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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.6 StatusRptDBImprvmntCITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT City Council Meeting Date: March 11, 1991 SUBJECT: Status Report on Dublin Boulevard Improvements (Donlon Way to Village Parkway) Capital Improvement Project (Report by Public Works Director Lee Thompson) EXHIBITS ATTACHED: None RECOMMENDATION: ~,~ ~j~ceive report for informational purposes. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: The result of the Sierra Club lawsuit could be the loss of $500,000 in Federal Aid Urban (FAU) monies and/or the delay of the project until future year funding can be obtained. DESCRIPTION: Dublin Boulevard is scheduled to be widened from four lanes to six lanes (three in each direction) in 1992-93 as part of the Capital Improvement Program for FY 1990-95. The budgeted cost for the project is $1,410,500. Funds are proposed to come from three sources: General Fund: BART and Developer Contributions: Federal Aid Urban (FAU): $ 410,500 5OO,0OO 500,000 $ 1,410,500 The project is in the final design stage. Santina and Thompson is preparing the plans, specifications, and engineer's estimate (P S & E). The P S & E are scheduled to be completed in early May, 1991. Projects must go through a multi-stage approval process in order to obtain FAU funds. Dublin competes with other cities in the Tri-Valley area of Alameda County for assignment of the funds. The maximum available for a project in the Tri-Val]ey area is $500,000. The Dublin Boulevard Improvement project was approved at the County level and then needed regional approval. The project was to be included in the MTC approved Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Bay Area region for Fiscal Years 1990-95. Once the TIP is approved, the P S & E must be reviewed and approved by CALTRANS prior to right-of-way acquisition and construction. After the monies are expended, the City is reimbursed up to 86% of the project cost for right-of-way and construction costs incurred that are eligible for FAU funding. The existing Federal Highway Act, including the FAU program ends June 30, 1991. If project P S & E, as well as right-of-way, are not approved by CALTRAHqS by then, the project will not be eligible for FAU funding, according to the State's se]f-imposed deadline. The Dublin Boulevard project was planned to meet that schedule by acquiring right-of-way and completing plan documents during this fiscal year. In December of 1990, Federal Court Judge T. E. Henderson ruled on a suit filed by the Sierra Club and others against the MTC TIP. The Sierra Club was mainly attempting to stop three major projects: the 1-680/24 interchange; widening 1-880 between Fremont and San Jose; and widening 1-680 from Dublin to Walnut Creek. Unfortunately, any other projects in the TIP that had a potential to increase roadway capacity were also put on hold until MTC completes an "Air Quality Analysis" to comply with the requirements of the 1982 California Air Quality Plan. The Dublin Boulevard Improvement Project is considered a capacity-increasing project because it adds lanes to the street. MTC is in the process of complying with the requirements, but it will take at least ITEM NO.~ another 60 days before the Air Quality Analysis is complete. In order to comply with the Air Quality Plan, it must be demonstrated that a capacity- increasing project will not result in an increase in hydrocarbon emissions compared to the current condition. The original concept had been that even though more vehicles would use the road after a project was built, the vehicles would spend less time in the project area and thus create lower or equal cumulative emissions. MTC is trying to meet two directives: Air Quality Analysis and FAU funding obligation by June 30, 1991. According to John McCallum of MTC, MTC is going to request that the FAU deadline be extended by three to six months due to the effects of the lawsuit. If the extension is granted, there should be sufficient time to complete the Air Quality Analysis for each of the FAU projects that are considered capacity-increasing. MTC will only create the air quality model. It is up to the individual agencies that have projects in the TIP to gain "air quality clearance" for the projects. The environmental analysis for the Dublin Boulevard Improvement project, completed last year, did not include an air quality analysis sufficient to meet the projected air quality review standards, as the analysis was considered adequate by MTC when the TIP was adopted. The City of Dublin will have to retain a consultant to perform the air quality analysis, and it must be performed immediately after the MTC mode], is completed to avoid losing FAU funds. The estimated cost for the necessary consultant is $5,000. Because of the delay, it is anticipated that there are sufficient funds in this year's Capital Improvement Program budget to pay this cost, or that funds will be budgeted for this purpose in FY1991-92. A secondary problem is that Alameda County has typically overprogrammed their non-Oakland FAU allocation. The reason for this strategy is to keep the FAU monies flowing even though some projects are being held up due to environmental or other problems. Since the funds are allocated to the first projects to receive the necessary approvals, the funds could run out before the Sierra Club lawsuit is resolved. Alameda County monies are allocated first between Oakland and the rest of the County outside of Oakland. Further, the latter area is split between the Tri-Valley and Bayside jurisdictions by population. Presently, the non-Oakland area has $1.8 million left in FAU allocations (as compared to $3.6 million in projects), and Oakland has $11.2 million. It is hoped that Oakland will lend the non-Oakland area sufficient monies, as Oakland is behind schedule on its projects. -2-