SR-07-28-2015-3P 506-001-07City Council
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City Council Regular Meeting: July 28, 2015
Agenda Item:3 —P
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Strategic & Transportation Planning (PCD)
Subject: Acceptance of two grants awarded by Caltrans' Active Transportation
Program and one grant awarded by Metro's Open Streets Grant Program
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $600,000
from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Active Transportation
Program for the 4th Street Walking /Biking Upgrades for Expo, Downtown, and
Civic Center, and to accept all grant renewals;
2. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $450,000
from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Active Transportation
Program for the Santa Monica Safe Routes to School Program, and to accept all
grant renewals;
3. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $200,000
from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Open Streets Grants Program for the Santa
Monica Expo Open Streets Project, and accept all grant renewals;
4. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts and Budget
Actions section of this report.
Executive Summary
The City of Santa Monica submitted three successful grant applications and was
awarded a total of $1,250,000 in grant funds, from the California Department of
Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This
report seeks authorization to accept the awarded grants and execute all necessary
documents associated with the grants.
The first, an Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant was awarded in the amount of
$600,000 and is for pedestrian and bicycling improvements that extend design elements
of the Esplanade to the east side of 4th Street, between Broadway and Colorado. The
local match requirement for the 4th Street ATP grant has been budgeted in the Capital
Improvement Program budget FY 2015 -16 in account C209097.589000, in the amount
of $150,000.
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The second is an ATP grant in the amount of $450,000 for a Santa Monica Safe Routes
to School Program (SRTS) which will complement any City investment in staffing with
grant- funded education activities and school site assessments to elementary schools
not included in the 2012 pilot program. There is no local match requirement for the Safe
Routes to School Program grant.
MTA's Open Streets Grant Program awarded a third grant in the amount of $200,000
for a one day open street event that will allow pedestrian and bicycle access to the
street, while temporarily restricting automobile access, and provide special event
programming along the route. The event will connect the newly opened Expo
Downtown Station to the Pier and down Main Street. The goal is to engage people in
the light rail and active methods of transportation, as well as activities open to the
public.
Background
Staff seeks funding for capital and programmatic projects that further implementation of
the Land Use and Circulation Element to enhance the character of Santa Monica,
conserve neighborhoods, enhance public facilities, and expand mobility options. Grant
opportunities have varied and changed over the years. On September 26, 2013 the
Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created in the Department of Transportation.
The ATP consolidates existing federal and state transportation programs, including
Transportation Alternative Program (TAP), Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA), and
State Safe Routes to School (SR2S), into a single program.
The Open Streets Grant Program is a new competitive biannual grant program funded
through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement Program; MTA serves as the
pass- through agency for these funds. Open Street events are becoming more prevalent
throughout LA County as local and regional events that encourage people to walk and
bike, while celebrating local neighborhoods and destinations. The goals of the Open
Streets Grant Program are to provide opportunities for riding transit, walking and riding
a bike, and for civic engagement to foster the development of multi -modal policies and
infrastructure at the local level.
Discussion
A group comprised of Department Heads and the Assistant City Manager reviewed the
grant applications to ensure that the City's long -term capital goals were met. Local
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match sources, amounts, and cash flows were reviewed to ensure that local matching
funds would be eligible. On May 21, 2014, staff submitted a total of five grant
applications to the Active Transportation Program, of which two were selected for
funding.
The City's awarded applications through the ATP are as follows:
1) 4th Street Walking /Biking Upgrades for Expo, Downtown & Civic Center- This
project would complete the design and construction of elements from the
Esplanade such as sidewalk improvements on the east side of 4th Street,
between Broadway and Colorado. This project will increase pedestrian /bicyclist
safety, provide access and mobility, and encourage walking and biking between
the Downtown, Civic Center, and the Expo light rail station.
Project Total:
$750,000
Grant Amount Awarded:
$600,000
Local Match Obligation:
$150,000
Local Match Source:
Measure R
Funding Year:
FY2015 -16
2) Santa Monica Safe Routes to School Program: The primary focus of this project will
be to complement City efforts to expand the reach of the City's Safe Routes to School
program by providing a series of encouragement and education activities to elementary
schools not included in the City's initial SRTS Pilot Program in FYI 2-13. This project
seeks to facilitate a change in behavior among school children and their parents to
increase walking /biking to school.
Project Total: $450,000
Grant Amount Awarded: $450,000
Local Match Obligation: $0
Local Match Source: N/A
Funding Year: FY2015 -16
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On March 14, 2014, City staff submitted an application for an Expo Open street event
and was awarded $200,000.
2) Santa Monica Expo Open Streets: This project is for a City produced Open Street
event to encourage people to bike /walk to and from Santa Monica Downtown
Expo Light Rail Terminus. The route will connect historic, cultural, and
recreational destinations including: Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier,
Tongva Park, Santa Monica City Hall, and Main Street to the Santa Monica
Downtown Expo Light Rail Station. Programming, which is in development, will
be provided on the Pier (possibly a concert), in or near Tongva Park
(arts /cultural /fitness), and Main Street. The event will be promoted to local
people as a reason to walk /bike /ride transit to /from the event location, and for
people to ride Expo to /from the event and walk or bike within the event location.
The grant requires the event to take place during the summer of 2016.
Project Total:
Grant Amount Awarded
Local Match Obligation:
Local Match Source:
Funding Year:
$250,000
$200,000
$50,000 (In kind staff time)
N/A
FY2015 -16
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Award of the three grants totaling $1,250,000 requires the following FY 2015 -16 budget
changes:
1. Establish revenue budget at account 20267.409370 in the amount of $600,000.
2. Appropriate the following expenditures to reflect receipt of the Caltrans Active
Transportation Program Grant: $600,000 at account C209097.589100.
3. Establish revenue budget at account 20267.409380 in the amount of $450,000.
4. Appropriate the following expenditures to reflect receipt of the Caltrans Active
Transportation Program Grant: $450,000 at account 20267.570410.
5. Establish revenue budget at account 20267.409390 in the amount of $200,000.
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6. Appropriate the following expenditures to reflect receipt of the USDOT CMAQ
Open Streets Program Grant: $200,000 at account 20267.570420.
Prepared By: Jose Arroyo, Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
s,
David Martin, Director' 7/17/2015 Elaine M Polachek, Asst, City Ma7Y9 @Q015
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