HomeMy Public PortalAbout2019-02-28 TOWN OF TRUCKEE
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Project Advisory Committee
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February 28, 2019
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Town Hall — Prosser Room
10183 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee, CA
1. INTRODUCTIONS
CALL TO ORDER— Kelly Beede, Administrative Analyst II, called the meeting to order
at 1:05 p.m.
Committee Members present: Jamie Wright, Truckee North Tahoe Transportation
Management Association; Douglas Wiele, Foothill Partners; Ron Retting, Truckee
Resident; Gordon Shaw, LSC Transportation Consultants; Kyle Crezee, Squaw
Valley/Alpine Meadows; Will Garner, Placer County TART; Ruth Geresy, Truckee
Chamber/Welcome Center; Cassie Hebei, Truckee Downtown Merchants.Association;
Anna Klovstad, Truckee Town Council; Stacey Justesen, Truckee Tahoe Airport District;
Jazmin Breaux, Nevada County Health & Human Services Agency; Mike Woodman,
Nevada County Transportation Commission; Brenda Hernandez, Caltrans; Alison
Schwedner, Community Collaborative of Truckee Tahoe.
Project consultants present: Gladys Cornell, AIM Consulting; Isabelle Gaillard, AIM
Consulting; Jeff Schwein, Stephanie Alward, and Bryce Goldstein, Green DOT
Transportation Solutions, Steve Noll, Design Workshop.
Staff present: Dan Wilkins, Director of Public Works/Town Engineer; Kelly Beede,
Administrative Analyst II; Kirk Skierski, Assistant Planner; Kelly Larson, Administrative
Technician. .
Project Consultant, Jeff Schwein stated the goal of PAC meetings for the Transit Center
Relocation Study is to come up with a technical solution for the project which everyone
could be happy with. Meeting participants outlined their interests in the relocation of
Truckee's Transit Center during the round of committee introductions. Some of the
participant interests include:
• Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows is looking for a Park and Ride location
• Placer County TART is able to provide input on balancing the needs of
operational features, comforts, and amenities
• Truckee Chamber and Welcome Center has on the ground experience with what
works best at the current Transit Center including the number of buses,
connectivity, and staffing
• TDMA is looking at the effects of changing the Transit Center and what it would
look like for downtown
• Anna Klovstad from Truckee Town Council asked how this project will connect
rather than separate communities and how riding the bus can be cool
• Truckee Resident, Ron Retting is interested in senior access and offers the
Town of Truckee
- _ -February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 1
perspective of a 40 year Truckee resident
• Gordon Shaw is a resource for circulation issues and the transportation plans for
Placer TART and Truckee-TART
• Nevada/Placer Health & Human Services is interested in accessibility issues and
resources for disadvantaged communities
• Doug Wiele from Foothill Partners represents the Railyard project and is
interested in urban economics •
• Town of Truckee Planning Division will look at transit and land use developments
as well as indirect impacts from legislation
• Transportation Management Association is concerned with regional connectivity
and the service of all of the different routes when the Transit Center move occurs
• Dan Wilkins from the Town of Truckee would like to come up with a long term
plan which is realistic and implementable
• Nevada County Transportation Commission is interested in funding and transit
planning as well as the location for short term and long term transit operation
plans
• Caltrans is concerned with regional planning and to hear and be part of the PAC
conversations
2. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT
Truckee's current Transit Center exceeds its capacity on a regular basis. The first step of
the project is talking to community members about relocating all or some operations of
Truckee's existing transit center. Jeff Schwein, project consultant from Green DOT
Transportation Solutions facilitated a presentation to the committee which is on file with
the Town Clerk and available at the project website
https://www.truckeetransitcenter.com/
Existing conditions wereaddressed and it was noted that in order to accommodate
current and future activity at the terminal, a new transit center would need to
accommodate space for 10 buses within an hour. This scope would also allow for
expanded bus services such as to Glenshire and other neighborhoods. A key reason
SB1 grant funding was provided for the Truckee Transit Center Relocation Feasibility
Study was to address the issue of buses hanging out in Truckee's downtown corridor
with a lack of adequate parking options.
The role of the PAC was addressed and will meet 4-5 times to make sure the design
team is on the same page and walk through whole process on what the future of the
transit center would look like. There is grant funding available for the project and
California is invested in the long term of what transit will be like in the future.
3. CHARACTER OF REGIONAL TRANSIT CENTERS
The consultant presentation highlighted associated transit center projects for what they
bring to communities including transit center features and design aspects. Some
discussion points on the design aspects of the transit center included:
• Verandas and open areas
• Electricity as a key important feature for the future for the transit. It was stated
that electric buses would be the norm by 2030.
• i Loop circulation where buses come all the way around
• Half and half facilities and indoor vs. outdoor
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019. Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 2
• Bay layout
• A potential new transit center or modifications to the existing facility would employ multi-
modal connectivity in order to maximize its productivity in the community and serve all
routes. 3D renderings will be created both to apply the visions of the project in ensuring
proper planning as well as to.walk the public through how people arrive and depart from
the transit center.
•
4. TRUCKEE TRANSIT CENTER NEEDS
Transit Center needs were addressed in the presentation where the committee was
asked to think about projects which are transformative. Initial analysis for transit center
needs focused on turning radius of buses, pedestrian safety, and the external circulation
of buses to get in and out,of the transit center safely and efficiently. The initial study of
the length of interstate buses was done just by the tracking of the;tires, not the full length
of the bus.
Potential site locations presented by the consultant that could meet basic site
requirements of being 1.25-1.5 acres and accommodating for 10 buses at a time include:
• CA Hwy Patrol Substation
o Circulation of the ingress and egress works
• Airport site'(1.7.acre parcel)
o Airport has expressed interest in working with the Town
• Truckee Railyard
o Exact location would need to be within a turnaround sphere and integrated
into other development happening
• Improving Truckee's existing Transit Center as an alternative to building a new
center would be challenging because of limited space for buses and the parking
challenges in downtown Truckee.
It was stated that it would not be logical to preclude train service to downtown Truckee
and that it would also preserve the historic nature of transit in Truckee. The question was
posed on whether the transit center would have to be downtown or not, a threshold
question that would influence breadth of sites to be evaluated.The option of keeping a
train stop at the existing site was presented where land uses of this scenario could be
integrated and linked with,the new site. Staffing the existing center plus a new center
was brought up as a potential issue because it might take funding away from buses.
A committee discussion followed to share first impressions and considerations.
Other sites to consider
Sites within Town boundaries suggested by the committee included:
• Forest Service parcel '
• Gray's Crossing
• New Recreation Center
• Former Catholic Church (old assumption building)
o There is a business currently in the permitting process with the Town of
Truckee at this location
o HPAC needs to be involved with this site
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 3
Public Works Director/Town Engineer, Dan Wilkins asked the consultantteam to
generate a map identifying site recommendations by the PAC committee and to then go
through a screening with the committee for more detailed review.
Site opportunities
Important site considerations that were stated include: ease of connection, access to
historic downtown, route efficiency to minimize wait times, and general access to
catching the bus in this region. Specific to the railyard site, the loop area would need a
large space for buses to turn around.Conversely, a long and'skinny layout could make
for a smaller footprint. The Town has a viable partner in the Airport District where there
would be the opportunity for a park and ride facility. There would need to be an
assessment for which times of the year the park and ride facility would be used.
Site design and circulation logistics were addressed. Curbsides with a "Saw-Tooth"
design should be implemented. Having buses park same place every time will facilitate
ease ofgetting in and out. During wintertime layovers, buses would be away from their
designated space so that passengers don't stay on the bus.
Tahoe City Transit Center hindsight is that the complexity which was put in building is
requiring more labor to maintain than anticipated. Rainwater collection systems for
flushing toilets don't work well,because the system gets clogged from pine needles.
Keep the project scope matched to ability to run the place such as light bulb fixtures that
require only one person to change. Ticketing stations in a potential new Truckee site
may be unnecessary if Placer TART goes to free fares. Truckee TART went to a fare
free system on July 1, 2018.
Site constraints
Constraints at the Train Depot are numerous where the footprint has been outgrown and
will become more significant if transit service is expanded. ADA parking is limited,
especially in the wintertime. Tour buses and RVs have no place to park and RVs are
allowed parking for 20 minutes only if there is availability. There is only one offsite
parking place on Soaring Way. The train often runs late and California Welcome Center
staff sometimes may stay late to assist passengers in the Depot which already has a
small lobby. Especially when there are fifty people waiting, cleaning becomes another
issue and people have been bringing their chairs in the Depot. Depot staff have been
'requesting to see passenger tickets to give them an idea of when their transport is
arriving. Interstate travel is different than local. Traffic also presents challenges.
Future development
Regional routes will need access to both Highway 267 and Highway 89 routes. There is
already a stop at the Airport for both 267 and 89. Ensuring access for both will be vital
for regional connection and flow of routes. Looking at where our existing regional
transportation corridor is located, 267 connects to the Train Depot down Brockway road
and 89 services turn down Donner Pass Road to connect at the Depot. TART and local
route riders wouldn't need to catch their bus downtown especially when they would have
,to leave a car in a place that is already impacted by visitors though having two locations,
a new bus shelter and the Depot, to meet transit standards is a daunting task.
Expansion of the capital corridor is something Nevada County Transportation
Commission has advocated for through efforts in working with stakeholders over the last
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 4
decade. Amtrak is not currently focused on Roseville and its areas south. Amtrak
remains concerned about impacts to good rail movement. From Union Pacific's
standpoint, expansion would be pushing for a double track to meet capacity and they are
unwilling to do a study. Amtrak is having challenges on who would join for this
Committee but would likely be someone from the capital corridor.
There could be a transition in train travel up to our community due to a dip in tolerance of
visitors sitting 4 hours in freeway traffic from people driving to the area every weekend.
What is the possibility of one Capital Corridor route coming from Auburn and
implementing a couple of new loops? The current schedule is not user friendly, often late
and inconsistent with cancellations as a reality.
Redevelopment opportunities
Underperforming, obsolete properties such as the Crossroads where there are 10 acres
could be redeveloped though Crossroads has multiple owners which may cause
challenges in coordinating development. Talks with Truckee River Associates could
occur to explore the potential for expansion of parking.
Amtrak is redeveloping the apron on the backside of the Train Depot.
Additional uses
Additional site uses which were discussed include:
• Park and Ride which some sites could accommodate and others could not
depending on space for additional parking
• Accommodating for Uber and Lyft which would need to operate under Town
regulations
Improving bike and pedestrian access
Bike and pedestrian access could be improved through some of the following ways:
• Station for electric bikes
• Incentivizing youth to ridership though campaigns that make the Transit Center
and using public transit appealing
• Advertising transit as fast, free and efficient
• Coordinating a downtown shuttle to connect with Truckee destination spots like
West River and the new Railyard.
Improving mobility and public perceptions
A visual overlay should be created to show major residential centers against where
people are trying to get to and evaluate how things intersect so to ensure connections
are made to those areas.
It will be important to have a conversation with the Truckee business community to
gather opinions about what they want to have in downtown. Tourist buses are not
required to coordinate with us. Passengers from tourist buses come into downtown for
shopping and lunch.
Intermittent outreach was proposed as a positive way to educate the public about the
project scope and how the project will unfold overtime. Keep outreach incremental with
what people can expect now and then what will transit look like in 5, 10 and 20 years.
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 5
5. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Community involvement will be addressed throughout the project process in a way that
works within the context of the Truckee community. The consulting team will work with
Committee members and staff on best practices for increasing public awareness where
the public can engage in the process and give meaningful feedback. Engagement will be
offered in a variety of ways including through experiential stations at community
meetings, pop-up locations and other avenues for information dissemination. Public
input for the plan can serve as the foundation for future grant applications.
Outreach Strategies and Committee Recommendations.
• Questions to Ask of Stakeholders:
o What does the public want?
o How will we rank sites?
■ Integration opportunities, mobility, effects to downtown
businesses?
• Community meetings
o Truckee Senior Center
o Should be offered in Spanish
o Presentations to community service groups
o Pop ups
• Targeting an event in Squaw (Winter Wondergrass, Beeriest,
Earth Day) or Northstar and holding the pop-up near the bus drop
off location
■ Truckee Clean-up Day
• Music in the Park
• Information dissemination
o Truckee Thursday's (the first two Truckee Thursday's are attended by
majority locals)
o Project Website
■ A place for the public to send their input
■ County and school district, Family Resource Center would have
informationabout current riders
• Additional Recommendations
o Outreach list through the Community Collaborative of Truckee Tahoe
o Talking to the Consultants for Truckee 2040 and their workshop methods
5. PROJECT SCHEDULE
PAC meetings, community meetings and project study components are being addressed
from the project initiation in December 2018 through project adoption which is expected
around January 2020.
6. CONCLUSION
More details will be made available about community outreach, site selection criteria and
the preliminary screening of sites. Please direct thoughts, ideas and questions to the
project team via the website: www.truckeetransitcenter.com. A preliminary analysis of
sites is expected by the end of March 2019.
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 6
ADJOURNMENT.
The next meeting of the Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee TBD
and will be held at 10183 Truckee Airport Rd., Truckee, CA 96161.
Approved: Respectfully submitted by:
Kelly Be/se, Committee Chair Kelly Larson, Committee Secretary
Town of Truckee
February 28, 2019 Transit Center Relocation Study Project Advisory Committee
Page 7