To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Metropolitan Transportation Commission Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Grant Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Resolution No. 2025-XXX, authorizing the Conservation and Development Director to submit a grant application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for funding in the amount of $425,000 towards the San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study; AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director to accept the grant funds, if awarded, and take related actions; and APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director to execute a coordinating agreement with the City of Pinole to commit the required local matching funds in the amount of $50,000 from the County and $25,000 from the City, and to coordinate the expenditure of local matching and grant funds towards the completion of the Study, subject to approval by the County Administrator and approval as to form by the County Counsel.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None to the General Fund. (12% required County match; Measure J)
The actions will allow the County to receive grant funds to conduct the San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study. $75,000 in match funds will be provided by the County ($50,000, Measure J) and City of Pinole ($25,000).
BACKGROUND:
In February 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (“MTC”) informed the County that it will be awarded $425,000 from the Regional Measure 3 (“RM3”) - Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail (“SR2TBT”) Grant Program to conduct the San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study (“Study”).
As a condition to receive the grant award, the County is required to adopt a resolution of local support that:
• authorizes the County to request and receive MTC RM3 - SR2TBT grant funding,
• commit necessary matching funds towards the Study, and
• provides assurance that the Study will be completed.
A total of $75,000 in matching funds will be committed towards the conduct of the Study. The County will commit $50,000, while the City of Pinole, a co-applicant, will commit $25,000.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the actions are not taken, the County will be unable to receive grant funds to conduct the San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
and for Special Districts, Agencies and Authorities Governed by the Board
body
IN THE MATTER OF Resolution No. 2025/XXX
Authorizing the application for Metropolitan transportation commission funding and committing any necessary matching funds and stating assurance to complete the project FOR THE San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study
WHEREAS, Contra Costa County (herein referred to as APPLICANT) is submitting an application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for $425,000 in funding assigned to MTC for programming discretion, which includes federal funding administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and federal or state funding administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) such as Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) funding, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding, Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funding, Transportation Alternatives (TA) set-aside/Active Transportation Program (ATP) funding, and Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP) funding (herein collectively referred to as REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING) for the San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study (herein referred to as PROJECT) for the Regional Measure 3 - Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Grant Program (herein referred to as PROGRAM); and
WHEREAS, the United States Congress from time to time enacts and amends legislation to provide funding for various transportation needs and programs, (collectively, the FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT) including, but not limited to the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) (23 U.S.C. § 133), the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) (23 U.S.C. § 149), the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) (23 U.S.C. § 175), and the Transportation Alternatives (TA) set-aside (23 U.S.C. § 133); and
WHEREAS, state statutes, including California Streets and Highways Code §182.6, §182.7, and §2381(a)(1), and California Government Code §14527, provide various funding programs for the programming discretion of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT, and any regulations promulgated thereunder, eligible project sponsors wishing to receive federal or state funds for a regionally-significant project shall submit an application first with the appropriate MPO, or RTPA, as applicable, for review and inclusion in the federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP); and
WHEREAS, MTC is the MPO and RTPA for the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay region; and
WHEREAS, MTC has adopted a Regional Project Funding Delivery Policy (MTC Resolution No. 3606, revised) that sets out procedures governing the application and use of REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING; and
WHEREAS, APPLICANT is an eligible sponsor for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING; and
WHEREAS, as part of the application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING, MTC requires a resolution adopted by the responsible implementing agency stating the following:
• the commitment of any required matching funds; and
• that the sponsor understands that the REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING is fixed at the programmed amount, and therefore any cost increase cannot be expected to be funded with additional REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING; and
• that the PROJECT will comply with the procedures, delivery milestones and funding deadlines specified in the Regional Project Funding Delivery Policy (MTC Resolution No. 3606, revised); and
• the assurance of the sponsor to complete the PROJECT as described in the application, subject to environmental clearance, and if approved, as included in MTC's federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP); and
• that the PROJECT will have adequate staffing resources to deliver and complete the PROJECT within the schedule submitted with the project application; and
• that the PROJECT will comply with all project-specific requirements as set forth in the PROGRAM; and
• that APPLICANT has assigned, and will maintain a single point of contact for all FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation projects to coordinate within the agency and with the respective County Transportation Agency (CTA), MTC, Caltrans, FHWA, and CTC on all communications, inquires or issues that may arise during the federal programming and delivery process for all FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation and transit projects implemented by APPLICANT; and
WHEREAS, that APPLICANT is authorized to submit an application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECT; and
WHEREAS, there is no legal impediment to APPLICANT making applications for the funds; and
WHEREAS, there is no pending or threatened litigation that might in any way adversely affect the proposed PROJECT, or the ability of APPLICANT to deliver such PROJECT; and
WHEREAS, APPLICANT authorizes its Department of Conservation and Development Director, or designee to execute and file an application with MTC for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECT as referenced in this resolution and to execute any agreements and take other actions that may be necessary to receive any awarded funds and complete the PROJECT; and
WHEREAS, MTC requires that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the MTC in conjunction with the filing of the application.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the APPLICANT is authorized to execute and file an application for funding for the PROJECT for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING under the FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION ACT or continued funding; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT will provide any required matching funds; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT understands that the REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the project is fixed at the MTC approved programmed amount, and that any cost increases must be funded by the APPLICANT from other funds, and that APPLICANT does not expect any cost increases to be funded with additional REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT understands the funding deadlines associated with these funds and will comply with the provisions and requirements of the Regional Project Funding Delivery Policy (MTC Resolution No. 3606, revised) and APPLICANT has, and will retain the expertise, knowledge and resources necessary to deliver federally-funded transportation and transit projects, and has assigned, and will maintain a single point of contact for all FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation projects to coordinate within the agency and with the respective County Transportation Agency (CTA), MTC, Caltrans, FHWA, and CTC on all communications, inquires or issues that may arise during the federal programming and delivery process for all FHWA- and CTC-funded transportation and transit projects implemented by APPLICANT; and be it further
RESOLVED that PROJECT will be implemented as described in the complete application and in this resolution, subject to environmental clearance, and, if approved, for the amount approved by MTC and programmed in the federal TIP; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT has reviewed the PROJECT and has adequate staffing resources to deliver and complete the PROJECT within the schedule submitted with the project application; and be it further
RESOLVED that PROJECT will comply with the requirements as set forth in MTC programming guidelines and project selection procedures for the PROGRAM; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT is an eligible sponsor of REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING funded projects; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT is authorized to submit an application for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECT; and be it further
RESOLVED that there is no legal impediment to APPLICANT making applications for the funds; and be it further
RESOLVED that there is no pending or threatened litigation that might in any way adversely affect the proposed PROJECT, or the ability of APPLICANT to deliver such PROJECT; and be it further
RESOLVED that APPLICANT authorizes its Department of Conservation and Development Director, or designee to execute and file an application with MTC for REGIONAL DISCRETIONARY FUNDING for the PROJECT as referenced in this resolution; and be it further
RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution will be transmitted to the MTC in conjunction with the filing of the application; and be it further
RESOLVED that the MTC is requested to support the application for the PROJECT described in the resolution, and if approved, to include the PROJECT in MTC's federal TIP upon submittal by the project sponsor for TIP programming.