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sr-032211-3f~r ~;~YO, .City Council Report Santa Monica City Council Meeting: March 22, 2011 Agenda Item: ~j-F To: Mayor and City Council From: Eileen Fogarty, Planning and Community Development Director Subject: Transportation Planning Grant Program to fund .public outreach and conceptual design of the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard. Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached resolution and authorize the City Manager to: 1. Submit. an application to Caltrans for funding under the Fiscal Year 2011-12 Transportation Planning Grant Program, Environmental Justice; 2. Negotiate and execute an agreement for such funding and any amendments thereto; and 3. Submit or execute any related documents necessary to participate in the 2011-12 Transportation Planning Grant Program to conduct public outreach and conceptual design of the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard. Executive Summary This report recommends submitting an application for funding under the Caltrans Fiscal Year 201.1-12 Transportation Planning Grant Program, .Environmental Justice, for an amount up to $250,000 to conduct public .outreach and conceptual design of the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard, as envisioned in the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE). Bike Boulevards balance the needs of all modes of travel: bicycles, pedestrians, and automobiles and reduce neighborhood cut-through traffic, while improving safety. The bicycle network in the LUCE designates Michigan Avenue as a high-quality bicycle facility. The Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard would link the beach, the Downtown/Civic Center, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, Pico Neighborhood, the Exposition Light Rail Stations, Bergamot Arts Center, and other adjacent residential neighborhoods and commercial centers. If awarded, the City would be required to contribute in-kind services and match funds of $18,750. Complementary funds to construct the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard once designed have been applied for in the 2011 Metro Call for Projects. 1 Background Each year, Caltrans issues an invitation for grant applicatiohs for transportation planning projects. The grant program promotes a balanced, comprehensive, multi-modal transportation system. The planning grants should ultimately lead to the adoption, initiation, and programming of transportation improvements. The application is being submitted under the Environmental Justice grant type. The purpose for this grant type is to "promote the involvement of low-income and minority communities...in the planning for transportation projects to prevent or mitigate disproportionate, negative impacts while improving their mobility, access, safety, and opportunities for affordable housing and economic development" (Transportation Planning Grant Guide, p. 10). Projects must be consistent with State Transportation Goals, including: 1. Improve mobility and accessibility 2. Preserve the transportation system 3. Support the economy 4. Enhance public safety and security 5. Reflect community values 6. Enhance the environment Grant. applications are capped at $250,000, and require a 10 percent local match. A maximum of 2.5 percent of the grant total may be in-kind services. Applications to Caltrans for Fiscal Year 2011-12 funding are due on March 30, 2011. Funds awarded must be encumbered within the first fiscal year and spent by the end of Fiscal Year 2013-14. Approximately $6 million in grant funds are available in this year's funding cycle. Discussion Staff is preparing a grant application for submittal to Caltrans on or before the March 30, 2011 deadline. The application will request up to $250,000 in grant funds to conduct public outreach and conceptual design of the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard. A Bike Boulevard is a street "with physical measures to reduce motor vehicles and volumes so that cyclists can comfortably share lanes with cars where right-of-way is not available for bicycle lanes" (LUCE 4.0-21). Bike Boulevards balance the needs of all modes of travel: bicycles, pedestrians and automobiles, and reduce neighborhood cut-through 2 traffic, while improving safety. The bicycle network in the LUCE designates Michigan Avenue as ahigh-quality bicycle facility. In conjunction with other projects in various stages of planning, the facility would