	City Council
	Agenda Request
Agenda Of:	October 16, 2007	Agenda Request No:		IV A
Initiated By:	Dale Rudick, PE	Responsible Department:		Intergovernmental Relations
Presented By:	Dale Rudick, PE	Department Head:		Intergovernmental Relations
		Additional Department. Head (s):		City engineer city planner
Subject / Proceeding:	Intra-City Transportation Planning services Approve Interlocal Agreement and Budget Adjustment
Exhibits:	Interlocal Agreement with Fort Bend County; Scope of Services with Texas Transportation Institute
Clearances			Approval
Legal:	Eugenia Cano Assistant City Attorney		Executive Director:	Joe Esch business & Intergovernmental Relations
Purchasing:	n/a		Asst. City Manager:	N/A
Budget:	Jennifer Brown Assistant Fiscal Services Director		City Manager:	Allen Bogard
Budget
Expenditure Required: $			10,000
Amount Budgeted/Reallocation: $			0
Additional Appropriation: $			10,000
Recommended Action
Consideration and action on the interlocal agreement with Fort Bend County for Intra-City Transportation Planning Services to be performed by the Texas Transportation Institute and approval of a budget adjustment of $10,000.
Executive Summary
In accordance with the 2007-2008 Strategic Project identified as “Intra-City Transportation System”, the City has been working directly with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Fort Bend County Public Transportation Department (FBC) to define a scope of services that will help determine a vision for an intra-city transportation system that includes a short, medium and long range plan. FBC has secured 80% federal funding to perform such a plan. The local 20% match will be split between the City and the County. In 1999, H-GAC and the City hired a consultant to determine the feasibility of implementing a transit circulator service to maintain mobility in the area surrounding First Colony Mall and, at the time, the undeveloped Town Square. An intra-city transit service was considered to be costly and impractical to implement at that time. Since the study was completed, several factors have been realized that could not be reflected in the original study. Many of these factors take regional tones. These include, but are not limited to: US 59 Expansion, S.H. 6 improvements, Increased traffic, Town Square Development, First Colony Mall Expansion, Lake Pointe Development, US 90A Commuter Rail Feasibility Study completed, Commuter Rail Connectivity Study ongoing, UH Sugar Land opening, Pedestrian/Bicycle District Study for Town Center nearing completion, Hike & Bike Master Plan nearing completion, Visioning Task Force completed illustrating a mobility component, FBC designated as a Rural Transit District receiving federal transit dollars, FBC has taken over TREK transit services between here and both Greenway and Uptown, Park & Rides opening, and City financially participating in TREK operations. Consistent with the aforementioned Strategic Project as well as the above listed factors, TTI will perform a study to determine the need for an intra-city transit circulator service for Town Center along with a long term plan of action/vision as it relates to an Intra-City Transportation System utilizing modes of transportation other than the private automobile. TTI’s scope of services (attached) will be broken out into two tasks as follows: Task I: Analyze opportunities for transit mobility in Town Center (the 4 quadrants of US 59/SH 6 intersection). - Analysis of target markets - Estimate of demand - Identification of Service concepts - Recommendation of short-term and mid-term service plans - Implementation planning - Community Outreach Task II: Analyze opportunities for multi-modal connectivity throughout Sugar Land and into Fort Bend County - Background research inclusive of previous studies utilizing the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Visioning Task Force recommendations, Council directives and resolutions as the guide. - Service Planning - Recommendation of long-range service plan - Community Outreach Task I boundaries (short & mid-range plans) will almost be similar to the boundaries from the nearly completed Pedestrian/Bicycle District Study which includes all four quadrants of the U.S. 59 and S.H. 6 intersection (generally Sweetwater to Williams Trace and Lexington to near Brooks Street). Task II will identify longer-term opportunities to expand transit services to other areas in the City, if practical. This will include connectivity to the possible U.S. 90A commuter rail corridor, future activity centers and other potential points of regional intermodal connectivity. A large component of this scope of services includes opportunities for community outreach and public review and comment by stakeholders and interested citizens. Near the end of the above described tasks, TTI will present their findings to City Council. Due to the fact that FBC is the designated Transit District and federal transit dollars have already been appropriated to the County, FBC will serve as the primary and enter into a two-party service contract with TTI to perform the proposed study. Attached is an inter-local agreement between FBC and the City where the City will provide the County one-half of the 20% local match, not to exceed $10,000. City funding for the $10,000 local share (10%) is requested and will be funded through a budget amendment. For fiscal year 2007-08, the General Fund has a budgeted ending balance which is $718,877 over the policy requirements for the fund. The Commissioner’s Court is expected to consider the contract for services with TTI at their October 23, 2007 meeting. Although FBC is the primary on the contract with TTI, the City will have a strong presence on the steering committee during the course of the study which includes representation from Intergovernmental Relations, Public Works (Traffic Operations), Planning and Engineering. The subject inter-local agreement expires on September 30, 2008 but TTI’s work is anticipated to be completed by July 2008. It is also anticipated that H-GAC may issue a call for projects as early as April 2008 for the next Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). This study should have progressed far enough along at that time to afford the City and/or County the ability to submit a transit project(s) for the 2009-2012 TIP from this study if it is deemed to be in the City’s best interest.
Exhibits

THE STATE OF TEXAS

COUNTY OF FORT BEND

INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SERVICES

This Interlocal Agreement (the “Agreement”), is made and entered into pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act, Chapter 791 of the Texas Government Code, by and between FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (the “County”), a body corporate and politic, acting by and through its Commissioners Court, and the CITY OF SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (the “City”), a municipality duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Texas, acting by and through its City Council.

RECITALS:

WHEREAS, the County operates public transportation services and prepares short and long range plans for future transportation services to serve the needs of the citizens of Fort Bend County; and

WHEREAS, the County has obtained grant funding to be used to conduct a transit mobility research study to benefit the residents of Fort Bend County, Texas (the Study); and

WHEREAS, a portion of the grant funds will be used to conduct an intra-city transit service planning study that will update the City’s transit circulator plan; and

WHEREAS, the City agrees to contribute 10% of the total cost of the Study, up to a maximum amount of $10,000; and

WHEREAS, the City and the County believe it is in their best interests to enter into this Agreement to provide the transit services to the citizens of Fort Bend County; and

WHEREAS, the City and the County will abide by all pertinent federal, state and local laws and regulations; NOW, THEREFORE,

The City and County agree to the following terms:

ARTICLE I

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Agreement is to obtain and share in the cost the Study.

ARTICLE II

TERM AND TERMINATION

2.01 This Agreement is effective on the date the last party executes this Agreement and terminates on September 30, 2008.

2.02 Either party may terminate this Agreement by giving 30 days prior written notice of termination on the other party. In the event of termination by either party, the County is under no obligation to return any funds provided by City.

ARTICLE III

CONSIDERATION

As consideration for the County’s performance under this Agreement, the City agrees to pay the County 10% of the cost of the Study up to a maximum of $10,000. Payment will be contingent upon and made within 30 days of receipt of the final Study.

ARTICLE IV

SCOPE OF SERVICES

4.01 The County will enter into an agreement with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to complete the Study with the County and the City based on the attached Scope of Service. Work will begin upon execution of this interlocal agreement by both parties and end no later than September 30, 2008.

4.02 In cooperation with TTI and the City, the County will oversee and manage services provided by TTI.

4.03 The County and/or its agent will be responsible for management and supervision of all aspects of the service and any sub-contractors. Management and supervision of the service shall include, but not be limited to, sub-contractor management and support services.

ARTICLE V

INSURANCE AND LIABILITY

5.01 The City and the County are both governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act, Chapter 101.001 et seq., as amended, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Ann. which sets limits of liability for certain causes of action. Each party to this Agreement warrants and represents that it is insured under a commercial insurance policy or is self insured for all claims falling within the Texas Tort Claims Act.

