| Plans and Programs Committee - February 10, 2009 |
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AGENDA PLANS AND PROGRAMS COMMITTEEMeeting Notice Date: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 10, 2009
1. Roll Call 2. Approval of Minutes of the January 13, 2009 Meeting - ACTION* attachment 3. Citizens Advisory Committee Report - INFORMATION* attachment 4. Recommend Appointment of Two Members to the Citizens Advisory Committee - ACTION* attachment The Authority has an eleven-member Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). CAC members serve two-year terms. Per the Authority's Administrative Code, the Plans and Programs Committee recommends and the Authority Board appoints individuals to fill any CAC vacancies. Neither Authority staff nor the CAC make any recommendations on CAC appointments, but we maintain an up-to-date database of applications for CAC membership. A chart with information about current CAC members is attached, showing ethnicity, gender, neighborhood of residence, and affiliation. There are two vacancies on the CAC requiring Committee action. The vacancies resulted from the resignation of Anita Madrigal and term expiration of Wendy Tran. Ms. Tran has indicated that she is interested in being reappointed to the CAC. Following ongoing recruitment outreach and publicity, we received three additional applications to fill the vacant seat, since the November Committee meeting, for a total of 42 applicants. We are seeking a recommendation to appoint two members to the CAC. 5. Recommend Allocation of $12,300,000 in Prop K Funds, with Conditions, to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority for Two Requests, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedules, and Associated Strategic Plan Amendment - ACTION* attachment The Caltrain Downtown Extension to a Rebuilt Transbay Terminal (Transbay Transit Center Project) has three major components: a new multimodal Transbay Terminal on the site of the present Transbay Terminal; extension of Caltrain from Fourth and Townsend Streets to an underground terminus at the new Transbay Terminal; and the establishment of a Redevelopment Area Plan. The proposed action includes allocations for two sets of contracts. The construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC) pre-construction services request would allocate $4,300,000 in Prop K funds to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) for a two-year contract. The selected contractor would work with the architect in reviewing the schematic documents, the design development documents, and the construction documents for the Transbay Transit Center, taking into account constructability, quality of materials and equipment, to ensure an efficient design and minimum lifecycle cost. The second request, for demolition and construction management (CM) services, would employ contractors to take down the existing terminal and ramps, prepare the site for construction of the new facility, and provide professional services including construction management, related administrative tasks (e.g., documentation of work progress, progress reports, correspondence, recordkeeping, payment verification, and communications), and rapid emergency response to the TJPA as required. The TJPA intends to issue the notice to proceed for all related contracts before the end of Fiscal Year 2008/09. We are recommending two special conditions for this request, which have been agreed to by TJPA staff. First, we are requiring that the TJPA submit an amendment request to modify the cash flow distribution schedules in the Standard Grant Agreements for two prior Prop K allocations to the TJPA to align them with actual reimbursement rates in order to provide cash flow capacity for the subject requests. The second condition requires a concurrent amendment to the Prop K Strategic Plan to reprogram a total of $12,300,000 in Fiscal Year 2008/09 design funds currently programmed to the project to the construction phase of the project. We are seeking a recommendation to allocate $12,300,000 in Prop K funds, with conditions, to the TJPA for two requests, subject to the attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedules, and associated Strategic Plan amendment. 6. Recommend Allocation of $120,000 in Prop K Funds, with Conditions, to the Municipal Transportation Agency for the Masonic Avenue Traffic Calming Plan, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and Associated 5-Year Prioritization Program Amendment - ACTION* attachment The arterial section of Masonic Avenue running north-south between Geary Boulevard and Fell Street, has been the subject of public complaints citing speeding, number of collisions, reckless driving, red light running, failure of vehicles to yield to pedestrians, slow transit service, inconsistent and confusing lane configurations, and wide intersections. In February 2008, Fix Masonic, a community group comprised of neighbors and residents of Masonic Avenue and representatives from affiliated advocacy groups, submitted a traffic calming application to the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) requesting a wide variety of changes to the arterial street to meet the safety and mobility needs of all of its users, including pedestrians, bus riders, bicyclists, and drivers. On February 12, 2008, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, through Resolution 73-08, requested that the MTA work with other city agencies, including the Authority, the Planning Department, and the Department of Public Works, to develop a funding plan and timeline for a comprehensive planning process to address stakeholders' concerns on Masonic Avenue from Geary Boulevard to Fell Street. The requested $120,000 in Prop K funds along with $20,000 from the MTA and $85,000 from the Planning Department would fully fund this $225,000 effort and will result in a plan that identifies potential improvements and associated costs. We are seeking a recommendation to allocate $120,000 in Prop K funds, with conditions, to the MTA for the Masonic Avenue Traffic Calming Plan, subject to the attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and associated 5-Year Prioritization Program amendment. 