Special City Council
February 17, 2022
SUBJECT: Accept and Appropriate RAISE
Grant
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: January 31, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To: 1) Accept And Appropriate United States Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure With Sustainability And Equity (RAISE) Grant Program Funds Totaling Fourteen Million Five Hundred And Seven Thousand Seventy-Five Dollars ($14,507,075) Awarded To The City Of Oakland For The Reconnecting The Town: Safe, Reliable and Equitable Access Project, Subject To Procurement Of Twenty-Nine Million, Three Hundred Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Twenty-Eight Dollars ($29,107,528) To Meet Full Matching Requirement Of The RAISE Grant Program; and 2) To Take All Steps Necessary To Apply For And Receive Additional Funds Necessary To Meet The Matching Requirement Of The RAISE Grant Program.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of the proposed resolution will allow the City of Oakland (City) to accept and appropriate $14,507,075 in grant funds from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program for the Reconnecting the Town: Safe, Reliable, and Equitable Access Project. This project will improve access to the historic waterfront and enhance physical and digital connectivity between West Oakland, Old Oakland, Chinatown, Downtown and the Jack London District along 7th Street, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Broadway corridors. Proposed bus-only lanes on Broadway, buffered bikeways on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, pedestrian improvements on both corridors, and public Wi-Fi expansion on 7th Street through new fiber connectivity will reconnect some of Oakland’s historically redlined neighborhoods while supporting transportation mode shift and broader sustainability goals. This resolution will also commit the City to procure sufficient funds to meet the local match as required under the grant.
The RAISE funding will allow the City to implement, enhance improvements and deliver new benefits through priority projects identified by the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and other citywide planning efforts, including the Transforming Oakland’s Waterfront Neighborhoods (TOWN) for All Project.
City Administrator Approval Date: Feb 3, 2022
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Ryan Russo
City Administrator Director, Oakland Department
of Transportation
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 2
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Fiscal Year 2021 RAISE Discretionary Grant, administered by the USDOT, is a highly competitive national grant program with a total appropriation of $1 billion to invest in surface transportation. Previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants, Congress dedicated nearly $10.1 billion for 13 rounds of National Infrastructure Investments to fund projects that have a significant local or regional impact. Up to $30 million was also appropriated for planning project proposals. The program selection criteria encompassed safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, innovation, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. Within these criteria, the selected grants reflect the USDOT’s priorities for creating good-paying jobs, improving safety, applying transformative technology, and explicitly addressing climate change and advancing racial equity.
On July 2021, the OakDOT applied for $25 million in RAISE capital investments for Reconnecting the Town and committed to approximately $7.9 million in pre-construction and construction matching funds. Reconnecting the Town proposed to address patterns of underinvestment in walking, biking, and transit infrastructure by providing improved multimodal connections to West Oakland, Old Oakland, Chinatown, and Jack London Square. Neighborhoods next to I-880 continue to be characterized by underinvestment in multimodal transportation infrastructure which limits mobility, as illustrated by the lack of safe access to the waterfront, limited transit access, unsafe walking conditions, lack of low-stress bikeways, persistent health disparities, an existing digital divide and aging infrastructure. The project proposed to address these issues through systemic safety improvements on Broadway and Martin Luther King Jr. Way that target the most vulnerable roadway users – bicyclists and pedestrians – in addition to improving transit accessibility and driver safety. In addition, the expansion of new public Wi-Fi networks in West Oakland were designed to facilitate connectedness across neighborhoods and will provide internet at three city parks and over 10 community centers, further facilitating community connectivity and addressing the digital divide.
In October 2021, USDOT reached out to confirm the City’s ability to deliver the full scope presented in the submitted application with a $12.9 million RAISE award ($12 million less than requested). After receiving confirmation regarding the likelihood of increased matching funds from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) and the Port of Oakland, the City confirmed it could still deliver the full proposed scope with a reduced award. In November 2021, the City was notified of a $14.5 million RAISE award ($1.6 million more than what was proposed in October). The $14.5 million awarded funds must be obligated by September 30, 2024. The City, USDOT, partner agencies, and community leaders held a press conference to celebrate a landmark investment from the USDOT on November 19, 2021.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Adoption of the proposed resolution will allow the City to move forward with implementing the Reconnecting the Town Project, advancing three Citywide priorities: (1) housing, economic, and cultural security; and (2) vibrant, sustainable infrastructure; and (3) holistic community safety.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 3
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
This project includes improvements along three major corridors in the City of Oakland—Broadway, Martin Luther King Junior Way and 7th Street (See Project Location Map, Attachment A). Each corridor is consistent with the Council-adopted Capital Improvement Program (CIP) prioritization criteria (Resolution No. 87376 C.M.S., adopted September 20, 2018). Priority corridors were identified for this grant based on CIP score, grant prioritization criteria, readiness and existing funding needs.
Proposed corridor improvements include:
Broadway Transit-Only Lanes & Fiber Connectivity
• Description: This project will extend existing priority bus lanes currently installed in the heart of downtown, creating new priority lanes stretching to the waterfront and to Grand Avenue.
These lanes will separate buses from general purpose traffic, resulting in a more reliable, efficient transit system, and improve intersection safety along one of the City’s High Injury Corridors through the following improvements:
o Transit-only lanes from Embarcadero to 11th Street, and 20th Street to Grand Ave; o Pedestrian-oriented freeway underpass improvements including lighting and sidewalk widening;
o Removal of the triangular-island slip turn at 6th Street and Broadway; o Transit signal priority and all new signals;
o Pedestrian bulb outs at key intersections, high visibility continental or “ladder style” crosswalks throughout;
o New efficient LED lighting that will minimize life cycle costs by reducing electricity usage and maintenance frequency;
o American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades; o OakWIFI/fiber connectivity will also reduce maintenance costs to City's traffic signals. • Citywide priority advancement: This 1.25- mile project will expand the City's commitment to transit priority through bus reliability and pedestrian enhancements. Expanding dedicated bus lanes to Broadway between Downtown, Uptown, Old Oakland and Chinatown will result in up to 30% travel time savings and 20% travel time reliability improvements for bus transit.
Martin Luther King Jr. Way Bike Lanes & Fiber Connectivity • Description: This project will increase the safety and visibility of people walking and biking along the corridor and reconnect Downtown Oakland to the waterfront through new pedestrian improvements, bike lanes and traffic calming. Matching funds will be provided by an Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant. Improvements include:
o Pedestrian improvements including sidewalk upgrades, accessible curb ramps and curb extensions, pedestrian lighting, intersection safety improvements and railroad crossing improvements;
o Installing buffered and/or protected bike lanes between Embarcadero West and 14th Street to create a safe, separate path of travel for people on bikes/scooters from motor vehicle traffic;
o Planting over 200 trees, making the city more climate resilient by regulating extreme temperatures, sequestering carbon and mitigating air pollution in the area. New trees will also provide a comfortable walking environment for pedestrians on hot days. Trees have been found to encourage more walking and bicycling, thus reducing drive-alone trips. Trees have also been found to reduce crime in neighborhoods; o OakWIFI fiber installation.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 4
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
• Citywide priority advancement: The project will close one mile in citywide bike network gaps through the installation of buffered bikeways in alignment with the City’s Bike Plan. 7th Street Fiber Connectivity
• Description: OakWiFi fiber will be installed from Brush Street to Mandela Parkway. • Citywide priority advancement: By installing fiber connectivity, access to wireless internet will be extended to parts of West Oakland that currently lack access to free public Wi-Fi.
These corridor improvements will connect to already funded bikeways, transit and pedestrian improvements on 7th Street and 14th Street, thus joining the six neighborhoods divided by the I- 880 and I-980 freeways with a low-stress bike network, while also enhancing digital access (See Map of Existing Barriers, Attachment B).
FISCAL IMPACT
The Project leverages multiple funding sources to create important connections for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and digital infrastructure. Adoption of the proposed resolution will allow $14,507,075 of federal funds to be deposited and appropriated as follows:
• Reconnecting the Town: $14,507,075 into Miscellaneous Grants Fund (2999), Complete Streets Design Organization (35244), Project number to be determined.
