Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.K
Meeting Date: August 14, 2024
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: HSIP Cycle 12 Grant Application Preparation
RECOMMENDATION:
To authorize the City Engineer to execute a task order in the not to exceed amount of $20,000, with the city on-call traffic engineering consultant STC Traffic Inc. (STC) to provide engineering assistance and complete grant applications for the HSIP Cycle 12 Call-for- Projects Funding Program; and, once completed authorize the City Engineer to submit the HSIP Cycle 12 grant application packages to Caltrans.
BACKGROUND:
The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a core federal-aid program with the purpose of achieving a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including non-State-owned public roads and roads on tribal land. The HSIP is one of the core federal-aid programs in the federal surface transportation act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was signed into law on November 6, 2021.
The California local HSIP program funds local highway safety improvement projects on a two-year Call-for-Projects cycle. The timing and size of the call is determined by the program apportionments, HSIP Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) capacity and the delivery of the existing HSIP Projects.
The Division of Local Assistance (DLA) manages California’s local agency share of HSIP funds. California’s Local HSIP prioritizes infrastructure projects with nationally recognized crash reduction factors (CRF). Local HSIP projects are ranked on the basis of crash severity, crash potential, crash rate, or other data-supported means.
On June 25, 2021, the City completed a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) which provides a framework for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing roadway safety improvements on local roads (copy attached to this staff report). The LRSP is a requirement for submitting for grant funding through the HSIP and is the basis to the upcoming HSIP Cycle 12 Grant.
The city has been very successful in securing HSIP grants. The following is a list of successful HSIP Grant Cycle awards:
•HSIP Cycle 8: 20 Intersection Upgrades (completed)
oGrant award amount: $1,674,000.00
•HSIP Cycle 9A: 12 Intersection Upgrades (in bid process for construction) oGrant award amount: $1,302,500
•HSIP Cycle 9B: Date Palm Drive – Varner Road Safety Improvements (in bid process for construction)
oGrant award amount: $1,089,700
•HSIP Cycle 10: Pedestrian Crossing at Ramon Road and Candlewood Drive (under construction)
oGrant award amount: $776,600
•HSIP Cycle 11A: Citywide Pedestrian Crosswalk Upgrades (18 intersections) oGrant award amount: $1,306,890.00
•HSIP Cycle 11B: Pedestrian Signals/Hybrid Beacons (High Intensity Activated Crosswalk Beacon (HAWK)) (2 intersections)
oGrant award amount: $959,670.00
•HSIP Cycle 11C: Citywide Traffic Signal Hardware Improvements (49 Intersections - in design)
oGrant award amount: $1,008,000.00
•HSIP Cycle 11D: Pedestrian School Crossing Upgrades at 30 th Avenue and San Eljay Avenue.
oGrant award amount: $249,840.00
Note: These grants represent the state/federal funding of each application. The latest call for grants under the HSIP Cycle 12 Program has variable grant participation amounts based on a maximum reimbursement ratio of either 100%, 90% and 50% depending on the project’s safety countermeasure utilized. Under this new requirement, the projects outlined in the discussion below will require a 10% or a 0% participation amount with a 90% and 100% reimbursement ratio, respectively.
DISCUSSION:
For the HSIP Cycle 12 Call-For-Projects, city staff and STC Traffic, Inc. (STC) identified two projects to submit for funding:
1. Install Pedestrian Crossing at Uncontrolled Locations (10% participation)
2. Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements (0% participation)
STC conducted a feasibility analysis based on latest crash data to validate the above HSIP Cycle 12 grant projects’ competitiveness. The scope of the project and results of the feasibility analysis are discussed below.
Install Pedestrian Crossing at Uncontrolled Locations
The results of the feasibility analysis performed by STC identified the intersections at Dinah Shore Drive and Corregidor Drive, and San Eljay Way and Doral Way as the only locations with high collision incidence resulting in a highly competitive Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR).
