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
MELISSA BLAU, Projects Administrator
Public Works Department, Transportation Project Management
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Measure C Agreement with the Fresno County Transportation Authority, to allocate the Construction funding for the widening of the Herndon Avenue/Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) overpass between Polk Avenue and Milburn Avenue (Urban Project, K-11), in the amount of $17,022,000.00 (Council District 2)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve Amendment No. 2 to allocate $17,022,000 of Measure C Regional Transportation funds into the construction phase of the widening of the Herndon Avenue/Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) overpass from Polk Avenue to Milburn Avenue (Urban Project, K-11); and authorize the Public Works Director or designee to execute the amendment on behalf of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The widening of Herndon Avenue to six lanes between Polk Avenue and Milburn is a Regional Urban Tier 1 project in the current Measure C Expenditure Plan. Funding for this project has been previously approved by the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) through the Measure C Cooperative Agreement executed with the City in May 2013. The City’s Transportation Project Management Section is working to have design completed and begin the construction phase of the project in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). Approval of Amendment No. 2 will provide the funding needed for the City to bid and award the project. The project scope includes the widening from four to six lanes as well as the addition of a multi-purpose walking and bicycle path on the structure.
BACKGROUND
Herndon Avenue is designated as a six-lane expressway in the City of Fresno 2035 General Plan. Over the past twenty years, the City has been widening Herndon Avenue from four to six lanes in phases as funds become available through Federal and State grants, Measure C and development impact fees. The widening of Herndon Avenue to six lanes from State Route 99 to DeWolf Avenue is a regional project in the Measure C Tier 1 Urban Program. With the anticipated completion of the Veterans Boulevard Interchange in 2023, the existing four-lane structure on Herndon Avenue will become the bottleneck in the circulation system.
Funding was made available by the FCTA in the 2012-13 fiscal year for preliminary engineering work related to the widening of the Herndon Avenue/BNSF overpass and associated roadway approaches. Funding for the final design and preparation of construction documents was allocated with the execution of Amendment No. 1, and with construction funding programmed for 2023/24. To date $1,487,000 in Measure C Tier 1 funding was utilized for topographic survey work, project management, and engineering consultant costs for the design and Right of Way phases.
Amendment No. 2 will bring the necessary regional Measure C funds into the construction phase of the project to allow City staff to bid and award in FY24.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378 this action is not a “project.”
LOCAL PREFERENCE
A local preference was not considered because this item does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed project is located in Council District 2 and will have no impact to the General Fund. The project is fully funded through the subject FCTA Measure C funding agreement, with the local match funded by local Development Impact Fees.
Attachment(s):
Vicinity Map
Amendment No. 2 to Cooperative Project Agreement