The total project costs can be found in Table 1. Updated total project costs reflect a comprehensive effort since the time of application to reevaluate costs associated with the TOWN for All Projects initiative. More specifically, costs increased to reflect the following:
• The Broadway full-block transit bulbs between 3rd and 4th require full street reconstruction for the entire block. The original estimate anticipated bulb construction only. • Increased unit quantities for sidewalk reconstruction, sidewalk widening, and intersection curb extensions (mostly along the MLK Jr. corridor)
• The unit price to grind/overlay the roadways was underestimated at the time of application. • Reconstructing the Broadway/6th Street intersection (remove free-right) was underestimated at the time of application.
• The unit prices for landscaping/trees and pedestrian lighting were underestimated at the time of application.
Table 1. Total Project Costs (as of 1/13/22)
RAISE
Application (Estimated
July 2021)
Updated Total RAISE Project
(Estimated January 2022)
Total Project Cost $32,935,000 $49,098,000
RAISE Funds $25,000,000 $14,507,075
Leveraging Funds $7,935,600 $19,983,397
Remaining Funding Need $0 $14,607,528
A breakdown of the project’s known match sources is included in Table 2 below.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 5
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
Table 2. Non-Federal Matching Funds (as of 1/13/22)
Fund Amount Secured Amount
Programmed*
Total
AHSC* $ 644,200 $ 644,200
Measure KK $ 4,639,197 $ 4,639,197
Measure B/BB ** $ 10,200,000 $ 10,200,000
State of CA (0521-192-0001)*** $ 4,500,000 $ 4,500,000 Total Match
Funding Anticipated to Date
$ 5,283,397
$ 14,700,000
$ 19,983,397
Remaining Funding Need –
RAISE Project Only (excluding
programmed funds)
$29,107,528
Remaining Funding Need –
RAISE Project Only (including
Programmed funds)
$14,607,528
*The original AHSC award was $690,200. To date, the remaining award balance is $644,200. **Contingent upon approval from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) ***Funds appropriated to the Port of Oakland for enhanced freight and passenger access in the FY 21 state budget. Funds are anticipated to be made available for this project through a supplemental agreement with the Port of Oakland, Caltrans and the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City and the Port of Oakland, which MOU will come to the Counci l for consideration and approval at a future date.
Completion of this project will require leveraging additional funding sources to offset the increase in total project costs. Thus far, the City has been successful at leveraging approximately $20 million for Reconnecting the Town as referenced in Table 2. This amount is a mixture of secured funding already appropriated in the City’s budget as well as programmed funding, which is contingent upon actions from external agencies but which the City feels confident about procuring. The remaining RAISE project funding need of $14.5 million will be met with additional grant funding, cost saving partnerships with other agencies, and future CIP programming. Given the increasing number of discretionary and formula funding opportunities available through the passage of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, staff also feels confident about upcoming opportunities to secure more grant funding.
Additionally, while costs for Reconnecting the Town have increased, it is estimated that the project will provide benefits of approximately $13.4 million in safety, travel time savings, public wi-fi provision, property value increases, project planning, construction, and maintenance every year once implemented (see Table 3).
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 6
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
Table 3. Estimated Project Benefits (as of 7/21)
Benefit/Cost
Category
Description Benefit/Cost
(2021$)
Safety Improvements Crash reduction from roadway upgrades $2,041,000 Travel Time Savings Travel time savings for transit users $310,800 Public Wi-Fi Provision Economic benefit to households with no internet $629,034 Property Value
Increases
Property value increases from bus lanes and
bikeways
$1,984,945
Maintenance Savings* Reduced maintenance expenses from improved infrastructure
$310,780
Project Planning,
Construction, and
Maintenance
Planning through 2023. Construction from 2024-
2029
$8,193,000
Total Estimated
Benefits
$13,469,559
*This estimate does not include maintenance savings along 7th Street.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The City is supported by a broad and diverse coalition of public partners and stakeholders. These partnerships ensure that the project will create an inclusive future for Oakland, and that investments in affordable transportation minimize gentrification and displacement of long-term residents to the greatest extent possible. Local partnerships include AC Transit, ACTC, Caltrans, and the Port of Oakland. The project also incorporates input from economic development groups representing several impacted neighborhoods, including a letter of support from the Jack London Improvement District, the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, and the Prescott Neighborhood Council. Overall, the project received almost fifteen letters of support from state and regional organizations, transit agencies, and community-based organizations.
