West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee
Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting Minutes May 28, 2021
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chris Kelley, Chair (Hercules); Demnlus Johnson III, Vice-Chair (Richmond); Rita Xavier (San Pablo); Paul Fadelli (El Cerrito); Tom Butt (Richmond); Jovanka Beckles (AC Transit); Lateefah Simon (BART); Melvin Willis (Richmond); Rebecca Saltzman (BART)
STAFF PRESENT: John Nemeth, Joanna Pallock, Coire Reilly, Leah Greenblat, Kris Kokotaylo (legal counsel)
ACTIONS LISTED BY: Valerie Jenkins
Meeting Called to Order: 8:00am
Public Comment: Bruce Beyaert, Chairman for TRAC, commended the City of Richmond for the actions to make it safer to walk or bike from the Richmond Ferry terminal to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge pathway.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion by Director Willis; seconded by Director Beckles motion passed unanimously.
Yes- C. Kelley, D. Johnson III, R. Xavier, P. Fadelli, J. Beckles, M. Willis, L. Simon No- none
Abstention- none
Motion passed unanimously
Item #3. Approved: Minutes of April 23, 2021 Board Meeting.
Item #4. Received: Monthly Update on WCCTAC Activities.
Item #5. Received: Financial Reports April 2021.
Item #6. Received: No Invoices over $10,000.
Item #7. Approved: Purchase Order for the Pass2Class Program.
Item #8. Approved: Fiscal Year 2021-22 Measure J 19b Funds to WestCAT and AC Transit.
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REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS
Meeting Adjourned: 10:00 am
ITEM/DISCUSSION ACTION
Item #9
STMP Call for Projects: Funding
Recommendations
John Nemeth, WCCTAC Executive Director,
explained the TAC and staff͛s recommendation
for funding for Cycle 1 of the 2019 STMP Update
Call for Projects.
Motion by Director Simon; seconded by Vice-
Chair Johnson, to approve the TAC and WCCTAC
staff͛s proposed funding allocations for the STMP
projects.
Motion passed unanimously.
Yes- C. Kelley, D. Johnson III, R. Xavier, J. Beckles,
M. Willis, P. Fadelli, L. Simon
No- none
Abstention- none
Item #10
Draft Fiscal Year 2022 Work Program,
Budget, and Dues
John Nemeth, WCCTAC Executive Director,
provided a review of the Draft Work Program,
Budget, and Dues for Fiscal Year 2022. Staff
requested the Board͛s authorization to circulate
the draft documents to members agencies for
review and comment.
Motion by Director Willis; seconded by Director
Simon, to circulate draft documents to member
agencies.
Motion passed unanimously.
Yes- C. Kelley, D. Johnson III, R. Xavier, J. Beckles,
M.Willis, P. Fadelli, L. Simon
No- none
Abstention- none
Item #11
TDM Program Update
Information Only
Coire Reilly, of WCCTAC Staff, provided an update
on activities of the TDM program during the
current year, including Bike to Wherever Day.
He also provided a look-ahead to the activities of
the next fiscal year when demand for certain
programs may rebound post-pandemic.
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TO: WCCTAC Board MEETING DATE: May 28, 2021
FR: John Nemeth, Executive Director
RE: STMP Call for Projects: Funding Recommendations.
REQUESTED ACTION
Approve the STMP funding recommended by the WCCTAC TAC.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
On March 26, 2021, the WCCTAC Board approved a Cycle 1 Call for Projects for the 2019 STMP Update. It recommended making $3,750,000 available, leaving remaining funds for other commitments. The Board also endorsed the parameters proposed by the TAC including a maximum of two applications per sponsor and a maximum funding request of $1.875 million (50% of the funding available). STMP funding reqeusts were due on April 26, 2021.
Submittals
WCCTAC received the funding requests listed below. A brief description of the projects and their proposed use of STMP funding is included as Attachment A. The funding requests, which include nearly 100 pages of combined material, can be provided upon request.
