City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: APRIL 8, 2025 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: 1,2,3 ,4 & 5
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION OF TWO FISCAL YEAR 2025-26 TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT ACT ARTICLE 3, SENATE BILL 821 GRANT APPLICATIONS TO THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR $1,455,973, WITH REQUIRED CITY MATCH OF $1,455,973, FOR A TOTAL PROJECT COST OF $2,911,946, FOR BICYCLE LANE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG VAN BUREN BOULEVARD, BICYCLE LANE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG CHICAGO AVENUE, AND CONCRETE SIDEWALKS AND PEDESTRIAN RAMPS ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE AND BANDINI AVENUE (WARDS 1,2,3 AND 4) ISSUE:
Authorize the submittal of two grant applications requesting up to $1,455,973 in grant funding for the Transportation Development Act Article 3 (Senate Bill 821) Grant Program offered by the Riverside County Transportation Commission to construct bicycle lane improvements, concrete sidewalks, and pedestrian ramps in Wards 1-4. The total project cost is estimated at $2,911,946 which is a combined maximum of two total grant awards per the program guidelines and required dollar-for-dollar City match funds.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a FY 2025/26 Transportation Development Act Article 3 (Senate Bill 821) grant application (Grant #1) to the Riverside County Transportation Commission in an amount up to $727,986 (which includes $727,986 in local match funds) to construct buffered bike lanes on both sides of Van Buren Boulevard from Wood Road to Orange Terrace Parkway; Authorize the Public Works Department to prepare and submit a FY 2025/26 Transportation Development Act Article 3 (Senate Bill 821) grant application (Grant #2) to the Riverside County Transportation Commission in an amount up to $727,986 (which includes $727,986 in local match funds) to construct bike lanes on Chicago Avenue from Le Conte Drive to Martin Luther King Boulevard, construct new sidewalks and pedestrian ramps on Pennsylvania Avenue from Sedgewick Avenue to 14th Street; and on Bandini Avenue from Grand Avenue to Kendall St.; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign grant-related documents, including making minor and non-substantive changes as necessary.
BACKGROUND:
Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3, or Senate Bill (SB) 821, Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program funding, is provided through a ¼ cent of the general sales tax collected statewide. The TDA provides two major sources of funding for public transportation: the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and the State Transit Assistance (STA). The LTF provides funding for essential transit and commuter rail services, TDA Article 3/SB 821, and planning efforts. Each year, 2% of the LTF revenue is made available for use on bicycle and pedestrian facility projects through the TDA Article3/SB 821 program. TDA Article 3/SB 821 is a discretionary program administered by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). The total amount available for programming in the 2025/26 TDA Article 3/SB 821 Call for Projects is an estimated $7,279,863. Each City/Agency is eligible to submit up to three applications. Each application is limited to a maximum request of $727,986, which is 10% of available grant funding. The maximum award to each City/Agency is limited to $1,455,973, or 20% of available funding.
The TDA Article3/SB 821 Call for Projects occurs on a biennial basis, with a release date on February 3, 2025, and a due date on April 24, 2025. Per RCTC’s TDA Article3/SB 821 adopted policies, awardees receiving an allocation have 36 months from award, defined as July 1 of the Call for Projects fiscal year cycle to complete construction. Eligible projects include:
Construction, including related engineering expenses, of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, or for bicycle safety education programs; Maintenance of bicycling trails, which are closed to motorized traffic; Maintenance and repairs of Class I off-street bicycle facilities only; Restriping Class II bicycle lanes;
Facilities provided for the use of bicycles that serve the needs of commuting bicyclists, including, but not limited to, new trails serving major transportation corridors, secure bicycle parking at employment centers, park and ride lots, and transit terminals where other funds are available; Development of comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plans (limitations apply). Plans must emphasize bike/pedestrian facilities that support utilitarian bike/pedestrian travel rather than solely recreational activities; and Funding for Class III bicycle lane projects is limited to the cost of the lane striping and signage improvements directly related to bicycles. Pavement rehabilitation is not an eligible expense for Class III bicycle lane projects.
