Fresno COG Policy Board

Appoint a Chair to the Fresno COG Policy Board.

Term is March 2026-2027.

Current Chair, Mayor Alma Beltran, City of Parlier.

Appoint a Vice Chair to the Fresno COG Policy Board.

Term is March 2026-2027.

Current Chair is Mayor Victor Martinez, City of Mendota.

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.

February 26, 2026 Board Minutes

ACTION: Approve the February 26, 2026, Policy Board minutes.

City of Selma TDA Claim FY 2025-26

2026-09 City of Selma FY 2025-26 TDA Claim Resolution

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend the Policy Board approve Resolution 2026-09 adopting the City of Selma’s 2025-26 Transportation Development Act claims totaling $1,640,286.

City of San Joaquin TDA Claim 2025-26

2026-11 City of San Joaquin FY 2025-26 Claim Resolution

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend that the Policy Board approve Resolution 2026-11 adopting the City of San Joaquin’s 2025-26 Transportation Development Act claims totaling $243,773.

2026-10 OWP FY 25-26 Amendment No 5 Resolution

Summary: 2025-26 Overall Work Program Amendment No. 5 adjusts Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Planning (PL), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 5303 and Senate Bill (SB)1 formula apportionments to actual apportionments. The amendment increases the budget $17,567 to $38,510,023.

WE 112 – Regional Traffic Monitoring – $50,000 in final FHWA Planning (PL) funds replaced $50,000 in local funds.

WE 163 – Freight Movement and Planning – $1,927 in final FHWA PL funds replaced $1,927 in local funds.

WE 164 – Airport Access Survey SB1-F – $12,167 in final SB1 formula funds and $1,576 in local matching funds were added to this work element, increasing it by $13,743.

WE 170 Regional Transportation Plan – $9,571 in final FTA 5303 funds and $97,227 of final FHWA PL funds replaced $106,798 in local funds.

WE 179 Complete Streets Planning – The 2025-26 final Complete Streets apportionment increased $3,824.

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend that the Policy Board adopt Resolution 2026-10 approving the 2025-26 Overall Work Program Amendment No. 5.

SSTAC Member List ao February 2026_PUBLIC

Summary: Fresno COG’s Policy Board formed the Social Services Transportation Advisory Committee (SSTAC) in May 1988 to respond to state legislation, coordinate social service transportation, assist the Board in identifying transit needs throughout Fresno County, review and recommend action for Fresno COG to address at its unmet transit needs hearing, and advise Fresno COG on other transit issues.

The Board appoints SSTAC members for two-year terms.  At the February 2026 SSTAC meeting, the Committee voted to appoint Rebecca Donabed from Resources for Independence Central Valley to the Committee.  While Ms. Donabed herself is a resident of Tulare County, her employer, Resources for Independence Central Valley, is headquartered in the City of Fresno.  Details include:

Article III, Section 99238 of the Transportation Development Act requires a minimum number of SSTAC members in specific categories. There is no maximum number specified in the TDA, and in the interest of diversity, staff is seeking additional nominations. Specifically, staff is seeking members who represent minority groups, social service providers for seniors, and potential transit users. A complete list of SSTAC members is included in the agenda package.

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend that the Policy Board appoint Rebecca Donabed  to serve a two-year term on the SSTAC.

2025 Transit Productivity Evaluation

Summary: Under California Public Utilities Code 99244, Fresno COG annually conducts a productivity evaluation to assess transit operators in the region that receive State Transportation Development Act funds and to recommend potential productivity improvements. The evaluation identifies, analyzes, and recommends potential productivity improvements that could lower transit providers’ operational costs. If Fresno COG determines that an operator has not made a reasonable effort to implement the recommended improvements, then local transportation funds allocated to that operator cannot exceed the appropriation from the prior year.

The FY 2025 productivity evaluation assesses the following transit agencies:

1. Fresno Area Express and Handy Ride
2. Clovis Stageline and Roundup
3. Fresno County Rural Transit Agency
4. Consolidated Transportation Services Agencies for the metropolitan and rural areas.

The Social Service Transportation Advisory Council (SSTAC) reviewed and accepted the FY 2025 Transit Productivity Report on Feb. 17.

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommend that the Policy Board accept the FY 2025 Transit Productivity Evaluation Report.

Summary: On March 4, Fresno COG staff submitted its FY 2025/26 obligation plan to Caltrans’ Office of Project Management Oversight Division of Local Assistance. This plan documents Fresno COG’s estimated project delivery for the remainder of FY 2025/26. The obligation authority (OA) target for 2025/26 is $39,649,024 (attached to this agenda item).

As of Jan. 31, $1.37 million or 10.1%, of the federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding has been obligated, leaving the region with an OA balance of nearly $12.2 million. Based on projects programmed in FFY 25/26 of the 2025 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP), Fresno COG’s projected OA delivery is $35.0 million, excluding projects that may be expedited to obligate this Federal fiscal year. The obligation plan outlines approximately $4.7 million in additional, combined CMAQ, Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) and STBG requests.

The Federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30; however, as of March 15, Federal funds may become available to the rest of the state on a first-come, first-served basis if OA commitments are below 35 percent. It is the State’s goal to exceed the OA target and, in August, receive additional federal funds redistributed from other states to projects pending authorization. Fresno COG encourages all agencies to continue submitting their requests for authorization as soon as possible to ensure they are queued up for the funds that will become available. If projects do not receive authorization approval after August, they will be delayed until October, the beginning of the next federal fiscal year. An obligation authority delivery timeline can be provided to any local jurisdiction upon request.

Please keep Fresno COG staff updated on any changes that could impact the region’s project delivery plan. Contact Blake Rincon at 559-233-4148 ext. 203 with any questions regarding fiscal year deadlines or the process of obligating project funds.

Action: Information. The Policy Board may provide additional direction at its discretion.

Background: Fresno COG was awarded a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant in FY 2023-24 to conduct the Fresno County Mobility Hub Feasibility Study. Mobility hubs are central locations that bring together transportation options and community amenities, designed to improve access, equity, and quality of life. Their flexible, scalable design allows them to serve a wide range of contexts, from dense urban centers to rural communities. The Mobility Hub Study has been conducted in partnership with the City of Fresno’s Department of Transportation (Fresno Area Express/FAX), the City of Clovis (Clovis Transit), and the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency (FCRTA). 

Summary: The Fresno County Mobility Hub Feasibility Study focused on exploring mobility hubs and identifying key opportunities for and challenges to develop and operate them. The study produced the concepts for the four selected focus sites: Clovis, Fresno, Parlier, and San Joaquin. This process demonstrated that each of the four sites has a credible path to enabling better mobility by: 1) supporting new or modified transportation options, and 2) linking together two or more modes of transportation, both for expanding local and regional travel choices and providing people with better access to nearby destinations.

The study included a robust public outreach campaign, with an emphasis on underserved communities within Fresno County. Despite the challenges for implementation, mobility hubs offer great potential to improve transportation options in Fresno County. Fresno COG, Clovis Transit, FAX, and FCRTA firmly support continuing to explore the four feasibility study sites and envisioning a larger network of hubs throughout the County. Mobility hubs in Fresno County check the box on one of the most important feasibility factors: having strong regional partners. In this case, key partners are transit agencies that are committed to making ongoing service improvements and seeking ways to make multimodal trips more accessible. The final draft can be accessed here: Fresno County Mobility Hub Feasibility Study.

Action: Staff, TTC and PAC recommends that the Policy Board accept the Fresno County Mobility Hub Feasibility Study. 

2026 RTP-SCS Preferred Scenario Policy Board Presentation March 2026

Summary: Fresno COG has developed five transportation and land use scenarios for the 2026 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). After receiving more than 2,800 transportation project requests from member agencies through the quadrennial call-for-projects, Fresno COG developed land use and transportation files unique to the five scenarios.

Each scenario was modeled and computed for 2035, consistent with California Air Resource Board (CARB) guidelines. Fresno COG worked with the SCS Subcommittee to finalize the 12 performance indicators (land use and transportation measures). Staff has presented the scenarios’ modeling results, along with the performance indicators, to the SCS Subcommittee and they have approved staff’s recommendation of Scenario C to move forward in the SCS process.

A public survey released on Feb. 17 is collecting community comments and feedback on the five scenarios. Staff presented modeling results and performance indicators at public workshops in Reedley on Feb. 19, and in Kerman on Feb. 24, to receive community input. A presentation to the RTP Roundtable served as the third public meeting and virtual meeting to receive public comments. The selected SCS scenario will then be modeled for the environmental impact report and RTP/SCS horizon year 2049.

Action: Staff, the SCS Subcommittee, the RTP Roundtable, TTC and PAC recommend Scenario C to the Fresno COG Policy Board as the preferred scenario for the 2026 RTP/SCS.

