Agenda Item A.6
CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
TO:
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
SUBMITTED BY: Luz “Nina” Buelna, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Teresa Lopes, Senior Project Manager
SUBJECT: Measure A South Coast Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Program Cycle 6 Grant Program Opportunity for Various Capital Improvement Program Projects
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive information on San ta Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Measure A South Coast Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Program Cycle 6 Grant Program call for various Capital Improvement Program Projects.
BACKGROUND:
Various revenue sources fun d Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects . The major source of funds available for capital projects are dedicated funds for this type of use.
Funds for the CIP are accounted for in the City’s special revenue funds and include various development impact fee funds, transportation-related special revenue funds, and federal, state and local grants that have been awarded. Grant funding continues to be an important source of funding for CIP projects. Public Works (PW) staff continue to focus on pursuing upcoming grant opportunities that will help fund existing CIP projects.
In 2008, Santa Barbara County voters approved Measure A, establishing the Santa Barbara Transportation Improvement Program (Program). Measure A funded the Program through a local one-half percent sales tax for 30 years. Revenues generated by the tax increment are split between the northern and southern areas of the county and are further divided between various regional transportation projects and other local transportation programs identified in the adopted Measure A expenditure plan. Two such programs are the South Coast Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian program and the Safe Routes to School program. Funds from these programs are awarded on an as needed competitive basis based on the review and selection of grant applications.
Cycle 6 of the Measure A South Coast Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Program (Measure A grant program) call for projects was released on February 20, 2025. Over the next three years, the Me asure A grant program will make approximately $4 million of competitive grant funds available to expand and improve 1 Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
regional bicycle and pedestrian facilities and safety improvement projects to, from, and near schools.
DISCUSSION:
Cycle 6 of the Measure A South Coast Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian and Safe Routes to School Program (Measure A grant program) call for projects will cover the next three Fiscal Years (FY) from FY 2025/26 – 2027/28. There will be a call for projects approximately every three years. Pre-Applications for projects are due on March 6, 2025 , with final applications due on April 1, 2025. A pre -application submittal is required for a final application to be submitted.
The estimated funding for the Measure A grant program includes $2.3 million for the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and $1.9 million for the Safe Routes to School Program, resulting in approximately $600,000 for each program available for each fiscal year. The grant program guidelines state that application funding requests should not exceed the cumulative funding available for that fiscal year. Based on the funding available , the maximum grant funding ask for an individual project will be approximately $600,000. The Measure A grant program funds are considered to be “local” funds, making this grant source ideal for matching funds for other state and federal grants.
Eligible projects for the Measure A grant program consist of Capital Projects, including all phases of the project development process from planning and project development to construction; Plans and Studies, such as bicycle and pedestrian master plans and updates to plans over five years old ; and Programs, including education/awareness/outre ach, encouragement/marketing, and safety programs. The projects must focus on improving the safety of pedestrians.
The Measure A grant program presents a grant opportunity that PW staff intends to pursue for existing CIP projects. Projects to be considered for grant applications include current projects that need additional local funding. Consideration will also be given to selecting projects fully supported by dedicated revenue with the addition of the Measure A grant program funding. Only projects currently listed as CIP projects that meet the prioritization framework would be fully funded with the grant funding and existing dedicating funding, thus eliminating additional burden on the CIP budget, will be considered for Measure A g rant program applications.
CIP projects to be considered for grant applications include:
Measure A Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
San Jose Creek Multipurpose Path – the Measure A grant program funding would help offset the required local match from existing federal grants.
Safe Routes to School Program
Vision Zero Action Plan –Measure A grant funding considered to offset local match required for the Safe Streets and Roads for all grant and additional funding could be used to expand the safe routes to school task to include all Goleta area schools. 2 Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
The above list represents some of the higher priority CIP projects. Other projects lower in priority on the current CIP list that could be fully funded if Measure A grant program funds are awarded may also be considered.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There is no fiscal impact associated with submitting applications.
ALTERNATIVES:
None.
LEGAL REVIEW BY: Issac Rosen, Acting City Attorney
APPROVED BY: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
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