TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
SUBJECT: 2024 Comprehensive Investment Plan and OBAG 3 Projects Submission
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing the General Manager, or his designee, to submit project requests to the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) for the 2024 Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP) and Metropolitan Transit Commission’s (MTC) One Bay Area Grant 3 (OBAG 3) funding programs.
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Financial Stability and Resiliency
Initiative - Financial Efficiency and Revenue Maximization
Applying for grant funds for these projects will help the District in funding vital Capital projects that will improve security and transit performance.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
The District is applying for approximately $11.3 million for five capital projects through ACTC’s CIP that meet MTC’s OBAG 3 funding criteria. If the projects are approved, the District will need to provide the 25% minimum match of approximately $3.7 million. The total project costs are estimated to be about $15 million.
The projects will also be added to the District’s Capital Improvement Plan and annual capital budget for FY 2023-28. The match will come from District capital or other grants.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
The OBAG program is MTC’s policy and programming framework for investing regional shares of certain federal discretionary funding sources such as Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) throughout the region. OBAG 3 will provide funding for projects in the Bay Area from FY 2022-23 through FY 2025-26.
In January 2022, MTC adopted OBAG 3’s program framework which identifies a total of $750 million over a 4-year period with funding split evenly between Regional and County programs. For Alameda County, the OBAG 3 project nomination process is planned to be coordinated with the programming of various ACTC local discretionary funding sources available through the 2024 CIP. ACTC announced the call for projects for the 2024 CIP on May 10, 2022.
Staff proposes requesting approximately $11.3 million in funding for the following projects, which cost a total of approximately $15 million:
1. District-Wide Security Systems Upgrade
• This project is part of a District-wide upgrade of security and badge systems at our facilities within Alameda County. It will modernize the security systems and equipment at the facilities. The total project cost is approximately $4.7 million.
2. High-Priority Bus Stop Improvements
• This proposed project will be a follow up to an upcoming District-wide bus-stop evaluation. It will improve a certain percentage of high priority bus stops. The total project cost is approximately $3.5 million.
3. Foothill Corridor
• This proposed project will develop a community transit plan for the bus corridor that runs along Foothill Boulevard in Oakland, California. The plan will consist of service plan improvements and transit priority recommendations. The total project cost is approximately $1 million.
4. Fruitvale Corridor
• This proposed project will consist of Transit Signal Priority (TSP) bus stop relocation/improvements, bus bulbs/islands, queue jumps, signal communications, and signal coordination improvements along Fruitvale Avenue and its vicinity. The total project cost is approximately $5 million.
5. Fremont Cloud Based Transit Signal Priority (TSP) Pilot
• This proposed project will implement cloud-based TSP. AC Transit vehicles are equipped with CAD/AVL system that will be leveraged for signal priority by forwarding the TSP request to the City of Fremont’s data center. The District will be collaborating with the City of Fremont on this project. The total project cost is approximately $800,000.
The District’s submission is due to ACTC by June 30, 2022 and is scheduled for project review by MTC in September 2022.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantage of these projects is that they can increase safety at our facilities and improve transit operations in heavily congested corridors. The only disadvantage staff can identify to submitting these projects is the local funding match obligation. However, these projects are vital to the District’s operations and service improvements, therefore staff will pursue funding opportunities to leverage local match funds and implement the projects.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
The District could choose not to submit projects for funding in ACTC’s CIP and MTC’s OBAG 3. By not applying, these projects would have to seek alternate funding, thus delaying project implementation.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
SR 21-089: ACTC 2022 Comprehensive Investment Plan Project Submission
ATTACHMENTS:
None
Prepared by:
Evelyn Ng, Capital Planning and Grants Manager
Michelle Ruan, Senior Capital Planning Specialist
In Collaboration with:
Jim Cunradi, Transportation Planning Manager
Mika Miyasato, Senior Transportation Planner
Approved/Reviewed by:
Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer
Salvador Llamas, Chief Operating Officer
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Richard Oslund, Director of Management & Budget
Robert del Rosario, Director of Services Development and Planning