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Endorse Council Approval of Grant Applications to Alameda County Transportation Commission for the 2022 Comprehensive Investment Plan Call for Projects (Action Item)
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To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In December, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) issued a call for projects for the 2022 Comprehensive Investment Plan (2022 CIP). There is $26.0 million available for bicycle/pedestrian and transit-related improvements within Alameda County. Projects must be included in the 2020 Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP) project listings, and the grant prioritizes projects that enhance equity, safety and gap closure. The grant requires a 25% match for capital projects. Applicants may submit up to three applications and must provide their priority funding order. Grants are due February 1, 2021. City staff have evaluated potential projects to submit based on the grant criteria, City priorities, available staff time, and local funds available for matching the grant. Staff recommend submitting up to two applications, as described below.
• Connector Trails Expansion and Enhancement: This project will consist of up to four distinct elements:
(1) Build a new path through Neptune Park, connecting the intersections of Webster/Stargell Streets and Constitution Way/Marina Village Parkway;
(2) Resurface and maintain the Constitution Way path north of Atlantic Ave, possibly as far as Tynan Ave;
(3) Build four new connector paths to the Cross Alameda Trail in Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, to the north and south of the park;
(4) Consider including an upgrade to a short gap in the Bay Trail on Bay Farm Island from asphalt to concrete.
The total project cost is still being evaluated, but is expected to be approximately $600,000. The expected matching funds would be $200,000 in City funds such as Measures B and BB, plus private funds from business associations and community fundraising.
• West End Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge Project Initiation Document (PID): The City is seeking $1.555 million from Alameda CTC to advance the Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge project to the next phase, which is a Project Study Report (PSR), a form of a PID. Earlier in January, the Alameda CTC’s Programs and Projects Committee recommended to the full Commission that Alameda CTC allocate these funds from the Oakland Alameda Access Project (OAAP) funding, rather than the second option which was to ask the City to apply to the 2022 CIP. The full Commission will vote on this recommendation at their January 28 meeting, which is after the January Transportation Commission meeting. If the Commission votes to recommend that the City apply to the grant program, then the City will apply for the grant as its first priority project, and will need to allocate almost $400,000 in matching funds, most likely all from Measures B and BB. It is possible, in this case, given the limited amount of local funds, that the City would forgo applying for the Connector Trails projects, or limit the scope of that application.
BACKGROUND
Due to the available funding sources for the 2022 CIP, eligible projects are limited to the following project categories:
1) Bicycle and/or pedestrian capital projects and programs
2) Transit-related capital projects
3) Shuttle operations
4) Plans/Studies
Only projects that are ready for implementation in fiscal years 2021-22 through 2025-26 may apply. Available funding will be prioritized towards improvements that can be implemented and/or demonstrate construction readiness within the first two years of the 2022 CIP.
DISCUSSION
The Connector Trails Expansion and Enhancement project was developed to focus on improving the network of trails on the west end of Alameda and to maximize the usage of the still fairly new Cross Alameda Trail by increasing connections to and from the Trail. It also includes a segment of the Bay Trail on Bay Farm Island, which is a short gap with strong community support that could bring in private funding.
The path through Neptune Park, which sits between Webster Street and Constitution Way and has no pathways in or through it, has been envisioned at least since 2010 and the City has previously developed draft plans for the path. By connecting the intersections of Webster/Stargell Streets and Constitution Way/Marina Village Parkway, the path will connect shopping districts, transit, and residents; and provide a more direct connection to the new Webster Tube pathway that will be built as part of the OAAP.
The Constitution Way path north of Atlantic Ave to Tynan Ave connects the Cross Alameda Trail to the Posey Tube, Marina Village, and beyond to the Bay Trail. It has sections that are in very poor condition with root uplift and overgrown landscaping. The City is evaluating land ownership and budget to determine how much of the trail can be resurfaced and maintained.
Four new connector paths to the Cross Alameda Trail in Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, which is mostly inaccessible from the north and south, have been planned for some time and have high community support. A lack of funding has prevented the City from building these connector trails. To the south, there are three new connectors planned at Eighth, Wood and St Charles Streets. To the north, negotiations with the Marina Village business park have taken some time, but the businesses to the south of Triumph support a connector here, and may also provide some matching funds.
A short, 370 foot segment of the Bay Trail on Bay Farm Island, southeast of the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, is a narrow, bumpy asphalt path, as compared to the wider, concrete pathways on either side of it. The goal of this project element is to match the existing trail on either side. This section has strong community support, with a new fundraising effort just beginning which would provide the local match. The City will consider adding this segment of trail to the grant application, dependent on available matching funds and the grant criteria.
The West End Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge Project Initiation Document (PID) will allow the City to continue to move this key connector project forward to the next phase. In early 2020, the draft Estuary Crossing Study: Detailed Feasibility and Travel Demand Analysis was completed. It definitively stated that a bridge is feasible to construct and operate, to meet the Coast Guard and Port of Oakland stated navigational requirements. (The City is awaiting the Coast Guard’s review of the Study, expected before the end of January, before it publishes the Study.) Multiple crossing locations and landings have been evaluated in cooperation with Oakland staff, and the top two preferred locations for the bridge have been identified. The PSR, a form of a PID, will allow the bridge to become a fundable project by further defining potential build alternatives and landing locations on both sides, preparing detailed cost estimates, outlining environmental and permitting requirements, exploring potential ownership and maintenance of the bridge, plus identifying any other major elements that should be investigated. Public outreach will be a part of this phase of the project.
The bridge is a major transportation gap closure project, and first/last-mile transit link, that will develop a high-quality bicycle and pedestrian bridge between Oakland and Alameda. The two cities are separated by just 600 feet of water which creates a major barrier to seamless travel between them. The current Posey Tube, a narrow three-foot walkway where two people cannot pass each other without stopping, serves only approximately 100 people each day. The Oakland Alameda Access Project will construct a new walkway in the Webster Tube, but it will only be four feet wide, and will also be underground inside a tunnel. The Travel Demand section of the 2020 Estuary Crossing Study shows that a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge would attract 5000-6000 crossings per day, eliminating over 40,000 auto trips across the estuary per week. As development and density increase on either side of the estuary, a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge will provide a safe and convenient sustainable travel option between commercial districts, the downtown Oakland employment center, the many residents in both cities, and to/from the BART stations that connect people to the rest of the Bay Area region.
While the City is hopeful that the Alameda CTC Commission will allocate the needed $1.555 million in funds from the OAAP funding for the PSR, the City will apply for the 2022 CIP grant if needed to keep this important bridge project moving forward. No matter how it is funded, the City will be the project lead for the PSR phase of the project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Local matching funds would need to be allocated, up to $600,000 depending on the applications submitted. The matching fund sources are expected to be a mix of Measures B and BB, private business funds and funds raised by the community.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Transportation Choices Plan includes the West End Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge (Project #39, West End Bicycle/Pedestrian Crossing), Neptune Park Path (project #20H, Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Improvements), and Bay Trail maintenance on Bay Farm Island (Project #20I). Overall trail maintenance and providing connectors to key facilities, such as the Cross Alameda Trail, parks, transit, shopping and the Posey Tube are supported by multiple General Plan policies including Objective 4.3.2: “Enhance opportunities for pedestrian access and movement by developing, promoting, and maintaining pedestrian networks and environments.”
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse the Council’s approval of grant applications to the Alameda County Transportation Commission for the 2022 Comprehensive Investment Plan Call for Projects.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator