DATE: January 27, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Retroactive Approval of FY 2026-27 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 the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant (STPG) for the Fresno County Truck Route Study and Ordinance to develop a Truck Route Ordinance for unincorporated areas to comply with Assembly Bill 98, as amended by Senate Bill 415, in the amount of $700,000.
REPORT
The ordinance will divert commercial trucks from residential neighborhoods and other sensitive receptors, prioritize the use of highways and arterial roads, and designate safe truck parking locations. To meet the grant filing deadline, the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) submitted the Grant Application on November 21, 2025 for the FY 2026-27 Sustainable Transportation Planning competitive grant, contingent upon your Board’s approval. Grant announcements are scheduled to begin by late spring of 2026. The impact of 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 2026-27 cycle. However, the County will still need to proceed with the development of a Truck Route Ordinance whether or not any grant funds are awarded.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The grant application includes a project estimate for the Truck Route Study and Ordinance of $791,000. If awarded, the County would receive the maximum grant award amount of $700,000 with an 11.5% local match of $91,000 paid out of the County’s Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) allocation in the County’s Road Fund 0010, Org 4510.
DISCUSSION:
The Caltrans STPG provides 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 STPG is available on an annual basis and through a competitive application process. Grants are for transportation planning activities such as planning for active transportation, safe routes to schools, transit services, vision zero, complete streets, freight corridors, social equity, integrated land use and transportation planning. These grants also aim to improve public health, safety, social equity, the environment, and provide other important community benefits.
The Department applied for a grant to conduct a comprehensive study and develop a Truck Route Ordinance for unincorporated areas to comply with Assembly Bill 98, as amended by Senate Bill 415. The bill states that counties must adopt a truck route ordinance by January 1, 2028, that establishes specific travel routes for the transport of goods, materials, or freight for storage, transfer, or redistribution to safely accommodate additional truck traffic and avoid residential areas and sensitive receptors.
The proposed study will develop an ordinance that will divert commercial trucks from residential neighborhoods and schools, prioritize the use of highways and arterial roads, and designate safe truck parking locations. This effort will improve air quality in disadvantaged communities, enhance public health and safety, promote equity, and support economic vitality.
The County will partner with local cities, the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG), and conduct extensive public outreach to align with regional policies and select effective routes. Grant funds will offset the costs of hiring a consultant to conduct data analysis, community engagement, and integration of all relevant truck routes and parking policies. Letters of support for the grant application submitted have been obtained by Supervisors Mendes and Pacheco, FCOG, the Cities of Clovis, Reedley, Parlier, and several school districts and community services districts in the County.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
On file with Clerk - STPG Application - Fresno County Truck Route Study
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia