All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by COG staff and will be approved by one motion if no member of the Committee or public wishes to comment or ask questions.  If comment or discussion is desired by anyone, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the listed sequence with an opportunity for any member of the public to address the Committee concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary: The City of Clovis is submitting their 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for approval.

Action: Staff recommends approval of Resolution 2016-36 adopting the 2016/17 Transportation Development Act Claims for the City of Clovis in the amount of $4,337,678.

Summary: Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds are separated into three main components: the statewide competitive program (managed by the state), the small urban and rural area competitive program (also managed by the state), and the large urbanized area competitive program (managed by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) - also known as the Regional Competitive ATP).  Fresno COG's member agencies are eligible to apply for projects through both the statewide and regional competitive solicitations. The Statewide Call for Projects was open from April 15, 2016 through June 15, 2016.  During this Call for Projects, 456 applications were submitted compared to the last cycle which had a total of 617 applications submitted. The total funds requested for this cycle was $977 million, while the last cycle had a total fund request of $1 billion. The average fund request per project is about $2.1 million, while the last cycle had an average of about $1.7 million. Out of the 456 applications submitted, 385 were for Disadvantaged Communities, making up 84.4% of the total applications received. In the last cycle, 452 applications for Disadvantaged Communities made up 73% of the total applications received.  In regards to Fresno County projects specifically, 14 applications were submitted by Fresno County agencies and the funding requested totaled $11.86 million.

Applications submitted through the Statewide Call for Projects were evaluated, scored, and ranked from August through October. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) notified MPOs of CTC staff recommendations for projects selected on Friday, October 28, 2016 and two of the City of Fresno's applications are being recommended for about $2.8 million of combined funding.  These and the other projects selected throughout the state will be proposed for adoption at the December CTC meeting in Riverside. About $61.4 million of funding is available annually (fiscal year 2019/20 and 2020/21) for the CTC to award through the statewide competitive program. 

Regarding the Regional Competitive ATP, Fresno COG's Regional Call for Projects was open from Friday, July 1, 2016 through Thursday, September 15, 2016.  Six applications were submitted directly to the Regional Call for Projects for a total funding request of $1.51 million.  However, any of the applications not selected by the State as part of the recommendations will also be considered for funding as part of the Regional Call for Projects. For Cycle 3, Fresno COG will receive $1,338,000 for each fiscal year (2019/20 and 2020/21) to award to local projects. Per the ATP legislation, at least 25% of the program funds must benefit projects in disadvantaged communities.

The scoring committee consisting of ATP Multidisciplinary Advisory Group (MAG) members convened on November 2, 2016 to score and deliberate on the projects submitted directly to the Regional Competitive ATP and those not selected through the Statewide Call for Projects. The list of projects selected is currently being finalized and the recommended program of projects will be proposed for approval during the January 2017 Fresno COG committee and Policy Board meetings. The deadline for Fresno COG to submit the Regional ATP Cycle 3 program of projects to the CTC is January 27, 2017. CTC plans to adopt the various MPOs program of projects at their March 2017 meeting.  Subsequently, Fresno COG's 2017 FTIP will be amended during the summer of 2017 to incorporate the approved Cycle 3 projects.

If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Gonzales via email at CGonzales@fresnocog.org or via phone at 559-233-4148 ext. 223,

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: (Task 1) Greenprint: Please see separate agenda item for an update on this project.

For additional information on the Greenprint project, please contact Trai Her-Cole at (559) 233-4148 x205 or traih@fresnocog.org.

(Task 2) Model Land-Use Revalidation activities (Model Improvement Program Phase 2) have been ongoing since January 2014.  Fehr and Peers, as the selected consultant, is conducting activities associated with the project, including data collection and processing, refinement of model input data; and model estimation, calibration, validation, evaluation and associated training activities.  In addition, the consultant is overseeing all project management and information sharing details.

(Task 3) Due to the completion of several anticipated Round 2 activities within Round 1, Department of Conservation (DOC) representatives approved the re-allocation of line item funds to increase the amount of funding for both Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) printing/duplication for outreach and public involvement, as well as the amount available to assist with Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) coordination.  A total of $55,000 for RHNA coordination and $88,674 for SCS printing/duplication reflect the new line items.  These amounts are to be allocated to each COG based upon population percentages (utilizing the Planning Center data), similar to other valley activities in the recent past.  With 24% of the Valley’s overall population, Fresno COG’s proportion of these funds is $20,841.54 for SCS activities, and $13,200 for RHNA activities.

