HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012/03/13 Item 14CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA STATEMENT
~`~~ CITY OF
~~~-~ CHULA VISTA
3/13/12, Item
ITEM TITLE: RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA
VISTA APPROVING THE SUBMITTAL OF GRANT APPLICATIONS
FOR STATE-LEGISLATED SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL FUNDING
CYCLE 10 TO IMPROVE PEDESTRI AND BICYCLE FACILITIES
AT TWO ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS „ n\
SUBMITTED BY: DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENC
o~
REVIEWED BY: CITY MANAGER ~
ASSISTANT CIT ANAGER~ ~
4/STHS VOTE: YES ^ NO
SUMMARY
California legislated a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program in 1999 with the enactment of
AB 1475. The goals of the program are to reduce injuries and fatalities to schoolchildren and to
encourage increased walking and bicycling among students. This Resolution approves the filing
of a grant application for two projects under Cycle 10 of the State-Legislated Safe Routes to
School Program.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity, consisting of
approval to submit grant applications for Safe Routes to School funding, for compliance with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a
"Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because the proposal
consists of a funding request without the assurance that these funds will be procured for future
projects. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15060 (c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity
is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary at this time. Although
environmental review is not necessary at this time, once the scope and funding of the individual
projects have been defined, environmental review will be required for each project and the
appropriate environmental determination will be made.
RECOMMENDATION
Council adopt the resolution.
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS
The Safe Routes to School Program grant application was presented and discussed at the Safety
Commission meeting held on March 7, 2012. At that meeting, the Commission adopted a
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resolution supporting the submittal of grant applications for State-Legislated Safe Routes to
School funding Cycle 10 (AttachmenC 1).
DISCUSSION
California was the first state in the country to legislate a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program.
This occurred in 1999 with the enactment of AB 1475. In 2007, AB 57 was passed which
extended the program indefinitely. Section 2333.5 of the Streets and Highways Code calls for
the Department of Transportation, in consultation with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), to
make grants available to local governmental agencies under the program based upon the results
of a statewide competition.
The goals of the program are to reduce injuries and fatalities to schoolchildren and to encourage
increased walking and bicycling among students. The program achieves these goals by
constructing facilities on public property that enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists,
primarily students in grades K-12 who walk or bicycle to school. Enhancing the safety of the
pathways, trails, sidewalks, and crossings also attracts and encourages other students to walk and
bike to school.
A call for Cycle 10 grant applications was announced on December 21, 2011. Eligible
applicants must be an incorporated city or a county within the State of California and the eligible
projects are infrastructure projects. The maximum reimbursement percentage for any SR2S
project is ninety (90) percent. The maximum amount of SR2S funds that will be allocated to any
single project is $450,000. The grant also requires a local match of ten percent, which would
come from TransNet funds.
The amount of funding available for Cycle 10 is $45 million which would be funded from the
2011/12 State Budget Act and the projected funding from the 2012/13 State Budget. For Cycle
10, the funding will consist of two year's allocation. The deadline for the applications is Friday,
March 30, 2012.
For Cycle 10 of the State Safe Routes to School Program, it is recommended that the City apply
for funding for the following two pedestrian improvement projects. This grant application is
focused on improvements within the vicinity of elementary and middle school neighborhoods as
required by the program. Project Location Maps are provided as Attachment 2.
1. Quintard Street Corridor Pedestrian Safety Improvements from Third Avenue to Hilltop
Drive.
This project is mentioned in our 2010 Pedestrian Master Plan as Corridor Project # 6.
The proposed project is located in the vicinity of Castle Park Middle School and is
located on the 100-block of Quintard Street between Eirst Avenue and Second Avenue.
The school site fronts along the entire north side of this block. Along most of the north
side of Quintard Street adjacent to the school, there is an unlandscaped parkway between
the back of the curb and front of the sidewalk that is adjacent to the school. The level of
the parkway varies up to four inches below the level of the sidewalk, presenting a
potential tripping hazard. On the south side of the street between Second Avenue and
Third Avenue there are some missing sidewalk areas, particularly adjacent to the off-
street parking areas for commercial facilities. Since there is no delineated sidewalk, the
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cars jut out towards the curb along the entire business frontage, thereby forcing
pedestrians to walk in the street. The east end of this corridor is at Hilltop Drive where
Castle Park High School is located.
Quintard Street is a two-lane residential collector roadway with an Average Daily Traffic
(ADT) of approximately 4,660 vehicles per day between First and Second Avenues and
6,260 vehicles per day between Second and Third Avenues.
A review of the collision history shows that for the 11-year period of January 1998
through December 2008, there were 56 reported collisions within the project area. Four
of them involved a pedestrian. The scope of work of the proposed project consists of
installing sidewalk along all segments of the corridor where sidewalk is missing,
widening the sidewalk in front of Castle Park MS between First Avenue and Second
Avenue, and installing ADA compliant curb ramps at all intersections where sidewalk
and crosswalk improvements are recommended. The west end of the Quintard Street
corridor from the South Chula Vista Library, generally from Orange Avenue to Third
Avenue was completed as an Assessment District and Utility Undergrounding District
project approximately 7-years ago.
