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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/05/2006, C4 - CALIFORNIA BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION ACCOUNT (BTA) GRANT APPLICATION EAcouncil December5,2006 ac cn as aEpont ""�` CITY OF SAN L U I S O B I S P O FROM: Jay D. Walter,Director of Public WorkJ L` TP: Tim Bochum,Deputy Director of lic Works Prepared By: Peggy Mandeville,Principal Transportation Planner SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION ACCOUNT(BTA) GRANT APPLICATION CAO RECOMMENDATION As recommended by the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC), adopt a resolution certifying that the City will provide a funding match of $55,000 (10%) for a BTA grant application for the design and construction of the segment of the Railroad Safety Trail over State Route 101 and authorize the CAO to execute any agreements. DISCUSSION Background and Description of Project Caltrans has announced a call for funding bicycle projects under the Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) program. At its meeting on October 26, 2006, the Bicycle Advisory Committee considered eligible projects, reviewed the opportunities and limitations of the BTA program, and recommended that an application for the Railroad Safety Trail extension over State Route 101 be submitted. Staff has submitted the grant application due on December 1, 2006 and seeks Council support for providing the required 10% funding match should the City's.grant application be successful. The project involves the design and installation of a 175 foot bicycle/pedestrian bridge across State Route 101 between California Blvd and the Union Pacific railroad bridge (Attachment 1, location map). The bridge would serve the needs of both bicyclists and pedestrians providing a preferable route to the make shift dirt path alongside the railroad tracks on the Union Pacific bridge and extend the Railroad Safety Trail across State Route 101 serving the transportation needs of the many commuters who use the corridor. Description of the BTA Program This program provides annual funding for bicycle projects throughout California. The following are key program elements: 1. Program Budget and Project Limits. The current BTA program provides $5 million for bicycle projects. Local agencies compete on a statewide basis for these funds, with the maximum grant received by any agency capped at 25% of the total amount available, or$1.25_million. BTA funds will cover up to ninety percent (90%) of the estimated cost of the project and require a minimum 10% local match. The deadline for submitting the grant application was December 1, 2006. 2006 Bicycle Transaortation Accoul..irant Proaram Page 2 2. Types of Eligible Proiects. Eligible BTA project categories include: a. New bikeways serving major transportation corridors b. New bikeways removing travel barriers to potential bicycle commuters c. Secure bicycle parking at employment centers,park-and-ride lots, rail and transit terminals, and ferry docks and landings. d. Bicycle-carrying facilities on public transit e. Installation of traffic control devices to improve the safety and efficiency of bicycle travel. f. Elimination of hazardous conditions on existing bikeways. g. Planning h. Improvement and maintenance of bikeways. 3. Planning Requirement. To apply for BTA funding, agencies must have adopted a Bicycle Transportation Plan that meets content requirements of the Streets and Highways Code and has been certified by the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (in our case, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments or "SLOCOG") and by the State's Bicycle Facilities Unit. The City's Bicycle Transportation Plan complies with these requirements. 4. Environmental Clearances. Agencies must document the completion of environmental clearances needed to satisfy the California Environmental Quality Act (e.g. an issued Categorical Exemption, Negative Declaration, Mitigated Negative Declaration, or certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The City has adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the. Railroad Safety Trail project. Evaluating Projects to apply for the BTA Grant Public Works staff worked with the Bicycle Transportation Committee to review the list of bicycle projects in the draft Bicycle Transportation Plan and identify high-priority candidate projects. Only those that are primarily directed toward serving the needs of bicycle commuters (the Category 1 projects)were considered since the BTA program limits its support to these types of projects. 