REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 6, 2018
FROM: GREGORY BARFIELD, Interim Director
Department of Transportation
SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department
DARLENE CHRISTIANSEN, Senior Management Analyst
Department of Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Actions related to entering into three Funding Agreements totaling $4,309,448 with the Fresno County Transportation Authority for 2018/19 Measure “C” New Technology Reserve Grant Program for Advance Transit and Transportation Projects:
1. Adopt a finding of Class 6 Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15306 of the CEQA Guidelines for a Microtransit Pilot Project.
2. Adopt a finding of a Class 1 Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) of the CEQA Guidelines for an Adaptive Signal Control Technology system in Downtown Fresno along Fresno Street, Van Ness and the Downtown Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.
3. Adopt a finding of Class 22 Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15322 of the CEQA Guidelines for an Advance Propulsion Systems Training Program.
4. Approve three Funding Agreements with the Fresno County Transportation Authority for 2018/19 Measure “C” New Technology Reserve Grant Program for Advance Transit and Transportation Projects, totaling $4,309,448 for the three projects named above.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve three Funding Agreements for the Department of Transportation and the Public Works Department for 2018/19 Measure C New Technology Reserve Grant Program awards totaling $4,309,448, and authorize the Director of Transportation and the Director of Public Works or designees to execute all agreement-related documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Measure C Transportation Expenditure Plan includes the New Technology Reserve Fund. The program is administered by the Fresno Council of Governments (COG) in conjunction with the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA). The purpose of this program is to fund advanced transit and transportation projects that have the potential for broad benefits to Fresno County residents and will assist the region in meeting its air quality goals.
The Council authorized the submission of three grant applications in the second cycle for grant funds under the New Technology Reserve Fund on July 26, 2018. The COG has approved the allocation of Measure C New Technology Reserve Funding for all three projects as follows: Department of Transportation (DOT) - Microtransit Pilot Project, $500,948; Public Works (PW) - Adaptive Signal Control Technology, $1,813,000; and DOT in partnership with Fresno City College (FCC) - Advanced Propulsion Systems Training Program, $1,995,500. Approval of the Funding Agreement for each project will allow reimbursement for eligible project costs by the FCTA.
BACKGROUND
Fresno County voters approved Measure C, a ½-cent transportation sales tax, in 1986 and again in 2006. Fresno COG prepared the Measure C Expenditure Plan, a guide to how $1.2 billion in Measure C transportation dollars will be spent through the year 2027. It was prepared with COG partners, the cities, the County, Caltrans, the FCTA (administrators of the sales tax measure), and other community stakeholder groups. In its first 20 years, Measure C delivered more than $1 billion of improvements to state highways and county roadways, and has helped the building of additional lanes and freeway improvements throughout the County. As a result of the successful original measure, Fresno County voters chose to extend Measure C for an additional 20 years. The Measure C Extension (2007-2027) not only funds improvements of local roadways by repairing potholes and paving streets and sidewalks, but also funds ride-share incentive programs and environmental enhancement programs. The FCTA is the entity created by legislation to administer the Measure C Program(s) and ensure the revenue is received and distributed appropriately. Fresno COG is responsible for the implementation of several Measure C programs including the Measure C New Technology Reserve Grant Program.
On July 26, 2018, the Council adopted Resolution No. 2018-167, authorizing submission of three applications for grant funds under the New Technology Reserve Fund. The Resolution included three applications for the City of Fresno as follows:
1) $0.501M DOT application for a Microtransit Pilot Project. The intent of a Microtransit service is to address the “first-mile”, “last-mile” transportation gap at the start and end of every trip that is difficult to serve with traditional public transit in a cost-effective way. Coverage to low-density areas becomes more achievable and will promote greater use of the FAX system. FAX, in partnership with TransLoc, Inc. will soon complete a microtransit simulation to identify areas in the City that microtransit could be implemented. Utilizing the results of this simulation, the Measure C New Tech grant funds will be used to fund the one-year demonstration project.
2) $1.813M PW application to fund a state-of-the-art Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT) system which will be added to the existing time-of-day Advance Transportation Management System (ATMS) in Downtown Fresno along Fresno Street, Van Ness and the Downtown Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. The ASCT adaptive system will employ the latest wireless vehicle detection technology for real-time monitoring and continuous synchronization. As a result of these improvements, traffic equipment will respond dynamically to changing conditions to optimize traffic flow. This will bring key downtown corridors to the same level of adaptive real-time synchronization as the Shaw Ave corridor, improving operations and reducing energy consumption and vehicle emissions.
3) $1.995M DOT with FCC joint application for an Advance Propulsion Systems Training Program. The vehicle industry has a shortage of skilled technicians trained to maintain today’s complex automotive propulsion systems. To address this shortfall, this project will develop curriculum and training equipment/aids to educate current and future vehicle technicians on advanced vehicle propulsion systems including battery-electric and other zero-emission vehicles. The curriculum will compliment FCC’s existing automotive certification programs which are to be relocated to the new West Fresno Satellite Campus. Electric bus supplier Proterra Inc. has committed to partner in this effort. Additionally, there will be sharing of resources including, but not limited to: curriculum materials, training equipment/aids, parts, and components, etc., in collaboration with existing FCC educational partnerships. An MOU between the DOT and FCC will be established and brought to Council for approval at a later date.
The City’s applications were reviewed by the Fresno COG scoring committee, which recommended awarding funding for all three projects. The COG and FCTA Boards approved the award of funding, but a funding agreement is necessary for the City to receive reimbursement of eligible project costs. Council approval will in turn allow the FCTA Board to authorize execution of the Agreement.
The City Attorney has reviewed the Funding Agreements as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Regarding the Microtransit Pilot Project, staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15306 (information collection) which exempts projects involving research and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or disturbance to an environmental resource, because this project will complete a microtransit study to identify areas in the City that microtransit could be implemented, and then implement a one-year demonstration project studying the pilot’s effectiveness. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project
Regarding the ASCT addition in Downtown Fresno, staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) (existing facilities) which exempts projects involving a negligible or no expansion of an existing facility. This exemption applies because this project involves improving efficiency of an existing roadway through coordinating the operation of existing traffic signals to reduce congestion without expansion of the roadway. The project will upgrade traffic signal controllers with adaptive signal control technology modules in existing cabinets; will install wireless detection, equipment, and wiring in existing signal conduits, cabinets, and poles as required. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project.
Regarding the Advance Propulsion Systems Training Program, staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15322 (educational or training programs involving no physical changes) which exempts adopting training programs which involve no physical alteration in the area affected, because the project involves developing curriculum and education programs for vehicle technicians using existing facilities. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because these Funding Agreements do not include a bid or award of a construction or service contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
This request will have no impact to the General Fund in the 2019 fiscal year. The PW project local match funds will be identified through the 2020 fiscal year capital budget. The DOT projects will not utilize General Fund dollars for local match.
Attachments:
FCTA Funding Agreements:
- DOT - Microtransit Pilot Project
- DPW - Downtown Fresno, Van Ness and BRT Adaptive Signal Control Technology
- DOT - FCC Advance Propulsion Systems Training Center Project