DEPARTMENT: Center City Development and Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Lori Houston
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: District 1
SUBJECT:
Pilot Downtown Carshare Permit Program- Phase II
SUMMARY:
An Ordinance approving the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program- Phase II and authorizing the appropriations in the amount of $25,000.00 from the Energy Efficiency Fund for program incentives and project costs.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The purpose of a City of San Antonio carshare program is to advance the creation of an integrated, efficient, downtown multi-modal surface transportation system. The program will be available to downtown employees, residents and tourists. Ordinance 2012-01-12-0016 authorized a carshare pilot program with Hertz-On-Demand for three years. The Office of Sustainability's contract with Hertz to fund a pilot program for City employees will terminate on August 13, 2014 as Hertz has decided to not continue conducting car share services as a business model in the San Antonio and Denver markets. Therefore, City staff initiated discussions with other car share vendors to continue to provide this service to residents and visitors to San Antonio.
In order to increase visibility of downtown carsharing, the Center City Development and Operations Department and the Office of Sustainability will launch Phase II of the Downtown Carshare Pilot Program, a two-year "Downtown Carshare Permit Program". The objective of this proposed program is to provide on-street dedicated space to multiple carshare operators (CSOs) on a Permit basis for specific parking locations. Numerous rental companies and automakers have joined the national carshare industry within the last three years. City staff is requesting City Council consideration and approval for the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program- Phase II. The pilot program will dedicate 25 on-street parking spaces to car share operators. The number of spaces each CSO can permit will be limited to allow for numerous carshare operators.
City staff has secured up to 25 locations for carshare vehicle placement. These locations are currently being utilized by the existing carshare program. The proposed carshare locations in consideration are inclusive of but not limited to: 200 Block of Market, 500 block of Dolorosa, 300 block of West Houston, 125 Jack White Way, 200 block of Avenue A, 300 Richmond, 100 block of Soledad, 200 block of Convent, 300 block of Labor and 300 block of 3rd Street.
CSOs will be responsible for all maintenance and management of the car-sharing fleet, and provide on-going technical and logistical support to ensure customer satisfaction. To catalyze the start up of Phase II of the carshare pilot program, the City of San Antonio has committed to provide a "Carshare Permit Program Incentive" to help propel car-sharing and other transportation innovations to accommodate Downtown San Antonio's increasing density and reduce parking demand and auto dependence. This incentive will provide a CSO an opportunity to receive one (1) no-cost annual parking permit with the purchase of one (1) annual parking permit. The value of the annual permit is $1200.00/year or $100.00/month. This maximum amount of permits a CSO can acquire is ten (10) of which five (5) would be at no-cost to the CSO. This City incentive also includes one (1) carshare parking sign no-fee for fabrication or installation. With Council approval to increase the FY 2014 appropriations from the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Office of Sustainability will compensate the Center City Development and Operations Department for the use of parking incentive spaces in the public right of way so there is no loss of parking revenue to the City.
Upon approval of Phase II of the pilot program staff will conduct outreach to existing carshare operators to inform them of the program. During the course of the program, the Center City Development and Operations Department and Office of Sustainability will coordinate and review semi-annual reports from each CSO to better understand how the entire car share system is being utilized and to better inform future policy changes.
ISSUE:
The Center City Development and Operations Department is requesting approval of the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program - Phase II as well as an appropriation in the amount of $25,000.00 from the Energy Efficiency Fund for program incentives and project costs.
This program supports multiple SA2020 initiatives to include reducing vehicle miles of travel and air pollution emissions, increasing downtown amenities, and promoting walking, biking and transit use.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council has the option to approve the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program- Phase II with modifications. City Council could also postpone or deny approval. Postponement or failure to approve the ordinance request would discontinue the carshare program as it exists today.
FISCAL IMPACT:
An Ordinance approving the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program- Phase II and authorizing the appropriations in the amount of $25,000.00 from the Energy Efficiency Fund for program incentives and project costs. Revenues for this program include $1,200.00 per permit. The funds will be deposited into the Parking Operating and Maintenance Fund as a cost recovery mechanism for the forgone meter revenue. The Energy Efficiency Fund, will transfer up to $15,600.00 to the Parking Operating and Maintenace Fund for incentive permits, dependant on demand from CSOs. The remaining $9,400.00 from the Energy Efficiency Fund will be applied to signage costs for the incentive spaces and wayfinding signage to direct individuals to the carshare locations.
RECOMMENDATION:
City staff is recommending approval of the Downtown Carshare Pilot Permit Program- Phase II as well as authorizing the appropriations in the amount of $25,000.00 from the Energy Efficiency Fund for program incentives and project costs.