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CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: June 5, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Rochelle Clayton, Acting City Manager;
Lynn Merrill, Director of Public Works, Operations and
Maintenance
Department: Public Works
Subject: Accept Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
Grant (Wards 1, 2, 6)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2024-137, and
1. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a grant agreement and any subsequent amendments with the U.S. Department of Transportation in the amount of $240,800 for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program; and
2. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend and appropriate the $240,800 Safe Street and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program award in both revenues and expenditures to the Fiscal Year 2023 – 2024 Operating Budget; and
3. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend and appropriate $60,200 from the Local Regional Circulation Fund in expenditures to the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budget to satisfy the 20% grant match requirement; and
4. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend the Fiscal Year 2023 – 2027 Capital Improvement Program to add the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
Executive Summary
The Safe Streets for All Grant (SS4A) is a comprehensive initiative aimed at enhancing safety and accessibility on public roadways. This grant program prioritizes community engagement, data-driven decision-making, and innovative solutions to address key challenges related to pedestrian and vehicular safety. The City of San Bernardino 2 1
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plans on using the grant funds to develop tools to strengthen the community’s approach to roadway safety and save lives and prevent serious harm.
Background
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022- 2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Over $3 billion is still available for future funding rounds. The SS4A program supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Roadway Safety Strategy and our goal of zero roadway deaths using a Safe System Approach.
The City has applied for and been awarded grant funding for the preparation of Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Completion of SS4A is required for the city to be eligible for future Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), SS4A grant Implementation, and other federal and state grant funding.
The program supports the development of a comprehensive safety action plan (Action Plan) that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies to address roadway safety issues. Action Plans are the foundation of the SS4A grant program. SS4A requires an eligible Action Plan to be in place before applying to implement projects and strategies. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants:
Planning and Demonstration Grants provide Federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan. The goal of an Action Plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. Planning and Demonstration Grants also fund supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities that inform the development of a new or existing Action Plan. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.
Implementation Grants provide Federal funds to implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem. Projects and strategies can be infrastructure, behavioral, and/or operational activities.
Implementation Grants may also include demonstration activities, supplemental planning, and project-level planning, design, and development. Applicants must have an eligible Action Plan to apply for Implementation Grants. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.
It is anticipated that City Staff will release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain consultant help with this project. The RFP is anticipated to be released in Summer 2024, and the resulting contract will be brought back to the Mayor and City Council for award.
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Discussion
On July 10, 2023, the Planning Grant application for Baseline St between Meridian Ave and Tippecanoe Ave was completed and sent to Caltrans. On December 13, 2023, the City was officially notified by Caltrans that the application has been approved and would receive 80% State funding in the amount of $240,800 with a local match of 20% in the amount $60,200 for a total project cost of $301,000.
The city was awarded a Planning Grant which includes the following key components:
•Leadership commitment and goal setting that includes a goal timeline for eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
•Planning structure through a committee, task force, implementation group, or similar body charged with oversight of the Action Plan development, implementation, and monitoring.
•Safety analysis of the existing conditions and historical trends that provides a baseline level of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries across a jurisdiction, locality, Tribe, or region.
•Engagement and collaboration with the public and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and community groups, that allows for both community representation and feedback.
•Equity considerations developed through a plan using inclusive and representative processes.
•Policy and process changes that assess the current policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards to identify opportunities to improve how processes prioritize transportation safety.
•Strategy and project selections that identify a comprehensive set of projects and strategies, shaped by data, the best available evidence and noteworthy practices, as well as stakeholder input and equity considerations, that will address the safety problems described in the Action Plan. •Progress and transparency methods that measure progress over time after an Action Plan is developed or updated, including outcome data.
Baseline St Between Meridian Ave and Tippecanoe Ave is classified in the City of San Bernadino General Plan as major arterial with a posted speed of mostly 40 MPH and total segment length of 5 miles. The curb- to- curb width varies with a majority being a minimum of 60 feet. The segment is generally a 4-lane divided highway with Two- way center left turn lane along the entire segment. Parking is not permitted along the segment between Meridian Ave to the I-215 Freeway. Parking is permitted along the segment from I-215 Fwy to Tippecanoe Ave.
Traffic Signals exists per Table A below:
Table A:
Location along Baseline St: Protected Left
@ Meridian Ave West
@ University Pkwy West
@ California St East
@ Medical Center Dr East / West
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@ Mt Vernon Ave East / West
@ Massachusetts Ave None
@ Perris St None
@ H St East / West
@ G St None
@ F St None
@ E St East / West (Protected / Permissive)
@ D St None
@ Arrowhead Ave East / West (Protected / Permissive)
@ Mt View Ave None
@ Sierra Way None
@ Waterman Ave East / West
@ Crestview Ave East / West
@ Windsor Dr / Myrtle Dr None
@ Tippecanoe Ave West
Currently there are no bicycle facilities along the entire segment of Baseline St from Meridian Ave to Tippecanoe Ave. This segment of Baseline St is listed in the SBCTA Non-Motorized Transportation Plan (NMTP) for the installation of Class II bike lanes.
A total of 435 collisions have taken place on this corridor.
In order to address collisions along this segment of Baseline Street between Meridian St and Tippecanoe Ave the following measures will be studied during the planning stages:
•Corner Extensions/ Bulb-out.
•Road diet Measures (Narrow lanes, Rumble Strips)
•Evaluating warrants for Rectangle Rapid Flashing beacons (RRFB’s) installation.
•High Visibility Crosswalks.
•Electronic Speed feedback signs.
•Class I, II, and III bike lanes.
•Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI).
•Raised Crosswalks at midblock Locations.
•Evaluating warrants for Installation of High Intensity Activated Crosswalk Beacon (HAWK)
•Evaluating warrants for Traffic signal installation at locations with High collision as a result of the cross-street traffic.
•Evaluation of edge lines.
The planning grant should encompass the approach methodology, concept design, costs, data collection, and benefits of the proposed improvements to develop the plan.
Also, included in the grant is the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) amendment and community engagement element The estimated budget is as follows:
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Activity Federal Fund
Request
Total Project cost Federal Fund to
underserved
community
Baseline Rd Study
Analysis and
Strategy Design
$224,800 $281,000 $224,800
LRSP (Action plan) $16,000 $20,000 $16,000
Subtotal Budget $240,800 $301,000 $240,800
As with all State funded aid projects, the City will be required to pay all project costs as they are incurred and seek reimbursement from Caltrans for eligible costs. After the execution of the Program Agreement, staff will prepare Request for Proposals for consultants to assist the City with preparation of the SS4A planning grant
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This project is consistent with Goal No 4. Improve Quality of Life- Evaluate and enhance the quality of public safety services. Preparing an SS4A provides an opportunity to address unique roadway safety needs in San Bernardino while contributing to the success of the United States Department of Transportation safety projects.
Fiscal Impact
There is no General Fund Impact. The SS4A project total cost is $301,000 of which 80% of this project ($240,800) is funded through the Safe Street for All (SS4A) Grant Program award provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation, with a local match requirement of 20% ($60,200) provided through the Local Regional Circulation Fund.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, adopt Resolution No. 2024-137, and
1. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a grant agreement and any subsequent amendments with the U.S. Department of Transportation in the amount of $240,800 for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program; and
2. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend and appropriate the $240,800 Safe Street and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program award in both revenues and expenditures to the Fiscal Year 2023 – 2024 Operating Budget; and
3. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend and appropriate $60,200 from the Local Regional Circulation Fund in expenditures to the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budget; and
4. Authorize the Director of Finance & Management Services to amend the Fiscal Year 2023 – 2027 Capital Improvement Program to add the Safe Streets and 2 1
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Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program to amend the Fiscal Year 2023 – 2027 Capital Improvement Program to add the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
Attachments
Attachment 1-Resolution No. 2024-137
Attachment 2-Draft Agreement
Attachment 3- Grant Award Letter
Ward:
1; 2, 6
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
None