November 22, 2005
SUBJECT: Authorize City Manager to Execute Grant Agreement from Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air Program Manager Grant Funds and Budget Modification No. 12
REPORT IN BRIEF
The City has received grant funding for two projects from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager 40% Fund. The Blair Avenue Traffic Calming Project received $90,000 in grant funds. This is 100% of the project costs. The Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal Project has been awarded $315,000 in grant funds. The total project cost for this project is $450,000. The City will be required to provide $135,000 in matching funds. Staff recommends using the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to meet the local match requirement. The FY 2005/2006 Projects Budget includes approximately $165,000 annually over the 20-year plan to fund Transportation Grant Matching requirements. These funds are set side for the purpose of providing funding to meet local match requirements as transportation grants are awarded. The annual funding amount of approximately $165,000 is based on the historical average of the City’s annual local match requirement. The actual amount required will vary from year to year, depending on the amount and terms of the transportation grants that are made available to the City. The total funding available in the Transportation Grant Matching Funds over the 20-year plan is $4,135,085.
Currently, a total of $104,600 of the FY 2005/2006 Transportation Grant Matching Funds has been programmed to specific projects from prior Council actions. Staff recommends appropriating the remaining $60,400 from the FY 2005/2006 budget and moving $74,600 budgeted in FY 2006/07 to the current year to fund the $135,000 local match requirement for the Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal. This will reduce the 20-year balance of the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to $3,895,485.
This report requests that Council authorize the City Manager to execute the grant agreement for the VTA TFCA Program Manager 40% Funds and authorize Budget Modification No. 12 as outlined in this report.
BACKGROUND
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) 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 this 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, clean air vehicles and infrastructure, and arterial management projects.
On April 5, 2005 (RTC 05-087), City Council authorized the filing of grant applications for the VTA TFCA Program Manager 40% grant funds. Applications for Blair Avenue Traffic Calming and the Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/Mathilda Avenue Adaptive Traffic Signal Project were authorized to be filed at that time.
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 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
The City has received grant funding for two projects from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager 40% Fund. Details of the projects are described below.
1. Blair Avenue Neighborhood Traffic Calming permanent installation -This project would construct permanent traffic calming in the Blair Avenue Neighborhood. This would include:
- bulb outs at the intersection of Blair Avenue and Bernardo Avenue,
- a median island and bulb out at the intersection of Mary Avenue and Blair Avenue,
- the reconfiguration of the Grape/Blair intersection to slow vehicle speeds and enhance crossing,
- enhanced high-visibility crosswalks,
- 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 which permanent installations are 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 20-Year Capital Improvement Plan.
City Council could choose not to accept the grant award for this project. Grant funding would be forfeited and traffic calming for the Blair Avenue Neighborhood would not be completed on a permanent basis until another funding source was identified
2. 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 Valley Transportation Plan 2030. 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 adaptive to actual traffic demands.
The Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal Project has been awarded $315,000 in grant funds. The total project cost for this project is $450,000. The City will be required to provide $135,000 in matching funds. Staff recommends using the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to meet the local match requirement. The FY 2005/2006 Projects Budget includes approximately $165,000 annually over the 20-year plan to fund Transportation Grant Matching requirements. These funds are set side for the purpose of providing funding to meet local match requirements as transportation grants are awarded. The annual funding amount of approximately $165,000 is based on the historical average of the City’s annual local match requirement. The actual amount required will vary from year to year, depending on the amount and terms of the transportation grants that are made available to the City. The total funding available in the Transportation Grant Matching Funds over the 20-year plan is $4,135,085.
Currently, a total of $104,600 of the FY 2005/2006 Transportation Grant Matching Funds has been programmed to specific projects from prior Council actions. Staff recommends appropriating the remaining $60,400 from the FY 2005/2006 budget and moving $74,600 budgeted in FY 2006/07 to the current year to fund the $135,000 local match requirement for the Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal. This will reduce the 20-year balance of the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to $3,895,485.
City Council could choose not to accept the grant award for this project. Grant funding would be forfeited. The project would remain on the un-funded project list in the 20-Year Capital Improvement Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
This report requests approval of Budget Modification No. 12 to accept the VTATFCAProgram Manager 40% Grant Awards and appropriate the funds into the BlairAvenueTraffic Calming Project ($90,000), and Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/MathildaAvenueAdaptive Traffic Signal Project ($315,000). The total cost for thisproject is$450,000. The City will be required to provide $135,000 in matchingfunds. Staffrecommends using the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to meet thelocal matchrequirement. Approval of BudgetModification No. 12 would appropriatethe remaining $60,400 from the FY2005/2006 budget and move $74,600 budgeted inFY 2006/07 to the current year tofund the $135,000 local match requirement forthe Sunnyvale-Saratoga AdaptiveTraffic Signal. This will reduce the 20-yearbalance of the Transportation GrantMatching Funds to $3,895,485.
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BUDGET MODIFICATION NO. 12
FISCAL YEAR 2005/2006
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Current |
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Increase
(Decrease) |
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Revised |
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Capital Projects Fund/General Sub-Fund |
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Revenues: |
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VTA TFCA Program Manager 40% Grant |
$ 0 |
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$90,000 |
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$90,000 |
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Expenditures: |
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New Project - Blair Avenue Traffic Calming Project
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$ 0 |
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$90,000 |
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$90,000 |
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Capital Projects Fund/Gas Tax Sub-Fund |
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Revenues: |
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VTA TFCA Program Manager 40% Grant |
$ 0 |
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$315,000 |
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$315,000 |
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Expenditures: |
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New Project – Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road/Mathilda Avenue Adaptive Traffic Signal Project
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$ 0 |
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$450,000 |
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$450,000 |
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825540 Transportation Grant Matching Funds – FY 2005/06 Budget |
$60,400 |
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($60,400) |
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$0 |
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825540 Transportation Grant Matching Funds – FY 2006/07 Budget |
$168,300 |
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($74,600) |
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$93,700 |
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Conclusion
The City has received grant funding for two projects from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager 40% Fund. The Bair Avenue Traffic Calming Project received $90,000 in grant funds. This is 100% of the project costs. The Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal Project has been awarded $315,000 in grant funds. The total project cost for this project is $450,000. The City will be required to provide $135,000 in matching funds. Staff recommends using the Transportation Grant Matching Funds to meet the local match requirement.
This report requests that Council authorize the City Manager to execute the grant agreement for the VTA TFCA Program Manager 40% Funds and authorize Budget Modification No. 12.
City Council could choose not to accept the grant award for the Blair Avenue Traffic Calming Project. Grant funding would be forfeited and traffic calming for the Blair Avenue Neighborhood would not be completed on a permanent basis unless another source of funds is identified.
City Council could also choose not to accept the grant award for the Sunnyvale-Saratoga Adaptive Traffic Signal Project. Grant funding would be forfeited. The project would remain on the un-funded project list in the 20-Year Capital Improvement Plan.
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
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the Grant Agreement from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air Program Manager Grant Fund and authorize Budget Modification No. 12 as outlined in this report.
- Authorize City Manager to execute the Grant Agreement from the VTA TFCA Program Manager Grant Fund and Budget Modification No. 12 with modifications.
- Do not authorize the City Manager to execute the Grant Agreement from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air Program Manager Grant Fund and do not authorize Budget Modification No. 12.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Alternative 1, Authorize the City Manager to execute the Grant Agreement from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority FY 2005/06 Transportation Fund for Clean Air Program Manager Grant Fund and authorize Budget Modification No. 12 as outlined in this report.
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
- VTA Congestion Management Program Transportation Fund for Clean Air Agreement (.pdf)