Recommendation to receive and file a presentation regarding Long Beach Transit's relationship with the City and steps taken to address recent challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.  (Citywide)
Thank you. So the next item is item number 24. We'd like to take item working with item. Report from Public Works. Recommendation to receive and file a presentation regarding Long Beach Transit's relationship with the city and steps taken to address recent challenges citywide. Okay. Thank you. I'm going to turn it over to city manager to introduce one of these transit. Thank you very much. So this was an item that the council asked us to bring forward pretty quickly, to have a discussion about what language transit is doing for our city. They're a wonderful partner. Cannot get into the presentation, but they are actually a little different. Some people think of them as a department. They're actually a separate corporation that runs and does all of our transit work for us, and they do a very, very good job. So I do want to preface it by saying we did ask Long Beach Transit to come here pretty quickly in order to give this presentation in July , since our August is going to be very busy. So he's got a presentation and we'd be happy if you have additional questions that we don't have the answers to today to to follow up with those in writing. So with that, I will turn it over to the President and CEO Ken McDonnell. Good afternoon. Good evening. Thank you, Tom. City manager, council members, city partners and all who assembled here today. I am Kenneth McDonald, president and CEO of Long Beach Transit. Thank you for the invitation to present an overview and status of Long Beach Transit to the City Council this evening. My presentation will include an overview of Long Beach Transit as well as a brief description of some of our services and programs. Then I will discuss the pandemic and its impact on LGBT, specifically the challenges we are facing as a result of the safer at home orders. And I will close with some highlights from BP's recently completed economic impact analysis. Next slide, please. Since the creation in 1963, Elbit has grown significantly to its present 100 plus square mile service area, serving the city of Long Beach and 14 surrounding cities. The agency is governed by a seven member board of directors. Our 800 employees assist in providing transit services to over 23 million customers each year. More than 800,000 people live within a quarter of a mile of a Long Beach bus stop. And we have 1905 bus stops, of which 1343 are in the city of Long Beach. On this slide, you see the red dots that indicate the location of Elvedi facility. Next slide, please. Now I would provide a quick overview of Long Beach Transit Services and a few of our programs. Next slide. Every year, 250 busses, of which 90% alternatively fueled. Our goal is to have 100% zero emission fleet by 2030. We provide curb to curb paratransit for persons with severe mobility impairment. This service began in the mid 1970s and is in addition to the federally, federally mandated ADA Paratransit Service for Los Angeles County known as Access Services. Long Beach Transit's Best Kept Secret is a water taxi service along the Long Beach coastline and within the harbor. Due due to the coronavirus. Water taxi services has been suspended until further notice. Next slide, please. Each year it would to conduct a customer and potential customer service to assess awareness and attitude about our meeting. We use the feedback to identify strengths and areas of opportunity to recruit, reclaim and retain customers. The slide before you contains demographic information about our customer base as well as the reason why they use our bus service. As you can see, the vast majority of our customers are between the ages of 18 to 44, and most of our customers are employed or in school. 80% of all of our customers trips to or from work or school. Next slide, please. Now I want to highlight one LAUSD high school program and one senior program. In the fall of 2019, AbbVie launched a pilot program at Milliken High School, which consisted of a 30 day student pass for $30, a reduction of $10 from the regular student discount price of $40. Milliken was chosen as it has the highest number of school of choice or commuter students. We distributed 1341 passes to students in grades nine through 12. Between August and December 2019, MILLIKAN students use the passes over 40,000 times. His goal is to have this program accessible to students within our service area. We were exploring options to expand the program to all students within the LGBT service area when COVID 19 hit and ceased activity. In regards to our seniors. I don't. Long Beach Transit Partners with senior organizations in every corner of Long Beach through the Connected Seniors Club. We coordinated at various organizations to train senior ambassadors. These ambassadors assist each seniors to plan trips, to ride the bus, and to become confident transit customers. Overall, the connected senior clubs is enhancing the quality of life for seniors as it provides them with a transportation option of which they may not have been familiar. The great part about this program is we are matching seniors with local services and helping them to navigate the public transportation system. Next slide, please. Three years ago, MVD began our transit ambassador program not to be confused with the Ambassador bus at all. That deployed on security personnel to assist in mitigating customer issues on the transit system. Elbit currently has four transit ambassadors that encourage best customer behavior and improve customer relations on our busses. We are planning to double the program in the next budget cycle. Next slide, please. In 2018, we completed a comprehensive operation and analysis of system wide transit analysis and reassessment, better known as the STAR Initiative. In the transit industry. A comprehensive operational analysis is typically conducted every 7 to 10 years. The objective of our staff initiative was threefold. One Evaluate Alberta's entire transit system on a road by road basis to acquire and assess customers needs. And three, develop short, medium and long term road maps for the next ten years using the recommendations. We began implementing adjustments to some community routes, a few crosstown routes, as well as implementing a commuter service from Long Beach to UCLA and Westwood Village. Next slide, please. I would like to pivot now and speak about the pandemic and our bids, action and responses. Next slide. Here are some highlights of Liberty Transit. Responses