5.02 Each party to this Agreement agrees that it shall have no liability whatsoever for the actions or omissions of an individual employed by another party, regardless of where the individual’s actions occurred. Each party is solely responsible for the actions and/or omissions of its employees and officers.

ARTICLE VI

MISCELLANEOUS

6.01 This Agreement may be amended by the mutual agreement of the parties hereto in writing to be attached to and incorporated into this Agreement.

6.02 Texas law governs this Contract and any lawsuit on this Contract must be filed in a court that has jurisdiction in Fort Bend County, Texas.

6.03 If a court finds or rules that any part of this Contract is invalid or unlawful, the remainder of the Contract continues to be binding on the parties.

6.04 This Agreement supersedes any and all other agreements, either oral or in writing between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and no other agreement, statement, or promise relating to the subject matter of this Agreement which is not contained herein shall be valid or binding.

6.05 This Agreement cannot be assigned by either party.

EXECUTED IN DUPLICATE ORIGINALS, EACH OF WHICH SHALL HAVE THE FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS OF THE DATE OF THE LAST SIGNATURE.

CITY SUGAR LAND, TEXAS FORT BEND COUNTY

___________________________ ____________________________

By: Allen Bogard, City Manager Robert E. Hebert, County Judge

Date: _____________________ Date: _______________________

ATTEST/SEAL: ATTEST/SEAL:

__________________________ ____________________________

Glenda Gundermann, City Secretary Dianne Wilson, Ph.D., County Clerk

Reviewed for Legal Compliance:

Cooperative transit mobility Research with the

City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County

OverView

The City of Sugar Land is interested in developing strategies to improve connectivity of existing and proposed transportation systems in the city. The City would like to leverage the findings of previous studies by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and seize the opportunity for application of research to investigate improvements in local mobility using modes other than the private automobile. Another stakeholder in the effort to improve mobility is Fort Bend County. The city and county are also interested in improving safety of operations and enhancing connections for citizens to regional transit services and to a future commuter rail corridor.

The City of Sugar Land would like to volunteer as a laboratory for research and test bed for application of technology to enhance access management, connectivity and circulation in the city. Fort Bend County will be a partner in the project to encourage the use of transit as a part of the solution.

background

Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County officially formed a Public Transportation Department in June 2005. The departmental objective is to improve the transportation services provided to citizens. The County currently offers shared ride demand response services to the citizens of Fort Bend County. The Transportation Department provides trips within Fort Bend County and trips to the Texas Medical Center in Houston.

Fort Bend County also offers commuter services known as the TREKEXPRESS. Services are offered into the Greenway Plaza and Post Oak/Galleria areas of Houston. Initial stops in Sugar Land are made at the University of Houston-Sugar Land parking lot and at the AMC 24 Theatre in Town Square.

City of Sugar Land

The City of Sugar Land is an active participant in projects that emphasize research or technology development. The following is a brief synopsis of previous studies or projects.

Sugar Land Circulation Study

In 1999 H-GAC, in association with the City of Sugar Land, conducted a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a transit circulator service in the area surrounding First Colony Mall and Sugar Land Town Square. The First Colony Mall/ Sugar Land Town Square area is located at the southeast corner of Southwest Freeway (US 59 South) and State Highway 6 (SH 6) in Sugar Land. The purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of implementing a transit circulator as a way to maintain mobility. The scope included identifying target markets, estimating rider demand, and recommending the most appropriate transit service and financial plan. The recommend service was not implemented at the time in part because of funding concerns and also because there were limited ways to connect the service with other transportation systems.

Sugar Land Rail Monitoring System

· In 2003 TTI conducted a study of the Sugar Land Rail Monitoring System. This project examined how real-time detection, communication, and information systems can be integrated to monitor the movements of trains in a corridor to reduce conflicts and delays created by railroad grade crossings for the primary benefit of fire and police personnel while on emergency runs. This railroad grade crossing monitoring project was developed by the Houston District of TxDOT and TTI as part of the ITS Priority Corridor Program. Due to the current construction on US-90A along the Sugar Land Rail Corridor, much of the equipment used for monitoring purposes is being relocated. The city is interested in replacing the monitoring system when construction is complete.

