City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: NOVEMBER 18, 2025 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION OF A GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION – AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) TRANSITION MASTER PLAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $700,000 PLUS A REQUIRED 11.47% LOCAL MATCH OF $90,692, FOR TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST OF $790,692 ISSUE:
Authorize the submittal of a grant application for $700,000 in funding from the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program offered by the California Department of Transportation to develop a citywide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition master plan. The grant requires an 11.47% local match of $90,692 for a total estimated project cost of $790,692.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Authorize the submittal of a grant application for $700,000 in funding from the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program offered by the California Department of Transportation in an amount up to $700,000, plus an 11.47% local match of $90,692, for a total estimated project cost of $790,692 for the ADA Transition Master Plan Project; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to sign grant-related documents, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Riverside has participated in several California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) grant programs, seeking funding for important active transportation planning documents and capital projects through the submission of multiple grant applications. To date, the City has been successful in securing millions of dollars in federal and state grants through these efforts.
On September 27, 2024, the City’s General Services Department advertised Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2409 - Comprehensive ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan for all City-owned facilities, programs, services, activities, parks, parking lots, sidewalks, and public rights-of-way. Five proposals were received with the lowest responsible cost proposal in the amount of $977,400. This proposal was ultimately not awarded due to the unanticipated high cost of the project which was originally expected to use City funds only and did not include grant funds.
The City subsequently conferred with the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant administrators and determined that a citywide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Master Plan was an eligible project under the 2025-2026 Grant Cycle. The program has a maximum grant award of up to $700,000 per project, with a minimum local match requirement of up to $90,692, for a total project cost of up to $790,692. The scope of the work and associated costs for the project will be modified accordingly to fit within the maximum total project budget.
On September 9, 2024, Caltrans announced the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Call for Projects for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant is expected to include approximately $30 million in State grant funds. The grant application submittal deadline is November 21, 2025.
DISCUSSION:
An ADA Transition Plan is a required document under the Americans with Disabilities Act that outlines a public entity’s strategy for removing barriers to accessibility for individuals with disabilities. There are a number of reasons for the City to develop an ADA Transition Master Plan including:
Legal compliance - Title II of the ADA requires public entities to make their programs, services and facilities accessible. For agencies with more than 50 employees, the Title II regulations explicitly require a written transition plan that sets forth steps to achieve accessibility. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504), Caltrans ensures that subrecipients of Federal aid and State and local entities that are responsible for roadways and pedestrian facilities do not discriminate on the basis of disability in any highway transportation program, activity, service or benefit they provide to the general public; and to ensure that people with disabilities have equitable opportunities to use the public rights-of-way system.
Reduce litigation and risk - A documented, prioritized plan and public process show good-faith compliance and are strong defenses in enforcement actions or complaints. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) enforcement and technical guidance emphasize transition plans as core compliance tools.
Protect funding eligibility and integrate with transportation programming - Federal and many state funding programs expect or require ADA planning and often ask for transition plans (or documented program access) when distributing funds or approving projects. FHWA/Caltrans guidance encourages integrating transition plan needs into programming.
Equity, access, and service delivery - The plan identifies barriers that prevent people with disabilities from using services (parks, libraries, sidewalks, etc.) and sets a practical path to fix barriers by improving equal access for residents and visitors.
The tangible benefits of the ADA Transition Master Plan include inventory and prioritization of barriers (such as curb ramps, sidewalks, accessible push button systems at signalized intersections), better capital planning (such as maintenance schedules and retrofits), improved community relations (extensive public outreach component), and stronger grant competitiveness (grant scoring criteria increased with an adopted ADA transition plan).
If awarded, the project tasks could include but are not limited to:
Self-evaluation summary — methods used, and existing programs and services reviewed Inventory of city-owned facilities & barriers — buildings, parks, sidewalks, bus stops, curb ramps, pedestrian signals; include maps, photos, GIS layers Prioritization & scoring methodology — equity, use frequency, proximity to services (offices, transit, schools), cost-benefit Required corrections & recommended solutions — technical descriptions, references to American Disability Act (ADA) / California Building Code (CBC) standards Implementation schedule — multi-year phasing, annual tasks, interim steps Cost estimates & funding plan — capital, maintenance, staff, prepare City for future potential grants applications Roles & responsibilities — ADA Coordinator, implementing departments, project manager Public involvement & outreach plan — how disabled community and advocacy groups will be engaged Grievance/complaint procedure and monitoring/reporting framework The City is actively working with Alvord Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Transit Agency, and University of California Riverside to garner letters of support from each entity that wishes to participate in the development of the plan.
Grant Matching Strategy & Development
The full scope of the project is pending final estimates, however, to stay within the defined project size ranges and to remain competitive for local funds, the Riverside ADA Transition Master Plan will be capped at $700,000 in total project costs for the Sustainable Communities Competitive and Technical Category projects.
The proposed projects will benefit citywide communities by making vital improvements which will identify barriers that prevent people with disabilities from using services (parks, libraries, sidewalks, etc.) and set a practical path to fix barriers thereby improving equal access for residents and visitors.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If awarded, the total estimated fiscal impact of this recommendation is an increase in revenue and expenditures of $700,000, plus a $90,692 City match portion, to complete the Riverside ADA Transition Master Plan (Table 1).
Table 1 – Project Costs
Project Name
Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program Funds Requested Local Match Funds (11.47%) / Non-Participating Funds
Total Project Cost
Riverside ADA Transition Master Plan
$700,000
$90,692
$790,692
If successful, the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning grant funding will be used for consulting services for the development of the Riverside ADA Transition Master Plan.
If awarded, staff will return to City Council to receive and appropriate funding with a recommendation to allocate the required 11.47% matching funds of up to $90,692 from potential funding sources, including Measure A.
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: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program Application ● Page 2