Sponsor Project Funding
Request
Amended
Request
TAC
Recomm.
Score
BART El Cerrito Plaza Station, New
Fare Gates and Elevator
Enclosures
$750,000 $750,000 $750,000 26.5
Richmond Richmond Ferry to Bridge
Bicycle Network Improvements
$241,000
$241,000 $241,000 24.0
El Cerrito Del Norte BART TOD Complete
Streets
$1,189,800 $1,189,800 $1,189,980 23.3
Pinole Appian Way Complete Street
Preliminary Engineering
$100,000 $100,000 $100,000 22.5
EBRPD Bay Trail - Pinole Point to Point
Wilson
$500,000 $500,000 $500,000 20.5
San Pablo San Pablo Ave. Bridge
Replacement and Intersection
Realignment
$1,814,000 $1,360,000 $668,000 20.5
Hercules Refugio Creek/North Channel
Endowment
$200,000 N/A - N/A
Hercules RITC-Utility Relocation and
Track/Signal design
N/A $300,000 $300,000 20.5
TOTAL $4,794,800 $4,140,800 $3,748,800
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Amounts Requested
In the table on the previous page, the “Funding Request” column shows amounts requested by project sponsors. The initial Hercules request was deemed to be incompatible with the Mitigation Fee Act by WCCTAC’s legal counsel given that it was for a prospective activity (future maintenance on a creek area). In addition, WCCTAC’s 2019 STMP does not allow for funding beyond the construction phase. WCCTAC staff, however, allowed Hercules to submit a substitute funding request for the TAC’s consideration.
The “Amended Request” column, also in the table on the previous page, shows the revised Hercules request. In addition, the request by San Pablo was reduced to $1,360,000 since that is the maximum that can be allocated to the San Pablo Avenue Intersection Realignment at 23rd Street and Road 20 funding category based on WCCTAC’s Nexus Study.
Scores
At its March 11, 2021 meeting, the TAC developed criteria for WCCTAC staff to score and rank the funding requests as follows:
Scoring Criteria for Cycle 1 2019 STMP Update Call for Projects:
Criteria Max. Points
Readiness to spend STMP dollars. (earlier spending scores higher). 10 Readiness to construct. (projects close to construction score higher). 5 Share of the funding gap. (STMP fully closing a gap scores higher than partially closing a gap).
5 Serves a disadvantaged community. 5
Improves subregional alternative mode network. 5
Based on these criteria, WCCTAC staff scored and ranked the funding applications and presented this information to the TAC. A more detailed review of the scoring methodology is included as Attachment B.
WCCTAC TAC Proposal
The combined (amended) funding request of $4,140,800 exceeds the $3,750,000 available.
As a result, not all requests can be fully funded.
The TAC, at its May 13, 2021 meeting, recommended that all requests be fully funded, except for the San Pablo Avenue Bridge Replacement and Intersection Realignment project, submitted by the City of San Pablo. This was the largest funding request and was also among the lower scoring. The project includes a design component ($668,000) that can make use of STMP funds in the near term. That component, as a stand-alone funding request, would have received the second highest score of 24.4. The request also sought funding for longer term right of way acquisition or construction. The TAC proposed to fund just the design component, although San Pablo can still seek funding in a later STMP funding cycle. As a result, the total funding allocation proposed by the TAC would be $3,748,800, just under the $3,750,000 available.
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Next Steps
Following Board action on a funding allocation, WCCTAC staff will work with staff from each agency to develop draft funding agreements utilizing WCCTAC’s standard template. These draft agreements will be brought back to the WCCTAC Board for its approval and will also be approved by the funding recipients. Funds are ultimately disbursed on a reimbursement basis.
