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CC - Ratification of the Submission of an Application for the FY 2020-2021 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Sustainable Communities Grant for the Development of the Culver City Complete Streets Design Guidelines, including Approval of Future Allocation of Approximately $17,000 in Staff Time and $55,000 of Funding for the Required Grant Match if the Application is Successful.
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Meeting Date: October 28, 2019
Contact Person/Dept: Heba El-Guindy/Public Works Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5628
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (10/23/19)
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson, PW Director/City Engineer (10/21/19)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council ratify of an application to the FY2020-2021 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Sustainable Communities Grant for the development of the Culver City Complete Streets Design Guidelines, including approval of approximately $17,000 in Staff Time and $55,000 of funding for the required grant match if the application is successful.
BACKGROUND
The Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program is funded by Senate Bill 1 (SB1). Funds from SB1 are earmarked for planning projects that have a multi-modal transportation nexus while also providing community benefits, addressing the areas of environmental justice, social equity, public health, and environmental conservation. An estimated $17 million has been set aside for the Grant in the FY 2020-2021 cycle. Successful applications will support Caltrans’ mission of creating safe and efficient multi-modal mobility while addressing environmental sustainability, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, co-creating transportation opportunities with communities burdened by air pollution and other environmental hazards, and supporting economic vitality of the project areas.
Discussion
The City has applied for the grant for the development of a community-driven Complete Streets Design Guidelines. Submittal of this grant application was accompanied by letters of support received from Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells, as well as from Culver Unified School District, Leadership Culver City, Bike Culver City, Women on Bikes, Culver City Business Improvements District and the Neighborhood Associations of Lindberg Park, Rancho Higuera, and Fox Hills.
The Culver City Complete Streets Design Guidelines is a citywide plan that aims to guide the design of all city street types to better accommodate all modes of transportation and enhance safety especially for the most vulnerable roadway users including pedestrians and cyclists, while still serving motorists. Besides identifying typical cross sections for the different roadway types to better accommodate all modes of transportation, the plan will also guide the design of street lighting, landscaping, street furniture, on-street parking, traffic calming, wayfinding and signage, and stormwater infiltration. It should be noted that the Complete Streets Design Guidelines will identify opportunities for multi-modal connectivity on the local and regional levels.
This grant would allow Culver City to secure a consultant to perform the system evaluation and the results of the review would be used as a design framework for future improvements throughout the City. This grant would advance community-based planning, design, and implementation of major multimodal accessibility and safety improvements, especially where pedestrian and cyclist routes are currently blocked or inhibited by barriers like roadways, creeks, and freeways. This includes on-street bike and pedestrian network improvements, trail connections across various rights-of-way, and access to, from, and between transit stations including the Expo Light Rail Service and the Culver City Bus Service.
By redesigning our public right-of-way using complete streets design, this project will help encourage residents to use active forms of transportation such as walking, cycling, and public transit. Access to multimodal options correspond to a wide range of benefits like an increase in physical fitness and mental health. Reduced transportation costs can be reinvested into households and/or communities. Active transportation can also help increase access to education and employment, and thus support a more educated and effective workforce, which leads to more vibrant economies.
This comprehensive transportation planning effort will help develop conceptual plans that can be submitted for future grant funding opportunities for detailed design and construction of improvements that will promote sustainable mobility, lessen environmental impacts, and provide other social benefits mentioned earlier, with special focus on vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists of different ages and physical abilities. The Complete Streets Design Guidelines will also support the City's efforts in requiring private development projects to design and construct multi-modal access and road improvements.
The deadline for the grant application was October 17, 2019; therefore, staff submitted the application prior to obtaining City Council approval in order to meet this deadline. Staff recommends the City Council ratify submission of the application at this time.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Culver City is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000 with a required local match of 11.47%. The local match can be direct and third-party cash, staff time, and in-kind contributions. The application requested the award of $400,000 and proposed matching with a combination of approximately $17,000 in staff time and $55,000 as a cash match. The source of the $55,000 cash match can be determined at a later date if the application is successful.
ATTACHMENTS
None
MOTION
That the City Council:
Ratify of an application to the FY2020-2021 Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Sustainable Communities Grant for the development of the Culver City Complete Streets Design Guidelines, including approval of approximately $17,000 in Staff Time and $55,000 of funding for the required grant match if the application is successful.