Additionally, Reconnecting the Town has incorporated public engagement and input that was collected by City staff over many years. Extensive public engagement as part of Let’s Bike Oakland (2019), the Draft Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP) (2019), the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan (2014), and the West Oakland Specific Plan (2014) where Martin Luther King Jr. Way was identified as an important connection in Oakland’s low-stress bike network and Broadway as a priority bus corridor, both of which will be implemented with this Project. Implementing both the bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Broadway are called out as key policies with equity impacts (DOSP Mobility Strategy M-1.2 and M.2-3). Through community feedback as part of the DOSP, the Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Broadway crossings under I-880 were identified as the highest priority freeway crossing improvements. Broadway was also named in the plan for bus priority transit treatment to provide more efficient bus service through Downtown.
This project was also coordinated through the Citywide Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which also solicits community members to submit capital project ideas as part of the City’s two-year budget cycle. For fiscal year 2021-2023 cycle, the City developed an engagement strategy to prioritize underrepresented communities with a campaign of doorhangers and text-message surveying to lower barriers to access, including those barriers foisted by COVID-19. The CIP Working Group also shared information with elected offices to distribute to their constituents, spread Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 7
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
the word through neighborhood groups and community partner organizations and posted to citywide social media accounts.
Most recently, in June 2021, OakDOT published an online survey to better understand community travel needs and preferences along the Project corridors. A total of 251 Oaklanders responded, with over 50% supporting the Project because of the better connectivity it would provide. Respondents noted that they often feel unsafe using the Martin Luther King Jr. Way corridor, and that they are excited by the Project’s lighting, greening, road diet/bike lanes, crosswalks and bus and sidewalk improvements, in addition to its potential to reduce crime and effort to reclaim streets and sidewalks for active transportation. This survey remained open until winter 2021 and was available in Chinese and Spanish.
COORDINATION
The City Administrator’s Office, Budget Bureau and City Attorney’s Office were consulted in the preparation of this report and proposed resolution.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: By mitigating neighborhood bifurcation, increasing access to remote work and services, increasing access to affordable transportation choices, and improving access for people with disabilities, Reconnecting the Town increases access to essential destinations for Oaklanders, while particularly benefitting low-income Oaklanders, Oaklanders with disabilities, and Oaklanders in Chinatown, West Oakland, and Jack London Square. This project also seeks to remedy past exclusionary practices by bringing economic benefits to Oakland residents and businesses. Improved bus operations, new buffered bikeways, and expanded city Wi-Fi will help AC Transit accelerate recovery from the financial and ridership impacts of COVID-19, which will contribute to the growth of Oakland and Alameda County’s economy; reduce the cost burden of commuting by enhancing Oaklanders’ ability to telework and making existing high frequency bus service more reliable, and therefore a viable alternative to owning, maintaining, and operating a private vehicle; encourage economic development and assist Oakland businesses in disconnected neighborhoods by improving the ease and efficiency of transporting people and goods, thus increasing revenue while reducing the cost of doing business; and support local enterprises and the long-term creation of good paying jobs for Oaklanders through local contracting provisions like Oakland’s Local and Small Business Enterprise Program.
Environmental: Reconnecting the Town is consistent with several ongoing City efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote mode shift, and support equitable development. These efforts include the 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan, which seeks meaningful progress towards climate justice in Oakland in the next decade; the DOSP, which promotes equitable and sustainable development in the downtown core; and the West Oakland Community Action Plan, which outlines actions to address poor air quality and health impacts for residents experiencing higher rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, and premature death in comparison to Alameda County at large.
