Crystal Springs Upland School Transportation Demand Management Plan March 06
CONTENTS Introduction... Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program.... Background/Survey of Existing Student Commuting Patterns.... Framework.... Projected Travel Modes..... Additional Travel Modes..... TDM Program Effectiveness..... Additional TDM Measures... Trip Monitoring/Trip Limit Enforcement Plan... 6. Survey of Travel Mode and Signed Agreements... 6. Trip Counts... 6. Evaluation of TDM Compliance... 7. TDM Program Adjustments and Enforcement Measures... 7
INTRODUCTION In order to mitigate its traffic impacts, Crystal Springs Upland School (CSUS) is required to stay under a fixed limit of vehicle trips to the CSUS Belmont campus each day. To meet these trip limits, the school is proposing to build on the participation in its existing voluntary traffic reduction efforts and to develop and implement a comprehensive and mandatory Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. This program would include a CSUS TDM Coordinator for implementation. Alternative modes of transportation would include trains, buses, shuttles and carpools. Vehicle trips would be counted regularly by an independent monitor and compliance would be enforced by the City of Belmont. Established and agreed upon trip limits are: AM Drop Off peak hour: trips (inbound plus outbound trips); Mid Day Pick Up peak hour: 9 trips (inbound plus outbound trips). The TDM Program components are describe in Section. Trip monitoring and enforcement elements are described in Section. Page
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM) PROGRAM. BACKGROUND/SURVEY OF EXISTING STUDENT COMMUTING PATTERNS The project proposes moving the existing CSUS Hillsborough middle school to the Davis Drive project site in Belmont. CSUS would continue, and expand, the traffic reduction measures for the existing Hillsborough middle school at the Belmont campus. A recent CSUS commute survey of parents at the Hillsborough Campus determined that 60 percent of middle school students currently come to campus by alternative modes of transportation and 0 percent come by single student vehicles, as follows: Train/shuttle percent (Caltrain) I 80 bus service 9 percent Carpool of or more CSUS students 7 percent Single student vehicles 0 percent As part of the project, CSUS would implement the following Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program, and Trip Monitoring/Trip Limit Enforcement Plan.. FRAMEWORK The following form the framework of the CSUS program TDM Coordinator. CSUS shall designate one employee as a TDM Coordinator. The coordinator shall be available via telephone or email to assist with parent and student questions, concerns, or transit service logistics. Parent and Student Orientation. All new parents and students shall be required to participate in a TDM orientation program. This program shall explain the importance of trip reduction methods and how essential it is to limit vehicle trips to and from the school. The orientation shall present a TDM mission statement, alternative transport mode options (train, shuttle, bus, carpool), provide transit schedules and maps, and offer ride matching services. All new parents and students shall complete a survey indicating the modes of transport available to them, and what their expected mode would be. Mandatory Participation. As part of the enrollment process, CSUS will require that parents at the Belmont campus sign an agreement to abide by the school s transportation policies. In an independent school, a mandatory policy can result in a high rate of compliance. The following is a quote from the current Parent/Student Handbook: Furthermore, a positive and constructive working relationship between the School and a student's parent(s)/guardian(s) is essential to the fulfillment of CSUS's educational purpose. The School reserves the right to dismiss a student if the Head of School, in his or her sole discretion, determines that the actions of a parent(s)/guardian(s) impair the positive and constructive actions of its students and their parent(s)/guardian(s) including both on and off campus behavior and actions. Page
