Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/07/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5147) DOC ID: 5147
Updated: 5/2/2024 4:46 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
2024 PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ENHANCEMENT PROJECT - Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Application for Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) Grant Funds and Acceptance of $405,771 in TDA3 Funds for the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project (PWC9078); Appropriation of Funds; and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:
Name: Lilian Ayala Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Transportation Engineer Public Works Director Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: (510) 494-4766 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this item is to facilitate receiving grant funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in the amount of $405,771, which will be used to enhance pedestrian access at eight uncontrolled crossings along Fremont Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway within the Irvington and Mission Valley neighborhoods.
BACKGROUND: MTC makes annual allocations of State Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) funds for bicycle and pedestrian projects to cities and counties in the nine- county Bay Area region. The TDA3 funds are non-competitive grant funds allocated based on population.
As part of the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, pedestrian crosswalk enhancement is identified as one of the ten core actions to improve safety for the most vulnerable road users. To date, the City has enhanced 21 high priority pedestrian crossings with pedestrian hybrid signals or rapid flashing beacons throughout the City, and there has been substantial reduction in pedestrian related fatal or severe injury crashes since the City adopted its Vision Zero traffic safety policy in 2015. The City’s proposed TDA3 grant project will provide pedestrian crossing enhancements for six high priority crossings along Fremont Boulevard within the Irvington neighborhood and two high priority crossings along Paseo Padre Parkway within the Mission Valley neighborhood. The crossing locations were selected based on documented collision history and crash potential and overall feasibility for the installation of safety enhancements. The City anticipates receiving approximately $405,771 in TDA3 funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 to be applied to the “2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project.”
TDA3 grant policies require that an advisory committee that is appointed by an elected body and includes bicyclists and pedestrians review the proposed TDA3 project. On March 20, 2024, the City’s Mobility Commission was informed of the proposed Project, and the Mobility Commission unanimously supported recommending the proposed Project to the City Council for approval for the application of the TDA3 grant for FY 2024/25.
The TDA3 grant funds will supplement $1,664,550 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant funds that were secured in 2021 through a statewide competitive process for the Project design and construction. $196,110 of the HSIP funds have been allocated to the Council Staff Report (ID # 5147) Meeting of May 7, 2024 Updated: 5/2/2024 4:46 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
design phase of the Project, with the remaining $1,468,440 to be used for construction. The Project’s scope, estimated costs, and overall implementation schedule matches the requirements and expenditure schedule for the FY2024/25 TDA3 funding cycle. The TDA3 funds will also be used as matching funds for the already secured HSIP funds, which will reduce the City’s local contribution for project implementation.
The Project is currently in final design, with Project construction tentatively scheduled for Spring 2025.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Project will implement crosswalk visibility and safety enhancements at existing uncontrolled crosswalks on high-speed, multi-lane arterial streets.
The locations are Fremont Boulevard/Clough Avenue, Fremont Boulevard/Papazian Way, Fremont Boulevard/Adams Avenue, Fremont Boulevard/Michael Avenue, Fremont Boulevard/Crestwood Street, and Fremont Boulevard/Doane intersections, as well as at Paseo Padre Parkway/Dorne Place and Paseo Padre Parkway/Mento Drive intersections.
Crosswalk safety elements to be implemented vary at each crosswalk location, but they generally include the installation of pedestrian flashing beacons, curb extensions, new ADA curb ramps, refuge median islands, sidewalk widening, new crosswalk signs, and high visibility crosswalk pavement striping. Existing bus stops near these crosswalks will also be enhanced as part of the Project. These improvements are consistent with the goals from the City’s Pedestrian Master Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, and Mobility Action Plan, with the overall objective of encouraging more walking, bicycling and use of public transit by improving pedestrian/bicycle safety, access, and comfort along City roadways.
FISCAL IMPACT: The estimated Project construction cost is $1,875,000. The City’s anticipated TDA3 grant amount of $405,771 would be appropriated to the Pedestrian Improvement Program (PWC9078) providing local match funds for the $1,468,440 HSIP grant funds already secured for the Project construction. The remaining funds needed for the project will be funded by the Measure BB Bicycle and Pedestrian appropriation (PWC8944) as identified in the adopted FY2023/24-2027/28 CIP.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: This project is categorically exempt under Section 15061 9(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that it is not a project which has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. A separate environmental clearance will be provided for the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Resolution- 2024 Bikeway Enhancement Project
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, (a) to apply for Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Funds in the amount of $405,771 for the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project; and (b) to accept any awarded grant funds for the Project and to execute any necessary implementing documents.
2. Appropriate any TDA3 grant funds received to the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project (PWC9078-521).
Council Staff Report (ID # 5147) Meeting of May 7, 2024 Updated: 5/2/2024 4:46 PM by Dina Lewis Page 3
3. Find the action is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines, section 15061 9(b)(3) as it can be seen with certainty that application for grant funding is not an activity that in itself has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.