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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6f - Authorization to apply for Grant Funding through Caltrans For Preparation of a Citywide Sae Routes to Schools Plan Item 6f Department: Public Works Cost Center: 5010 For Agenda of: 10/6/2026 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Aaron Floyd, Public Works & Utilities Director Prepared By: Jennifer Rice, Active Transportation Manager SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE CALTRANS SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM FOR PREPARATION OF A CITYWIDE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize staff to prepare and submit an application for the Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant program, including a request of up to $300,000 to fund preparation of a Citywide Safe Routes to School Plan; and, 2. Approve the use of up to $50,000 in Active Transportation Plan Implementation capital project account (Specification No. 2000608) funding as the required local match funds for this grant pursuit; and, 3. Authorize the Finance Director to appropriate grant funds and approve a budget amendment to reflect received grant funds, if awarded; 4. Authorize the City Manager and City Attorney, or their respective designees, to act as agents to conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all grant documents including, but not limited to, applications, agreements, and payment requests which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project; and, 5. Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of San Luis Obispo, California, approving the application for grant funding through the Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant Program to fund preparation of a Citywide Safe Routes to School Plan.” REPORT-IN-BRIEF In September 2025, the Active Transportation Committee (ATC) established a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) subcommittee tasked with providing updates and recommendations to the ATC on SRTS planning, funding, and outreach ahead of the ATC’s review and recommended prioritization of projects and programs for the 2027 –29 Financial Plan. The committee has expressed a clear intent to identify preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan as a high-priority recommendation for funding. In parallel, staff continually monitor upcoming grant opportunities to identify funding sources that may align with current or future projects and planning efforts. Recently, Caltrans released the FY 2027-28 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant application, Page 89 of 274 Item 6f which includes Sustainable Communities Grants. This program presents a strong opportunity to secure funding to support preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan ; therefore, staff are recommending Council approval for the City to submit an application seeking up to $300,000 in grant funding. Staff are requesting authorization for up to $50,000 to provide flexibility to meet the final local match requirement, which will depend on the final grant award amount. The minimum match required for the full $300,000 grant request is $34,410. Staff estimate a total budget of up to $350,000 would be appropriate and sufficient to fund the full scope of work with a minor contingency. Caltrans’ announcement of grant awards is anticipated to occur during this current fiscal year, in the spring of 2027 with project activities beginning in the summer. If the grant is awarded, this effort will be formally incorporated into the 2027–29 Financial Plan work program, including the allocation of staff resources to manage the project. Budget to fund the $50,000 local match is identified in the current fiscal year, as the grants are anticipated to be awarded this spring. There is currently available in the Active Transportation Plan Implementation capital project account (No. 2000608), and in addition, the Capital Improvement Plan identifies a potential future annual allocation in out-years 2027-29. If secured, funding would allow staff to hire a professional transportation planning/engineering consultant via a Request for Proposals (RFP) to lead planning activities including community and stakeholder engagement and collaboration, compiling background information, conducting walk and bike audits, identifying safety and accessibility barriers, mapping and prioritizing these improvement opportunities. The planned scope of work will include all K-12 public schools within the City limits as well as Los Ranchos Elementary. POLICY CONTEXT The Active Transportation Plan (ATP) includes a goal1 to develop a focused Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan for all K-12 schools in San Luis Obispo to reduce safety and mobility barriers for walking and biking to school. Additionally, the Vision Zero Safe Streets Action Plan reinforces this goal, including it as a Safer Streets (Engineering) Proactive Safety Recommendation.2 In 2017, the City Council adopted the Bishop’s Peak and Pacheco Elementary Schools Safe Routes to School Plan which include a needs assessment and transportation improvement and enforcement recommendations. The City has no other adopted single or citywide school safe routes to school plans. 1 Goal 2.5 on page 25 of the Active Transportation Plan: Safe Routes to School. Develop a focused Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan for all K-12 schools in San Luis Obispo to reduce safety and mobility barriers to walking and biking to school. 