City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: FEBRUARY 6, 2024 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION GRANT FOR YEAR 2023 SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROGRAM FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH MAIN STREET COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT AND DEVELOPMENT OF CITYWIDE SAFETY ACTION PLANS FOR A GRANT FUNDED AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY $11,104,807 WITH A 20.00% LOCAL MATCH FOR A TOTAL FUNDING PACKAGE OF APPROXIMATELY $13,881,009 – SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUES:
Accept a grant award in the amount of $11,104,807 from the United States Department of Transportation’s 2023 Safe Streets For All (SS4A) Grant Program to construct street improvements on Main Street between SR-60 and Third Street, including a half-mile project influence area, develop Citywide supplemental safety action planning studies; and authorize a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $2,776,202, for a total funding amount of $13,881,009 with a grant funded component of $11,104,807.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the acceptance of a grant award in the amount of $11,104,807, under the 2023 Safe Streets For All (SS4A) Program as administered by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the construction of the South Main Complete Streets Project and the development of Citywide supplemental safety action plans; Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents in the process of securing funds under the 2023 Safe Streets For All (SS4A) Program, including making minor and non-substantive changes and executing agreement amendments and extensions, subject to the availability of budgeted funds; With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record an increase in grant revenue and appropriate expenditures in the amounts of $10,784,807 in the Capital Outlay-Grants Fund, South Main Complete Streets Project revenue and expenditure accounts and $320,000 in the Capital Outlay-Grants Fund, Speed Limit Reduction Project revenue and expenditure accounts; and With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amounts of $2,696,202 in the Measure A Fund, South Main Complete Streets expenditure account and $80,000 in the Measure A Fund, Speed Limit Reduction Project expenditure account, for the City match portion of the grant.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
On June 20, 2023, the City Council authorized the submittal of a grant application in the amount of $13,881,009.00 to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to construct the South Main Complete Streets Project and to develop Citywide supplemental safety action plans.
With the support of Congressman Mark Takano’s Office, the City received the official 2023 SS4A Grant Award notification on December 14, 2023.
BACKGROUND:
Section 24112 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also referred to as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”) established the discretionary SS4A Grant Program with $5 billion dollars in advanced appropriations that are intended to be appropriated equally over the five-year period of 2022 through 2026. One billion dollars of grant funds are authorized and appropriated for the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 which is the second year of the five-year grant program. Additionally, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has $177,213,000 from FY 2022 in carryover funds set aside for Planning and Demonstration Grants. Thus, certain safety planning and demonstration activities may be included as part of an Implementation Grant application request for FY 2023 call for projects. Up to $1,177,213,000 total dollars are available for FY 2023 grants under the SS4A program. $600 million is available for Implementation Grant Type Projects and $577 million is available as set aside funds for Planning & Demonstration Type Projects.
The purpose of SS4A grants are to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safety action plan development, refinement and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, personal conveyance and micro mobility users, and commercial vehicle operators.
The SS4A grant program provides funding for two main types of grants: 1.) Planning and Demonstration Grants for comprehensive safety action plans, including supplemental safety planning, and/or safety demonstration activities; 2.) and Implementation Grants to implement strategies or projects that are consistent with an existing Action Plan and may also bundle funding requests for supplemental planning and temporary demonstration activities that are small-scale tests with finite trial periods. USDOT encourages the submittal of the bundled supplemental safety action planning projects and temporary demonstration activities because these projects are evaluated separately from main implementation grant applications and can result in an award for planning grant funds despite denial of the main implementation grant application.
The Federal share of a SS4A grant may not exceed 80% of total eligible activity costs. Recipients are required to contribute a local matching share of no less than 20% of eligible activity costs. Unless otherwise authorized by statute, all matching funds must be from non-Federal sources.
The City Council authorized staff to submit a grant application under the 2023 SS4A Grant Program on June 20, 2023.
On July 8, 2023 the Public Works Department submitted the highly competitive implementation and safety action plan grant application for the South Main Complete Streets Project and Citywide safety action plans.
With the support of Congressman Mark Takano’s Office, the City received the official 2023 SS4A Grant Award notification on December 14, 2023.
DISCUSSION:
With the successful grant award notification of $11.1 Million Dollars ($13.8 Million Total Project cost) under the USDOT FY 2023 SS4A Grant Program, the City has earmarked federal funds to construct the transformative South Main Complete Street Project which includes: a new road diet (reduction in the number of travel lanes from 4 to 2) along Main Street from SR-60 to Third Street with zipper parking, concrete sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, speed feedback signs, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, planters, and diagonal parking in the median along with a bundled component for supplemental safety action planning projects. This project is included in the adopted circulation element of the Northside Specific Plan.
The project is anticipated to reduce roadway speeds and increase parking opportunities for residents and business patrons along Main Street. Additional components of the implementation grant application consist of high-visibility crosswalks and audible pedestrian push button within a half-mile radius of the Main Street project influence area.
The bundled supplemental safety action planning projects include a Citywide speed limit reduction evaluation project based on Assembly Bill (AB) 43 and a revision to the Local Roadway Safety Plan or establish a new Vision Zero Plan to meet the minimum eligibility requirements for future calls for projects for the SS4A Grant Program. The total project cost is $13,881,009 ($11,104,807 million in grant funds and $2,776,202 million in local match non-federal funds). With the successful award of federal monies, staff are seeking additional State and local funds to offset the local match requirement but it is necessary to program the local match. Attachment 1 illustrates the proposed road modifications on Main Street and a full list of project locations is included in Attachment 2.
Source: Northside Neighborhood & Pellisier Ranch Specific Plan. Main Street south of 60 Freeway. Proposed cross-section with zipper parking.
