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: 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 (TDA) funds and to recommend potential productivity improvements. The evaluation identifies, analyzes, and recommends 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 2023 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 2023 Transit Productivity Report on Feb. 20.

Action: Staff and SSTAC request the TTC/PAC recommend that the Policy Board accept the FY 2023 Transit Productivity Evaluation Report.

Summary: A round-up of recently announced Federal and State grant opportunities for which local jurisdictions are eligible.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP)

The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is a new, competitive grant program under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for projects that provide safe and connected active transportation facilities in active transportation networks or active transportation spines.

A goal of both types of ATIIP grants -- planning/design and construction of networks/spines -- is to integrate active transportation facilities with transit services, where available, to improve access to public transportation.

FHWA will administer the ATIIP grant program and with approximately $60 million proposed in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget.

Clean Bus Planning Awards Program

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has established a Clean Bus Planning Awards (CBPA) program, which will provide free technical assistance to support  bus electrification plans for school and transit fleets in fiscal FY 24. Eligible applicants are generally entities eligible under the Clean School Bus (CSB) Program and Low or No Emission Grant Program, including local governments providing bus service and direct or designated recipients of grants administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through Sept. 30.

Community Project Funding

Each year, Congressional representatives may submit requests to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for inclusion in the annual federal budget. The budget funds numerous initiatives, including government operations, education, research, national defense, infrastructure, and other critical areas.

Although Congress is still working to complete the final FY 24 budget, the FY 25 budget process is already underway. The is currently no deadline for FY 25 submissions, while members await further guidance from the House Appropriations Committee. 
 
Community Project Funding allows Congressional representatives to request direct federal funding for specific projects benefiting the communities they represent. These funds can finance a wide variety of public projects and activities, including the construction and renovation of facilities, the expansion of existing programs, and the planning and design of future initiatives. Contact you Congressional representative for more information.

Congestion Relief Program

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued the first notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the Congestion Relief Program authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (PL 117-58). The program supports innovative, integrated, and multimodal solutions to congestion relief in urbanized areas with a population greater than one million residents. The goals are to mitigate highway congestion, reduce economic and environmental costs of congestion, and optimize existing highway capacity and transit use. FHWA will award $150 million in funding, combining appropriations from FY 2022, 2023, and 2024.

ReConnect Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a NOFO for Round 5 of the ReConnect Program, which provides grants and loans to support broadband deployment in rural areas. The application period will open on March 22 and the application deadline is April 22. See the program website for more information.

Safe Streets for All (SS4A)

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) opened the FY 24 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program on Feb 21. SS4A supports planning, behavioral and operational efforts, and infrastructure improvements that will prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets.

DOT expects to award $1.26 billion in total program funding with $656.7 million for planning and demonstration grants and $580 million for implementation grants. There are three application deadlines for planning and demonstration grants in the FY 24 round of the program: 5 p.m. (EDT) April 4, May 16 and August 29. The sole application deadline for implementation grants is 5 p.m. EDT May 16.

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

Summary:  Fresno Council of Governments is now beginning the required process to update their latest Public Participation Plan (PPP) which was approved in 2020. The PPP is a plan intended to give the Fresno COG Policy Board and staff guidance in providing for public involvement and interagency consultation early and often during the regional planning process. It contains policies, guidelines, processes and procedures to which Fresno COG commits while seeking and fostering open public involvement during the decision-making process, regarding all matters within discretion. The PPP also identifies opportunities for involvement in the metropolitan transportation planning process.

Staff will be working to update the plan throughout the month of March, and plans to release the update for 45-day public review and comment in April. Following its release, the Fresno COG Policy Board will conduct a public hearing on the PPP during its normal monthly meeting on April 25, 2024.

Public comments regarding the PPP are welcomed at any time during the plan update process. They may be submitted in writing via mail or email:

Brenda Thomas, Fresno COG Administrative Services Manager

Mailing Address:  2035 Tulare Street, Suite 201, Fresno, CA 93721

Email:  bthomas@fresnocog.org

The 2020 PPP is available for review on Fresno COG's Get Involved webpage under the "For Your Information" section. 