2 Safer Streets (Engineering) Proactive Safety Recommendation 7 on page 128 of the Visi on Zero Safe Streets Action Plan: Safe Routes to Schools Planning: As recommended in the City’s Active Transportation Plan, prepare a focused Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan for each K-12 school within the city limits, focusing on strategies that im prove safety for vulnerable road users and reduce barriers to walking and biking to school. Page 90 of 274 Item 6f Per Section 740 of the City’s Financial Management Manual, staff is required to obtain Council approval prior to applying for grant applications over $5,000. DISCUSSION Background Consistent with the goals of the Active Transportation Plan (ATP), the ATC has identified preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan as a priority. However, due to other projects and programs also identified as high priorities during development of the current Financial Plan, funding for an SRTS planning effort was not included in the current 2025 -27 budget. Further staff did not have sufficient capacity during this current work program to begin this planning work in-house. In response to these constraints, community members and ATC members expressed interest in contributing their own time to advance preliminary tasks to lay the groundwork for a future SRTS planning effort, including conducting research, early public engagement, and identifying potential future funding opportunities. This interest showed that the community wants this important work to continue and led the ATC to consider forming a subcommittee to help move it forward. At the September 18, 2025 ATC meeting, the committee established a SRTS subcommittee consisting of three members with staff providing support. The subcommittee was tasked with providing updates and recommendations to the ATC on SRTS planning, funding, and outreach. Its work is scheduled to conclude at the end of November 2026, ahead of the ATC’s review and prioritization of projects and programs for the 2027–29 Financial Plan. Since the fall, the ATC has informally expressed an co intent to identify preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan as a high -priority recommendation for funding. Since forming in September 2025, the subcommittee, with support from community volunteers, including the Cal Poly Urbanists Club, has made substantial progress, including:  Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Plan Review: Research Report: Under the guidance of the subcommittee with staff support, the Cal Poly Urbanists Club prepared a research report comparing SRTS plans from mid -sized California cities and other notable examples to help identify a suitable format for a citywide SRTS approach. After review and as recommended by the subcommittee, at the July 16, 2026 meeting, the ATC expressed consensus during their deliberation that the City of Davis model could be a strong fit for San Luis Obispo. Rather than producing a standalone SRTS Plan, Davis includes a Safe Routes to School Bicycling and Walking Audit Report as an appendix to its bicycle action plan. Each chapter focuses on an individual elementary or junior high school and includes review of existing conditions, a prioritized list of recommended improvement projects, and maps of existing and planned improvements, such as suggested walking and biking routes and bicycle parking.  CL Smith Elementary Preliminary SRTS Audit and Findings: To test an approach similar to Davis, the subcommittee, alongside staff and community Page 91 of 274 Item 6f volunteers, developed a draft SRTS audit and findings report for C L Smith Elementary School. This effort involved coordinating with school and community stakeholders, gathering background and site information, completing an in-person walking and biking audit, and mapping existing and planned improvements. The resulting materials mirror the type of content compiled for each school in the Davis report. Again, during the July 16, 2026 meeting, the ATC shared consensus during deliberation for this approach as piloted at CL Smith Elementary and expressed support for continuing citywide SRTS planning efforts as capacity allows, with ongoing involvement from volunteers and interested community members. Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant Caltrans has released the FY 2027-28 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application Guide and Call for Applications, which includes Sustainable Communities Grants (approximately $30.4 million) to encourage local and regional planning that supports State goals, implements Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) (where applicable), and ultimately achieves the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 40 and 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 2045, respectively. The program requires a minimum of 11.47% match of local funds. This program presents a strong opportunity to secure funding to support preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan and therefore staff are recommending Council approval to submit an application seeking up to $300,000 in grant funding. The Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant opportunity allows the City to advance a priority identified by the ATC while leveraging outside funding and minimizing the amount of local funding needed to complete the planning effort. It should be noted that typically, staff recommends pursuing grant opportunities for projects already included in the City Council–approved work plan. However, the timing of this grant application