Fall 2011 Status Report to Partner Agencies South Floridas - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

South Florida’s Transportation Management Organization for Today and Tomorrow

Miami-Dade MPO CTAC - October 19, 2011

Fall 2011 Status Report to Partner Agencies

• 1. SFRTA is more than just Tri‐Rail
• 2. SFRTA is the regional recipient of federal funds for a

number of local transit projects and grant programs

• 3. SFRTA is highly efficient:
• 91 cents of each dollar for service delivery
• 4. SFRTA is highly privatized:
• 81 % for Operating & 97% for Capital
• 5. SFRTA started the region’s efforts to bring passenger

rail service to the FEC ‐ in 2002

• 6. SFRTA has leveraged local funds with both state,

Federal and ARRA stimulus funds.

Provide 50 trains per day Tri‐Rail Service from Miami‐ Dade to Palm Beach County

14,000 trips per day Almost 4,000 students per day

Provide SFRTA owned property for the MIC Move to Hialeah Market to Save FDOT $10M in MIC construction Fees Lead Study to Double Track over Miami River Finalize Construction Plans for improved access from MetroRail to Tri‐Rail @ 79th Street Station Coordinate with MDT and Marlins on potential game day service

Design improvements and expanded parking at Opa‐Locka Station Partner with Opa‐Locka to fund a new Shuttle Bus service that serves Miami‐Dade N. College Enable local jurisdictions to receive Federal Grants as a FTA Designated Recipient Upgrade track at Hialeah Rail Yard to accommodate new rolling stock Provide good paying jobs in Hialeah Yard Serve on MPO Technical Committees

• 1. FDOT announced intent to privatize SFRTA
• 2. FDOT has drafted legislation that reduces local control
• f Tri‐Rail, eliminates state funding and relegates

SFRTA Board to a “rubber stamp”

• 3. FDOT’s claim that $10 million can be saved if the FEC
• perates Tri‐Rail
• 4. FDOT’s claim that it provides 60% of SFRTA’s funding
• 5. FDOT’s claim that SFRTA is not in favor of expanding

passenger rail service to the FEC Corridor

FACT CHECK: TRUE

FDOT Secretary Prasad announced FDOT’s Florida Transportation Vision for the 21st Century, including plans to “…embark on a PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP along the Tri‐Rail corridor…” (8/5/11)

RESULT:

Loss of PUBLIC oversight of Tri‐Rail = loss of home rule and accountability PRIVATE company will answer to Tallahassee PRIVATE company will focus on profit, not passengers

SFRTA/Tri‐Rail was one of the first “privatized” government organizations – over 20 years ago! SFRTA is small, efficient and responsive; not a bloated government bureaucracy Core group of SFRTA employees manages competitively procured private contractors Private contractors efficiently deliver about $50 million per year of services, plus $10s of millions worth of capital investments annually to improve the state’s rail corridor.

19% *

Operations

Contractor SFRTA

81%

3%

Capital

Contractor SFRTA

97%

Fiscal Year 2010

* 19% SFRTA includes 9% direct service delivery and 10% administrative costs

FACT CHECK: TRUE

FDOT has drafted Legislation for 2012 Session

Result:

SFRTA Board reduced to FDOT’s “rubber stamp” Eliminates ALL state funding to SFRTA Gives FDOT control over statutorily required County funding contribution Takes away home rule Eliminates ability to expand service area

Three County Commissioners

• Broward
• Miami‐Dade
• Palm Beach

3 County Citizen Representatives

• Broward
• Miami‐Dade
• Palm Beach

Three Governor Appointees

• FDOT District Secretary
• Two County

Representatives

Three County Commissioners

• Broward
• Miami‐Dade
• Palm Beach

Four Governor Appointed Representatives

• Three Appointees (no

requirement to be local)

• FDOT District Secretary

Proposed Existing Legislation Removes Local Appointments

Legislation deletes current statutory requirement to fund operations (i.e., dedicated state funding for Tri‐Rail) No State operating funding obligation means potential default on Full Funding Grant Agreement with the Federal Government

SFRTA Board becomes FDOT’s “Rubber Stamp” FDOT collects and controls County funds FDOT stated that local governments should pay more toward Tri‐Rail operations and state funding of operations should end

FDOT clearly intends to “privatize” Tri‐Rail, eliminating any meaningful role for the SFRTA Board

Authority.

