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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.F 06/20/2016DATE: June 20, 2016 Agenda Item #3.F TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager FROM: Dan S4—r�ansit CE — Director, Public Works & Utilities Joe RyDivision Manager SUBJECT: Resolution Accepting $52,724.26 in Transportation Fund for Clean Air Funding for Petaluma Transit's Transit Signal Priority Phase III Project and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Grant Documents RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Accepting $52,724.26 in Transportation Fund for Clean Air Funding for Petaluma Transit's Transit Signal Priority Phase III Project and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Necessary Grant Documents. BACKGROUND Petaluma Transit has been the recipient of Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) funding for several years and is benefitting from the stable annual allocation. This year, there were not enough projects submitted to the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) to fully expend the regional allocation of TFCA funds for programming. Rather than lose TFCA funding, SCTA contacted Petaluma Transit to see if the City had an eligible project that could benefit from an apportionment of $52,724.26. Petaluma Transit has been working for three years to implement a Transit Signal Priority (TSP) project in phases along various corridors in the community. Phase I on N. McDowell Boulevard is currently underway while Phase II on E. Washington Street and D Street will begin design later in 2016 with implementation in early 2017. Phase III, anticipated to include corridors on Lakeville Highway, Sonoma Mountain Parkway, and Petaluma Boulevard, has received partial funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for implementation in 2017 but has not begun because additional funds are needed. TSP projects provide faster travel times and more reliable fixed route bus service by upgrading traffic signal equipment at all intersections along the bus routes. This also benefits fire emergency response and allows replacement of aging traffic control equipment. TSP is proven to save 10% of running time for bus routes in urban and suburban areas and can eliminate or delay costly additions of service caused by traffic delays or missed connections. DISCUSSION The funding sources for the City's TSP project include MTC's Transit Performance Incentive (TPI) Program, and local match from Traffic Impact Fees and Petaluma Transit's Transportation Development Act Reserves. Prior to the subject TFCA funds becoming available, the TSP Phase III budget was $111,316. MTC TPI funding, the largest source, was awarded to Petaluma as a reward for major increases in ridership and productivity in recent years. However, this source of funding for Phase III was the smallest allocation of the three phases, at $90,789, leaving Phase III underfunded. The proposed infusion of TFCA funding will help deliver Phase III as originally conceived and likely will allow completion of the project. Phase III, with TSP on the Lakeville Corridor, will be critical for Route 24 to be a reliable SMART feeder route, and help Routes 3 and 33 with TSP's on Petaluma Boulevard and Sonoma Mountain Parkway. The proposed action meets Council Goal: "Achieve fiscal stability and maintain financial sustainability". This item was recommended for Council approval by the Transit Advisory Committee at their June 2, 2016 meeting. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The addition of $52,724.26 in TFCA funds will allow TSP Phase III to proceed and to equip more intersections than previously anticipated. There are no local matching funds required, and this action will not result in increased City expense. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 2 Attachment 1 RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $52,724.46 IN TRANSPORTATION FUND FOR CLEAN AIR FUNDING FOR PETALUMA TRANSIT'S SIGNAL PRIORITY PHASE III PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY GRANT DOCUMENTS WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma is an eligible project sponsor and may receive funding from the Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) for transit projects; and WHEREAS, the statutes related to Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) and Bay Area Air Quality Management District locally and regionally funded transit projects require a local or regional implementing agency to abide by various regulations; and WHEREAS, Petaluma is eligible to apply for the competitive portion of the SCTA-controlled TFCA funding along with other communities in Sonoma County, and due to a lack of ready and eligible competitive projects for FY 16/17, Petaluma Transit was able to submit a ready and eligible project to receive these one-time, competitive TFCA funds; and WHEREAS, the SCTA Board of Directors voted on May 9, 2016 to award these competitive TFCA funds to Petaluma's Transit Signal Priority Phase III Project to support the delivery of the project and help SCTA meet its goals of programming all its FY 16/17 TFCA funding for eligible and ready local projects; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to delegate authorization to execute these documents for FY 16/17 thereto to the City Manager. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Petaluma: 1. That the City Manager, on behalf of the City of Petaluma, is authorized to receive this one-time apportionment of TFCA funding through SCTA, in addition to Petaluma Transit's annual TFCA apportionment, of $52,724 for FY 16/17. 2. That the City Manager is appointed Authorized Agent of the City for purposes of the TFCA and authorized to execute all required documents and agreements for FY 16/17.