City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: APRIL 18, 2023 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: 4 AND 6
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION TO THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR THE 2023 WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY REGIONAL ARTERIALS GRANT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $4 MILLION TO FUND THE PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND ESTIMATES PHASE OF THE STATE ROUTE 91/ADAMS STREET INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION ISSUE:
Authorize the submittal of a grant application requesting $4,000,000 in funding for the 2023 Western Riverside Regional Arterials Grant Program offered by the Riverside County Transportation Commission for the plans, specifications, and estimates phase of the State Route 91/Adams Street Interchange Reconstruction.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a 2023 Western Riverside Regional Arterials grant application to the Riverside County Transportation Commission in an amount of $4,000,000 for the plans, specifications, and estimates phase of the State Route 91/Adams Street Interchange Reconstruction.
BACKGROUND:
In 2002, Riverside County voters approved the renewal of Measure A, a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements to be administered by Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). The renewal took effect in 2009 when the original Measure A ended. The 2009 Measure A Expenditure Plan includes funding to widen existing roads and construct new roads on the regional arterial transportation system in Western Riverside County. An estimated $300 million in revenues generated over the duration of Measure A (through 2039) is available for Western Riverside County regional arterials and matching revenues will be generated by the cities and county implementing a Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) program administered by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) (TUMF Regional Arterial funds) or the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) (TUMF Zone funds).
Measure A Regional Arterials (MARA) revenues initially generated less than anticipated due to the recession of 2008. However, in order to protect and create jobs, the Commission previously allocated approximately $16.5 million of MARA funds specifically to local agencies with eligible projects that were construction-ready. An additional $24 million was allocated through the 2013 Multi-Funding Call for Projects.
Between the last call for projects in 2013 and this 2023 call for projects, an additional $53 million has been allocated on an ad hoc basis by the Commission as funding gaps in regional projects have risen.
Approximately $85 million is projected to be available in the MARA account for this Call for Projects, specifically, $72,250,000 in Fiscal Year 2023/24 and $12,750,000 in Fiscal Year 2024/25. Additionally, there is approximately $50 million projected to be available in the TUMF Regional Arterials account for this Call for Projects, $45,750,000 in Fiscal Year 2023/24 and $4,250,000 in Fiscal Year 2024/25. Hence, the total funding available for this Call for Projects is $135,000,000.
The RCTC recommends that local agencies limit each of their design phase funding requests to no more than 10% of the current Call for Projects programming capacity. For the 2023 Call for Projects, it is anticipated that individual project awards will not exceed $13,500,000.
DISCUSSION:
The Public Works Department is requesting authorization from the City Council to submit a grant application requesting funding in the amount of $4,000,000 for the Project (Attachment 1), which will leverage $2,285,000 of TUMF and require $1,715,000 of local money as matching funds for a total funding package of $8,000,000. The total matching amount (TUMF and City match) is $4,000,000, which is 50-percent of the PS&E phase (see Table 1). This will allow the grant application to score the most points in the matching fund category, making it more competitive. It is anticipated that the Project’s current PA&ED phase will be completed in winter 2023 and the PS&E phase will commence in spring 2024.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item supports Strategic Priority 6 – Infrastructure, Mobility, and Connectivity and aims to ensure safe, reliable infrastructure that benefits the community and facilitates connection between people, places, and information. The SR91/Adams Street Interchange Reconfiguration project aligns with the goals below:
6.1 – Provide, expand and ensure equitable access to sustainable modes of transportation that connect people to opportunities such as employment, education, healthcare, and community amenities.
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.
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.
Furthermore, this project aligns with each of the Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The Project is a part of a more significant endeavor to improve the City’s transportation network and quality of life for the residents and visitors. The proposed project improvements aim to improve traffic movement of the city’s streets surrounding the interchange.
Equity – Public Works strives to improve the City’s roadway network to provide safe and reliable transportation in all areas of the City. The proposed project will improve access to various residential neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers, and the Auto Dealership, of from the SR-91.
Fiscal Responsibility – The proposed project leverage various city funds to garner grant funding for matching amount. Moreover, the money supplant by the grant can be freed up and allocate to other needed projects within the City.
Innovation – The project will implement innovative emergency backup battery power system for the storm drain pump station, together with updated traffic safety device elements to increase compliance and visibility to improve safety at the intersections during the design phase of this project.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The construction materials specified for the proposed projects meet or exceed industry standards and are expected to last well into the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total estimated fiscal impact of this recommendation is $8,000,000 which is comprised of a $4,000,000 grant award from RCTC plus $2,285,000 in TUMF funding and $1,715,000 in FY 2023/24 in required local City match funding. TUMF funds are already appropriated, and will be used as matching funds for the 2023 Western Regional Arterials Grant (see Table 1).
Table 1 – SR91/Adams Street Interchange Project Funding Summary:
Project Phase
Local Funds
Other Funds
Total Cost
Project Study Report – Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) (completed) $600,000
$0
$600,000
Project Approval and Environmental Documents (PA&ED) (ongoing) $0
$935,000 (Federal RSTP Fund)
$1,815,000 (TUMF)
$2,750,000
Plans, Specification, and Estimates (PS&E) (FY2023/24)
$1,715,000*
$2,285,000 (TUMF)*
$4,000,000 (2023 Western Riverside Regional Arterials Grant) $8,000,000
Right of Way Acquisition
(FY2024/25)
Unfunded
Unfunded
$20,350,000
Construction
(FY2025/26)
Unfunded
Unfunded
$42,500,000
Total
$74,200,000
*Matching funds for the 2023 Western Riverside Regional Arterials Grant Staff will return to Council if the grant is awarded to receive funds, request appropriations, and with a definitive recommendation for allocating the matching funding in the amount of $1,715,000 from the potential funding sources, potentially including Measure A, Special Gas Tax, Measure Z, or other sources as available.
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
Attachment: Location Map
2023 Western Riverside Regional Arterials Grant Application ● Page 2