Title
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Acting City Manager to Execute Documents Necessary to Accept Grant Funding from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) for the Clement Avenue East Extension and Tilden Way Project; and Increasing the Fiscal Year 2018-19 Capital Projects Fund Budget for Clement Avenue and Tilden Way Complete Streets Project (91820) by $445,000 Funded by the Gas Tax Fund and Construction Improvement Tax Fund. (Transportation 91820)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Acting City Manager
Re: Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Acting City Manager to Execute Documents Necessary to Accept Grant Funding from the Alameda County Transportation Commission for the Clement Avenue East Extension and Tilden Way Project; and Increasing the Fiscal Year 2018-19 Capital Projects Fund Budget for Clement Avenue and Tilden Way Complete Streets Project (91820) by $445,000 Funded by the Gas Tax Fund and Construction Improvement Tax Fund
BACKGROUND
The Clement Avenue East Extension/Tilden Way project has been envisioned since at least 2005, when the Cross Alameda Trail Feasibility Study was completed and adopted by the City Council. The City’s Transportation Element of the General Plan, approved in 2009, references future acquisition of the railroad right-of-way for a multi-modal corridor, including bicycling and walking facilities and a continuous truck route on Clement Avenue connecting to Tilden Way. In 2009 and 2010, the City Council approved the Pedestrian Master Plan and the Bicycle Plan Update, respectively, that list the Clement Avenue east extension project.
On October 18, 2016, the City Council approved the City of Alameda’s project list for submittal to the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) for funding as part of its Combined Call for Projects for its 2018 Comprehensive Investment Plan (2018 CIP) for Fiscal Years 2017-18 through 2021-22. The 2018 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) represented a consolidated process for ACTC to program not only local monies such as Measure B and BB, but also to program federal, state and regional transportation funding.
On April 27, 2017, ACTC approved funding for six City of Alameda projects including $8.4 million for the Clement Avenue East Extension and Tilden Way project. The project was allocated $2,019,000 for the planning, environmental and design phases, plus right-of-way acquisition, in FYs 2017-19; and $6,376,000 for the construction phase in FY 2019-20. These funds must be matched by $1,087,700 in local monies.
Subsequently, the City Council approved the 2017-19 Capital Budget on June 6, 2017, which included the pre-construction phases of this project with $2,019,000 in ACTC funding, and $263,000 in Developer Impact Fee Transportation funds, as the required local match.
DISCUSSION
The Clement Avenue and Tilden Way Complete Streets project (as it is titled in the City’s Capital Budget) will develop a complete street by improving walking, bicycling, transit and truck access between the Northern Waterfront Priority Development Area (PDA) in Alameda, Oakland, and Fruitvale BART, transforming the street from industrial railroad blight to a best-practices multimodal gateway. The project includes these key elements:
1. Acquire 1.43 acres of abandoned Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) right-of-way along on the northwest side of Tilden Way on either side of Blanding Avenue.
2. Remediate the soil in the former railroad right-of-way, meeting all regulatory agency requirements.
3. Extend Clement Avenue approximately 155 feet to connect to Tilden Way.
4. Build a 1,000 foot multi-modal walking/bicycling facility, which will be the most eastern segment of the Cross Alameda Trail, connecting the planned Clement Avenue Complete Street to the Miller-Sweeney Bridge. (The Cross Alameda Trail is a four-mile, all-ages, cross island biking and walking facility extending from Alameda Point in the west to the Miller-Sweeney Bridge in the east.) The facility will include sidewalks, plus separated bicycling facilities - either a multi-use path or protected bike lanes - to be built in the former UPRR right of way, which is about 60 feet wide along Tilden.
5. Create a direct, continuous truck route on the new Clement Avenue Extension, between Clement Avenue and Tilden Way, both of which are existing truck routes.
6. Improve bus transit, including considering a bus queue jump lane in the 60 foot acquired right-of-way along Tilden.
7. Place landscaping throughout this linear property along Tilden Way, as well as rain gardens and required bioretention areas in those areas not used by transportation, such as at the intersection of Broadway/Tilden Way.
8. Install lighting, wayfinding signage, and other street infrastructure to create a safe, complete street.
Implementation of the projects funded with Measures B and BB funds require that the City enter into a Project Funding Agreement with ACTC for each applicable project. The Funding Agreement for the Clement/Tilden project, which is based on ACTC’s standard template already approved by the City Council, is attached (Exhibit 1). The Project Funding Agreement obligates funds from Measure BB and outlines the requirements for reimbursement of project-related expenses.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The 2017-19 Capital Budget for the Clement/Tilden Project (91820) includes $2,282,000 in funding for the pre-construction phases, including the purchase of right-of-way. It is divided as follows: $2,019,000 in Measure BB (ACTC) funding and $263,000 in DIF Transportation funds, as a local match. The City recently had an updated appraisal of the UP property completed and it appraised the property value at $445,000 above the amount included in the grant application, which was based on an earlier appraisal. To make the Funding Agreement as accurate as possible and to assist the City in moving forward with property acquisition, staff recommends allocating an additional $445,000 in funds to the project with $222,500 coming from the Gas Tax Fund and with $222,500 coming from the Construction Improvement Tax Fund. Funding from both funds is allocated from the available fund balance.
|
Fund/Account |
Project |
Amount |
|
Gas Tax Fund: |
|
|
|
Transfer Out |
|
$222,500 |
|
Construction Improvement Tax Fund: |
|
|
|
Transfer Out |
|
$222,500 |
|
Capital Projects Fund: |
|
|
|
Transfer In |
91820 |
$445,000 |
|
Professional Services |
91820 |
$445,000 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The action implements ACTC’s award of funding to the City for the project approved by the City Council on October 18, 2016 as part of a competitive funding submittal in response to ACTC’s Call for Projects for its 2018 CIP. The Project is included in the 2017-2019 Capital Budget and is contained in Project #30 in the Transportation Choices Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In 2009, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Transportation Element of the General Plan. The Final EIR analyzed the environmental and transportation impacts of the 2009 Transportation Element and the Clement Avenue extension to Tilden Way. The Final EIR found that the Clement Avenue extension improves traffic circulation and levels of service in the area. No further environmental review is necessary pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Acting City Manager to execute documents necessary to accept grant funding from the Alameda County Transportation Commission for the Clement Avenue East Extension and Tilden Way Project; and increasing the Fiscal Year 2018-19 Capital Projects Fund Budget for Clement Avenue and Tilden Way Complete Streets Project (91820) by $445,000 funded by the Gas Tax Fund and Construction Improvement Tax Fund.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer Ott, Base Reuse and Transportation Planning Director
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Project Funding Agreement