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File Number: 14-318 <br />Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, and a general economic recovery warrant <br />revisiting the LINKS alignment to ensure that the service best meets current and future <br />needs. <br />·Next Generation Workplace District Initiatives: An Industrial Area Working Group, <br />formed to help prioritize projects and programs related to the revitalization of San <br />Leandro’s industrial areas, ranked LINKS service enhancements as the #1 priority of <br />17 potential projects. <br />·National trend in transit-ridership growth: Numerous studies show a trend of younger <br />workers driving less and preferring other modes such as transit and biking for <br />commuting. To cater to this generation of workers, there is an expectation of effective <br />transportation alternatives that reduce the need to drive. <br />With these drivers in mind, the SLTMO engaged Nelson Nygaard, a leading transportation <br />consulting firm to study the LINKS service and suggest possible service alternatives. <br />Proposed Service Enhancements <br />Although LINKS riders report high satisfaction, an opportunity exists to provide more frequent <br />service, shorten the time required for a round-trip ride, and reach businesses that previously <br />could not access LINKS. The primary recommendation of the Nelson Nygaard report is that <br />the existing LINKS route be split into two separate loops. By splitting the route, it is possible to <br />reduce the daily travel time for riders. Under current conditions, a full trip around the loop (i.e. <br />to work in the morning and back to BART in the afternoon) can take over 40 minutes. The split <br />loop alternative will reduce that time by roughly ten minutes. <br />An additional benefit of the split route proposal is that it will provide service to Marina <br />Boulevard; a key employment center that presently lacks shuttle coverage. Adding service <br />along Marina Boulevard will benefit a large number of businesses - including Marina Square <br />Shopping Center and the Auto Mall - that currently suffer from a lack of parking and transit <br />options. <br />Expanded LINKS service will necessarily increase the cost of service. To meet this challenge, <br />City staff and the SLTMO are exploring numerous options to secure funding. A part of the <br />Next Generation Workplace District Study, the City Council committed $50,000 in the <br />FY2014-15 budget to support LINKS operations. It is also likely that businesses will be asked <br />to contribute more through an increase to the BID assessment rates. Discussions are also <br />underway with AC Transit and local businesses and property owners to determine if new <br />partnerships might yield additional funding for LINKS. Funding scenarios will be presented for <br />Council input and discussion. <br />ATTACHMENT <br />·San Leandro LINKS Service Alternatives report, Nelson Nygaard, June 2014. <br />PREPARED BY: Jeff Kay, Business Development Manager, Community Development <br />Department <br />Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 7/15/2014