FACT CHECK: FALSE

FDOT made that claim to the SFRTA Governing Board in August 2011 FEC provided no details on how it could cut $10M from SFRTA budget (and FDOT didn’t ask for any) FDOT claims savings could come from SFRTA

• verhead (based on analysis prepared by HDR)

Fare increases are likely under a private

• perator

FDOT’s study (prepared by HDR) was based upon the National Transit Database (NTD) What’s wrong with this?

NTD data general Reporting rules are vague and contradictory NTD data is not appropriate for detailed administrative overhead comparisons due to known variability in agency reporting methods

FDOT ignored HDR’s warnings that it was using NTD data inappropriately:

“The biggest concern I have, and it’s a big one, is that NTD data is intended to be used for high‐level comparisons of cost effectiveness, productivity, etc.”

FDOT ignored HDR’s warnings FDOT was drawing the wrong conclusions:

“The NTD data, by itself, does not support a conclusion that SFRTA could be operated for $42M, some $10M less than its reported expenses.” “It is not correct to “cherry‐pick” the lowest VO, VM, NVM and G&A costs from among SFRTA and the peer average.”

SFRTA asked AECOM and other nationally recognized transit and rail experts to review the NTD data and HDR and FDOT reports Experts concluded that FDOT’s assertion of a $10 million savings from overhead is based on flawed data, inappropriate measures and incorrect assumptions

91 Cents of Every Dollar Spent on Service Delivery

Service Delivery Administration

91%

Verified by AECOM

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Vehicle Operations Vehicle Maintenance Non‐Vehicle Maintenance Administration Industry LOW SFRTA Industry AVE Industry HIGH

National Transit Database Categories

FACT CHECK: FALSE

State Funds 27% of SFRTA’s Budget FDOT Funds 11% for Pass Through Services SFRTA provides for FDOT

FDOT has never provided SFRTA beneficial use

• f the corridor, as they did Sun‐Rail, depriving it
• f key revenue opportunities:

Advertising Land Development/Joint Development/PPP Utility Easements

SFRTA Fiscal 2012 Operating & Capital Budget

Federal Regional State State Pass Through

Total State 38% Federal 33% South Florida Region 29% State 27%

Pass Through 11%

FACT CHECK: FALSE

SFRTA started the planning efforts for the extension

• f Tri‐Rail service to the FEC, not FDOT, in 2002

SFRTA was asked to merge our study and the Miami‐Dade FEC Corridor study into a single study, which became the South Florida East Coast Corridor study (http://www.sfeccstudy.com/) SFRTA Board provided FDOT with a Resolution of Support for the FEC Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) as recently as January 2011

SFRTA’s January 2011 Resolution included a commitment to partner with FDOT to operate the FEC service SFRTA Staff:

Participated on FDOT’s Project Management Team Participated in dozens of Public Hearings Supported technical efforts Helped develop the “Integrated” Service Option included in the proposed (LPA)

SFRTA actively involved in FEC Study until January 2011 when FDOT “deactivated” SFRTA’s participation

FDOT stopped most partner communication without explanation FDOT repeatedly declined invitations to provide the SFRTA Board a routine update Invitations to monthly SFECC “Progress Meetings” ended first quarter of 2011

SFRTA purchased 10 New Locomotives with additional options to support FEC expansion SFRTA purchased new Rolling Stock and exercised additional options to support FEC expansion Locomotives and Rolling Stock funded by leveraging County capital funds with State and Federal funds, including ARRA “Stimulus” Funds

Regional leadership from SFRTA that brings federal dollars to local governments and nonprofits that want to expand transit options A highly efficient and highly privatized transportation management operation A focus on local needs and transportation choice Strong support and cooperation with ALL PARTNERS to bring passenger rail service to the FEC Corridor from Miami to Jupiter