TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
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2020 Transportation and Growth Management Grant Program, Application for Urban Trails Implementation Plan.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe, Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure; Welcoming and Livable Community.
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ISSUE:
Shall the City Council authorize the City Manager to apply for and, if successful, accept funds from the 2020 Transportation and Growth Management Grant Program to develop an Urban Trails Implementation Plan? Additionally, shall City Council authorize the Mayor to sign a letter supporting this grant application?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the City Manager to apply for and, if successful, accept funds from the 2020 Transportation and Growth Management Grant Program to develop an Urban Trails Implementation Plan. Additionally, authorize the Mayor to sign a letter supporting this grant application.
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SUMMARY:
The City has an opportunity to apply for grant funds through the Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program to undertake an Urban Trails Implementation Plan. Public outreach has consistently identified urban trails as a priority in Salem. If awarded this grant, the City will engage with community members to develop a unified urban trail plan with clear priorities and a plan for implementation.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
1. The TGM Program is a joint program of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. The mission of the program is to support community efforts to expand transportation choices.
2. The TGM program offers an annual competitive grants, which have previously funded many planning studies in Salem, including the State Street Corridor Plan, the Winter-Maple Neighborhood Greenway Plan, among others.
3. The Salem Transportation System Plan and Comprehensive Park System Master Plan identify a network of existing and planned shared-use paths and trails.
4. The City amended the Salem Revised Code in 2019 to require that development make connections to existing or planned paths and trails (SRC 800.065(a)(4)).
5. An Urban Trails Implementation Plan would:
a. review and refine the existing planned network of trails;
b. update or create trail-specific policies;
c. differentiate between classifications of trails;
d. develop design standards;
e. establish implementation guidance, including possible changes to code language, and
f. include significant opportunities for public engagement.
6. The application deadline for the 2020 TGM Grant Program is July 31, 2020.
7. The estimated cost to develop an Urban Trails Implementation Plan is $175,000. The requested funding amount is $154,000; the remaining $21,000 would be provided as in-kind staff match.
8. Staff from Public Works Transportation Planning and Parks Planning sections will oversee this planning project if awarded.
9. Letters of support for this application have been solicited from community organizations. To date, letters have been received from Travel Salem and the Safe Routes Partnership. Additional letters of support are anticipated.
10. The grant application requires a letter of support from the City Council (draft attached).
11. Notification of award is anticipated in September 2020, with work commencing in early 2021 and concluding in 2022.
BACKGROUND:
The TGM Program
The TGM Program provides funds to help local communities prepare transportation and land use plans to respond to transportation, land use, and growth management issues. The TGM Program works in partnership with local governments and other stakeholders to accomplish the following goals:
1. Provide transportation choices to support communities with the balanced and interconnected transportation networks necessary for mobility, equity, and economic growth.
2. Create communities composed of vibrant neighborhoods and lively centers linked by accessible transportation.
3. Support economic vitality by planning for land uses and the movement of people and goods.
4. Save public and private costs with compact land uses and well-connected transportation patterns.
5. Promote environmental stewardship through sustainable land use and transportation planning.
Grants under the TGM Program include a competitive application process. Projects must have a clear transportation relationship, must produce transportation benefits, must be supported by local officials, and must result in adoption-ready products that address project objectives. A letter or resolution of support from the governing body of the applying jurisdiction must be submitted with the grant application.
The TGM Program is primarily funded through the federal transportation legislation under an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, with additional staff support and funding provided by the state of Oregon. The TGM Program typically awards between $2.0 and $2.5 million per year. Award amounts generally range from $100,000 to $250,000. The TGM Program requires a local match of at least 12 percent of total project costs, which can be in the form of staff time, cash, monetized volunteer time, and direct project expenses. Awarded projects are administered by TGM on behalf of a local jurisdiction according to state and federal requirements; this includes administration of consultant contracts by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
As a condition of award, grantees will be asked to provide written commitment that they will meet all grantee obligations in a timely manner. Grant projects generally have a two-year period to be negotiated and completed. Grantees do not have to pay back TGM funds if the products that result from their project - such as proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan or code - are not adopted.
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachment:
1. Urban Trails Implementation Plan Letter of Support