Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board of Supervisors approve the Department of Transportation's (DOT) funding strategy for funding improvements to the southeast quadrant of the El Dorado Hills Boulevard Interchange, the westbound on-ramp of the Ray lawyer Interchange, and the funding of Phase 2A of the HOV lane project.
FUNDING: CMAQ/CMIA
Body
Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this agenda item. This agenda item reallocates existing funding and brings in additional funding to the County. Fiscal impacts will occur after subsequent Board actions in the project delivery process.
Background:
DOT, in conjunction with the City of Placerville's Public Works Department (City) had made applications for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding from the El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC) for improvements to the southeast quadrant of the El Dorado Hills Boulevard Interchange ($4,651,544) and to construct the westbound on-ramp for the future Ray Lawyer Interchange ($5,825,000). The EDCTC made recommendations to award the CMAQ funds to the DOT and City. Subsequent to that recommendation, questions were raised regarding whether portions of both interchange projects were eligible for CMAQ funding. At the same time, through the efforts of the EDCTC and DOT Staff, the County was the recipient of surplus Congestion Mitigation Improvement Account (CMIA) funding from the State ($9,500,000).
In light of this windfall CMIA funding from the state, DOT proposes to take the CMAQ funds from both of the interchange projects and pair it up with the CMIA funding to construct the HOV Phase 2A project. The interchange projects will be funded with local funds, actual type of local funds to be determined based on the availability and applicability of the funds and the project.
Reason for Recommendation:
Moving the CMAQ funding to the HOV lane project removes any question of its eligibility for use on the project, allows the DOT to advance the HOV project sooner than anticipated in our CIP, while still allowing the other interchange projects to move forward using local funding.
Action to be taken following Board approval:
DOT will notify the EDCTC of this change and ask them to amend their programming documents accordingly.
Contact:
James W. Ware, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: None