1. Funding Considerations: while the State will support a project up to a maximum of$1.8 million, given the competition for state funds, it is unlikely that San Luis Obispo would receive an award that large, Therefore,projects in the$200,000 to $500,000 range were targeted. 2. Environmental Clearances: the BTA program requires documentation of completed environmental clearance be submitted with the application. In essence, the State does not want to consider projects that might get delayed in the environmental assessment process. Therefore, complicated projects outside of public street rights-of-way that may require extensive environmental documents (focused EIRs or Mitigated Negative Declarations) were excluded from staff consideration. 3. Ability to Meet State Funding Criteria: the BTA application must describe how the City's project fully satisfies six (6) criteria identified below. Many projects listed in the City's Bicycle Transportation Plan (updated version) may not be able to easily satisfy all of this program's criteria. a. Primarily bicycle commuters will use project. fill V l rCZ 2006 Bicycle Transoortation.Accou,..Grant Program Page 3 b. Project has the potential to increase bicycle commuting. c. Project is the best alternative for the situation. d. Project will improve continuity with existing bikeways. e. Project will provide a direct route to activity centers such as schools,employment centers, etc. f. Project is consistent with the Bicycle Transportation Plan. The Railroad Safety Trail project meets all of these criteria and therefore was chosen for the BTA grant application. At its October 26, 2006 meeting, the Bicycle Advisory Committee discussed the BTA program and recommended that the City Council authorize the submittal of a grant application for the Railroad Safety Trail extension over State Route 101. A copy of the draft BAC minute will be forwarded to Council via red file when completed. FISCAL PAPACT The BTA program requires a minimum funding match of ten percent (10%). The project's total cost is estimated at $550,000 making the City's contribution $55,000. The Council resolution (Attachment 2) certifies that the City is prepared to provide the local funding match. Normally, it takes six to nine months for the State to act on grant applications. Therefore; the City will need to budget for this required local funding match as part of the upcoming 2007-2009 Financial Plan process. ALTERNATIVES The City Council may decide not to apply for BTA funding at this time. Staff does not recommend this since the grant represents a high rate of return for a small City investment. ATTACI L%IENTS I: Location Map 2: Resolution certifying funding match of 10% 3 : Bicycle AdNmisoryeCortunittee Minutes October 26 , 2006 G:\Staff-Reports-Agendas-Minutes\_CAR\2006\Transportation\BTA grant 07-08 CAR.doc 3 ' ATTACHMENT " Cai Poly State University Campus a Union Pacific Railroad 3 0 z' FREDERICKS a HATHWAY a 0 STAFFORD -Jl! j WILSON P?oposed Bike Rath"Se menti Q o LOCATION MAP `" _ q ATTACHMENT 2 RESOLUTION NO. (2006 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CERTIFYING THAT THE CITY WILL PROVIDE A FUNDING MATCH OF $55,000 (10%) FOR A BTA GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEGMENT OF THE RAILROAD SAFETY TRAIL OVER STATE ROUTE 101 AND AUTHORIZE THE CAO TO ENTER INTO ANY REQUIRED AGREEMENTS WHEREAS,the City Council has adopted a Bicycle Transportation Plan that complies with the content requirements of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highways Code; and WHEREAS, San Luis Obispo's Bicycle Transportation Plan specifically recommends the creation of the Railroad Safety Trail and identifies the segment over State Route 101 as a segment of this trail system; and WHEREAS, the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) has reviewed the BTA Grant Program Guidelines, considered alternative eligible projects, and has recommended that the City Council pursue BTA grant funding for the project described herein; and WHEREAS, the Community Development Director has reviewed the Railroad Safety Trail project and its Initial Environmental Study and has granted the .project a Mitigated Negative Declaration consistent with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA)and its guidelines; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that implementation of this project described below will improve bicycle transportation in San Luis Obispo, consistent with the community's General Plan Circulation Element and Bicycle Transportation Plan. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that it certifies that the City will provide a match of$55,000 and authorizes the CAO to enter into any subsequent cooperative agreements with that agency for the segment of the Railroad Safety Trail over State Route.101 paralleling the east side of the Union Pacific Railroad right-of=way ($550,000 estimated cost). On motion of seconded by and on the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the following resolution was adopted this day of ,2006. Page 2—Resolution No. David F.Romero, Mayor ATTEST: Audrey Hooper,City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Aadiw6P. Lowell,City Attorney 5 MINUTES ATTACHMENT 3 Special Meeting of the SAN LUIS OBISPO BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Council Hearing Room, City Hall 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo October 26, 2006 Thursday 6 p.m. MISSION: The purpose of the Bicycle Advisory Committee is to provide oversight and policy direction on matters related to bicycle transportation in San Luis Obispo and its relationship to bicycling outside the City. ROLL CALL: Kevin Christian (Chair), Trevor Keith (Vice Chair), Jean Anderson, Tim Gillham, Ben Lerner, Glen Matteson. Tom Nuckols was absent. STAFF: Peggy Mandeville, Principal Transportation Planner Flava Galbreath, Minutes Clerk PUBLIC COMMENT: Adam Fukushima, executive director of the SLO County Bicycle Coalition, noted the recent "Safe Routes to School" training event was well attended, even by school principals from outlying communities. MINUTES: The following changes were suggested for the.September 21, 2006, (Attachment 1) minutes: • At top of page 2, end of line 5, "to" should be "too". • In the "Minutes" section "SLO COG" should be "SLOCOG". • The last sentence of page 2 should be "unanimously'. Action: CM Matteson moved and CM Lerner seconded to accept the minutes as amended. The motion passed unanimously. ACTION ITEMS: 1. Bicycle Friendly Community Designation Request for Support. Staff recommended that this request (Attachment 6), submitted by CM Nuckols be moved to the end of the agenda or postponed until the next meeting as neither CM Nuckols or Cal Poly Professor Michael Boswell, who initiated the request, were present. Action: CM Matteson moved and CM Keith seconded that this request be postponed to the next meeting when CM Nuckols and Mr. Boswell are present. The motion passed unanimously. 2. Advisory Body Goal Recommendations (Attachment 2, 39 4, and S) Staff presented the "Financial Plan" for the Advisory Bodies to guide discussion for the BAC to decide goal recommendations. The November ballot.Measure Y will have some c�� ATTACHMENT 3 effect, and staff recommended looking at the highest priority projects for next two years. The following events are important dates: • Budget Foundation Workshop Dec. 12, 2006 • Community Forum Jan. 10, 2007 • Council Goal-Setting Workshop Jan. 27, 2007 CM Lerner distributed a two-page goal recommendation written by absent CM Nuckols to support a Bicycle Safety Education Coordinator within the SLO County Bicycle Coalition. Lerner shared his other goals: Foothill to.Johnson segment of the Railroad Safety Trail and street improvements to that area, especially university access areas. CM Gillham shared improving infrastructure to relieve traffic congestion to be his top goal. Finishing the Railroad Safety Trail would be his second goal. CM Keith agreed the Railroad Safety Trail is key as well as the education coordinator. The Circulation Element and land use were his third priority. CM Anderson said her top priority was the education coordinator. She would like to see consolidated bicycle education programs. Her second goal is better maintenance of bicycle lanes and pedestrian facilities. Her third goal would be updating the Circulation Element. CM Matteson recommended limiting priorities to three to stay focused. He would sacrifice the BJ trail for other items. His three priorities would be the Railroad Safety Trail, maintenance, and the bicycle education coordinator. Chair Christian shared the Railroad Safety Trail is the most important facility in the town and asked for public comment. Dave Kuperman, transportation planner for Caltrans District 5, introduced himself. Adam Fukushima shared how cities across the country raising their bike ridership have good infrastructure. Chair Christian recommended the three priorities be the following: the Railroad Safety Trail (between Highway 1 and the train station), continued bicycle facility maintenance and support in the funding of a bicycle education coordinator. After discussion, the Committee agreed upon $30,000 as the funding amount for