DATE: November 28, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: FY 2023-24 Transportation Grant Projects for Fresno Council of Governments Regional Competitive Bid
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize Director of Public Works and Planning’s previous submittal of funding applications to the Fresno Council of Governments for FY 2023-24 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, Surface Transportation Block Grant, and Carbon Reduction Program Federal funding ($16,671,330); and
2. Endorse the City of Sanger’s submittal of joint City/County project to the Fresno Council of Governments for Surface Transportation Block Grant Federal funding; and
3. Adopt Resolution supporting and implementing timely use of funding, related to project delivery schedules for Federal transportation selection, in accordance with Assembly Bill 1012.
REPORT
Approval of the first recommended action will retroactively approve and authorize the submittal of funding applications by the Director of the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) to the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG) for FY 2023-24 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) projects. These funding applications were submitted, contingent upon your Board’s approval, to meet the deadlines of September 15, 2023 (CMAQ and CRP) and October 6, 2023 (STBG). The second recommended action will endorse the City of Sanger’s (City) application for STBG funding for a joint City/County project in shared jurisdictions. Approval of the third recommended action will adopt a resolution supporting and implementing the timely use of Federal funds as required by Fresno COG, per Assembly Bill 1012 (AB 1012) (Chapter 783 of the Statutes of 1999).
This item pertains to locations in Districts 3, 4 and 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The CMAQ, STBG and CRP applications were submitted to FCOG to meet the application deadlines; however, your Board may choose to withdraw some or all of the applications from funding consideration. If your Board does not endorse the County’s participation in the City of Sanger’s proposed joint STBG project, the City might choose to cancel the project(s) or revise the project limits.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. If any of the grants are awarded, the CMAQ, STBG and CRP programs will provide 88.53% reimbursement of project costs. The local match of $2,199,293 would be paid out of the County’s SB-1 allocation. For the joint project with the City, the local match would be apportioned based on jurisdiction, estimated at $234,800. and would also be funded through the County’s SB-1 allocation. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Roads Org 4510 FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget and future proposed budgets.
DISCUSSION:
The CMAQ program funds projects which improve air quality by reducing ozone precursor emissions, including nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter emissions or particulate matter precursor emissions. The STBG program provides flexible funding that localities may use for projects to preserve and improve conditions and performance on any Federal-aid highway, bridge and tunnel projects on any public road, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and transit capital projects. The CRP program will fund a wide range of projects designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road highway sources. Applications are submitted to compete for funding against other projects submitted for programming within the region. The region consists of the County and the 15 incorporated cities within the County.
Acting in its role as a Metropolitan Planning Organization, FCOG programs and monitors delivery of the Federal transportation projects for the region. As a requirement for acceptance of an agency’s project submittal for certain Federal and/or State programs, FCOG requires that the governing board of each submitting agency approve a resolution, in accordance with AB 1012 legislation, committing to meet project delivery deadlines to highlight the importance of allocating enough resources to each project so its goals are achievable.
FCOG issued their Regional Competitive 2023-24 Call-for-Projects on July 12, 2023. CMAQ and CRP project submittals were due September 15, 2023, and STBG project submittals were due October 6, 2023. The Department submitted applications for the following projects:
• Fowler Avenue Reconstruction and Shoulder Improvements from Elkhorn Avenue (High Speed Rail) to County Line (Kings River)
• Millerton Road and Marina Drive Roundabout
• Elkhorn Avenue Shoulder Improvements and Overlay from Fowler Avenue to State Route 43
• Chestnut Avenue and Central Avenue Left Turn Phasing and Intersection Improvements
Details of the funding type and amount requested for each project are included in Attachment A.
Your Board’s approval of the second recommended action commits the County to share the local match for the Central Avenue, Academy to Newmark Reconstruction joint project based on the portion of the project located in the County only if STBG funding is awarded to the City. In that case, a separate agreement would be brought before the Board detailing each agency’s responsibilities and project costs.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #39, November 2, 2021
BAI #49, March 10, 2020
BAI #41, November 5, 2019
BAI #45, March 1, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - Projects and Funding Amounts
Location Maps
On file with Clerk - Resolution
On file with Clerk - CMAQ Application Fowler Ave Shoulder Improvements
On file with Clerk - CMAQ Application Elkhorn Ave Shoulder Improvements
On file with Clerk - CRP Application Central Ave and Chestnut Ave Improvements
On file with Clerk - STBG Application Fowler Ave Reconstruction
On file with Clerk - STBG Application Millerton Ave and Marina Drive Roundabout
On file with Clerk - STBG Application Elkhorn Ave Overlay
CAO ANALYST:
Salvador Espino