City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARDS: 1, 2, 3 AND 4 SUBJECT: UNIVERSITY AVENUE / CENTRAL AVENUE-ALESSANDRO BOULEVARD INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (ITS) PROJECT –TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM MITIGATION FEE PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS – SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUES:
Consider Approving the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) Program Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) in the funding amount of $2,500,000 for the University Avenue / Central Avenue - Alessandro Boulevard Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Project; and a supplemental appropriation of the TUMF funds.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Program Agreement with the Western Riverside Council of Governments in the funding amount of $2,500,000 for the University Avenue / Central Avenue – Alessandro Boulevard Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) project; Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the TUMF Agreement with WRCOG, including making minor and non-substantive changes; and With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record an increase in revenues and a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $2,500,000 in the in the TUMF Fund, University / Central-Alessandro ITS Project revenue and expenditure accounts.
BACKGROUND:
The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) developed and administers the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF), a program that ensures that new development pays its fair share of the increased traffic that it creates. The TUMF fees paid by new development in Western Riverside County are held in trust by WRCOG for the purpose of funding qualifying projects. WRCOG has identified the University Avenue / Central Avenue-Alessandro Boulevard Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project as a qualifying project of regional importance. The approval of this agreement will release $2.5 million in TUMF funds which will allow the City to proceed with completing the engineering design and construction of the Project.
On August 3, 2026, the WRCOG Executive Committee approved the appropriation of TUMF funds for the University Avenue / Central Avenue-Alessandro Boulevard Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project.
DISCUSSION:
The Citywide Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Master Plan project aims to develop a plan for traffic signals to improve safety, reduce congestion, and enhance system efficiency, reliability, performance, and resiliency. Approximately 55% of the City’s signals are interconnected, but broader signal communications and further exploration of ITS-focused activities would allow for more efficient, safer roads for all users. A recent study found that signal timing improvements can result in an 8-18% reduction in all types of intersection crashes.
The City has over 500 signal systems citywide, thus the construction of the University Avenue / Central Avenue-Alessandro Boulevard ITS Project is of high importance to improve interconnected signal systems, enhance roadway safety and help the City meet the goals of its anticipated ITS Master Plan (development of the Plan is underway), Vision Zero Action Plan (development of the Plan is underway and it will serve as the City’s updated Safety Action Plan, replacing the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) and other documents that currently serve this purpose), and alignment with the active transportation and mobility components of the Riverside PACT document.
ITS project activities may include, but are not limited to, traffic signal communications fiber upgrades, traffic conflict analysis, examination of connected and automated vehicle data, automated incident detection using closed-circuit television and analytics, examination of intelligent infrastructure such as AI-based cameras to detect the presence of vulnerable road users in crosswalks and adjust signal timing, piloting a conflict prediction and warning system that issues safety warnings if vehicles are on a crash trajectory, assessment of intelligent speed management technologies, wrong-way driving warning systems and more.
The scope of work for the TUMF-funded project consists of preparing construction-ready plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) as well as construction of the City’s top two priority intelligent transportation system projects along University Avenue (the Innovation Corridor) and the Alessandro Boulevard-Central Avenue corridor. The University Avenue (Innovation Corridor) component will integrate a fully functional and interconnected fiber optic communications system that links the City’s Traffic Management Center (TMC) at Riverside City Hall (3900 Main St Riverside, CA 92822) to all of the traffic signalized intersections up to the intersection of University Avenue and Kim Wilcox Drive. This portion of the project will help to address congestion, enhance service along the busy Riverside Transit Agency Route 1, and expand the capabilities of collaboration with UCR’s Center for Environmental Research & Technology. The Alessandro Boulevard-Central Avenue component will integrate a fully functional and interconnected fiber optic communications system that includes all of the signalized intersections from the intersection of Central Avenue and Magnolia Avenue to the intersection of Alessandro Boulevard and Meridian Parkway-Sycamore Canyon Boulevard. This corridor is heavily traveled, and fiber optic enhancements are expected to address congestion by expanding capabilities for signal interconnection and future ITS devices.
Design and construction project activities are expected to be completed in 24-36 months.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the actions of this report is an increase in revenue and expenditures of $2.5 million dollars. Upon Council approval an increase in revenue and expenditures will be recorded as shown in Table 1 below. The attached agreement provides for $2.5 million dollars in TUMF funding to fund the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) phase, construction engineering, inspection, and contract administration phases of the project as itemized in Table 2.
Table 1. Project Funding
Fund
Project
Account
Amount
TUMF
University / Central-Alessandro ITS Project
Revenue
9937719-339100
$2,500,000
Expenditures
9937719-440315
$2,500,000
Table 2. Estimated Project Costs
Task
Amount
Design Phase (PS&E)
$100,000
Construction Phase
$2,000,000
Construction Contingencies (10%)
$200,000
Subtotal (Total Fiscal Impact)
$2,300,000
Construction Engineering, Inspection, and Administration $200,000
Total
$2,500,000
Prepared by: Philip Nitollama, City Traffic Engineer
Approved by: Nathan Mustafa, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachments:
Location Map
Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Program Reimbursement Agreement