REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
January 25, 2018
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, P.E., Director
Public Works Department
BY: RANDALL W. MORRISON, P.E., Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
SHELBY MACNAB, MPA, Grants Administrator
Public Works Department, Administration Division
SUBJECT
Title
RESOLUTION - Approving the Application for Grant Funds from the California Transportation Commission’s Local Partnership Program for the Veterans Boulevard Interchange and Extension Project and Authorizing the Execution of Documents by the Public Works Director or Designee (Council District 2)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Local Partnership Program for the Veterans Boulevard Interchange and Extension Project and authorize the execution of all application related documents by the Public Works Director or designee.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is requesting authorization to submit a grant application to the Local Partnership Program for $23 million in construction funding for the Veterans Boulevard project. Veterans was selected for application based on grant criteria which limits eligible projects to those determined to be both construction ready and totaling over $2 million in overall project costs. This grant is submitted in addition to the recently submitted Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant (INFRA), as INFRA awards are highly competitive and will not be announced until mid-2018.
BACKGROUND
Veterans Boulevard, originally referred to as the Herndon-Grantland Diagonal, was part of the 1984 General Plan and is a planned six-lane super arterial in the 2035 General Plan. The interchange concept was refined in 1986 with a feasibility study conducted to analyze potential interchange/grade separation configurations. In 1991, a Project Initiation Document was completed, and in 1996, the Official Plan Line for Veterans Boulevard was adopted by the Council. Veterans Boulevard and the proposed interchange with State Route 99 were identified as part of the Circulation Element in both the City and County General Plans. In recent years, staff has completed the Project Study Report (PSR), Project Report and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Right of way acquisition and construction plans are also nearing completion.
The new interchange will be a partial cloverleaf connecting State Route 99 and Veterans Boulevard. The new overcrossing will have three northbound and three southbound lanes, a Class I bicycle lane pedestrian trail on the west side of the structure and Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the structure. The project will also include two bridge structures, one to cross over State Route 99 and one to cross over the existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Golden State Boulevard, and the future High Speed Rail tracks.
On December 6, 2017, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Local Partnership Program (LPP). The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 created the Local Partnership Program and continuously appropriates two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000) annually to be allocated by the CTC to local or regional transportation agencies that have sought and received voter approval of taxes (such as Fresno County’s Measure C), or that have imposed fees which are dedicated solely for transportation improvements. Half of the funding is allocated through formula while the remaining $100 million is distributed via a competitive program. For the Competitive Program, the initial program cycle will cover fiscal years 2017-18 through 2019-20. Matching funds are required at a one-to-one ratio.
The Veterans Boulevard project meets all of the minimum criteria set forth in the guidelines. Due to the structure of the grant program, the City will partner with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) to apply for LPP funding totaling $23 million in construction funding for the Veterans Boulevard Project. FCTA is the taxing authority for a majority of the matching dollars available to fund Veterans Boulevard, and therefore a co-applicant in the application. The proposed LPP project programming years allow for the use of funding from the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), Measure C funds, Regional Transportation Mitigation Fees and City of Fresno development impact fees to fully fund the project. The grant application is due to the CTC on January 30, 2018.
The City Attorney’s office has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
A resolution applying for grant funding is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not implicated because this resolution does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
This resolution will have no immediate impact on the General Fund. Should the grant be awarded, local matching funds will be included in future fiscal year capital budgets.
Attachments:
Resolution
Project Map