Social Equity StakeholderRoundtable Meeting

October 17, 2012

Agenda

• Welcome and introductions• Introduction to the project• Overview of recent studies• Overview of Regional Housing Needs Allocation• Review of new Environmental Justice

Methodology• Policy Area Discussions• Wrap up and next steps

Welcome and Introductions

Meeting Purpose

• To gain a better understanding of the Directions to 2050 project

• To learn about how your transportation choices affect your priorities for the future, community assets, and funding expenditures

Ground Rules

• Common conversational courtesy • All ideas and points of view have value• Speak up, and share the time• Cell phone courtesy• Be comfortable

Introduction to the Project

Project Funding

• Directions to 2050 is funded in part by:– California utility ratepayers and administered by

South California Edison– Kern COG provides major funding for this project

to encourage activities that lead to long-term, sustainable changes

Relationship to the Kern Regional Blueprint effort

• Directions to 2050 builds on the Blueprint by:– Revisiting the communities’ vision and guiding

principles– Considering a full range of choices and associated

trade-offs– Brainstorming locally-relevant strategies– Identify and prioritize next steps– Incorporate these next steps into the region’s plan

Relationship to Local Government Plans

• Directions to 2050 and the 2014 Regional Transportation Plan:– Guides the development of the planned

multimodal transportation systems in Kern County– Supports local planning efforts– Developed through a comprehensive coordination

effort between local, regional, state and federal agencies

Relationship to Other Activities in the Region

• San Joaquin Valley Blueprint• Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)• Region-wide transportation improvements– Bicycle and pedestrian– Transit– Freight

• Social Equity and Environmental Justice

Directions to 2050 Cycle 1 Community Outreach

• 16 community workshops throughout the region

• RPAC meetings• Stakeholder Roundtable

Meetings• Website with interactive

activities, background information, and online survey

Community Outreach – Key Findings To-date

• Community members prioritized:– Link education/training/youth mentorships with

economic development initiatives.– Maintain and develop comprehensive community

services for health, education, safety, and recreation.– Add, maintain, and improve sidewalks and bike lanes

for safer, active lifestyles.– Maintain local streets and roads.– Improve air quality.– Invest in renewable energy production and

distribution, including wind and solar power.

Overview of Recent Studies

Overview of Recent Studies

• Kern County Bicycle Master Plan• Long Range Transit Plan• High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/ Bus Rapid

Transit (BRT) Study• Commuter Rail Feasibility Study• Kern County Goods Movement Strategy• Short Haul Rail Freight Study

Kern County Bicycle Master Plan

• Goal– Assess existing bicycle

facilities– Develop a plan for new

bicycle amenities– Provide recommendations

for complete streets

Kern County Bicycle Master Plan

• 664 miles of new bikeways including:– 30 miles of Class I bike paths– 297 miles of Class II bikes lanes– 46.6 miles of Class III bike routes– 186 miles for Class III bike routes on State routes

Long Range Transit Plan

• Goal– Document the

relationship between:• Population growth• Employment growth• Transit ridership demand• Current operations

– Improve Customer Service– Improve Cost-

effectiveness

Expanding Access to High Quality Transit

GET Long Range Transit Plan

• Short-Term Recommendations– New Transit Center at CSUB– Increased service to CSUB and BC– Faster cross-town trips: Express routes, “Rapid”

routes, More direct routes• Mid- Long- Term Recommendations– Accommodate projected growth– Phase out downtown and southwest Transit Centers– Convert “Rapid” routes to full Bus Rapid Transit– Introduce “enhanced” KRT intercity express bus

routes

2005 Transit Priority Areas – 5,600 Households

2012 Transit Priority Areas – 127,600 Households

2035 Transit Priority Areas – 415,000 Households

• 19,000 employee trips per year

• 1.4 Million Miles Less Travel Annually

Employer Subsidized Transit

Kern Regional Transit (KRT)Service Analysis

• Goal– Determine whether KRT

might be able to take advantage of the GET changes to:• Improve service for its

own customers• Reduce operating costs

Kern Regional Transit (KRT)Service Analysis

Draft High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study

• Goal– Examine the long-range

feasibility of implementing HOV lanes and/or BRT services

– Assess the performance, benefits, and potential impacts of HOV and BRT

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study

• Short- and Mid-Term Recommendations– Improve rapid bus with:• Traffic signal priority systems and queue jump lanes• Exclusive HOV and bus lanes

– Introduce express bus service along SR 178/24th Street/Rosedale Highway

– Construct truck climbing lanes eastbound SR-58– Add express bus services– Introduce ramp meters at identified interchanges– Designate new peak period-only HOV lane

One Approach: Phased Light Rail

Today

Bus Rapid Transit

Long RangeLight Rail

Centers/Corridors Concept

Commuter Rail Feasibility Study

• Goal– Examine a set of alternatives

for providing commuter rail service within:• Bakersfield metropolitan area• Surrounding portions of Kern

County• Eastern region of the county

– Identify corridors that may be feasible for future service and potential station locations

Commuter Rail Feasibility Study

Expansion of MetroLink to Rosamond

Added stops to Amtrak Northwest of Bakersfield

Possible Future South Valley Commuter Rail

Link to Study:http://www.kerncog.org/docs/studies/KernCOG_Commuter_Rail_Draft_Report_20120720.pdf

