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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2602-5919CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, May 04, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM     Agenda Item     6.Adopt a Resolution Making Required Findings in Support of the City’s Application for FY 2026/27 Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 Funds in the Amount of $326,590 for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project and Authorize Staff to Submit the Application; CEQA status - not a project. City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR Lead Department: Transportation Meeting Date: May 4, 2026 Report #:2602-5919 TITLE Adopt a Resolution Making Required Findings in Support of the City’s Application for FY 2026/27 Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 Funds in the Amount of $326,590 for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project and Authorize Staff to Submit the Application; CEQA status - not a project. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Adopt a Resolution making required findings in support of the City’s application for FY 2026/27 Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 funds in the amount of $326,590 for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project (Attachment A); and 2. Authorize staff to submit the City’s TDA Article 3 request to Santa Clara County for inclusion in the countywide coordinated claim to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City is requesting a TDA Article 3 grant allocation of $326,590 in 2026 to support the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project, a quick-build pilot on East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way that will install temporary protected and/or buffered bike lanes and visibility enhancements at existing crossings. The project is intended to reduce conflicts between road users by separating modes and improving visibility and safety, particularly during peak school commute periods. The City was awarded a federal Safe Streets for All Planning and Demonstration Grant for this project in FY 2025. Due to construction cost increases, the City is requesting TDA Article 3 funds to supplement the federal grant and support timely implementation of the demonstration elements. BACKGROUND 1 which included changes to East Meadow Drive, Fabian Way, and the PAUSD-owned Waverly Multi-Use Path. On December 16, 2024, Council authorized acceptance of the federal Safe Streets for All grant agreement in order to implement a quick-build pilot of the project on East Meadow Drive and Fabain Way only.2 This federally funded demonstration project omits the PAUSD-owned Waverley Multi-Use Path that was included in the original project concept, since the Waverley segment is not quick-build and therefore not eligible for the funding source.3 ANALYSIS 4 will install a temporary striping plan and upgraded bikeway treatments to improve bicyclist visibility and reduce conflicts between road users along East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way. These two corridors represent key current and 1 City Council, August 9, 2021: Agenda Item #12: SR #12323, https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=2277&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto&searchid=b35d8295- 7e28-4de8-a095-cac393662577 2 City Council, December 16, 2024: Agenda Item #9: SR #2411-3763, https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=6532&page=1&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto 3 South Palo Alto Bikeways Project website: https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Transportation/Transportation-Projects/South-Palo-Alto-Bikeways- Project 4 South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project website: https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Transportation/Transportation-Projects/South-Palo-Alto-Bikeways- Demonstration-Project future routes for students traveling from housing areas within the San Antonio Road Area and their respective schools. Temporary protected and/or buffered bike lanes along East Meadow Drive between Alma and Middlefield to separate road users, accommodate peak school commute traffic, and improve bicyclists’ visibility and safety Lane conversion to install temporary protected and/or buffered bike lanes along Fabian Way to separate road users, provide an improved school commute route, and improve bicyclists’ visibility and safety High-visibility enhancements to existing crosswalks using pavement markings and related quick-build tools such as striping, flex posts, pavement markings Community engagement and education, including a bike ride to help residents and school communities understand how to use the new bike infrastructure FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT Table 1: South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project Funding Plan Fund Source Amount Federal SS4A Grant $888,000 Requested TDA3 Allocation $327,000 City SS4A Local Match (CIP #PL-00026)$222,000 BPTP Implementation CIP $749,000 Table 1: South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project Funding Plan Fund Source Amount Total Project Cost $2,186,000 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Community outreach occurred as part of the South Palo Alto Bikeways project in 2020 and 2021. Following Council approval, staff updated the City/School Transportation Safety Committee (CSTSC) about efforts to acquire grant funds. Parent support for the project was included in the 2024 Safe Streets for All application that was ultimately awarded. Staff continue to inform the CSTSC about the status of the project. The TDA3 allocation was reviewed through the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) on March 3, 2026, consistent with the required findings included in the attached resolution (Attachment A). An earlier draft of the attached MTC Complete Streets Checklist was reviewed by PABAC, and the document now reflects PABAC’s review and comments (Attachment B). The MTC Complete Streets Checklist is a mandatory documentation tool used by project sponsors in the San Francisco Bay Area to ensure transportation projects funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) safely accommodate all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists. It requires cities to consider design features like bike lanes, sidewalks, and traffic calming early in the planning phase to comply with regional safety and equity goals. The quick-build project will include outreach to residents and school communities as part of the demonstration, including a City-hosted bike ride to educate the community about the new bike facility configuration and safe bicycling behavior. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Council action to adopt the resolution and submit a funding request is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is a fiscal activity that does not, by itself, commit the City to a specific project approval that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment, consistent with CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4). Separate CEQA compliance, as applicable, will be completed for project implementation. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Resolution Making Required Findings in Support of the City’s Application for FY 2026/27 TDA Article 3 Funds in the Amount of $326,590 for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project Attachment B: MTC Complete Streets Checklist APPROVED BY: Ria Hutabarat Lo, Chief Transportation Official *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 Resolution No. Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Making Required Findings in Support of the City’s Grant Application for FY2026/27 Transportation Development Act Article 3 Funds in the Amount of $326,590 for the City’s South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project R E C I T A L S A. Article 3 of the Transportation Development Act (TDA), Public Utilities Code (PUC) Section 99200 et seq., authorizes the submission of claims to a regional transportation planning agency for the funding of projects exclusively for the benefit and/or use of pedestrians and bicyclists; and B. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), as the regional transportation planning agency for the San Francisco Bay region, has adopted MTC Resolution No. 4108, Revised, entitled “Transportation Development Act, Article 3, Pedestrian/Bicycle Projects,” which delineates procedures and criteria for submission of requests for the allocation of “TDA Article 3” funding; and C. MTC Resolution No. 4108, Revised requires that requests for the allocation of TDA Article 3 funding be submitted as part of a single, countywide coordinated claim from each county in the San Francisco Bay region; and D. The City of Palo Alto desires to submit a request to MTC for the allocation of TDA Article 3 funds to support the projects described in Attachment B to this resolution, which are for the exclusive benefit and/or use of pedestrians and/or bicyclists. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES as follows: SECTION 1. The City of Palo Alto declares it is eligible to request an allocation of TDA Article 3 funds pursuant to Section 99234 of the Public Utilities Code. SECTION 2. There is no pending or threatened litigation that might adversely affect the project or projects described in Attachment B to this resolution, or that might impair the ability of the City of Palo Alto to carry out the project. SECTION 3. The City of Palo Alto attests to the accuracy of and approves the statements in Attachment A to this resolution. // // *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 SECTION 4. A certified copy of this resolution and its attachments, and any accompanying supporting materials shall be forwarded to the congestion management agency, countywide transportation planning agency, or county association of governments, as the case may be, of Santa Clara County for submission to MTC as part of the countywide coordinated TDA Article 3 claim. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: _______________________________ _________________________ City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED: ________________________________ _________________________ Assistant City Attorney City Manager *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 ATTACHMENT A Findings 1. That the City of Palo Alto is not legally impeded from submitting a request to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the allocation of Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 funds, nor is the City of Palo Alto legally impeded from undertaking the project(s) described in “Attachment B” of this resolution. 2. That the City of Palo Alto has committed adequate staffing resources to complete the project(s) described in Attachment B. 3. A review of the project(s) described in Attachment B has resulted in the consideration of all pertinent matters, including those related to environmental and right-of-way permits and clearances, attendant to the successful completion of the project(s). 4. Issues attendant to securing environmental and right-of-way permits and clearances for the projects described in Attachment B have been reviewed and will be concluded in a manner and on a schedule that will not jeopardize the deadline for the use of the TDA funds being requested. 5. That the project(s) described in Attachment B comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA, Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq.). 6. That as portrayed in the budgetary description(s) of the project(s) in Attachment B, the sources of funding other than TDA are assured and adequate for completion of the project(s). 