Policy Advisory Committee

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:A round-up of recent State and Federal grant announcements and deadlines.

Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released its fiscal year (FY) 2026-27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Application Guide and call for applications. A total of $34.5 million is available for transportation planning projects statewide. Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. Nov. 21. Caltrans will be  conducting virtual grant application workshops on Oct. 8 and 15. For more information, see https://dot.ca.gov/programs/transportation-planning/division-of-transportation-planning/regional-and-community-planning/sustainable-transportation-planning-grants

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved approximately $792.6 million worth of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding to states, territories, and Tribal communities through two traffic safety grant programs.

The total includes $409.8 million in Section 402 Highway Safety Program funds ($37,088,840.83 for California) and $382.8 million ($40,398,247.69 for California) in Section 405 National Priority Safety Program funds.

Eligible uses include high-visibility enforcement mobilizations to address risky driving behaviors, data collection, training, and enforcement of move-over laws to protect first responders, law enforcement, and individuals stopped alongside roads.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it awarded $3.5 billion in funding to recipients through over 20 agency grant programs. See the full list of those programs below:

• • Preparedness Grants:
    • Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (including AFG, FP&S, SAFER)
    • Emergency Management Grant Program
    • Intercity Bus Security Grant Program
    • Intercity Passenger Rail Program
    • Nonprofit Security Grant Program
    • Homeland Security Grant Program (including UASI, OPSG, SHSP)
    • Port Security Grant Program
    • Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program
    • State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
    • Transit Security Grant Program
    • Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program
    • Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program
  • Non-disaster grant programs:
    • Community Assistance Program–State Support Services Element
    • Detention Support Grant Program
    • Emergency Food and Shelter Program
    • Homeland Security National Training Program (ASSURE, CTG, NCPC NDPC)
    • National Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Response System
    • National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (Individual and Multistate)
    • National Dam Safety Program
    • Next Generation Warning System
    • Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program

Department of Agriculture

The Trump Administration announced a series of actions to support farmers in the face of rising production costs and distribution challenges. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will launch an America First Trade Promotion Program to support expanding agricultural markets overseas, release remaining assistance through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), and purchase commodities from U.S. farmers for international food assistance programs. The agency also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce antitrust laws in the agricultural marketplace and will work to lower costs for farmers to utilize the H-2A program to secure seasonal labor. President Donald Trump also stated that the Administration intends to use tariff revenues to support farmers further.

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

New 2026 RTIP Programming

Proposed 2026 RTIP Programming

2026_RTIP_Resolution_2025-51

Summary: The California Transportation Commission (CTC) released guidelines and fund balance estimates for the 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in August 2025. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopts a new State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) every two years.

The STIP is a five-year capital improvement program of transportation projects on and off the State highway system, funded by the State Highway Account and other sources. As part of the STIP development process, each region must produce a Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP). Caltrans is required to produce the Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) for the remaining 25 percent of STIP funding.

When voters passed the Measure C renewal in 2006, the ballot promised to leverage Measure C with other sources of state and federal funding. Subsequently, the FCOG board reaffirmed a long-term commitment made after the 1986 Measure Ballot to dedicate a minimum of 75% of the RTIP to leveraging major projects in the Measure Regional Program.

The Regional commitment to major capital infrastructure projects is critical as federal and state grant sources require construction-ready projects that take years to develop and can only be delivered if the design and right-of-way are completed with regional resources. The combination of Regional Measure C and STIP funding has enabled the region to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements to the state highway system in Fresno County.

The Shaw Avenue Multimodal Interchange project is on the voter-approved Tier II list in the 2006 ballot and has been routinely discussed among the City of Fresno, Caltrans, Fresno COG and the Fresno County Transportation Authority. Recently, Caltrans secured $400,000 to conduct a project study report (PSR), which began in January 2025. The PSR is a required component of the application for STIP funding and will be completed prior to the application due date of Dec. 15, 2025.

Caltrans requests $9,684,000 in STIP to develop the environmental document, which is anticipated to take three years to complete. Due to the project’s complexity, the ready-to-list date is projected for 2037, and a significant inflation factor is being applied. Current estimates place capital costs between $170 million and $223 million, with Right-of-Way costs ranging from $33 million to $97 million.

The 2026 RTIP will also include projects from the previous 2024 RTIP cycle. These include the:

• South Fresno SR 99 Corridor Project: American Avenue Interchange
• South Fresno SR 99 Corridor Project: North Avenue Interchange
• Excelsior Expressway – State Route 41: Kings County Line to Elkhorn Ave.