Originally, all Round 2 activities must have been completed by 6/30/16, and billed by 9/30/16, in accordance with the 3-year DOC grant period.  However, after receiving support from the San Joaquin Valley COG Director's, the TTC, PAC and Fresno COG Policy Board, staff has worked with the DOC grant manager and the Strategic Growth Council to receive a time extension to allow for enhancement of grant activities associated with the Greenprint and SCS tasks.  In late March, such an extension was officially approved, which now allows for grant activities through March 31, 2017.  Following approval of the time extension, staff submitted a formal amendment request to DOC to accommodate additional activities to maximize Task 1 and Task 3 activities through the end of the grant period.  In mid-August, DOC returned the fully executed amendment, and the associated tasks remain on schedule.

For any questions regarding Prop 84 Round 2 activities, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action:  Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Role of the TWG

• Build consensus on a statewide collaborative approach
• Build consensus on criteria to designate  CUFCs/CRFCs
• Seek nominations for CUFCs/CRFCs (large urban, small urban, and  rural)
• Propose mapping critical corridors and potential freight projects
• Propose a methodology to track and login CUFCs/CRFCs  mileage
• Rank proposed critical corridors based on designation  criteria
• Propose phasing and future designation methodology of corridors (rolling designations)

The TWG will have meetings in person  at various locations around the state and arrange for WebEx and/or teleconference for other   participants.  Updates of the TWG recommendations will be presented statewide to the California Freight Advisory Committee (CFAC), NAAC, CALCOG, and RCTF, and to each MPO via their engaged staff. Fresno COG’s representative on the TWG is Rob Terry, Principal Planner. Updates on the developments will be provided as they become available.  

For any questions regarding Critical Urban Freight Corridors and Critical Rural Freight Corridors, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at  rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary:  On May 18, 2016, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopted the 2017 Active Transportation Program (ATP) Fund Estimate.  Subsequently, new funding resources were made available for the ATP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016-17.  On September 14, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown approved Assembly Bill (AB) 1613, which included a one-time appropriation of $10 million for the ATP Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). At the October 19-20, 2016 CTC meeting, these new funds were incorporated into the Revised 2017 ATP Fund Estimate.

The GGRF has separate goals and requirements from the other funds allocated for projects in the ATP. AB 1532 (Pérez, Chapter 807, Statutes of 2012), Senate Bill (SB) 535 (De León, Chapter 830, Statutes of 2012), and SB 1018 (Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Chapter 39, Statutes of 2012) provide the framework for how the GGRF must be appropriated and expended. The major goals of the GGRF program that are derived from these statutes include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and thus lessening the impacts and effects of climate change in California; fostering job creation by promoting in-State GHG emission reduction projects carried out by California workers and businesses; and direct investment toward the most disadvantaged communities in the State.

Based on these goals, CTC staff presented a framework for the guidelines to the statewide ATP-Technical Advisory Committee on September 29^th and convened the ATP Workgroup to discuss the preliminary draft guidelines on October 5^th.  The CTC considered all the feedback received and revised the guidelines accordingly. The proposed guidelines were then approved and amended into the 2017 ATP Guidelines by the CTC at the October 2016 meeting.  The complete CTC guidelines are attached for your review.  Key requirements include:

• Project Eligibility: Projects must result in reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and GHG reductions. Also, CTC will only consider advancing projects recommended for construction funding in 2019-20 and 2020-21 in the 2017 ATP. This includes construction (i.e. infrastructure) projects with a non-infrastructure component.  (If there are an insufficient number of projects in the 2017 ATP to utilize the $10 million, the CTC may hold a stand-alone call for projects for any unprogrammed funds.)
• Disadvantaged Communities (DAC): 1) min. 25% projects located within and benefiting DACs based on CalEnviroScreen scores; 2) min. 5% of total funds to projects benefiting low-income households, or to projects located within the boundaries of and benefiting individuals in low-income communities; and 3) min. 5% of total funds to projects outside of, but within a 1/2 mile of, DACs that either benefit low-income households or are located within the boundaries of, and benefiting individuals in, low-income communities.
• Time Constraints: Pursuant to AB 1613, the appropriated $10 million from the GGRF must be allocated no later than June 30, 2018 and expended by June 30, 2020.  
• Additional Documentation: Eligible applicants must submit supplemental application materials, including an updated schedule and funding plan, GHG emission reduction calculations, and disadvantaged community data, by December 30, 2016.

