REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
June 28, 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
SUBJECT
Title
RESOLUTION - Authorizing the submission of the application for grant funds from the United States Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Program 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 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Program, 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 BUILD Program grant application for $23 million to fund a portion of Phases Three and Four of the Veterans Boulevard project. Phase Three of the project will construct an interchange at State Route 99 and grade separation over the realigned Golden State Boulevard. Phase Four will extend Veterans Boulevard to connections with Herndon Avenue to the north and Shaw Avenue to the south. A project map is attached to this Staff Report.
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, Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and right of way acquisition. Construction documents are 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 April 25, 2018, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the BUILD Program. This program was previously known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (or TIGER Discretionary Grants) Program. Funds for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 BUILD Program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. Additional merit criteria for projects include: safety, state of good repair, economic competitiveness, environmental protection, quality of life, innovation, partnership, and the non-Federal revenue for transportation infrastructure investment.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 made available $1.5 billion for National Infrastructure Investments, otherwise known as BUILD Transportation Discretionary grants, through September 30, 2020. For this round of BUILD Transportation grants, the maximum grant award is $25 million, and no more than $150 million can be awarded to a single State, as specified in the FY 2018 Appropriations Act. At least 30 percent of funds must be awarded to projects located in rural areas. Veterans Boulevard is located in an urban area, which means that the total Federal share of the costs under a BUILD Transportation grant may not exceed 80 percent. Due to later programming years for BUILD funding, a request of $23 million will be submitted. The remaining funding for the project will come from a combination of local Measure C transportation taxes, local fees and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds programmed for future fiscal years. Funding from cycle two of the Local Program Partnership may also be pursued prior to the announcement of BUILD awards. As with any grant funded project, the department will continue to apply for funding in parallel until a full funding package is secured to move to construction.
Projects awarded under the BUILD program must demonstrate the ability to request obligation for funding by September 30, 2020. A request for obligation demonstrates that environmental work is completed, right of way has been obtained, engineering plans are approved and the project is ready to move into the construction phase. Additionally, the project must begin construction quickly upon obligation of BUILD Transportation funds, and spend funds expeditiously once construction starts. All grant funds must be expended by September 30, 2025. The Veterans Boulevard project meets all of the minimum criteria set forth in the NOFO.
Funding was previously sought for this project from the Federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program (INFRA) and State Local Partnership Program. Unfortunately, those requests were not funded. BUILD applications are due on July 19, 2018. If BUILD is unsuccessful, applications will also be submitted to the second round of INFRA and LPP once NOFOS are released. Those items will come before Council prior to submission. 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.
Attachments:
Resolution
Project Map