DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie, PE, Director/City Engineer
COUNCIL DISTRICT IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Proposed Projects for the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
SUMMARY:
Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) will provide a briefing to the City Council Transportation Committee on eight City staff recommended projects totaling an estimated $83.5 million to be considered for submittal to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) call for projects for funding consideration through for the FY 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The AAMPO includes all of Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties, and a portion of Kendall County. As part of the AAMPO's planning process, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is developed cooperatively among the partner agencies to determine the allocation of federal transportation funds for major roadway, highway, bicycle, pedestrian, public transportation, and other projects.
The TIP is a four-year financially constrained list of transportation projects that is approved for federal and state funding by the MPO Transportation Policy Board. The TIP is updated every two years and amended quarterly. The current TIP covers FY 2017-2020 and includes roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other projects. On June 1, 2017, the AAMPO issued a call for projects for the FY 2019-2022 TIP. All governmental entities throughout the AAMPO region may submit projects. Projects may be awarded in full, or partially. Award of project funding is anticipated to be approved by the AAMPO Transportation Policy Board by May 2018.
Projects submitted for funding consideration will be grouped into the following five categories for evaluation purposes:
• Added Capacity Projects - Roadway projects which add through travel lanes for vehicles; these projects are to also include new or replacement bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Roadway projects must be on federally functionally classified roadways and not local streets.
• Operational Improvement Projects - Projects which improve the operational function of a facility without adding through travel lanes. Examples include, but are not limited to, improving intersections to add right or left turn lanes; adding a center turn lane; adding acceleration or deceleration lanes; constructing a roundabout; adding or improving intersection signalization; reconfiguring travel lanes for a multimodal shift; constructing new or reversing highway entrance and exit ramps; converting frontage road from two way to one way; implementing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects; or constructing interchanges.
• Stand-alone Bicycle Projects - Projects which construct, reconstruct, or upgrade public bicycle facilities.
• Stand-alone Pedestrian Projects - Projects which construct, reconstruct, or upgrade public pedestrian facilities.
• Other Projects - Projects that do not fall into the categories listed above; examples include public transit projects and major planning studies.
Projects submitted for funding consideration must have a minimum construction cost of $1,000,000.00. Other key requirements are as follows:
• Only eligible items related to construction will be reimbursable. All project development costs such as design, utility relocation, and right-of-way acquisition are the responsibility of the implementing agency.
• A minimum 20% match on the project construction cost is required. An in-kind match is not allowed.
• The implementing agency must commit to developing and letting selected projects within one year of the year in which the projects are initially placed in the TIP.
The AAMPO utilizes many federal and state funding sources. The funding source for this call for projects is Category 7 funds, Surface Transportation Program - Metropolitan Mobility (STP-MM). STP-MM funding is a federal funding source allocated to AAMPO’s with a population greater than 200,000. Contingent upon the availability of federal funding, the total amount of STP-MM funds available for the current call for projects for the AAMPO is estimated up to $170,000,000.00.
ISSUE:
The eight projects proposed by TCI have been selected based primarily on the following four factors:
• Leveraged Funding Opportunities
• Ongoing Needs and Challenges
• Locations/Areas of Concern
• Program Continuation
The table below provides a brief description of the eight projects:
|
Category |
Project |
Limits |
Estimated Cost |
20% Local Match |
Source |
|
Operational Improvement |
S. Zarzamora Overpass |
Union Pacific/ Frio City Road |
$23,000,000 |
$4,600,000 |
2017 Bond |
|
Operational Improvements |
Citywide ITS Enhancements |
Citywide |
$4,500,000 |
$900,000 |
Future Fiscal Year Budget |
|
Other |
Corridor Mobility Planning |
Citywide |
$8,000,000 |
$1,600,000 |
Future Fiscal Year Budget |
|
Pedestrian & Bicycle |
Citywide Ped & Bike Mobility |
Citywide |
$3,000,000 |
$600,000 |
Future Bond |
|
Pedestrian & Bicycle |
Roosevelt (SP 536) |
S. St. Mary's Street to LP 410 |
$5,000,000 |
$1,000,000 |
2017 Bond |
|
Pedestrian & Bicycle |
Harry Wurzbach Road |
LP 410 to Dove Haven Drive |
$10,000,000 |
$2,000,000 |
Future Bond |
|
Added Capacity |
S. New Braunfels |
Lyster to LP 410 |
$19,500,000 |
$3,900,000 |
Future Bond |
|
Added Capacity |
Prue Road |
Cedar Park to Old Prue Road/Rocky Trail |
$10,500,000 |
$2,100,000 |
Future Bond |
|
|
|
TOTAL COSTS |
$83,500,000 |
$16,700,000 |
|
The list of projects will need to be approved by City Council on November 9, 2017 prior to the December 4, 2017 project submittal deadline. The TIP development schedule is as follows:
• January 2018 - Projects scored by MPO Committees
• February 2018 - MPO hosts public meetings/workshops
• March 2018 - MPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Transportation Policy Board review the draft TIP and the TAC makes a recommendation to the MPO’s Executive Committee on projects recommended for STP-MM funding
• April 2018 - MPO Technical Advisory Committee and Transportation Policy Board take action on the TIP
• May 2018 - Approved TIP is due to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) since TxDOT serves as the federally designated pass-through agency
ALTERNATIVES:
This is a briefing only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2019-2022 TIP call for projects has an estimated $170,000,000.00 available for the AAMPO. The City’s TCI Department is recommending a list of projects to be submitted for this funding round that totals $83.5 million. The program requires a 20% match by the entity. The City’s 20% would total $16.7 million, of which, $5.6 million is budgeted and $11.1 million of which is to be identified funding.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends this briefing on eight 2019-2022 TIP projects be presented to City Council during the November 9th “A” Session. City staff will request City Council authorization for the submittal of these eight transportation projects for funding consideration by the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization by December 4, 2017.