REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL April 9, 2020 FROM: GREGORY A. BARFIELD, Director Department of Transportation BY: BRIAN BARR, Assistant Director Department of Transportation KRISTOPHER GREY, Projects Administrator Department of Transportation SUBJECT ..Title Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption for Environmental Assessment Number P18-01643, per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1, 15302/Class 2, 15303/Class 3, 15304/Class 4, and 15311/Class 11 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines for the Department of Transportation/FAX Division Shaw-Cedar Bus Stop Upgrades Project 1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption for Environmental Assessment Number P18-01643, per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1, 15302/Class 2, 15303/Class 3, 15304/Class 4, and 15311/Class 11 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines 2. Resolution Authorizing the Director of Transportation to request allocation and accept funding from the California Transit Commission for the purpose of completing bus stop improvements along and intersecting the Shaw and Cedar Avenue corridors within the City of Fresno ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends Council adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption for Environmental Assessment Number P18-01643, per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1, 15302/Class 2, 15303/Class 3, 15304/Class 4, and 15311/Class 11 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines for the Department of Transportation/FAX Division Shaw-Cedar Bus Stop Upgrades Project. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Transportation/FAX Division Shaw-Cedar Bus Stop Upgrades project will make improvements up to 64 bus stops located along the Shaw Avenue and Cedar Avenue high frequency service corridor. Improvements include replacement and repairs of existing sidewalks, curbs, gutters, new bus stop shelters and amenities, and general accessibility improvements. This environmental finding will support the FAX Division efforts to appear before the State of California Transportation Commission to request the formal funding allocation for this project. BACKGROUND FAX has enhanced bus service by increasing frequencies along the following two major corridors. * Shaw Avenue between Brawley and Cedar Avenues * Cedar Avenue between Shaw and Jensen Avenues In addition to the enhanced frequencies, the FAX Division seeks to add modernized passenger amenities at up to 64 locations servicing and intersecting Routes 9 and 38 along Cedar and Shaw Avenues. Planned passenger amenities include new bus shelters, security lighting, benches, and trash cans. FAX will purchase these passenger amenities under a separate procurement. Council approved a contract with an engineering consultant to design the appropriate foundations and additional construction design drawings to support these bus stop improvements. Funding for this project is from the State Transit and Intercity Rail and Capital Improvement Program (TIRCP) in the amount of $3.8 million and was awarded in FY2018. FAX must appear before the California Transit Commission (CTC) during its June meeting to formally request its allocation of these funds in order to perform this project. As a part of the request for allocation, FAX must provide proof of an adopted CEQA exemption that has been placed on file with the County of Fresno Hall of Records. FAX has worked with the City of Fresno Planning and Development Department to perform the environmental analysis, which has confirmed a finding of categorical exemption (attached). ENVIRONMENTAL FINDING Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined this project is exempt and complies with all conditions described under Section 15301/Class 1, 15302/Class 2, 15303/Class 3, 15304/Class 4, and 15311/Class 11 of the CEQA Guidelines. Furthermore, none of the exceptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 applies to this project. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference was not applied as this request is only for the adoption of the environmental findings. FISCAL IMPACT This project has no fiscal impact to the General Fund. This project is funded from a combination of State of California TIRCP, State of California Prop 1B PTMISEA, and FTA 5307 grants. Attachment: Environmental Assessment No. P18-01643 Resolution