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

Summary: Fresno COG staff will submit its federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023/24 obligation plan (attached) to Caltrans' Division of Local Assistance in March. This plan documents Fresno COG’s estimated project delivery for the remainder of 2023/24. The plan outlines approximately $19.7 million in combined CMAQ, STBG and HSIP in proposed project obligations between April 1 and Sept. 30.

The federal fiscal year ends Sept. 30; however, as of April 1, federal funds become available to the rest of the state on a first-come, first-served basis. Projects not submitted to Caltrans for authorization by April 1 are at risk of being delayed. It is the state’s goal to exceed the obligational authority (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 to October, the beginning of the next federal fiscal year.

Please keep Fresno COG staff updated on any changes that could impact the region’s project delivery plan. Contact Matthew Shimizu at 559-233-4148 ext. 240 or mshimizu@fresnocog.org with any questions regarding fiscal year deadlines or the process of obligating project funds.

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

The Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) is authorized in the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).  This program provides Fresno County with Federal transportation funds to be distributed to the Fresno County region through a performance-driven process. Fresno COG, in its role as a metropolitan planning organization (MPO), is responsible for programming future federal transportation revenues in the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP). CRP funds are reimbursable federal-aid funds, subject to the requirements of Title 23, United States Code. 

Program guidelines describe the policies, standards, criteria, and procedures for developing, managing, and adopting Fresno COG’s CRP program. These funds are distributed through a competitive, regional bid program based on scoring criteria and evaluated by a scoring committee. Fresno COG estimates that a total of $5,494,620 will be available funding for the FFY 23/24 mid-cycle CRP.

The updated guidelines for CRP includes funding distribution policies, changes to the local match requirement, language regarding programming construction funds, changes to address project contingencies, and minor changes to the application.

The CRP program guidelines and application packet can be found on Fresno COG's website. Upon Board approval of the application packet, the call-for-projects will be initiated. 

Action: Staff and the programming subcommittee request the TTC/PAC recommend the Board approve the CRP guidelines and application packet and initiate the call-for-projects.

Summary: Fresno COG offers a Circuit Planner and Engineer Program, which provides technical assistance to small cities in Fresno County for efforts that further Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy goals. Such assistance includes but is not limited to: planning studies, project deliveries, grant applications, environmental documents, engineering services (i.e., conceptual design or preliminary engineering), permitting needs assessment, and quality (QA/QC) reviews as needed. 

Rincon Consultants Inc. has completed projects nearly all jurisdictions. Projects include zoning code reviews and revisions, assistance with the adoption of CEQA VMT thresholds and EV charging ordinances, updates to general plans, vesting of maps, and preparation of documents for board hearings. 

Fresno COG member agencies may use these services, typically funded annually at about $100,000, especially the rural cities with less resources for compliance with State and Federal mandates. Fresno COG encourages the member agencies to solicit support for planning and engineering projects. 

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

Summary:  Following on Fresno COG’s Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), approved in February, staff – with assistance from circuit planner consultant Rincon – are working quickly to develop a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) that will meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements on a tight timeline (April 1) while capturing as many eligible projects as possible.

Acting as the lead applicant for transportation measures under the PCAP for the region, Fresno COG has solicited projects from member agencies and others in an attempt to build a broad coalition of partners with greenhouse gas-reducing projects that are effectively shovel-ready and able to be constructed within a three- to five-year timeframe.

This approach has led COG back to its list of unfunded ATP and CMAQ projects from the most recent 2023 cycle that could meet eligibility requirements. Staff is also awaiting word from the City of Fresno on a potential hydrogen fuel generation project that is still being scoped, which may be added to the list of projects for submission. 

Through a series of stakeholder steering committee meetings held during the PCAP development, and with representation from all 16 jurisdictions, Fresno COG staff have moved very fast to build an inventory of projects across multiple economic sectors, develop consensus on a strategy and approach for project development and to find a list eligible projects.

The list includes ATP projects from the cities of Fowler and Fresno, as well as CMAQ projects from Clovis, the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency, Firebaugh, Fresno, Mendota and Parlier.

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

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.

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