7. Recommend the Amendment of the Municipal Transportation Agency's Market Street Calm the Safety Zone Project (Resolution 06-43, Project Number 101.910001) to Revise the Scope, Schedule and Budget - ACTION* attachment In February 2006, through approval of Resolution 06-43, the Authority allocated $223,500 in Prop K funds to the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) for the planning, design and construction of the Market Street Calm the Safety Zone Project. The project is one of the short-term improvements recommended by the Market Street Action Plan, approved by the Authority Board in February 2004. The Prop K funds leverage a $600,000 Safe Routes to Transit (SR2T) grant of Regional Measure 2 (RM-2) funds from TransForm (formerly the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, or TALC) and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC), which was awarded to the MTA in December 2005. The original scope of the project included colored high-visibility pavement and the installation of an edge stripe in the safety zones, an advanced stop bar between the safety zone and the pedestrian crosswalk, and the installation of signage and reflective warning devices at 19 safety zones on Market Street between Justin Herman Plaza and Octavia Boulevard. The main scope revision is the removal of colored pavement in the safety zone. In February 2006, the MTA asked the California Traffic Control Device Committee (CTCDC) for its opinion on the use of yellow for the colored high-visibility pavement in the safety zones. The CTCDC rejected its use because yellow is a standard color with specific applications (e.g. separating directional traffic flow) and therefore cannot be used for the safety zones. The CTCDC did state that another color could possibly be used; however, MTA staff believes that any other color would not have the safety effect of the color yellow because it is already known as a warning color, while other colors do not relay such a message. The revised scope includes several different treatments for the safety zones, including reflective warning devices, ‘no pedestrian crossing' markings, signage, pavement markings, and a rumble strip in the safety zone. The reduced cost of the items in the revised scope allows those treatments to be done at all the safety zones along Market Street from Justin Herman Plaza to Castro Street and it allows the MTA to install 16 Accessible Pedestrian Signals along Market Street. The MTA requested a scope and expiration date amendment to the SR2T grant, which were administratively approved by Transform and the EBBC in June 2007. On July 25, 2007, through Resolution 3759, MTC allocated the full $600,000 to the subject project with the revised scope and expiration date. The Standard Grant Agreement needs to be amended so the Prop K funds that are leveraging for the SR2T grant can be used for the revised scope by the extended expiration date. We are seeking a recommendation to amend the MTA's Market Street Calm the Safety Zone Project (Resolution 06-43, Project Number 101.910001) to revise the scope, schedule and budget. 8. Recommend the Appropriation of $15,000 in Prop K Funds for Planning and Conceptual Engineering of the Tenderloin Traffic Calming and Circulation Improvements Project, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and Amendment of the Relevant 5 Year Prioritization Program - ACTION* attachment The Tenderloin Traffic Calming and Circulation Improvements Project is a two-phase effort to support planning and conceptual engineering of circulation improvements in the Tenderloin. The first phase has an implementation timeframe of 6 to 8 months, and will identify traffic calming and circulation measures such as conversion of one-way streets to two-way, installation of conduits, corner bulbs, and reduced street widths for Ellis and Eddy Streets. Phase 1 will identify near-term improvements that can be implemented in 2009 along with the planned Department of Public Works resurfacing of Ellis Street from Powell to Van Ness Avenue and Eddy Street from Cyril Magnin Street to Van Ness Avenue. Once paving is completed, a moratorium of five years will be in place for most roadbed changes. Additional funds will be needed for final design and construction of Phase 1 improvements. The Authority and the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) will assume joint responsibility for completing all environmental documentation, gaining necessary approvals, and securing additional funding. The second phase has an implementation timeframe of 5 years and may look at additional streets in the area. In 2006, Caltrans awarded a $135,000 Community-Based Planning Grant to the Authority for this project. That grant requires a 10% local match of $15,000, which would be fulfilled by the requested Prop K funding. We are seeking a seeking a recommendation to appropriate $15,000 in Prop K funds for planning and conceptual engineering of the Tenderloin Traffic Calming and Circulation Improvements Project, subject to the attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and amendment of the relevant 5-Year Prioritization Program. 9. Recommend Allocation of $5,637,664 in Prop K Funds, with Conditions, for Five Requests, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedules, and Associated 5-Year Prioritization Program Amendments - ACTION* attachment Due to a particularly crowded February Plans and Programs Committee agenda, we have grouped four Prop K allocation requests from the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) and one Prop K allocation request from the Peninsular Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB or Caltrain) into a single memo. The MTA applications, which have a combined request of $5,489,334, include Prop K funds for the restoration of 8 light rail vehicles (LRVs); procurement and installation of a Vehicle Driver Risk Management System (DriveCam); design of the Green Roof and HVAC; and the construction of a new signal at the intersection of Skyline Boulevard, Herbst Road, and Lake Merced Boulevard. The single PCJPB application for $148,333 would provide the San Francisco share of the design and construction phases for Caltrain's ongoing Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. Attachment 1 summarizes the applications received, including the project's leveraging compared to Expenditure Plan assumptions. Attachment 2 provides a brief description of each project. We are recommending allocation of the amount requested for each project. Attachment 3 provides a summary of our staff recommendation, highlighting 5-Year Prioritization Program (5YPP) amendments, special circumstances, and other issues of potential interest to the Committee, such as factors that have already or may impact project delivery and construction coordination opportunities. We are seeking a recommendation to allocate $5,637,664 in Prop K funds, with conditions, for five requests, subject to the attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedules, and associated 5YPP amendments. 