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 Policy Board 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 Policy Board concerning the item before action is taken.

Action: Approve Resolution 2017-34 adopting the City of Coalinga's fiscal year 2016-17 Transportation Development Act claims in the amount of $657,931.

Action: Approve Resolution 2017-35 adopting the City of Coalinga's fiscal year 2017-18 Transportation Development Act claims in the amount of $657,744.

Action: Approve Resolution 2017-36 adopting the City of Orange Cove's fiscal year 2017-18 Transportation Development Act claims in the amount of $362,922.

1.

State Route 99 Mountain View/Mendocino Interchange Study (Jennifer Soliz) [APPROVE]

2.

Contract with Sebastian Inc. to Upgrade Audio Equipment (Trai Her-Cole) [APPROVE]

3.

Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Program Environmental Impact Report Contract Amendment (Meg Prince) [APPROVE]

4.

Fresno COG Activity-Based Model Contract Amendment (Kristine Cai) [APPROVE]

Summary: Pursuant to federal law, the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) must jointly certify the metropolitan planning process at least every four years to determine compliance with Federal transportation planning regulations and requirements. This process also offers the Metropolitan Planning Organization the opportunity to share its challenges, successes and actual experiences carrying out the transportation planning process with the review team.  The certification review process consists of:

• A desk audit of information on transportation planning processes, activities and significant products that result from these processes.
• A site visit by a Federal review team that includes opportunities for input and comment on the transportation process by members of the public, federally-recognized Tribal Governments, local elected officials and public transit providers.
• A final report that summarizes the review team's findings and recommendations regarding transportation planning practices.

Fresno COG's 2017 review resulted in no corrective actions and joint certification that Fresno COG’s transportation planning process meets the requirements of Section 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 450 and 49 CFR 613.  The certification is valid for four years beginning on June 28, 2017.

Action: Staff and TTC/PAC recommend the Policy Board accept the 2017 Fresno Council of Governments Transportation Planning Certification Review Final Report.

Summary: 

Project Scenarios:

Staff has completed the 2018 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) call for projects and received 3,143 projects from member agencies and Caltrans.  Staff has entered these projects into the scenario tool that was presented to the RTP Roundtable at its August 2017 meeting and is modeling those projects that made it onto the constrained list for each of the four scenarios. The following chart is a summary of the projects being modeled:

Revenue Projections:

The RTP's revenue projections were developed using the following assumptions:

• Current, annual funding allocation estimates have been extrapolated for the next 25 years. Example funding sources include: Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) [formerly Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP)], Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Active Transportation (ATP).
• Staff used a 2 percent inflation rate for estimating future revenues. 
• For competitive funding sources, such as Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), staff relied on a historical projection based on funding that has been awarded in previous years.
• Measure C reauthorization is assumed.
• Senate Bill 1 (SB1) funding is assumed for regional projects, such as Active Transportation Program (ATP), State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) projects. [NOTE: the majority of SB1 funding for Fresno County will be allocated directly to local agencies for local streets/roads projects].

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

Summary:  The 2018 Regional Transportation Plan's (RTP) draft Action Element describes the programs and actions necessary to implement the RTP and assigns implementation responsibilities.  The draft describes transportation projects and programs anticipated to be completed through the RTP's planning horizon (2042) and contains short-term and long-term activities that address regional transportation issues and needs. It provides direction about the Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) and other agencies' roles and responsibilities as RTP projects and policies are established.  Each transportation mode is addressed, along with other transportation and air quality strategies, as listed below:

• Introduction: Moving People and Goods 5.1
• Multimodal: Section 5.2
• Highways, Streets, and Roads: Section 5.3
• Urban Mass Transportation: Section 5.4
• Rural Area Public Transportation & Social Service Transportation: Section 5.5
• Aviation: Section 5.6
• Active Transportation: Section 5.7
• Rail: Section 5.8
• Specific Transportation Strategies and Management Systems: Section 5.9
• Air Quality: Section 5.10

Comments on the draft Action Element were received through October 18, 2017.  At the October RTP Roundtable meeting, staff will seek approval of the draft Action Element to move forward for public review with the RTP/SCS and Environmental Impact Report in early 2018.

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

Summary: Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes of 2013) consolidated multiple state and federal funding streams to create the Active Transportation Program (ATP), which encourages active modes, such as biking and walking.

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 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) - also known as the Regional Competitive ATP]. Eligible entities, such as Fresno COG's member agencies, can apply for projects through both the statewide and regional competitive solicitations. Under the 2017 ATP program (cycle 3), funding is available for fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21. Senate Bill (SB) 1 provides an additional $2,094,000 to the MPO component for fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19.  Funding from the 2017 ATP Augmentation is only available to:

•    Projects programmed in the adopted 2017 ATP that can be delivered earlier than currently programmed, or

•    Projects that were not selected in the 2017 ATP, based on the MPO’s 2017 ATP contingency list. 

