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Agenda Item # 11

BOARD MEMORANDUM

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve programming $2.7 million in Transportation Fund for Clean Air Program Manager (TFCA 40%) funds to the Competitive Projects and to the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects in the FY 2003/04 cycle.

BACKGROUND:

The Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) is generated by a $4.00 surcharge on vehicle registrations.  The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) administers these funds in the nine-county Bay Area.  Funds are available for allocation to alternative fuels, arterial management, bicycle, and trip reduction projects that reduce vehicle emissions.

BAAQMD returns 40% of these funds to the county in which they are collected for allocation by a Program Manager.  This fund is called the TFCA Program Manager Fund or the TFCA 40% Fund.  VTA is the Program Manager for Santa Clara County.  Project sponsors apply directly to VTA for funding.  The VTA Board of Directors allocates these funds on a competitive basis to projects in Santa Clara County, subject to approval by BAAQMD.  Approximately $2.7 million is available for TFCA 40% projects in FY 2003/04.

At its August 3, 2000 meeting the VTA Board of Directors designated half of the annual TFCA 40% allocation to Tier 1 Bicycle Projects in the Countywide Bicycle Plan.

DISCUSSION:

Attachment A presents the FY 2003/04 project funding recommendations developed by the TFCA 40% Scoring Subcommittee of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and also lists the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects which have been initiated or are ready to go in the 2003/04 cycle.  These recommendations are based on the TFCA 40% Policies and Criteria established by the VTA Board of Directors in September 1996 and amended in August 2000. 

Approximately $1.4 million is available for the competitive non-Tier 1 projects and $1.1 million in eligible Competitive Projects was submitted.  Approximately $1.3 million is available for the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects in the 2003/04 cycle and $1.6 million in the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects was requested.

Last year, in the FY 2002/03 cycle, the Board loaned the Competitive Projects $460,000 from the Tier 1 Bicycle funds.  There was extra money in the Tier 1 Program, and more Competitive Projects in than funds in that category last year.

This year, staff recommends returning $287,000 from the Competitive Funding Program to the Tier 1 Bicycle Program in FY 2003/04 cycle.  This will increase the funding capacity for the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects to approximately $1.6 million and reduce the funding capacity for the Competitive Projects to approximately $1.1 million.  The remaining $173,000 borrowed from the Tier 1 Bicycle Program in FY 2002/03 will be paid back from the Competitive Funding Program to the Tier 1 Bicycle Program in future funding cycles.  

If the Board approves the project lists as shown in Attachment A, all available TFCA 40% funds will be programmed in the FY 2003/04 cycle, and all the eligible projects submitted this year will be funded.

ALTERNATIVES:

The Board may request other programming alternatives.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Boards action will make approximately $1.1 million in 2Marcella Rensi, Senior Transportation Planner003/04 TFCA 40% funds available to the Competitive Projects in Santa Clara County and $1.6 million available to the Tier 1 Bicycle Projects.

For Attachments Contact the Board Secretary's Office

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