Title
Transportation Department recommending adoption of Resolution supporting the Department of Transportation's Grant Application for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery funding for the US 50 High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes Extension Project, Phases 2A and 2B.
FUNDING: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery.
Resolution 199-2009
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost:
There is no fiscal impact or change to Net County Cost associated with this item.
Background:
The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) announced a Notice of Funding Availability for Supplemental Discretionary Grants for Capital Investments in Surface Transportation Infrastructure under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in May 2009. Applications for the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants are due to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation by September 15, 2009. In an effort to submit a California consensus, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has requested that discretionary grant applicant agencies also submit TIGER applications to Caltrans for potential inclusion in a statewide list of TIGER projects to be endorsed by the Governor. Those "draft" applications were submitted to Caltrans on August 3rd and are scheduled to be reviewed by a diverse panel made up of a range of transportation interests.
The amount of ARRA TIGER discretionary grant funding nationwide is $1.5 billion. The ARRA specifies that grants funded under the TIGER program may be no less than $20 million and no greater than $300 million, however, the US DOT has discretion to waive the $20 million minimum. No more than 20% of the funds made available under this program ($300 million) may be awarded to projects in a single state.
The ARRA TIGER discretionary grant guidance states that the US DOT must take measures to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of funds and an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban and rural communities. TIGER Discretionary Grants may be used for up to 100% of project costs, but priority must be given to projects for which Federal funding is required to complete an overall financing package that includes non-Federal sources of funds. Further, priority must also be given to projects that can be completed by February 17, 2012. The TIGER application requires a resolution adopted by project sponsor's governing board supporting the project nomination for TIGER funding.
Reason for Recommendation:
El Dorado County's Department of Transportation, in collaboration with El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC) and Caltrans, has nominated the US 50 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes Extension, Phase 2A (Bass Lake Grade to Cameron Park Drive) and Phase 2B (Cameron Park Drive to Ponderosa Road) for ARRA TIGER discretionary grant funding. Design and environmental documentation are complete (CEQA MND and NEPA FONSI certified June, 2002); Right of Way is cleared and no permits are required. Phase 2A could be ready to proceed with construction in January 2010. Plans, Specifications, and Estimates for Phase 2B are underway and scheduled to be complete in spring 2010.
Funding this regionally significant HOV project with ARRA TIGER discretionary grant funding will leverage funding from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and the El Dorado County Traffic Impact (TIM) Fee Program. The Memorandum of Understanding and Intergovernmental Agreement between the County of El Dorado and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, executed September 28, 2006, commits the Miwok Tribe to provide an annual funding stream in the amount of $5.2 million for twenty (20) years, beginning in December 2009, to the County of El Dorado for transportation infrastructure improvements along the US 50 Corridor between Bass Lake Road and Ponderosa Road.
The Department proposes to work with the Auditor-Controller and the El Dorado County Bond Screening Committee this fall and winter to develop a plan to sell bonds secured by the proceeds from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians annual payment to the County for highway improvements. If the US 50 HOV Lane Project is selected for ARRA TIGER discretionary grant funding in February 2010 and the markets favor a bond sale, the Department plans to ask the Bond Screening Committee and the Board of Supervisors to initiate a bond sale.
The County's TIM Fee Program also provides funding for surface transportation capital improvement projects, however, the TIM Fee Program is financially constrained and all anticipated TIM funding is programmed for other projects in the County's 10-year Capital Improvement Program through 2017. Funding this regionally significant US 50 HOV Lane project with ARRA TIGER discretionary grant funding will leverage both the TIM Fee Program and the annual funding stream from the Miwok Tribe and will construct the HOV lanes five to seven years ahead of schedule.
The US 50 HOV Lanes Project is included in El Dorado County DOT's Adopted 2009 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), El Dorado County's US 50 Traffic Impact Mitigation (TIM) Fee Program, El Dorado County's General Plan (2004), Caltrans' US Highway 50 Corridor System Management Plan (CSMP) updated May 2009, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)'s 2009/2012 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) and 2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), and the EDCTC Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).
The Department has prepared a Resolution for adoption by the Board supporting the project nomination for TIGER funding. The Resolution must be submitted with the TIGER application.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
1) The Board Clerk will obtain the Chairman's signature on two (2) originals of the Resolution,
2) The Board Clerk will forward one (1) original of the adopted Resolution to the Department for inclusion with the final TIGER grant application.
Contact:
James W. Ware, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: County Counsel