Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5169) DOC ID: 5169
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:36 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
FREMONT BOULEVARD MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS - Accept and
Appropriate Grant Funds from the Safe Routes to BART Program in the Amount of $3,000,000 for the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B) Located in the Downtown Fremont Area; Make Finding 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 report is to facilitate the receipt of grant funding from the Safe Routes to BART (SR2B) program for the construction of multimodal transportation improvements along Fremont Boulevard, located between Country Drive and Walnut Avenue. The Project includes elevating the existing street-level bike lane to the level of the adjacent sidewalk. The Project seeks to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, safety, and comfort within the Fremont BART Transit Priority Area and the Downtown/City Center Priority Development Area. Together with the Walnut Avenue bikeway, the Project will establish enhanced active transportation connections between various Downtown shopping centers, upcoming affordable housing development sites, and the Fremont BART station.
BACKGROUND: The Bicycle Master Plan, Pedestrian Master Plan, City Center Community Plan, and Downtown Community Plan all identify Fremont Boulevard and Walnut Avenue as core components of a high-quality urban bikeway network along major commute corridors in the Downtown Fremont area to encourage residents to use alternative transportation modes to access jobs, housing, schools, retail, regional transit, and other services.
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) administers the SR2B grant program, which utilizes a portion of the 2016 voter approved Measure RR bond funds to fund projects that improve active transportation access to BART stations for current and potential BART riders. The City was successful in securing SR2B funds from the first two programming cycles for the construction of the Walnut Avenue Bikeway Phase II Project, consisting of a new protected intersection at Walnut Avenue and Liberty Street intersection (completed in the Fall of 2023) and the construction of a sidewalk-level bikeway along both sides of Walnut Avenue from Paseo Padre Parkway to Fremont Boulevard (scheduled for construction in Spring 2026). The first phase of the Walnut Avenue Bikeway Project was completed in 2020 and was named one of America’s Best New Bikeways of 2020 by the People for Bikes organization, resulting in a steady increase in bicyclists of all ages and skill levels along the Walnut Avenue corridor.
In October 2023, BART released a call for projects for the third and final programming cycle of the SR2B program. The City of Fremont applied for and was awarded $3 million in funds for the construction of sidewalk-level bikeways along Fremont Boulevard between Country Drive (near Washington High School) and Walnut Avenue.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5169) Meeting of May 21, 2024 Updated: 5/16/2024 7:36 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Project will expand the enhanced active transportation infrastructure featured along Walnut Avenue to Fremont Boulevard, which will greatly increase the viability, convenience, and comfort for residents and visitors to walk and bike within the Downtown area and to the Fremont BART station. The Project will continue the sidewalk-level bikeway currently along Walnut Avenue to Fremont Boulevard between Walnut Avenue and Country Drive. The Project will also install intersection safety improvements at the Fremont Boulevard and Beacon Avenue intersection. Other Project elements include enhanced bus stops, pavement resurfacing, new pavement striping, storm drain modification, traffic signal upgrades, and landscape beautification to complement the new bikeway and pedestrian improvements along Fremont Boulevard.
The Project strongly supports the region’s equity goal by improving last-mile connections within the Fremont Downtown and City Center areas, which includes a large number of medical, government, social, and family service destinations for disadvantaged residents in the South County region. The Project also provides the appropriate bikeway and pedestrian infrastructure to support various upcoming affordable housing developments in the Downtown area and connect future residents to local schools, social services, commercial centers, grocery stores, regional transit, and recreational destinations.
Project design is scheduled to begin in Summer 2024 with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT: The $3 million in SR2B grant funds will be used to fund the Project construction, and the City is required to provide a minimum of $3,151,000 in matching funds. Project design is fully funded through a prior Measure BB grant that the City secured from the Alameda County Transportation Commission in 2022. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately $8 million, and the City will be working to secure additional grant funding from various federal, State, or regional sources over the next two years to fully fund the project implementation. Additionally, the City receives annual funding from the State and Alameda County Transportation Commission that is dedicated toward bicycle and pedestrian projects, which can be used as matching funds for grants.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Environmental review is not required because the recommended action to receive grant funds 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 Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project during the project design phase.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B):
1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the SR2B grant and to execute any associated grant agreements or documents.
2. Appropriate $3,000,000 in SR2B grant funds to PWC9100-571 (Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project).
Council Staff Report (ID # 5169) Meeting of May 21, 2024 Updated: 5/16/2024 7:36 AM by Dina Lewis Page 3
3. Find the action is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines, section 15061 9(b)(3).