Item Number: 24
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: August 18, 2026
Submitted By:
Fredy Bonilla, City Engineer
Subject:
Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California Association of Governments for the La Paz Drive and Seneca Road traffic circle and Budget Amendment Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council;
(1) Approve the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) No. M-022-26 between the City of Victorville and Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for implementation of the City of Victorville Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation & Safety (SCP-ATS) Quick-Build Project; (2) Accept the SCAG Competitive Grant Award for the Quick-Build project; (3) Adopt Resolution No. 26-073 to amend the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget appropriating an additional $503,700 in revenue and expenditures from the SCAG SCP-ATS;
(4) Authorize the Mayor, City Attorney, City Risk Manager, and City Clerk to execute the MOU and any non-substantive amendments thereto, subject to approval by the City Attorney; and
(5) Authorize the City Engineer to execute the project and submit reimbursement claims for the work completed.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended action to adopt the resolution will appropriate an additional $503,700 in revenue and authorize $503,700 in expenditures for the La Paz Drive and Seneca Road Traffic Circle Quick Build Project. Resolution 26-073 (Attachment A) amends the FY 2026/27 Budget to reflect additional revenues and expenditures associated with grant funding administered by SCAG through the Federal Highway Administration's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program through the City’s Local Grant (Fund 230) account. Per the MOU, SCAG will retain $130,000 of the $503,700 to procure and administer consultant services for project design and evaluation. Leftover funding for the services provided of the retained $130,000 along with $373,700 will be provided to the 4 8
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City on a reimbursement basis for construction of the quick-build improvements. The available grant funding of $503,700 above the amount of $373,700 the City will be able to submit reimbursement claims for construction costs is unknown. No local matching funds are required. Table A below lists the account numbers, fund name, additional appropriation, additional expenses, and total budget amount for this project.
Table A
Account Number Fund Additional
Appropriation
Additional
Expenses
Total
Budget
2657500N-43100-21501 Local Grant $503,700.00
2657500N-55315-21501 Local Grant $503,700.00 $503,700.00 Strategic Plan Goal:
This project aligns with Goal B “Public Safety” and Goal E “Invest in Infrastructure” in the City of Victorville Strategic Plan 2023-2026 by introducing traffic calming measures to help improve vehicular and pedestrian safety at the intersection of La Paz Drive and Seneca Road.
Background:
On January 25, 2025, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) notified the City of its intent to award $503,700 under the 2024 Sustainable Communities Program – Active Transportation and Safety (SCP-ATS) Competitive Grant Program for the La Paz Drive/Seneca Road Traffic Circle Quick-Build Project (hereinafter referred to as the "Project"). Quick-build projects are interim capital improvements that require minimal construction activity and provide immediate safety benefits. These projects use low-to medium-cost, durable materials that can be modified based on community feedback and performance evaluations. Examples of quick-build improvements include bicycle lane striping, enhanced crosswalks, wayfinding signage, temporary curb extensions, and traffic calming treatments.
Collision reports indicate that the primary contributing factors to crashes at the La Paz Drive/Seneca Road intersection (Attachment B) were unsafe speeds, improper turning movements, and driving under the influence. Five of the eight reported collisions resulted in property damage. Due to its unique geometry and collision history, the intersection is well suited for a community quick-build pilot project. The proposed traffic circle is intended to reduce vehicle speeds, improve intersection safety, and allow the City to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment through public feedback and operational data before considering permanent infrastructure improvements. The project will be led by the City's Engineering Department in collaboration with SCAG and local stakeholders throughout the design, implementation, and evaluation phases.
On April 15, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-023 declaring the City's intent to accept the SCAG competitive grant award for the Project, finding the project categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and authorizing submission of the required grant documentation to SCAG. At that time, staff 4 8
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advised the City Council that an MOU would be presented at a future meeting for formal acceptance of the grant funding and implementation of the Project.
After the Council action was approved and submitted, SCAG drafted and issued an RFP to procure the services of professional consultants to provide plans, specifications and engineering on multiple quick-build projects including the City of Victorville’s traffic circle project. SCAG has retained the firm Street Plans to provide professional services for this project. Street Plans is reportedly an award-winning transportation planning, urban design, and placemaking practice founded in 2009. Street Plans believes the key to building great towns and cities requires the creation of active, safe, and human-scale streets and public spaces by integrating design, engineering, and programming to help communities achieve their social, economic, and mobility goals. SCAG will release a task order to Street Plans to begin the work on the La Paz Dr / Seneca Rd traffic circle after the MOU is executed. Project details and the full scope of work will not be developed until after the MOU is executed and the task order issued to Street Plans.
