DEPARTMENT: Police
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Anthony L. Treviño, Jr.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Approval to apply and accept a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for the FY16 Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program.
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the application and acceptance of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) grant titled Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks also known as TACT. The grant period will be from the date of award through September 30, 2017. This grant, not to exceed $547,077.00, will help augment the San Antonio Police Department’s (SAPD) effort to combat aggressive driving behaviors of both passenger and commercial motor vehicle drivers through enforcement and public information and education. This grant will also increase enforcement of commercial motor vehicles safety inspections including driver qualifications by the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit. This ordinance will authorize an in-kind match not to exceed $99,266.00, and will establish a total budget of $646,343.00 for the grant.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Division is dedicating up to $15,000,000.00 for traffic safety projects such as the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks enforcement program as well as a Public Information and Education campaign (PI&E). The major objectives of the programs are to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles through enforcement and education.
The enforcement component will provide overtime for enforcement activities that focus on aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors on major highways that have a large number of commercial motor vehicle crashes identified through crash data. Additional enforcement will take place in the form of Department of Transportation (DOT) commercial motor vehicle inspections. These inspections will ensure that both the commercial motor vehicles and the drivers are meeting all Federal and State regulations. The funding will also pay for officer training, travel, and the purchase of equipment.
To raise public awareness of driving safely around large trucks, the education portion of the grant will provide funding for a public information and education campaign. The campaign will include outdoor billboards, social media and radio advertising and possibly television commercials. The TACT PI&E grant will be carried out in conjunction with the TACT enforcement program.
This will be the seventh year that the SAPD has applied for TACT funding. Previous awards were:
2010 - $75,000
2011 - $327,500
2012 - $740,372
2013 - $862,912
2014 - $568,215
2015 - Not Awarded
ISSUE:
The proposed ordinance continues the City Council's policy of seeking intergovernmental financial assistance for traffic safety programs that address hazardous and aggressive driving in and around commercial motor vehicles. These programs from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will enhance the City's efforts in reducing the number and severity of crashes and fatalities due to aggressive driving.
ALTERNATIVES:
Other than the General Fund, there is currently no alternative funding sources for the implementation of an enforcement or education program that targets aggressive driving around commercial motor vehicles. Without the grant funds, the City would have to explore the feasibility of initiating an enforcement program and the feasibility of initiating an anti-aggressive driving public information and educational program by utilizing the General Fund.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total proposed Enforcement program budget is $496,343 which includes a 20% in-kind contribution of $99,266.00. The grant also includes $150,000.00 for the Public Information and Education (PI&E) component which does not require a match. The total program budget is $646,343.00. No General Fund cash match is required. The City’s in-kind contribution will be covered from the mileage and maintenance from the vehicles used during enforcement and the administrative costs of personnel to manage the grant.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance to apply and accept funds from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) grant.