to COVID 19, including actions taken since the week of February 3rd, 2020, following the first reported COVID 19 cases in the United States. We started early. Activity formed across the pod. Mental Health and Safety Executive Task Force to activate our response to the COVID 19 threat. The Task Force provided information to our employees and customers, encouraging all to follow the CDC guideline for personal hygiene and to stop this spread. We implemented an enhanced cleaning process and distributed and continues to distribute personal protective equipment to all employees. We introduced our Skippers Seat Skipper Crew and Stop the Spread Information campaign and we installed plastic chains in the front of the bus and implemented right rear door boarding aimed at promoting social distancing on all our busses. The health and safety of our employees and customers continue to be Liberty's top priority. Next slide, please. In support of the effort I just spoke about. We use various communication tactics that are listed on this slide to inform and educate our customers. Also pictured is some samples of those promotional and informational materials. Next slide, please. At this juncture, I will speak about the challenges Albert is enduring due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Next slide, please. Prior to the pandemic, MVD operated 36 routes and used 190 busses in the peak morning and afternoon rush hours. Service hours were Monday through Friday, beginning at 4 a.m. and ending at 1:30 a.m.. Weekend services began at 4:45 a.m. and ended at 1:30 a.m.. Once the safer at home orders were declared, service levels were adjusted. LAPD currently operates 27 routes, with 82 peak busses and daily service hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Frontline employees like operators, mechanic and supervisors are working modified schedules to minimize their exposure to COVID 19. Next slide. AVP average weekly boardings in February 2020 was 326,651 customers. This graph shows the weekly ridership decline from week from the week of March four at an average of 323,966 boardings to the week of June four, June 28 and 100 and to 315 boarding since the declaration of the COVID 19 pandemic. LPT has seen a reduction in ridership of nearly 80%. Next slide, please. Correspondingly. In February 2020, LBC, average weekly fare revenue collected was $207,108. This graph shows the fare box revenue of $207,108 in the first week of March to less than $100 in the week of June 28. So we have this in parallel with the ridership reduction. The loss of revenue is 99.94%. We have basically collected no revenue. Next slide, please. This year due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the uncertainty of. Project funding for the fiscal year 2021, which is July one to June. The Board of Directors adopted a continuing resolution authorizing an extension of fiscal year 2020 budget spending levels through the first quarter of fiscal year 2021, which is July 2022 June to September 2020. This allows the agency to illegally encumber and expend funds in the absence of an adopted fiscal year 2021 budget. Transit is a labor intensive business as we people in the people business. That being said, 73% of all Long Beach transit expenses are wages and benefits. Elbit is fiscal year 2021 budget will be presented to the Board of Directors at our August 27. Meeting. Next slide. I will now close with some highlights from BP's recently completed economic impact study. Next slide, please. In the spring of 2019, LGBT engaged, engaged at California State University, Long Beach, Department of Economics, Office of Economic Research to conduct an analysis for analysis of LGBT economic impact on Los Angeles and Orange County and the State of California. Their analysis measured Albee's economic impact in terms of jobs, income and economic value created. He also provides access to communities and employment centers, often for those who are socio economically disadvantaged, thereby contributing to the equity, inclusivity and diversity of the region. Of course, Albert, his contributions to the region and state are far more extend, far more extensive. In the L.A. O.S. region, LAPD has 815 employees. The agency spends $52.4 million on payroll and expended $91.4 million over. The fiscal year of 2018. The analysis found that IBD supported 604 additional jobs and generated $39.5 million in addition additional labor income. Consequently, LPT supported $112 million in additional economic output in Los Angeles and Orange County. Next slide. With an annual operating budget of just over $100 million and 815 employees. Lead has a significant impact on the regional and state economies. Every dollar spent by Elbit annually generates $2.25 in economic output for California, and each employee creates enough economic value to support 1.70 jobs in the state each year. In the local areas. For every 100 people employed by Long Beach Transit, our agency supports an additional 74 jobs, thereby creating 174 total jobs in Los Angeles and Orange County. Also, for every $100 spent by Long Beach Transit, it supports an additional $123 of output. Generating $223 of economic output in L.A. and Orange County. Next slide. This concludes my presentation. I invite you to visit our Web site to learn about. More about Long Beach Transit than all programs and services. Thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. I know your interest in our agency. Thank you. Okay. Thank you so much. And I'll take the privilege to move the item to receiver file. Is there a second? And Sunday House. Thank you. And before we go to a wild and public comment before our vote, I want to just just say thank you, Mr. McDonald, for taking the time to come out and indulging. The Council is late, as you have to present. While there is some separation between the operations of public transit and city government of Long Beach, Kansas was actually established by the City Council as the primary public transportation service provider in our city. And I can't recall the last time that there has been an opportunity for a public dialog between the Council and Beach Transit. This matter, Metro has come before a council on several projects and so I appreciate this opportunity to have dialog. Though it's not in person at this time and not what I mean necessarily a vision is will help foster a stronger partnership, I'm sure. And for many workers and residents in our community, including seniors lobbies, transit is the means to getting to work or getting to the grocery store or fulfilling their other essential needs. So providing confidence in public