## Needs or deficiencies

1. Major origin/destination markets not now served
Air travelers in Sanford, Maine face notable obstacles in accessing the global air service
network due to a combination of factors. Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport (SFM) is a
well

- m aintained, modern facility with ample runways of 6,388’ and 5,000 .’ In fact, it was
the airport preferred for Air Force One trips to Maine during the administration of George HW Bush; the airport continues to be used by the Bush family traveling to and fro m nearby Kennebunkport. The airport is staffed by a fixed b ase operator and supports ILS, VOR and GPS instrument approaches. However, SFM is a general aviation airport that
has never hosted s cheduled passenger air service

. It is widely understood that pass enger air service in Sanford is a non

- starter due to the relative proximity of airports with high degrees of service. These airports are:

• Logan International Airport, a large hub airport in Boston, MA about 87 miles
south.

• Manchester/Boston Regional Airpor t, a medium hub airport in Manchester, NH,
about 65 miles southwest

• Portland International Jetport, a small hub airport in Portland, ME , about 32 miles
northeast.
Sanford’s in

- between location means a ir travelers have a choice of airports, depending on
fin al destination, ticket price, choice of carrier and available travel time. However, accessing these airports is problematic due to high airport parking rates , ground transportation travel time and dearth of convenient public transportation . These factors

c an add substantially to the cost of flying and/ or total elapsed travel time.

Airport parking rates :

• Logan $27/day

• Manchester/Boston Regional Airport $6.99/day

• Portland International Jetport $12/day

Public transportation:

Using Google Maps to search for transit directions from Sanford to one of the three airport illustrated the frustration faced by travelers. Each search returned identical error messages: “Your search for transit directions from Sanford, ME to [named airport] appears to be outside our cu rrent coverage area. Please consult our list of participating public transit agencies.” Public transportation from Sanford actually does exist, although it is either expensive or it
is extremely limited and requires transfers . The first leg of any public t ransit trip originating in Sanford involves taking either a taxi or a subsidized bus service geared to
the destinations of low

- income patrons. For example, t he subsidized low

- income, fixed route service of York County Community Action is not synchronized w ith either
commercial bus service or train service. It can involve a wait of 12 minutes or several hours to make a transfer, depending on the time of day.A summary of public transportation options to each airport is as follows:

Logan International

• Shore line Explorer ( Sanford Ocean Shuttle ) bus service from Sanford to Wells Transportation Center

. ( Six times a day. $3 one way. ) Transfer to Amtrak passenger rail service to Boston’s North Station. (Five times a day. $15 one

- way fare.) Transfer to MBTA subway to Logan $1.25 with MBTA subway. Total elapsed time 3:36. Total cost $19.25. Or from Wells Transportation Center,
transfer to Mermai d Airport Transportation van service to Logan. Four or five times a day. $80 one way. Total cost $83.

• Taxi from Sanford to C & J ’s Portsmouth Transportation Center $80 . Transfer t o C & J bus service to Logan. ( 21 times a day. $24 one way fare

. ) Total elapsed
time 2:15

. One connection. Total cost $104

.

Portland International Jetport

• WAVE van service from Sanford to Biddeford Park and Ride. ( $3 one

- way fare
with written application process and 24

- hour advanced reservation. ) Transfer to Zoom Turnpike Express bus service to downtown Portland. ( Ten times a day. 31 minutes. $5 one

- way fare. ) Transfer to Metro bus service

. ( 30 minu tes. Thirty times a day. $1.50 one

- way fare.) Total elapsed time 1:34. Two connections. Total cost $9.50.

Manchester

- Boston Regional Airport

• Taxi from Sanford to Manchester

- Boston Regional Airport. Total cost $200. Total elapsed time 1:22.

T wo recent st udies have evaluated the public transportation system in Sanford and both recommended improvements in the bus service mentioned above (WAVE and Sanford
Ocean Shuttle). It should be noted that neither study analyzed the cost of improving
service. The recomm endations were as follows: 2012 Central York County Connections Study

• WAVE

– Increase service frequency on the WAVE to every hour.

– Transition WAVE service from a demand response service to either a fixed route/demand response hybrid or a standard fixe d route service running along the
Route 111 corridor from Sanford to Biddeford and Saco.

– Create timed transfer to ZOOM Turnpike Express and ShuttleBus Intercity/Portland service so that WAVE riders can more easily access service to Portland

• Sanford Ocea n Shuttle

– Provide increased service frequency

2. Fare levels deemed relevant See options above
3. Air service development efforts No prior efforts to improve passenger air service

## Strategic plan

PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to inves tigate, analyze, and determine the feasibility of implementing bus service and associated bus service enhancements as part of an integrated multi

- modal master plan for the Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport (SFM)

. The enhancements would be responsive to the community's air transportat ion needs and
would be expected to continue after the initial expenditures. A multi

- modal approach will be explored to offer the greatest improvements in mobility and to address the lack of transportation services, air and other wise, available in the City of Sanford and the surrounding region.

