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Report Regarding a Resolution to Accept United States Department of Transportation Grant and Updating TR2501 - Vision Zero Action Plan (Budget Amendment No. 26.029) (John Wilson, Senior Engineer)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing acceptance of a $400,000 grant award from the United States Department of Transportation; approving execution of a funding agreement with the Federal Highway Administration; directing that the name and description of Capital Improvement Project TR2501 be updated accordingly; and approving associated Budget Amendment Number 26.029 to appropriate grant funds to the project in an amount equal to the award.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Council Actions to Date
On February 24, 2021, the City of South San Francisco formalized its commitment to Vision Zero, adopting Resolution No. 40-2021, which set the goal of eliminating all fatal and severe-injury crashes by 2025.
On May 8, 2024, the Council adopted Resolution No. 64-2024, authorizing submittal of a grant application to the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program for up to $5,000,000 in safety improvements along the High Injury Network and funding for preparation of a Vision Zero Action Plan
On June 12, 2024, the Council adopted the 2024-25 Capital Improvement Program, which created two related projects:
• ST2501 - Downtown Vision Zero Improvements: Established to execute development of a Vision Zero Action Plan, implement key safety improvements in Downtown, and form a Vision Zero Task Force.
• TR2501 - Vision Zero: Established as a grant-seeking project to pursue outside funding opportunities for the Vision Zero Action Plan.
As the projects matured, staff determined that maintaining two separate projects created redundancy. For continuity and efficiency, the projects were combined under tr2501.
The City was successful in their application to the SS4A program and has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), administered through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to develop and implement the Vision Zero Action Plan.
The Vision Zero Action Plan project will:
• Develop a comprehensive citywide Action Plan grounded in crash data analysis, community engagement, and recent planning and engineering work;
• Establish a Vision Zero Task Force to guide plan development and implementation; and
• Advance a Safe Systems Approach to eliminate fatal, severe, and life-altering crashes while ensuring safe mobility for people of all ages and abilities.
Originally, the Downtown safety improvements contemplated under ST2501 were intended to be implemented contingent upon receipt of a separate grant for capital improvements. As the City was not awarded the implementation grant, those physical improvements will not proceed under the current project scope. The $400,000 in Citywide Traffic Impact Fees that had been reserved as matching funds can therefore be released for future use on other eligible safety or mobility projects. The remaining effort under TR2501 will focus on development of the Vision Zero Action Plan and establishment of the supporting policy framework.
Purpose of Current Action
Council approval is required to formally accept the $400,000 grant from the USDOT, authorize execution of a funding agreement with the FHWA, and incorporate the associated revenues and expenditures into the Capital Improvement Program through Budget Amendment Number 26.029.
To better align the project scope with the City’s adopted Vision Zero Policy and subsequent Council actions, the description of CIP Project TR2501 should be updated as follows:
• Current Description:
“This project aims to secure grants to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan, comprising policies, programs, and initiatives geared towards eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries.”
• Revised Description:
“This project develops and implements a comprehensive Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes in South San Francisco. The plan will be based on crash data analysis, community engagement, and best practices in Safe Systems design, and will guide capital investments, policies, and programs to improve safety citywide. It will establish a Vision Zero Task Force and prioritize improvements along the High Injury Network, with a particular focus on Downtown as a high-priority area.”
FISCAL IMPACT
The total budget for the Vision Zero Action Plan (TR2501) is $500,000, funded as follows:
|
Funding Source |
Amount |
|
Citywide Traffic Impact Fees |
$100,000 |
|
USDOT/FHWA |
$400,000 |
|
Total (City-Managed Funds) |
$500,000 |
Budget Amendment Number 26.029 has been reserved to incorporate the $400,000 USDOT/FHWA grant into the CIP budget and adjust expenditure levels in FY 2025-26 accordingly.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Approval of this action advances the Shape SSF 2040 General Plan by directly implementing Goal MOB-1 (Mobility Element), which calls for prioritizing safety in all aspects of transportation planning and engineering, and Goal MOB-2 (Mobility Element), which calls for providing a multimodal network with convenient choices for everyone.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing acceptance of a $400,000 grant award from the USDOT; approving execution of a funding agreement with the FHWA; directing that the name and description of Capital Improvement Project TR2501 be updated accordingly; and approving associated Budget Amendment Number 26.029 to appropriate grant funds to the project in an amount equal to the award.
Associated Documents
Legistar Files 21-134: Adoption of Vision Zero Goal.
Legistar Files 24-568: FY 2024-25 Adopted CIP.
Legistar Files 24-466 : Resolution Submitting Grant Application.