reapplying next cycle.
Timeline
The overall project timeline for the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit Project is:
- Data collection (Fall 2019-Summer 2020)
- Preliminary engineering and design (Summer 2020-Winter 2020/21)
- Environmental compliance (Summer 2020-Winter 2020/21)
- Final engineering and design (Summer 2022-Fall 2023)
- Construction (Beginning Spring 2024)
- Operation (Beginning Spring 2027)