transportation during COVID 19 is very important, and you have given us quite a bit to think about in understanding how ridership has fallen off during this pandemic. With that, I have a number of questions, but in the interest of time and understanding that we still have a big agenda. I'm going to email you those questions. And and, you know, we'd like to get these these these are some answers in a public manner because, one, this transit is an important , important partner. You should be important to be a part of everything that we are considering in terms of strategic planning, including our economic development efforts, are our planning efforts throughout the city. We need to know and be in sync for the benefit of all of our residents. And of course, we want to promote public transportation as much as possible. We have another item that will be talking more about Safe Streets. And so those are my comments. With that, I'd like to turn it over to. Thank you. All Councilmembers at De House. Would you like to say something? Yes, I think yes. Thank you, Councilmember Austin. And first and foremost, thank you, Mr. MacDonnell, for this great presentation. And I know I am very biased when it comes to Long Beach Transit. You know, not only because I'm I have been in Tacloban, a very active bus rider and very proud bus rider of Long Beach Transit, but also have been I have had the opportunity to work very closely with you in the board of directors position, which I hold very close to my heart. And I've seen Long Beach Transit grow immensely and really accomplish some really amazing goals throughout the time that I've been involved with Long Beach Transit and now as a city council person, I just welcome your your presentation and you know, my heart goes out to you transit during these COVID 19 days because of how detrimental it has been to to our city, to your company. It's just it's been hard in there, you know, seeing those numbers, how how drastic they have dropped really, really hurts me. But I know that we will all come out of this together and and stronger for it. I also wanted to commend you on your daily live program that if the public does not know about the pilot program, I encourage you to find out more about it. It is a program that tailored to the our most vulnerable population, which are seniors and people with disabilities. And it's a form of transportation that has been around for for many, many years. And it's not part of the ADA. But this is something or I should say it's not a requirement of the ADA because there is another transportation company that fulfills the ADA requirement. But Long Beach Transit has been very, very good in keeping this program around for Long Beach residents. Signal, Hill, Lakewood and. Now Paramount. So I'm I really love that that program. I think that, you know, I can speak forever on that program, but in the interest of time, I will I will let my other colleagues again speak. And also, I look forward to creating a stronger partnership along with city council and Long Beach Transit. So thank you again, Mr. McDonald, and please say hello to everyone at Long Beach Transit. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Pearce is now cued up. Thank you, Councilmember Austin, and thank you for that great presentation. I know it's kind of late. I know that there were some questions that my constituents raised about the process. Whenever you move pick up locations. And I know that that was particular to the night of the protests that happened downtown. So I'd just like to give you an opportunity to publicly share with folks kind of the process. I know there was a city a requirement on our end, but I'd love to hear what your process is on your. So what we what I would what I would love to do is to send that in writing to you or come back in and go over that process, a deeply involved process, and involve the city. When we have a request. And I, I my understanding is what you're talking about is if we are going to relocate a bust up or move a bust up for any reason whatsoever, if it's we advise whoever you said when we had the curfews going on, we did it many times, had to relocate. When the when the the marches were going on in the city, we had to relocate bus or bus stops, way or the reroute busses. But if I if I can get exactly what you are asking, I can give a much clearer information if you can give me that in writing and I can send something back and or come back and explain exactly how we deal with our bus stops. Of course, having it in writing would be great. I'd also in the future, I know that everybody is kind of looking at how we shift our our business models. Obviously, the same must go for transit, you know, not in an urgent timeline or anything. But you and I have had many, many conversations about the appropriate type of transit for areas like in our downtown and serving our senior populations and our our parking impacted populations. And so I definitely would love to hear some thoughts at a later date about how you guys see the next 2 to 3 years. And if that includes the same type of busses that you have now and just how we're being mindful about our new reality and our new income. But I really appreciated the presentation today. Definitely enlightening me. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Price. Councilman Alston, I just wanted to thank Mr. McDonald for doing the presentation for us tonight. But more importantly, I wanted to thank you for working with us. I'm not sure how many council offices have reached out to you, but we certainly have had to reach out to you and ask for your consideration on some modifications in light of our Open Streets concept. We're all doing everything we can to help our businesses and our restaurants continue to thrive during this time. And the location of the bus stops in relation to where we have planned the parklet spaces to go. Has has at times been at odds. And so we've we've found ourselves having to come and ask for accommodation and we're really grateful that you are willing to consider that type of collaboration during these unprecedented times. So thank you so much. We appreciate it. Thank you. Me. There's no public comment for this item. Wonderful. And with that said, thank you, Mr. McDonald, again for your presentation. Counsel. Let's go to a vote. District one. District one. District two. District three. Oh, I. District four. I. District five. I. District six. Oh. District seven. I. District eight. District eight. All right. District nine. All right. Motion carries. We're so members, we have six items left. We will go on to go to item number 29.