Sugar Land Traffic Control Center

The City of Sugar Land has about 17 of their 71 signals on a congestion monitoring map. Highlights include:

Volumes are aggregated across lanes (by signal approach), and report congestion levels with green, amber, red in reference to location-specific "medium" and "high" congestion levels.
Map updates every 15 minutes.
Turning volume reports are available.
The traffic signal timing monitoring reports can show a bar chart of the "actual", "programmed", and "last 5" cycles for a given approach at a given signal.
Travel time data can be collected manually from the cameras. Automation may ultimately be possible.
The city plans to include their entire signal system (71 signalized intersections) to put all on the map.

TTI is doing arterial travel time micro-simulation work, and Sugar Land is interested in using their traffic control system/data to test some of the TTI models.

Access Management

H-GAC is working with other entities including the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County to develop an access management and traffic mobility plan for State Highway 6 from FM 521 (in Fort Bend County) to IH-10 West (in Harris County). The purpose of the study is to identify short-term transportation improvements to enhance traffic flow and reduce motorist delay.

TxDOT recently sponsored research through TTI to provide recommendations for implementing a comprehensive access management program in the State. The research includes an Access Management Guide for Texas for use by planners and engineers when planning, designing and reviewing roadway projects and access requests. TTI developed a video for on access management and interviewed the City of Sugar Land City Manager on the video.

Hike and Bike System

The City of Sugar Land is conducting two separate studies to evaluate pedestrian and bicyclist improvements throughout the city. The Citywide study focuses on updating the City’s Hike and Bike Trail Master Plan. The Sugar Land Town Center Pedestrian & Bicyclist Study, a jointly funded project of the City of Sugar Land and H-GAC, focuses on pedestrian and bicyclist improvements in the Town Center areas with Town Square as its center-point. Countdown pedestrian signals and the Hike and Bike Master Plan are two examples of projects to research leading edge initiatives and technologies for the safety of citizens.

Commuter Rail

H-GAC is undertaking a comprehensive regional commuter rail connectivity study. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the feasibility, accessibility, and connectivity requirements of implementing commuter rail service along selected corridors in the eight-county H-GAC region. The US90A corridor through Sugar Land is one of the selected corridors for this analysis.

Scope of Research

The TTI mission is to solve transportation problems through research, to transfer technology, and to develop diverse human resources to meet the transportation challenges of tomorrow. TTI encourages students to gain practical experience to apply research that helps sponsors to address a range of transportation challenges.

TTI proposes to conduct the following study and use the City of Sugar Land as a laboratory for research and test bed to apply technical solutions to enhance access management, connectivity and circulation in the city.

Task 1. Analyze Opportunities for Transit Mobility in Sugar Land Town Center

In association with the City of Sugar Land and the Fort Bend County Transportation Department, TTI will update a previous analysis of a transit circulator service for Town Square/First Colony Mall area (1999). The purpose of this task is to analyze the opportunity to improve local mobility in the short-term and mid-term in Sugar Land Town Center through transit, access management and coordination with bicycle/pedestrian projects. The study area will be consistent with the Sugar Land Town Center Pedestrian & Bicyclist Study (see illustration below).

TTI will develop this task with the research assistance of TTI graduate student assistants and/or Texas A&M graduate students in the urban planning or engineering programs. All work and work quality will be supervised by a TTI Research Scientist or Research Engineer.

The scope of this task will include an update of the 1999 Sugar Land Circulation Study.