aligns well with the proposed planning effort, should it be prioritized and incorporated into the work program, and would allow staff to continue making progress on this initiative. If secured, this funding would allow staff to hire a professional transportation planning/engineering consultant to lead this planning effort in FY2027-29, with continued collaboration from staff, the ATC, school representatives, and community members. Award of the grant is anticipated to be announced in the spring of 2027, during this current fiscal year, while planning activities would begin in the summer. Planning activities would include community and stakeholder engagement and collaboration, compiling background and layout information, conducting walk and bike field assessments to identify walking and bicycling condit ions, identifying safety and accessibility barriers, mapping and prioritizing these improvement opportunities. The planned scope of work will include all K-12 public schools3 within the City limits as well as 3 Schools planned to be included are: Bishop Peak Elementary, Hawthorne Elementary, Los Ranchos Elementary, Pacheco Elementary, Sinsheimer Elementary, CL Smith Elem entary, Teach Elementary, Laguna Middle School, San Luis High School, and Pacific Beach High School Page 92 of 274 Item 6f Los Ranchos Elementary4. The project’s anticipated timeframe is as follows: Task Anticipated Schedule Submit Sustainable Communities Grant Application By October 9, 2026 Grant Award and Contract Administration Spring 2027 Request for Proposals (RFP) for Consultant Services Summer 2027 Begin Planning and Public Outreach Fall 2027 Final Citywide Safe Routes to School Plan Winter 2029 The schedule above is preliminary and dependent on grant administration requirements and resources. Per the grant application guidelines, awarded funding must b e spent by June 30, 2030. Previous Council or Advisory Body Action September 18, 2025, Active Transportation Committee (ATC) meeting: ATC established a three-member Safe Routes to School (SRTS) subcommittee. July 16, 2026, Active Transportation Committee (ATC) meeting: SRTS subcommittee presented an update to the broader ATC and received support on initial progress and approach. September 17, 2026, Active Transportation Committee: ATC supported and recommended Council’s consideration of applying for a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant. Public Engagement SRTS subcommittee members have engaged with various community volunteers to support early planning activities, particularly parents and staff of the CL Smith Elementary School. If the project receives funding, future planning will build on these established stakeholder partnerships and include multiple opportunities for close coordination with local school representatives and the public, such as walk and bike audits for each school and surveys of key walking and biking barriers and opportunities for improvement. CONCURRENCE The Public Works Department, Finance Department, and City Administration have reviewed this staff report and concur with its contents. 4 While outside the City Limits, Los Ranchos Elementary attendance boundaries include several neighborhoods within the City, including Avila Ranch, Righetti Ranch, and the Arbor neighborhoods. Page 93 of 274 Item 6f ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW There is no environmental review required for grant submittals. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to the recommended action in this report because the action does not constitute a “Pro ject” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15378. The appropriate level of CEQA review will be prepared for the recommendations and actions that are ultimately identified in a forthcoming SRTS Plan. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2027-28 Funding Identified: Yes Fiscal Analysis: Based on a proposed grant request for up to $300,000, staff is proposing to earmark up to $50,000 in local funds to meet the local match requirement for this grant program. The grant requires a minimum local match of 11.47%, ($34,410). Staff estimate a total budget of up to $350,000 would be appropriate and sufficient to fund the full scope of work with a minor contingency. Because the grant is expected to be announced in the spring of 2027, staff are requesting allocation of funds from this current fiscal year to be earmarked for the match requirement. Funding is available in the Active Transportation Plan Implementation capital project account (No. 2000608) to fund this local match of up to $50,000. There is currently $100,000 available from the CIP Capital Outlay – Local Revenue Measure (LRM) funding source and the 10-year Capital Improvement Plan identifies a potential future annual allocation of another $200,000 per year in out-years 2027-29. If the grant is awarded, the funds from this current fiscal year will be added to a new task within the Active Transportation Plan Implementation capital project account (No. 2000608). Additionally, this work effort will be incorporated into the recommended 2027– 29 Financial Plan, including the allocation of staff resources to manage the project and oversee the consultant. Upon completion of the SRTS Plan, projects would likely be implemented through a combination of approaches. Smaller improvements could be incorporated into ann ual paving projects or funded as standalone projects through the Active Transportation Plan Implementation or Vision Zero accounts. Larger projects would need to be considered through future budgeting and