The Board of Supervisors authorized submission of applications to the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the Active Transportation Program (ATP) in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 for Cycles 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Similar to past years, the Public Works Department (PWD) provides the following staff report with recommendations for candidate projects and requests authorization to submit these applications to compete for both Statewide and Regional funding awards.
The call for projects for ATP was released on March 26, 2020, for Cycle 5 funding, with applications due on June 15, 2020. On April 29, 2020, the California Transportation Commission approved the amendment to the ATP schedule to move the applications deadline to July 15, 2020, for quick-build projects and September 15, 2020, for all other project types in light of the COVID-19 State of Emergency.
Cycle 1 of this program was highly competitive with 771 applications submitted statewide with less than 20% awarded funding. The County was awarded $800,000 in Cycle 1 funds. Cycle 2 was competitive with over 600 applications. Approximately 20% of the applications in Cycle 2 were awarded funding with the County receiving $4,700,000 in Cycle 2 funds. Cycle 3 had 447 submitted applications with the County receiving $3,917,000 in Cycle 3 funds. Cycle 4 had 554 submitted applications with the County not receiving any funds.
The competitive rating criteria for the ATP program emphasizes the following goals:
Increase proportion of trips accomplished through walking and biking;
- Increase safety and mobility for non-motorized users;
- Advance active transportation efforts to achieve green-house gas reduction goals as established pursuant to Senate Bill 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008) and Senate Bill 391 (Chapter 585, Statutes of 2009);
- Enhance public health, including reduction of childhood obesity through the use of programs including, but not limited to, project eligible for Safe Routes to School Program funding;
- Ensure that disadvantage communities fully share in the benefits of the program; and
- Provide a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many types of active transportation users.
Competitive projects must also demonstrate the ability to deliver the project within the required time constraints and must provide the California Conservation Corps with an opportunity to partner on the project during the construction phase.
RECOMMENDED CANDIDATE PROJECTS:
Staff recommends the following candidate projects be submitted for ATP funding consideration. These projects are recommended based upon their competitiveness, project readiness, available funding source to provide the local match, and staff availability to complete each application. The projects recommended below are all within disadvantaged communities or provide a benefit to a service population within a disadvantaged community to assure competitiveness. The following projects are being resubmitted from the 2018 call for projects: Appian Way Complete Streets, Bailey Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements, Market Avenue Complete Streets, and San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets. Although these previous applications were not awarded in the previous cycle, staff has received feedback from the review committee and has improved the applications accordingly. A description of each project is included below.
Appian Way Complete Streets – El Sobrante
Staff has worked with the El Sobrante community and City of Pinole staff on planning studies for Appian Way over the past six years. Staff has developed the complete streets concept for Appian Way that was first identified in a study conducted by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) in collaboration with the County and the City of Pinole. This study was approved by the Board in December 2013, which included adoption of the Complete Streets Alternative as the preferred alternative. This planning study was an initial step towards implementation of the El Sobrante General Plan Amendment. Preliminary layouts have been prepared to identify the scope and location of proposed bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Appian Way. The plans were presented at two public workshops and to the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council. During the most recent workshop, community members identified a priority for improvements at the intersection of Appian Way at Valley View Road as well as the segment of Appian Way from Valley View Road to San Pablo Dam Road.
The planning efforts included the full extent of Appian Way from San Pablo Dam Road to the City of Pinole; however, this grant application is focused on improvements from the Appian Way and Valley View Road intersection to San Pablo Dam Road. The project scope is to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Appian Way and Valley View Road, which includes pedestrian crossings with refuge islands, sidewalks, and striping for bicycle lanes. The proposed enhancements along Appian Way between Valley View to San Pablo Dam Road include sidewalk-related ADA improvements, traffic calming bulb-outs, and crosswalk safety flashing beacons. This project is located adjacent to a Priority Development Area. Staff will continue to work with the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council in moving these efforts forward.
Bailey Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements – Bay Point
The goal of the Bailey Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project is to improve the pedestrian and bicycle environment along Bailey Road in Bay Point in accordance with the 2010 Bailey Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Plan (Plan). The Plan provides design concepts that fulfill the community’s desire for Bailey Road to be safer and more walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented. The Plan is the result of numerous meetings and community discussions. Various stakeholders were involved with the creation of the Plan, including the Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council, Contra Costa County, City of Pittsburg, Caltrans, East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), Tri-Delta Transit, BART, and other concerned individuals.
This project proposes to narrow the four travel lanes and median to accommodate Class II bicycle lanes and expanded sidewalks with a buffer zone for enhanced pedestrian safety. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant curb ramps, expanded sidewalks, crosswalk enhancements, and Class II bicycle lanes will improve accessibility for all modes of active transportation.
This project is preceded by three complementary projects. The completed Delta-De Anza Trail Gap Closure/Crossing Signalization project installed signalized improvements at the Bailey Road crossing to provide a safer crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Bay Point Utility Undergrounding project, which began construction in 2019, includes relocation of utilities and removes joint poles that are barriers to mobility. The State Route 4 and Bailey Road Interchange project, located immediately south of this project and funded through a previous ATP cycle, will begin construction in 2021 and will install ADA pedestrian access, Class II bicycle lanes, and remove an off ramp to reduce conflict points for bicyclists or pedestrians.
Carquinez Middle School Trail Connection – Crockett
The Public Works Department is partnering with the John Swett Unified School District (JSUSD), to close a 1,000-foot gap on the multi-use Carquinez Strait Scenic Loop Trail (CSSLT). This trail connection will provide safe access for pedestrians along the west side of Crockett Boulevard from Pomona Street to Carquinez Middle School, Willow High School, and beyond to the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Crockett Hills Regional trail.
The trail connection will serve residents of the community of Crockett, regional visitors, and students who attend either of the two schools. Currently, students who attend Carquinez Middle School access the campus from the southwest corner of Pomona Street and Crockett Boulevard down a staircase. The school site is located approximately twenty feet below the elevation of the roadway. There is currently no direct access for mobility-impaired individuals. In addition, the students of Willow High School who depart the Regional transit bus at the intersection of Crockett Boulevard and Pomona Street must walk 1,200 feet along the roadway shoulder of Crockett Boulevard to access their school.
The project will include grading and paving an ADA-compliant separated path that runs parallel to Crockett Boulevard through Carquinez Middle School to Willow High School and beyond to the EBRPD staging area. The JSUSD will maintain the trail, potentially in partnership with the EBRPD. Since this project serves students of Carquinez Middle School and Willow High School as well as closes a gap in a regional trail, this project is expected to be competitive.
Market Avenue Complete Streets – North Richmond
The Market Avenue Complete Streets project is located along Market Avenue between Fred Jackson Way and 7th Street. Market Avenue is a minor arterial commonly utilized to travel between residences, community facilities, Verde Elementary school, and the neighboring City of San Pablo. The existing condition of Market Avenue includes wide travel lanes, substandard sidewalk conditions, and substandard curb ramps. The overall purpose of the project is to increase accessibility and support safer routes for users of active transportation. In July 2018, staff from the Public Works Department presented multiple multi-modal alternatives for Market Avenue between Fred Jackson Way and 7th Street to the North Richmond Municipal Advisory Council, and there was overwhelming support for widened, ADA-accessible sidewalks.
The proposed project includes construction of ADA-compliant curb ramps, bulb-outs, sidewalk widening, and Class III shared-lane markings for bicyclists. The ADA-compliant curb ramps and sidewalk widening will improve accessibility for people with disabilities. The bulb-outs will reduce the crosswalk travel distance at the intersection of Market Avenue and Giaramita Street, where students typically cross on their commute to Verde Elementary School. The addition of shared-lane markings is intended to alert drivers to share the road with bicyclists and encourage the use of active modes of transportation.