On Line Coordination and Information. CSUS shall provide an Internet web site providing transport to school options, including transit schedules for trains and shuttles, bus and carpool information and directions for communicating with the school s TDM Coordinator for carpooling opportunities and other inquiries. Promote Alternatives to the Family Car. CSUS shall vigorously promote alternative modes of travel for its students. Provide a New Shuttle. CSUS shall provide a new shuttle with multiple pick up points as an attractive method of getting to school. Provide Bicycle Parking. CSUS shall designate a signed area for bicycle parking.. PROJECTED TRAVEL MODES CSUS states that the school has been promoting various traffic reduction measures at its Hillsborough campus for many years and would extend these programs to the Belmont campus: Trains/Shuttles. The CSUS TDM Coordinators would continue to facilitate and encourage use of the train/shuttle service that is currently a much used mode of transportation at the Hillsborough campus. Highway 80 Buses. The school would expand its bus service from the north and south on Highway 80. The school would regularly assess the pick up locations on both routes in order to maximize participation for this method of travel. Carpools. The CSUS TDM Coordinators would continue to promote a vigorous carpool program to assist families with finding carpool partners. Shuttles. CSUS currently offers shuttle service from the train station and a remote parking facility. Shuttle service would be expanded for the Belmont campus to include multiple local pick up locations, based on the geographic distribution of families... Additional Travel Modes While the train/shuttle service and the I 80 bus service were designed to serve families who live farther from the school, CSUS would start a new shuttle service for the Belmont campus from multiple, local pick up locations. The addition of this local shuttle mode would increase participation by families who live closer to the school and who were not served by the train or 80 bus options. The shuttle mode would be a significant new tool for the Belmont campus TDM Plan. While the pick up locations would be based on the geographic distribution of CSUS families each year, some of the most likely locations are shown below: Belmont: Ralston Avenue at Hwy 9 Park and Ride Hillsborough: Black Mountain Road and I 80 Park and Ride Hillsborough: Current CSUS campus San Mateo: St. Bartholomew Church (Crystal Springs Road and Alameda) The shuttle locations at the current CSUS campus and at the remote parking facility (St. Bartholomew Church) would enable middle school students to continue to carpool with upper school siblings. See Footnote. Page
Foster City: Shuttle Stop (to be determined) San Carlos: Shuttle Stop (to be determined) The addition of the new local shuttle would be expected to result in at least a 0 percent participation rate (approximately students), which alone would achieve almost all the needed reduction in single student vehicle trips from current participation levels, to meet the projection of 70 trips contained in the Project Trip Generation Table.7 6 of the DEIR. See the map (below) of the expanded bus and shuttle service... TDM Program Effectiveness Since CSUS expects to continue to draw students from the same geographic area for the proposed Belmont campus, the results of the survey of current commute patterns has been used to estimate approximately how many students might travel to school via alternate modes or single student vehicles in the future. Extrapolating the survey results to a campus of 0 students results in a projected 96 students arriving by single student vehicle (0 percent x 0 = 96). Therefore, single student vehicle trips would be required to be reduced by 6 to reach the level (70 students) estimated in the Project Trip Generation Table.7 6 of the DEIR. It is projected that most of this reduction would be achieved by adding the new, local shuttle service with multiple pick up locations in surrounding communities, as well as by making participation in TDM efforts mandatory at the Belmont campus... Additional TDM Measures The school expects some flexibility among travel modes over time. If needed, the school could implement a variety of additional measures to encourage greater participation in TDM efforts, including: Shifting carpool participants to train, bus or shuttle modes Subsidizing train passes Instituting a transit buddy system for younger students to encourage participation in train, bus and shuttle modes Financial incentives for faculty TDM participation Off site faculty parking/shared use school vehicles Ensuring mandatory participation will require monitoring, reporting and, if needed, enforcement measures. These are detailed in the following Trip Monitoring/Trip Limit Enforcement Plan Page
CSUS Proposed Expanded Shuttle Service Map Page
