HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.B 05/20/2019Agenda It
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DATE: May 20, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM Dan St. John, F.ASCE — Director, Public Works and Utilities
Jared Hall — Transit Manager, Public Works and Utilities
SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Filing of an Application for Federal Transit
Administration Section 5307 Funding for Automated Vehicle Location System
Modem Upgrades and Paratransit Operations and Committing the Necessary
Local Match and Stating Assurance to Complete the Projects
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution Authorizing the Filing of an
Application for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 Funding for Automated
Vehicle Location System (AVL) Modem Upgrades and Paratransit Operations and Committing
the Necessary Local Match and Stating Assurance to Complete the Projects.
BACKGROUND
Since 2008, the City of Petaluma has been an eligible FTA grant recipient agency. FTA Section
5307 funds are allocated by formula to different Urbanized Areas (UA) throughout the region.
Along with Golden Gate Transit and Sonoma County Transit, the City of Petaluma is eligible to
compete for funds within the Petaluma UA. MTC has developed the Transit Capital Priorities
(TCP) program for allocating funds to the individual transit operators within the region.
Replacement vehicles and projects directly involving revenue vehicles are among the highest
scoring projects and, in most years, are the only projects that are funded due to regional funding
shortfalls. Since 2008, Petaluma Transit has obtained Section 5307 funding through the TCP
program to replace buses and paratransit vans and to support preventative maintenance and
paratransit provision.
In March 2019, the MTC requested updates to the 2017 call for projects for FY 18/19 TCP funds.
In addition to the Paratransit Operating funds that had been previously programmed for the City
of Petaluma, and approved by City Council in December 2017, Petaluma is eligible to receive
$60,000 in FTA 5307 funds towards the upgrade of modems for the AVL system.
DISCUSSION
In response to the call for projects for FYI 9, it is recommended that the City of Petaluma request
funds for:
1. Upgrading the Modems needed to support the Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)
System
2, Operating assistance for Americans with Disabilities Act Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) -mandated paratransit services;
The AVL system allows for more efficient operations of Petaluma Transit through a GPS -
enabled system on the buses that connects via cellular signal. This allows for more effective
vehicle dispatching and data management systems on the buses. This system provides ridership
data for staff, and real-time arrival information for riders. The loss of functionality of the AVL
system would place serious limitations on staff's ability to monitor the service and to
communicate information to the public.
Due to the phasing out of 3G cellular support with the Avail AVL system operating on Petaluma
Transit fixed route buses, the vehicle modems must be upgraded by December 2019, at which
point the existing modems will become obsolete and cease to function. The project will be
replacing the obsolete 3G cellular modems with new 4G modems. This will allow the buses to
continue to use AVL system for multiple years to come with improved functionality, and
improved speed and reliability of cellular signal.
For the second element of the grant application; funds for ADA -mandated paratransit services
are available through the MTC's "ADA Set -Aside Program," whereby MTC sets aside 10% of
each participating urbanized area's FTA Section 5307 apportionment to assist operators in
defraying ADA paratransit operating expenses. The programming formula is based on a
combination of operating expenses and ridership. For Petaluma Paratransit, these funds cover 2-3
months of the operating and maintenance contract for paratransit service throughout the City.
The requested funds, matching requirements, and total project budget are illustrated in the table
below.
AVL Equipment Modem Upgrade
ADA Paratransit Operations
Total
The total Petaluma Transit TCP FY 18/19 grant request is $146,485. This represents 80% of the
total project cost ($183,106) with the 20% local match requirement ($36,621) coming from state
Transportation Development Act (TDA) funding allocated to the City. The TCP request does not
consume all the 5307 -funding generated by the Petaluma UA during this timeframe which, is
projected to exceed $1.3 million, because only projects that score highly enough in MTC's TCP
program are eligible for funding. Petaluma does not have any other projects for FYI that would
be eligible. The remaining $1,2M in Petaluma -generated TCP funding will be consumed by other
regional transit agencies that serve Petaluma and have high scoring projects, predominantly
vehicle replacements.
