August 16, 2005

SUBJECT:  Authorization for City Manager to Execute Grant Funding Agreements for Two Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Community Design and Transportation Grants and Budget Modification No. 3

REPORT IN BRIEF

The City of Sunnyvale has been awarded grant funding for two projects from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Community Design and Transportation (CDT) grant program; the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design, and the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements.

The Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design project would provide more detailed planning for the pedestrian enhancements identified in the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan. This would potentially include the completion of designs, plans, specifications and estimates for specific pedestrian improvements identified in the Plan. The total project cost is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.  Staff recommends using developer contributions received from the Toyama Townhomes Project to meet the local match requirement. 

The Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements project would provide planning and conceptual engineering associated with providing a pedestrian and bicycle crossing from Hendy Avenue to the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station. The total project cost is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.  Staff recommends using Transportation Grant Matching Funds to meet the local match requirement.  As part of the FY 2005/2006 Budget, Council appropriated $165,000 in Traffic Mitigation monies to the Transportation Grant Matching Funds project for the purpose of providing annual funding to meet local match requirements as transportation grants are awarded.  Approval of this budget modification would reduce the balance available for the Transportation Grant Matching Funds project by $25,000 to $140,000.

This report recommends Council authorize the City Manager to execute the funding agreements. The report also recommends Council approval of Budget Modification No. 3 to accept the grants, appropriate the grant funds and reappropriate $25,000 from the Transportation Grant Matching Funds Project and appropriate $25,000 from developer contributions as local agency matching funds.     

BACKGROUND

The primary focus of the VTA Community Design and Transportation (CDT) Program, endorsed by the City of Sunnyvale on September 30, 2003 (RTC 03-336), is to promote land use characteristics that support transit in major transit corridors/hubs and facilitate alternative transportation use Related objectives include enhanced aesthetic quality in these cores and corridors, integrated land use types, contextual design, emphasis on non-automotive policies and design standards, and reduced surface parking. The program is intended to influence land and public facilities development at multiple levels over the long term.

To facilitate the objectives of the Community Design and Transportation (CDT) Program, the CDT Planning Grants Program provides financial assistance to aid member agencies with planning efforts and policy development that implement the concepts, principles, practices, and actions outlined in VTA’s CDT Manual on Best Practices for Integrating Transportation and Land Use.

The CDT Planning Grants are intended to help the cities, towns, and County of Santa Clara develop, refine, and build on promising ideas, and prepare those plans, projects, and policies for implementation. Moreover, they are intended to help VTA member agencies incorporate transit-and-pedestrian-friendly design into all aspects of the planning and development process.

The CDT Planning Grants are intended to prepare projects for implementation by, and to compete for VTA Livable Communities and Pedestrian Program (capital) Grants, as well as MTC Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) grants. Funds are available for grants in two categories:

1)     Policy Planning Projects that revise existing or create new policies, codes, ordinances, or enforceable design standards that encourage changes in community form that result in multi-modal, pedestrian-friendly streets and transit-oriented, compact, mixed-use developments along major transportation corridors, and core areas such as downtowns, main streets, commercial nodes, and station areas. Up to $150,000 per project will be available to assist with policy creation or revision projects. (See Attachment A for a description of the types of projects that would be considered “policy” projects.)

2)     Capital Planning Projects that integrate high-quality, pedestrian and multimodal transportation design elements into a public street, corridor, commercial node or station area. Up to $75,000 per project will be available for capital planning projects. (See Attachment A for a description of the types of projects that would be considered “capital” projects.)

Both of the grants awarded to the City of Sunnyvale were in the Capital Planning Projects category.

EXISTING POLICY

The following documents contain policy direction on this issue:

Land Use and Transportation Element C3.5: Support a variety of transportation modes. 

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

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.  

DISCUSSION

The Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan identifies several pedestrian, bicycle and transit access enhancements in an area of Sunnyvale that is transitioning to a high-density residential neighborhood. These enhancements are particularly important in this area because of its close proximity to the Tasman Light Rail Station.

The Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Circulation Plan was adopted by the Sunnyvale City Council in August 2004 (RTC 04-285). Its goals are to:

1.      Enhance quality of life for residents of the area through improved pedestrian access to parks and open space, schools, retail amenities and public transportation.

2.      Encourage increased pedestrian, bicycle and transit use through streetscape improvements, land use planning and architectural design

Many of the pedestrian circulation improvements identified in the Tasman/Fair Oaks Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan pertain directly to improved access to the Fair Oaks Light Rail Station.  Secondary circulation goals include access to schools, parks and open space, as well as access to future retail/commercial sites. 

The requested CDT funding will provide more detailed planning for the pedestrian enhancements identified in the Plan. This could potentially include the completion of designs, plans, specifications and estimates for specific pedestrian improvements identified in the Plan.

The Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements project would provide planning and conceptual engineering associated with providing a pedestrian and bicycle crossing from Hendy Avenue to the Sunnyvale Multimodal Station. The completion of this study could provide future opportunities for funding of a capital project to implement access improvements to the Multimodal Station. This crossing would provide a safer and more convenient connection between the residential neighborhood on the north side of the railroad tracks and the Sunnyvale Caltrain Station and Town Center Mall and an improved interface between the Multimodal Station and the neighborhood. This interconnection would enhance the ability of the Sunnyvale residents living north of the railroad tracks, and people who work in north Sunnyvale, to choose to use Caltrain and VTA bus service, and to walk or bike to the Town Center.

If Council chooses not to accept the grant awards from the VTA CDT grant program the projects will not be completed at this time and no City funds would be allocated.  This could limit the City’s ability to obtain grant funding for implementation of public improvements identified in the Tasman/Fair Oaks Plan as well as for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian and Bicycle Access.

FISCAL IMPACT

The estimated project cost for the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design project is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.  Staff recommends using developer contributions received from the Toyama Townhomes Project to meet the local match requirement.  Per the approved conditions for the Toyama Townhomes Project (SDP 2004-0650 A.10), the developer’s contributions is to be used for improvements and enhancements related to the Tasman/Fair Oaks Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan.

The estimated project cost for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvement project is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.  The Transportation Grant Matching Funds project can be used as local agency matching funds for this project. As part of the FY 2005/2006 Budget, Council appropriated $165,000 in Traffic Mitigation monies to the Transportation Grant Matching Funds Project for the purpose of providing annual funding to meet local match requirements as transportation grants are awarded.  Approval of this budget modification would reduce the balance available for the Transportation Grant Matching Funds project by $25,000 to $140,000.

Council approval of Budget Modification No. 3 is recommended to accept the grants, appropriate the grant funds and reappropriate $25,000 from the Transportation Grant Matching Funds project and appropriate $25,000 from developer contributions as local agency matching funds for the projects.

BUDGET MODIFICATION NO. 3 FISCAL YEAR 2005/2006
	Current		Increase (Decrease)		Revised
Capital Projects Fund/General Sub-Fund
Revenues:
VTA CDT grant funding	$ 0		$150,000		$150,000
Developer Contributions	$0		$25,000		$25,000
Expenditures:
New Project - Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan	$ 0		$100,000		$100,000
New Project – Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements	$ 0		$100,000		$100,000
Capital Projects Fund/Gas Tax Sub-Fund
Expenditures:
825540 Transportation Grant Matching Funds	$165,000		($25,000)		$140,000

CONCLUSION

The City has been awarded funding for two projects from the Santa Clara Transportation Authority (VTA), Community Design and Transportation (CDT) grant program; the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design, and the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements.  

The total project cost for the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.

The total project cost for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvement project is $100,000. The City has been awarded $75,000 in funding from the VTA CDT grant program, and a $25,000 local match is required.

In order to accept the grant awards, City Council must authorize the City Manager to execute the funding agreements and authorize Budget Modification No. 3 to accept the grants, appropriate the grant funds and appropriate the required local agency matching funds to the project.

City Council could choose not to accept the grant award. This action would result in the forfeiture of all grant funding. This could limit the City’s ability to obtain grant funding for implementation of public improvements identified in the Tasman/Fair Oaks Plan as well as for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian and Bicycle Access.

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.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff Recommends Alternative 1, 2 and 3: Authorize the City Manager to execute the grant agreements with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Community Design and Transportation Grant Program for the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design, and the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements project. Approve Budget Modification No. 3 to accept the grants, appropriate the grant funds and reappropriate $25,000 from the Transportation Grant Matching Funds Project as local agency matching funds for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements project, and appropriate $25,000 from developer contributions for the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan: Detailed Project Planning and Design project

Reviewed by:

Marvin A. Rose, Director, Public Works

Prepared by: Dieckmann Cogill, Transportation Planner

Reviewed by:

Mary J. Bradley, Director, Finance

Approved by:

Amy Chan

City Manager

Attachments

1. Funding Agreement for the Tasman/Fair Oaks Area Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan Project (.pdf)
2. Funding Agreement for the Caltrain North Side Pedestrian Access Improvements Project (.pdf)