In order to capitalize on the HSIP Cycle 12 grant, additional intersections may be added to the application, while still maintaining a competitive BCR range. STC and city staff will determine the additional intersection based on the scope of the improvements and impacts to the BCR calculations.
The project includes providing pedestrian upgrades such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps, flashing stop signs, high visibility crosswalk striping, and advanced warning pavement markings and signs at the following intersections:
•Dinah Shore Drive and Corregidor Drive.
•San Eljay Way and Doral Way
•Additional pedestrian crossings to be determined
Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements
The project includes pedestrian crossing safety enhancements at existing unsignalized intersections near a local school or parks. Improvements may include curb extensions, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), LED lighting, high visibility crosswalk striping, and advanced pavement markings and signs. The project location and scope of improvements will be coordinated with the city.
HSIP Cycle 12 Call-for-Projects was announced on May 6, 2024. The application deadline is September 9, 2024. The submittal process for the HSIP Call-for-Projects is getting increasingly sophisticated and requires the specialized skills of a traffic engineering firm, especially with the short time window Caltrans has given in which to propose, evaluate, complete and submit the two (2) applications (with attachments) for each project. Thus, staff solicited a task order proposal from the city’s on-call traffic engineering consultant, STC Traffic Inc., to assist staff and prepare the HSIP Cycle 12 applications for a not-to-exceed cost of $20,000.
The scope of STC’s services will include project description and information, safety countermeasures, responses to narrative questions, LRSP Certification, engineer’s checklist, vicinity/location maps, project maps, pictures of existing conditions, benefit cost ratio (BCR) HSIP Analyzer calculations, crash data analysis, project schedule, detailed cost estimate, collision diagrams, collision summary reports, and additional narration, documentation and letters of support.
Recently, STC successfully assisted the city in the grant application processes and securing funds on HSIP Cycle 11 and Senate Bill (SB) 821, Article 3, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities.
Further, STC has a proven track record with over $40 million in successful grant awards, most of which were HSIP and Active Transportation Program funding. STC’s extensive experience with local, State, and Federal requirements for grant funded projects will give the city the best opportunity for success in developing these competitive applications.
The proposed cost will include STC guiding the initial evaluation and compiling the necessary data for each project. When all the information is collected, STC will assist the city on the submittal of the formal project applications.
Staff requests that the City Council authorize the City Engineer to execute a task order in the not to exceed amount of $20,000, with city on-call traffic engineering consultant STC Traffic Inc. (STC) to provide engineering assistance and complete grant applications for the HSIP Cycle 12 Call-for-Projects Funding Program; and, once completed authorize the City Engineer to submit the HSIP Cycle 12 grant application packages to Caltrans.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The $20,000 cost to prepare the application will be paid out of the Engineering Professional and Technical Services fund 100-100-150-156-8600-8601.
Historically, there was no local match required to receive HSIP grant funding. However, per the April 2022 Caltrans Local Roadway Safety Manual (LRSM), the Pedestrian Crossing at Uncontrolled Locations Improvements projects will require a 10% local match. As the total cost and benefit of the proposed projects have not been completely analyzed at this time, a budgeted percentage participation amount has not been determined.
The Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements projects, which will be classified as set-aside (SA) projects, do not require a local match.
Upon success of an award of a grant and/or grants under this program, the required local match is proposed to be programmed into the upcoming FY 2025-26 and 2026-27 Capital Improvement Project Program. At this preliminary stage, the estimated amount of $100,000 will be needed from available Measure A funds for the 10% local share required by HSIP Cycle 12.
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2024-2025 HSIP Cycle 12
Applications
100-100-150-
156-8600-8601 N/A $20,000 ONE TIME
2024-2025 Total $20,000
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
GOAL B: COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. STC - Cathedral City HSIP12 Application Proposal/Scope of Work
2. HSIP 12 Feasibility Analysis
3. Cathedral City Local Road Safety Plan