The recommended improvements are identified in the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), the Riverside P.A.C.T. Plan, Complete Streets Ordinance, and the Northside Neighborhood Pellisier Ranch Specific Plan. The proposed supplemental safety action planning components are consistent with the National Roadway Safety Strategies (NRSS) and align with the SS4A Grant Program Initiatives for Safer People, Safer Vehicles, Safer Speeds, Safer Roads and Post-Crash Care.
The proposed Citywide speed limit reduction project utilizes the Assembly Bill (AB) 43 legislation which provides local authorities with greater flexibility in setting and reducing speed limits and is consistent with the Safer Speeds initiative of the SS4A Grant Program and NRSS. A high-injury network map would have to be established to comply with the AB 43 policy. Funds would be used to examine potentially eligible roadways and determine the City’s approach to implementation.
The proposed update to the LRSP is required to remain eligible for future calls for projects for the SS4A Grant Program. The City must carefully consider any proposed changes to the Local Roadway Safety Plan.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item supports Strategic Priority 2 – Community Well-Being and Goal 2.4 – Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust. This item also 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 proposed USDOT FY 2023 SS4A awarded projects align with the goals below:
Goal 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.
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.
Furthermore, this project aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The proposed improvements are part of a more significant endeavor to improve the City’s transportation network and increase the traffic safety of residents and visitors along city streets. The proposed improvements are identified in the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), the Riverside P.A.C.T. Plan and the Northside Neighborhood & Pellissier Specific Plan.
Equity – Public Works strives to improve the City’s roadway network to provide safe and reliable transportation in all areas of the City. All Wards will benefit from the review of potential posted speed limit reductions.
Fiscal Responsibility – The proposed traffic safety improvement projects leverage various city funds to garner grant funding of an 80%-20% split for traffic safety improvements. The City will continue to pursue additional non-federal eligible funding sources to supplement the local match funds.
Innovation – The proposed bundled safety action planning component aims to reduce posted speed limits citywide by utilizing the recent executed California Assembly Bill 43 (AB 43) legislation which gives local agencies throughout the state more control over deciding how speed limits should be set and whether speed limits should be reduced on certain roads and highways.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The proposed South Main Complete Street project will reuse existing rights of way creatively to facilitate reduced vehicle speeds and improved pedestrian access.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action including design, construction, construction engineering, and contingencies is $13,881,009 (Table 1) which is comprised of $11,104,807 in USDOT 2023 SS4A grant funds, and an additional $2,776,202 in local matching funds from Measure A revenues to complete the SS4A infrastructure and planning improvements.
Upon Council approval, for the implementation grant component (South Main Complete Streets Project) revenue and expenditures will be recorded in the amount of $10,784,807 in the Capital Outlay-Grants Fund, South Main Complete Streets Project revenue and expenditure accounts. The local match in the amount of $2,696,202 will be appropriated in the Measure A Fund, South Main Complete Streets Project expenditure account as listed in Table 2 below.
Upon Council approval, for the Safety Action Planning Grant components (Citywide Speed Limit Reduction Project and Update to LRSP or establish Vision Zero Plan) revenue in the amount of $320,000 will be recorded and an equal amount appropriated in the Capital Outlay-Grants Fund, Speed Limit Reduction Project revenue and expenditure accounts. The local match in the amount of $80,000 will appropriated in the Measure A Fund, Speed Limit Reduction Project, expenditure account as listed in Table 3 below.
Table 1 – Project Costs:
Project Name
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) (FY 2023) Grant Program Funds Requested Local Match Funds (20%) / Non-Participating Funds
Total Project Cost
Implementation Grant:
Main St (SR-60 Fwy to 3rd):
Road diet (reduce travel lanes to 2 lanes)
Zipper parking
Curb extensions
Sidewalks & ped ramps
Bike signage & striping
Speed feedback signs
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons
High-visibility crosswalks (within a ½ mile radius of the Main St South project) Audible Pedestrian Push Button Systems (within a ½ mile radius of the Main St South project) $10,784,807
$2,696,202
$13,481,009
Bundled Supplemental Safety Action Planning Component:
Citywide Speed Limit Reduction Study
Update Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) or Vision Zero to meet eligibility requirements for future SS4A Grant Program calls for project. $320,000
$80,000
$400,000
Estimated SS4A Grant Program (FY 2023) Total:
$11,104,807
$2,776,202
$13,881,009
Table 2 – South Main Street Complete Street Project
Fund
Project
Account
Amount
Revenue
Capital Outlay-Grants
South Main Complete Streets
9280827-331300
$10,784,807
Expenditures
Capital Outlay-Grants
South Main Complete Streets
9280827-440127
$10,784,807
Measure A (Local Match)
9280830-440313
*$2,696,202
Total Expenditures:
$13,481,009
*Denotes City Match
Table 3 – Citywide Speed Limit Reduction Project
Fund
Project
Account
Amount
Revenue
Capital Outlay-Grants
Speed Limit Reduction Project
9280927-331300
$320,000
Expenditures
Capital Outlay-Grants
Speed Limit Reduction Project
9280930-440127
$320,000
Measure A (Local Match)
9280930-440313
*$80,000
Total Expenditures:
$400,000
*Denotes City Match
Staff will return to City Council to pursue additional non-federal eligible funding sources to supplement the required 20% local match funds such as the Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 7 Program, SB1 Local Partnership Program (Cycle 4), SB 821 Pedestrian & Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Program and any other eligible grant programs.
Prepared by: Philip Nitollama, City Traffic Engineer
Approved by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director / Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Main Street Road Diet Exhibit
Traffic Safety Project List of Improvements
2023 SS4A Award Notification
2023 SS4A Grant Award Fact Sheet
Project Budget
Project Schedule
United States Department of Transportation Fiscal Year 2023 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Grant Award ● Page 6