REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Budget Modification No. 28 to Appropriate Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager Funds 40% Grant Funds and Vehicle Registration Funds for Retiming of Traffic Signals and Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements and Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Grant Related Documents
Report
GRANT SUMMARY
On July 16, 2015 the City was awarded TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% grant funds in the amount of $739,048 for retiming of traffic signals and pedestrian infrastructure improvements.
TFCA is a Bay Area Air Quality Management District (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.
TFCA provides grants to local governments for projects that will reduce air pollution and improve bike and pedestrian facilities. Sixty percent of the annually available funds are administered by the BAAQMD and remaining forty percent are returned to Bay Area counties, which in Santa Clara County are administered by Valley Transport Authority (VTA) and are awarded on a competitive basis. The grant discussed in this report is administered by the VTA out of 40% TFCA funds and will fund the following projects:
• Traffic Signals Retiming: To help reduce delay and improve travel time, traffic signal timing improvements will be implemented along Mathilda Avenue/Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, Wolfe Road, and Homestead Road for a total cost of $369,048. The funds will be appropriated to three separate projects, one for each location as specified in the grant documents. As a part of these projects, new traffic data will be collected that will be used to develop new timing plans to best serve the current demand and traffic volumes. To ensure availability of sufficient crossing time to pedestrians and bicyclists at the intersections, minimum traffic signal green timings will also be adjusted.
• Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvement: The remaining $370,000 will be used to implement pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Mathilda Avenue and Indio Way. The project will install new curb ramps, new high visibility crosswalks, and a new ADA accessible audible countdown with a safe-walk feature pedestrian traffic signal system in addition to eliminating the existing pork chop islands at the four corners. These improvements will reduce the pedestrian crossing distances and minimize the conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Granting Agency
The TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% are administered by VTA, and are awarded on a competitive basis.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 7.1.5 Donations, Contributions and Sponsorships:
The City Manager may apply for grants of any dollar amount, but shall notify the Council when grants are being pursued. Council approval of a budget modification to appropriate grant monies is required before funds can be expended by staff. Such a budget modification shall include the use to which the grant would be placed; the objectives or goals of the City which will be achieved through use of the grant; the local match required, if any, plus the source of the local match; any increased cost to be locally funded upon termination of the grant; and the ability of the City to administer the grant. For grants under the amount of $5,000 that do not have any external reporting requirements or any local match requirement, Council approval of a budget modification is not required. The City Manager is authorized to accept and administratively appropriate the grant funds.
This grant does not meet all of the criteria to be administratively appropriated by the City Manager; therefore a budget modification is required. Grant funds from VTA have external reporting requirements and fall under the federal single audit guidelines.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The budget modification does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment. It is anticipated that the projects funded by the grant will be a categorical exemption for existing facilities under CEQA Guidelines section 15301.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budget Modification No. 28 appropriates TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% grant funds in the amount of $739,048 to four new projects for retiming of traffic signals and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. No matching funds are required. In addition, council originally appropriated $85,000 of this funding to pedestrian improvements at Mathilda Ave. and Olive Ave (RTC 15-0925). Staff subsequently obtained $82,000 in funds from Vehicle Registration Fees (VRF) to supplant the TFCA funding. Budget Modification No. 28 also cleans up the appropriation of VRF revenues to the Mathilda and Olive Signal project. Staff will be able to complete these improvements with the slightly smaller budget.
Budget Modification No. 28
FY 2015/16
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|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
Capital Project Fund |
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% grant |
$0 |
$739,048 |
$739,048 |
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
New Project - Traffic Signals Retiming-Mathilda/Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road |
$0 |
$163,035 |
$163,035 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Project - Traffic Signals Retiming - Wolfe Road |
$0 |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Project - Traffic Signals Retiming -Homestead Road |
$0 |
$106,013 |
$106,013 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Project - Pedestrian Improvements at Mathilda Ave and Indio Way. |
$0 |
$370,000 |
$370,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Infrastructure Renovation and Replacement Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues |
|
|
|
|
TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% grant for Project 820190 - Traffic Signal Hardware and Wiring |
$85,000 |
($85,000) |
$0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vehicle Registration Fee funds for Project 820190 - Traffic Signal Hardware and Wiring |
$0 |
$82,000 |
$82,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Project 820190 - Traffic Signal Hardware and Wiring |
$622,648 |
($3,000) |
$619,648 |
Funding Source
The total cost for these projects are fully funded by TFCA Program Manager Funds 40% grant funds and Vehicle Registration Fee funds.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve Budget Modification No. 28 to Appropriate Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Program Manager Funds 40% Grant Funds and Vehicle Registration Funds for Retiming of Traffic Signals and Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements
Staff
Prepared by: Shahid Abbas, Transportation and Traffic Manager
Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Timothy J. Kirby, Acting Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Walter C. Rossmann, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager