DATE:
February 14, 2023
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Public Works
TITLE: One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions
of Local Support
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Providing Local Support and Authorizing the Filing of an Application for Funding Assigned to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Committing Any Necessary Matching Funds and Stating Assurance to Complete the Middlefield Road Complete Streets Project, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Providing Local Support and Authorizing the Filing of an Application for Funding Assigned to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Committing Any Necessary Matching Funds and Stating Assurance to Complete the Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets Project, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 2 to the Council report).
3. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Providing Local Support and Authorizing the Filing of an Application for Funding Assigned to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Committing Any Necessary Matching Funds and Stating Assurance to Complete the El Camino Real/El Monte/Escuela Intersection Improvements, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 3 to the Council report).
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents and agreements and take all necessary actions related to the grant funding.
BACKGROUND
On June 3, 2022, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) issued a call for projects for the One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 (OBAG 3) program. The OBAG 3 program is a combination of Federally funded grant programs, including the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMA Q). The OBAG 3 program integrates the region’s discretionary Federal Highway Administration funding program with the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy, collectively known as Plan
One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions of Local Support February 14, 2023
Bay Area 2050. The OBAG 3 allocates funding for Federal Fiscal Years 2022-23 through 2025-26.
All OBAG 3 funds must be obligated by January 31, 2027.
Key requirements for participation in the OBAG 3 program include:
1. Compliance with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC’s) Complete Streets policy (MTC Resolution No. 4493);
2. Compliance with State housing laws related to surplus lands, accessory dwelling units, and density bonuses by December 31, 2023;
3. Pavement Management Program certification at least once every three years;
4. Compliance with Project Delivery Policy and Guidance (MTC Resolution No. 3606);
5. Completion of a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), as defined by the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) guidelines, by December 31, 2023; and
6. Housing Element certification by the California Department of Housing and C ommunity Development (HCD) for 2023-2031 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) by December 31, 2023.
The City is in compliance with the first four items listed above and is on track to complete the LRSP and Housing Element Certification prior to December 31, 2023.
In p rior OBAG funding cycles, there were guaranteed formula allocations for pavement maintenance to each city and county in addition to a competitive grant program . For instance, as part of OBAG 2 in 2016, the City of Mountain View received $1.1 million in guaranteed funding for a pavement maintenance project. However, no guaranteed funding for pavement maintenance was allowed for O BAG 3. All OBAG 3 funding allocations were distributed competitively, and requests for repaving funds needed to be combined with Complete Streets improvements. The City had previously assumed ongoing receipt of these Federal funds for the Pavement Management Program to help maintain the City’s network pavement condition index.
OBAG 3 Grant Applications
In July 2022, the City submitted OBAG 3 applications to VTA for the following four projects:
• Middlefield Road Complete Streets: Repaving between Moffett Boulevard and Whisman Road and new Class IV protected bikeways , between Moffett Boulevard and Bernardo Avenue, consistent with the Bicycle Transportation Plan;
One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions of Local Support February 14, 2023
• Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets : Repaving and installation of Class II bike lanes and Class IV protected bikeways between Middlefield Road and the northern terminus of Moffett Boulevard (Clark Road), a sidewalk gap closure between Stevens Creek Trail and Leong Drive, and intersection improvements at Moffett Boulevard/State Route 85, pending California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans) approval consistent with the Bicycle Transportation Plan;
• El Camino Real/El Monte Avenue/Escuela Avenue Intersection Improvements: Removal of the existing slip lane, installation of high -visibility crosswalks, Class IV protected bikeways, green dashed conflict zones, and green bike boxes (pending Caltrans approval) consistent with the El Camino Real Streetscape Plan; and
• Charleston Road Complete Streets Corridor : Establishing transit signal priority and installing transit -only lanes between Huff Avenue and Amphitheatre Parkway, and providing high -visibility crosswalks, wide sidewalks, narrow travel lanes, and Class IV protected bikeways , between Huff Avenue and Salado Drive , consistent with the North Bayshore Precise Plan.
These projects were selected based on the following criteria:
• The project is included in the City’s five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and/or a Council-approved plan.
• The project can be delivered within the grant timelines, considering workload, other City priorities, and approvals or permits from other jurisdictions.
• A minimum of $1 million in grant funding can be requested. Federal grants require significant staff time to administer, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance, and approvals from Caltrans Local Assistance on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, which increases project costs and delivery time.
• The project will be competitive and score well against the grant scoring criteria.
• The project provides for repaving a street that will need pavement maintenance during the OBAG 3 time period.
In June 2022, the City’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) reviewed each of the above projects and their respective Complete Streets checklists as required as part of the application process.
