To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Grant applications for Cycle 13 of the Highway Safety Improvement Program, District III. (90% Highway Safety Improvement Program Funds and 10% Local Road Funds)
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to submit grant applications to the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for Cycle 13 of the Highway Safety Improvement (HSIP), as recommended by the Transportation, Water and Infrastructure Committee. (District III)
FISCAL IMPACT:
The grant applications are estimated to total $2,625,000. If awarded, local grant match requirements would be typically 10%, with 90% coming from the Highway Safety Improvement Program. Local grant match would be from Road Fund revenues.
BACKGROUND:
On July 1, 2026, Caltrans announced the Call for Projects for Cycle 13 of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This potential award of state funding will augment local road funds, stretching local dollars to build improvements that would not be possible otherwise. HSIP is a core federal-aid program to the states for the purpose of achieving a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. HSIP focuses on infrastructure projects with nationally recognized crash reduction factors (CRFs) and must be identified on the basis of collision history. Senate Bill 137 allows the exchange of state funds with federal funds, and it is expected that $230 million of federal funds and $140 million of State funds will be used for projects selected for funding in HSIP Cycle 13.
Examples of eligible type of projects may include, but are not limited to, the following list:
• Intersection safety improvements
• Pavement and shoulder widening
• Installation of rumble strips or other warning devices
• Installation of a skid-resistant surface
• Improvement for bicycle or pedestrian safety
• Elimination of hazards at a railway-highway crossing
• Traffic calming feature
• Elimination of a roadside obstacle
• Highway signage and pavement markings
• Traffic control or other warning device
• Installation of guardrails, barriers, and crash attenuators
There are two application categories in HSIP Cycle 13: Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and Funding Set-Asides (SA). Three-hundred six million ($306,000,000) will be for BCR applications and sixty-four million ($64,000,000) for five Funding SAs (guardrail upgrades, pedestrian crossing enhancements, lane departure prevention, bike safety improvements, and tribes). A BCR calculation is not required for applications pursuing Funding SAs.
The federal cost share of HSIP funding for the projects described below is 90% with a local match pf 10%. Typically, local match funds are derived from Road Fund revenues.
If authorized to proceed, staff will finalize and submit grant applications for the recommended candidate projects by November 2, 2026. Announcements of the statewide awards are expected in January 2027.
RECOMMENDED CANDIDATE PROJECTS:
The Public Works Department recommends the following projects as candidates for Cycle 13 of HSIP funding (in no particular order), based upon collision history and initial project scoping:
1. Countywide Guardrail Upgrades Phase 4 (SA) - Brentwood, Byron, and Discovery Bay (District 3)
This project proposes to upgrade existing guardrails in the unincorporated areas of Brentwood, Byron, and Discovery Bay. This project is a continuation of systemically upgrading all guardrails in the unincorporated County.
2. Camino Diablo Safety Improvements (BCR) - Byron (District 3)
This project proposes to install street lighting and edge-line rumble strips along Camino Diablo between Vasco Road and McCabe Drive.
The following project sites were identified during preliminary project scoping but are not recommended to move forward due to lack of project readiness or competitiveness:
1. Bear Creek Road Safety Improvements - Briones (Districts 1 and 5)
2. San Pablo Avenue Safety Improvements - Tara Hills (District 1)
3. Marsh Creek Road Safety Enhancements - Unincorporated Brentwood (District 3)
4. Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements at Intersections of Willow Pass Road with Solano Avenue and Bella Vista Avenue - Bay Point (District 5)
5. Lane Departure Prevention Set-Aside - Countywide
During project research and prior to the application deadline, if staff discovers a critical constraint that would result in the project being cost prohibitive or will not meet the eligibility requirements of the grant funding program, staff will hold the application for further study to increase project readiness for the following grant cycle.
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 these projects.