Agenda Item #13.5
For Council Meeting of: July 14, 2026
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: DAN HENNESSEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: SANTA ROSA SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH SONOMA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY AGENDA ACTION: MOTION
RECOMMENDATION
The Transportation and Public Works Department recommends that Council, by motion, approve Cooperative Funding Agreement Number SCTA27003 between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the City of Santa Rosa. This item has no impact on current fiscal year budget.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) successfully secured federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program on behalf of Sonoma County jurisdictions, including the City of Santa Rosa. The grant will fund implementation of quick-build safety improvements identified along the City's High Injury Network (HIN), where a disproportionate number of severe and fatal traffic collisions occur. Approval of this agreement will establish the funding and administrative responsibilities between SCTA and the City for delivery of the Santa Rosa portion of the project.
GOAL
This item relates to Council Goal #2 - Invest in the Development and Maintenance of the City's Infrastructure by executing a local funding agreement between SCTA, the sponsor of the City’s FY24 SS4A application with the USDOT, and the City of Santa Rosa. The project will allow us to execute hundreds of quick-build safety improvements along the City’s High Injury Network (HIN).
BACKGROUND/PRIOR COUNCIL REVIEW
On August 6, 2024, Council, by resolution, supported the City’s participation in the SCTA’s application to the USDOT as part of the SS4A grant program.
ANALYSIS
The SS4A Program was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support local efforts to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries. SCTA served as the lead applicant for a countywide implementation grant that includes safety improvement projects in multiple Sonoma County jurisdictions. The City of Santa Rosa is a participating agency and will receive funding to implement quick-build safety countermeasures along corridors and intersections identified within the City's High Injury Network.
The proposed Cooperative Funding Agreement defines the respective roles and responsibilities of SCTA and the City in administering and delivering the Santa Rosa project components. Through this agreement, SCTA will provide grant funding and program oversight, while the City will be responsible for project implementation, compliance with applicable federal requirements, and ongoing maintenance of installed improvements.
The project is anticipated to deliver hundreds of low-cost, high-impact safety enhancements, such as pavement markings, signage, delineators, visibility improvements, and other proven countermeasures intended to reduce the frequency and severity of traffic collisions. These improvements will help advance the City's transportation safety goals by focusing resources on locations with the greatest demonstrated safety needs.
Approval of the agreement will enable the City to proceed with project development and implementation activities necessary to meet federal grant requirements and project delivery schedules.
The Cooperative Grant Agreement incorporates pass through terms from the United States Department of Transportation, some of which are enjoined pursuant to the Preliminary Injunctions in King County v. Turner, 2:25-cv-814-BJR (W.D. Wash), ECF 338 (August 12, 2025). The City and SCTA are both plaintiffs currently protected by the Preliminary Injunction. If the Department of Transportation prevails in the litigation, DOT “will require that recipients agree to the original terms and conditions if they wish to continue with the grant in place.” See U.S. Department of Transportation, Grant Agreement Under the Fiscal Year 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program, Article 6.8.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the project was previously appropriated in the FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Program budget and is available in JL Key 17698.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, the recommended action is not a “project” subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because approval of the Cooperative Funding Agreement is an administrative and fiscal action that does not have the potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. In the alternative, the recommended action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that approval of the agreement may have a significant effect on the environment. Environmental review for the project improvements will be completed separately, as applicable, including required NEPA screening associated with the federal funding.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Cooperative Funding Agreement No. SCTA27003 between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the City of Santa Rosa
PRESENTER(S)
Dan Hennessey, Director, Transportation and Public Works Department SANTA ROSA SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH SONOMA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY PAGE 3 OF 3