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West San Leandro Shutle Business Improvement District Annual Report FY 2023-24 Page | 5 san leandro Annual Report Background In 2000, the City of San Leandro evaluated the feasibility of implemen�ng a commuter shutle service connec�ng west San Leandro employment sites with the San Leandro BART sta�on. Based on the results of that study, the San Leandro Transporta�on Management Organiza�on (SLTMO) and a Business Improvement District (BID) were formed to provide management and funding for the LINKS Shutle program. The SLTMO is a 501(C)4 non-profit corpora�on governed by a Board of Directors that includes representa�on from businesses included in the BID and the City of San Leandro. The SLTMO administers the LINKS Shutle program. Oversight of the BID is conducted by the West San Leandro Shutle Business Improvement District Advisory Board (Advisory Board). The five to seven member Advisory Board includes two City staff designees and three to five business representa�ves. The Advisory Board’s du�es include annual review of the LINKS performance for submission to the City Council. The Ordinance authorizing the BID also provides that the City Council may increase the annual BID assessment in an amount not to exceed the increase of the Consumer Price Index as part of its review of the annual report. LINKS Shutle Service The LINKS Shutle provides free transporta�on from the San Leandro BART sta�on to the industrial area west of I-880 and Marina Blvd., a major employment center of the City and the region. LINKS operates Monday – Friday during peak commute hours (5:45 – 9:45 am and 3:00 – 7:00 pm). In July 2022, the service was modified to a Dual Interlaced Loop configura�on opera�ng two buses, both of which travel on a North and South Loop. Historically, LINKS provides 200,000 rides per year with an average of 700 rides per day. Like all public transporta�on services, the number of rides dropped since COVID. Ridership gradually increased and was over 500 rides per day by the end of FY 21-22. Upon the implementa�on of the Dual Interlaced Loop configura�on, the program did experience an expected drop in ridership due to the decrease in frequency. At the end of FY 22-23 ridership was averaging 350 rides per day. This represents a 50% pre-pandemic recovery, a trend consistent with BART’s recover levels. LINKS provides cri�cal “first and last mile” connec�on between transit and employers in West San Leandro, serving major employers including Amazon, Walmart and Costco, as well as small employers. There are over 800 businesses and almost 15,000 employees in the LINKS service area. LINKS also provides transporta�on to commercial nodes including Marina Square Shopping Center and community services such as Davis Street Family Resource Center which serves 10,000 low-income people each year. Par�cipa�on in the LINKS BID service area helps businesses comply with the BAAQMD Commuter Benefit requirements. In 2014, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) implemented the Commuter Benefits Program that requires all employers with 50 or more full-�me employees to provide commuter benefits to their employees. To comply with the Program, employers must select one (or more) of four commuter benefit op�ons and register with BAAQMD. Par�cipa�on in the LINKS BID sa�sfies Op�on 3 (“Employer Provided Transit”) under the requirements, allowing businesses to save �me and money.