CalVans Financial Condition Update 013026

CalVans Financial Condition Report

Summary: During its March 12 Board meeting, new CalVans Executive Director Sidd Nag delivered a stark financial assessment to the membership indicting that the agency is approximately 60 to 90 days away from insolvency without immediate intervention from member agencies or State assistance.  CalVans is the main provider for the Fresno region’s agriculture vanpool program through Measure C.  Fresno COG participates as a member of the joint powers agreement that empowers CalVans, and is potentially exposed for administrative expenses, including pension costs, should the agency default.

In September 2025, Fresno COG staff provided the Policy Board a summary of CalVans’ financial condition subsequent to a “going concern” finding on the CalVans June 30, 2024 financial audit.  That report is again provided in the agenda for the benefit of new members.  Also attached to this annotated report is a broader memo fully detailing CalVans financial condition as of March 2026.

In summary, Calvans’ solvency crisis is real and not totally unexpected. The problem is structurally built into Calvans’ business model and can be explained simply.  Fully 92.4% of Calvans operations cost are covered with service fare revenue. This business model leaves little room for replacing vans as they age out or even for administrative expenses.  That point cannot be overemphasized.

Using Measure C funds, Fresno COG is one of the few member agencies that subsidizes farmworker vanpools. Through February, Fresno COG has reimbursed Calvans $103,000.  In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, Fresno COG reimbursed CalVans $185,000.  The trend appears to be tapering down.  These transactions  represent  reimbursement for actual costs incurred, so there is no question of the money being diverted to solve cash flow problems.

Membership in the CalVans joint powers agreement (JPA) is not a condition of making these reimbursements. Fresno COG could continue the program even if it were not a member of the JPA. However, Measure C is set to sunset in June of 2027 and continuation of Measure C beyond that date cannot be not guaranteed.

The CalVans JPA provides that a member may withdraw with a 180-day notice. Withdrawal will not discharge, impair, or modify any voluntary obligation the withdrawing member has agreed to nor effect the remaining members.  A withdrawing member shall not be entitled to the return of any funds or assets belonging the Transit Authority.

ACTION: Staff recommends the Policy Board authorize the executive director to notify CalVans in writing of Fresno COG’s intent to withdraw from its joint powers agreement within 180 days.

Summary: Fresno COG was awarded $1.75 million from the U.S. DOT Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA) program to conduct the TradePort California Site Feasibility Study in Fresno County. The TradePort California project (formerly, California Inland Port) is a public-private platform to transform the California logistics system to become the cleanest, most sophisticated supply chain system in the world. TradePort California would establish higher efficiencies through new strategic logistics hubs, sustainable technologies, and business partnerships. The Port is envisioned as a multi-modal network of integrated clean and automated truck, rail, and cargo facilities underpinning a next-generation ecosystem of goods movement, boosting California’s economic competitiveness. This approach would be a paradigm shift from current conditions, and serve to cut greenhouse gases, improve air quality, reduce road congestion, increase traffic safety, increase investment and jobs, and reshape California’s extraordinarily large intrastate freight movement system. 

The contract with Mark Thomas (consultant firm), which is developing the plan, was executed on Aug. 1, 2024. In June 2025, the contract was extended to April 28, 2026 to coincide with the grant term from U.S. DOT. As project coordination has progressed, Fresno COG filed a no-cost extension with the grantor (BAB) through April 28, 2027, to ensure all coordination with stakeholders and analysis is completed with sufficient time.

Action: Staff recommends that the Policy Board authorize Fresno COG’s executive director to extend the TradePort California Site Feasibility Study contract with Mark Thomas to April 28, 2027.

Summary: The Measure C New Technology Reserve program funds projects that will advance public transportation and transit in the areas of research, development, demonstration and deployment, which includes the Fresno State Transportation Institute (FSTI). The Transportation Institute is a collaboration among the 15 cities within Fresno County, Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering, the Craig School of Business and the College of Social Sciences.

Building on a diverse set of activities, FSTI is intended to be an innovation enabler for development and instituting advanced multimodal and transit projects in Fresno County and beyond. To accommodate additional activities and use remaining funds, FSTI has requested a no-cost extension past the original contract deadline of June 30, 2026.  

Action: Staff recommends that the Policy Board authorize the Fresno COG executive director to extend the contract with Fresno State Transportation Institute to Dec. 31, 2026.