REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 21, 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
SUBJECT
Title
RESOLUTION - Authorizing the submission of applications for grant funds from the California Department of Transportation’s 2018 Active Transportation Program Cycle 4 Call for Projects and authorizing the execution of application related documents by the Public Works Director or designee (Council Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the submission of applications for grant funds from the California Department of Transportation’s 2018 Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 4 Call for Projects and authorize the execution of application related documents by the Public Works Director or designee.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Statewide ATP Cycle Four Grant call was released in May 2018. The ATP encourages the use of active modes of transportation such as biking and walking by funding education and infrastructure projects which support active travel. The grant program is competitive, with a minimum requirement of 25% of funds distributed to disadvantaged communities. Applications for the statewide call are due on August 31, 2018. Projects not funded at the state level will automatically be reviewed at the regional level in early 2019.
BACKGROUND
The ATP was created by Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes of 2013) to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. Funding for the program comes from a variety of Federal and State sources including: the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account, the State Highway Account, the State Transportation Block Grant Set Aside for Transportation Alternatives, Recreational Trails funds and other Federal sources. Cycle Four has seen a significant increase in funding available as a result of Senate Bill 1 (SB1). SB1 stipulates that $100,000,000 of revenues from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account will be available annually to the ATP. Based on this augmented level of funding, the Cycle Four Call for Projects is projected to have an estimated $891 million dollars available to be awarded. Of that total, the City of Fresno is eligible to compete for over $439 million in funding at the state level, and approximately $4.7 million at the regional level. The program is administered by the California Transportation Commission, Caltrans and the Fresno Council of Governments. Project funding can be programmed for use in Fiscal Years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23. The minimum project size in the state competition is $250,000. There is no minimum at the regional level, but projects are encouraged to total $1,500,000 or less.
On March 2, 2017, the City Council adopted the City’s Active Transportation Plan (the Plan) and a complementary Active Transportation Project Prioritization Tool (the Tool). The Plan has been referenced to identify potential projects based on community requests and the Tool has been used to calculate each project’s priority score. Many of the projects included in this cycle have been directly identified through constituent requests. A copy of the completed Project Prioritization Tool is included in this report. Projects have been ranked on 16 inputs including access and equity, connectivity and traffic control, mode shift and user comfort. Based on the prioritization, the proposed projects will be ranked in the order listed below when applying for the grant funding. Projects number 2 and 3 below had a tied score. Staff deferred to safety considerations and proximity to schools to break the tie.
1. Connecting the Winchell Neighborhood - Project will install signals at Butler/8th and Orange/Lowe intersections.
2. McKenzie Trail Crossing Improvements - Project will install a HAWK signal crossing at the McKenzie Trail and Peach Avenue.
3. Southeast Fresno Cycle Track - Project will install a Class IV Bikeway on First from Tulare to Ventura & a Class II connection to Hazelwood.
4. Pathway to Play at Inspiration Park - Project will install a signal at Gettysburg/Polk and sidewalk on Gettysburg east of Polk.
5. Robinson Elementary Crossing Improvements - Project will install a signal at Browning/Fresno intersection.
6. Maple Cycle Track & Scramble - Project will install a Class IV Bikeway on Maple from CSUF to Gettysburg and a pedestrian scramble crossing at Shaw.
7. Pathway to Play at Calwa Park - Project will install sidewalks on Barton and Florence, adjacent to Calwa Park.
Another variable that was considered in selecting projects was the application scoring for the program created by the California Transportation Commission. The application scoring provides additional points to projects located in disadvantaged communities. All projects proposed by Public Works are located in disadvantaged areas as defined by the Active Transportation Program.
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 identified through future fiscal year capital budgets. If SB1 does not remain in place, the list of ATP projects funded by the State program may be reduced.
Attachments:
Resolution
Active Transportation Project Prioritization Tool Results
Project Location Map