Staff Report – MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project Page 1 of 4
STAFF REPORT
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Brad Donohue, Director of Public Works and Planning Abdulkader Hashem, Principal Project Manager
VIA: Daniel Barros, City Manager
MEETING DATE: August 27, 2025
SUBJECT: MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the following:
RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE
FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION (MTC) FOR THE MTC ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL DESIGN TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED FOR THE EL CAMINO REAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15306 IN LIEU OF 15301
COUNCIL ADOPTED VALUES
The City Council approved a master plan that addresses bicycle and pedestrian safety and transportation deficiencies on El Camino Real (ECR) in Colma. The master plan created a vision of how the highway could be reconstructed to accommodate all modes of transportation, a plan that endorses safety and promotes healthy modes of travel along El Camino Real. The approval of the resolution is a continuation of the vision that ECR can be viable for all modes of travel.
BACKGROUND
The Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Program supports Plan Bay Area 2050’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target, as well as the Plan’s strategy to build a complete streets network to encourage walking, biking, and other mobility options.
In Spring 2022, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Active Transportation Plan updated its Complete Streets Policy (Resolution 4493). This was followed by the identification of an Active Transportation Network in the Summer of 2022, and the prioritization of a 5-Year Implementation Plan in the Summer of 2023.
AGENDA ITEM #3
Staff Report – MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project Page 2 of 4 In October 2024, the MTC invited eligible Bay Area jurisdictions to submit project proposals to one or more of the following grant programs: Regional Mobility Hubs, Parking Management, Charging Infrastructure, and Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance.
The Town of Colma submitted an application for the Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Call for Projects. As part of the 5-Year Implementation Plan, this call for projects is the second cycle of Active Transportation Technical Assistance. Total funding available is $2 million, with minimum grant award of $100,000, and maximum grant award of $300,000. The Town secured the maximum grant of $300,000.
Projects that are awarded funding must be located on the Active Transportation Network, a 3,244 mile network, located in Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) policy station areas. These Projects are required to implement Complete Streets principals, incorporating All Ages and Abilities design principals for high-comfort bicycle facilities, and Accessibility Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right of Way.
Awarded projects will enter into a funding agreement with MTC, giving them the flexibility to hire their own consultant or choose from MTC’s on-call bench of consultants.
Detailed Description of the Project
The El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement project aims to enhance safety, provide multimodal accessibility, improve connectivity and access to public transportation, and support economic growth by providing continuous sidewalks and dedicated bicycle lanes along approximately 1.5 miles of El Camino Real/State Route (SR) 82 between Albert M Teglia Boulevard in the Town of Colma and Hickey Boulevard in the City of South San Francisco. The project is divided into three segments: Segment A from Albert M. Teglia Boulevard to Mission Road, Segment B from Mission Road to Arlington Drive in the Town of Colma, and Segment C from Arlington Drive to Hickey Boulevard in the City of South San Francisco.
To move active transportation projects forward, MTC offered technical assistance to Bay Area agencies to projects located on the MTC Active Transportation Network to help them advance from conceptual or preliminary engineering design to final design, along with related outreach. This funding will allow the Town to finalize the project's design and prepare it for construction.
ANALYSIS
Since ECR is a state-owned roadway, all improvements must be approved by Caltrans. The proposed improvements will require various levels of documentation, studies, and reviews to receive Caltrans’s approval at each stage, from project initiation through construction. The Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) phase was completed and approved by Caltrans in February 2025. The current phase, Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED), is in development and is expected to be finished in December 2025. Following that, the project will move into the Design and Right of Way (ROW) certification.
Staff Report – MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project Page 3 of 4 The key requirements for the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) approval process include Geometric Design, Safety and Accessibility, Utilities and ROW, Drainage and Stormwater, Traffic Control, Landscaping, and Engineer’s Estimate. To obtain Caltrans ROW approval, the project must complete several steps, including securing all necessary permits and certifying that all requirements have been met. This work involves preparing ROW plans, relocating utilities, appraising property, and making payments for real property as needed.
