Agenda Item A.5
CPMS CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Luz “Nina” Buelna, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Teresa Lopes, Senior Project Engineer
SUBJECT: Active Transportation Program Cycle 7 Large Metropolitan Planning Organization Grant Opportunity for San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive information on the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 Large Metropolitan Planning Organization call for projects - San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path (Path Project).
BACKGROUND:
An estimated $568 million was available for Cycle 7 of the ATP , including Fiscal Years 2025/26 through 2028/29. Funding is available through three pots: Statewide (50%), Large Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) (40%), and Small Urban/Rural (10%).
Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is now considered a large MPO area per Cycle 7 and receives a formula share of the Large MPO 40% pot estimated to be approximately $2.8 million over the four-year Cycle 7 period. The adopted FY 24/25 State Budget the California Transportation Commission ( CTC) reduced the funding estimate from $568 million to the adopted amount of $168 million. SBCAG’s allocated portion of large MPO ATP funding was reduced from $2.8 million to $834,000.
To retain the original funding amount for Santa Barbara County , SBCAG is borrow ing large MPO shares for the 2025 ATP Cycle (Cycle 7 ) from Kern Council of Governments (Bakersfield) Region and Lake Tahoe (Bi -State) Region. These funds must be repaid to the loaner MPOs in the 2027 Active Transportation Program (Cycle 8). SBCAG has successfully executed agreements with both loaner MPOs.
SBCAG will split the $2.8 million funding share between the North County and South County based on population share from the 2020 US Census. North County will receive an apportionment of $ 1.5 million (52%) , and the South County will receive an 1 Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
apportionment of $1. 3 million (48%). A minimum of 25% of the funds distributed to SBCAG ($699,000) must benefit disadvantaged communities.
The funding allocation will consist of both State and Federal funds as shown in Table 1:
Table 1 SBCAG ATP Cycle 7 Funding Allocation
Santa Barbara
(SBCAG)
Large MPO
Share
($ in thousands)
FY
2025/26
FY
2026/27
FY
2027/28
FY
2028/29
4-Year total
State $350 $350 $360 $570 $1,630
Federal $340 $830 $1,170
Local $350 $350 $700 $1,400 $2,800
Public Works (PW) staff is focusing on pursuing upcoming State and Federal grant opportunities that would help fund existing CIP projects and support the City’s goals and commitments to programs and adopted plans such as the Creek and Watershed Management Plan and Vision Zero.
The Path Project is a CIP project partially funded by ATP grant funding. The project was awarded $15,290,000 in ATP grant Federal funding in 2019 for the construction phase.
Based on the engineers' estimate, an additional $19 million will be necessary to fund the project construction phase . The Path Project is an ideal candidate to pursue additional grant funding from SBCAG’s ATP Large MPO Cycle 7 funding program to help cover the funding needed for the construction. The Path Project is a competitive grant candidate because the project is “shovel ready”; the environmental review, permitting, right of way, and final design have been completed, and the project is ready for construction. The Path Project will also result in several beneficial impacts for the community as follows:
Supports active transportation travel and travel mode shift, Will result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (through transportation mode shift),
Includes improvements to the San Jose Creek and watershed, Benefits the disadvantaged community of Old Town,
Will benefit bicycle and pedestrian safety,
Works towards Vision Zero goals.
DISCUSSION:
PW staff ha ve previously applied for construction phase funding from three U.S.
Department of Transportation Grants for the Path Project. These included the Safe Streets and Roads for All program (SS4A), the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP), and the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) program .
The City successfully received supplemental planning funding from the SS4A grant program to help progress the City’s Vision Zero program . PW staff are still awaiting the results of the ATIIP and RCP grant application submittals. If successful in either remaining 2 Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
federal funding grant program, the City is still responsible for an estimated local match of $6.6 million.
The SBCAG ATP Large MPO Cycle 7 grant provides an opportunity to apply for additional funding for the project's construction phase . If successful in one of the federal grant applications, the funding could be put toward the required local match (State funding only) or, if unsuccessful, could help reduce the unfunded construction amount.
Grant Description
TABLE 1
ATP GRANT PROGRAM DETAILS
Lead Agency City of Goleta
Eligible CIP Project San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path (CIP 9006) Grant Program
Funding Available
Approximately $1.33 million in funding is available for the South Coast. Funding consists of both State and Federal funding. Would request State funding as preferable.
Grant Funding
Request Amount
Approximately $1.33 million (South Coast share)
Grant Matching
Funds
None associated with this opportunity
Application
Deadline
Pre-Applications are due by 11/6/2024
Applications are due 11/22/2024 by 5 pm PT.
Grant Wards
Announced
SBCAG Board approves projects – 1/16/2025
MPO makes project recommendations to CTC – 6/2/2025
June 2025 – CTC adopts MPO selected projects.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There are no fiscal impacts at this time.
ALTERNATIVES:
None.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Megan Garibaldi, City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
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