Chapter 6, Part 2, ACCS Strategic Plan

This text-only version is offered as a more accessible alternative to this PDF document: Arlington County Commuter Services Transportation Demand Management Plan (PDF, 3.85 MB).

Text-Only Table of Contents

EXISTING EXPENDITURES

Table 24 outlines ACCS's FY2024 expenditure projections. There was a projected $270,000 deficit between the FY2024 revenues in Table 20 and the expenditures outlined in Table 24. This shortfall was covered by excess revenues carried over from prior fiscal years. More details about each expenditure follow the table.

Table 24: FY2024 Expenditure Projections

Administrative

Direct Costs

These are the labor costs (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) for the four ACCS County positions.

Indirect Costs

Indirect administrative costs include rent for the Crystal City Commuter Store located in the Crystal City Underground. This Commuter Store location may close in FY2025 due to the uncertainty of the future of the underground mall. As a result, the costs in this category will change in future years, but future rent costs cannot be determined at this point since a replacement location has not been identified. The other three Commuter Store locations are provided as in-kind facilities and have no associated rent costs, which is also true of the Commuter Store's distribution facility on Quincy Street.

The other indirect administrative cost is the rent of the building at 1501 Wilson Boulevard, which houses the CIC call center and operations, as well as DS&MG staff.

TDM Contractor (DS&MG)

Direct Costs

Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP)

This covers the labor costs (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) for the ATP team which engages in outreach to workplaces, commercial buildings, multifamily residential communities, schools, and hotels to promote all transportation options.

Active Transportation

This covers the labor costs (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) for the BikeArlington and WalkArlington programs, which provide education and interactive events to increase the number of people biking and walking.

Mobility Lab Research and Communications

This covers the labor costs (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) for the Mobility Lab team that measures and monitors the effectiveness of Arlington's TDM programs and collaborates with others to communicate TDM best practices.

TDM for Site Plans

This covers the TDM Site Plan team, which supports the design and adoption of effective development conditions and permit plan review processes and monitors ongoing TDM program implementation at site plan and special use permit projects to ensure they meet their development commitments.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs for the TDM contractor includes supplies and materials, printing, and advertising/promotions.

Sales and Call Center Contractor (The Convention Store)

Commuter Stores

Direct Costs

This includes the labor costs, (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) of all Commuter Stores staff positions.

Indirect Costs

The Convention Store owns and operates six vehicles, whose maintenance and eventual replacement costs are funded by commission fees,73 and whose insurance costs are built into The Convention Store's hourly overhead rate. The vehicles are:

• 2006 Ford Super Duty F-550 Stripped Chassis Motorhome

• 2017 Ford Stripped Chassis Motorhome

• 2008 Dodge Sprinter 3500 Van

• 2015 Benz Sprinter Cargo RXT 2500 Van

• 2011 Chevy 2500 Express Van74

• 2023 Ford EV Van

Replacement of the two motorhomes and the 2008 and 2015 van (which comprise the fleet of Mobile Commuter Stores) is not covered by commission fees nor is planned during the timeframe of this plan. Their service life has been extended with regular maintenance and because there is typically low mileage put on these vehicles. When replacement of the larger motorhome vehicles is necessary, it will be with a smaller vehicle.

Commuter Information Center (CIC)

Direct Costs

This includes the labor costs, (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) of all CIC staff positions, as well as those of Redmon Group, Inc., which is a subcontractor to The Convention Store.

Distribution Center

Direct Costs

This includes the labor costs, (including salary, benefits, employer taxes, training, recruitment, and other employment-related expenses) of all Distribution Center staff positions.

Marketing Contractors (Pulsar and NeoNiche)

This covers the contracts for Pulsar and NeoNiche, who perform marketing and outreach services for ACCS.

Capital Bikeshare

Arlington's portion of the regional Capital Bikeshare system is not reflected in Table 24 because the costs for operations, maintenance, and equipment are currently funded through Arlington

73 The two motorhomes (which are the two large Mobile Commuter Stores) were grant-funded. ACCS will apply for a new grant when they reach the end of their service life.

74 This vehicle is no longer in regular service but is being maintained for occasional longer-distance trips that would exceed the EV's range.

County's Capital Improvement Plan. These costs are partially offset by bikeshare user fees attributed to Arlington and developer contributions.

Budget Projections: Baseline Conditions

PROJECTED EXPENDITURES

Table 25 outlines ACCS's projected expenditures through FY2029 assuming continued business- as-usual conditions, utilizing the staffing levels described in Chapter 5 Operations Plan. ACCS's primary funding source, CMAQ/RSTP, is determined several years in advance. As a result, recommendations for new, enhanced, or modified services would need to be funded by efficiencies or reductions in other ACCS programs or by applying for new grant funding. Any major changes in services, expenditures, staffing or contracted services will be reported in the annual plan updates to DRPT.

Table 25: FY2024–FY2029 Expenditure Projections

FINANCIAL POSITION

Table 26 outlines ACCS's financial position. There are projected shortfalls due to the inflation escalations assumed in the projected expenditures (Table 25) and the static revenue assumptions (Table 21). While this plan includes recommendations that will require additional funds, others will reduce costs. ACCS modifies its program annually to match services provided to available funding and will continue to seek out new funding sources.

There is variability in several of ACCS's revenue sources, such as commission fees (dependent on transit ticket sales) and TDM site plan contributions (some payments come in after the end of the fiscal year). As a result, excess revenues in these categories are carried over to future budget years and used to address shortfalls.

For FY2025 and FY2026, ACCS is planning budget reductions to better align revenues and expenditures. To address a larger projected shortfall for FY2029, ACCS will propose to DRPT moving $250,000 in annual CMAQ funding from fiscal years 2026 through 2028 and shifting these amounts to FY2029.

Table 26: Financial Position

• Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

• Overall, projected expenditures in FY2025 and FY2026 reflect planned ACCS budget reductions of seven and four percent, respectively.

• Administrative expenses are escalated 4.5 percent annually from FY2026 through FY2029 to account for staff merit increases.

• TDM contractor includes $91,000 annually for FY2026-FY2029 to reflect CPI increases. Inflation increases that exceed this amount would need to be accommodated by program cost reductions.

• Distribution includes inflation allowance of $103,000 each year from FY2027-FY2029, covering cost increases for the Distribution Center, Commuter Stores, and Commuter Information Center. Inflation increases that exceed this amount would need to be accommodated by program cost reductions.

• Rent is adjusted three percent annually in FY2026-FY2029 for inflation.

This text-only version is offered as a more accessible alternative to this PDF document: Arlington County Commuter Services Transportation Demand Management Plan (PDF, 3.85 MB).

Text-Only Table of Contents