City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: AUGUST 16, 2022 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: 1 AND 2
SUBJECT: RAILROAD CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM, TRADE CORRIDOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BRIDGE INVESTMENT PROGRAM CALL FOR PROJECTS GRANT APPLICATIONS ISSUES:
Authorize the submittal of three grant applications to assist with the construction of the Third Street at Burlington Northern Santa FE (BNSF) Grade Separation Project and the reconstruction of the Mission Inn Avenue bridge over the Santa Ana River, for grants in the total amount of $100.6 million.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a Railroad Crossing Elimination Program application to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in the amount of $10 million to construct the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project; Authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a Trade Corridor Enhancement Program grant application to the California Transportation Commission in the amount of $24.5 million to construct the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project; Authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a United States Department of Transportation Bridge Investment Program grant application to the Federal Highway Administration in the amount of $67.2 million to reconstruct the Mission Inn Avenue bridge over the Santa Ana River; Upon grant award, authorize local matching funds up to a total amount of $9.35 million for the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project to be taken from existing Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), and Measure A funds; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign any and all necessary documents related to applications for the grant funding discussed in this report.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Grants Administration Policy 01.006.00 requires that all grant applications over $1 million receive pre-approval from the City Council. This report complies with the Grant Policy. In the coming months, the Public Works Department, in conjunction with the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), City of Jurupa Valley, County of Riverside, and other regional partners, will apply for the following large highway and bridge grants to facilitate the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project and reconstruction of the Mission Inn Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River.
The City’s Public Works Department in conjunction with regional partners intends to apply for the following federal infrastructure grants.
Railroad Crossing Elimination Program administered through the Federal Railroad Administration The Railroad Crossing Elimination Program (RCE) provides funding opportunities for grade separation projects and/or to close railroad crossings to improve traffic circulation, safety, and the mobility of people and goods. The application is due by October 4, 2022, and available federal funding is in the amount of $573,264,000 for projects across the country. There is no cap on the grant request although no more than 20% of the grant funds available ($114,652,800) shall be awarded in any single state. The grant application requires a 20% local match which may be comprised of public or private sector funding. This grant will be used for the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project.
Trade Corridor Enhancement Program administered through the California Transportation Commission The Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) provides funding opportunities for federally designated Trade Corridors of National and Regional Significance, on California’s portion of the National Highway Freight Network, as identified in California’s Freight Mobility Plan, and along other corridors that have a high volume of freight movement. The 2022 TCEP provides two years of funding in FY 2023-24 and 2024-25, for an estimated $600 million of TCEP State funds and $200 million of federal National Highway Freight Program funds. Project nominations are due by November 18, 2022, and the release of staff recommendations (project selection) is planned for June 8, 2023. The State has a target of allocating 56% of the funds for the Los Angles/Inland Empire region, though this is neither the minimum, maximum, nor guarantee. TCEP grant applications require a 30% local match which can be composed of private, local, federal, or state funds. There is no maximum cap on the grant request. This grant will be used for the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project.
US Dept. of Transportation Bridge Investment program administered through FHWA The Bridge Investment Program (BIP) is a new, competitive, discretionary federal program that focuses on existing bridges to reduce the overall number of bridges in poor condition, or in fair condition at risk of falling into poor state. The grant size requests should be enough to fully fund the project with a minimum request of $2.5 million (for other “Bridge Projects”) and a minimum request of $50 million for “Large Bridge Projects.” The program requires that at least 50% of BIP funding from the Highway Trust Fund be used for “Large Bridge Projects.” The maximum amount of the grant would help fund up to 50% of the cost of a “Large Bridge Project” or up to 80% for other BIP projects. The funding is aimed to replace, rehabilitate, or protect bridges on the National Bridge Inventory. The Bridge Investment Program is a five-year program with each year appropriating nearly $2.5 billion towards bridge improvements. There is no local match to pursue this grant opportunity. The FY 2022-23 Call for Projects opened on June 10, 2022, and applications are due by September 8, 2022. This grant will be used for reconstruction of the Mission Inn Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River.
DISCUSSION:
The Third Street Grade Separation Project proposes to construct a railroad underpass at Third Street and the BNSF railroad tracks. Third Street will be lowered from about Vine Street to Park Avenue and a bridge will be constructed to convey rail traffic. The project will require the realignment of Commerce Street, construction of slopes, retaining walls, storm water pump station, and relocation of wet and dry utilities. Tables 1-3 show the respective project cost, funding sources, and tentative project timeline associated with the Third Street Grade Separation.
