Purpose

Staff requests Council approval of a resolution to accept a Safe Routes to School Grant � Cycle Six from the California Department of Transportation and to amend the Fiscal Year 2006-07 budget for the local grant contribution.

BACKGROUND

The Safe Routes to School Grant program is designed to improve and enhance the safety of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and related infrastructure on identified school travel routes.  California Assembly Bill 1475 established the program in 1999 to provide about $15 to $20 million annually for California to local governmental agencies based on a statewide competition for the construction funds. The recent Transportation Reauthorization Bill expanded the program to $57 million for California this year.  The Safe Routes to School grant program provides 90 percent financing for projects deemed of significant importance to school safety. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) administers the grants through the Local Programs office.

In June 2005, staff applied for a Safe Routes to School grant for enhancements at three (3) local schools.  On June 7, 2006, Caltrans notified staff that the grant application for this cycle was approved for the total requested funding of $223,800.  The grant was among a total of 115 approved projects in the state, which were selected from over 500 applications.  The grant funds must be used before the end of 2007.

The Safe Routes to school grant program requires a contribution of local matching funds in the amount of ten (10) percent of the total program cost.  A local match of $22,380 has been allocated from Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds.

ANALYSIS

The Safe Routes to School grant application included improvements to walking and bicycle routes for three (3) schools in Burbank: William McKinley Elementary School, Thomas Edison Elementary School, and George Washington Elementary School.  These planned improvements are listed in Table 1 and shown in Attachment 1.  They are more specifically described below.

William McKinley School � Improvements are focused on Main Street, which is a main access route to the school for walking and bicycling students, as well as for parent drop-off automobile trips from the western attendance area.  The traffic speeds on Main Street are high, and a school crossing guard is stationed at Main Street and Cedar Avenue to assist students to both McKinley school and Jordan Middle School.  The planned improvements include:

• In-roadway crosswalk lights on Main Street at Cedar Avenue to assist the crossing guard,

• A pedestrian access ramp at the same location to make the crossing accessible to the mobility impaired,

• Radar speed display signs on Main Street north and south of the school crossing to visually notify drivers of the Main Street speed limit, and installation of a Class II (on-street marked path) on Main Street between Victory Boulevard and Alameda Avenue.

Thomas Edison School � Improvements are planned to serve a walking student population living north and south of the school.  The improvements include:

• New sidewalk on North Lamer Street between Magnolia Boulevard and Chandler Boulevard[1], and

• Pedestrian countdown signals at Keystone Street and Burbank Boulevard to assist the students in judging remaining walk time at the existing traffic signal.

George Washington School � This school has students who walk and bike to school as well as many students driven to school by parents.  The improvements are designed to enhance walking areas and to better channelize parent drivers who serve student riders.  They include:

• Radar speed display signs on Winona Street to advise drivers of the speed limit,

• Better delineation at the student drop-off area at the end of Lincoln Street to prevent double and triple parking of parents for student drop-off and pick-up activities,

• The addition of signage and striping on the existing Class I bikepath adjacent to the Burbank Western Flood Control Channel, since this route is used by numerous walking students, and

• A pedestrian access ramp to the bikepath to make the crossing accessible to the mobility impaired.

FISCAL IMPACT

The fiscal impact to Burbank includes both acquisition (capital) costs and maintenance / replacement costs.

Capital Costs - The Safe Routes to School grant program funds 90 percent of the total construction cost of each project.  The total cost of the project is estimated at $223,800.  A total of $201,420 will be financed by the Safe Routes to School grant, with a $22,380 local match contribution required by the grant.  The local contribution will be reimbursed by TDA funds.  This project will be fully funded by grants.

The $201,420 of grant funds will be initially fronted by the City from Fund 105 (Proposition C Transportation Fund).  Caltrans will reimburse the City for these costs at the end of the project.  The local contribution will also be initially funded from Proposition C Transportation Fund monies.  TDA funds will reimburse the City for the local match portion.  The proposed resolution appropriates $223,800 from account number 105.ND000.30004.0000.00000 (Unappropriated Fund Balance) to project number 105.CD33A.70002.0000.16981 (Safe Routes Cycle 6 Project).

Maintenance / Replacement Costs � On-going operations costs vary by type of improvement.  The maintenance costs for pavement markings, raised markers, and bike route signs will be borne by the current signing and striping maintenance budget.  Maintenance of the new sidewalk is expected to be minimal, and the area will be included in Public Works� ongoing 10-year sidewalk inspection/repair program cycle.

Maintenance of the in-pavement crosswalk lighting system depends upon the type of in-pavement system, but the maintenance costs for the first several years is expected to be minimal.  A materials cost for replacement of lights is estimated to be at most about $500 per year, based on our maintenance of systems in Glendale.  Ancillary devices, such as the pedestrian pushbuttons, will be maintained within our current budget.

On-going maintenance of the radar speed display signs should be minimal during the 5 to 8 year useful life span of the signs.  The signs are modularized and are solar powered.  Thus, they require little maintenance, except for battery replacement at about $400 per unit.  Amortized replacement cost of the signs is about $1,000 to $1,200 per year.  The replacement and maintenance costs for all items will be reflected in future years� budget requests.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the Council approve the proposed resolution accepting the Safe Routes to School Cycle Six Grant and amending the Fiscal Year 2006-07 budget to provide for the project funding.

Attachments

Table 1 � Grant Cost Elements

Attachment 1 � SR2S Improvements

cc:       Betsy Dolan

            Sherry Richardson

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