REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/21/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Authorize the creation of Capital Improvement Project No. 2022-12 for the Widening of Ontario Avenue at Lincoln Avenue and approve the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments as funding assistance for the project.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks for the City Council to approve a funding agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments, which will allow the City to move forward with improvements along a section of Ontario Avenue between Oak Avenue and S. Vicentia Avenue. The improvements include widening Ontario Avenue and constructing missing sidewalks and curb ramps, which will alleviate traffic congestion experienced during peak hours at the intersection of Ontario and Lincoln. Additionally, the project will construct missing infrastructure in the area, such as sidewalks and curb ramps for pedestrian accessibility and continuity.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the creation of a new Capital Improvement Project titled “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue,” Project No. 2022-12.
b. Approve the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments for the reimbursement of Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Funds for the design, right-of-way, and construction of the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to finalize and execute the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Reimbursement Agreement with Western Riverside Council of Governments for the reimbursement of Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee Funds for the design, right-of-way, and construction of the Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
d. Authorize a transfer of $796,166 from the South Corona Master Planned Landscape Project No. 80080 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274).
e. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $404,560 from the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
f. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $394,133 from the Drainage Fee Fund (212) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
g. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $1,023,276 from the Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
h. Authorize a transfer of $276,333 from the Rock Vista Drive Subdrain Project No. 78060 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
i. Authorize a transfer of $503,414 from the Oak Avenue Street Improvement Project No. 76030 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
j. Authorize a transfer of $45,500 from the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project No. 71990 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
k. Authorize a transfer of $256,618 from the City-Wide Sidewalk and ADA Improvement Project No. 72210 to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12 within the Measure A Fund (227).
l. Accept $2,300,000 in funds from the Western Riverside Council of Governments Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee for the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
m. Authorize an appropriation and an estimated revenue increase in the amount of $2,300,000 from the Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund (243) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue, Project No. 2022-12.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The recently adopted City of Corona (City) Strategic Plan identified several goals, including providing sound infrastructure and a safe community. Providing sound infrastructure can be achieved by investing in public infrastructure, including adequate roadways, drainage, sidewalks, parkways, ADA ramps, street lighting, traffic signals, crosswalks, and raised medians. Providing a safe community can be achieved by investing in public infrastructure.
The eastbound side (south side) of Ontario Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and Conejo Street has not been widened to the ultimate width of the street; this section currently provides two (2) lanes for eastbound traffic and lacks ADA sidewalks, street lighting, curb and gutter, parkways, and standard driveway approaches. This is the only section on Ontario Avenue between Paseo Grande and Compton Avenue that has yet to be addressed with capital improvements. In addition, the east side of Lincoln Avenue between Ontario Avenue and Othello Lane lacks ADA-compliant sidewalks, and is the only remaining section of Lincoln Avenue between the SR-91 and Mountain Gate Drive has not been addressed. Additionally, a signalized intersection at Lincoln Avenue and Othello Lane is warranted in the Traffic Signal Master Plan. The South Corona Community Facilities Plan proposes landscaped raised medians on Ontario Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and Main Street, of which the section between Lincoln Avenue and Taylor Avenue has not been constructed.
In addition, the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) Network includes an allocation for the widening of Ontario Avenue from 4 lanes to 6 lanes between Lincoln Avenue and Buena Vista Avenue. The City of Corona notified WRCOG of our intent to move forward with this project, and WRCOG met on June 16, 2022, and approved a recommendation for the Executive Committee to approve the funding for this project. The WRCOG Executive Committee approved the action on July 11, 2022. The City will enter into a reimbursement agreement with WRCOG for the funds allocated in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A total of $2,300,000 is allocated for this project, including $300,000 for design, $1,000,000 for right-of-way, and $1,000,000 for construction.
ANALYSIS:
With the completion of the roadway widening on eastbound Ontario Avenue between Kellogg Avenue and Fullerton Avenue several years ago, and the City of Corona project Ontario Avenue Widening under the I-15 Freeway currently in development, the only remaining Major Arterial roadway corridor to be widened on Ontario Avenue is between Lincoln Avenue and Conejo Street. In addition, with the construction currently underway at Lincoln Avenue and Highgrove Street, the only remaining sidewalk gap that has not been addressed on Lincoln Avenue between Mountain Gate Drive and the SR-91 is the east side of Lincoln Avenue between Othello Lane and Ontario Avenue.
Staff recommends the creation of a new Capital Improvement Project titled “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue,” Project No. 2022-12, to address the remaining improvements needed on Ontario Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. The project will construct the street widening, curb and gutter, parkways, sidewalks, driveways, driveway approaches, street lighting, drainage facilities, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps on the south side of Ontario Avenue, between Lincoln Avenue and Conejo Street. The project will also include traffic signal improvements at the intersections of Lincoln Avenue/Ontario Avenue and Lincoln Avenue/Othello Lane, and parkways, sidewalks, driveway approaches, and street lighting on the east side of Lincoln Avenue between Ontario Avenue and Othello Lane.
City staff has conducted research of the site, prepared a scope of work and Engineer’s Estimate for this project, and identified possible funding sources. Staff recommends a transfer of funds from the available funding sources discussed in the Financial Impact section of this report to the Ontario Widening at Lincoln Avenue Project, Project No. 2022-12, to proceed with a Request for Proposals for Design and Environmental Review and facilitate conversations with the directly affected property owners. In addition, staff will continue to pursue other funding opportunities to offset any additional costs to fully execute this project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in a transfer of $796,166 from the South Corona Master Planned Landscape Project No. 80080 within the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274); an appropriation in the amount of $404,560 from the South Corona Landscaping Fund (274); an appropriation in the amount of $394,133 from the Drainage Fee Fund (212); an appropriation in the amount of $1,023,276 from the Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211); a transfer of $276,333 from the Rock Vista Drive Subdrain Project No. 78060 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $503,414 from the Oak Avenue Street Improvement Project No. 76030 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $45,500.00 from the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project No. 71990 within the Measure A Fund (227); a transfer of $256,618 from the City-Wide Sidewalk and ADA Improvement Project No. 72210 within the Measure A Fund (227); and an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $2,300,000 from the Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund (243) to the newly created Capital Improvement Project, “Ontario Avenue Widening at Lincoln Avenue. With these transfers, appropriations, and the acceptance of the WRCOG TUMF funds, the Project fund will total $6,000,000, which matches the current Engineer’s Estimate. There is sufficient fund balance in the respective funds for the recommended actions.
Funding Source |
Amount |
South Corona Landscaping Fund (274) |
$1,200,726 |
Drainage Fee Fund (212) |
$394,133 |
Street and Traffic Signals Fund (211) |
$1,023,276 |
Measure A Fund (227) |
$1,081,865 |
Public Works Grants/Agreement Fund (243) - WRCOG TUMF Allocation |
$2,300,000 |
Total |
$6,000,000 |
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
These actions are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Action (CEQA), as the actions are not a “project” as defined by CEQA (PRC Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378), guidelines which define a “project” as the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and that is an activity directly undertaking by any public agency including public works construction and related activities. These actions involve the approval of a funding agreement and the transfer of funds from various project accounts. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required at this time.
After approval of the recommended actions herein, staff will proceed with the project approval and environmental document phase of this project. Any applicable documentation will be prepared and filed at that time.
PREPARED BY: JULIANNA ZALESKI, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 - TUMF Agreement
3. Presentation