2A Work Session 2012 0709 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Draft 07/02/2012 • AC Transit to explore and implement ideas that create a "Complete Transit Experience" for San Leandro citizens that include a more encompassing and frequent east -west service that allows transit users to reach locations such as BART, BRT, shopping and work centers in a convenient and timely manner. AC Transit as soon as possible is to explore the means and feasibility of extending BRT along the length of East 14 Street to Bay Fair BART insuring the flexibility of adding this segment in the future. • AC Transit is to make accommodations for southbound East 14 Street left turn to eastbound Broadmoor Boulevard. BACKGROUND The Alameda- Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) East Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project is proposed to provide high quality, fast and frequent express bus service along a 14 -mile long corridor between downtown Berkeley at the northern end, through downtown Oakland to San Leandro at the southern end. In San Leandro, the alignment runs along East 14 Street to Davis Street, then San Leandro Boulevard to the San Leandro BART Station. There are 5 of the 32 BRT stations within San Leandro with one of them located in the median and the remaining as curb extensions or sidewalk plaza with level station boarding and ticket stations. Basic features of the proposed BRT system include transit priority at all signalized intersections, new passenger stations with ticket vending machines, substantial shelters, and a combination of mixed - flow and dedicated travel lanes throughout the propose alignment. Planning for this project by AC Transit has been ongoing since the completion of an Alternative Mode Analysis in 1993 that identified priority corridors and candidate technologies for major transit investments that would provide cost effective methods to serve the East Bay Corridor's ridership. From 1999 to 2002 AC Transit conducted a Major Investment Study (MIS) of the Berkeley /Oakland /San Leandro corridor to examine alternatives for improved transit service. AC Transit prepared the MIS with input and guidance from key stakeholder agencies, elected officials, community leaders and the general public. The result of the MIS was that AC Transit identified BRT as the preferred alternative with the understanding that light -rail transit (LRT) should be considered as a long -term goal. BRT was selected because it provided high- capacity express operation along dedicated lanes on existing roadways, many of the same features of LRT and would attract a large number of new riders at a much lower cost with fewer traffic, parking and construction impacts than LRT. Bus Rapid Transit is a transportation system that operates like a LRT, but uses buses instead of rail vehicles. In 2003 AC Transit initiated the CEQA process for BRT releasing for public review a Draft EIS /EIR (DEIS /DEIR) in May 2007. The DEIS /DEIR evaluated four transit improvement alternatives for BRT. The City of San Leandro and along with more than 200 agencies, individuals and organization provided review comments on the draft