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CC - Approving and Ratifying the Submission of Grant Applications to Cycle 5 of the Active Transportation Program Funding for the Projects: (1) Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector, and (2) Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Corridor
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Meeting Date: September 21, 2020
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: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/15/2020)
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson, PW Director/City Engineer (09/14/2020)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve and ratify the submission of grant applications to Cycle 5 of the Active Transportation Program Funding for the Projects: (1) Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector, and (2) Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Corridor
BACKGROUND
The Active Transportation Program (ATP) is a competitive statewide program created to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking. Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes of 2013) created the ATP, and Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) (Chapter 2031, statutes of 2017) directs additional funding from the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account to the ATP.
Goals of the ATP are to:
• Increase the proportion of trips accomplished by cycling and walking.
• Enhance safety and mobility of nonmotorized users.
• Advance the active transportation efforts of regional agencies to achieve Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction goals as established pursuant to Senate Bill 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008) and Senate Bill 391 (Chapter 585, Statutes of 2009).
• Enhance public health, including reduction of childhood obesity through the use of programs including, but not limited to, projects eligible for Safe Routes to School Program funding.
• Ensure that disadvantaged communities fully share in the benefits of the program.
• Provide a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many types of active transportation users.
Discussion
The Cycle 5 ATP grant applications were submitted by the due date of September 15, 2020. The City submitted two ATP funding applications for the projects: (1) Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector, and (2) Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Corridor. These projects fulfill all goals set by the ATP. Each of the grant applications was accompanied by letters of support received from the City Council, the City’s BPAC, the Arts Foundation, Culver City Unified School District, UCLA, Fox Hills Neighborhood Association, Walk ‘n Rollers, Bike Culver City, and Women on Bikes.
Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector
Overland Avenue runs through the heart of Culver City. The project will establish bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Overland Avenue from Venice Boulevard at the northerly end, heading south past the senior center, municipal park, multiple schools, Julian Dixon Library, crossing/intersecting the regionally significant Ballona Creek Bike Path, West Los Angeles Community College, and, via Playa Street/Hannum Avenue, to the jobs and people-rich Fox Hills area, the Westfield Mall and the Culver City Transit Center. The current route lacks continuous bicycle facilities which, combined with wide and inconsistent roadway cross sections, high auto traffic volumes and speeds, and long distances between protected crossings, creates barriers in both perceived and real safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
The ATP grant application is for funding design and construction of the Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector, with a requested funding plan that commences in 2021. As shown on Attachment 1, this connector project closes existing gaps, creating a continuous 2.72 route-mile bicycle facility, including new Class IV protected bicycle lanes (1.53 route-miles), new Class II bicycle lanes (0.43 route-miles), existing Class II bicycle lanes (0.57 route-miles), and a new Class III bicycle route (0.21 route-miles) first/last-mile access to the Transit Center. The Project links Culver City's walkable Downtown area at the northern terminus to a busy intermodal transit hub at the southern terminus serving 29,000 weekday riders along the route (2019 data). Over 7,000 K-12 students and 11,000 community college students are a short walk from the new facility.
The Project also improves pedestrian facilities with additional street lighting, ADA-compliant curb ramps, enhanced crosswalk markings, a new crossing controlled with a HAWK signal in front of the Culver City Julian Dixon Library, wayfinding signs, street furniture, bicycle parking, and street trees. In addition, the Project includes a safety-related redesign of the confusing, unsignalized five-legged intersection of Kelmore/Ranch/Overland, just north of El Rincon Elementary School (Attachment 2). First/last mile needs are met with enhanced access and signage, and bicycle parking at both termini of the project at the Culver City Transit Center and the high frequency transit services on Washington and Venice Boulevards.
Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Corridor
In this case, the requested ATP funding is for project construction with a funding plan that commences in 2023 to allow for sufficient time for deployment and assessment of the Pilot Bike/Bus Lanes along the project’s corridors. The Expo to Downtown multi-modal corridor will establish a Class IV two-way cycle track and improved pedestrian facilities on Washington Boulevard and Culver Boulevard between the Culver City E Line Station (including the Metro Bike Hub) and the pedestrian-oriented commercial district in Downtown Culver City and the Helms Bakery retail and commercial area (Attachment 3). This 1.2-mile project corridor is burdened by high vehicle traffic volumes on identified priority safety corridors, namely Washington and Culver Boulevards, that experience high number of collisions involving personal injuries and fatalities. The project’s alignment represents the most direct connection between the Culver City E Line Station and the vibrant retail areas of Downtown and Helms Bakery areas, including some of the City’s largest employers.
The project will transform the primary arteries, auto-dominated Washington and Culver Boulevards between Helms Avenue and Duquesne Avenue, into safe and friendly complete streets for cyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. The proposed improvements will narrow width of travel lanes, install safer and high visibility pedestrian crossings, upgrade curb ramps to meet current ADA standards, add street furniture, improve lighting, add shade trees, add bicycle parking, add wayfinding signs, and install 1.2-mile Class IV two-way cycle track. The project is part of a larger transformation of the corridors planned by the City including dedicated bus lanes to reduce traffic conflicts. Consistent with the ATP goals, this project will increase walking and cycling trips, reduce GHG emissions, enhance public health, serve disadvantaged communities, and benefit all non-auto users of the corridor.
Non-Infrastructure Projects Components
Each of the ATP grant applications also include non-infrastructure components that focus on public outreach and traffic safety education. To ensure widespread and safe use of the bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the outreach and educational portion of each of the projects focuses on safety education and awareness of the project itself, to encourage safe use of the facilities when open. The safety education efforts leverage the Culver City Safe Routes to Schools program, and highlights connectivity with adjacent disadvantaged communities, the Expo Bike Path and the regional Ballona Creek Bike Path. Each of the Projects safety education campaigns unites and inspires as it educates and encourages, through a community-led art competition designed to elicit art to use in safety education banners, City fleet bumper stickers, collateral materials, and strategically placed murals.
The project includes educational activities that will promote safety and familiarity to increase walking, cycling, and transit usage. Programs will involve customized pedestrian and bicycle safety presentations at community centers, senior centers, school classrooms, and large employers.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
According to the ATP Guidelines, a project cost of up-to $2 million is the maximum limit of a small-scale project, more than $2 million and up-to $7 million is for a medium size project, and more than $7 million is for a large project. Regardless of project size, to receive 4 out of the 5 points assigned to leveraging funding requires a local cash match of 15% to 20% of the total project cost.
- Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector: The application requests the award of $5,651,420 of ATP funds with proposed match of $1,080,000 of local funds for a total project cost of $6,731,420. The local match constitutes 16% of the total project cost distributed among the detailed design, construction, and non-infrastructure/safety education project tasks.
- Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Corridor: The application requests the award of $10,392,798 of ATP funds with proposed match of $1,840,000 of local funds for a total project cost of $12,232,798. The local match and leveraging funds are 15% of the project cost including cost of the design. It should be noted that staff applied earlier this year for Cycle 1 Measure M Metro Active Transport (MAT) Program funding. The MAT funding application is in the amount of $2.2 million for the design ($550,000) and construction ($1,650,000) of the project segment in the immediate vicinity of the E Line Station, on Washington Boulevard between Helms Avenue and Landmark Street which, if awarded, would reduce the ATP grant ask and associated local match.
Local match of the ATP grant applications can be funded by Metro local return funds (Measure M & R), development fees, Gas Tax and SB1 funds as a cash match. Budgeting of the local match can be carried out at a later date if one or both of the grant applications are successful.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Alignment Plan of the Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector
2. Concept Plan of the Kelmore/Ranch/Overland Intersection Redesign
3. Project Alignment Plan of the Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Corridor
MOTION
That the City Council:
Approve and ratify the submission of grant applications to Cycle 5 of the Active Transportation Program funding for the Projects: (1) Overland to Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector, and (2) Expo to Downtown Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Corridor.