Wasco

Bakersfield

Delano

Rosamond

Short-Haul Rail Freight Study Phase II• Goal

– Expand on Short-Haul Rail Freight Study Phase I

– Focus on San Joaquin Valley Rail (SJVR) operations

– Profile existing traffic base based on shipper comments

– Forecast growth in traffic base 10 years into the future

Short-Haul Rail Freight Study Phase II

• Recommendations– Proactively identify rail quality service issues &

solutions– Engage KEDC, SJVR and communities to craft

solutions to attract rail-dependent industries.– Develop multi-use facilities along Buttonwillow and

Oil City corridors– Explore rail intermodal options – Explore potential future uses for the southern

portion of the Arvin Subdivision

Kern County GoodsMovement Strategy

• Goal– Use data from SR-58,

SR-99/I-5, SR-223, 166, 119, 46 & 65 Origins & Destinations Studies to inform future project development activities

– Propose future truck-related capital improvements through 2035

– Determine the impact of current and future transportation projects on goods movement

29%

21%

9%

SurveyLocations

Kern County GoodsMovement Strategy

• Stakeholder Project Ranking– SR-58 – From I-5/SR-58 to Allen Road – add through lanes– SR-58 – From Union Avenue to Cottonwood Road – add

through lanes• Other Project Ranking – (not a complete list)

— Southbound SR-99 off-ramp – Panama Lane to Wible Road - add auxiliary lane

— SR-119 – From Golf Course Road to aqueduct – add through lanes

— SR-178 – From SR-184 to Rancheria Road – add through lanes

2013 Kern Regional Housing Report and RHNA Plan

• PMC was retained to assist Kern COG with the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process1. Determining a methodology for distribution of the

RHNA for each 11 cities and the unincorporated county2. Completing a regional housing data report to assist

with each jurisdictions Housing Element update

RHNA Process

• HCD is required to determine the RHNA, by income category, for Council Of Governments (COGs).

• RHNA is based on Department of Finance population projections and regional population forecasts used in preparing regional transportation plans.

• Kern COG is responsible to allocate the projected needs for the unincorporated County of Kern and to each of the 11 incorporated cities.

• Pursuant to GC 65583, localities are required to update their housing element to plan to accommodate all of the RHNA share by income category.

SB 375/SCS/RHNA

• Intent of SB 375 is for housing planning to be coordinated and integrated with the RTP.

• RHNA Plan– Projects 8+ years, subset of the RTP horizon– Updated at least every 8 years (relative to RTP

update)• SCS– Forecasts at least 20 years– Updated at least every 4 years

Kern Regional Housing Data Report

• The Housing Element is one of the 7 mandated elements of the General Plan.

• Housing Needs Assessment must be completed.• Tables to be completed for each City and the County

– Growth Projections– Annual Average Growth Rates– Households by Income– % of Housing in each income class– % of total County growth by City– Labor force/job per household– Special Needs Populations– Housing Conditions Survey Results (Kern COG)

Data Sources

• Sources of Data– Kern COG RTP Projections– Kern COG Housing Condition Survey Results– 2011 Department of Finance– 2000 and 2010 US Census– American Community Survey– Federal Housing and Urban Development – CA Employment Development Department

Housing Preferences

• Kern COG completed a survey on Housing Preferences• Results indicated:– Between 2008 and 2012 there has been a growing

acceptance of more compact development types – Interest in a home with a large yard remained unchanged at

around 85%. – Interest in houses with small yards grew from 65% to 78%. – interest in condos grew from 40% to 52%. – Interest in apartments grew from 29% to 35%. – Interest in mixed use grew from 21% to 28%.

Kern County 2006 – 2013 RHNAThe total State housing allocation to Kern County was 41,640 units for the period January 1, 2006 to June 30, 2013.

County/City Total Very Low Low Moderate Above ModArvin 532 129 88 97 218Bakersfield 27,252 6,626 4,500 4,9601 11,166CA City 407 99 67 74 167Delano 1,817 442 300 331 744Maricopa 16 4 3 3 6McFarland 775 188 128 141 3183Ridgecrest 379 92 63 69 155Shafter 502 122 83 91 206Taft 62 16 10 11 25Tehachapi 454 110 75 83 186Wasco 858 208 142 156 352Unincorp. County 8,586 2,088 1,416 1,563 3,519

RHNA Next Steps

• Next Steps– Finishing up data collection– Draft Data Report - completed end of Nov. 2012– Final Data Report - completed end of Dec. 2012– Report will be reviewed by PSC and RPAC– Public review draft RHNA plan for RPAC and Public

Hearing for TPPC – January 2013– Check updates and meetings on Directions to

2050 website, www.directionsto2050.com

Review of new Environmental Justice Methodology

Policy Area Discussions

Transportation Choices Online Activity

• Purpose– To determine your group’s resource investment

preferences for the future• How to Play– Choose six priorities for the future– Allocated resources to transportation policy areas– Watch your budget and priorities for the future

change!

Report Out and Large Group Conclusions

• Which priorities for the future were important to your group?

• Which transportation policy areas were important to your group?

• What surprised you?• What didn’t surprise you?

Wrap Up and Next Steps

We are here

Next Steps

• Upcoming meetings and events– RPAC meeting– Stakeholder meetings– Community presentations– Community events

Social Equity StakeholderRoundtable Meeting

October 17, 2012