Agencies applying for augmentation funds for the Statewide Component were required to submit their projects to the California Transportation Commission by August 1, 2017 and to the MPO for the MPO Component by October 2, 2017.  Below are the proposed SB 1 Augmentation MPO component funding recommendations.  Upon Board adoption, they will be submitted to the CTC for final adoption at its December 2017 meeting.

Action: Staff and TTC/PAC recommend approving the 2017 ATP Augmentation MPO component-recommended projects based on the cycle 3 contingency list.

Summary: Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) allocates $25 million annually in planning grants to encourage local and regional multimodal transportation and land-use planning that advances Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) goals, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and furthers other state goals. Of the $25 million, $12.5 million is set aside for a statewide competitive program, while the other $12.5 million is administered by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on formula basis. Fresno COG will be receiving $407,484 annually for this formula-based planning grant.

Fresno COG is planning to submit two programs/projects for FY 2017-18.

The first is the Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Grant Program for $160,278, which will fund planning projects that help implement the SCS and address disadvantaged communities' needs. The Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Grant Program is one of the three SCS implementation programs directed by the Policy Board to be developed during the 2014 RTP/SCS adoption process. The program is competitive, and staff is working with a subcommittee to develop detailed guidelines, which will be presented to the TTC/PAC and the Policy Board for approval before a call for projects is issued in early 2018. 

The second project is still being decided and will be brought back to the Board for approval.

Both TTC and PAC recommended approval to fund the Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Grant program with $160,278.

Action: Staff recommends that the Policy Board approve $160,278 for the Sustainable Infrastructure Planning Grant program with funding from the SB1 formula planning grant for FY 2017-18.

Summary: Work Element 110 – At the City of Kingsburg and Tulare County's request, Caltrans has agreed to perform a planning study to explore a new interchange on State Route (SR) 99 at Mendocino/ Mountain View.  Fresno COG has been asked to partner on this $90,000 study, with each participant contributing $30,000.

Work Element 111 – In the process of developing the activity-based model, staff needs to acquire origins and destination data that will be supplied by RSG for $25,200.

Work Element 170 – In response to various letters from advocacy groups involved in our Regional Transportation Program (RTP) update, county counsel has recommended increasing the contract with Best, Best & Krieger, LLC, which subcontracts through VPRA to provide advice pertaining to the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Environmental Impact Report. Staff proposes increasing the budget for Best, Best & Krieger, LLC by $25,000.

Work Element 310 – Pursuant to a grant by the Strategic Growth Council, San Joaquin COG has allocated $4,750 to Fresno COG to participate in the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Technical Assistance program.  

Work Element 910 – Sebastian Corporation has proposed a $27,722 upgrade to the audio equipment in the Sequoia conference room, which includes replacing speakers, microphones and cabling to eliminate the audible distortion.  The revised cabling arrangement will cross over the walkway at one point with a covered ramp to eliminate the multiple carpet covered wires that must currently be navigated.

Action:  Staff and TTC/PAC recommend authorizing fiscal year 2017-18 Overall Work Program and Budget Amendment #1 in the amount of $112,672.

Summary: In response to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) comments, Fresno COG started its Congestion Management Process (CMP) update in 2015. Working with the CMP steering committee -- comprising representatives from member agencies, transit agencies, Caltrans, and other stakeholders -- COG staff updated the CMP network, developed new, travel-time-based performance measures and the Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) project analysis methodology. An online congestion monitoring dashboard was also developed to analyze both historical and real-time traffic conditions. FHWA plans to showcase the online dashboard in its national newsletter. The attached final draft CMP report includes a detailed description of these new enhancements, which have all been reviewed and approved by the CMP steering committee. A live demonstration of the online tool will also be presented.

Action: Staff recommends the Policy Board approve of the final Congestion Management Process report.

1.

Comment Letters from Stakeholder Groups (Kristine Cai/Robert Phipps) [INFORMATION]

2.

Draft Policy Element: Updated Text Regarding Protected Populations (Meg Prince) [APPROVE]

3.

Sustainable Communities Strategy Fall 2017 Outreach (Brenda Veenendaal) [INFORMATION]

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 Policy Board 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 Policy Board concerning the item before action is taken.

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, Trai Her-Cole, if you have any questions or comments.

Summary: Staff will give a verbal update to the committee.

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

This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the Policy Board on items within its jurisdiction but not on this agenda.  Note:  Prior to action by the Policy Board on any item on this agenda, the public may comment on that item.  Unscheduled comments may be limited to 3 minutes.