To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Grant applications for Cycle 7 of the Active Transportation Program, El Sobrante and North Richmond areas
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to submit grant applications to the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for Cycle 7 of the Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant program for the Appian Way Pedestrian Improvements Project, San Pablo Dam Road Complete Streets Project, Verde Elementary Safe Routes to School Project, and North Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Project, El Sobrante and North Richmond areas. (District I)
FISCAL IMPACT:
79% Federal Funds and 21% Local Road Funds.
BACKGROUND:
On March 22 and March 27, 2024, the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), respectively, issued a Call for Projects for Cycle 7 of the Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant program. In the Call for Projects, Caltrans and MTC solicit applications for projects that have an overall purpose of encouraging active modes of transportation such as walking and biking. The program aims to increase the share of walking and biking trips, increase safety and mobility for non-motorized users, help regional agencies achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals, enhance public health, ensure that disadvantaged communities fully share in program benefits, and provide a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many types of active transportation users. Applications must be submitted by June 17, 2024.
Caltrans and MTC have authorized approximately $284 million and $49 million for the statewide and regional components, respectively, of the ATP grant program. The County intends to apply for four grants for Cycle 7 of the ATP grant program.
Caltrans and MTC will evaluate applications based on the following primary criteria: (1) benefits to disadvantaged communities; (2) need; (3) safety; and (4) public participation and planning. Depending on the scope and estimated cost of the project, the following additional criteria will be considered: (5) scope and plan layout consistency and cost effectiveness; (6) context sensitive and innovation; (7) transformative projects; and (8) leveraging.
On May 13, 2024, the Transportation, Water & Infrastructure Committee reviewed the candidate projects listed below and recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve their submission as grant applications.
RECOMMENDED CANDIDATE PROJECTS:
Public Works staff reviewed its planned transportation projects countywide against the grant program’s evaluation criteria. Based on the current cycle’s scoring rubrics and submittals to prior program cycles, a project’s location within a disadvantaged community as defined by the program’s Call for Projects was essentially a requirement to be awarded grant funding. The requirement to benefit a disadvantaged community greatly limited the selection to a few unincorporated areas, while existing public outreach efforts and current level of design further narrowed the potential projects to those in the El Sobrante and North Richmond areas. Public Works staff recommends submitting grant applications for the projects summarized below:
1. Appian Way Pedestrian Improvements - El Sobrante (District 1)
Appian Way is a roadway arterial that serves as a primary route of travel within the El Sobrante community. The corridor comprises small businesses that serve within a largely residential community. Appian Way serves as an important travel route for residents and students.
The proposed project will enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity by adding crosswalk enhancements at five uncontrolled crosswalk locations and filling in sidewalk gaps along Appian Way. The five locations that will receive crosswalk improvements along Appian Way are at the intersections of Garden Road, Santa Rita Road, Pebble Drive, Rincon Road, and Argyle Road. The crosswalk enhancements at these locations include: the installation of curb extensions, rapid rectangular flashing beacons, median islands, curb ramps, and updated striping. This application is a resubmittal from last cycle.
2. San Pablo Dam Road Complete Streets - El Sobrante (District 1)
This 2.3-mile-long segment of San Pablo Dam Road between Appian Way and Castro Ranch Road has been identified in the Contra Costa County Vision Zero Action Plan as a high priority area for safety improvements based on several criteria such as number of collisions, traffic and pedestrian volumes, and existing road geometrics.
The proposed project primarily comprises a “road diet” to convert the existing four-lane San Pablo Dam Road to a three-lane roadway with one lane in each direction and a center two-way left-turn lane. The additional roadway width will be used to install bicycle lanes. Additional work will involve removing the existing pavement striping and markings, applying a slurry seal, traffic signal modifications, installing the new pavement striping and markings, and installing pedestrian crosswalk improvements.
Town hall meetings have been held with the El Sobrante community, and there has been a strong support for this project. The survey identified that over 80 percent supported the proposed road diet along San Pablo Dam Road.
3. Verde Elementary Safe Routes to School - North Richmond (District 1)
Market Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the underserved community of North Richmond and is a popular route to Verde Elementary School. Market Avenue was improved with Class III bicycle markings along the project limits in 2022 and curb extensions were installed at the intersection of Giaramita Street in 2024. However, the remaining pedestrian infrastructure is deficient, the vehicle lanes are wider than they needed, and the sidewalks are narrow and failing. The emphasis on vehicle travel is no longer a cultural trend and this community needs an investment in the pedestrian infrastructure to promote active mobility. As one of the most impoverished communities in the state, the proposed project will provide a pedestrian-friendly corridor to connect North Richmond residents to Verde Elementary School, transit, market, community services and places of worship to uplift this community and promote a more sustainable community and healthy lifestyles.
The proposed project will reduce the vehicle travel lane widths along Market Avenue between Fred Jackson Way and 7th Street to accommodate wider sidewalks for a more comfortable walking environment and street trees to promote urban greening. Additionally, curb extensions will be installed at the intersection of Verde Avenue and Giaramita Street located north of Market Avenue, which leads to Verde Elementary School. These improvements will calm speeding traffic and deter semi-trucks from using this community as a cut-through to the industrial area to the north. Pedestrian comfort will be enhanced by brightening the existing streetlights and installing new streetlights at adjacent joint utility poles. This project is a resubmittal from last grant cycle. This project was previously submitted as “Market Avenue Sidewalk Widening” but has been renamed to better reflect the connection of the project with Verde Elementary.
4. North Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Network - North Richmond (District 1)
The existing conditions in North Richmond’s growing job sector offer many challenges for all people walking, biking, or rolling to their jobs. These challenges mainly take the form of wide travel lanes and gaps in pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure, indicative of overall lack of connectivity for all road users. The multiple gaps in sidewalk infrastructure reach several thousand feet in total, and Class II bike facilities only exist along the minimal frontage of Sunborne Nursery on Central St and partway through Brookside Drive, which is disconnected from the rest of the bike network. Some streets, such as the eastern portion of Brookside Drive, have neither sidewalks nor bike lanes. Based on community engagement, there is concern for the lack of active transportation infrastructure discouraging people from walking or biking and creating stressful conditions for residents who currently walk or bike to their destinations because they have no other means to do so. Most residents during outreach for the project indicated that they would not feel comfortable walking or biking in this area and would not feel comfortable letting their children walk or bike in the area. In addition, the project area lacks lighting at night.
The proposed project will focus on addressing the deficiencies in the local active transportation network, and install sidewalks and bike paths where missing. Over 10,000 feet of Class II bike facilities will be installed on Pittsburg Avenue, Central Street, Fred Jackson Way, and Brookside Drive. In addition, the project will install widened sidewalks, crosswalks, and lighting to improve safety for pedestrians.
The North Richmond Bike Network Project will provide a multi-modal friendly transportation network that will overcome the challenges that residents face getting to and from work. The proposed improvements will not only increase roadway safety for active transportation users and minimize pedestrian and bicyclist discomfort, but also encourage a mode-shift to walking, biking, and rolling for the community’s’ local trips.
If authorized to proceed, staff will finalize and submit the grant applications for the recommended candidate projects by June 17, 2024.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Public Works Department is not authorized to submit the application, grant funding will not be available, which will delay the design and construction of these projects.