The Local Streets and County Roads (LS & CR) program was established as part of the Valley Transportation Plan 2020 (VTP 2020). This new program provides grant funds for local streets and county roads projects from Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds. The VTA Board of Directors adopted Project Selection and Programming Procedures for the LS & CR Program on March 6, 2003.

Increasing connectivity of local streets and county roads as a means to (a) shorten trips by all modes, (b) improve pedestrian and bicycle access, (c) improve transit routing, and (d) keep shorter trips off the regional freeway and expressway system is a primary stated goal of the LS & CR Program. The other published goal is to provide funding for local transportation projects not directly connected to, or fully funded by new development.

A project must be evaluated and compete in a two-phase process to receive grant funding through the Local Streets and County Roads program, a Planning phase and a Programming phase. The current solicitation is for the Planning phase. The Programming phase will occur in the future, when funds become available with each new funding cycle.

Projects are only eligible to compete in the programming phase if they are included in the 10-year list created by the Planning phase. Applications will be scored by the CIP Subcommittee Scoring Panel and reviewed by the VTA Advisory Committees before the VTA Board of Directors adopts the final list as part of the VTP 2020 Update (VTP 2030) in December, 2003.

Project submittals must be accompanied by a record of a governing body action approving project priorities, committing future local match and authorizing submittal of list to VTA. This is the action recommended tonight. The Program requires that projects submitted were developed through an open public process as well; staff has assembled documentation on the public processes followed for projects contained in the staff recommendation. The Program also requires endorsement of the VTA Community Design and Transportation Program, a land use/transportation integration program consisting of technical and policy guidance for local agencies. Council will consider endorsement at its September 30, 2003 meeting.

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.1: Advocate the City’s interests to regional agencies that make land use and transportation system decisions that affect Sunnyvale.

Land Use and Transportation Element C3.7: Pursue local, state and federal transportation funding sources to finance City transportation capital improvement projects consistent with City priorities.

Eligible project types for the Local Streets and County Roads Program include the following:

Stand-alone transit improvements, preventive maintenance, pavement management, freeway and/or expressway projects, and Class I (off-road) bicycle & pedestrian paths/trails are not eligible for this program. The Program covers the costs of environmental studies, design, right of way acquisition, and construction.

Once submitted, projects will go through a competitive evaluation. Criteria for evaluation for inclusion in the Program include street connectivity, congestion relief, safety, and transportation/land use interface. The Program requires that projects submitted were developed through an open public process as well. The VTA is assuming that $410 million will be available over the life of the Plan; this figure is subject to change as new long range revenue projections become available in association with federal long range planning and other transportation forecasting activities.

With these eligibility and evaluation criteria in mind, staff has evaluated the potential long range transportation capital program for the City and determined eligible projects. These projects are listed in Attachment A. Projects are taken from the Land Use and Transportation Element of the General Plan (and associated documents), the Downtown Development Program, the Transportation Strategic Program, Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study, and environmental mitigation for approved land developments.

The recommended project priorities are based on the order of need (to mitigate congestion) according to model forecasts or CIP programming, the degree of complexity of the project, and adherence to program criteria. The bike projects selected were based on the potential availability of future matching funds by virtue of their inclusion in the proposed Transportation Strategic Program.

In December of 2002, the CEC issued a second request for applications for a grant to install Battery Backup Systems for traffic signals. For the second grant application, staff responded with a proposal to install Battery Backup Systems for the remaining 31 signalized intersections maintained by the City of Sunnyvale.

There is no direct fiscal impact of submitting a project priority list for the Planning phase of the VTP 2030 Local Streets and County Roads Program. Submittal of the project list must be accompanied by a commitment to provide future local matching funds at such time that funds become available. Funds would become available to Sunnyvale only after Federal or State allocations to Santa Clara County and a subsequent Programming phase of the Local Streets and County Roads Program. At that time a local agency with a project approved in the Planning phase would then be able to elect to program local matching funds and compete for programming of Federal/State grant funds.

Potential sources for future matching funds could be revenues from new sources enacted through the Transportation Strategic Program, or General/Gas Tax funds.

Public contact was made through postings of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice board, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, publication of the Council agenda in the San Jose Mercury News, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk’s Office.

1. Approve priority major transportation projects for consideration of inclusion in the VTP 2030 Local Streets and Roads Program according to adopted and pending City plans and programs (Attachment A); commit to provide future local matching funds as outside funding becomes available; and authorize the City Manager to submit the project priority list to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

2. Approve an alternative priority project list, commit to future local match funding, and authorize the City Manager to submit the alternative project priority list to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

3. Appropriate the increased revenue and to provide the required locDo not take action at this time and forfeit the opportunity for future State and Federal funds for local streets projects.

Staff recommends Alternative 1.