REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/20/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
ACCEPTANCE OF $400,000 IN GRANT FUNDING FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT ACT ARTICLE 3 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIANS FACILITIES PROGRAM FOR THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN UPDATE AND APPROVAL OF REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT WITH RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to accept $400,000 in grant funding from the Riverside County Transportation Commission’s Transportation Development Act Article 3 Bicycle and Pedestrians Facilities Program, approve a funding agreement between the City and Riverside County Transportation Commission, and appropriate $100,000 from Measure A Fund 227 to meet the grant’s local match requirement.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Accept a grant award from the Riverside County Transportation Commission’s Transportation Development Act Article 3 Bicycle and Pedestrians Facilities program in the amount of $400,000 for Bicycle Master Plan Update.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a Reimbursement Agreement with the Riverside County Transportation Commission in the amount of $400,000.
c. Authorize an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $400,000 from the Public Works Grants/Agreements Fund 243 to the Bicycle Master Plan Update Operating and Maintenance Project No. 78170.
d. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $100,000 from Measure A Fund 227 to the Bicycle Master Plan Update Operating and Maintenance Project No. 78170.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City of Corona last adopted its Bicycle Master Plan on May 31, 2001. Since its adoption, the City has implemented approximately 130 linear miles of bicycle facilities that encompass Class I, Class II, and Class III bicycle facilities. The City now desires to move forward with a Bicycle Master Plan Update (Project), which will update the Bicycle Master Plan in accordance with the City's General Plan and current bikeway design standards. In addition, it will be used to expand and integrate the current bicycle network to increase active transportation opportunities throughout the community.
The Project's primary goal is to update, modernize, redevelop, and strengthen the City’s Bicycle Master Plan. The Project will focus on improving connections for bicycle travel throughout the City and the greater region, adopting new practices to promote efficient bicycle travel, reviewing existing policy, and promoting new outreach efforts, including a bicycle education course.
Since the Project’s establishment, staff has been seeking grant funding opportunities from outside agencies for funding assistance. On February 6, 2023, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) released the Transportation Development Act Article 3 or Senate Bill 821 (SB82) Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities biennial call for Fiscal Year 2023/2024 projects. The SB 821 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities program aims to fund the development or implementation of plans and projects that emphasize bicycle and pedestrian facilities that support utilitarian bike and pedestrian travel. On April 26, 2023, staff submitted its application for SB 821 and requested $400,000 in funding assistance for its project.
ANALYSIS:
On July 12, 2023, RCTC was presented with and approved a set of funding recommendations prepared by its administrative staff, which included a recommendation to partially fund the City’s Project in the amount of $400,000. The approved funding authorized the development of a reimbursement agreement between RCTC and the City.
As part of its rating system, RCTC grant evaluators awarded higher ratings to applications that included a local match commitment. The City’s application committed to matching 33% of the total cost of the project, or $200,000. The Project budget currently has $100,000 in Measure A funds. To fulfill the local match requirement of $200,000, staff recommends that an additional $100,000 be drawn out as a one-time allocation from Measure A Fund 227 to be added to the Project budget.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $400,000 from the Public Works Capital Grants/Agreement Fund 243 and an appropriation in the amount of $100,000 from Measure A Fund 227 to the Bicycle Master Plan Update Operating and Maintenance Project No. 78170. There is sufficient fund balance in Measure A Fund 227 for the recommended action.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The recommended actions are accepting new funding sources and appropriating the funding to project number 78170, and there is no possibility that accepting the funding will have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: PEDRO CEVALLOS, MANAGEMENT ANALYST II
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Reimbursement Agreement with Riverside County Transportation Commission