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4.
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| TRANSPORTATION, WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE |
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| Information |
| Referral History: |
| The Public Works Department has historically submitted grant applications for the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). |
| Referral Update: |
On May 4, 2020, Caltrans announced the Call for Projects for Cycle 10 of HSIP. 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 crash history.
The total funds available for HSIP Cycle 10 is estimated at $220 million. SB 137 allows the exchange of state funds with federal funds. It is expected that Caltrans funds will be used for all projects selected for funding in Cycle 10.
There are two application categories in Cycle 10: Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and Funding Set-asides (SA). $178 million will be for BCR applications and $42 million for four (4) funding set-asides (Guardrail Upgrades, Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements, Installing Edgelines and Tribes).
Project selection in the BCR category is awarded solely on the BCR calculated for each project based on the value of benefits calculated from the volume and severity of injuries that have occurred within a project’s limits and the cost of the proposed project improvements. The minimum BCR to be considered in the selection process for Cycle 10 is 3.5. The maximum total request amount from any one agency is set at $10 million in the BCR category. BCR calculation is not required for applications pursuing funding set-asides.
Examples of eligible type of projects in the BCR category may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Intersection safety improvement
• Pavement and shoulder widening
• Installation of rumble strips or another 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
HSIP emphasizes low cost safety projects that can be designed and constructed expeditiously. Projects should not require the acquisition of significant rights of way, nor should they require extensive environmental review and mitigation.
Typical road improvements such as shoulder widenings or curve realignments are required to demonstrate an incremental approach of lower cost improvements that have been installed and have not proved to be effective before higher cost improvements will be considered for funding.
Public Works staff utilized the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) maintained by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to identify the roadway segments and intersections within unincorporated Contra Costa County with high collision rates.
The CHP collision reports were reviewed to determine the typical cause of collisions and potential countermeasures. Staff utilized the collision data, requests from the community, and discussions with the County Traffic Engineer to evaluate potential safety improvement projects that would compete well for funding.
Funding Set-Asides:
Caltrans has provided funding set-aside for four categories in Cycle 10. Applications for funding set-asides do not require collision data or a benefit/cost ratio calculation. The set-aside categories are:
- Guardrail Upgrades ($1,000,000 maximum per agency)
- Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements ($250,000 maximum per agency)
- Installing Edgelines ($250,000 maximum per agency)
- Tribes ($250,000 maximum per agency)
Recommended Candidate Projects:
The Public Works Department recommends the following projects as candidates for Cycle 10 of HSIP funding (in no particular order), based upon collision history and initial project scoping:
- West County Guardrail Upgrades (Funding Set-Aside) (Districts 1 and 5)
This project proposes to upgrade existing guardrails along Bear Creek Road and along Alhambra Valley Road between Bear Creek Road and Reliez Valley Road. The rail height and the end treatments of the guardrails will be upgraded to current Caltrans standards. Guardrails are typically installed in locations where the terrain is steep and where running off the roadway is likely to lead to serious injury. The new Flared Energy Absorbing Terminal (FLEAT) end treatments are designed to absorb the impact and direct errant vehicles back towards the traveled way, reducing the injury severity of vehicles hitting the guardrail. This cluster of guardrails was selected to assure cost effectiveness given their close proximity to each other.
- San Pablo Dam Road and Bailey Road Intersections Improvements (Districts 1 and 5)
This project proposes to upgrade the signalized intersections along San Pablo Dam Road and Bailey Road to reduce vehicular collisions associated with factors such as red light running and unsafe speeding. Eight intersections along San Pablo Dam Road from El Portal Drive to Castro Rancho Road and three signalized intersections along Bailey Road from Canal Road to Willow Pass Road will be upgraded with improvements such as signal hardware, advanced dilemma zone detection hardware, and pedestrian countdown signal heads. Improvements along these two roadways will be combined into one application to assure competitiveness.
- Franklin Canyon Road Rumble Strips (District 5)
This project proposes to install centerline rumble strips along Franklin Canyon Road from Cummings Skyway to Dutra Road to reduce collisions associated with lane departures. Six collisions resulted in severe injury and one fatality occurred along this segment within a five-year span. Centerline rumble strips provide an auditory and tactile indication, alerting drivers that they are drifting out of their travel lane and should correct their travel path. Rumble strips are one of twenty proven safety countermeasures by FHWA.
- Camino Diablo Road Safety Improvements (District 3)
This project proposes to install street lighting along Camino Diablo Road between Vasco Road and Holway Drive to reduce collisions at night. Twenty-one night collisions occurred along this segment within a five-year span. Providing roadway lighting improves the safety during night conditions by increasing driver awareness of the surroundings, which improves drivers’ perception-reaction times, and enhances drivers’ sight distance. Staff will also consider fog line rumble strips as a second countermeasure to alert drivers that they are drifting out of their travel lane. Rumble strips are one of twenty proven safety countermeasures by FHWA. On July 28, 2020, this project was presented to the Byron Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) to obtain their feedback. The community demonstrated support.
- Vasco Road/Camino Diablo Road Intersection Improvements (District 3)
This project proposes to upgrade the signalized intersection at Vasco Road at Camino Diablo Road to reduce collisions associated with factors such as red light running and speeding. Forty-three collisions have been reported at this intersection within a five-year span. The primary improvement considered at this intersection will be advanced dilemma zone detection hardware. This hardware will enhance safety at this intersection by modifying traffic control signal timing based upon driver behavior within the dilemma zone. Additional countermeasures will be considered during site analysis and may be included with the project application.
Next Steps:
If authorized to proceed, staff will prepare the grant application packages. If during project research prior to the application deadline, staff discovers a critical constraint that would result in the project being cost prohibitive or will not meet the eligibility requirements of the funding program, staff will hold the application for further study to increase project readiness for the following grant cycle. |
| Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s): |
| RECEIVE staff report and RECOMMEND that the Board of Supervisors approve the submission of grant applications to the State Department of Transportation under the Highway Safety Improvement Program. |
| Fiscal Impact (if any): |
The applications for HSIP funding may require a local match of 10% depending on the improvements considered, as well as funds to cover federally ineligible project costs. Any funding received from an HSIP grant would be combined with other funds, such as Measure J, Area of Benefit funds, other grants, or local road funds.
Public Works staff will apply for the unfunded project costs in the BCR category up to $10,000,000 and in the guardrail upgrade set-aside category up to $1,000,000, which are the maximum amounts HSIP will award to any single agency in these categories. |
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