the education coordinator. Staff recommended researching funding sources for this position (besides general fund/traffic safety). A portion could be from the TDA (Transportation Development Act) funds. Action: CM Lerner moved and CM Keith seconded adopting the three goals as discussed to be forwarded to the Finance Department. The motion passed unani 3. Project for BTA Grant Application Staff recommended choosing a phase of the Railroad Safety Trail (Hathaway to Marsh). Action: CM Anderson moved and CM Matteson seconded that the staff recommendation be accepted. The motion passed unanimously. �7 ATTACHMENT 3 4. Bicycle Transportation Plan Update (see Sept. 21 agenda packet) Discussion and revisions were made to the BTP. The BTP will be handed over to Staff for a thorough review and revision before coming back to the BAC. Project rankings were discussed.. Shared Lane Markings (sharrows): Discussion identified top locations to consider for installation. They were: 1-Monterey Street from Santa Rosa Street north to Highway 101 (Garfield) 2-Broad Street from Monterey Street to High Street 3-Murray/Casa Streets from Broad Street to Foothill Boulevard CM Lerner moved and CM Keith seconded to select the three sharrows as discussed and recommend that they be installed using paint, not thermo-plastic, as a pilot project to learn their effectiveness. The motion passed unanimously. The Oceanaire bike/ped. easement project was discussed, and the changes made by CM Christian were confirmed. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 5. Committee Member Items: The Bicycle Safety Notice for crossing Santa Rosa at Highland was handed out. Committee members suggested that the graphic be enlarged when the document is reprinted. 6. Staff Items: 2006 bike counts were conducted in Oct. with assistance from Cal Poly students. Tentative agenda items for next meeting: • Presentation on the annual traffic safety report for 2005 • Safe Routes to School grant application- suggested projects • Advisory body recruitment process for 2007 • Bicycle Friendly Community Application • Bicycle Transportation Plan CM Anderson moved and CM Matteson seconded to adjourn at 9:05 p.m. to the regularly scheduled meeting date of November 16, 2006. The motion passed unanimously. We City of San Luis Obispo is committed to including the disabled in all of its services,programs,and activities. Cy-9 RED FILE WETTING AGENDA BA J±QUO ITEM # 0 OH�y San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition PO Box 14860 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-4860 m � s T RECEIVED 1 DEC oil L606 Adam Fukushima, Executive Director Bic cle Coalirio� i Phone: 805-541-3875 - -u_ - SLo CITY CLERK Email: adamf@slobikelane.org December 1, 2006 City Council Z COUN IL 2 CDD DIR City of San Luis Obispo p'CAO Z'FIN DIR f'ACAO Et FIRE CHIEF 990 Palm St Z-ATTORNEY ZPW DIR San Luis Obispo CA 93401 El-CLERKIORIG ZPOLICE CHIF ❑ DEPT HEADS ZREC DIR ,2(UTIL DIR Dear Members of Council, 2' HR DIR CI?((Li It is my pleasure to write in support of the City of San Luis Obispo's application for a Caltrans BTA grant to connect the Railroad Safety Trail over Hwy 101. San Luis Obispo is fortunate to have a railroad extend right through town. The completion of a Class I facility along the railroad would provide an excellent backbone of connectivity throughout the City. The bikeway will be an alternative to two north-.south arterials: Santa Rosa and California streets. According to the 2005 City Traffic Safety Report, 3 of the top 5 highest bicycle crash areas are on Santa Rosa Street. The other alternative, California Street, suffers from a steep slope of over 11%. The completion of a Class I facility would provide a safer and more convenient path for bicyclists to reach major activity centers including California Polytechnic State University, the Downtown Business District, the Amtrak Station, and residences. Every year we ask our membership what for them is the single most important bicycling issue. The answer is always the same: Providing bikeways where people feel safe. Connecting the Railroad Safety Trail over Hwy 101 will make north-south bicycle commuting safer and encourage use. Should you have questions, feel free to contact me at(805) 541-3875. Best regards, Adam Fukushima, Executive Director San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition The San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to transform SLO County into a safer and more livable community by promoting bicycling and walking for everyday transportation and recreation. For more information, visit www.slobikelane.org.