REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
JESUS AVITIA, PE, Deputy City Engineer
Public Works Department, Transportation Project Management
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Amendment No. 2 to Cooperative Project Agreement, Grade Separation Program, for the Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue BNSF Grade Separation Project, in the amount of $27,000,000, with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (Council Districts 1 and 7)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve Amendment No. 2 to Cooperative Project Agreement, Grade Separation Program (GSP), Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue BNSF Grade Separation Project, in the amount of $27,000,000, with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA), and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to execute the amendment on behalf of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue BNSF Grade Separation Project will eliminate two existing at-grade crossings by grade separating North Blackstone Avenue and East McKinley Avenue under the BNSF Mainline Track. The first phase of the project is underway, with Geometric Approval Drawings in the final approval stage. The second phase of the project was started in January 2022 and is progressing towards right of way acquisition now that all preliminary title reports have been obtained. Appraisals are scheduled to start in May 2022, and Public Works Staff, with the support of FCTA, has determined a second amendment to the Cooperative Project Agreement for $27,000,000 in Measure C Grade Separation Program funding will be necessary to begin the property acquisition process in September 2022.
BACKGROUND
The City has long-planned for future grade separations at locations with high traffic volumes, such as the BNSF crossing at Shaw Avenue, which was grade-separated nearly 20 years ago. In the early 1970s, the City prepared a grade separation study, including many citywide locations, such as Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue. In FY2020, staff completed an update of the Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue Grade Separation Feasibility Study. The Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue corridors serve as primary routes by the community, the City’s Bus Rapid Transit system, emergency vehicles, and is also part of the Blackstone Smart Mobility Plan providing Class IV protected bike lanes along Blackstone Avenue through the project area. The Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue project location has experienced the highest traffic volumes and number of accidents of any at-grade crossing on the BNSF corridor. The City is now moving the Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue BNSF Grade Separation Project forward from the preliminary engineering design stage into the right of way acquisition stage.
The 2006 Measure C Expenditure Plan included a percentage of the transportation sales tax revenue to be dedicated to Rail Consolidation, which was then converted by the FCTA Board to the Measure C Grade Separation Program in April 2020, consistent with the provisions of the Measure C Expenditure Plan. At their April 22, 2020 meeting, the FCTA Board also selected the Blackstone Avenue and McKinley Avenue BNSF Grade Separation Project as the highest priority project and approved a Cooperative Project Agreement. The Cooperative Project Agreement was later approved by City Council on June 25, 2020. On April 8, 2021 the Fresno City Council authorized the Public Works Director to sign Amendment No.1 to the Cooperative Project Agreement with FCTA to begin preliminary right of way efforts. Appraisals are scheduled to start in May 2022, and Public Works Staff, with the support of FCTA, has determined a second amendment to the Cooperative Project Agreement for $27,000,000 would be necessary to begin the property acquisition process in September 2022.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This project is statutorily exempt per Sections 21080.13(a) of the California Public Resources Code, and 15282(g) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable to this agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
This request will have no impact to the General Fund. All project costs for the engineering design phase and right of way acquisition will be paid using Measure C Grade Separation Program funds.
Attachments:
Amendment No. 2 to Cooperative Project Agreement
Vicinity Map