City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: FEDERAL HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (HSIP) CYCLE XI GRANT APPLICATION FOR INSTALLING CITYWIDE TRAFFIC SAFETY COUNTERMEASURES IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $10,000,000 ISSUE:
Authorize the submittal of a Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle XI grant application to the California Department of Transportation to enact traffic safety improvements at signalized intersections citywide including the installation of yellow reflective borders around vehicular traffic signal heads, install audible pedestrian push button systems, and implement leading pedestrian walking intervals.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council authorize the Public Works Department to submit a Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle XI grant application to the California Department of Transportation in an amount up to $10,000,000 for citywide traffic safety improvements; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign any-and-all necessary documents related to applications for grant funding as discussed in this report.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Grants Administration Policy 01.006.00 requires that all grant application in excess of $1,000,000 receive pre-approval from the City Council. This report complies with the Grants Administration Policy.
The purpose of the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. Agencies are eligible to receive up to $10,000,000 through this program. The HSIP grant allows the installation of Proven Safety Countermeasures determined by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Some of the countermeasures that the grant application may seek funding for include but are not limited to:
Citywide traffic signal vehicle head backplates with reflective borders Citywide leading pedestrian interval signal timing modifications Citywide audible pedestrian push buttons
Crosswalk visibility enhancements
Radar speed feedback signs
On May 9, 2022, the California Department of Transportation announced the HSIP Cycle XI Call for Projects. Applications are due September 12, 2022. HSIP Cycle XI is expected to include approximately $210,000,000 in federal grant funds. Projects will be selected based on a Benefit Cost Ratio Analysis, and some projects may be funded through set-aside programs. The maximum amount an agency can be awarded is $10,000,000.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Riverside has participated in the HSIP grant program since 2010, seeking funding for important traffic safety projects through the submission of multiple grant applications during the calls for projects. To date, the City has been successful in securing millions of dollars in HSIP grants benefiting the City and its residents by constructing critical vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist safety enhancements.
To apply for HSIP funds, agencies are now required to complete a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP), or equivalent document. The City of Riverside LRSP is in final draft format and will be brought to the City Council for final adoption in coming weeks. The purpose of preparing an LRSP is to create a framework to systematically identify and analyze safety problems and recommend safety improvements. Preparing an LRSP facilitates the development of local agency partnerships and collaboration, resulting in a prioritized list of improvements and actions that can demonstrate a defined need and contribute to the statewide plan. The LRSP offers a proactive approach to addressing safety needs and demonstrates agency responsiveness to safety challenges. The process of developing an LRSP can be tailored to local protocols, needs, and issues.
The stakeholders who participated in the LRSP program include the following:
City of Riverside Police Department; University of California, Riverside; Riverside Unified School District; Alvord Unified School District; Riverside University Health Systems; Riverside Bike Club; Riverside Transit Authority; UCR Center for Environmental Research & Technology; Riverside Community Health Foundation; and Riverside Downtown Partnership.
The LRSP must be updated and validated at least every five years. When the City submits future HSIP funding applications, the agency must self-certify that an LRSP, or equivalent, has been completed. The consultant hired by the City to prepare the LRSP has also been tasked with preparing the City’s HSIP grant application to ensure the grant application is reflective of the planning process and aligns with the LRSP findings.
The proposed HSIP grant application will benefit local communities by making vital traffic safety improvements which will heighten driver awareness and are anticipated to reduce traffic collisions citywide. Pedestrian-related improvements submitted for the HSIP grant application are also supported by the Riverside PACT (Pedestrian Target Safeguarding Plan, Active Transportation Master Plan, Complete Streets Ordinance, and Trail Master Plan).
Staff is requesting City Council authorization to submit an HSIP grant application in an amount up to $10,000,000.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The proposed grant application contributes to Strategic Priority 2 - Community Well-Being and Strategic Priority - 6 Infrastructure, Mobility & Connectivity, and the following goals:
Goal 2.4 – Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and building public trust.
Goal 2.5 – Foster relationships between community members, partner organizations, and public safety professionals to define, prioritize, and address community safety and social service needs.
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.
Goal 6.3 – Identify and pursue new and unique funding opportunities to develop, operate, maintain, and renew infrastructure and programs that meet the community’s needs.
Goal 6.4 – Incorporate Smart City strategies into the planning and development of local infrastructure projects.
This project aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The HSIP application required the development of a LRSP document, which is the product of various forms of inclusive community engagement. The HSIP grant application is supported by the priority objectives of the Riverside PACT. The City will submit the HSIP application with the goal of serving public interest, benefiting the City’s diverse populations, and meeting the needs of the community based on their feedback.
Equity –Many of the proposed improvements will enhance safety for non-motorized roadway users; according to the California Healthy Places Index Map, households in Riverside disadvantaged communities are more often reliant on non-motorized transportation to access employment, institutions, and recreation.
Fiscal Responsibility – Riverside is a prudent steward of public funds and ensures responsible management of the City’s financial resources by awarding construction and consultant services contracts to the lowest responsive bidders and utilizing available grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration Highway Safety Improvement Program.
Innovation – The proposed HSIP grant application features innovative transportation practices currently used in the City of Riverside and supported by the Federal Highway Administration.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The proposed HSIP application will improve safety for non-motorized forms of transportation; pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements can encourage mode shift and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is up to $10,000,000. If awarded the HSIP Grant, staff will return to Council with a recommendation for allocating project and matching funding. Matching City funds will be an amount up to $1,000,000. Potential funding sources include bond proceeds, surplus reserves, Measure A, Measure Z, or others as available and deemed appropriate by the City Council.
If successful, the HSIP grant funding will be used for the construction phase of the proposed proven safety countermeasures, including construction, engineering, and inspection. To compete for the Federal funding, the Public Works Department is proposing to appropriate up to $1,000,000 (10%) in required local match (using non-General Funds) towards the project. Because this is a reimbursement grant, the City will need to set aside sufficient funds for completion of the project in anticipation of receiving up to $9,000,000 in grant revenues.
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
HSIP Cycle XI Grant Application ● Page 4