DATE: October 15, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolutions Approving City Applications to the Alameda County Transportation Commission Comprehensive Investment Plan and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Agreements with the Alameda County Transportation Commission
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopts three resolutions (Attachments II, III, and IV) authorizing the City to apply for grants to the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) Comprehensive Investment Plan and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Agreements with the Alameda County Transportation Commission if these projects are selected for award.
SUMMARY
The Alameda CTC Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP) is a discretionary grant program funded by several funding sources including Measures B and BB (MB/MBB), Vehicle Registration Fee (VRF), and Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA). This program is typically open to applications every two years. The City is proposing to submit applications for three projects: the Downtown Bike Loop project, the D Street Traffic Calming project (05225), and the Jackson Street Safety Innovation Corridor project.
BACKGROUND
The Alameda CTC CIP is a discretionary grant program funded by several funding sources including Measures B and BB (MB/MBB), Vehicle Registration Fee (VRF), and Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA). This program is typically open to applications every two years and cities, the County, and transit agencies may apply for grants. A total of $100 million is available for four types of projects:
Bicycle and/or pedestrian capital projects and programs Complete streets capital and road improvement projects
Transit-related capital projects
Shuttle and other program operations
Applications are rated based on project readiness, benefits (including general benefits, access improvements, and safety), and provision of matching funds. Funding from the program is available for projects to be implemented between fiscal years 2025-26 and 2029-30.
DISCUSSION
The City is proposing to submit applications for three projects as part of this call for projects: the Downtown Bike Loop project, the D Street Traffic Calming project, and the A Street Safety Innovation Corridor project.
The Downtown Bike Loop project would provide a bike alternative to access and travel around Downtown Hayward. The City will be starting a study of the Downtown Loop later this year that will explore long term improvements to all modes. The Downtown Bike Loop will enable the City to implement improvements that help bicyclists navigate the Downtown now and in the future(Attachment V). This project would install new Class IV bikeways on 2nd St, C St, and D St, and Class II bikeways on Watkins St and B St, to create new ways for bicyclists to access Downtown. It would also provide pedestrian enhancements on these streets, including enhancements at Russel Way and 2nd Street, the site of two senior living facilities.
The D Street Traffic Calming project is an established City priority. At the August 28, 2024 Council Infrastructure and Airport Committee staff received feedback from residents and Committee members to implement a robust plan to reduce speeds and enhance pedestrian safety. This proposed grant application would allow the City to leverage existing funding for this project to implement more permanent and robust traffic calming.
The A Street Safety Innovation Corridor project would implement innovative traffic signal coordination along A Street that integrates traffic management, emergency response priority, transit priority, connected vehicle information and coordination, and incident detection. The technology investment will provide a network that can be used by the Police Department, Fire Department and emergency vehicles, and the Transportation Division to actively manage the street. The project will leverage recent Federal standards for connected vehicle infrastructure to create a comprehensive technology corridor project that can serve as a template for future investments in the City and the region.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Facilitating safe, multi-modal access to Downtown and safety improvements along Jackson Street, a major arterial in the heart of the City contributes to the economic vitality of the City.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item will not impact the General Fund. Each of the applications require City matching funds of at least 25 percent of the total funds if the City is awarded these grants. Staff recommends funding the City match as follows:
For the Downtown Bike Loop project, staff plan to request $750,000 in grant funding from Alameda CTC. Staff proposed to use available fund balance in Funds 213 and 216, Measure BB and Measure B Pedestrian and Bicycle to fund the City match of $250,000.
For the D Street Traffic Calming project (05225), staff plan to request $500,000 in grant funding from Alameda CTC. The existing CIP Project No. 05225 has a fund balance of $297,000 from Fund 212, of which staff proposed to use $250,000 for the City match. This match percentage is higher than the minimum required to increase the likelihood of this project receiving funding from Alameda CTC. Some of the existing project balance is being preserved to continue ongoing planning and design while waiting for the outcome of the grant award.
For the A Street Safety Innovation Corridor project, staff plan to request $2,000,000 in grant funding from Alameda CTC. Staff proposed to use available fund balance in Funds 212 and 215, Measure BB and B Local Transportation, to fund the City match of $1,250,000. This match amount will allow the City to complete installation on A Street between Hesperian Blvd and Mission Blvd, making it a more complete project. A higher level of match will also make the grant more competitive for funding.
If these applications are approved by Council, staff will include funding for the Downtown Bike Loop and Jackson Street Safety Innovation Corridor projects within the City’s FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Program update, which coincides with the earliest year of funding available from the Alameda CTC CIP grant program. If Alameda CTC awards these projects at the requested funding levels, any project cost increase would be the responsibility of the City through local funds or other grants.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Invest in Infrastructure: Invest in Infrastructure. Specifically, this item relates to the implementation of the following project:
Project N1: Continue to implement major corridor traffic calming initiatives
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
This project will advance implementation of safety improvements on several streets that will benefit pedestrian and bicycle modes of travel, which may facilitate increased use of these modes of transportation. The Downtown Bike Loop and D Street project are consistent with recommendations from the Council adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. All three projects are consistent with the Council adopted Local Road Safety Plan.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Staff conducted public outreach for these projects in several ways, including extensive outreach through the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and project-specific outreach for the D Street Traffic Calming project at the August 28, 2024 Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee meeting. Staff will conduct additional outreach for each of the projects individually as they advance through the planning and design process.
NEXT STEPS
Authorization to apply for funding will allow staff to submit these applications to the Alameda CTC before the deadline of October 31, 2024.
Prepared by: Hugh Louch, Deputy Director of Public Works – Transportation Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
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Dustin Claussen, Interim City Manager