To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Grant applications for the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant program for fiscal year 2024/2025, El Sobrante and Canyon areas.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to submit two grant applications to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) for the fiscal year 2024/2025 cycle of the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant program for the San Pablo Dam Road Rehabilitation and Pinehurst Road Slope Failures and Erosion Repair projects, El Sobrante and Canyon areas. (Districts I and II)
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs for the San Pablo Dam Road and Pinehurst Road projects are estimated to be $17.5 million and $15 million, respectively. Both require a local match of approximately 20%. (80% Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Funds and 20% Local Road Funds).
BACKGROUND:
On October 25, 2024, the DOT issued the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the PROTECT grant program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also referred to as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or “BIL”). In the notice, the DOT solicits applications to plan and strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters. Applications must be submitted by February 24, 2025.
The DOT has authorized and appropriated $876 million to be awarded as part of the PROTECT program across two application periods, fiscal years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. The grant program categorizes applications as either: (a) Planning Grants to develop Resilience Improvement Plans; (b) Resilience Improvement Grants to improve the ability of an existing surface transportation asset to withstand one or more elements of a weather event or natural disaster; or to increase the resilience of surface transportation infrastructure from the impacts of changing conditions; (c) Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants to strengthen and protect evacuation routes that are essential for providing and supporting evacuations caused by emergency events; and (d) At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants to strengthen, stabilize, harden, elevate, relocate, or otherwise enhance the resilience of highway and non-rail infrastructure that are subject to, or face increased long-term future risks of, a weather event, a natural disaster or changing conditions including coastal flooding, coastal erosion, wave action, storm surge, or sea level rise.
The DOT will evaluate applications based on eight merit criteria: (1) vulnerability and risk; (2) criticality to community; (3) design elements; (4) public engagement, partnerships, and collaboration; (5) equity; (6) climate change and sustainability; (7) schedule and budget; and (8) innovation.
The County intends to apply for two Resilience Grants of the PROTECT program for the San Pablo Dam Road Rehabilitation and Pinehurst Road Slope Failures and Erosion Repair projects.
The San Pablo Dam Road Rehabilitation project will repair structural deficiencies along San Pablo Dam Road from Tri Lane to Bear Creek Road and rehabilitate the existing pavement which is showing signs of movement downslope along the San Pablo Reservoir (easterly) side of the road. The project will include localized pavement repairs including milling, cold-in-place asphalt recycling, hot mix asphalt overlay, and additional methods to restore the road.
The Pinehurst Road Slope Failures and Erosion Repair project will repair slope failures and erosion at seven locations along Pinehurst Road in the Canyon community. The slope failures and erosion have also caused damage to culverts, guardrails, pavement, and retaining walls.
If authorized to proceed, staff will finalize and submit the grant applications by February 24, 2025.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Public Works Department is not authorized to submit the applications, grant funding will not be available, which will delay the design and construction of the projects.
c: Warren Lai, Public Works Director
Steve Kowalewski, Chief Deputy Public Works Director
Jerry Fahy, Transportation Engineering