One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions of Local Support February 14, 2023
OBAG 3 Grant Awards
The VTA received 58 grant applications from the cities and County of Santa Clara totaling $588 million. All four of the City of Mountain View’s applications scored within the VTA’s top 15 projects and were approved by the VTA Board of Directors on October 6, 2022, to forward to the MTC for potential grant awards. On January 25, 2023, the MTC approved three of the City’s four projects for OBAG 3 grant awards as follows:
1. Middlefield Road Complete Streets—$2,406,000;
2. Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets—$3.5 million; and
3. El Camino Real/Escuela Avenue/El Monte Avenue Intersection Improvements— $2.4 million.
ANALYSIS
To receive OBAG 3 funding, the City Council must ad opt a resolution of local support for each project using the MTC’s resolution wording (Attachments 1 to 3). The resolutions include many resolved clauses, the most significant of which include:
• The City will p rovide the required matching funds (discussed further below) and understands that the grant amount is fixed , and the City must fund any project cost increases.
• The City will comply with the procedure s, delivery milestones, and funding deadlines specified in the Regional Project Funding Delivery Policy and has adequate staffing resources to deliver and complete the project on the schedule submitted with the applications.
• There is no pending or threa tened litigation that might in any way affect the ability of the City to deliver the project.
• The City Manager or designee is authorized to execute and file the application with the MTC.
According to Federal requirements, a minimum match of 11.47% of the total project cost must be provided for OBAG 3 funding sources. The VTA provided extra scoring points for local agencies committing a higher local match amount , and the City’s applications offered matches ranging from 24% to 53% of total project costs. Any non-Federal funding source may be used as a match, including City funds, VTA Measure B funds, State gas tax, and Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) funds.
One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions of Local Support February 14, 2023
The key schedu le milestone in the grant applications is receiving Caltrans Local Assistance approval of the final plans and specifications to start construction. Table 1 below lists the project cost, grant amount, match, and Caltrans’ construction approval schedule included in the applications.
Table 1: Project Costs and Construction Schedule
Project Name Project Cost
Grant
Funds
Matching
Funds
Construction
Approval
Schedule
Middlefield Road Complete
Streets Project $5,150,000 $2,406,000 $2,744,000 July 2024 Moffett Boulevard
Complete Streets Project $4,600,000 $3,500,000 $1,100,000 July 2025 El Camino Real/El Monte
Avenue/Escuela Avenue
Intersection Improvements
$3,550,000 $2,400,000 $1,150,000 July 2025
FISCAL IMPACT
The three grants will provide a total of $8.3 million in Federal funding , including support for repaving segments of two City arterials . The m atch funding is currently available or will be recommended for appropriation as part of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 CIP, which will be adopted by Council in June 2023:
• Middlefield Road Complete Streets Project—$2.6 million from Annual Street Maintenance, Project 22-01, has been allocated to the Middlefield Road repaving project. Project 22 -01 is funded by the Construction/Conveyance Tax Fund, Gas Tax Fund, Measure B Sales Tax Fund, and Measure B 2010 Vehicle License Fee. Staff will recommend appropriat ing an additional $144,000 to Project 22 -01 to provide the total match as part of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 CIP to be adopted by Council in June 2023.
• Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets Project—Match funding of $1.1 million for this project is required for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Staff will recommend funding for this match as part of the five-year CIP for Fiscal Years 2023 -24 through 2027 -28, to be adopted by Council in June 2023. Options include Annual Street Maintenance, Projects 24-01 or 25 -01, or SB 1 Streets Project, Projects 24-03 or 25-03.
• El Camino Real/El Monte Avenue/Escuela Avenue Intersection Improvements—CIP Project 22-29 provides funding to construct bicycle and pedestrian improvements along El Camino Real, using a combination of the Construction/Conveyance Tax Fund, Transportation One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 Resolutions of Local Support February 14, 2023
Reserve-General Fund, and Measure B Sales Tax Fu nd. A portion of these funds will be provided to Caltrans to deliver pedestrian -crossing improvements and new bikeways in conjunction with Caltrans’ upcoming repaving and American s with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades project. The remaining funding from Project 22-29 can provide the $1.15 million match for this intersection project.
CONCLUSION
The City has been awarded $8.3 million in OBAG 3 Federal funding to deliver the Middlefield Road Complete Streets Project, Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets Project, and the El Camino Real/El Monte Avenue/Escuela Avenue Intersection Improvements. Resolutions of local support adopted by the City Council authorizing the filing of an application, committing matching funds, and stating assurance to complete the projects are required to secure the grant funds. The matching funds can be provided by the CIP.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Decline to adopt the resolutions of local support for one or more projects.
2. Provide other direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting and email distribution to BPAC.
Prepared by:
Ria Hutabarat Lo
Transportation Manager
Damian Skinner
Assistant Public Works Director
Approved by:
Dawn S. Cameron
Public Works Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
RHL-DS/LL/1/CAM
947-02-14-23CR
202580
Attachments: 1. Resolution, Middlefield Road Complete Streets Project
2. Resolution, Moffett Boulevard Complete Streets Project
3. Resolution, El Camino Real/El Monte Avenue/Escuela Avenue Intersection Improvements