CTC staff will post a list of applications received and GGRF funding recommendations in February 2017 with proposed approval of the GGRF projects occurring at the March 2017 CTC meeting.  If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Chelsea Gonzales at CGonzales@fresnocog.org for more information.

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: Below is an update on each of the on-going circuit planning and engineering projects.  Please note that only the three projects that are currently active are on the list.  Completed activities, as well as projects that have been placed on hold by their respective agency or are considered inactive, are not included below.  

The top 3 planning-related projects resulting from that process include:

1. Fowler Project 1 - Golden State Property - Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure Design Study, Purpose & Need Statement, Funding Source Review, and Assistance with the Funding Application.  City staff and the circuit planning team have completed the required documentation, and are awaiting Council direction.

2. Kingsburg Project 3 - Preparation of a school-zone study focusing on the six school zones in Kingsburg. The study would include safety analysis, circulation, and traffic calming recommendations.  City staff and the circuit planning team have completed the required documentation, and are awaiting Council direction.

3. Selma Project 1 – Assistance with Planning and Design Issues - Dinuba Avenue Overcrossing/Interchange @ SR 99.  The circuit planning team has met with City staff and Caltrans representatives, and is now preparing a traffic analysis.  Deliverables are anticipated by December.

The top 3 engineering-related projects include the following:

1. Selma Project 1 – Assistance with Planning and Design Issues - Dinuba Avenue Overcrossing/Interchange @ SR 99.  The circuit engineering team has met with City staff and Caltrans representatives, and is assisting the circuit planning team in completing the traffic analysis, anticipated to begin in January, following approval of the needed documents.

2. Sanger Project 1 – Bridge Preventative Maintenance RFP/RFQ.  Circuit engineering staff has submitted a draft RFP/RFQ to City staff for their review, comment, and use in order to secure a consultant to conduct the study/program.

3. Orange Cove Project 1 - Bridge Preventative Maintenance funding.  Circuit engineering staff is currently preparing the necessary documents to ensure key bridges are on the eligible funding lists of the Highway Bridge Program.

Staff can provide details on the status of individual projects, as requested.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the tasks associated with either the circuit planning or circuit engineering programs, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: (Task 1) Greenprint: Task activities on the Demonstration Projects are progressing. Because each Demonstration Project addresses some aspect of groundwater sustainability, all Demonstration projects must be coordinated with each other for consistency and applicability to regulations.. This coordination will contribute to more efficient use of funding and more consistent and comprehensive Demonstration Projects. Each project will incorporate datasets compiled in Phase I of the Greenprint project which are now hosted within the San Joaquin Valley Gateway of Data Basin. The datasets were previously hosted by UC Davis.

As the projects progress,  major efforts will be devoted to outreach activities and the preparation of the final report. The final report will incorporate information and findings from Phase I of the Greenprint project, a description of the conservation challenges and opportunities facing the San Joaquin Valley, generally agreed upon conservation principles, and a description of the Data Basin platform and its potential  value to agencies and entities within the San Joaquin Valley.

For additional information on the Greenprint project, please contact Trai Her-Cole at (559) 233-4148 ext.205 or TraiH@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: At the October 11, 2016 Strategic Growth Council (SGC) meeting, SGC Executive Director Randall Winston presented the following information in regards to the Transformative Climate Communities Program:

On September 14, 2016, Governor Brown signed AB 2722 (Burke), which created the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program, to be administered by the Strategic Growth Council for broad-based greenhouse gas emission reduction projects that provide local economic, environmental and health benefits to disadvantaged communities. $140 million is available for the Program for fiscal year 2016-2017, funded through cap and trade auction proceeds.

On September 23, 2016, the Strategic Growth Council proposed to adopt the following regulations for the Program:

Transformative Climate Community Program funds shall be allocated in the cities of Los Angeles and Fresno, and a third location. A minimum of half of the funds shall be allocated in the City of Fresno. A minimum of one fourth of the funds shall be allocated in the City of Los Angeles.

