TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Susan Goebel-Canning, Public Works Director
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: August 21, 2018
Title
PRESENTATION OF CITY OF DELRAY BEACH ROADWAY PROJECTS RECEIVING GRANTS THROUGH THE PALM BEACH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AGENCY.
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Presentation of grant funding, project description and timing of design and construction for City of Delray Beach (City) roadway projects receiving grant funding through the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency.
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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. Applications are ranked and recommended for funding by the TPA Advisory Committees and the TPA Board. Scoring criteria is based on the Goals, Objectives and Values of Directions 2040 and the Palm Beach TPA's Long Range Transportation Plan. Project applications recommended for funding are included in the TPA's Project Priority List for funding four to five years following application.
The Long Range Transportation Plan Directions 2040 carved out future allocations of TPA Surface Transportation funds to be used at the TPA'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 $20 million is allocated annually to fund projects in the Local Initiatives Program. Funded projects are either implemented by the applicant and funded through a grant reimbursement agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) or are implemented directly by FDOT. Funding requests for individual projects are limited to $250,000 to $5 million.
Established by MAP-21, the federal Transportation Alternatives Program is a cost reimbursement program where projects are selected by the TPA, but administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). This 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 is allocated annually to fund projects in the Transportation Alternatives Program, funding requests for individual projects are limited to $250,000 to $1 million. 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. Funded projects are implemented by the applicant through a grant reimbursement agreement with the FDOT.
Eligible Local Initiative Project types:
• Complete Street projects - Including Lane Narrowing, Lane Elimination, Bicycle Facilities, Pedestrian Facilities, Transit Infrastructure, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Median Modifications, Signing and lighting, Turn Lanes, Traffic Signals, Striping and Marking
• Transit capital - purchases of vehicles, shelters, park-and-ride facilities. Can also pay up to 50% of a 3-year turn-key contract for new transit service (e.g. trolley service)
• Non-motorized infrastructure - Separated, Buffered and/or designated bike lanes, Sidewalks, Shared-use paths, Street lighting
• Freight efficiency - Airport or seaport off-site capacity improvements, Railway capacity improvements, Truck movement improvements
Eligible Transportation Alternative Project types:
• Construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation
• Construction of infrastructure-related projects and systems that will provide safe routes for non-drivers
• Conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails
• Safe Routes to School non-infrastructure-related activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school.
The City has made many successful applications for funding through these programs. However, several approved projects included high-dollar work that require revisiting the approved projects. The attachments and presentation summarizes status of project with recommendations on how to proceed.
City Attorney Review:
N/A
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
Local funding is required for each project in varying amounts.
Timing of Request:
This presentation is not time sensitive.