Capital Improvement Planning processes or potential future grant opportunities. Funding Sources Total Budget Available Total Budget Available Total Balance Page 94 of 274 Item 6f (Active Transportation Plan Implementation) (NEW Task 05 – Safe Routes to School Plan) CIP – Capital Outlay Fund - LRM $100,000 $0 $100,000 State: Sustainable Communities Grant* $0 $300,000* $300,000 Current Funding Request ($50,000) $50,000 $0 Total $50,000 $350,000* $400,000 *If grant application is successful. ALTERNATIVES Deny authorization to apply for grant funding. The City Council could decide not to authorize staff to apply for the Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant at this time. Under this scenario, staff would likely request local funding to support this SRTS planning effort as part of the FY 2027-29 Financial Plan, assuming the ATC identifies preparation of a Citywide SRTS Plan as one of the committee’s top priority recommendations for the 2027–29 Financial Plan (the ATC will meet to identify budget priorities in November 2026). Council could then consider the funding request within the broader context of all other proposed budget priorities and capital projects in the next financial plan. Alternatively, if the City Council does not authorize staff to pursue this grant funding, and local funding for SRTS planning is ultimately not approved as part of the 2027–29 Financial Plan, preparation of a full Citywide SRTS plan would not be feasible at this time. If SRTS planning remains a high priority based on ATC and community input, but no funding for outside consultant support is available, it is possible that focused SRTS plans could be prepared incrementally using a combination of in -house staff and volunteer support. However, under this approach, it would take several years to complete this planning, as staffing resources can likely support planning for only one-to-two schools each year. The City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) is also approaching an appropriate timeframe for an update, and staff are targeting the 2029 –31 work program. If funding and staffing resources cannot support SRTS planning as part of the 2027 -29 work program, the 2029- 31 Financial Plan may present another opportunity to pursue funding for this effort. Under this scenario, there may be additional opportunities to pursue outside grant funding in the coming years. ATTACHMENTS A - Draft Resolution Approving the Application for Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program Page 95 of 274 Page 96 of 274 R ______ RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE CALTRANS SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND PREPARATION OF A CITYWIDE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN WHEREAS, Caltrans released the FY 2027-28 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application Guide and Call for Applications includ ing Sustainable Communities Grants with approximately $30.4 million; and WHEREAS, the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program encourages local and regional planning that supports state goals, implements Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) (where applicable), and to ultimately achieve the State’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 40 and 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 2045, respectively; and WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo 2021 Active Transportation Plan (ATP) includes a goal to develop a focused Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan for all K - 12 schools in San Luis Obispo to reduce safety and mobility barriers to walking and biking to school; and WHEREAS, the 2026 Vision Zero, San Luis Obispo’s Safe Streets Action Plan includes the Safer Streets (Engineering) Proactive Safety Recommendation to prepare a focused Safe Routes to School Improvement Plan for each K -12 school within the city limits, focusing on strategies that improve safety for vulnerable road users and reduce barriers to walking and biking to school; and WHEREAS, the Sustainable Communities Grant requires an 11.7% match of local funds. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: SECTION 1. Authorizes staff to prepare and submit an application for the Sustainable Communities Grant of up to $300,000 for preparation of a Citywide Safe Routes to School Plan. SECTION 2. Approves the use of up to $ 50,000 in local Active Transportation Plan Implementation Project Account funding as matching funds for this grant, if awarded. SECTION 3. Authorizes the Finance Director to appropriate grant funds and approve a budget amendment to reflect received grant funds, if awarded. Page 97 of 274 Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2 R ______ SECTION 4. Authorizes the City Manager and City Attorney, or their respective designees, to act as agents to conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all grant documents including, but not limited to, applications, agreements, and payment requests which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project. Upon motion of Council Member ___________, seconded by Council Member ___________, and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _______________ 20 26. ___________________________ Mayor Erica A. Stewart ATTEST: ______________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: ______________________ J. Christine Dietrick City Attorney IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________. ___________________________ Teresa Purrington City Clerk Page 98 of 274