Reso 2020-152 West SL Shuttle Bus Improv Dist Annual Report

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WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT FY 2020-21 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WEST SAN LEANDRO SHUTTLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Executive Summary & Recommendation The Annual Report includes a brief history of the LINKS shuttle and the West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District (BID), ridership statistics; its current and planned operations, the LINKS budget and the proposed BID assessment for 2021. Orzaoization The West San Leandro Shuttle Business Improvement District was formed in 2000 to provide management and funding for the LINKS Shuttle Program. In 2015, the BID was reauthorized for a period of 15 years and the service area was expanded. The BID funds approximately one-half of the LINKS service. The LINKS Shuttle service is administered by the San Leandro Transportation Management Organization (SLTMO), a 501(C) 4 non-profit corporation. Oversight of the BID is conducted by the West San Leandro Business Improvement District Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The five to seven member Advisory Board includes two City staff designees and three to five business representatives. The Advisory Board's duties include annual review of the LINKS performance for submission to the City Council and annual BID rate recommendation. LINKS Shuttle Service The free shuttle provides critical first -last mile transportation from the San Leandro BART station to the industrial area west of 1-880 and Marina Blvd. LINKS operates Monday — Friday during peak commute hours (5:45 — 9:45 am and 3:00 — 7:00 pm). Historically, Links provides 200,000 rides per year with an average of 770 rides per day. Ridership since February 2019 dropped approximately 60% as a result of Covid-19. FY 2019-20 Activities Last year, the SLTMO focused on continuing service reliability, securing grants and outreach to employees and employers. Outreach plans were put on hold with the arrival of Covid-19. The SLTMO implemented a variety of safety protocols allowing the shuttle to continue to operate on its normal schedule. Buses are sanitized daily, the driver and riders must wear a mask, social distancing is enforced by limiting the number of available seats. A clear driver shield has been installed on the buses between the driver and the bus entrance to protect drivers and riders. Covid updates are posted on the buses, website and Nextbus app. Ridership has dropped by 60% to 300 rides per day, however, LINKS ridership is gradually increasing and the shuttle continues to serve riders who have few transportation options.