TRIP MONITORING/TRIP LIMIT ENFORCEMENT PLAN This Trip Monitoring/Trip Limit Enforcement Plan shall implement the CSUS TDM Program and ensure compliance with the trip limits established through the DEIR and defined in the Conditions of Approval (CUP) for the project. The plan contains the following elements to monitor the school s compliance with trip limits: Survey of travel mode and signed agreements Trip counts Evaluation of TDM compliance TDM program adjustments and enforcement measures. SURVEY OF TRAVEL MODE AND SIGNED AGREEMENTS Prior to the beginning of the school year, CSUS shall survey incoming student/parents on their planned travel mode and all families shall be required to participate in trip reduction efforts to ensure compliance with the trip limits. CSUS parents shall be required to sign an agreement to abide by the school s transportation policies. This policy shall also be documented in the Parent/Student Handbook.. TRIP COUNTS To assess compliance with the trip limits, CSUS shall fund trip counts to be collected at the school s driveways. These counts shall be conducted either: ) via manual counts or ) via video counts that are reviewed manually and data reduced. To ensure a valid set of data to fairly assess compliance with a set trip limit, trip counts should be conducted as follows: A. Full enrollment is defined as a student enrollment of 6 students or greater (90 percent of the allowable 0 student maximum). For these purposes, the first day of school of the Fall semester is defined as the date of enrollment. A. During the first school year and thereafter until the second school year of full enrollment is achieved, trip counts shall be conducted two times during both the Fall and the Spring Semesters (total of four sessions). Figure (at the end of this response) illustrates a flow chart detailing the sequence of trip counts during the first school year. Figure also illustrates a template of a typical calendar for which the trip counts shall be conducted. A. During the second school year of full enrollment and thereafter, trip counts shall be conducted one time during both the Fall and the Spring Semesters (total of two sessions). Supplemental trip counts shall be conducted if initial trip counts determine the average trips exceed a set trip limit. Figure (at the end of this response) illustrates a flow chart detailing the sequence of trip counts during the second school year and each school year thereafter. Figure also illustrates a template of a typical calendar for which the trip counts shall be conducted. Page 6
A. The City of Belmont may request, at its option, up to one additional count each school year not identified above nor shown in Figure or. A. Trip counts shall be conducted by an independent monitor starting the rd full day week of classes during the Fall and the Spring semesters. A 6. Trip counts shall be collected over a two week period. A 7. Trip counts shall be collected at the two exit points at the north and south campus driveways during the morning drop off period and afternoon pick up period. A 8. Trip counts shall be collected for one hour and shall begin 0 minutes prior to the morning start up bell and afternoon dismissal bell. The start bell is currently planned as 7: AM and dismissal bell at :0 PM. Based on these bell times, count times for trip counts are listed below. The count time for trip counts shall be adjusted if the school bell schedule is adjusted. Morning peak trips counts shall be collected between 7: AM and 8: AM. Afternoon peak trips counts shall be collected between :00 PM and :00 PM.. EVALUATION OF TDM COMPLIANCE Results of trip counts shall be evaluated in the week subsequent to their completion and reported by CSUS to the City in a TDM Compliance Letter. This process typically takes to 7 business days to gather collected data, evaluate the data, and document. Trip count results shall be reported to the City no more than seven (7) business days after completion of the two () week count period. The TDM Compliance Letter shall include a summary of the trip count results as well as the raw data collected by the independent monitor as an appendix to the letter. The average of the count days for at least six (6) weekday counts shall be used for evaluation to determine if the school is in compliance with the trip thresholds. The six (6) weekdays shall consist of volumes collected on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Volumes collected on Monday or Friday may be included in the average if an event or holiday occurs on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.. TDM PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS AND ENFORCEMENT MEASURES Through the trip monitoring process, CSUS shall review the TDM program and make adjustments to policies or procedures to minimize trip generation for the Project. Prior to the first school year, CSUS shall prepare and submit for City review a TDM contingency plan to keep on file in the event that trip limits are exceeded. If adjustments are made to the TDM program, these adjustments shall be completed and communicated throughout the school. If the average trips reported in the TDM Compliance Letter exceed the established trip limit, the following sequence of procedures shall occur. This sequence of procedures shall follow the flow chart and calendar detailed in Figure or. B. CSUS shall have no more than 0 days to develop a plan to modify its TDM program and implement the revised TDM program changes, subsequent to submittal of the TDM Compliance Letter to the City. Page 7
