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Agenda Item # 16

BOARD MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve programming of $2.5 million in 2002 State Transportation Improvement Program funds for environmental and design phases of the Route 152/156 Interchange project.

BACKGROUND:

The interchange, just southeast of Gilroy, is a major congestion point for commute, recreation and truck freight traffic traveling between I-5 in the Central Valley and US Route 101 in Silicon Valley.  

In the spring of 2002, VTA initiated the Southern Gateway Transportation and Land Use Study to begin transportation planning discussions with Caltrans and area stakeholders including the Counties of San Benito and Monterey and City of Hollister.  The study will evaluate land use issues and develop short, mid and long-term transportation options for the southern areas of Santa Clara County and neighboring counties.  Routes under study include US Route 101, State Routes 25, 129, 152 and 156, as well as numerous local roads.  The study is scheduled to be complete in fall of 2003. 

Because of the severity of congestion in and around the intersection of Route 152 and Route 156, the Board of Directors directed staff to proceed with a focused corridor study at the Route 152/156 Interchange at its March 2, 2002 meeting.  In that action, the Board of Directors approved $2 million to begin studies on five corridors throughout the county, including  $400,000 for conceptual engineering for the Route 152/156 Interchange and corridor approaches. 

The VTA Board of Directors also programmed $10 million for construction of the Route 152/156 Interchange project at the February 7, 2002 meeting.  Caltrans has also allocated $7 million in state funds to the project. 

DISCUSSION:

The focused conceptual study effort for the Route 152/156 has produced several conceptual geometric alignment alternatives that now need to proceed into the preliminary engineering and environmental review stages in order to define the project and establish the project cost. Preliminary conclusions emerging from the draft Southern Gateway Transportation and Land Use Study also suggest the need to begin preliminary engineering and environmental work for the Route 152/156 interchange in order to better define geometric alignments of the project which will impact follow on decisions of route alignments within the study area.

The opportunity exists right now to advance future STIP funds to begin environmental and design phases of the Route 152/156 Interchange project  The $10 million previously programmed by the VTA Board of Directors in February 2002 is intended for right-of-way and construction phases.  Due to statewide budget and program capacity constraints of the 2002 STIP, these funds are unavailable until 2006.  However, through a mechanism called the Advance Project Development Element (APDE), the State can advance additional funds from the future 2004 STIP for environmental and design phases.  The APDE program allows projects to proceed into project development using advance-funding authorization while not being limited by the current economic constraints placed on the 2002 STIP funds.   

Staff recommends that the VTA Board of Directors approve an APDE programming for $2.5 million for environmental and design of the Route 152/156 Interchange project.

ALTERNATIVES:

Delay environmental and design work to 2006/07 when the existing STIP funding will be available.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Boards action will make $2.5 million in STIP funds available to initiate environmental and design of the Route 152/156 Interchange in fiscal year 2002/03. 

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