DEPARTMENT: Public Works
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Razi Hosseini, P.E., R.P.L.S., Director/City Engineer
COUNCIL DISTRICT IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Proposed Projects for the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
SUMMARY:
An ordinance approving the submission of a grant application to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) for funding in the total amount of $176,125,974.00 from federal funds for 19 proposed projects and programs in the total estimated amount of $220,157,467.00 with a potential City match of $44,031,493.00 for consideration through the FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and authorizing the acceptance of federal funds if awarded.
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 these partner agencies to determine the allocation of federal transportation funds.
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) has opened program project calls for three separate funding sources as of October 1, 2020, for funding consideration in FY 2023-2026:
• Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG)
• Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)
In this process, federal transportation funds are allocated to major road, street, highway, bicycle, pedestrian, public transportation, and other programs. The implementing agency commits to developing and letting selected projects within one year of the let year in which the projects are initially placed in the Transportation Improvement Program.
The TIP is a four-year financially constrained list of transportation projects 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 2023-2026 and includes roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and other projects. All governmental entities throughout the AAMPO region may submit projects. Projects may be awarded in full or partially. The selection and award of project funding are anticipated to be approved by the AAMPO Transportation Policy Board in August 2021.
Projects submitted for funding consideration must meet the following requirements:
• Infrastructure projects submitted must have a minimum construction cost of $1,000,000.
• Only eligible items related to construction will be reimbursable; all development costs (i.e. design, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, etc.) are the local implementing agency's responsibility.
• A minimum 20% cash match on the project or program cost is required.
• Projects or programs selected for funding will be placed in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) for the respective fiscal year.
While AAMPO selects projects for STBG/TAP/CMAQ funding, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is the federally designated pass-through agency for these funding sources. Entities awarded funding will enter into an agreement with TxDOT, who will require reimbursement of their costs for review and coordination of the project or program.
On February 26, 2021, the City Council Transportation & Mobility Committee recommended requesting full City Council approval in March 2021 to submit an application for the recommended 19 projects to the AAMPO by the April 1, 2021 project submittal deadline.
ISSUE:
This ordinance authorizes the submission of a grant application to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) for funding in the total amount of $176,125,974.00 from federal funds for the construction of 19 proposed projects and programs in the total estimated amount of $220,157,467.00 through the FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and authorizing the acceptance of federal funds if awarded.
The 19 projects proposed by the Transportation and Public Works Departments have been selected based on strategies and goals from the SA Tomorrow Multimodal Transportation Plan. Various metrics and data sources were used to prepare scoring to prioritize needs related to Community, Existing Roadway Conditions, Proposed Features and Feasibility.
The list of the 19 projects is included herein as an attachment for each of the three funding sources.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could choose not to authorize any or all of the projects in this submittal for federal funding consideration. However, the City would lose an opportunity to obtain approximately $176,125,974.00 in federal funds to complete these important transportation improvement projects in San Antonio. The $176,125,974.00 represents the estimated construction cost for the 19 projects less the 20% local match amount. City Council also could choose to select other projects or change the priority order of projects. The projects recommended meet the program requirements and represent needs throughout the San Antonio community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance requests City Council action to submit a grant application to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for funding in the total amount of $176,125,974.00 from federal funds to construct 19 projects and programs in the total estimated amount of $220,157,467.00. If approved, the City will be responsible for a local match of 20% of the approved construction costs including design, environmental and administration cost and is estimated at $44,031,493.00. The City’s portion is to be funded potentially through a combination of the 2022 Bond Program, future Bond Programs and future annual Fiscal Year Budgets. City match is contingent upon council approval of future budgets.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the submission of a grant application to the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) for funding in the total amount of $176,125,974.00 from federal funds for the construction of 19 proposed projects and programs in the total estimated amount of $220,157,467.00 through the FY 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and authorizing the acceptance of federal funds if awarded.