DATE: February 22, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Retroactive Approval of FY 2022-23 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Retroactively approve and authorize the Director of Public Works and Planning’s previous submittal of a grant application to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for FY 2022-23 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant ($584,298)
REPORT
To meet the grant filling deadline, the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) submitted the Grant Application on October 27, 2021 for the FY 2022-23 Sustainable Transportation Planning competitive grant contingent upon your Board’s approval. The application evaluation and approval by Caltrans was scheduled between the fall through winter of 2021. Grant announcements are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2022. If the grant is awarded, the Department will return to your Board with the necessary resolution required for grant acceptance. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, the Department will withdraw the grant application, and the project will no longer be considered for State funding under the current FY 2022-23 cycle.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County cost associated with the recommended action. There is a 16.53% local match associated with the recommended action ($115,702), of which $75,702 would be a cash match and $40,000 would be an In-Kind match. The grant for $584,298 would be used to hire a consultant to investigate and analyze the transportation related needs of the County's Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities (DUCs). The local match will be paid for out of the Department of Public Works and Planning - Road Fund 0010, and sufficient appropriations will be included in the FY 2022-23 Recommended Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the Sustainable Communities Competitive Grant is to provide much needed funding to support regional sustainable communities’ strategies and ultimately achieve the State's greenhouse gas reductions targets of 40 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 2050, respectively. The Department recognizes the need for a more comprehensive plan to select local communities in which to focus efforts on project identification and implementation for future grant opportunities. The projects that are generated by this study will be considered for selection for state and Federal grants such as the Active Transportation Program (ATP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ), Surface Transportation Block Grant program (STBG), and others.
To satisfy the requirements of the present-day regional, state, and Federal grant opportunities, there is a need for a study to identify which DUCs should be the focus of future grant opportunities. The study would use research methods which address the effects of climate change, transportation integration, and social equity. This project will launch a comprehensive study to advance efforts toward the creation of a master project index which will provide details of the transportation needs of DUCs throughout the County. These communities will be studied regarding safety and reconstruction/rehabilitation of vehicular, bicycling, and pedestrian transportation facilities.
The funding for the Sustainable Transportation Planning grant, if awarded, will be used to hire a consultant who will be tasked with investigating and analyzing the needs of the County's 36 DUCs (Attachment A) and provide the necessary information to identify those areas within the County most in need of infrastructure improvements. The County will make available supplemental funding such as Measure C in providing the local match for these potential grants.
The parties involved include the County, Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and Consultant(s) to be determined.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - Location Map
On file with Clerk - Grant Application
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander