REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 20, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Application for Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant Funds for Arrow Route Safety Improvements
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Authorize the submission of a grant application to the California Department of Transportation for $2,582,460 in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for safety improvements on Arrow Route in the Fontana area, for a total estimated project cost of $2,869,400, including a required local match of $286,940.
2. Authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to electronically sign and submit the grant application as required by the California Department of Transportation.
3. Direct the Director of the Department of Public Works to transmit the final grant application to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of submission.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works (Department) is requesting authorization to apply to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for $2,582,460 in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for the Arrow Route Safety Improvement Project (Project).
The total estimated Project cost is $2,869,400. If awarded, the HSIP grant would fund $2,582,460, and the County would be required to provide a 10% local match in the amount of $286,940. In 2025-26, the Board of Supervisors (Board) established the Public Works Local Match Reserves (PWLMR) to facilitate the award of grant funding by providing a dedicated funding source for required local match contributions, thereby enabling the Department to efficiently leverage available federal, state, and other grant funding opportunities. If the HSIP grant is awarded, the Department intends to use PWLMR as the funding source for the required $286,940 local match. No PWLMR allocation is being requested at this time. The Department will return to the Board to request acceptance of the grant award and allocation of the required PWLMR funds.
|
Project |
Total Project Cost |
Funding Request |
Local Match Request |
|
Arrow Route |
$2,869,400 |
$2,582,460 |
$286,940 PWLMR |
Sufficient appropriation and revenue for the required local match have been included in the Department’s 2026-27 Road Operations budget (6650002000) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The County’s Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) proactively identifies roadway locations and systemic risk factors within unincorporated County areas and recommends proven countermeasures to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The LRSP follows the Safe System approach, an internationally recognized framework for systematically identifying and addressing roadway safety challenges and supports the goals of the California Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
The LRSP builds upon the County's previous roadway safety efforts and serves as a resource for identifying and prioritizing safety improvements and pursuing infrastructure funding. An LRSP is also required as a condition of submitting grant applications to the HSIP. HSIP is a federal program administered by Caltrans that provides competitive funding for state and local roadway safety projects. Eligible improvements may include intersection redesign, pedestrian crossings, traffic signals and signs, roadway striping, shoulder widening, and other infrastructure countermeasures intended to address documented safety concerns and reduce collisions, fatalities, and serious injuries.
Based on the applicable HSIP grant criteria, the Department selected the Arrow Route project, located between Hickory Avenue and Cherry Avenue in the Fontana area, because it best meets the HSIP grant criteria and provides the highest benefit-cost ratio, the most heavily weighted criterion in the grant program. Proposed improvements include the installation of two-way left-turn lanes, edge lines, and raised pavement markers to address identified roadway safety concerns.
The Department will submit the grant application electronically to Caltrans for consideration and provide a copy of the application documents to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for filing. Grant award notifications are anticipated in March 2027, after which the Department will return to the Board of Supervisors for acceptance of any awarded grant funding.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 7, 2026, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Scott Bruckner, Administrative Analyst, 387-4020) on October 2, 2026.