STUDY GOALS This study will primarily provide the opportunity to self

- identify SFM’s air service deficiencies and propose an appropriate solution in the form of multimodal transportation. The study will address potential impacts of the implementation of bus service to nearby commercial airports and its relationship to air travel anddetermine if bus service in the region can:

• Fuse a connection between travelers from the flight, to the bus ride, to the pedestrian interface at their ultimate destinations;

• Operate under its own financial sustainability;

• Foster increases in use of the airport; and,

• Become an attractive asset to the community.

TASKS

Task 1: Project Management & Coordination Task 2: Develop a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) and conduct public workshops Task 3: Collect Data and coordinate with regional transportation organizations Task 4: Identify potential destinationsfor consideration Task 5: Develop Criteria Screening Proce ss for destination/ routeevaluation
Task 6: Prioritize and select destinations and associated routes Task 7: Evaluate financial feasibility of selected destinations and routes Task 8: Identify possible funding sources Task 9: Develop steps for future impl ementation of service Task 10: Draft and final report

Task 1: Project Management & Coordination This task will involve the development of a study management structure that will include representatives from the Airport Advisory Committee and other departm ents within the City. A meeting schedule and milestone presentation schedules for the review committee will be produced within 30 days of Notice

To

- Proceed (NTP).
Deliverable: Project Management & Presentation ScheduleTask 2: Develop a Public Involveme nt Plan and Conduct Public Workshops This task will result in the development and implementation of a Public Involvement Plan thatclearly represents all citizens. Outreach efforts of this Public Involvement Plan shall take place at all critical steps in t he study process. It is anticipated that City of Sanford staff will actively participate in the implementation of the Public Involvement Plan, including assistance with the scheduling of appropriate locations and dates, the advertisement and marketing of

t he workshops and any other involvement activities, and the recruitment of desired participants.
Deliverable: Public Involvement Plan including:

• Identify appropriate public involvement activities for the effort

• Develop a schedule for all public meetings, workshops, presentations, and/or any other identified activities

• Develop a project schedule by task with milestones

• Conduct public meetings to identify community attitudes

• Use consensus building tools for presentations

• Select participants (agencies, el ected officials, general public)

Task 3: Collect Data and Coordinate with local transportation organizations At a minimum, the data necessary for this analysis will include:

• Traffic counts, both from the airport and over the roads

• Data collection from air carrier airports in close proximity such as PWM, BOS, and MHT

• Existing transportation system users in the area including: Transit (light rail, commuter rail, Amtrak rail and public and private bus services), Highway/arterial, Ferry, Non

- motorized, park and ride lots

• Residential and employment density data

• Future growth patterns

• Existing studies on relevant topics

• Planning and zoning information

• Current and future venues and venue capacity

• Community attitudes and community resources

• Other information as deemed necessary during analysis phase

City staff will assist the consultant team in collecting previously prepared
materials from the list above.

Task 4: Identify Potential Destinations for Consideration
Destinations and the routes to those destin ations will be selected based on data
collected in Task 3.
Deliverable: List of Potential Destinations for Consideration

Task 5: De velop Criteria for Destination/ Route Evaluation A criteria screening process will be developed in order to evaluate and s creen the identified potential destinations and routes and establish an objective process withwhich to select the most promising destinations and routes for bus service. In developing the criteria screening process, consideration shall be given to such
el ements as financial and environmental feasibility. In addition, consideration will be given to any proposed pedestrian and bicycle plans or improvements. It is envisioned that the screening process developed for the evaluation of the
selected corridors wi ll consider:

• existing and forecast demand

• existing services and infrastructure

• future market potential

• existing and forecast corridor residential and employment densities

• compatibility with regional and local plans

Task 6: Prioritize and Select Dest inations and Associated Routes Prioritize alternatives based on established criteria and feedback from local input and public involvement. Financial considerations and feasibility will be determined for only the top routes.
Deliverable: List of top destina tions and associated routes for further evaluation

Task 7: Evaluate financial feasibility of selected destinations and routes Financial feasibility for bringing bus service to the selected destinations will be separated into two sections in this task: 1) Abi lity of a bus service, private or public, to operate with financial sustainability in this environment along the selected routes based on data collected in this study 2) Potential costs of service implementation

• Projected costs associated with bus service related to amenities on the routes including signage, shelter, information, and the pedestrian
environment.

• Address long

- term projection of how transportation services in the area may operate in 10

- 20 years

Task 8: Identify possible funding sources
Iden tify possible funding sources including but not limited to:

o National Highway System

o Access to Jobs

o Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

o Clean Fuels Formula

o FTA Livable Communities Initiative

o Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

o Federal earmark for high priority projects

o Ad Valorem from General Fund

o Local gas and/or sales tax

o State Block Grants

o State Transit Corridor Program

o Service Development Grants

o Commuter Assistance Programo Local Capital Improvement monies

o Other TBD

Task 9: Develop Steps for future implementation of service Develop a list of next steps for implementation of bus service along the selected routes. It is important to note that the implementation planis intended to be preliminary in nature but will prov ide sufficient guidance to move forward with additional planning activities.

Task 10: Draft

– Final Report

• Prepare draft report and submit for review

• Address draft report comments

• Produce final report



## Budget

See attachment



## Designation of legal spons or Sanford, Maine