April 5, 2005

This report requests authorization to submit grant funding proposals for the following projects:

BACKGROUND

Staff requests authorization to submit grant proposals to a total of five grant programs to fund transportation projects. These projects are all either currently included in the City’s 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan or are included in the proposed 05/06 Capital Improvement Plan.  The information below provides detail for each grant program to which staff will be filing transportation grant proposals.

VTA FY 05/06 TFCA Program Manager 40% Fund

The Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) provides grants to local governments for projects that will reduce air pollution. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), of which Council member Julia Miller is a member, administers the grant program in the San Francisco Bay Area. TFCA is a BAAQMD program funded by a surcharge of $4.00 on motor vehicle registration fees paid within its jurisdiction.  The surcharge revenues are to be used to implement specified transportation control measures that are included in the BAAQMD’s Clean Air Plan, developed and adopted pursuant to the requirements of the 1988 California Clean Air Act.

Sixty percent of the annually available funds are administered by the BAAQMD, while 40% return to Bay Area counties through the Congestion Management Agencies. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is the Congestion Management Agency for Santa Clara County. The grants discussed in the report are from the 40% fund administered by the VTA, Congestion Management Program. Approximately $890,000 is available for the 2005/2006 cycle.  In previous funding cycles, the City has received funding for bicycle lane projects as well as arterial management projects.

Caltrans FY 05/06 Bicycle Transportation Account

The Bicycle Transportation Account Program provides State funds for city and county projects that improve safety and convenience for bicycle commuters.  Competitive grants are distributed to local agencies by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on an annual basis. This year, $7.2 million is available statewide for projects.  Projects cannot exceed $ 1.8 million in total cost, and a 10% match is required. In previous funding cycles, the City has received BTA funding for the Connecting North and South Sunnyvale Bicycle Project, and the Evelyn Avenue Bike Lane, Phase 2 Project.

SCVWD Trails, Parks and Open Space Grant Program

This is a biennial program intended to assist local agencies in the effort to expand public access to trails, open space and parks along creeks throughout Santa Clara County. Funds for the program come through the Clean, Safe and Natural Flood Protection Program, passed by voters as a Special Tax in 2000. The objective of the Trails element of the Special Tax is to provide public access to an additional 70 miles of trails of open space along creeks through community partnerships. Approximately $900,000 is available annually through the 15 year program horizon.  In previous funding cycles, the City has received funding for construction of the Calabazas Creek Trail. Mayor Dean Chu represents the City of Sunnyvale on the following SCVWD committees:  the Water Commission, the Lower Peninsula Flood Control and Watershed Advisory Committee, and the Guadalupe/West Valley Flood Control & Watershed Advisory Committee

EXISTING POLICY

Air quality Sub-Element – Goal A: Improve Sunnyvale’s air quality and reduce the exposure of its citizens to air pollutants.

Land Use and Transportation Element C3.5.4 - Maximize the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.5.2 - Utilize the City’s residential neighborhood "Traffic Calming" techniques to address specific neighborhood traffic concerns.

Fiscal Sub-Element 7.1B.4d – Pursue and use intergovernmental assistance for projects in the Ten-Year Capital Improvement Plan. 

DISCUSSION

This report requests authorization to submit grant proposals for a total of five transportation projects. These projects are all either currently included in the City’s 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan or are included in the proposed 05/06 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan.

1. Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/Mathilda Avenue Adaptive Traffic Signal Project - This project will provide radio spread spectrum communications, centralized traffic control, and adaptive traffic signal control for Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road. It will consist of six traffic signals, from Tennis Center Lane to Alberta Avenue. The project will connect traffic signals along Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road to the adaptive traffic signal system on Mathilda Avenue. This would create a coordinated system along that entire corridor through Sunnyvale. This project has been identified and listed in VTA's VTP 2030 plan.  The project will reduce delay on Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road as well as all of the connected side streets by allowing flexible, adaptive traffic signal timing that is responsive to actual traffic demands.

The total project cost is $450,000. Staff would request a total of $315,000 from the TFCA grant program. The remaining $135,000 can be funded through gas tax funds from a proposed 05/06 Transportation grant matching funds project. The project is included as an unfunded project in the proposed 05/06 Capital Budget. City Council could choose not to authorize submission of a grant proposal for this project. If this were the case, the project would remain in the “unfunded project” list until other outside funding is identified.   

2. Blair Avenue Neighborhood Traffic Calming permanent installation -This project would construct permanent traffic calming in the Blair Avenue Neighborhood. This would include:

a. bulb outs at the intersection of Blair Avenue and Bernardo Avenue,

b. a median island and bulb out at the intersection of Mary Avenue and Blair Avenue,

c. the reconfiguration of the Grape/Blair intersection to slow vehicle speeds and enhance crossing,

d. enhanced high-visibility crosswalks,

e. and speed humps

After the completion of a Traffic Calming Study and neighborhood consensus process as outlined in the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy, City Council approved (at the March 2, 2003 meeting) the installation of traffic calming measures on a temporary basis. At that time, funding for a permanent installation was not identified. If awarded, this would fund the engineering and construction of permanent Blair Avenue Neighborhood Traffic Calming. Traffic studies monitoring the speed and volume of traffic, as well as additional public input will be conducted before City Council will determine whether permanent installation is necessary.

The total project cost is $90,000. The grant funding would cover 100% of this cost. The project is included as an unfunded project in the proposed 05/06 Capital Budget. City Council could choose not to authorize submission of a grant proposal for this project. If this were the case, and the traffic calming measures were approved for permanent installation, then funding would either have to be identified within the City’s budget or the project would be placed on the unfunded project list until other outside funding could be secured. 

3.      Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor - This project would construct 2 bicycle/pedestrian bridges along the Borregas Avenue corridor, one over US 101 and one over SR 237. The project is funded through the VTA Bicycle expenditure program. This program requires a 20% local match for all projects. This grant, if awarded, will supplement the local matching funds required by the City.  

The total project cost at this time is $6,487,000. The VTA Bicycle Expenditure Program has awarded $5,325,077. Grant funding of $1,161,923 has been requested from the Bicycle Transportation Account. This would cover the City’s local match requirement of $1,161,923, which is budgeted in the Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor Project 821870 in the 04/05 Resource Allocation Plan. City Council could choose not to authorize submission of a grant proposal for this project. If this were the case, City funds currently programmed to the project, totaling $1,161,923 would be used to cover the required 20% local match for the project.

4. Moffett Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail - This project would construct a bicycle and pedestrian trail along the East Sunnyvale Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) drainage canal in Moffett Park. SCVWD Moffett Park Trails is a component of the implementation of the Moffett Park Specific Plan. This project will improve accessibility and recreation opportunities in Moffett Park. 

Staff will request a total of $300,000 of funding from this program. The project is included as an unfunded project in the proposed 05/06 Capital Budget. City Council could choose not to authorize submission of a grant proposal for this project. If this were the case, the project would remain in the “unfunded project” list until other outside funding is identified.   

5. Fair Oaks/Tasman Neighborhood Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail - This project would construct a bicycle and pedestrian trail adjacent to the East Sunnyvale Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) drainage canal, north of the John W. Christian Greenway. The trail would be constructed entirely on City owned property. The Fair Oaks/Tasman Neighborhood Trail is a component of the Fair Oaks/Tasman Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan. This project will improve accessibility and recreation opportunities in the area that is quickly transitioning from industrial land uses to high density residential land uses.  

Staff will request a total of $300,000 of funding from this program. The project is included as an unfunded project in the proposed 05/06 Capital Budget. City Council could choose not to authorize submission of a grant proposal for this project. If this were the case, the project would remain in the “unfunded project” list until other outside funding is identified.  

Staff asks that City Council authorize the City of Sunnyvale to file grant proposals for the projects listed above to various grant program sources.

FISCAL IMPACT

There will be no fiscal impact associated with submitting grant funding proposals for the five projects listed in this report. If the projects were to be awarded funding, the revenue received would create a positive fiscal impact.

Staff will return to Council with a request for a budget modification in the event that any grant funds are awarded to the City.

1. Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/Mathilda Avenue Adaptive Traffic Signal Project - The total project cost is $450,000. Staff would request a total of $315,000 from the TFCA grant program. The remaining $135,000 would be funded through gas tax funds.

2. Blair Avenue Neighborhood Traffic Calming permanent installation – The total project cost is $90,000. The grant funding would cover 100% of this cost.

3. Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor - The total project cost at this time is $6,487,000. The VTA Bicycle Expenditure Program has awarded $5,325,077 for the project. Grant funding of $1,161,923 has been requested from the Bicycle Transportation Account. This would cover the City’s local match requirement. If the grant were to be awarded, this funding would replace a City contribution that has already been budgeted for this project. This is consistent with City Policy which states that staff shall pursue and use intergovernmental assistance for projects in the Ten-Year Capital Improvement Plan. 

4. Moffett Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails – The total project cost will be $300,000. Local matching funds are not required as part of Santa Clara Valley Water District program.

5. Fair Oaks/Tasman Neighborhood Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails – The total project cost will be $300,000. Local matching funds are not required as part of Santa Clara Valley Water District program.

Conclusion

This report requests authorization to submit grant funding proposals to various sources for the below listed projects. These projects are all either currently included in the City’s 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan or are included in the proposed 05/06 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan.

1. Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/Mathilda Avenue Adaptive Traffic Signal Project; Funding Source – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) 40% Program Manager Funds

2. Blair Avenue Neighborhood Traffic Calming permanent installation; Funding Source – Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) 40% Program Manager Funds

3. Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor; Funding Source – Caltrans FY 05/06 Bicycle Transportation Account

4. Moffett Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails; Funding Source – Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), Trails, Parks and Open Space Grant Program

There will be no negative fiscal impacts associated with submitting the grant proposals. If funding is awarded, staff will return to Council for authorization for the City Manager to execute any funding agreements as well as a budget modification to incorporate any grant funds into the City budget. City Council may choose not to authorize the submission of grant proposals.

  
PUBLIC CONTACT

Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City's official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City's web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office.

ALTERNATIVES

1. Authorize filing of transportation grant funding proposals in FY 2005/2006.

2. Do not authorize filing of transportation grant funding proposals in FY 2005/2006.

3. Authorize filing of transportation grant funding proposals in FY 2005/2006 with modifications.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternative 1: Authorize filing of transportation grant funding proposals in FY 2005/2006.

Reviewed by:


Marvin A. Rose Director, Public Works

Prepared by: Dieckmann Cogill, Transportation Planner

Approved by:


Amy Chan

City Manager