The improvements to Market Avenue will connect to nearby similar improvement projects. Wider sidewalks and buffered Class II bicycle lanes are planned for Fred Jackson Way between Grove Avenue and Pittsburg Avenue. Wider sidewalks have already been constructed on both sides of Giaramita Street, from Market Avenue to Verde Elementary School and on Market Avenue, from 7th Street to 300 feet past Soto Street. The Market Avenue Complete Streets project will connect to these adjacent improvement projects to establish a multi-modal corridor for the local community. This project is anticipated to be competitive for funding due to the location within a Community of Concern and a Priority Development Area.
San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets – Rodeo/Crockett
The San Pablo Avenue corridor between Rodeo and Crockett has been recognized in numerous prior planning documents as a key route and targeted for multi-modal improvements. The County’s 2005 General Plan designates this portion of the corridor as a Scenic Route, given its surrounding landscape and views of San Pablo Bay, the Carquinez Strait, and the Briones Hills. The 2009 Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan proposes a Class II bicycle facility on this portion of San Pablo Avenue and noted that this facility is part of the county’s larger bicycle and pedestrian network. The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee 2017 Action Plan designated the San Pablo Avenue corridor as a Route of Regional Significance and has identified an action to implement a complete streets/Bay Trail project connecting Rodeo and Crockett.
In 2014, a feasibility study was commissioned by the County through a Priority Development Area planning grant from MTC and CCTA for this segment of San Pablo Avenue to identify a preferred complete street alternative and set of improvements for the roadway. The study incorporated a series of technical studies, field work, public outreach, and engineering analysis, which provided the basis for the recommended alternative. A shared use path on the northern side with a road diet was determined as this recommended alternative. On June 5, 2018, the Board of Supervisors approved the feasibility report for the San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Study and authorized the Public Works Director to seek funding.
This project aims to provide a shared bicycle and pedestrian path on the northern side of the corridor, separated by a physical barrier. This will be accomplished by reducing the existing four travel lanes to one travel lane in each direction with center left-turn lanes, dedicated left-turn pockets, and truck climbing lanes. The addition of a shared bicycle and pedestrian path will close a 3-mile gap of the San Francisco Bay Trail, further connecting these two towns as well as the other amenities tied to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The anticipated benefits are numerous as the new infrastructure will not only provide an option for local residents to use an active mode of transportation for their commute but also extends well beyond these two towns to provide to the existing San Francisco Bay Trail, a 29-mile connection between Vallejo and Oakland.
San Pablo Dam Road Pedestrian Crossing – El Sobrante
San Pablo Dam Road is a route of regional significance, as it connects West County to Central County, and it experiences high volume and high-speed traffic. In the two-mile section between May Road and Castro Ranch Road, there is only one pedestrian crossing along this four-lane segment. The lone crossing creates a challenge for pedestrians to access the many businesses, schools, and bus stops on either side of the street. Due to high average daily traffic (ADT), and high vehicle speeds, pedestrian safety enhancements are proposed at two locations and will include Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB). PHBs are proposed to address this barrier to accessibility that many residents face. Both PHB crossings would include advanced warning signs, overhead mast arms with signal lights over each lane, yield markings, and a marked crosswalk. Providing the community with these two PHBs will create a safer environment for residents of all levels of mobility.
This project originated with several request from residents who identified this as a primary need for their community, which includes a number of multi-family residential developments. The implementation of two PHBs will provide the residents with the desired crossing points to reach their destinations in a safer and more efficient way. The first site for installation is located east of Leisure Lane in front of Creekside Terrace Apartments. This location is an ideal spot for a pedestrian crossing due to multi-family complexes and bus stops on both sides of the street. The second site identified for a PBH is located approximately 0.4 miles east of Valley View Road, linking together four bus stops and multiple residential communities.
NEXT STEPS:
If authorized to proceed, staff will submit the recommended projects to the State and MTC for potential funding. |