Projects that involve work within Caltrans' ROW will require an encroachment permit. A Caltrans Liaison Engineer is assigned to the Project to provide oversight for the current PA&ED phase and the future PS&E phase for the project.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) has awarded a $300,000 Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance grant to both the Town of Colma and the City of South San Francisco. The grants will support the PS&E for two different segments of the El Camino Real Project: Colma's grant will cover Segment A, and South San Francisco's will cover Segment C. Both grants will also serve as the local match required to receive future Measures A and W Highway Program 2025 Funds, or any other potential funds, if they are awarded.
FISCAL IMPACT
The estimated cost of the preparation of the Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) for Segment A of the El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project is estimated to be $4,435,000. A $300,000 grant from the Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance will be used as a part of local match to secure future funding from the Measures A and W Highway Program 2025 or other potential grants.
MTC requires that the Town of Colma complete the PS&E phase of Segment A by the end of 2026.
SUSTAINABLE IMPACT
This resolution in support of the El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project is consistent with the Town’s sustainability goals and Complete Streets and Green Streets Program goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The City Council’s action in adopting the resolution is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15306 in lieu of 15301 as information collection. The resolution will authorize information gathering for bike and pedestrian improvements along El Camino Real. Adoption of the resolution will not commit the Town to a course of action nor will it approve any actual physical improvements along El Camino Real. Instead, any improvements will only be considered for potential approval after CEQA review has been conducted.
Staff Report – MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project Page 4 of 4
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council could choose not to accept the Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistant Grant. Doing so is not recommended, however, because the Town would lose this funding opportunity to assist with the implementation PS&E for Segment A of the El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project.
CONCLUSION
Staff is requesting that City Council adopt a resolution approving and authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreement with the MTC for accepting the Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistant $300,000 Grant to support funding the preparation of the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates phase for Segment A of the El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution
Res 2025-__, MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant Page 1 of 2 RESOLUTION 2025-__
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF COLMA
RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE
THE FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION (MTC) FOR THE MTC ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL DESIGN
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT AWARDED FOR THE EL CAMINO REAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15306 IN LIEU OF 15301
The City Council of the Town of Colma does hereby resolve as follows:
1. Background.
(a)The City Council approved a master plan that addresses bicycle and pedestrian safety and transportation deficiencies on El Camino Real (ECR) in Colma. (b)In October 2024, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) invited eligible Bay Area jurisdictions to submit project proposals to one or more of the following grant programs:
Regional Mobility Hubs, Parking Management, Charging Infrastructure, and Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance.
(c)MTC has awarded a $300,000 Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance grant to both the Town of Colma and the City of South San Francisco. (d)The grants will support the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for two different segments of the El Camino Real Project: Colma's grant will cover Segment A, and South San Francisco's will cover Segment C.
(e)Both grants will also serve as the local match required to receive future Measures A and W Highway Program 2025 Funds, or any other potential funds, if they are awarded. (f)In order to accept the grant, the Town must enter into a funding agreement.
2.Order.
(a)The City Council hereby approves and authorizes the City Manager to execute a funding agreement with MTC for the MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant for the El Camino Real Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project. //
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ATTACHMENT A
Res 2025-__, MTC Active Transportation Capital Design Technical Assistance Grant Page 2 of 2 Certification of Adoption
I certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2025-__ was duly adopted at a regular meeting of said City Council held August 27, 2025 by the following vote:
Name Voting Present, Not Voting Absent
Aye No Abstain Not Participating
Ken Gonzalez, Mayor
Carrie Slaughter, Vice Mayor
Helen Fisicaro, Councilmember
Joanne F. del Rosario,
Councilmember
Thomas Walsh,
Councilmember
Voting Tally
Dated ______________________ ___________________________________ Ken Gonzalez, Mayor
Attest: ____________________________
Michelle Estabillo, City Clerk