DISCUSSION:
The Public Works Department is requesting authorization from the City Council to submit a grant application requesting a total of up to $727,986 in TDA Article3/SB 821 grant funding to construct the buffered bike lanes along both side of Van Buren Boulevard from Wood Road to Orange Terrace Parkway (Attachment 1).
Secondly, the Public Works Department is requesting authorization from the City Council to submit a grant application requesting a total of up to $727,986 in TDA Article3/SB 821 grant funding to construct bike lanes along northbound Chicago Avenue from Le Conte Drive to Martin Luther King Boulevard and to construct new concrete sidewalks and pedestrian ramps on Pennsylvania Avenue from Sedgewick Avenue to 14th Street and on Bandini Avenue from Grand Avenue to Kendall Street (Attachments 2, 3 & 4).
The recommended streets are close vicinity to local schools, parks, employment centers, and commercial shopping areas, and support requests from the community to improve these facilities and locations. If the projects are awarded, new bike lanes, new sidewalks, and pedestrian ramps are expected to improve multi-modal active transportation connectivity, enhance safety and mobility for residents, and improve public health by encouraging increased walking and biking activities. The combined benefits would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions as residents would be encouraged to walk and bike for shorter trips.
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 proposed TDA Article 3/SB 821 funded projects align 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 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 quality of life for the residents and visitors. The proposed improvements are primarily based on residential service requests received by the Public Works Department.
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 projects include locations in Wards 1-4, many located in disadvantaged communities that will benefit from improved active transportation connectivity.
Fiscal Responsibility – The proposed pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects leverage various city funds to garner grant funding of an equal matching amount, doubling the budget for needed improvements to a total of up to $2,911,946 (which includes the agency maximum grant award of $1,455,973).
Innovation – The proposed projects embrace a Complete Streets approach, designing streets to accommodate all users, including cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. By integrating buffered bike lanes and concrete sidewalks, this improves connectivity, safety, and accessibility, creating a more efficient and inclusive transportation network.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The construction materials specified for the proposed projects meet or exceed industry standards and are expected to last well into the future. The improvements will also promote a sustainable, healthy lifestyle by enhancing the safety and connectivity of walking paths and bikeways.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no immediate fiscal impact related to this report. Should the grant be awarded, the total estimated fiscal impact of this recommendation is $2,911,946, which is comprised of $1,455,973 in RCTC grant funds over two awards, and an additional $1,455,973 in local matching funds to complete the TDA Article 3/ SB 821 infrastructure improvements (Table 1).
Table 1 – Project Costs (Top 2 Prioritized Projects) *
Project Name
TDA Article 3 (SB 821) Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant Program Funds Requested Local Match Funds (50%)
Total Project Cost
Van Buren Boulevard bike lane improvements
$727,986
$727,986
$1,455,973
Chicago Avenue bike lane striping, Pennsylvania & Bandini sidewalks $727,986
$727,986
$1,455,973
Estimated TDA Article 3 (SB 821) Bicycle & Pedestrian Grant Program Total:
$2,911,946
* Per Grant Program Guidelines, each local agency can be awarded 2 grant applications only.
If successful, the TDA Article 3 (SB 821) grant funding will be used for the construction of the pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements.
Staff will return to Council if awarded the grant with a definitive recommendation for allocating matching funding, in the amount of up to $1,455,973 from potential funding sources such as Special Gas Tax, Measure A, or others as available and identified by Staff at a later date.
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: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
Attachments:
Van Buren Boulevard Buffered Bike Lane Location Map
Chicago Avenue Bike Lane Location Map
Pennsylvania Avenue Sidewalk Location Map
Bandini Avenue Sidewalk Location Map
FY 2025/26 TDA Article3/SB 821 Grant Application ● Page 2