Table 1 - Preliminary Project Cost
Task
Amount ($M)
Preliminary (PA&ED) and Final (PS&E) Engineering
$4.00
Right-of-Way Acquisitions, Relocations and Building Demolitions
23.00 Construction, Utility Relocations, and Construction Engineering
34.75 Total
$61.75
Table 2 - Project Funding
Source
Amount ($M)
Status
Utilities Relocation Costs (City Funds)
$3.25
Anticipated
Measure A (City Funds)
0.75 Secured
State Section 190 Grade Separation
5.00 Anticipated
WRCOG TUMF (City Funds)
8.25 Secured
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (Matching Funds)
2.00 Anticipated
Federal CMAQ
18.00 Secured
Federal Grants (TCEP and RCE)
24.50 Future Submittals
Total
$61.75
Table 3 - Preliminary Construction Timeline
Phase
Start
End
Environmental
January 2019
January 2022
Design (PS&E)
February 2022
December 2023
Right of Way
March 2022
December 2023
Construction
July 2024
December 2025
If awarded, the Public Works Department is required to provide $2 million in a local funding match for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program and $7.35 million for the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program. The Public Works Department would utilize WRCOG and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funds as the local match to pursue these two grant opportunities.
Mission Inn Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River Reconstruction Project The City is collaborating with the City of Jurupa Valley and the County of Riverside to secure necessary funding to reconstruct the Mission Inn Avenue Bridge over the Santa Ana River. The project would replace the existing four-lane bridge with a new four-lane bridge, as it has seismic deficiencies requiring a total reconstruction. The bridge is shared by both the City of Riverside and City of Jurupa Valley (close to a 50/50 share) and thus it is a collaborative effort to pursue funding for the project. The Highway Bridge Program (HBP) had committed monies for the reconstruction effort, but the program is overspent and HBP has rescinded its financial support. The City recently learned of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Bridge Investment Program Call for Projects and quickly assessed the grant’s requirements to consider applying. The City is also working with the City of Jurupa Valley to reconstruct the Market Street Bridge over the Santa Ana River (90% in Jurupa Valley, 10% in the City of Riverside) and since they are taking the lead to pursue this grant effort, the City of Riverside has agreed to pursue funding opportunities for the Mission Inn Avenue Bridge reconstruction project.
Table 4 - Preliminary Project Cost
Task
Amount ($M)
Preliminary (PA&ED) and Final (PS&E) Engineering
$7.036
Right-of-Way (ROW)
$1.200
Construction and Construction Engineering
$64.000
Total
$72.236
Table 5 - Project Funding
Source
Amount
Status
Highway Bridge Program (Federal Funds)
or potentially replaced by
Bridge Investment Program (Federal Funds)
$63,991,215
Partially HBP Secured, Future HBP Allocation or BIP Grant Award Prop 1B (State Funds)
$2,683,980
Secured
Local Match (Measure A / Gas Tax – City of Riverside)
$3,357,538
Secured
Local Match (City of Jurupa Valley)
$2,203,267
Secured
Total
$72,236,000
Table 6 - Preliminary Construction Timeline
Phase
Start
End
Environmental
November 2019
November 2021
Design (PS&E)
November 2019
March 2023
Right of Way
August 2020
October 2022
Construction
July 2023
July 2025
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
These items support Strategic Priority 5 – High Performing Government, by considering funding opportunities to improve the community and is in accordance with Goal 5.4: Achieve and maintain financial health by addressing gaps between revenues and expenditures and aligning resources with strategic priorities to yield the greatest impact. Further the grant applications, support Strategic Priority 6 – Infrastructure, Mobility & Connectivity by improving safety, circulation, and providing critical infrastructure for our community to thrive and is in accordance with Goal 6.2: Maintain, protect, and improve assets and infrastructure within the City’s built environment to ensure and enhance reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and facilitate connectivity.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Pursuit of grant funding leverages City funds to secure State and Federal funding to construct large and entailed projects. Grant pursuit shows the City is responsive to community priorities by pursuing available funding opportunities to expedite critical infrastructure projects.
Equity – Approval of this action benefits all who travel on Third Street and Mission Inn Avenue near these projects. The projects would also improve air quality for residents as the grade separation project would eliminate vehicle idling at the railroad tracks.
Fiscal Responsibility – The RCE and TCEP grant applications would leverage secured City funding to close the construction funding gap for the Third Street at BNSF Grade Separation Project. The BIP grant application does not require a local funding match and may provide the needed construction monies to complete this project.
Innovation – The Mission Inn Avenue bridge reconstruction project would include the latest seismic requirement for bridges and thus maximize safety for motorists. The Third Street at BNSF Project would build temporary railroad tracks to minimize impacts to freight and light rail travel through the crossing and would eliminate vehicular idling and vehicle-train conflicts to improve air quality and safety for the community.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Replacing a bridge structure that does not meet seismic requirements and eliminating an at-grade railroad crossing are tow of the ways the Public Works Department sustainably and efficiently manages the City’s infrastructure roadway network.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for the submittal of this grant application. The Public Works Department has available CMAQ, WRCOG, and Measure A funds to use as matching funds to pursue the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program and Trade Corridor Enhancement Program grant applications. The USDOT Bridge Investment Program does not require matching funds to apply for the grant.
The City plans to hire consultants to pursue one or all of the grants and will seek City Council approval if the cost of the consultant services exceed the approval authority of the Public Works Director and/or City Manager.
Prepared by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Mission Inn Avenue at Santa Ana River – Location Map
Third Street at BNSF Railroad Crossing - Location Map
RCE, TCEP, and Bridge Improvement Program Grant Applications ● Page 2