10. Recommend the Allocation of $153,750 in Prop K Funds, with Conditions, to the Planning Department for an Environmental Planner III Position to Advance Project Delivery of Various Prop K Projects, Subject to the Attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and Five 5-Year Prioritization Program Amendments - ACTION* attachment The San Francisco Planning Department is responsible for conducting environmental review of proposed development in San Francisco, including review of proposed capital projects. Currently, there are a significant number of priority City-sponsored projects with complex transportation-related components requiring environmental review. The department has had difficulty staffing its environmental review function sufficiently to provide the necessary transportation analysis for these projects. According to the Planning Department, this is due in part to the department's lack of funding. In order to remedy this situation, the department is simultaneously conducting extensive recruitment efforts and seeking additional funding to support qualified staff. The department is also seeking a one-time allocation of Prop K funds to support its immediate staffing needs so that it can move forward the Prop K projects that either currently, or are expected to soon need environmental review. The Planning Department is seeking to fund a full-time Environmental Planner III level position in its Major Environmental Analysis (MEA) division for a period of 16 months. The total cost for this period is approximately $165,000 including fringe benefit costs. The department has requested an allocation of $153,750 in Prop K funds with the remaining $10,717 to be provided from the Planning Department's budget. The department's funding proposal is based on MEA's current and anticipated work efforts to support environmental review of the projects shown in Attachment 1, including the Better Streets Plan (BSP) and Bicycle Plan Environmental Impact Report. The Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), which is the sponsor of all the identified projects except for the BSP where the Planning Department is the lead, has provided its concurrence with the requested reprogramming and allocation of funds to the Planning Department for the above scope of work. As a condition of its concurrence, the MTA has indicated that it would need to approve any Planning Department expenditures in support of MTA projects prior to the Authority reimbursing the Planning Department. The recommended action would require amendment of five 5-Year Prioritization Programs (5YPPs). We are seeking a recommendation to allocate $153,750 in Prop K funds, with conditions, to the Planning Department for an Environmental Planner III position to advance project delivery of various Prop K projects, subject to the attached Fiscal Year Cash Flow Distribution Schedule, and five 5YPP amendments. 11. Recommend Approval of the Authority's Approach to the Federal Economic Stimulus Package - ACTION* attachment The Obama Administration and the Congress are developing an $800 to $900 billion economic recovery package calling for significant levels of new spending as well as tax cuts. The bills focus spending on sectors deemed critical to rebuilding the nation's economy, including transportation and other infrastructure. On January 28, 2009, the House approved a Federal economic stimulus package referred to as "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." This proposal includes over $40 billion for surface transportation projects nationwide. The package is still being amended in the House, and the Senate is still discussing its version of a stimulus package. As such, the final package will likely experience significant modification prior to final adoption, which is anticipated to occur around February 15, 2009. Based upon the current language in the House proposal, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) estimates that the Bay Area's discretionary share of the regional Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds for road projects will be around $140 million and its share of transit funds will be roughly $420 million. MTC has proposed that a portion of these funds be programmed to rehabilitation projects by the congestion management agencies (CMAs) and transit operators respectively, and a portion be programmed at MTC's discretion to Bay Area enhancement and expansion projects. There are very tight delivery deadlines within the bill, and "use it or lose it" policies that would take funds away from San Francisco, the region and the state if the nominated projects do not meet funding and contract award deadlines. MTC has asked the Authority, as the CMA for San Francisco, to develop a prioritized list of up to $13 million in STP-eligible streets and roads projects, prioritizing local streets and roads rehabilitation consistent with the goals in the draft 2009 Regional Transportation Plan, but allowing bicycle, pedestrian, and safety projects if there are not enough road rehab projects to use up available funds. Transit operators are working directly with MTC to develop similar lists for eligible transit projects to receive stimulus funds that will be distributed through the existing transit formula process. At the Plans and Programs Committee meeting, we will provide the most recent information we have about the stimulus package and present the Authority's strategy for prioritizing local streets and roads projects, as well as our approach to other key transportation categories proposed as part of the stimulus package. Given the very tight timelines associated with the anticipated stimulus package, we have been in frequent contact with the Mayor's office, project sponsors, MTC and Caltrans in an effort to best position San Francisco projects for stimulus funds. We are seeking a recommendation to approve the Authority's approach to the Federal Economic Stimulus Package. 12. Introduction of New Items - INFORMATION 13. Public Comment 14. Adjournment
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