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Matching
Total
FTA 5307
Funds
Project
Funds
(TDA)
Budget
$60,000
$15,000
$75,000
$86,485
$21,621
$108,106
$146,485
$36,621
$183,106
The total Petaluma Transit TCP FY 18/19 grant request is $146,485. This represents 80% of the
total project cost ($183,106) with the 20% local match requirement ($36,621) coming from state
Transportation Development Act (TDA) funding allocated to the City. The TCP request does not
consume all the 5307 -funding generated by the Petaluma UA during this timeframe which, is
projected to exceed $1.3 million, because only projects that score highly enough in MTC's TCP
program are eligible for funding. Petaluma does not have any other projects for FYI that would
be eligible. The remaining $1,2M in Petaluma -generated TCP funding will be consumed by other
regional transit agencies that serve Petaluma and have high scoring projects, predominantly
vehicle replacements.
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The MTC application requires a resolution of support including a commitment by the City to
provide the local match funding requirement (20%) and to complete the project. Although this is
federal funding, the MTC is the designated recipient for all the UAs within the nine -county Bay
Area.
Failure to apply for the funds would impede the operations of Petaluma Transit's fixed route bus
fleet due to obsolete equipment and would reduce the amount of operational funding available
for Petaluma Paratransit.
The proposed action meets Council Goal: "Plan for and implement priority capital projects as
funding permits."
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The 20% local fund match for the projects, totaling $36,621, will come from existing TDA
reserves. As of June 30, 2019, Petaluma Transit has approximately $850,000 in TDA reserves
held by MTC for future disbursement to Petaluma. The proposed action does not cause any
unanticipated impacts to the City's Transit division budget.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
Attachment 1
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL
TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION SECTION 5307 FUNDING FOR AUTOMATED
VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEM MODEM UPGRADES AND PARATRANSIT
OPERATIONS, AND COMMITTING THE NECESSARY LOCAL MATCH AND
STATING ASSURANCE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS
WHEREAS, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST) (Public Law 114-94),
continues the Federal Transit Administration Formula Programs (49 U.S.C. §53 Section 5307)
and Buses and Bus Facilities Program (49 U.S.C. §53 Section 5339); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the regulations promulgated under FAST, eligible project sponsors
wishing to receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 and 5339 grants for a
project shall submit an application with the appropriate metropolitan transportation planning
organization (MPO), for review and inclusion in the MPO's Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP); and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is the MPO for the San
Francisco Bay region; and
WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma (City) is an eligible project sponsor for FTA Section 5307 and
5339 funds; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to submit a grant application to MTC for funds from the FY 2019-
20 FTA Section 5307 Program for the following projects: Paratransit Operations and AVL
Modem Upgrades (collectively referred to as "Project"); and
WHEREAS, MTC requires a resolution with certain assurances as part of its applications.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Petaluma that:
1. The City is an eligible sponsor of projects in the FTA Section 5307 and 5339 Program.
2. The City Manager, on behalf of the City, is authorized to submit an application for FTA
Section 5307 and 5339 funding for Paratransit Operations and AVL Modem Upgrades, in
the expected amount of $146,485 ("the projects") and accept said grant, subject to
increase or decrease of the total funded amount in the FTA/MTC process.
3. There is no legal impediment to the City of Petaluma snaking applications for FTA
Section 5307 or Section 5339.
4. There is no pending or threatened litigation that might in any way adversely affect the
proposed project or the ability of the City to deliver such Project.
5, The City Manager, on behalf of the City, is authorized to execute and file an application
for funding under FTA Section 5307 and 5339 of the FAST Act in the determined
amount for communications equipment procurement and preventative maintenance.
6. The Petaluma City Council, by adopting this resolution, does hereby state that:
a. The City of Petaluma will provide a local match of at least 18% for FTA Section
5307 and 5339 funds.
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b. The City of Petaluma understands that the FTA Section 5307 and 5339 funding
for the project is fixed at the amount determined by the MTC and that any cost
increases must be funded by the City of Petaluma from local matching funds, and
that the City of Petaluma does not expect any cost increases to be funded with
FTA Section 5307 or 5339 funds.
c. The Paratransit Operations and AVL Modem Upgrades will be completed as
described in this resolution and, if approved, for the amount shown in the MTC
TIP, with obligation occurring within the timeframe established below.
d. The program funds are expected to be obligated within three years of the Project
being programmed for in the TIP.
A copy of this resolution will be transmitted to the MTC prior to MTC programming the
FTA Section 5307 and 5339 funded projects in the TIP.
The MTC is requested to approve the application for the project described in the
resolution and to program the project, if approved, in MTC's TIP.
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