BACKGROUND:
SB 821 is a discretionary program administered by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) to fund local bicycle and pedestrian projects. The program is provided through the Transportation Development Act (TDA) and funded through the Local Transportation Fund (LTF), a ¼ percent of the state sales tax. Each year, 2 percent of the LTF revenue is made available for use on bicycle and pedestrian facility projects through the SB 821 program. On every odd-numbered year, the Commission conducts a competitive Call for Projects in which all local agencies within the County can submit applications. Eligible projects include construction of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramps, and the development of bicycle and pedestrian master plans.
The programming capacity for this cycle is $6,901,202. As such, the maximum funding request per application is $690,120 and maximum funding for each jurisdiction is $1,380,240.
This year’s Call for Projects was released on February 6, 2023, and will remain open until April 27, 2023.
The program guidelines are summarized as follows:
•36 months to complete a project.
•Limit 3 applications per city. For Riverside County, limit 2 applications per Supervisorial District.
•Maximum request for each application is 10 percent of current Call for Projects programming capacity.
•Total award to one jurisdiction is limited to 20 percent of current Call for Projects programming capacity.
•Project can start on July 1 of the Call for Projects Fiscal Year Cycle. e.g.:
for FY 2023/24 Call for Projects, awarded projects can start on July 1, 2023.
•Use safety question and construction readiness to settle tiebreakers.
The evaluation criteria consist of:
•Destinations Served – 14 points max, 2 points for each destination served. •Safety - 15 points max, safety enhancement features included in the project.
•Multi-Modal Access – 6 points max, added “bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalks” as eligible multi-modal elements for consideration. •Matching Funds – 10 points max, 1 point for each 5% of match provided by the local agency.
•Population Equity – 5 points max, calculated by RCTC Staff, Cathedral City receives 2 points in this evaluation criteria.
The City has had recent success with this Grant Program. The City completed the 2019 SB 821 Gerald Ford Drive Bike Lanes Striping Project with 80% participatory funding from this Program and will also be leveraging its 80% award of funds for the Cathedral Canyon Drive Sidewalk Gap Closures Project toward the Cathedral Canyon Drive Sidewalks and Multiuse Trail Project, one of three (3) Projects within the City/CVAG Active Transportation Program Cycle 5.
DISCUSSION:
For this 2023 SB 821 Call for Projects, City Staff has identified improvements based on the prioritized strategies from the recently accepted Cathedral City Active Transportation Plan (ATP) that was funded by the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) Sustainability Program to assist Southern California Cities in developing tangible strategies to improve mobility conditions for all people who walk, bike, and take transit. The ATP provides the framework to support safe connections between key destinations within the City, including schools, transit facilities, employment centers, parks, residential neighborhoods, and more.
City Staff has identified locations within the City that roadway safety for bicyclists and pedestrians can be improved with the assistance of outside funding. Staff has identified two (2) Projects to submit for funding:
1. Whispering Palms Trail from 30 Th Avenue to Dinah Shore Drive.
2. Perez Road from Cathedral Canyon Drive to Date Palm Drive.
The proposed improvements on Whispering Palms Trail, as identified in the Cathedral City ATP, is a Class III Bike Boulevard (bike route) that provides a right of way designated by signs, pavement markings and traffic calming features for shared use of the street with pedestrian and vehicles from 30 th Avenue to Dinah Shore Drive. Speed surveys, crash data, field evaluations and proximity to schools, parks, and medical facilities data are critical information for the grant application compilation. The goal is to put together a Project within the grant funding limits. This Project would add approximately two (2) miles of bike route and would require the installation of a yellow broken centerline, shared roadway bicycle markings on the pavement, additional signage and traffic calming features. Exhibit 1 attached to this report shows the extent of the proposed bike route.
The Cathedral City ATP recommends a Class IV Protected Bike Lane on Perez Road from Cathedral Canyon Drive to Date Palm Drive. This Project would add approximately 3,000 linear feet of on-street bicycle facility physically separated from vehicular traffic along each side of Perez Road. Again, the grant application would involve collecting and evaluating speed surveys, crash data, field evaluations and proximity to school or park data as critical information for the grant application compilation.
The segment of Perez Road between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Date Palm Drive does not allow on-street parking in its majority. All industrial and commercial buildings within this road segment have access or walkways provided from their own parking lots.
Installing a Class IV Protected Bike Lane on both side of Perez Road and maintaining four (4) lanes of travel (two (2) lanes in each direction) with a center turn lane, would eliminate 1,200 linear foot of existing on-street parking which represents 20% percent of the total length of curb on this road segment of Perez Road. Exhibits 2A and 2B are attached to this report and show the existing locations for on-street parking and no- parking designated areas along Perez Road.
The submittal process for the SB 821 Call for Project has become more sophisticated and is typically best done by consultants having success within these programs. This, in addition to the short time window RCTC is giving in which to propose, evaluate and complete the Applications (with required data attachments) for each Project, these types of Grant applications are best left to specialists. In order to complete the scoring, estimating and overall Grant application to meet RCTC's requirements and deadlines, Staff has solicited a task order proposal from STC Traffic Inc., to assist Staff and prepare the two 2023 SB 821 Grant applications for a not to exceed cost of $20,000.
STC Traffic Inc., is the City’s contracted on call Traffic Engineer and has a proven track record with over $40 million in successful projects valuation on the past Calls for Projects considering different federal and state programs. STC Traffic expertise will provide the City the best opportunity for success on these Applications.
The proposed cost will include STC Traffic guiding the initial evaluation of Projects and compiling the necessary data on each Project. When all the information is collected, STC Traffic will assist the City on the submittal of the formal Project Application(s).
This grant requests the City declare a local match percentage that the City will commit to in conjunction with the submittal of the 2023 SB 821 grant package. One point will be awarded for each 5% match provided by the local agency, for a maximum of 10 points at a 50% match with supporting documentation of the proposed match to be included in the application.
The total cost and benefit of the proposed Projects have not been completely analyzed at this time, and a firm budgeted percentage participation amount has not been determined. Based on past grant awards, and the estimated rough order of magnitude (ROM) provided by the Cathedral City ATP, Staff is recommending, for budgeting purposes, the following City participation amounts if the Projects are awarded:
1. Whispering Palms Trail Class III Bike Route Project: The total estimated Project cost is $595,700 based on the estimated unit cost per mile provided in the Cathedral City ATP for a Class III bike route. If the Project is awarded, Staff is recommending a participation amount of up to twenty percent (20%) which equates to approximately $119,000 from the City’s available Traffic Safety Fund (233).
2. Perez Road Class IV Protected Bike Lane Project – from Cathedral Canyon Drive to Date Palm Drive: The total estimated Project cost is $542,210 based on the estimated unit cost per mile provided in the Cathedral City ATP for a Class IV protected bike lane. if the Project is awarded, Staff is recommending a participation amount of twenty percent (20%) which equates to approximately $110,000 of the estimated cost which would come from the City’s available Traffic Safety Fund (233).
Staff is requesting City Council authorize the submittal of 2023 SB 821 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program funding Application for the two (2) sidewalk and bike lanes Projects, respectively; authorize the Director of Engineering/Public Works to authorize a Task Order under the On Call Contract for Traffic Engineering Services with STC Traffic Inc., to provide engineering assistance and complete the Application for this 2023 SB 821 Call for Projects Funding Program; and, to authorize the City Manager to execute all required applications/letters for the 2023 SB 821 grant package.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$20,000 for STC Traffic services will be funded from the FY2022/1023 Engineering Department Professional Services budget 100-156-8601.
Staff is recommending a City participation amount of twenty percent (20%) for budgeting purposes for each Project. The City participation amounts if the Projects are awarded are as follows:
1. Whispering Palms Trail Class III Bike Route Project: The estimated participation amount of $119,000 will be funded from City Traffic Safety Fund (233).
2. Perez Road Class IV Protected Bike Lane Project – from Cathedral Canyon Drive to Date Palm Drive: The estimated participation amount of $110,000 which would come from the City Traffic Safety Fund (233).
The above-mentioned City participation amounts will be adjusted by the Consultant as the engineering estimates are developed for the grants.