In 2018, Monterey-Salinas Transit (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 cost to benefit. 

In Fall 2019, MST hired Kimley-Horn for the environmental review and preliminary design phase of work, and the project officially kicked off on November 21, 2019. At the September 2, 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee meeting, Committee members provided input on the preliminary concepts regarding bicycle and pedestrian connections on and across the SURF! Busway. Included below are updates regarding the project's design, public outreach and environmental compliance. 

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 for approximately six miles. The majority of the busway runs on the east side of the rail right-of-way with minimal crossing points over the rail tracks. A video simulation of the project is included as a web attachment. 

The project will add an estimated 1-mile of new bicycle and pedestrian facilities, improving connections to the Monterey Bay Recreational Trail. These improvements include a new bicycle connection to Marina Drive (extension of Beach Range Road), the continuation of Beach Range Road from its southern terminus to the Fremont/California/Highway 1 intersection, and a new bikeway connection to the proposed 5th Street Multimodal Transit Station (which connects with the planned Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway).

The project team completed the 15% design milestone in December 2020 and has been working towards the 35% design milestone. The process of reaching 35% design includes refining geometric layout, identifying locations for retaining walls, major drainage facilities and traffic signal improvements. Through this process the project team has been further refining the design of key bicycle and pedestrian connections to and across the Busway. 

Attached to the staff report are exhibits of the locations where bicycle and pedestrian facilities cross the Busway for the Committee's review and input. Listed north to south, the locations include the: 

1. Entry point into the rail corridor from Marina Drive
2. 5th Street Underpass (under Highway 1)
3. 5th Street Station (transit center)
4. Roundabout at California Ave (exit from rail corridor)

Public Outreach

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team shifted to a virtual outreach program. This included the development of a video simulation (web attachment), and the creation of an online survey for public input. The survey was available from January 25 through February 22, 2021. Survey questions enabled community members an opportunity to inform features of the project such as amenities at the transit stops and on-board the buses. At the close of the survey, MST received a total of 162 responses. 

Key findings from the survey include: 

• Accessing the SURF!: Approximately 55% of respondents indicated they would need bicycle path access and/or sidewalk connections from the surrounding areas to access the SURF! busway. Walking (56%), biking/scootering/wheels (53%) and transit connections (46%) were the top responses for how respondents would access the SURF! busway. 
• Stop area features: The top three bus stop area features of interest to respondents included good lighting in waiting and parking areas (79%), shaded benches to wait for the bus (65%), security cameras and security personnel (63%). Results related to bicycle features identified support for secure bicycle lockers (41%), bicycle parking (35%) and a bicycle repair station (15%).
• Project importance: When asked "If you don't plan to ride the SURF! line, what aspects of the project are important to you?" almost 80% of respondents indicated reducing traffic congestion along Highway 1. Sixty-six percent (66%) of respondents identified improving, expanding and connecting bicycle and pedestrian trails near the SURF! line as important to the project. 
• On-board Amenities: Approximately 78% of respondents indicated they would like to have Free Wifi onboard the buses. Fifty-four percent (54%) identified bicycle racks as an amenity that would encourage them to ride. 
• Travel time savings: When asked "How much travel time savings would encourage you to ride the SURF! line versus driving?", 40% indicated they would be inclined to take the SURF! if it saved them 11 to 15 minutes. Another 27% indicated a savings of 16 minutes or more would encourage them to ride the SURF!.
• Trip purposes: The majority of survey respondents indicated they would use the SURF! busway to access recreation (72%) or shopping (68%). 

Environmental Compliance

Monterey-Salinas Transit is the Lead Agency for the project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). MST released a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration on March 13, 2021. The public review period is open from March 13 through April 11, 2021. A public hearing on the project and consideration of the environmental document is tentatively scheduled before the MST Board of Directors on May 10, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. 

The environmental document is available for review during the circulation period at https://mst.org/about-mst/planning-development/surf.