October 7, 2025
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Public Works
DATE: October 7, 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
Hillal Hamdan, PE, Senior Civil Engineer
Subject:
Regional Measure 3 Funding Allocation for Point
Richmond Cut-Through Traffic Design
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City has been awarded $180,000 in Regional Measure 3 (RM3) funding for the design (Plans,
Specifications, and Estimates) phase of the Point
Richmond Traffic Improvements Project. No local match
is required, and there is no impact to the General Fund. If approved, the funds will be appropriated to the
Engineering Grant Fund (Fund 1054). City staff will return to City Council later regarding allocation of RM3 funds for the construction phase.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City staff recommends that the City Council approve a
resolution requesting an allocation of Regional Measure 3 (RM3) funds from the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC) and accepting the Contra Costa
Transportation Authority’s (CCTA) designation of the City of Richmond as the project sponsor for the Point
Richmond Traffic Improvements Project. This action will secure funding for the design phase of improvements
intended to deter I-580 westbound motorists from cutting through the Point Richmond neighborhood during periods
of congestion.
AGENDA
REPORT
October 7, 2025
DocID #53711v1
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to: (1) REQUEST an allocation for
Regional Measure 3 funds from the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission; (2) ACCEPT the Contra
Costa Transportation Authority’s designation as project sponsor for Point Richmond Traffic Improvements; and, if awarded (3) ACCEPT and APPROPRIATE Regional
Measure 3 funds in the amount of $180,000 for Point
Richmond Traffic Improvements – Public Works
Department (Hillal Hamdan 510-621-1612/Robert Armijo
510-620-5477).
DISCUSSION:
Regional Measure 3 (RM3), approved by Bay Area voters in 2018, finances highway and transit improvements by increasing tolls on the region’s state-owned bridges. As part of the RM3 Expenditure Plan, funding was specifically set aside for transportation projects in the City of Richmond to improve access to the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge.
A portion of this allocation has been designated for a project that discourages traffic on I-580 from diverting through the Point Richmond neighborhood when the freeway is congested. RM3 funds are administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), and the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) (Attachment 1). To receive this funding, MTC requires the City of Richmond to adopt a resolution both requesting the allocation and accepting designation as the project sponsor
The current allocation of $180,000 in RM3 funds will be used for engineering design services to implement the recommendations of a December 2024 Fehr & Peers study (Attachment 2). That study evaluated cut-through traffic in the Point Richmond neighborhood and identified a set of signal timing and traffic calming improvements to discourage drivers experiencing congestion on westbound I-580 approaching the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge from diverting through Point Richmond.
The project will implement several strategies for disincentivizing cut-through traffic, including changes to signal timing on Cutting Boulevard to increase delay for cut- through turning movements, narrowing and restriping of lanes on Railroad Avenue, and installation of speed humps, raised crosswalks, and a new all-way stop in the neighborhood. Collectively, these measures are intended to lengthen perceived travel times for cut-through drivers, discourage speeding, and improve conditions for people walking and bicycling.
Both design and construction of the improvements will be fully funded through RM3.
The City filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption for the project in July 2025. As the designated project sponsor, the City of Richmond will be responsible for ensuring delivery and completion of the project consistent with RM3 funding requirements, the California Streets and Highways Code, and the California Environmental Quality Act
October 7, 2025
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(CEQA). City staff will return to City Council and to MTC at a later date with an allocation request for the construction phase.
This project will be coordinated with the Downtown Point Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Project to ensure safety for all travel modes and to maintain effective access for emergency response.
If RM3 funding is not accepted, other funding sources would need to be identified to address cut-through traffic from I-580 in Point Richmond. City staff therefore recommend that the City Council adopt the resolution to request allocation of RM3 funds, accept designation as project sponsor, and, if awarded, accept and appropriate RM3 funds for the Point Richmond Traffic Improvements Project (Attachment 3).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Memorandum: Addressing Morning Peak-Period Cut-Through Traffic in Point Richmond
Attachment 3 – RM3 Allocation Request and Initial Project Report Forms