DATE: August 20, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Agreements with Subgrantee Partners for the Safe Routes and Active Transportation for Schools and Underserved Communities in Hayward Project Nos. 06937 and 06941
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to execute agreements with subgrantee partners for the Safe Routes and Active Transportation for Schools and Underserved Communities in Hayward Project.
SUMMARY
The City was awarded funding from the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB’s) Clean Mobility in Schools (CMIS) and Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 to implement Safe Routes and Active Transportation for Schools and Underserved Communities in Hayward (Project). CMIS and STEP are state programs that aim to increase transportation equity by identifying and addressing communities’ transportation needs, increasing access to key destinations and services, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled. The grant application included partnership with several community organizations (TransForm, Bike East Bay, and Teach Earth Action) and the Hayward Unified School District (HUSD), each of which is responsible for executing some elements of this grant. This action would authorize the City Manager to execute agreements with TransForm, Bike East Bay, and HUSD.
BACKGROUND
In July 2023, CARB issued a statewide competitive joint request for applications under the Planning and Capacity Building (Planning), CMIS, and STEP programs with an overarching goal of increasing transportation equity in disadvantaged communities (DAC) throughout California. Through the Low Carbon Transportation Investment Fiscal Year 2022-23 Funding Plan, CARB has allocated $3 million to Planning, $14.8 million to CMIS, and $14.85 million to STEP grants.
The CMIS program focuses on supporting public school communities by funding innovative and holistic projects with the potential to benefit the school communities and nearby residents. The STEP program supports projects that have the potential to reduce passenger vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and that prioritize long-term mode shifts toward sustainable mobility and VMT reduction. The grant requires partnerships between a lead applicant, sub-applicants, and community partners. Sub-applicants collaborate with the lead applicant (City) to implement the project and community partners serve as key stakeholders and representatives of the community potentially impacted by the project. The grant included a two-phase process: Concept Phase and Full Phase; the eligible applicants selected during the Concept Phase were invited to the Full Phase.
On January 4, 2024, the City was notified by CARB that the City’s grant application was selected for partial award funding of $5,257,087. Subsequently, CARB reassessed the remaining available funding and announced on March 1, 2024, that the City’s full requested amount of $6,206,508 will be awarded to the City.
On April 23, 2024, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute the grant agreement with CARB, which was fully executed by both parties on May 27, 2024.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of the grant project, Safe Routes and Active Transportation for Schools and Underserved Communities in Hayward, is to provide and promote safe, affordable active transportation while reducing transportation-related emissions for residents, especially in DAC and low-income (LI) communities. The grant application included several partnerships to help implement the many elements of the grant, including:
Teach Earth Action (TEA) is supporting outreach and engagement through their unique programs run out of Chabot College.
TransForm will help facilitate engagement with schools, students, and student families, building on the work they conduct as part of the Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program Bike East Bay (BEB) will host bicycle educational classes and events for students and community members and provide any feedback related to bike parking and the bike voucher program HUSD is receiving funding to install bicycle parking and is coordinating with TransForm and the City on engagement with schools, students and student families.
The total budget for the City’s scope of work for the grant project is $6,210,008, which is reimbursement-based after the contract is executed with CARB. This includes a $3,500 contribution from the City to fund outreach activities that are not allowable under the grant terms. The total funding for each of the project partners is listed below.
Project Description
Estimated Cost
Teach Earth Action
$73,750
Bike East Bay
$145,585
TransForm
$221,000
Hayward Unified School District
$80,039
Staff have developed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) consistent with City and CARB requirements. The MOU with TEA was executed on July 22, 2024 as the cost is within the City Manager’s signing authority.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
City residents, including students and their families, will benefit from improved active transportation infrastructure, bike subsidies, and active transportation education.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to this action. The project is primarily funded by the grant from CARB, with a small allocation of $3,500 from the City to fund outreach items that are not allowable under the grant terms. This funding was accepted, and City funding allocated on April 23, 2024.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Confront Climate Crisis & Champion Environmental Justice and Invest in Infrastructure. Specifically, this project relates to the implementation of the following projects:
Confront Climate Crisis & Champion Environmental Justice Project C6: Improve e-bike adoption through the creation of an e-bike rebate program and ensuring that electric transit infrastructure such as EV chargers also serve e-bike and not just electric cars Invest in Infrastructure
Project N1: Continue to implement major corridor traffic calming initiatives.
Project N2: Develop a micro-mobility policy (eBikes, eScooters) Project N4: Implement Safe Routes for School, with a focus on Cesar Chavez and Palma Ceia.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
The implementation of the project would encourage and incentivize walking and biking for the residents thereby reducing automobile dependency and greenhouse gas emissions over time.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Robust public outreach and engagement will be implemented as the project moves forward. All necessary stakeholders and affected neighborhoods, agencies, community-based organizations, and businesses will have opportunities for input and be done in a way that is equitable.
NEXT STEPS
If Council approves this request, the City Manager will enter into agreements with TransForm, Bike East Bay, and HUSD.
Prepared by: Jade Kim, Assistant Transportation Engineer Hugh Louch, Deputy Director of Public Works
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
__________________________________
Dustin Clausen, Interim City Manager
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