HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 8327
City of Palo Alto (ID # 8327)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 8/14/2017
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Resolution of Local Support for OBAG 2 Grant
Title: Adoption of a Resolution of Local Support for Grant Funding as
Required by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the One
Bay Area Grant Program (OBAG) Cycle Two and Vehicle Emissions Reductions
Based at Schools (VERBS) Funding Programs
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Planning and Community Environment
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution (Attachment A) to authorize the
Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA) to submit an application for the El Camino Real
Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project (PL-18000), the Street Resurfacing Project (PE-
86070), and Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way
Enhanced Bikeways Project (PL-04010) to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
and to commit local funding for the projects.
Executive Summary
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) requires that all project sponsors who
have been awarded grant funds adopt a Resolution of Local Support to provide assurance that
the projects will be completed and local matching funds will be provided, as necessary.
MTC is expected to award the City of Palo Alto $5,664,000 in One Bay Area Grant Program
(OBAG) Cycle Two funding and $919,354 in Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools
(VERBS) funding.
For OBAG, the City was approved for $1,009,000 in guaranteed funding for Street Resurfacing
and $4,655,000 in competitive funding for the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and
Streetscape Project. The Street Resurfacing Program Improvements will include street
resurfacing; replacement of curb, gutter, and sidewalk; and upgrading curb ramps. The City of
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Palo Alto will provide $140,000 in matching funds. The El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and
Streetscape Project will include curb extensions, median refuges, pedestrian hybrid beacons,
median shade trees, and pedestrian scale lighting on the segment of El Camino Real between
Stanford Avenue and Sheridan Avenue. The City of Palo Alto will allocate $645,000 in local
match funding for this project.
For VERBS, the City is expected to be approved for $919,354 for the Waverley Multi-Use Path
Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways Project. The project
will make upgrades to and widen Waverley Path, install a protected bicycle facility on East
Meadow, and reconfigure Fabian Way with a travel lane reduction to add protected bicycle
facilities. The City of Palo Alto will allocate $200,000 in local match funding for this project.
Background
The City is seeking and has been tentatively awarded funding from two different regional
transportation grant programs as described below.
One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Cycle 2
The VTA released a call-for-projects for the OBAG Cycle 2 program on May 9, 2016, with project
proposals due July 15, 2016. The OBAG program includes two elements, a Countywide
Guaranteed Fund element and a Competitive Complete Streets element. In response to the
Countywide Guaranteed Fund element, the City submitted a grant proposal for the Street
Resurfacing project. Palo Alto’s share in the Guaranteed Fund is $1,009,000. In response to the
Complete Streets Competitive Program, the City submitted two grant proposals. Of the two
project submittals, the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape project ranked high in
the OBAG Program scoring process and was awarded $4,655,000 in OBAG funding. The second
submitted proposal was for the California Avenue District Bike Station. Because the proposal
did not meet the grant score cutoff, it was not awarded any funding from the OBAG program.
The VTA Board of Directors approved the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape
project and Street Resurfacing project on January 5, 2017 and has made a recommendation to
MTC for Federal grant funding of the projects.
Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS)
VTA released a call-for-projects for the VERBS Grant program on April 7, 2017, with project
proposals due May 1, 2017. In response to the VERBS Grant program, the City submitted a
grant proposal for the Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and
Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways Project and was awarded $919,354 in VERBS funding. The VTA
Board of Directors is expected to approve the Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East
Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways Project on August 1, 2017 and make a
recommendation to MTC for Federal grant funding of the project thereafter.
City of Palo Alto Page 3
Discussion
The proposed resolution authorizes filing of the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and
Streetscape Project and the Street Resurfacing Project for the OBAG Program and filing of the
Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced
Bikeways Project for the VERBS Grant Program managed by the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC) with Federal funding from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement (CMAQ) program and/or Surface Transportation Program (STP).
Street Resurfacing
The Public Works Engineering Services Division manages construction contracts for concrete
repair, preventive maintenance, resurfacing and reconstruction of various city streets on an
annual basis. The candidate streets are surveyed biannually by Public Works Engineering
Services staff and then rated by a computerized pavement maintenance management system
(PMMS). Since 2011, the average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score has increased from 72
to 83 due to additional project budget and aggressively seeking grant funding. Staff expects to
achieve a citywide average PCI of 85 by 2019.
The OBAG Cycle 2 guaranteed funding will be used in the FY 2019 Street Resurfacing Program.
Improvements may include street resurfacing; replacement of curb, gutter, and sidewalk; and
upgrading curb ramps in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act requirements.
Streets will be selected based on condition of the road surface and utility coordination. Public
Works and Utilities Department staff meet monthly to review and coordinate upcoming
projects. Some streets planned for maintenance using these OBAG funds in FY 2019 include:
Arastradero Road, Channing Avenue and Waverley Street.
El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project
The El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project will install complete streets
improvements focused on pedestrian safety at controlled and uncontrolled crosswalks,
enhanced bus operations at two existing major transit stops, and new urban design amenities
between Stanford Avenue and Sheridan Avenue. The project includes: curb extensions; median
refuges; two pedestrian hybrid beacons at a new and existing uncontrolled crosswalks; median
shade trees; pedestrian scale lighting. The proposed project will strengthen pedestrian
connections to local schools, transit, jobs, and retail services while providing environmental
benefits through increased landscaping and green infrastructure, which will complement the
streetscape elements.
The El Camino Real Pedestrian and Streetscape project is scheduled to follow the anticipated
completion date of the Grand Boulevard Initiative: Creating Safe and Healthy Corridor
Communities, a fully funded planning project, scheduled to start summer 2016 and complete
winter 2019. This planning project will produce up to 30 percent design documents, which will
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serve as the foundation for final design and construction milestones within the streetscape
project. The City is scheduled to begin the Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design
for the project in winter 2019 and to begin construction in May 2020.
The total project budget is estimated at $5.6 million (includes $0.3 million expected staff costs)
and the grant from OBAG program would comprise $4.7 million. Approximately $645,000 in
local match funding has been planned for allocation in Fiscal Year 2019 to support the
Environmental Assessment and Design phases of the project.
Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced
Bikeways Project
The Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeway and the Meadow St/El Camino Way/Los Robles Enhanced
Bikeway are identified in the City of Palo Alto’s 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan
(BPTP) as key projects for the City. The Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeway reconfigures Fabian Way
with a travel lane reduction to add protected bicycle facilities. The west end of the Meadow
Drive/El Camino Way/Los Robles Bikeway was recently completed by the City, so this proposal
requests funding for the installation of a protected facility on the East Meadow segment only.
The third corridor, the Waverley Multi-Use Path, is an essential part of the School Commute
Corridors Network. This Class 1 path on Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) land was
identified for upgrades and widening in the 2010 VERBS-funded Walk and Roll
Recommendations Maps for the adjacent schools.
Taken together, the three components will provide significant safety improvements for
students and families accessing the ten public and private schools serviced by Fabian Way and
East Meadow Drive, both challenging corridors for young cyclists. While the bicycle mode share
at adjacent schools is relatively high for Santa Clara County, Palo Alto parents note that the
current state of bicycle infrastructure (unprotected bike lanes) on these high speed and/or
heavily traveled corridors limits growth in the bicycle mode share for school commutes. Parents
are unlikely to bike with their children next to multiple lanes of fast-moving traffic (Fabian Way)
or in congested school zones (East Meadow Drive) without the protection of buffer zones or
physical barriers such as bollards. In fact, in November of 2015, the Palo Alto City Council
directed staff to develop a Class 4 separated bikeway on East Meadow, representing an
increased measure of design safety than what was envisioned in the 2012 Bicycle and
Pedestrian Transportation Plan for this corridor.
The total project budget is estimated at $1,119,354 and the grant from VERBS program would
comprise $919,354. Approximately $200,000 in local match funding has been allocated to
support the Environmental Assessment, Design, and Construction phases of the project.
Policy Implications
City of Palo Alto Page 5
Adoption of the attached resolution is consistent with City policy documents including the Palo
Alto Climate Protection Plan (2007), El Camino Real Master Planning Study Public Review Draft
(2007 update), Grand Boulevard Multimodal Transportation Corridor Plan (2010), Palo Alto
Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan (2012), and the City of Palo Alto Complete Streets
Resolution (2015).
In addition, the Comprehensive Plan goals, policies, and programs that support the
development of the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project, the Waverley
Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways
Project include:
Goal T-1: Less Reliance on Single-Occupant Vehicles
Goal T-3: Facilities, Services, and Programs the Encourage and Promote Walking and
Bicycling
Program T-19: Develop, periodically update, and implement a bicycle facilities
improvement program and a pedestrian facilities improvement program that identify
and prioritize critical pedestrian and bicycle links to parks, schools, retail centers, and
civic facilities.
Program T-22: Implement a network of bike boulevards.
Policy T-25: When constructing or modifying roadways, plan for usage of the roadway
space by all users, including motor vehicles, transit vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Policy T-34: Implement traffic calming measures to slow traffic on local and collector
residential streets and prioritize these measures over congestion management. Include
traffic circles and other traffic calming devices among these measures.
Resource Impact
Street Resurfacing
Matching funds in the amount of $140,000 for the OBAG Cycle 2 guaranteed funding is
available in Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project PE-86070 Street Maintenance.
El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project
City of Palo Alto Page 6
The resolution commits the City of Palo Alto to provide a local match of $645,000, which is
included in CIP Project PL-18000, the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project
targeted for FY2019 in the Fiscal Year 2018 Adopted Capital Budget.
Environmental Design Construction Total
Total Cost $10,000 $635,000 $4,655,000 $5,600,000*
OBAG 2 Funding $0 $0 $4,655,000 $4,655,000
Local Match $10,000 $635,000 $0 $645,000
*Includes $0.3 million estimated City staff costs to support the project over three years
Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced
Bikeways Project
The resolution commits the City of Palo Alto to provide a local match of $200,000 which is
included in CIP Project PL-04010, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan
Implementation project, targeted for FY19 in the Fiscal Year 2018 Adopted Capital Budget.
Environmental Design Construction Total
Total Cost $15,000 $118,394 $985,960 $1,119,354
VERBS Funding $0 $0 $919,354 $919,354
Local Match $15,000 $118,394 $66,606 $200,000
Timeline
The Street Resurfacing project funded by this grant would be constructed in FY 2019.
The El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project would be implemented in 2019
and 2020 as follows:
Environmental Design Construction
Start Date (MM/YY) 03/19 05/19 05/20
The Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced
Bikeways Project would be implemented in 2019 and 2020 as follows:
Environmental Design Construction
Start Date (MM/YY) 01/19 07/19 01/20
Environmental Review
Street Resurfacing
Street resurfacing is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
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under Section 15301(c) of the CEQA guidelines as repair, maintenance and/or minor alteration
of existing facilities, and no further environmental review is necessary.
El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape
The proposed project will be subject to environmental review prior to final design and
construction. Since the proposal does not significantly alter the transportation network, it is
anticipated this project will be categorically excluded and all proposed improvements are
within existing public right of way.
Waverley Multi-Use Path Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced
Bikeways Project
The environmental review for portions of this project is included in the Mitigated Negative
Declaration for the City of Palo Alto Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan 2012. The City will
initiate CEQA review, as needed for the additional segments.
