REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL December 14, 2017 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: RANDALL W. MORRISON, PE, Assistant Director Public Works Department, Engineering Division BRAD KERNER, PE, Public Works Manager Public Works Department, Design Services Section SUBJECT ..Title Approve the Sustainable Communities Restricted Grant Agreement between the City of Fresno and the California Department of Transportation. (City Wide) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Sustainable Communities Restricted Grant Agreement between the City of Fresno and the California Department of Transportation and authorize the Public Works Director or his designee to sign the agreement on behalf of the City. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On November 3, 2016 City Council approved the submission of an application to apply for a Citywide Trail Expansion Feasibility Plan from the California Department of Transportation Sustainable Transportation Planning Sustainable Communities grant program. The specific objectives of the Sustainable Communities grant program is to identify and address mobility deficiencies in the multimodal transportation system, encourage stakeholder collaboration, involve active public engagement, integrate Smart Mobility 2010 concepts, and ultimately result in programmed system improvements. On September 17, 2017, the City received notice that the grant application had been awarded $354,120 in State funding. With approval of this agreement, the Public Works Department aims to build on the trail network identified in the Active Transportation Plan by developing a community trail prioritization matrix and producing conceptual exhibits and feasibility analyses. This project will provide a clear path for future trail construction, and the necessary planning, analysis and community input to support future trail grant funding. BACKGROUND The Sustainable Communities grants are funded by the Federal Transportation Agency (Section 5304) and the State Highway Account. Funding distribution depends on the quality and number of applications in each applicant pool (i.e., Metropolitan Planning Organizations (Metro), Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (Regional), cities and counties, transit agencies, and Native American Tribal Governments). Approximately $7.8 million was available for the Fiscal Year 2017-18 grant cycle. The Sustainable Communities Grants range from the minimum grant award is $50,000 and the maximum grant award of $500,000. The City was successfully awarded $354,120 in State funding under this program. The City has been awarded numerous planning grants from this program, including the most recent joint award to study the Blackstone Avenue Corridor, and funding for the Parks Master Planning process. The major objectives of the grant program include considerations of sustainability, preservation, mobility, safety, innovation, economy, health and equity. Public Works, with this grant award, will produce a community-driven Trail Expansion Feasibility Plan which would consider each of those objectives and build on the Active Transportation Plan, Trail Design Guidelines, and related planning efforts. This plan would include two elements: 1. Development of a community trail prioritization matrix to establish trail prioritization ranking based on stakeholder identified criteria such as: proximity to schools and parks, resident needs, connectivity to activity centers, right of way, equity, environmental justice, construction costs, and any other variables identified. Extensive community input would be collected to shape prioritization. 2. Production of conceptual exhibits and feasibility analyses for proposed segments of the citywide trail network. This would include an examination of trail segments to determine recommended alignments, right-of-way and construction considerations at the concept level. Engineering plans and design specification work would not be included due to grant guidelines. Trail segments to be studied would include the following: * Clovis Avenue: running south from the McKenzie Trail to Jensen * Dry Creek Canal alignment: running northeast from Shields to Ashlan * Dry Creek alignment: running midtown from Blackstone southwest to H Street * Herndon Canal alignment: running northwest from Palm westerly to Veteran's Boulevard. A project summary document would be produced highlighting feasibility considerations for each segment including things like: proximity to activity centers, community preference, connectivity, right of way and projected costs. These documents could be utilized to apply for future grants. The total project cost is estimated to be $400,000 to implement community outreach, trail network feasibility analyses and a prioritization plan. Upon completion of the project, a community-driven path for future trail build out will be identified. This grant program requires an 11.47% match. It is anticipated that Trail Expansion Feasibility Plan will offer a significant return on investment in terms of the City's future ability to compete at the local, state and federal level for grant funding. Funds will be available in FY18 and the City will have approximately two years to complete the plan. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS This approval is not a "project" pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15387. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not considered because this agreement does not include a construction project. FISCAL IMPACT This agreement has no impact to the General Fund. A local match of 11.47% will be required. Local Measure C Trails funding has been identified as the proposed match. A future Council action will be required to approve the capital project budget and allocate the appropriate funds following the execution of this grant agreement. Attachments: Sustainable Communities Restricted Grant Agreement Trail Map