Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 4.D
Meeting Date: September 16, 2026
From: Armando J. Garcia Baldizzone, City Engineer
Title: HSIP Cycle 13 Grant Application Preparation
RECOMMENDATION:
To authorize the City Engineer to execute a task order with Albert A. Webb Associates (Webb), in the not-to-exceed amount of $64,901, to provide engineering assistance, supporting traffic engineering evaluations, and prepare up to four (4) grant applications for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 13 Call for Projects; and authorize the City Engineer to submit the completed HSIP Cycle 13 grant application packages to the California Department of Transportation (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 through 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 Caltrans Division of Local Assistance (DLA) manages California's local agency share of HSIP funds. The program prioritizes infrastructure projects that address documented collision patterns and implement eligible countermeasures to reduce crash frequency and severity. The projects are evaluated based on their anticipated benefits of the proposed improvements relative to the project cost, also known as the benefit-cost ratio (BCR).
The city has been successful in securing HSIP grant funding through multiple funding cycles to implement roadway, pedestrian, and traffic improvements throughout the community.
Since HSIP Cycle 8, the city has been awarded approximately $9.0 million in HSIP funding for ten safety improvement projects, as summarized below:
HSIP Cycle Project Grant
awarded
HSIP Cycle 8 20 Intersection Upgrades $1,674,000
HSIP Cycle 9A 12 Intersection Upgrades $1,302,500
HSIP Cycle 9B Varner Road Safety Improvements $1,089,700 HSIP Cycle 10 Pedestrian Crossing at Ramon Road and Candlewood Drive $776,600 HSIP Cycle 11A Citywide Pedestrian Crosswalk Upgrades (18 intersections) $1,306,890 HSIP Cycle 11B Pedestrian Signals/Hybrid Beacons (2 intersections) $959,670 HSIP Cycle 11C Citywide Traffic Signal Hardware Improvements (49 intersections) $1,008,000
HSIP Cycle 11D Pedestrian School Crossing Upgrades at 30th Avenue and San Eljay Avenue $249,840
HSIP Cycle 12A Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements (3 intersections) $349,920 HSIP Cycle 12B Pedestrian Crossing at Uncontrolled Locations (6 intersections) $272,160 Total $8,989,280
Note: These grants represent the state/federal funding of each application. The latest call for grants under the HSIP Cycle 13 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.
In June 2026, the city completed an update to its Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP). The LRSP evaluated recent collision data, identified high-risk locations, evaluated potential safety countermeasures, and developed a prioritized list of projects for future implementation and grant funding. The LRSP is required for agencies seeking grant funding through HSIP and serves as the basis for the city's upcoming HSIP Cycle 13 grant application.
Caltrans announced the HSIP Cycle 13 Call for Projects on July 1, 2026, with applications due November 2, 2026. Staff intend to pursue funding for priority projects identified in the city's updated LRSP. The LRSP is attached to this report.
DISCUSSION:
The LRSP identified 17 locations for specific improvements and consolidated them into five (5) priority projects. Priority projects 1 through 3 include the Cathedral City Intersection Safety Program, Ramon Road Safety Improvements, and Date Palm Drive Safety Improvements. These projects were recommended for HSIP applications based on collision history and anticipated benefits associated with the proposed improvements. The other priority projects, Santoro Drive and Ramon Road bicycle projects were identified as potential candidates for Active Transportation Program (ATP) funding or other grant opportunities.
The HSIP Cycle 13 applications will focus on LRSP Priority Projects 1 through 3. A description of these projects is as follows:
LRSP Priority Project 1 – Cathedral City Intersection Safety Program The Cathedral City Intersection Safety Program is composed of improvements to eight (8) locations in the city. The safety goals of the project are to improve conditions for vehicles and vulnerable users based on collision history and factors experienced at project locations. The project cost estimate is $2.5 million. LRSP Priority Project 2 – Ramon Road Safety Improvement The Ramon Road Safety Improvements is composed of improvements to five (5) intersections. The safety goals of the project are to improve conditions for vulnerable users and improve intersection conditions at off-set intersection locations. The project cost estimate is $1.8 million.
LRSP Priority Project 3 – Date Palm Safety Improvements The Date Palm Safety Improvements is composed of improvements to three (3) locations. The safety goals of the project are to address high speeds, unprotected left-turns, and poor lighting in the corridor. The project cost estimate is $4.7 million.
Attached to this report are a map identifying the locations within each priority project and a summary describing the proposed improvements at each location.
Recent HSIP funding cycles have become increasingly competitive. Therefore, staff requested a proposal from Albert A. Webb and Associates Inc. (Webb), the city’s on-call traffic consultant, to assist the city in developing the HSIP Cycle 13 applications. Webb will review the locations and improvements identified within the three LRSP priority projects and determine how they can be combined or reorganized to develop four (4) competitive HSIP Cycle 13 grant applications.
The city plans to use these grant applications to fund safety improvement projects over the next four years. The goal is to secure funding for approximately one application each year.
This approach will help the city use available grant funding to continue making roadway and pedestrian improvements throughout the community.
Webb submitted a proposal dated August 25, 2026, to provide these services on a time-and- materials basis for a not-to-exceed amount of $64,901. The proposed fee includes $20,332 for safety assessment and project optimization, $10,370 for supporting traffic engineering evaluations, $28,748 for development of up to four HSIP applications, and $5,451 for project coordination, application refinement, and submittal.
Webb’s scope of work includes collision analyses, evaluation of applicable Caltrans safety countermeasures, planning-level cost estimates, and benefit-cost analyses using the Caltrans HSIP Analyzer. The scope also includes traffic engineering evaluations at selected locations, including traffic counts and traffic signal and all-way stop warrant analyses. Based on these evaluations, Webb will prepare the project narratives, exhibits, schedules, cost estimates, and supporting documentation required for the HSIP Cycle 13 applications.
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Engineer to execute a task order with Albert A. Webb Associates (WEBB), in the not-to-exceed amount of $64,901, to provide engineering assistance, perform supporting traffic engineering evaluations, and prepare up to four (4) grant applications for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 13 Call for Projects; and authorize the City Engineer to submit the completed HSIP Cycle 13 grant application packages to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The not-to-exceed cost for the HSIP Cycle 13 grant application preparation and supporting traffic engineering evaluations is $64,901. Staff proposes to fund these services from the Engineering Professional and Technical Services account, 100-100-150-156-8600-8601.
The amount of any required local match for projects submitted under HSIP Cycle 13 will depend on the countermeasures and funding eligibility established in the applicable Caltrans HSIP guidance. Because the final project packaging, cost estimates, and funding requests will be developed as part of the proposed services, the city's potential local participation cannot be determined at this time. If one or more applications are awarded, the required local share, if any, will be identified and programmed through the Capital Improvement Program as part of future budget actions.
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2026-2027 HSIP Cycle 13
Applications
100-100-150-156-
8600-8601 N/A $64,901 ONE TIME
2026-2027 Total $64,901
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. LRSP Project Map and Improvements description
2. Albert Webb and Associates Proposal
3. Cathedral City Local Road Safety Plan