Attachments:
Attachment A - Resolution of Local Support OBAG 2 ECR and Street Resurfacing (PDF)
Not Yet Approved
EP/Planning/2017-7-13 RESO Supporting OBAG 2 Funding Application
Resolution No. ___
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Supporting Palo Alto’s
Application for $5,664,000 of Funding from the Second Round of the One Bay
Area Grant Program and $919,000 of Funding from the Vehicle Emissions
Reductions Based at Schools Grant Program Adopted by the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission for the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and
Streetscape Improvements, Street Resurfacing, and Waverley Multi-Use Path
Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways
PROJECTS
R E C I T A L S
A. City of Palo Alto (the CITY) is submitting an application to the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC) for funding in the amounts of $4,655,000, $1,009,000, and
$919,000 for three projects assigned to MTC for programming discretion, which includes
federal funding administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and federal or
state funding administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) such as Surface
Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) funding, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding, Transportation Alternatives (TA) set-aside/Active
Transportation Program (ATP) funding, and Regional Transportation Improvement Program
(RTIP) funding (herein collectively referred to as REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING) for the
PROJECT 1: El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Improvements Projects, PROJECT
2: Palo Alto OBAG 2 Streets Resurfacing Project, and PROJECT 3: Waverley Multi-Use Path
Improvements and East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeways Project
(PROJECTS) for the second round of the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG 2) Program and Vehicle
Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) Grant Program (PROGRAMS)
B. The United States Congress from time to time enacts and amends legislation to
provide funding for various transportation needs and programs, (collectively, the FEDERAL
TRANSPORTATION ACT) including, but not limited to the Surface Transportation Block Grant
Program (STP) (23 U.S.C. § 133), the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program (CMAQ) (23 U.S.C. § 149) and the Transportation Alternatives (TA) set-aside (23 U.S.C.
§ 133).
C. The state statutes, including California Streets and Highways Code §182.6, §182.7,
and §2381(a)(1), and California Government Code §14527, provide various funding programs
for the programming discretion of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the
Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA).
D. Pursuant to the FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT, and any regulations promulgated
thereunder, eligible project sponsors wishing to receive federal or state funds for regionally-
significant projects shall submit an application first with the appropriate MPO, or RTPA, as
applicable, for review and inclusion in the federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
E. MTC is the MPO and RTPA for the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay region.
Not Yet Approved
EP/Planning/2017-7-13 RESO Supporting OBAG 2 Funding Application
F. MTC has adopted a Regional Projects Funding Delivery Policy (MTC Resolution
No. 3606, revised) that sets out procedures governing the application and use of REGIONAL
DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.
G. The CITY is an eligible sponsor for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.
H. As part of the application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING, MTC requires a
resolution adopted by the responsible implementing agency stating the following:
1) The commitment of any required matching funds; and
2) That the sponsor understands that the REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY
FUNDING is fixed at the programmed amount, and therefore any cost
increase cannot be expected to be funded with additional REGIONAL
DISCRETIONARY FUNDING; and
3) That the PROJECTS will comply with the procedures, delivery milestones
and funding deadlines specified in the Regional Project Funding Delivery
Policy (MTC Resolution No. 3606, revised); and
4) The assurance of the sponsor to complete the PROJECTS as described in the
application, subject to environmental clearance, and if approved, as
included in MTC's federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP); and
5) That the PROJECTS will have adequate staffing resources to deliver and
complete the PROJECTS within the schedule submitted with the PROJECTS’
application; and
6) That the PROJECTS will comply with all project-specific requirements as set
forth in the PROGRAMS; and
7) That the CITY has assigned, and will maintain a single point of contact for all
FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation projects to coordinate within the
agency and with the respective Congestion Management Agency (CMA),
MTC, Caltrans, FHWA, and CTC on all communications, inquires or issues
that may arise during the federal programming and delivery process for all
FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation and transit PROJECTS implemented
by the CITY; and
8) In the case of a highway projects, the PROJECTS will comply with MTC
Resolution No. 4104, which sets forth MTC’s Traffic Operations System
(TOS) Policy to install and activate TOS elements on new major freeway
PROJECTS; and
9) In the case of an RTIP projects, state law requires PROJECTS be included in a
local congestion management plan, or be consistent with the capital
improvement program adopted pursuant to MTC’s funding agreement with
the countywide transportation agency.
