TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Caryn Gardner-Young, Assistant City Manager
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: January 16, 2018
Title
APPROVE RESOLUTION 06-18 ENDORSING THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (FDOT) DELIVERY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALK AND BICYCLE FACILITIES ON HOMEWOOD BOULEVARD AND GEORGE BUSH BOULEVARD.
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Motion to Approve Resolution 06-18 endorsing the FDOT delivery of funding for the construction of sidewalk and bicycle facilities on Homewood Boulevard and George Bush Boulevard, and authorization of the Mayor or City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
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Background:
The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) administers two competitive grant application processes annually for the funding of projects located within Palm Beach County. The grant application process typically commences in January, when the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) posts online application materials. Applications are ranked and recommended for funding by the MPO Advisory Committees and the MPO Board. Scoring criteria is based on the Goals, Objectives and Values of Directions 2040 and the Palm Beach MPO's Long Range Transportation Plan. 2017 project applications to be recommended for funding will be included in the MPO's Project Priority List for Fiscal Years 2019 - 2023 which is anticipated for MPO adoption in mid-2017. The latest Long Range Transportation Plan Directions 2040 carved out future allocations of MPO Surface Transportation funds to be used at the MPO's discretion. As a result, the Local Initiatives (LI) program was created as an annual application process to identify and evaluate potential funding for the better lower-cost, non-regionally significant transportation projects that our communities want and our economies need.
Approximately $18 million has been allocated annually to fund projects under the Local Initiatives (LI) Program. Established by MAP-21, the federal Transportation Alternatives Program is a cost reimbursement program where projects are selected by the MPO but administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The program funds on and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities; infrastructure for improving non-driver access to public transportation for enhanced mobility; community improvement activities; environmental mitigation; recreational trail projects; safe routes to school projects; and projects for planning, designing, or constructing boulevards and other roadways largely in the right-of-way of former divided highways. Approximately $3 million has been allocated annually in recent years to fund Transportation Alternative (TA) projects.
Eligible Local Initiative project types:
• Transportation system management and operations (ITS), ("complete streets," lighting and / or safety improvements)
• Transit capital purchases of vehicles, shelters, park-and-ride facilities Non-motorized (buffered and designated bike lanes, sidewalks, shared-use paths)
• Freight (airport or seaport off-site capacity improvements, railway capacity improvements)
Funds allocated for projects during the annual application process will be made available five years after funding allocation, allowing local governments time to correct any issues with connectivity or other deficiencies prior to project construction.
Eligible Transportation Alternative project types:
• Eligible applicants for Safe Routes to School include public schools or school districts, private schools, government agencies, health departments, colleges and universities.
• Includes project and programs eligible for funding under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities
• Infrastructure for improving non-driver access to public transportation
• Community improvement activities
Two multimodal transportation projects that have been approved for funding in FY 2021 to construct sidewalks and bicycle facilities include:
• Homewood Boulevard from Germantown road to Lowson Boulevard (PM#438394-1); and
• George Bush Boulevard from NE 2nd Avenue to SR A1A (PM# 438395)
This resolution is required to allow these projects to continue to move forward toward construction.
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency
Finance Department Review:
N/A at this time
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
This project may require partial funding in future Capital Improvements Project budget.
Timing of Request:
Passage of this Resolution will keep this project on track to receive funding.