Notes from 2017-05-11 MobileGR Commision Meeting

  • There will be three upcoming events with mobility integration & promotion: rock the block, GR's first Asian Festival, and Festival of the Arts.
    • Of the three - Rock The Block (10K estimated participants), Asian Festival (20K), and Festival (200K) - Rock The Block is the first event not downtown. The guidelines for event sponsorship are Downtown specific if read verbatim, these guidelines need to be revisited after the expanded commission is seated
    • Special events are being considered more through a racial and equity lens, in addition to the 'traditional' approach of "does this qualify"
    • Sponsorships are $2.5K, $3.5K, and $3.5K respectively
  • Update on Bike share. Examining peer cities operating practice with ranges from an public-private NPO to a private sector contracted service. Milwaukee created an NPO which was largely self-funding for operation and that NPO operates as a public-private partnership to operate the cities bike share infrastructure. There seems to be interest in that model.
    • Study should come back with recommendations in November. Hopefully a bid package in the Spring of 2018.
    • Varga recommended that commissioners from the wards sit on the steering committee for bike-share.
  • Update on Transit Stop Improvements. There will be ~$1M in stop improvement in the next fiscal year. Some of that "improvement" is simply the completion of stop updates, like concrete pads at stops.
    • Note: there are about 1,600 transit stops in the metro region.
    • The initial target is a small set of stops for this fall, stops with existing high utilization.
    • Varga desires a formal agreement about stop improvements between the city, MobileGR, and the RAPID; reminding everyone that the RAPID is a Regional authority.
    • Wells hopes the plan and operations used by the city and MobileGR can be used as a template for similar programs by other metros within the region: Grandville, Wyoming, etc...
    • Wells points out that there is a transportation master-plan review underway, the data from this issue should feedback into that planning process.
    • Varga explained the funding comes via the Grand Valley Metro Council which had access to unused state funds, the council helped transfer those funds to this program.
    • Wells indicates that the master-plan review in conjunction with stop improvements will likely include a TXT/SMS survey option and an outreach speaker series.
    • There is hope the stop improvements can be spread out beyond downtown area so that the benefit from the program is as broad as possible.
  • Update on Parking Cash Out program. ~30 people attended the first outreach event, most from medium and smaller employers. All employers provide subsidized parking. Very high interest, with 55% reporting they are likely to participate in the program; strong interest in remote parking options, parking integrated with transportation services.
    • Varga volunteered the RAPID conference room for future meetings as there are frequent complaints about the Start Garden venue.
    • Update on Automated License Plate readers. Strong emphasis that this is not a surveillance program; it is automation of current processes. No data is exported from the system.
  • Update on HELLO METER! program. 39 of the 40 solar-powered Parkeon kiosks have been installed. There is no customer transaction fee for using a kiosk.
    • Updated single space meters will be coming to the area north of Fulton where there is very high turnover of on-street parking, so people can pay at their space.
    • The Park Mobile contract has been renewed. Park Mobile is very popular and used by 41% of people who park downtown. Customer service fee in the new contract has been reduced from $0.35 to $0.15.
    • Trivia: Grand Rapids was the first city in North America to use Park Mobile.
    • Soon it will be possible to pay for both Ellis and City ramp parking using Park Mobile - moving towards a single payment system for all services, public or private.
    • In the future it will possible to pay for other city services, not just parking, at the Parkeon kiosks.
  • Update on additional Remote Parking.
    • Currently in discussion with area churches.
    • Should have a report next month.
    • Update on Expanded Commission - 31 applicants for 6 positions so far. Four should be notified this week, additional two will be seated in January but notified in advance so they can participate in getting up to speed. There will be an information/training 'retreat' for new commissioners - that retreat will comply with the Open Meetings act.
  • Meeting adjourned