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ADOPT RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE APPROVAL OF THE REVIEW OF PARK & RIDE PROGRAM & RELATED TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES STUDY, AND TRANSFER PARK & RIDE EXACTION FUNDS TO THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT, PROJECT NO. WT25050 (ALL DISTRICTS - CITYWIDE)
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Approve the “Review of Park & Ride Program & Related Transportation Demand Management Strategies” Study.
2. Approve the renaming of the Park & Ride Exaction to the Capital Improvement Program Project, Multimodal Transportation Project, Project No. WT25050.
3. Approve continued exactions of traffic impact fees into the Multimodal Transportation Project, Project No. WT25050.
4. Authorize the transfer of past air quality fee exaction funds to the Multimodal Transportation Project, Project No. WT25050 as follows:
a. Transfer of funds in the amount of $730,159.41 from the Proportionate Share/Park & Ride Hammer Lane/SR-99, Project No. DP21063.
b. Transfer of funds in the amount of $1,883,783.79 from the Proportionate Share/Park & Ride Eight Mile Road/1-5, Project No. DP21064.
c. Transfer of funds in the amount of $1,099,533.18 from the Park & Ride March Lane/SR-99, Project No. DP21038.
d. Transfer of funds in the amount of $211,145.22 from the Temporary Park & Ride Lot Cannery Park Eight Mile Road/SR-99, Project No. DP21075.
e. Transfer of funds in the amount of $121,699.35 from the Park & Ride Calaveras River/Martin Luther King Boulevard, Project No. DP21078.
5. It is also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
Park and ride lots was a popular strategy used in reducing single occupancy vehicle use and congestion which can lead to improved air quality. Since 2002, the City has assessed an Air Quality Mitigation fee on development projects with the intent of implementing park and ride lots. Approximately $4,000,000 in fees have been collected and placed in various proportionate share (P-Share) revenue accounts for park and ride lots. However, park and ride facilities are challenging and costly to implement.
Consequently, Public Works (PW) staff retained Fehr and Peers, transportation consultants, to review the City’s Air Quality Mitigation fee and to recommend a mix of air quality mitigation strategies in addition to park and ride. Fehr and Peers recommendations are documented in the “Review of Park & Ride Program & Related Transportation Demand Management Strategies” Study completed in April 2025. The Study identifies targeted bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and mode shift strategies in addition to park and ride that are more flexible and attainable for the City.
PW staff is supportive of the Study recommendations. Further, the City Attorney’s Office has opined that the Study can serve as the basis and supportive evidence in redefining the purpose and intent of the City’s fee. Moving forward, the Study recommends the following next steps:
• Rename the fee to Multimodal Transportation Project (MTP) Fund to better align with the available strategies;
• The $375 per residential unit air quality fee will be collected for purposes identified in the Study and allocated to the MTP Fund;
• Transfer previously collected air quality funds to the MTP Fund; and
• Prioritize the use of MTP funds based on criteria established in the Study.
It is recommended that Council adopt a resolution approving the “Review of Park & Ride Program & Related Transportation Demand Management Strategies” Study, renaming of the Park & Ride Exaction to the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project, MTP, continuing exactions of traffic impact fees into the MTP, and authorizing the transfer of past air quality fee exaction funds to the MTP.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Envision Stockton 2040 General Plan is the City’s framework for growth seen with infill or larger development projects. Large scale and/or infill developments are required to mitigate impacts of their projects. Mitigating improvements are typically required as a condition of approval for the development or the project environmental document. Most of the impacts are the result of increases in traffic which can lead to congestion and poor air quality. Developers mitigate the effects of congestion by installing new signals, turning lanes, or new through lanes. Poor air quality can be mitigated with improvements that encourage the use of travel modes other than the single occupancy vehicle. Improvements can include bicycle lanes, pedestrian pathways, mass transit amenities, transportation demand management solutions, or vehicle commute/park and ride facilities. The improvements are typically installed with the development but not always. On occasion, the improvements have to be deferred to a future date. This is common with improvements that need to be coordinated with a City project or another development. Also, some improvements are not required until a future traffic condition is met. When an improvement is deferred, developers will pay their P-Share or estimated value of the improvement to the City.
Park and ride lots was a popular strategy used to reducing the dependance of single occupancy vehicles, reducing congestion and improving air quality. Since 2002, the City has collected a P-Share fee for development-related impacts of air quality with the intent of planning and constructing park and ride lots. Currently, the Air Quality Mitigation fee is $350 per residential unit for larger development projects. However, Implementation of park and ride facilities proved challenging due to their high cost, land or lease requirements, long term maintenance, and security concerns. Regionally, San Joaquin Council of Governments and Caltrans have had success in constructing park and ride facilities. The City has coordinated the installation of park and ride spaces at key shopping centers. However, park and ride strategies still remain one of our less viable transportation demand management tools for air quality mitigation.
Since 2002, approximately $4,000,000 has been collected for implementation of park and ride mitigation of air quality impacts of development. These funds reside in various P-Share revenue accounts for park and ride lots. Due to the challenges mentioned above, park and ride lots remain the least preferred mitigation improvement among other available air quality strategies. On advice of the City Attorney’s Office, a mitigation improvement can be changed if another solution is identified based on engineering judgment or analysis. An example being when a roundabout is used in lieu of a traffic signal or when better signal coordination is implemented in place of a dedicated right-turn pocket. Similarly, staff is now taking action to redefine the Air Quality Mitigation fee to create a better mix mitigation strategy for air quality mitigation in addition to park and ride.
Present Situation
PW staff retained Fehr and Peers, transportation consultants, to review the City’s Air Quality Mitigation fee. Fehr and Peers has provided recommendations to modify the fee to include a mix of air quality mitigation strategies in addition to park and ride. Fehr and Peers recommendations are documented in the “Review of Park & Ride Program & Related Transportation Demand Management Strategies” Study completed in April 2025. The Study recommends the following targeted air quality mitigation strategies:
• Bicycle improvements that support the City’s Bicycle Master Plan
• Improvements to pedestrian connectivity or network
• Improvements to street connectivity or network
• Transit supportive roadway treatments
• Carshare, Bikeshare, Park & Ride, and other mode shift improvements
• Traffic management solutions that result in reduced congestion/better air quality
The targeted strategies noted above provide a more flexible mix of air quality strategies that can be attained by the City. The Study recommends a set of four evaluation criteria for use in determining projects that are eligible to use air quality fees collected (past and future). The evaluation criteria measures a project’s benefit in the following four categories: 1) Air Quality; 2) Connectivity and Mode Shift; 3) Leveraging of other funds; and 4) Geographic location relative to underserved areas or where funds were collected.
The Study lists six City projects which proved to be good candidates for use of funding. The projects were primarily projects that improved bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. In accordance with the Study, the following next steps will lead to a redefined fee:
• Rename the fee to MTP Fund to better align with the available strategies;
• The $375 per residential unit air quality fee will be collected for purposes identified in the Study and allocated to the MTP Fund;
• Transfer previously collected air quality funds to the MTP Fund; and
• Prioritize the use of MTP funds based on criteria established in the Study.
PW staff is supportive of the Study’s recommendations. Further, the City Attorney’s Office has opined that the Study can serve as the basis and supportive evidence in redefining the purpose and intent of the City’s fee. Moving forward, the existing and future fees collected will be allocated to an established CIP Project entitled MTP. Based on criteria established in the Study, eligible projects will be advanced to achieve air quality mitigation objectives for which the fee is collected.
It is recommended that Council adopt a resolution approving the “Review of Park & Ride Program & Related Transportation Demand Management Strategies” Study, renaming of the Park & Ride Exaction to the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project, MTP, continuing exactions of traffic impact fees into the MTP, and authorizing the transfer of past air quality fee exaction funds to the MTP.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
This action has no impact on the General Fund or any other unrestricted funds.