1.1 Analysis of Target Markets

Update population and demographic profile for Sugar Land and the study area using available sources of data from the U.S. Census, Texas State Data Center, H-GAC and the City of Sugar Land.
Research resources from other studies and plan (see references above) and the planning tools identified in the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan.
Conduct research and field work to document actual development in the study area. The field data collection will rely to the maximum extent possible data from the Town Square Management Association, First Colony Mall, Chamber of Commerce, major hotels, and other developments in the area. Additional data will be collected with field observations.
Conduct field work to measure trip activity (vehicle and pedestrian) to and from the study area. The field data collection will rely to the maximum extent possible data from the Sugar Land Traffic Control Center. Additional counts will be collected as required.
Working with the Fort Bend County Transportation Department, conduct an onboard survey of passengers using TREK routes.
Analyze TREK operations and the contractual agreements with Fort Bend County to identify opportunities to leverage transit services and vehicle assets to benefit transit mobility options for Sugar Land Town Center.
Analyze Fort Bend County Transportation operations to identify opportunities to coordinate with transit mobility options for Sugar Land Town Center.

1.2 Estimate Demand

Update the trip estimate tables for the developments in the study area using the most current Institute for Traffic Engineers trip generation tables. Where appropriate researchers will be asked to recommend adjustments based on actual circumstances.
Estimate ridership based on the trip generation model and transit service assumptions.

1.3 Identify Service Concepts

Provide information on national examples of similar transit services in peer cities to illustrate examples of service concepts. Peer selection criteria will be developed and discussed with the Steering Committee. One peer will be The Woodlands, Texas.
Develop alternative service concepts for the study area. Define and illustrate routes.
Address vehicle types including clean-fuel vehicles.
Estimate levels of transit services (days of week, span of hours, frequency, route coverage, locations for stops).
Estimate operations and capital cost.
Provide an opportunity for review and comment on service concepts by planners and engineers, stakeholders and interested citizens.
Evaluate alternative service concepts based on both quantitative performance indicators and qualitative criteria for service quality.

1.4 Recommend Short-term and Mid-term Service Plan

Define the recommended plan to provide to improve local mobility in the short-term and mid-term in Sugar Land Town Center through transit, access management and coordination with bicycle/pedestrian projects.
Provide an operating plan with recommend routes, schedules, days and hours of operation. Specify recommended vehicle type. Specify interface with existing transit services and facilities.
Document operating and capital costs based on vehicles, hours and miles of service provided. Include data for a range of levels of service.
Document sources of revenue including farebox, state and federal transit funds, private sector contributions and local funds required.
Provide a financial plan for operating and capital, addressing cost and sources of revenue.

Identify the impacts on access management, traffic congestion, bicycle and pedestrian access, and general mobility. Address turning movements for transit vehicles, intermodal connections, and considerations for priority access for transit.

1.5 Provide Implementation Plan

Outline the steps required and timeline for implementation of recommended short-term and mid-term service plan.
Document measures of success to be used to evaluate the service. Include measures to evaluate service effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and service quality.
Recommend ways to promote ridership.

1.6 Community Outreach

During conduct of Task 1, there will be opportunities for community outreach and public review and comment by stakeholders and interested citizens. The public outreach will include:

Web-based survey to provide an opportunity for interested citizens to comment on transit need and opportunity (Task 1.1).
Open house or public forum to review materials and provide comments on service concepts (Task 1.3). The City of Sugar Land and Steering Committee members will identify stakeholders and assist in getting the word out about the public forum via electronic communication.
Electronic invitation for members of the public to review materials on website and provide comments on draft recommendations (Task 1.4).

Throughout the task, TTI will meet with a Steering Committee every four to six weeks to review progress for the study. The Steering Committee will include staff from the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County Transportation Department. Additional participation will be requested from H-GAC.

At the conclusion of the task, TTI will make presentations to the senior management team and governing board for the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County as requested.

Deliverable: Technical Memorandum documenting research approach, technical analysis, findings and recommendations.

After submitting a draft of the Technical Memorandum, the TTI study team will meet with representatives of the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County to discuss the findings in the Technical Memorandum and answer any questions on findings and recommendations in the document.

Following this meeting, TTI will incorporate any comments into a final document. All documents will be provided in electronic format, using software acceptable to the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County.

