FROM:
Engineering
SUBJECT:
Title
Approve the Designated Subrecipient Agreement with Caltrans for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Agreement for the Building a Better Connected Inland Empire Project at Cherry Avenue and Victoria Avenue within the Westgate Specific Plan Area.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Designated Subrecipient Agreement and future amendments with Caltrans for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant agreement for the Building a Better Connected Inland Empire project at Cherry Avenue and Victoria Avenue within the Westgate Specific Plan area.
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COUNCIL GOALS:
• To invest in the City’s infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, etc.) by providing for the development of new infrastructure.
• To invest in the City’s infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, etc.) by improving the aesthetics of the community through code enforcement, street sweeping, and landscape maintenance.
• To invest in the City’s infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, etc.) by focusing on relief of traffic congestion.
DISCUSSION:
On April 14, 2022, the City of Fontana submitted an application for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for the Building a Better Connected Inland Empire project (“Project”) at Cherry Avenue and Victoria Avenue within the Westgate Specific Plan area. This project will provide major complete street improvements including additional lane capacity, integrated traffic system, medians with protected left turns, streetlights, signage, roundabout, raised medians, approximately 5 miles of Class II bike trails, approximately 2.5 miles of Class I bike lanes, approximately 5 miles of ADA compliant sidewalks, approximately 0.5 miles multi-use trails, pedestrian crosswalks, and countdown signal heads. The project limits are Victoria Street between I-15/Cherry Avenue Interchange westbound ramp intersection and Cherry Avenue between SR-210 and Baseline Road.
In December 2022, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) notified the City of the award of the grant in the amount of $15,000,000.00. Subsequently, the RAISE grant agreement, which spells out each party’s roles and responsibilities, has been approved by the City Council on March 26, 2024. The RAISE grant agreement is a “State DOT Agreement”, which means the grant is administered through the State DOT, who is Caltrans in this case. For this type of agreement, a separate Designated Subrecipient Agreement (DSA) needs to be executed between the City and Caltrans prior to Caltrans’ approval of the RAISE grant agreement. The DSA lists general terms and conditions required by Caltrans (recipient) and the City (subrecipient).
The project is currently in the Design and Environmental phase and construction phase is anticipated to begin in late 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of this item. The agreement only spells out general terms and conditions between Caltrans as a recipient and the City as a subrecipient of the grant.
MOTION:
Approve staff recommendation.