7. That the project(s) described in Attachment B are for capital construction and/or final design and engineering or quick build project; and/or for the maintenance of a Class I bikeway which is closed to motorized traffic and/or Class IV separated bikeway; and/or for the purposes of restriping Class II bicycle lanes; and/or for the development or support of a bicycle safety education program; and/or for the development of a comprehensive bicycle and/or pedestrian facilities plan, and an allocation of TDA Article 3 funding for such a plan has not been received by the City of Palo Alto within the prior five fiscal years. 8. That the project(s) described in Attachment B which are bicycle projects have been included in a detailed bicycle circulation element included in an adopted general plan or included in an adopted comprehensive bikeway plan (such as outlined in Section 2377 of the California Bikeways Act, Streets and Highways Code section 2370 et seq.) or responds to an immediate community need, such as a quick-build project. 9. That any project described in Attachment B as a bicycle project meets the mandatory minimum safety design criteria published in the California Highway Design Manual or is in a National Association of City and Transportation Officials (NACTO) guidance or similar best practices document. 10. That the project(s) described in Attachment B will be completed in the allocated time (fiscal year of allocation plus two additional fiscal years). *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 11. That the City of Palo Alto agrees to maintain, or provide for the maintenance of, the project(s) and facilities described in Attachment B, for the benefit of and use by the public. *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 Attachment B TDA Article 3 Project Application Form 1. Agency City of Palo Alto Primary Contact Mailing Address Email Address Phone Number Secondary Contact the event primary is not available) Ria Hutabarat Lo 7. (if different) N/A☒ Email Address Phone Number Send allocation instructions to (if different from above): Project Title Amount requested Fiscal Year of Claim 14. Description of Overall Project: *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 15. Project Scope Proposed for Funding: (Project level environmental, preliminary planning, and ROW are ineligible uses of TDA funds.) 16. Project Location: A map of the project location is attached or a link to a online map of the project location is provided below: Project Relation to Regional Policies (for information only) 17. Is the project in an Equity Priority Community? Yes☐ No☒ 18. Is this project in a Priority Development Area or a Transit-Oriented Community? Yes☒ No☐ 19. Project Budget and Schedule Project Eligibility A. Has the project been reviewed by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee? Yes ☒ No☐ (If “YES,” identify the date and provide a copy or link to the agenda. If "NO," provide an explanation). PABAC reviewed on March 3, 2026. Minutes can be found here. https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Transportation/Bicycling- Walking/Pedestrian-and-Bicycle-Advisory-Committee-PABAC B. Has the project been approved by the claimant's governing body? Yes☒ No☐ Council concept approval on August 9, 2021 Project Phase TDA 3 Other Funds Total Cost Estimated Completion (month/year) Bike/Ped Plan ENV 13,000 13,000 February 2027 PA&ED 487,000 487,000 April 2027 PS&E 100,000 100,000 May 2027 ROW CON 227,000 1,359,000 1,586,000 March 2028 Total Cost 327,000 1,859,000 2,186,000 December 2029 *NOT YET APPROVED* 155_20260414_ts24 If "NO," provide expected date: _________________ C. Has this project previously received TDA Article 3 funding? Yes☐ No☒ (If "YES," provide an explanation on a separate page) D. For "bikeways," does the project meet Caltrans minimum safety design criteria Yes☒ No☐ pursuant to Chapter 1000 of the California Highway Design Manual? E. 1. Is the project categorically exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CCR Section 15301(c), Yes ☒ No☐ Existing Facility? 2. If “NO” above, is the project exempt from CEQA for another reason? Yes☐ No☐ Cite the basis for the exemption. __________________________ N/A☒ If the project is not exempt, please check “NO,” and provide environmental documentation, as appropriate. F. Estimated Completion Date of project (month and year): _12/31/29__________ G. Have provisions been made by the claimant to maintain the project or facility, or has Yes☒ No☐ the claimant arranged for such maintenance by another agency? (If an agency other than the Claimant is to maintain the facility, please identify below and provide the agreement. H. Is a Complete Streets Checklist required for this project ? Yes☒ No☐ If the amount requested is over $250,000 or if the total project phase or construction phase is over $250,000, a Complete Streets checklist is likely required. Please attach the Complete Streets checklist or record of review, as applicable. More information and the form may be found here: https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/transportation/complete-streets MTC Checklist YES The Committee was overwhelmingly in support of the project and voted unanimously to approve the TDA3 allocation. One comment on the MTC Checklist had to do with the EPC question. Staff explained that there is no good way in the checklist to discuss how this project will benefit the over 600 East Palo Alto students who commute into Palo Alto each day. Staff noted that this Safe Routes to School project will reduce their exposure to traffic risk, especially because they are coming from further away and are therefore more exposed than others due to their longer commutes. One committee member requested that the bike lanes be as wide as possible to accommodate overtaking by faster bikes or devices within the lane.