Additional non-infrastructure work includes an Outreach and Education (O&E)
component that would be developed by the project team consisting of City staff, and
Walk San Diego in coordination with the Sweetwater Union High School District. The
total cost of the project including O&E is estimated at up to $798,900.
Additional work along this corridor will be to provide
• Crosswalks on the west leg across Quintard Street & First Avenue, on Quintard
Street & Tobias Drive, and on Hilltop Drive across Quintard Street.
• Install bulb-outs on the northwest and southwest corners and crosswalks with
advance stop lines on all legs at Quintard Street and Third Avenue.
• Install curb extension into Quintard Street on northwest corner and high visibility
yellow ladder crosswalks on all legs at Quintard Street and First Avenue.
• Install conventional crosswalks and ADA ramps at Quintard Street and Tobias
Drive.
• Install high visibility yellow ladder crosswalks and ADA ramps at Quintard Street
and Hilltop Drive.
2. Hazel Goes Cook Elementary School Pedestrian Safety Imorovements
The project site is located along the Hazel Goes Cook Elementary School frontage on
Cuyamaca Avenue and along East L Street.
The improvements recommended for this location would prevent some motorists from
making illegal or unsafe traffic movements or turns while dropping off and/or picking up
their children to/from school. Drivers are making illegal maneuvers by turning through
painted medians as well as double-parking and obstructing the intersection of Cuyamaca
Avenue and East Palomar Drive. This causes undue traffic congestion and confusion for
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the pedestrians. Currently, because of the diagonal parking in front of the school, school
safety patrols/crossing guards have to stand in the street to be able to extend and display
the stop paddle, exposing themselves to traffic.
The scope of work of the proposed project consists of installing curb extensions for the
school safety patrols to stand on, approximately 200 linear feet of raised medians on
Cuyamaca Avenue and additional road signage and markings. The project also would
include a traffic signal modification at East L Street and Cuyamaca Avenue and provide
ladder yellow crosswalks to replace the standard yelolow crosswalks that are in place
today. The scope also includes Outreach and Education (O&E) activities (non-
infrastructure) that would be developed by the project team consisting of City staff, the
Chula Vista Elementary School District and Walk San Diego. The total cost of the
project including O&E is estimated at up to $434,200.
These grant applications were discussed with the elementary school district, and we anticipate
receiving letters of support from the district and various schools. If this submittal is approved by
Council, staff will begin outreach with business owners on Quintard Street regarding the location
of proposed improvements. Today, the business frontages operate as a continual driveway and
with the proposed improvements access to/from these sites will change.
DECISION MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council and has found no property holdings
within 500 feet of the boundaries of the properties, which is the subject of this action.
CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
The total estimated cost for the two proposed projects is $1,233,100. The amount of the grants
would be up to $834,500. If the grants are approved, the City would need to appropriate up to
$398,600 in matching funds. The most likely funding sources would be the Traffic Signal Fund
or.Transnet. There would be no impact to the General Fund.
Once the improvements are constructed, there will be minimal fiscal impact related to the
maintenance of the improvements.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Location Maps
Prepared by: Roberto Soldrzano, Associate Engineer, Public Works/Engineering Department.
J'.\ENGINEERWGENDA\CAS2012\03-13-12\SR2S APPLICATIONS COUNCIL AGENDA-REV DM EDITS 3-6.DOC
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^~~ CITY OF
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RESOLUTION 2012-
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CHULA VISTA APPROVING THE SUBMITTAL OF GRANT
APPLICATIONS FOR STATE-LEGISLATED SAFE ROUTES
TO SCHOOL (SR2S) FUNDING CYCLE 10 TO IMPROVE
PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES AT TWO
ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS
WHEREAS, California legislated a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program in 1999 with
the enactment of AB 1475; and
WHEREAS, the goals of the SR2S program aze to reduce injuries and fatalities through
the construction of capital projects that improve safety for children in grades K-12 who walk or
bicycle to school and to encourage increased walking and bicycling to school; and
WHEREAS, Section 2333.5 of the Streets and Highways Code calls for the Department
of Transportation, in consultation with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), to make grants
available to local governmental agencies under the program based upon the results of a statewide
competition; and
WHEREAS, a Call for Projects has been announced for Cycle 10 which would be funded
from the 2011/12 State Budget Act and the projected funding from the 2012/13 State Budget;
and
WHEREAS, the deadline for submitting applications is March 30, 2012; and
WHEREAS, staff recommends the submittal of the following two applications for SR2S
funding:
• Quintard Street Corridor Pedestrian Safety Improvements from Third Avenue to
Hilltop Drive. (estimated cost up to $798,900)
• Hazel Goes Cook Elementary School Pedestrian Safety Improvements (estimated cost
up to $434,200)
WHEREAS, at the March 7, 2012 meeting of the Safety Commission, a motion was
made and approved to support the submittal of grant applications for State-Legislated Safe
Routes to School funding; and
WHEREAS, a ten percent minimum local funding match is required for the SR2S grant
program.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula
Vista does hereby approve the submittal of grant applications for two projects identified a~ e
for Cycle 10 of the State-Legislated Safe Routes to School Funding. n -
-~':
Presented by Appr d as to
___
i
~l i~ ~o /
Richard A. Hopkins
Director of Public Works
R.
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