Title
Expansion of the Charlotte B-cycle Bike-Sharing System
Action
Action:
A. Approve a Municipal Agreement with North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in the amount of $1,000,000 for the administration of Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for the expansion of the Charlotte B-cycle bike-sharing system,
B. Approve a Municipal Agreement with North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) in the amount of $675,000 for the administration of Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funds for the expansion of the Charlotte B-cycle bike-sharing system,
C. Approve the purchase of bicycles and stations from Trek/B-Cycle, as authorized by the sole source exemption of G.S. 143-129 (e)(6),
D. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $1,000,000 in CMAQ funds,
E. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $675,000 in TAP funds,
F. Adopt a budget ordinance appropriating $450,801 in local match funds provided by Charlotte B-cycle, and
G. Approve an extension of the Lease agreement with Charlotte Center City Partners Community Trust for Charlotte B-cycle’s City van.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Liz Babson, Transportation
Alex Riemondy, Transportation
Sole Source Exemption
§ G.S. 143-129 (e) (6) provides that formal bidding requirements do not apply when:
- Performance or price competition are not available;
- A needed product is available from only one source or supply; or
- Standardization or compatibility is the overriding consideration.
§ Sole sourcing is necessary for this contract because there is a need of standardization and compatibility.
§ NCDOT has approved the City of Charlotte’s request to proceed with a sole source procurement process for B-Cycle, LLC to construct future bike-share stations.
§ The City Council must approve purchases made under the sole source exception.
Explanation
§ Charlotte B-cycle was launched in 2012 by Charlotte Center City Partners with support from the City of Charlotte and private sponsors.
§ Charlotte B-cycle ridership has grown from nearly 34,000 trips in 2013 to over 56,000 trips in 2016, providing important connections to jobs, public spaces and key services.
§ Today, Charlotte B-cycle is one of the largest bike-sharing systems in the Southeast, with 214 blue bikes and 26 stations placed throughout Uptown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Grant Administration (Action Items A-E)
§ Charlotte B-cycle has been selected by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) to receive $1,000,000 in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding and $675,000 in Federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding.
- CMAQ and TAP programs are federal reimbursement programs. The CMAQ awarded funds require a 22 percent local match and the TAP awarded funds require a 20 percent local match. The local match for both grants will be reimbursed to the City by Charlotte B-cycle.
- CMAQ and TAP funds will be used to expand the number of bike share stations by approximately 25 stations.
§ The City of Charlotte will become the sponsoring agency for this project, as non-profit organizations such as Charlotte B-cycle are not eligible to be the sponsoring agency or receive CMAQ or TAP funds directly.
§ The City of Charlotte will provide staff support for the expansion of the bike-sharing system. One of the support functions is financial administration services (i.e., receiving and distributing funds).
§ Charlotte B-cycle will:
- Provide the matching funds for the up-front capital purchase and the local match totaling $450,801 ($282,051 for CMAQ funding and $168,750 for TAP funding) for the bike share expansion grants;
- Operate and maintain all B-cycle stations at no cost to the city (ownership of the new stations would be transferred to Charlotte B-cycle over a period of time, consistent with Federal requirements);
- Provide the commercial insurance liability for the operation of these bike share stations, and indemnify the City from all claims and liabilities that may arise in the operation of a public bike share service.
Expansion Strategy
§ The City of Charlotte and Charlotte B-cycle will expand the bike share system by selecting future station locations that meet the following goals:
- Increasing station density within the existing system to provide redundancy, serve additional destinations, and improve the bike share experience;
- Expanding the system into areas of community need, promoting additional transportation options that connect households to key job centers and services; and
- Locating stations in areas that are supported by a bicycle-friendly street network.
Extension of Lease Agreement (Action Item F)
§ On July 22, 2013, City Council approved an extension of the lease agreements with Charlotte Center City Partners Community Trust for a City van. It is recommended the leases be extended to coincide with the end of funding agreements with current sponsors.
§ Van Lease Terms - Extend a leased City van for one dollar a year through June 30, 2022.
- Charlotte B-Cycle is responsible for all van maintenance costs.
Fiscal Note
Funding: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) - Transportation Alternatives Program Grant Fund, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant Fund, and grant matching by Charlotte B-cycle
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Budget Ordinance