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Agenda Item # 9

BOARD MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION:

Review and recommend that the VTA Board of Directors adopt the proposed process and criteria for programming federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds to local streets and roads rehabilitation projects in FY 2005-06.

BACKGROUND:

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) 2003 survey of local streets and roads maintenance needs showed that region-wide, over the next 25 years, the cost of maintaining and repairing the street system exceeds the revenues expected to be available for that purpose. 

In Santa Clara County, the total local road maintenance shortfall is projected to be $1.7 billion over 25 years.   Approximately $500 million of that need is on federal aid-eligible roads.

In response, MTC’s 2005 Regional Transportation Plan (T2030) directs $990 million in future federal transportation revenues over 25 years to address the shortfall region-wide. In Summer 2004, MTC provided approximately $16.1 million in federal STP funds for local streets and roads rehabilitation and reconstruction in Santa Clara County. The VTA Board programmed these funds to projects at its September 2, 2004 meeting.

MTC is in the process of providing an additional $5.7 million in STP funds for local streets and roads rehabilitation in Santa Clara County.   These funds will be available for programming in FY   2005-06 fiscal year. 

DISCUSSION:

MTC has requested that VTA submit final programming for the STP funds to MTC by July 1, 2005.   Given the limited amount of time available to develop a new programming strategy, VTA staff and the CIP Subcommittee recommend that the VTA Board adopt the same general process that the VTA Board adopted on June 3, 2004 for the previous programming cycle. 

Under that process, member agencies were assigned funding targets.   These targets were based on their percentage of the total countywide 25-year local streets and county roads rehabilitation need that was developed by MTC for the 2005 Regional Transportation Plan.   The following chart shows that percentage and each agency’s target amount, based on $5.7 million. 

The process used on June 3, 2004 called for setting aside up to 25% of future STP Local Road Rehabilitation funds for projects of particular sub-regional significance.  Given the tight deadlines and the additional time that would be needed to properly evaluate and score such projects, VTA staff recommends postponing this element until the next regular programming cycle, which is expected to occur in mid-2006.

Projects must meet the following federally and regionally mandated criteria to be eligible for funding:

• Agency is using an approved and current pavement management system; either MTC’s, or equivalent, and all projects must be generated by the agency’s pavement management system.
• Roadway must be federal-aid eligible (functional classification of minor collector or higher).
• Average pavement condition index on the roadway must be projected to be between 0 and 70 in FY2005-06.
• The project must implement a preventive maintenance, rehabilitation and/or reconstruction treatment that extends the life of the roadway for five or more years.

• Agency must provide a minimum 11.47% non-federal match. Additional matching funds are voluntary.

• Projects will be programmed in FY 2005-06 and must request a Caltrans – Local Assistance Program (LAP) field review by October 1, 2005 and submit a final funding obligation request to the LAP by April 1, 2006.
• Pavement and incidental non-pavement expenses are eligible. “Incidental” non-pavement items should be no more than 20% of total project cost.

• Bike facilities will be included in the final striping wherever feasible and consistent with local plans.
• Agencies should coordinate fiber optic cable installation and other intelligent transportation system elements in conjunction with pavement projects.
• Projects should include VTA standard concrete pads and provide ADA-accessible curbside facilities as bus stop locations.
• There is no Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement for this program.

It should be noted that MTC has expanded the Metropolitan Transportation System (MTS) to include all federal aid-eligible roadways.   Cities will therefore no longer need to distinguish between projects on MTS and non-MTS roads, as all grant-eligible roads are now part of the MTS by definition.

ALTERNATIVES:

There are no practical alternatives to this recommended action.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There is no fiscal impact.

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