March 25, 2025
Public Works
DATE: March 25, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works
Robert Armijo, PE, Deputy Director of Public Works/City Engineer
Janney Lockman, Associate Transportation Planner
Subject:
Authorize an Application for Metropolitan Transportation Commission Housing Incentive Pool Funding
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Given an award is made, the City will receive a total of $2,953,100 in grant funding, which would require a
$338,720 local match, that could come from Measure J or State Gas Tax funds.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Staff is seeking City Council authorization to submit a grant application to the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC) for Housing Incentive Pool (HIP)
funding. Application for these funds requires a resolution of local support from the applicant’s governing board.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution authorizing the city manager or their designee to submit a grant application to Metropolitan
Transportation Commission for Housing Incentive Pool
funding for Bayview to BART, McBryde Avenue Safe
Routes to Parks, Downtown Point Richmond Pedestrian
and Bicycle Connectivity, and Carlson Crosstown Transit Stop Improvements Projects – Public Works Department
(Janney Lockman 510-307-8097/Robert Armijo 510-620-
5477/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
AGENDA
REPORT
March 25, 2025
DISCUSSION:
City staff requests that the Richmond City Council adopt a resolution of local support for an application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for Housing Incentive Pool (HIP) funding(Attachment 1). Through the HIP, MTC will distribute a total of $71 million on a per-unit basis to the 15 Bay Area jurisdictions that issued the greatest number of Certificates of Occupancy for housing units affordable to low-, very low-, and moderate-incomes from 2018-2022. The HIP funding can be used to complete transportation projects. Richmond ranked 5th out of all other Bay Area jurisdictions for number of certificates of occupancy issued and as a result, is eligible for $2.45 million of this funding.
Public Works staff are submitting a request to MTC that this funding be used for three active CIP Projects with existing funding gaps: (1) the Bayview to BART Project, (2) the McBryde Avenue Safe Routes to Parks Project, and (3) the Downtown Point Richmond Bicycle Connectivity Project, and a request for a new project that would install bus stop improvements at key locations on Carlson Boulevard [“Carlson Crosstown Transit Stop Improvements Project”] (Attachment 2). To receive this funding, Richmond City Council will need to adopt a resolution of local support. If HIP funding is awarded, City staff will bring another resolution to City Council that requests acceptance and appropriation of funds for these projects.
Funding would be awarded in Fiscal Year (FY) 25-26 and would need to be spent by the end of 2027. If awarded, this funding requires an 11.47 percent (%) local match. The CIP Budget team has confirmed that the next annual allocation for Measure J could be earmarked to provide this match.
The grant program also requires the City of Richmond request 120-200 percent (%) of the City’s $2.45 million allocation, to allow MTC to decide which projects to fund and for what amount. If City does request their full allocation, the remainder could be awarded to another jurisdiction at MTC’s discretion. Below is the breakdown of the funding request, as well as the required 11.47 percent (%) City match. If all requested funding is awarded, the City will receive a total of $2,953,100 in grant funding (120% of the $2.45 million allocation), which would require up to $338,720 in local matching funds. This match funding would come from Measure J.
Project Request 11.74% Local Match
Bayview to BART $450,000 $51,615
McBryde Ave. Safe Routes to Parks $922,000 $105,753
Downtown Point Richmond Bicycle
Connectivity Project
$1,331,100 $152,677
Carlson Crosstown Transit Stop
Improvements
$250,000 $28,675
Total $2,953,100 $338,720
March 25, 2025
Three of the projects recommended for this grant were listed in the November 26, 2024, CIP Presentation to City Council as active CIP projects with known budget shortfalls.
The MTC HIP funding provides staff with a unique opportunity to address these project shortfalls. While other bicycle and pedestrian funding sources exist that may be appropriate for these projects, the $2.45 million allocation is available for Richmond only; therefore, unlike other transportation grants, the City is not in competition with other jurisdictions for the $2.45 million.
PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS:
Bayview to BART Project:
This project will create a safe and comfortable walking and bicycling route, connecting the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station to the San Francisco Bay Trail. It will connect existing multi-use trails, improve conditions around parks and schools, and ties into an existing bicycle and pedestrian project in the City of El Cerrito. This project will build bicycle lanes on Potrero Avenue from Carlson Boulevard to the El Cerrito border and build protected bicycle lanes on the Bayview Avenue overpass over I-580. It will implement bicycle boulevards with traffic calming on South 47th Street from Potrero Avenue to Cypress Avenue, Cypress Avenue along the border of Booker T. Anderson Jr. Park, and Ells Street between Fleming Avenue and Bayview Avenue.
McBryde Avenue Safe Routes to Parks Project:
This project will make improvements on McBryde Avenue from 37th Street to Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, to create a safer, more comfortable walking and biking route.
When completed, this project will connect to the existing bicycle route on 37th Street and across I-80 to Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, creating a continuous bicycling route.
Project improvements include street resurfacing, a road diet from 4 to 2 vehicle lanes, a center turn lane, bicycle lanes, and traffic signal modification at one intersection. ADA curb ramps will be upgraded or installed along McBryde Avenue within the project limits.
Downtown Point Richmond Bicycle Connectivity Project:
This project will improve bicycle and pedestrian access and safety through Downtown Point Richmond, completing the bicycle network connection from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to the Richmond Ferry Terminal by installing protected bicycle lanes on Tewksbury Avenue from Santa Fe Avenue to Washington Avenue, making pedestrian crossing improvements, including installing new crosswalks, installing ADA-compliant curb ramps, bus stop improvements, and wayfinding signs and pavement markings.
Carlson Crosstown Transit Stop Improvements Project:
This project would construct bus stop amenities including shelters and benches at key bus stops on Carlson Blvd. between Broadway and San Jose Street for AC Transit Line
71. Given the unique opportunity that the HIP grant affords the City to address existing CIP project shortfalls and support the implementation of four projects that address safety and access issues for multiple modes of transportation, City staff recommends that the
March 25, 2025
City Council adopt a resolution of local support for the HIP grant application. Adopting this resolution will enable to City to submit a completed application for Richmond’s $2.45 million HIP allocation. If funding is awarded, City staff will return to City Council to request that funding be accepted and appropriated to these projects.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The first three projects submitted for the HIP allocation will implement high priority recommendations from the 2023 Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan and 2022 Local Roadway Safety Plan. These projects, along with the Carlson Crosstown Transit Stop Improvements Project align with Richmond’s 2016 Climate Action Plan, which calls for implementing existing bicycle and pedestrian plans to increase bicycling and walking, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Bayview to BART Project was a high-priority recommendation in the 2015 South Richmond Transportation Connectivity Plan and the 2011 Richmond Bicycle Master Plan.
The McBryde Avenue Safe Routes to Parks Project implements a recommendation from the 2012 Richmond General Plan Parks and Recreation Element, which called for expanding access to Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. This project was also identified as a high priority project in Richmond’s 2011 Bicycle Master Plan.
The Downtown Point Richmond Bicycle Connectivity Project implements a key recommendation from the 2021 Richmond Ferry to Bridge to Greenway Complete Streets Plan which developed recommendations to close bicycle and pedestrian connectivity gaps between the Richmond Ferry, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and San Francisco Bay Trail.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Project Maps