Attachments:
A: Brief Project Descriptions
B: Scoring Methodology
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Attachment A: Brief Project Descriptions
El Cerrito Plaza BART New Fare Gates and Elevator Enclosures:
The elevators at the El Cerrito BART Station are currently outside the paid area on the street (Concourse) level. This BART-sponsored project would install metal enclosures in front of the elevator entrances on the Concourse level, along with new swing barrier style pneumatic fare gates in front of the enclosures to reduce the occurrence of fare evaders. The $750,000 in requested STMP funds would complete the procurement and construction phase and thus complete the project. Funds could be spent as early as September 2021.
Richmond Ferry to Bicycle Network Improvements:
The City of Richmond requested $241,000 in STMP funding to design and construct cyclist and pedestrian safety improvements through the Point Richmond Historic District between Cutting Blvd. and the RSR Bridge trailhead at Castro Street. These improvements include:
protected two-way cycle tracks, reconfiguration of motor vehicle parking, high visibility crosswalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps, sidewalk extension to reduce street crossing distances, bus stop improvements, wayfinding signs, and pavement markings. The STMP funds would be paired with other sources of funding. The PSE phase could begin as early as this summer.
Del Norte BART TOD Complete Streets:
This project, sponsored by the City of El Cerrito, would use $1,189,800 in STMP funds to develop a series of bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the vicinity of the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station. It includes bikeways on San Pablo Ave., Cutting Blvd., Eastshore Blvd., Hill Street, and Knott Ave., along with protected intersection treatments, new protected crosswalks and signals, speed tables and flashing beacons at crosswalks at the I-80 on-ramps, in-lane bus boarding islands on San Pablo Ave. and Cutting Blvd, sidewalk improvements, narrowed travel lanes, street modifications, traffic signal optimization, and streetscape improvements. Funds would be mainly used for design in the near term with a portion dedicated to construction, projected to begin in December 2022.
Appian Way Complete Street Preliminary Engineering:
This project, sponsored by the City of Pinole, would use $100,000 in STMP funds to complete preliminary design, community outreach, utility coordination, environmental and final design for bicycle and pedestrian improvements on a stretch of Appian Way just south of Fitzgerald Drive. The final project may also include improvements to bus stops. Work could begin in August of 2021
Bay Trail – Pinole Point to Point Wilson:
This East Bay Regional Park District project would use $500,000 in STMP funds to complete the final plans, specifications, estimates, and permitting of a .9-mile paved Class I multi-use extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail from Pinole Point Business Park in Richmond to Point Wilson in Contra Costa County. This project would close the final gap in the San Francisco Bay Trail creating 30 miles of continuous trail from Lone Tree Point in Rodeo to Oakland and Treasure Island. Work on the PSE could begin in August of 2022. 9A-1
San Pablo Ave. Bridge Replacement and Intersection Realignment:
The City of San Pablo is working on replacing the deficient existing six-lane bridge at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue/Road 20/23rd Street with a new bridge and making associated intersection realignment and safety improvements for all users. A portion of STMP funds ($668,000) would be paired with federal Highway and Bridge funds to close a funding gap for design work which could begin this summer. The remainder of the City of San Pablo’s request would be used for right of way acquisition or construction in the future.
Hercules Refugio Creek / North Channel Endowment:
STMP funds would be used by the City of Hercules to establish an endowment fund to be managed by a third-party land trust. Annual returns from the endowment would be used for routine maintenance work on the Refugio Creek / North Channel area. As noted in the staff report, this request was deemed ineligible for STMP funds by WCCTAC’s counsel.
Regional Intermodal Transit Center (RITC) Utility Relocation and Track / Signal Design:
This funding request was submitted by the City of Hercules as a replacement for the ineligible Hercules Refugio Creek / North Channel Endowment request. With this project, $300,000 in STMP funds would be used to complete the design of the Utility Relocation phase, and the 25% design for the Track / Signal Design phase. Design work could begin this summer.
9A-2
Attachment B: Scoring Methodology
As a starting point for the TAC’s development of a funding recommendation, staff scored each project according to criteria developed by the TAC at its March 13, 2021 meeting. These are show in the table below.