I. The CITY is authorized to submit an application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY
FUNDING for the PROJECTS.
J. There is no legal impediment to the CITY making applications for the funds.
K. There is no pending or threatened litigation that might in any way adversely
affect the proposed PROJECTS, or the ability of the CITY to deliver such PROJECTS.
Not Yet Approved
EP/Planning/2017-7-13 RESO Supporting OBAG 2 Funding Application
L. The CITY authorizes the City Manager or designee to execute and file an
application with MTC for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECTS as referenced
in this resolution.
M. MTC requires that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the MTC in
conjunction with the filing of the application.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES, as follows:
SECTION 1. CONDITIONS OF GRANT APPROVAL.
1) The CITY is authorized to execute and file an application for funding for the PROJECTS for
REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING under the FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT or
continued funding.
2) The CITY will provide any required matching funds.
3) The CITY understands that the REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECTS is
fixed at the MTC approved programmed amount, and that any cost increases must be
funded by the CITY from other funds, and that the CITY does not expect any cost increases
to be funded with additional REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING.
4) The CITY understands the funding deadlines associated with these funds and will comply
with the provisions and requirements of the Regional Projects Funding Delivery Policy
(MTC Resolution No. 3606, revised) and the CITY has, and will retain the expertise,
knowledge and resources necessary to deliver federally-funded transportation and transit
projects, and has assigned, and will maintain a single point of contact for all FHWA- and
CTC-funded transportation projects to coordinate within the agency and with the
respective Congestion Management Agency (CMA), MTC, Caltrans, FHWA, and CTC on all
communications, inquires or issues that may arise during the federal programming and
delivery process for all FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation and transit projects
implemented by the CITY.
5) The PROJECTS will be implemented as described in the complete application and in this
resolution, subject to environmental clearance, and, if approved, for the amount approved
by MTC and programmed in the federal TIP.
6) The CITY has reviewed the PROJECTS and has adequate staffing resources to deliver and
complete the PROJECTS within the schedule submitted with the PROJECTS’ application.
7) The PROJECTS will comply with the requirements as set forth in MTC programming
guidelines and project selection procedures for the PROGRAMS.
8) In the case of a highway projects, the CITY agrees to comply with the requirements of
MTC’s Traffic Operations System (TOS) Policy as set forth in MTC Resolution No. 4104.
9) In the case of an RTIP projects, PROJECTS are included in a local congestion management
plan, or is consistent with the capital improvement program adopted pursuant to MTC’s
funding agreement with the countywide transportation agency.
10) The CITY is an eligible sponsor of REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING funded projects.
11) The CITY is authorized to submit an application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING
Not Yet Approved
EP/Planning/2017-7-13 RESO Supporting OBAG 2 Funding Application
for the PROJECTS.
12) There is no legal impediment to the CITY making applications for the funds.
13) There is no pending or threatened litigation that might in any way adversely affect the
proposed PROJECTS, or the ability of the CITY to deliver such PROJECTS.
14) The CITY authorizes the City Manager or designee to execute and file an application with
MTC for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECTS as referenced in this
resolution.
15) A copy of this resolution will be transmitted to the MTC in conjunction with the filing of
the application.
16) The MTC is requested to support the application for the PROJECTS described in the
resolution, and if approved, to include the PROJECTS in MTC's federal TIP upon submittal
by the PROJECTS’ sponsor for TIP programming.
SECTION 2. CEQA. The Council finds that the adoption of this resolution to support the City of Palo
Alto’s application for funding is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality
Act, and therefore, no environmental assessment is necessary.
SECTION 3. Effective Date. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES: ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
Assistant City Attorney City Manager
____________________________
Director of Planning and Community
Environment