A public hearing in regards to the proposed rulemaking took place on November 7, 2016 at 9 a.m., at Fresno City Hall – City Council Chambers (City Hall, 2nd Floor, 2600 Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93721).  The proposed rulemaking was the first of several actions to develop the Program. Specifically, this action specifies a portion of total program funds for applications from specific geographic locations, with the City of Fresno receiving 50%, as notated above. In a future rulemaking, the Council will develop guidelines and selection criteria for the Program. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Initial Statement of Reasons, and a signing message from Governor Brown for AB2722 are available at the links below.

10/11/16 SGC TCC Staff Report: http://sgc.ca.gov/resource%20files/10112016StaffReportTCC.pdf

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: http://sgc.ca.gov/resource%20files/NoticeofProposedTCCRulemakingFINAL092316.pdf

Initial Statement of Reasons: http://sgc.ca.gov/resource%20files/Initial_Statement_of_Reasons_TCC_Program_Allocation_FINAL_09-23-16.pdf

Signing Message from Gov. Brown for AB 2722: http://sgc.ca.gov/resource%20files/10112016TCCSigning_Message.pdf

If you have any questions regarding this item, please contact Rob Terry at (559) 233-4148 Ext. 222 or via email at rterry@fresnocog.org.

Action: Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary: The Fresno COG has initiated a study to determine the feasibility of constructing separated bikeways, also referred to as cycletracks, within Fresno and Clovis and possibly elsewhere in the  County. The study complements the region's significant investment in planning and building off-road multi-use trails and other classes of bikeways by evaluating the potential contribution of a new class of bikeway to an integrated network of bicycling facilities. Work is progressing on schedule with the Feasibility Study.  On Tuesday, December 6 there will be a field review in the morning of six corridors identified as having potential to accommodate separated bikeways, a Project Development Team meeting in the afternoon, and a public open house in the evening.  More information on these and other activities will be posted to the Fresno COG website at www.fresnocog.org as it becomes available.

If you would like more information about the Feasibility Study, please contact Peggy Arnest at (559) 233-4148 ext. 241 or  parnest@fresnocog.org\

Action:  Information.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

1.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets and State and Regional Activities (Kristine Cai) [INFORMATION]

Summary: In 2015 Fresno COG sought funding opportunities from Caltrans' Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant to develop a long range transit plan to guide the future transit investment in the Fresno region. Fresno COG was awarded $327,561 in 2016 by Caltrans for the Fresno County Sustainable Communities Public Transit Plan/Regional Long Range Transit Plan. With the local match from Fresno COG and the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA), a total of $370,000 is available for the project.

The formulation of the Regional Long Range Transit Plan will be based on the latest regional growth forecast, the updated local general plans and specific plans, the adopted RTP/SCS, and  the existing efforts  and plans of the major transit operators in the Fresno region. With extensive public outreach and performance driven analysis, the Regional Long Range Transit Plan will be developed through a consensus building process. The scope of work as attached in the staff report includes a community outreach survey and public workshops covering the entire region, transit scenario modeling and performance evaluation, bicycle and pedestrian strategy integration, identification of potential transit improvement and expansion, cost estimation, etc.

The end product of this project is a Regional Long Range Transit Plan that can provide consistent strategic guidance for the public transportation in the Fresno region. The Regional Long Range Transit Plan can then be implemented by the major transit operators in the region with support from the funding agencies, local/state/federal governments, and residents and communities that will benefit from the investment.  The Regional Long Range Transit Plan will also provide input and guidance for the transit investment strategies in the RTP/SCS processes.

The Regional Long Range Transit Plan project is expected to be launched in November, and is estimated to take 2 years to complete. Participation from local governments, transit operators, Caltrans, stakeholders and the general public is strongly encouraged and inputs from the agencies and the public will be sought throughout the process. A consultant team will be hired to conduct the study. The final plan will be presented to the governing bodies of Fresno Area Express (FAX), FCRTA and Clovis Stageline Transit for their individual acceptance/endorsement of the plan.