Scoring Criteria for Cycle 1 2019 STMP Update Call for Projects:
Criteria Max. Points
Readiness to spend STMP dollars. (earlier spending scores higher). 10 Readiness to construct. (projects close to construction score higher). 5 Share of the funding gap. (STMP fully closing a gap scores higher than partially closing a gap).
5 Serves a disadvantaged community. 5
Improves subregional alternative mode network. 5
The scoring for each of the five criteria and for each project are shown in the table below. A more detailed explanation of the scoring methodology follows the table.
Applicant Readiness to
spend STMP
(10 points)
Readiness to
Construct
(5 points)
Share of the
Funding Gap
(5 points)
Disadvantaged
Community
(5 points)
Improves Alt.
Mode
Network
(5 points)
Total
Score
BART 8.5 5 5 3 5 26.5
Richmond 8.0 4 3 4 5 24.0
El Cerrito 6.3 4 3 5 5 23.3
Pinole 8.5 1 5 3 5 22.5
EBRPD 5.5 3 2 5 5 20.5
San Pablo 5.5 3 3 5 4 20.5
Hercules 8.5 1 4 2 5 20.5
Readiness to Spend STMP Funds (10 points)
WCCTAC staff assigned points based on the likely timing of STMP fund expenditures, using the point assignment shown below. Nearer term spending scored better than longer term spending. Points were assigned using a weighted average. For example, if a funding request of $1,000,000 included an expectation of $100,000 being spent in August of 2021 (10 points) and the other $900,000 in the Summer of 2023 (4 points), the score would be 4.6, ((100,000*10)+(900,000*4)/1,000,000). If the spending was expected to be spread across two or more periods, staff assigned an equal share to each of those periods. For example, if funds were expected to be spent between April and October of 2022, the score would be a
6.5. 10 points - now through Aug 2021
9 points – Sept. 2021 through Nov. 2021
8 points – Dec. 2021 through Feb. 2022
7 points – March 2022 through May 2022
9B-1
6 points – June through Nov. 2022
5 points – Dec. 2022 through May 2023
4 points – June 2023 through Nov 2023
3 points – Dec. 2023 through May 2024
2 points – June 2024 through May 2025
1 point – June 2025 and beyond
Readiness to Construct (5 points)
WCCTAC staff assigned points for this criterion based on when construction was anticipated to start, as shown below. If there was no known start date or the applicant did not provide an estimate, staff assigned one point.
5 points - less than a year from now
4 points - 1-2 years
3 points - 2-3 years
2 points - 3-4 years
1 point - more than 4 years from now
Share of the Funding Gap (5 points)
Points were assigned for this criterion based on how much the STMP funding request closed a funding gap to implement a project or phase of a project. The greater the share of the funding gap closed by the request, the higher the score. For example, if a phase of a project has a cost of $1,000,000, and a project sponsor already has already secured $600,000 and was requesting $200,000 in STMP, the score would be 3. The STMP funds in this case ($200K), represent 50% of the $400K funding gap. This criterion is different than one based on leveraging.
5 points - 100%
4 points - 75-99.9%
3 points - 50-74.9%
2 points - 25-49.9%
1 point – 0-24.9%
Disadvantaged Community (5 points)
WCCTAC staff assigned points as follows:
5 points - project located inside of an MTC-defined Community of Concern 4 points - project located immediately adjacent to an MTC-defined Community of Concern that is geographically large and at the highest tier of concern 3 points - project located immediately adjacent to an MTC-defined Community of Concern that is either geographically large or at the highest tier 2 points - project located within a mile of an MTC-defined Community of Concern 1 point - project more than one mile away from an MTC defined Community of Concern
9B-2
Improves the Alternative Mode Network (5 points)
WCCTAC staff assigned points as follows:
5 points - project funding is aimed entirely at the alternative mode network 4 points - project funding mainly benefits the alternative mode network 3 points - project funding somewhat benefits the alternative mode network 2 points - project funding slightly benefits the alternative mode network 1 point – project funding is not related to the alternative mode network
9B-3