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Eight telecenters are in various stages of the planning process, including five not previously included in these reports: Interactive Intelligence Centers in Irvine, San Luis Obispo Telecenter, Santa Cruz Telecenter, Santa Rosa Telecenter (US GSA), and Siskiyou County Telecenter. Brief descriptions of each follow.
Interactive Intelligence Centers - Irvine
The information reported for Interactive Intelligence Centers was gathered in April 1995. The center is being managed by a private company, and is funded by a partnership of Irvine Valley College, the City of Irvine, Pacific Bell, the Hyatt Hotel, and the operator. After a three-year research and planning period, this center is tentatively scheduled to open in May 1995. Specific site information such as the number of workstations, computers, etc. has not yet been finalized.
The center is planned to include approximately 14,000 square feet of space in Jamboree Center, which is located just off Interstate 405 at the corner of Main Street and Jamboree Road. The site is situated between a large residential neighborhood and an established commercial area. OCTA and the City of Irvine provide public transportation to Jamboree Center. A telecenter shuttle will travel throughout the residential area and downtown, and the Hyatt Hotel airport shuttle service will also stop at the site. Bike racks will be available at the center for those telecommuters who choose to travel via the bicycle paths available in the area.
The telecenter will provide day care services at the site. In addition, a full service cafe is located in the same building, and within walking distance are a strip mall and three plazas offering several other options for restaurants or fast food, a convenience store, dry cleaning service, etc. The Irvine Hyatt Hotel is also located within one block of the center.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Blue Line TeleVillage Demonstration Project
Telework (including a telework center) is only one element of the Blue Line TeleVillage Demonstration project. Its main focus is on reducing non-commute trips through the remote delivery of social services, government transactions, and distance learning. The project's goal is to research the community's needs and use telecommunications to help meet those needs. This will be done by using an existing fiber-optic communication system in the rail line right-of-way to link the demonstration site with participating government institutions, educational institutions, and other organizations.
The Blue Line TeleVillage Demonstration has funding of $314,000; $40,000; $88,000; and $206,000 from Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality; Traffic System Management; Caltrans; and local sources, respectively. The project's primary marketing plan is to target rail stations along the Metro Blue Line in economically disadvantaged South Central Los Angeles. Its marketing activities include solicitation for private donors, equipment vendors, and participating government organizations.
At the time of the previous report, no likely location for the center had been identified, and there was some uncertainty over whether the telework center should be housed at the same site as the rest of the TeleVillage project. Plans now call for all services in the TeleVillage project, including the telework center, to share the same facility. The Compton Transit Center building, located across the street from the Compton Metro Blue Line Station, has been selected as the preferred location for the TeleVillage. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is now searching for an operator for the TeleVillage, procuring equipment for the computing center, and finalizing the real estate lease agreement. It is also exploring the possibility of obtaining ISDN lines from Pacific Bell's Education First program. (According to Education First guidelines, a school district or library is eligible for installation of ISDN lines at greatly reduced prices. A district has the option of assigning an off-campus location as their educational site for ISDN, and a local school district is considering designating the TeleVillage as its ISDN site.)
A unique aspect of the TeleVillage development is the direct involvement organizers solicited from neighborhood residents early in the project. As an example, a workshop was held at the Compton Transit Center on February 17, 1995, to introduce the TeleVillage concept to the community and to allow organizers to get feedback on the project from community-based organizations. An advisory board composed of the members of community organizations was formed, and the board is now finalizing its assessment of needs for the neighborhood. The board's recommendations will influence the selection of the providers of information and services, the community-based programs, and the details of day-to-day marketing and operation of the TeleVillage.
Plans are being completed to provide a computer training program, open the telework center, and start a distance learning project in the fall of 1995. The project is currently scheduled to last twelve months; however, a search has already begun to obtain additional funding that would allow the project to be extended and expanded. One possible source for funding is the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP), administered by the Commerce Department's Telecommunications and Information Administration. Last year the program distributed $25 million to develop various aspects of the information superhighway, and the amount to be disbursed this year is estimated at $64 million. The MTA has submitted an application for additional funding from this program.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Telecenter
Previously known as the Rancho Palos Verdes Telework Center, funding for this center was transferred to the South Bay Transportation Corridor Steering Committee in the summer of 1994. The City of Redondo Beach is serving as Project Manager for the committee.
A feasibility study for the center has been completed, and the results were presented to the South Bay Transportation Corridor Steering Committee on August 24, 1995. Discussion about potential action is ongoing.
The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments and Caltrans are currently conducting the feasibility study for a proposed telecenter. A final report on the study is expected by September 30.
Preliminary indications are that the report may not recommend a dedicated telecommuting center, but instead recommend a multi-use resource center. One possible scenario is that a center could be established with all the equipment needed to support center-based or home-based telecommuters, then employers and managers would receive organized training to help ensure successful telecommuting programs. After this initial training period, the facility could be used for various activities, including telecommuting and distance learning. Developers in San Luis Obispo are consulting with an agency in Kentucky that has successfully used a similar plan.
Developers are very optimistic about the project, citing enthusiasm from local public officials and businesses.
A feasibility study has been completed that showed there is a large potential demand for a telecenter in the Santa Cruz area; over 20,000 people commute out of Santa Cruz every day. Plans are still in a preliminary stage; however, a center of eight to fifteen stations is anticipated. Developers are searching for potential sites, estimating costs, and trying to obtain funding to proceed with the project. Grant applications have been submitted to the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District and to the state for AB2766 funds.
Santa Rosa Telecenter (US GSA)
This telecenter is being developed by the United State General Services Administration (GSA) for federal employees. It is scheduled to open in late October 1995, and will be located in Room 317 of the Federal Building at 777 Sonoma Avenue in downtown Santa Rosa. The center will be approximately 420 square feet in size and will house four cubicle workstations, each equipped with a 486 personal computer and modem. Other equipment will include a shared laser printer and a fax/copier. Secured storage for each worker is recognized as an important issue that is still being addressed.
Vice President Gore has directed the GSA and the Office of Personnel Management to work together in developing alternative working arrangements for federal employees. One of the ways these agencies fulfill his directive is through the promotion of telecommuting and the establishment of telecenters. Several vacant spaces suitable for telecenters have been located, but funding is not available to expand the number of centers at this time.
Siskiyou County--Interlink Telecenter
This center is in preliminary stages of development by the Siskiyou County Economic Development Council. The council's goal is to create and save jobs for the area, to create a backup telecommunications center in case of emergency, and to help avoid congestion issues before they develop.
The jobs to be targeted are in both the public and private sectors. The California Employment Development Department is shutting down many of its offices in the northern part of the state. Telecenter developers will present their facility as an alternative to house the displaced workers from these closed sites. Developers have also researched the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and identified jobs that are telecommutable. They will now determine which corporations are ready for growth in those areas and present their facility as an alternative to leasing or building new facilities for additional employees. It is hoped by developers that their initiatives will lead to a center with a mixture of half public and half private tenants.
Space for the proposed telecenter is available in the back portion of the building that houses the Siskiyou County Economic Development Council at 1512 South Oregon Street in Yreka, California. The telecenters opening date will be determined by the availability of funding. Developers are currently looking for sources to fund a nine-month pilot project estimated to cost $75,000. After nine months developers hope to have six full time positions housed in the telecenter, with space ready for a total of 20 positions.
The City of Torrance is in a preliminary phase of establishing a telecommuting project. The city is currently searching for additional funding to supplement a $150,000 grant from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Account. A feasibility study is now being conducted and is scheduled to be completed in September 1995.
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