Information Items:
Gang of One
Resource:
Boyd Cauble, 704-336-2009 or bcauble@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Staff has received the following message from Kevin Doran, Holland & Knight, regarding the Gang of One grant request.
"Continuing with the good news on the appropriations front, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a full committee mark up of the FY09 Commerce/Justice/Science spending bill yesterday, and included in the report is $250,000 for the Gang of One program, with Senator Dole listed next to the earmark. As always we will continue to work with the House and Senate delegation to ensure the project is included in the conference report when all is said and done. "
We thank Senator Dole for her hard work on this appropriation.
Summer Youth Employment Update
Resource:
Dawn Hill, 704-336-4445 or dhill@ci.charlotte.nc.us
The 2008 Mayor's Youth Employment Program (MYEP) officially began this week with 180 youth reporting to work at 119 host employer sites across the city. We did not meet our goal of 250 summer jobs, but realized a 50% increase in participants over 2007. The feedback we received from local businesses indicated that the overall slowing of the economy contributed to fewer jobs for teenagers this summer. The MYEP internships will conclude on August 15.
Our pilot Youth Job Connection with Goodwill Industries continues to operate on a three-day a week schedule, and has received a strong response from area youth. Since opening in mid-May, over 1,300 youth have completed an online application and over 700 have received job training services on-site. Finding employers continues to be a challenge. Currently, the Goodwill Job Connection has generated 157 employment opportunities from 85 different employers, and are currently following up to determine the exact number of youth that have been successfully placed.
Staff will provide a complete update to Council on both youth employment initiatives in September.
Metropolitan Transit Commission Meeting Summary
Resource:
Keith Parker704- 336-3855 or kparker@ci.charlotte.nc.us
At its meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the MTC unanimously voted to adopt Resolution No. 2008-03, which approves the Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region. The plan is intended to improve mobility services for people with disabilities and individuals with lower incomes. The adoption of the plan was critical because CATS is the designated recipient for federal grant funds, including New Freedom and Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC), and transportation legislation requires a coordinated human services public transit plan to access these grants.
The MTC also unanimously voted to adopt Resolution No. 2008-04, which increases the local base fare by $0.20 cents due to the effects of rising diesel fuel prices on CATS' operating budget. CATS is projecting increased expenses of $4,033,048 in the FY2009 operating budget due to rising fuel prices. The revenue impact of increasing the one-ride base fare by $0.20 starting October 2008 results in $2,099,450 in additional revenue.
In addition, the MTC received the following information:
Final Report on Mayors' Transportation Task Force: In December 2007, the Mayors of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and Mooresville established a joint transportation task force to find ways to improve transportation in the four Towns and surrounding region. The Task Force, composed of local public officials and private individuals, met weekly from January 2-April 9, 2008. Meetings focused on a separate issue each week: air quality, widening I-77, buses, land-use planning, thoroughfare plans and connectivity, bicycling, sidewalks, greenways, North Corridor Commuter Rail and I-77 backups resulting from incidents and congestion. In addition, it considered how to fund needed local improvements from such sources as: Tax-Increment Financing (TIF), synthetic TIFs, automobile registration fees, sales taxes and local property taxes.
The Task Force issued its final Report on April 9, 2008. Its primary recommendation was a formation of a new organization, with representatives from each of the four Towns, with a mandate to deal with regionally significant corridors, vital intersections, transit, I-77 improvements, and development impacts. It further recommended that the Towns develop one or more alternative funding sources to support key transportation initiatives.
Work is currently underway by the four Towns on an inter-local agreement to define the organization.
CEO Report:
1. LYNX Update: The LYNX Blue Line continues to operate better than expected with trains and the overall system performing well. LYNX experienced its highest month of ridership yet, providing over 450,000 trips (averaging over 16,000 passenger trips per day). The LYNX ridership was greatly impacted by Speed Street, which generated more ridership than the ACC, CIAA, or NCAA basketball tournaments.
2. Ridership: Ridership across all services increased 29.1 percent for the month of May 2008 compared to May 2007; with a year-to-date increase of 16.1 percent. Regular bus service increased 2.6 percent over May 2007 and average daily ridership system-wide exceeded 86,500 for the first time. May 2008 ridership for Community Circulators and Regional Express services achieved double-digit increases over May 2007. Vanpool ridership also increased as compared to May 2007. Activity Center Circulators and Human Services Transportation were the only service categories with a ridership decrease for the month.
3. APTA Rail Conference: The APTA Rail Conference was held June 1-4. Staff gave a presentation on the LYNX Blue Line and the feedback from attendees was very positive as the LYNX is being recognized locally and nationally as a model line.
4. Tampa Delegation Visit: The mayors of Tampa and surrounding jurisdictions made a visit to Charlotte to tour the LYNX Blue Line and get insight into how CATS and the City of Charlotte built the line.
5. CATS New Organizational Structure: CATS will implement a new organizational structure to meet the new demands of the community. The process included a comprehensive assessment of the organization that included an evaluation of CATS' structure and reporting responsibilities. Most of these changes will take effect July 1.
6. Federal Transit Administration Grant Funds: In May, CATS was selected to receive $5 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration in a competitive process. These grants will free up money to add more parking at park and ride lots. Staff is looking into purchasing a vacant lot that can hold almost 100 parking spaces at the I-485 parking deck to help alleviate some of the crowding at that location. Staff will also look at adding more parking spaces at the Huntersville and Mallard Creek park and rides.
The July MTC meeting has been cancelled. The MTC will meet again August 27 at 5:30 p.m.