These projects are all in progress. The STIP fund estimate includes a 5% limitation for Planning, Programming & Monitoring for the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (Fresno COG).

Both South Fresno Interchange projects are currently programmed in 2027/28. The projects were originally programmed for construction in 2024/25; however, they experienced significant delays pursuant to a lawsuit against the environmental document.

In September, staff requested the Board approve $4,191,000 in RTIP to complete the funding for SR 41 Excelsior Expressway. The project is now ready to list, and Caltrans will request the final allocation vote at the CTC in October 2026.

The current STIP estimate makes approximately $14.6 million available for the programming period 2030/31 through 2031/32.  Staff proposes that the funding be programmed accordingly:

• $4,191,000 for SR 41 Excelsior Expressway
• $736,000 for Planning, Programming & Monitoring, Shaw Avenue Intermodal Interchange
• $9,684,000 for environmental work, Shaw Avenue Intermodal Interchange.

Staff will coordinate with Caltrans to develop the application so the RTIP can be brought back to the Fresno COG board in November for adoption and submitted to the CTC by the Dec. 15 deadline. The CTC will then conduct public hearings and adopt the STIP in March 2026.

Action: Staff requests that TTC/PAC recommend that the Policy Board adopt Resolution 2025-51, programming $9,684,000 in 2026 STIP county shares for the environmental document for Shaw Avenue Intermodal Interchange and $736,000 for Planning, Programming & Monitoring.

Sept. 11 2025 - Measure C Steering Committee Minutes Final

Steering Committee - Comments on Implementation Guideline Recommendations

9_18 agenda

Sept 18 2025 Steering Committee PPT Draft - Keppler

Measure C Steering Comm - Quick Reference Guide

Measure C 2026 General Allocations Calculations Sheet FINAL 091825

20 vs 30 Revenue Forecast Percentages

Roads - QA Fact Sheet

Roads - QA Fact Sheet

Public Transportation - Q&A Fact Sheet

County Maintained Roads Maps by District 091725 FINAL

County PCI Combined Maps by Distict 091725 FINAL

Summary: During its Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 meetings, the Measure C 2026 Steering Committee reached long-awaited milestones on subcategory definitions, a process for developing implementing guidelines, initial allocations for the broad, general categories and recommending the Measure be extended for 30 years.

Importantly, the categorical allocations were measured by median values, resulting in a total allocation which was also a median number and amounted to only 91 percent of the total.  This staff report includes multiple attachments that Committee members received, including maps, forecasts, definitions and additional information.

The Sept. 18 meeting began with a recap of accountability and oversight procedures, review periods and amendment authority in the existing Measure and as compared to similar measures throughout California.  This discussion emanated from the Sept. 11 meeting as members began considering whether to recommend a 20- or 30-year Measure extension.  The Committee discussed and voted on a listing of existing or additional accountability processes and procedures they would like included in the implementing guidelines, which will be developed in October.

From there, members moved into the general allocation discussion with a framework of voting for allocations, by category, and expressing that vote as a median (or central) number — where half the scores for each category are higher and half are lower.

Because the votes by category were expressed as median values, the total was also a median and did not equate to a full 100% of forecasted revenue.  Accordingly, the Steering Committee will need to return at its Oct. 9 meeting to continue the general category allocation discussion with multiple potential options for refining its recommendation to the Fresno COG Policy Board.  Some of these options may include: using a range of allocation (+/- 20%) by category, parceling out the remaining 9% among the categories, using an average rather than median scores, assigning the remaining 9% to a “flexible” category, or other options as may be approved.

Finally, the Committee returned to the question of a 20-year vs. 30-year timeframe for the Measure and approved the 30-year option.

Leading up to the allocation and timeframe decisions, transit agency and public works staff from the cities of Clovis and Fresno, the Fresno County Rural Transit Agency and the County of Fresno, at the Steering Committee’s Sept. 11 meeting, provided additional presentations (attached) on their respective operations with specific regard to increasing costs for road maintenance and rehabilitation jobs and additional transit service.  In addition, Committee members approved the set of subcategories and their definitions at that meeting as well.

Going forward, the Board may continue to provide direction back to the Steering Committee should it wish to see adjustments or additional considerations in the Committee’s deliberations or choose to adopt recommendations, such as the subcategory definitions and 30-year proposal, as they are presented.

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