Reconnecting the Town will plant over 200 new trees, which has been found to encourage more walking and bicycling, thus reducing drive-alone trips. The project will also improve transportation access to the region at large. Jack London Square is home to the San Francisco Bay Ferry terminal connecting Oakland with San Francisco and Marin County, along with an Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 8
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
Amtrak station connecting Oakland to Sacramento and the South Bay/Silicon Valley. The project area is also served by the regional trail system and the San Francisco Bay Trail, which provides walking and biking access to Alameda, Santa Clara County, and across the Richmond- San Rafael bridge. Stronger connections to Jack London Square will enhance active transportation and recreation choices for Oaklanders both within and outside of the project area.
The increase in biking, walking, and transit trips and better connectivity within the City will also help alleviate congestion and reduce air pollution.
Race & Equity: Reconnecting the Town addresses inequities in transportation infrastructure across several diverse Oakland communities. The environmental, economic and social impacts of surrounding freeways (I-880, I-980) and the Port of Oakland have disproportionately caused environmental health inequities for the communities in West Oakland, Chinatown and Downtown. This project directs investment towards historically underserved Black residents in West Oakland and senior Asian residents in Chinatown, while also benefiting Oaklanders who live in the Jack London District, Old Oakland, Downtown, and Uptown. The Martin Luther King Jr. buffered bikeways along new trees, bus-only lanes on Broadway, pedestrian improvements on both corridors, and Wi-Fi network expansion represent critical multimodal investments.
These investments will redress past harm by reconnecting neighborhoods and communities that have been torn apart, equitably providing more affordable transportation choices, and improving access for people with disabilities. Together, these changes will mitigate neighborhood bifurcation and increase connectivity to essential destinations, jobs, community, and other opportunities that enhance quality of life.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)/NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICY ACT (NEPA)
A variety of projects are encompassed within Reconnecting the Town. The actions taken here (acceptance and appropriation of the RAISE funds for these projects) are statutorily exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15261 through 15285 and NEPA Categorical Exemptions (40 CFR §1501.4) for the following reasons: 1) these actions do not authorize the award of any construction of physical facilities or improvements at this time and future discretionary action by the Council will be needed for any such award; 2) funds will be used for feasibility and planning only; and/or 3) funds will be used for previously approved projects that have been analyzed and cleared under requisite plans or approvals, including without limitation the Draft Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP) (2019), the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan (2014), and the West Oakland Specific Plan (2014).
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 9
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff recommends that the City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Authorizing The City Administrator to Accept And Appropriate United States Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure With Sustainability And Equity (RAISE) Grant Program Funds Totaling Fourteen Million Five Hundred And Seven Thousand Seventy-Five Dollars ($14,507,075) Awarded To The City Of Oakland For The Reconnecting The Town: Safe, Reliable and Equitable Access Project, Subject To Procurement Of Twenty-Nine Million, Three Hundred Seven Thousand, Five Hundred Twenty-Eight Dollars ($29,107,528) To Meet Full Matching Requirement Of The RAISE Grant Program; and 2) Authorizing The City Administrator To Take All Steps Necessary To Apply For And Receive Additional Funds Necessary To Meet The Matching Requirement Of The RAISE Grant Program.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Julieth Ortiz, Strategic Planning and Administration Division at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
RYAN RUSSO
Director
Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Nicole Ferrara
Assistant to Director
Department of Transportation
Ariel Espiritu Santo
Assistant Director
Department of Transportation
Craig Raphael
Funding Program Manager
Department of Transportation
Audrey Harris
Transportation Planner III
Department of Transportation
Veronica Cummings Stakeholder
Engagement Lead City
Administrator Office
Prepared by:
Julieth Ortiz Transportation
Planner III
Department of Transportation
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Accept & Appropriate RAISE Grant
Date: January 31, 2022 Page 10
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
Attachments:
A: RAISE Project Location Map
B: Map of Existing Barriers
Attachment A: RAISE Project Location Map
Special City Council
February 17, 2022
Attachment B: Map of Existing Barriers
Special City Council
February 17, 2022