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

Summary:  In the Spring of 2016, Fresno COG and the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) adopted an update to the Measure “C” Expenditure Plan “Regional Program” that programmed construction of the final segment of State Route 180 East ( Trimmer Springs Rd. to Frankwood Ave.) in FY 2016/17, construction of the SR 269 Bridge in FY 2017/18 and the Golden State Corridor project in FY 2018/19.  At this time, COG staff pointed out potential problems with the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) component of the SR 180 East project.  The issue was the California Transportation Commission (CTC) had just notified project sponsors the STIP was running a deficit of approximately $750 million and there was no guarantee the scheduled $35 million in STIP funds programmed for SR 180 East would be available. It was also highlighted by Fresno COG staff that if the $35 million in STIP funding was not available, there was no way to deliver all three projects on the adopted schedule with only local funds.  With this in mind, the Fresno COG Board reconfirmed that the SR 180 East project was the highest priority project for our region with the understanding the COG Board may have to revisit the priority between the SR 269 bridge project and the Golden State Boulevard project at some point in the future.

Fortunately, in September, the CTC announced that approximately $70 million in savings had been identified in the STIP Allocation Plan and they were looking for deliverable projects that were fully designed, ROW certified and ready for construction. Fresno COG/Caltrans District 6 staff believed that the SR 180 East project met all of these criteria and was a perfect candidate for the newly available STIP funds and therefore requested that the project be considered for use of those funds.

CTC staff concurred with Fresno COG/Caltrans District 6 staff that the SR 180 East met all of the eligibility criteria and at its October meeting, the CTC allocated $34.66 million to the SR 180 East project. Caltrans is now aggressively processing the paper work so they can bid this  project in December of 2016.

With this STIP award, the funding crisis impacting the SR 269 bridge project and the Golden State Boulevard project has been resolved and there will be no need for the Fresno COG Policy Board to revisit the priority between those two projects.  Fresno COG staff is still working out the details with Caltrans over how much State Highways Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding Caltrans will put on the SR 269 bridge project, but at this point in time, Caltrans expects to have the project designed and ready to bid by October 2017. Fresno COG’s consultant on the Golden State Corridor project (Mark Thomas Inc.) is continuing the design of the Golden State Corridor project and anticipates it should be ready to go to construction in FY 2018/19 as originally scheduled.

In summary, with the good fortune of the $34.66 million in STIP funding for the SR 180 East project becoming available, it will allow all of the Measure “C” Regional Program  projects- SR 180 East, SR 269 bridge, and the Golden State Corridor project to remain on the schedule originally adopted in the Spring 2016 Regional Program update. 

Action:  Information Only.  Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

All items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine and non-controversial by COG staff and will be approved by one motion if no member of the Committee or public wishes to comment or ask questions.  If comment or discussion is desired by anyone, the item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered in the listed sequence with an opportunity for any member of the public to address the Committee concerning the item before action is taken.

Summary: Staff is working to schedule the Annual Fresno COG One Voice trip to Washington D.C. for elected officials, business leaders and staff. Currently we are looking at three possible dates: March 18-23, 2017 (least likely) and April 29-May 4. This trip provides an opportunity for a delegation of local public and private representatives to expand upon the relationships with Congressional representatives and federal staff members, while advocating for legislative relief for priorities of regional significance.  Delegates focus their efforts on bringing prosperity to Fresno County, and seeking potential short-term and long-term relief on items that impact the region such as transportation policy, economic development, education and public safety. Individuals interested in participating must complete and submit a participant form that will soon be available online or by request. 

Staff will host a One Voice kick-off meeting on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. with the One Voice steering committee. The steering committee is typically made up of previous One Voice participants and member agency staff. We will discuss the Call for Regional Priorities to be released in very early December. Regional Priorities proposals should be submitted in the form of a short one page white paper that will help educate federal elected officials, administration staff, as well as other decision makers, using a template that Fresno COG will release with the call. Please note that each priority selected by the One Voice steering committee and approved by the Policy Board will only be discussed in Washington as part of the One Voice trip if a priority sponsor is fully committed to attend One Voice and be a spokesperson on behalf of their submitted priority.

Lastly, Fresno COG is seeking financial support for the 2017 One Voice advocacy effort.  Sponsorship information is available by contacting Brenda Veenendaal at brendav@fresnocog.org, and will be available online at this link: http://www.fresnocog.org/one-voice

Action: Information. Direction may be provided at the discretion of the Policy Board.

To locate current and past year state bill information go to the Official California Legislative Information webpage at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/

To locate current and past year federal bill information go to THOMAS, The Library of Congress’s bill information website (in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson) at: http://thomas.loc.gov/

Please contact staff person, Brenda Veenendaal, if you have any questions or comments.