B. After implementing a revised TDM program, supplemental trip counts shall be collected within seven (7) days, unless a holiday period conflicts, to confirm compliance with both established trip limits. B. Supplemental trip counts shall be collected consistent with the criteria set forth above. If a second consecutive trip count is determined to exceed either established trip limits, the school shall make additional modifications to the TDM program, and collect trip counts consistent with the criteria set forth above. Additional modifications shall focus on a further transition to high occupancy modes such as shuttles and buses and away from carpooling modes and/or single student trips. If a third consecutive trip count is determined to exceed either established trip limit, CSUS and the City shall work on the following collaborative corrective actions to achieve compliance with the trip limits: C. If the third consecutive trip count determined to exceed either trip limit is the second Fall semester count or first Spring semester count, CSUS shall be required to reduce school enrollment as part of the school admission letters process in mid March of that school year. C. If the third consecutive trip count determined to exceed either trip limit is the second Spring semester count or first Fall semester count, CSUS shall also be required to reduce school enrollment as part of the school admission letters process in mid March of the next school year. In this specific circumstance, where reduced school enrollment is not available as a corrective action until a later time, CSUS shall also be assessed a fee until compliance with the trip limit is achieved. The details of this fee assessment are detailed below: a. Trip count exceedance is defined as exceedance of the last scheduled trip count shown in Figure or. b. CSUS shall be assessed a fee of $0 per week for each average trip in exceedance of the trip limit (e.g. an exceedance of two average trips for a four week period would result in $,000 fee [$0 x average trips x weeks]). Fees would be assessed separately for a.m. and p.m. exceedances. c. Assessed fees shall be invoiced by the City subsequent to this TDM Compliance Letter and paid by CSUS within 0 days of invoice. Fees shall be paid to the Ralston Corridor Traffic Mitigation Fund or future fund designated by the City. Fees shall be assessed until a TDM Compliance Letter is provided to the City documenting compliance with both trip limits. d. The City and CSUS may agree to an annual school year cap on the total fees assessed. e. CSUS may conduct an additional trip count if it believes compliance is achieved prior to the next scheduled trip count; otherwise, fees shall be assessed until the next scheduled trip count. f. Fees shall no longer be assessed subsequent to receipt by the City of a TDM Compliance Letter verifying compliance with both trip limits. Page 8
g. Fees shall not be assessed for extended periods when school is not in session. These periods are defined as any period over school days (i.e. Winter break and Summer break). h. Fees shall not be assessed between the first day of school of the Fall semester and the completion of the TDM Compliance Letter provided subsequent to the first Fall semester trip count. C. Subsequent to returning to compliance for two consecutive trip counts, CSUS shall no longer be required to reduce school enrollment as part of the school admission letters process in mid March. Page 9
Action Action Start of Fall Semester Fall Trip Counts Fall Supplemental Trip Counts Start of Spring Semester Spring Trip Counts Figure : Trip Monitoring (First School Year) LEGEND School begins Trip Counts Update and Implement new TDM elements Supplemental Trip Counts School Admission Letters Count Period (School Start or Holidays) Update and Implement New TDM Element Update and Implement New TDM Element AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY Action Update and Implement New TDM Element FEBURARY Action Spring Supplemental Trip Counts Monitoring next school year (See Figure ) Collaborative Corrective Action by School and City MARCH APRIL
Start of Fall Semester Fall Trip Counts Figure : Trip Monitoring (Subsequent to First School Year) LEGEND School begins Trip Counts Update and Implement new TDM elements (if necessary) Supplemental Trip Counts (if necessary) School Admission Letters Count Period (School Start or Holidays) Update and Implement New TDM Element Fall Supplemental Trip Counts (if necessary) AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Action Start of Spring Semester Spring Trip Counts Update and Implement New TDM Element DECEMBER JANUARY Action Monitoring next school year Update and Implement New TDM Element Spring Supplemental Trip Counts (If necessary) Collaborative Corrective Action by School and City FEBURARY MARCH APRIL