Study Area Task 1

Source: Sugar Land Town Center Pedestrian & Bicyclist Study by LAN

The study area for the Transit Mobility project will include Lake Point Sections 4, 5 and 6 to the north and extend [beyond Fluor Daniel Drive] along either side of State Highway 6 to First Colony Boulevard/Brooks Street on the west. In addition, future development in the areas where Sweetwater Boulevard crosses US-59 will be considered.
Task 2. Analyze Opportunities for Multi-Modal Connectivity for Sugar Land and Fort Bend County

TTI will expand the analysis in Task 1 to identify longer-term opportunities to expand transit services to other areas in Sugar Land and connect to public transportation provided by Fort Bend County. The task will include connectivity to the possible US90A commuter rail corridor, future activity centers, and other potential points of regional intermodal connectivity. The study area will be expanded to include the greater city limits of the City of Sugar Land (see illustration below).

The scope of this task will include:

2.1 Background Research

Review and documentation of previous related studies and projects. Specifically review the City of Sugar Land Comprehensive Plan, Visioning Task Force documentation, Council directives and resolutions.
Meet with stakeholders to determine community goals and objectives for developing multimodal connectivity for Sugar Land and Fort Bend County.

Analyze population and demographic profile for Sugar Land and Fort Bend County using data available from the city, the county, H-GAC, the Texas State Data Center and the U.S. Census Bureau. Use data to evaluate demographic characteristics for transit markets. Link the need indicators to the community goals for transit.
Provide information on national examples of cities that incorporate transit in master planning and comprehensive development ordinances. Provide examples. Include a discussion of joint development of transit services and/or facilities through public/private partnerships.

2.2 Service Planning

Using GIS, map the primary attractors of transit trips; for example, major employers, medical and health car facilities, retail centers, social services, senior centers, youth services. Analyze location and relative distance.
Identify streets or route alignments that are appropriate for transit. Identify issues for safety. Use to the maximum extent possible information and data available from the City of Sugar Land access management plan, traffic control center and rail safety monitoring system as well as the City of Sugar Land Comprehensive Plan.
Define appropriate service concepts. Develop alternative service strategies at a general planning level. Make assumptions about level of service based on assumptions of number of routes, number of vehicles, hours per day, and days per year.
Provide guidelines for locating transit stops, consistent with City of Sugar Land Comprehensive Plan and development ordinances.
Identify the most appropriate locations for intermodal connections, including but not necessarily limited to locations for commuter rail stations along the 90A corridor. Provide guidance on how to improve accessibility to intermodal connections for all modes of access (drive, walk, bike, and transfer from other transit modes).

2.3 Recommend Long-Range Service Plan

Define the recommended plan to provide to improve local mobility in the long-term in Sugar Land Town transit, access management and intermodal connections.
Document operating and capital costs based on vehicles, hours and miles of service provided. Include data for a range of levels of service.
Document sources of revenue including farebox, state and federal transit funds, private sector contributions and local funds required to leverage state and federal funds.
Provide a financial plan for operating and capital, addressing cost and sources of revenue.
Evaluate and document the impacts on access management, traffic congestion, rail safety, bicycle and pedestrian access, and general mobility.

2.4 Community Outreach

During conduct of Task 2, there will be opportunities for community outreach and public review and comment by stakeholders and interested citizens. The public outreach will include:

Open house or public forum to review materials and provide comments on service planning (Task 2.2). The City of Sugar Land and Steering Committee members will identify stakeholders and assist in getting the word out about the public forum via electronic communication.
Electronic invitation for members of the public to review materials on website and provide comments on draft recommendations (Task 2.3).

At the conclusion of the task, TTI will make presentations to the senior management team and governing board for the City of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County as requested.

Deliverable: Technical Memorandum documenting research approach, technical analysis, findings and recommendations.

Study Area Task 2

Source: Sugar Land Town Center Pedestrian & Bicyclist Study by LAN

Red indicates Task 1 Study Area

Blue indicates City of Sugar Land city limits

Yellow indicates City of Sugar Land extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)