Title
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign Cooperative Agreement 03-0612 with the State of California Department of Transportation for the planning, design, and construction of a multimodal complete streets strategy for the Meyers Corridor along U.S. Highway 50 /State Route 89, including the processing of the Project Approval and Environmental Document for the Meyers Corridor Operational Improvement Project, CIP 73120, and phasing projects, Apache Avenue/U.S. Highway 50 Intersection Improvement Project, CIP 72380, and Pioneer Trail/U.S. Highway 50 Intersection Safety Improvement Project, CIP 72379, and to obtain an estimated $300,000 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funding for completing the various project work.
.
FUNDING: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (Federal Funding)
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services (CDS), Department of Transportation (Transportation), recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign Cooperative Agreement 03-0612 (Cooperative Agreement) with the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the planning, design, and construction of a multimodal complete streets strategy for the Meyers Corridor along U.S. Highway 50/State Route 89 (US50/SR89), including the processing of the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) for the Meyers Corridor Operational Improvement Project, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Project 73120 (Meyers Corridor), and phasing projects, Apache Avenue/US50 Intersection Improvement Project, CIP 72380 (Apache Avenue), and Pioneer Trail/US50 Intersection Safety Improvement Project, CIP 72379 (Pioneer Trail), and to obtain an estimated $300,000 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding for completing the various project work.
The Cooperative Agreement defines the obligations of both the County and Caltrans regarding the activities and funding for the various project work and the processing of the PA&ED.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Cooperative Agreement describes the work as the planning, design, and construction of a multimodal complete streets strategy within the 1.3-mile stretch of the Meyers Corridor along US50/SR89 (from Chiapa Drive to Pioneer Trail). Improvements that will be considered include:
1) Adding lighting, signage, and landscaping;
2) Providing multimodal transportation improvements like visible crosswalks for bicycle and pedestrian movements;
3) Providing for future growth for transit facilities; and
4) Improving opportunities to experience Meyers as a pedestrian or cyclist.
Components of this multimodal project strategy will be phased to align improvement needs, construction staging within the highway corridor, and available funding for the Meyers Corridor and the Apache Avenue and Pioneer Trail phasing projects.
Caltrans policy requires the execution of a Cooperative Agreement whenever there is an exchange of effort, funding, or materials between Caltrans and a local agency like El Dorado County. This Agreement will allow for the County to process through Caltrans a PA&ED for the various projects, and will define the roles and responsibilities for the County to prepare and Caltrans to review and approve the PA&ED.
Transportation is coordinating with project partners including Caltrans, local utility companies, law enforcement and emergency responders, private business owners, Tahoe Basin agencies (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation District, California Tahoe Conservancy, State Department of Food and Agriculture, United States Forest Service, and State Water Quality Resources Control Board-Lahontan Region), and the Meyers community.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose to not approve or authorize the Chair’s signature on the Cooperative Agreement. Transportation would then be ineligible to obtain the CMAQ funding and unable to move forward with this multimodal project strategy.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Cooperative Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will have no impact to Net County Cost. Approval of the Cooperative Agreement will allow Transportation to receive an estimated $300,000 of CMAQ funding to prepare the PA&ED. The estimated local match will be coming from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain County Counsel’s signature on each of the three (3) original copies of the Cooperative Agreement.
2) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair's signature on each of the three (3) original copies of the Cooperative Agreement.
3) The Clerk of the Board will send the three (3) original copies of the partially-executed Cooperative Agreement to CDS Transportation, Tahoe Engineering Unit, attention of Patty Scott, for sending to Caltrans for approval and signature.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Community Development Services, Department of Transportation