Three
local agencies deal with intra-county transit issues in San Mateo County.
They manage bus service (SamTrans), administer Measure A sales tax funds
(the Transportation Authority), and manage state-provided "congestion
management" funds (the City/County Association of Governments, "C/CAG").
Some California counties,
such as Santa Clara, combine these three functions into a single entity.
Such an entity better integrates transportation planning and removes one
or more layers of bureaucracy in the planning, financing and operation
of local transportation projects, thus speeding the planning process and
reducing costs.
The Grand Jury interviewed
a variety of transportation experts and officials. Most indicated that
consolidation of the three functions mentioned above would be beneficial.
Issue: Would
San Mateo County benefit if its three transportation agencies were consolidated? |
The
1997 Grand Jury recommended,
"The San Mateo
County Board of Supervisors should take all necessary steps to create
a San Mateo County Transportation District by December 31, 1999
."
Three county agencies
deal with intra-county transportation issues: the San Mateo County Transportation
District (SamTrans), which provides bus service; the San Mateo County
Transportation Authority, which administers the half-cent transportation
sales tax approved as part of 1988's Measure A; and the City/County Association
of Governments (C/CAG), which administers state-provided "congestion
management" funds.
The Grand Jury examined
several factors related to the functions of these agencies:
- The effectiveness
of the current countywide system
- How the county
might benefit if the agencies were consolidated
- The experiences,
successes and challenges of neighboring counties, such as Santa Clara,
that have a consolidated system
- What legislation
would be required to consolidate
- The structure of
the consolidated agency capable of managing transportation
The Grand Jury conducted
extensive research relative to the composition of boards, agencies, committees
and groups engaged in design, funding, operation and administration of
transportation within the county. Those interviewed included members of
the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, a former Santa Clara Supervisor,
grand jury members from 1997 and 2000-2001, state legislators, Peninsula
Corridor Joint Powers Board members, a Transportation Authority attorney,
a right-of-way litigator, the C/CAG Executive Director, the C/CAG President,
and the University of California, Berkeley transportation department librarian
. |
The
Grand Jury believes that the current transportation system provides satisfactory
services and programs for San Mateo County, although duplication of responsibility
among the various agencies gives the impression of inefficiency. Both
the Transportation Authority and C/CAG, for example, can be petitioned
to provide funds for such projects as highway overpasses. Bus service
to, and improvements at, Caltrain stations in the county could require
that plans be reviewed by SamTrans, the Transportation Authority and C/CAG,
as well as the Joint Powers Board, which governs Caltrain. This could,
and often does, delay the start and completion of a project without compensating
benefit. Such delays increase project costs, ultimately burdening the
consumer.
The Grand
Jury found numerous indications, including expert opinions, that consolidation
of local transit agencies would provide substantial benefits. These include
better integrated transportation planning and removal of one or more layers
of bureaucracy in the planning, financing and operation of local transportation
projects. This would streamline projects, speed their completion, and
reduce inflationary cost increases. County residents, moreover, could
see a true inter-modal transportation system if public transit and auto
transportation plans were handled by one agency.
A consolidated
agency would provide a more streamlined transportation policy, make it
easier for the public to follow the decision-making and operating processes,
and save money. |