link the beach, the Downtown/Civic Center, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College, Pico Neighborhood, Bergamot Arts Center, the Exposition Light Rail Stations and other adjacent residential neighborhoods and commercial centers. These projects and proposed projects include the Michigan Promenade through Samohi, the Civic Center Masterplan, the Exposition Bike Path, and the public walkway through the Agensys campus. When complete, the bike boulevard would span over 2 miles. As its name suggests, the Environmental Justice grant is designed to support projects that reduce air and noise pollution, while providing access to affordable transportation options in low-income and minority communities. The Michigan Bike Boulevard would significantly improve bicycle access and mobility, connections to Santa Monica Destinations, access to Big Blue Bus and Expo Light Rail networks and neighborhood access in the Pico Neighborhood which has a median household income below Los Angeles County and the City as a whole according to 2000 Census data, and meets Caltrans funding criteria for this grant type. The grant would be used to fund public outreach, such as community meetings, surveys and field audits, as well as conceptua( design of the Michigan Avenue Bike Boulevard. Staff would enlist the help of consultants in both the conceptual design and community outreach phases of the project. Staff recently requested $2.5 million in grant funding in the 2011 Metro Call for Projects. If awarded, this money would be available for construction of the design as identified through the community outreach process. Financial impacts & Budget Actions The recommendations in this staff report have no budget actions at this time. The total amount of grant funds requested will- not exceed $250,000. The grant, if awarded, 3 requires a 10% local match, which can be met through in-kind services and match funds of $18,750. Upon grant award, staff will return to Council to appropriate the funds and make any necessary budget changes. Prepared by: Jason Kligier, Transportation Planning Associate Approved: Forwarded to Council: ~_ Rod Gould City Manager Attachment: A. Resolution B. Project Map 4 Development ~-["d ~~' l B ~ xo."u.ur n=q " ~~v'°z S s,uueuw°v ,a nnveu"°e ~ '~~0_ y X0 _... a " S F W a 8 '~ ~ne.Arv i 4 ~ n um..use . g 4 u . . R Connections to ~a;~, `°~ 7 P. nn ~b "° ~.m.,~ ~ Expo Bike Path ~~{ ~ s~ w.r .a" ~., ~.°R .tea ~ ~ R ~ ~ ,,, ~ ~ w. °~R y --~~ .,. ,~ ~mn, ~ ~~ `_ ~~ , ~ ,~ ~ , ..,. "µ ~" ~~"~^ „ ~ ^~ ae °`" m y """" Improved Stewart r ~ a° MOjOa ., 0 w a ~ ~"~ =A Street Crossing ~~ ~~~„r °" 5 e v Hm & Q ° j x+4gFumn n°°.° 3 . - e s~s~° 6 n.".°. ° ..n Y d m.. I $ "" ° ~ 4v5 ""' a°n uaen ^ New Bike Path/Lane uw°^^°~°aw '^°^ ,~ g a ~§ _" .'°M ,,,.,. ° ,.. a P ~. °.. °r .~.,. ,,..., o .,,,.. ..~., m.~,^.r .,^~ _~ ~ °"' ~, 20th Street Crossing ~^ ~.:~^. _ _ m.. ,,,,, °~ , mm '°'^^ a (In schematic design) „ma :.^, = ; r '" P a Michigan Avenue „„ , ,. ~ '~'~ n ~ ~. ... ,°.... o ~- t; ` ~ Bike Boulevard ~ . ~ ., ,. _ u _p I =gig .m,. =_M ~ _ s I ~ ^° , .. ,M ~ ~ m ` d r ~ ~ b 5 ~.,,,, ~ . ~ _ Y =T=- a ~ ^m• a ,.m,. a ~ ~m'-' ~ "~ -Santa Monica College ~ ~ a=°= _ ^ ~ S g ~ d e~~.i° F a. ff ~LL.NV ~._ ,~ Improved 7th '°~'4`~ § '""" f ~ ~° 7th Street BridgeN(in planning) ~°° '~ ~ ,~ Street Crossing i s ~, ~ $ s (~ + ~ r Michigan Bike Path °^^« ~ ~ O through High School ~ `°~^M~ I a ...° ii 8 ~ ~' „.. ~" ^"^ - `" ^^^ o- ~ : 4th Street Crossing a ° „°r ~ ,.°n ~ ~«w.M~ ~ ~ Civic Center Section ~ ...,. _ a ' w a a ~"` O ~ - 4 3 = s w i ? a _ £ Civic Center Bike Path °~--- t t '- i (in concept design) c° ~'°"-° ; 3 .~ v . . , ° , w ~°~°°°°'°`°°°" rc.ww°a=ae. ° "" °""" ~ ^^°° ° Crossing to Beach and Pier „~.°d ~~~.,, z ..• :: '°^ °;~. .A u (Downtown Circulation Project) '°""~ '.: '. "rP1E~ Santa P'9onica dike hlap !m ~r ~. + ~ ': '..Gry rdny ~FUkinH Lb[ ~PUMCArt ®R_'k~V &ke Pafh wTmJ ~ C f Mi t hi A Bi ~Fres~ Stlxnl gP~;..msawol ~,~„~e omponen o c gan venue ke ®w~~ -~~~ ~3,b,,,,~q,,,.a, Y ~ ~~~~ ftesnuana _ ~ ary~ ® &kelaneSVSyGnEe Facility Project ~Ima.r Reshwnv ^'.~.~ ~~ ~ Bi!re Rouen &YePahing m®w &k Other Bicycle facility improvements ~ a R S GM ~~ e OUm ayp e ^ Park ~% BaxM1A~ss ~ ©8us lane Numte~ ^~ &YsIBUx Zane & R f Ex osition Li ht Rail Station and Bik :. y' ~~ ,~,~~,,,,~ ~ ~~~ a OU e p g e °°°`""°'°°° ~ °` ~""""'°" Transit Center 4 0.3 Sole: li~equaR 4Tlmks 0.6 Milo ~ Attachment B Michigan Avenue Bicycle Facility Map Reference Resolution No. 10567 (CCS).