Additionally, after the April 2025 Council action, SCAG prepared MOU No. M-022-26, which establishes the respective roles and responsibilities of SCAG and the City for implementation of the Project. Under the MOU, the total grant award is $503,700, consisting of $373,700 in pass-through funding to the City for construction of the quick- build improvements and $130,000 retained by SCAG to procure and administer consultant services for project design and post-construction evaluation. Remaining consultant services funding retained by SCAG may be used to cover construction costs.
The grant performance period extends through June 30, 2028.
Discussion:
Memorandum of Understanding No. M-022-26 (Attachment C) establishes the framework for implementation of the City's SCP-ATS Quick-Build Project and defines the respective roles and responsibilities of SCAG and the City throughout project delivery. Under the agreement, SCAG will procure and administer a consultant to complete the project design and post-construction evaluation, while the City will procure and administer the construction contract and construct the quick-build improvements. The City will receive reimbursement of up to $373,700 for eligible construction costs, while SCAG will retain $130,000 of the grant funding to provide consultant design and evaluation services.
The City will be responsible for complying with applicable federal and state grant requirements, including procurement, reporting, record retention, and maintenance of the completed improvements for a minimum of six months following construction to allow for project evaluation. The MOU remains in effect through June 30, 2028.
Approval of the MOU will allow the City to formally accept the grant funding, establish the project account, execute the required agreement with SCAG, and proceed with project implementation, including design coordination, procurement, and construction. 4 8
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The timeline for the completion of the design work to be performed by SCAG’s consultant is unknown. Approval of the MOU will enable SCAG to issue a task order to the consultant to evaluate the project and provide a timeline to complete the work.
The Quick-Build project will use materials that are easy to install, remove, and relocate if needed. Depending on the evaluation performed by the consultant and limitation of the funding to provide easily installed and removable materials, the work may involve minor impacts to the existing roadway conditions such as removal of pavement striping, placement of new pavement markings and installation of channelizing devices such as plastic curbs and/or channelizing devices mounted to the existing road surface. Quick- build projects do not include funding for the reconstruction of the road. The City may be responsible for fixing ADA accessibility issues that are found during the design phase of the project. Curb ramps that do not meet current ADA standards will require modification or replacement with the changes that will be made to the pavement markings that include the relocation of or addition of new crosswalks. No ground-breaking activities should otherwise occur.
Engineering plans on leaving the existing traffic signal poles in place. The signal will be turned off and the signal heads removed to eliminate confusion. The safety lights provided by the traffic signal will remain operational. If the traffic circle is successfully implemented and accepted by the public, the City can apply for additional grant funding to construct a permanent roundabout which will include the removal of the traffic signal poles. If the traffic circle is rejected by the public, the temporary devices can be removed, the striping restored, and the traffic signal turned back on.
The grant funding for this project is limited to obtaining the services of the consultant to design the project, provide the plans, and cover the allowable construction costs. The grant funding cannot be used for any other projects or maintenance of the traffic circle.
Community engagement and feedback is an essential component of the quick-build project. Throughout the process, the City is required to inform the public of the planned project through various forms of engagement. The City is further required to collect and document public responses received through surveys or other forms of input on how the improvement works, any improvements that could be made, and if it will or will not work for the community to make it permanent. After construction of the traffic circle is complete, the City is required to evaluate the community feedback for a minimum of six (6) months and report the findings to SCAG. Following the six-month period, the City has the option to continue the survey for an additional period of time, restore the intersection to pre- existing conditions, or leave and maintain the materials in place until funding can be secured to design and construct a project that will break ground for permanent roundabout infrastructure.
Staff recommends that the Honorable City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding with SCAG, accept the SCAG Competitive Grand Award for the Quick- Build project, adopt Resolution No. 26-073 to amend the Fiscal Year 2026/2027 Budget appropriating and additional $503,700 in revenue and expenditures from SCAG, 4 8
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authorize the Mayor, City Attorney, City Risk Manager, and City Clerk to execute the agreement and any non-substantive amendments thereto, subject to approval by the City Attorney; and authorize the City Engineer to execute the project and submit reimbursement claims for work completed for the La Paz Drive and Seneca Road Traffic Circle Quick Build Project.
Staff is available for any questions Council may have.
Prepared By:
Sarah Mayne, Management Technician
Harry Mayo, Senior Civil Engineer
Attachments: A. Resolution No. 26-073
B. Vicinity Map
C. Memorandum of Understanding