REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 17, 2024
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Agreement with the California Department of Transportation for Safe Routes to School Plan
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 24-124 (State Program Supplement Agreement No. 00000A607) with the California Department of Transportation, which allocates $500,000 of state Active Transportation Program funds as reimbursement for the development of a Safe Routes to School Plan for safer walking and biking infrastructure around 21 schools in the unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County’s Valley region.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works (Department) was awarded state Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants funds to develop a Safe Routes to School Plan for schools in the San Bernardino Valley areas (Project) following the ATP Cycle 6 call-for-projects. The estimated cost to complete the Project plan is $500,000 and funding for the Project was approved by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) at their meeting held on May 14, 2024. Project costs will be reimbursed from the County’s state ATP grant allocation of $500,000, which is administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Department’s 2024-25 Road Operations budget (6650002000 17H15249) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Caltrans utilizes Master Agreements for state-funded projects, along with associated Program Supplement Agreements, for the purpose of administering and reimbursing state funds to local agencies. A local agency is required to execute the Master Agreement and the Program Supplement Agreement with Caltrans before it can be reimbursed for Project expenditures.
The Program Supplement Agreement identifies state and local funding types and amounts that will be used to finance the Project. The CTC approved reimbursing the County $500,000 from the state ATP allocation to develop a Safe Routes to School plan that creates strategic, prioritized recommendations for safer walking and biking infrastructure around 21 identified schools in nine unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County. In order to receive reimbursement for Project costs, the Board of Supervisors (Board) must approve Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 24-124 (State Program Supplement Agreement No. 00000A607) with Caltrans.
The Project utilizes existing data and conditions around the schools as well as conducting outreach with parents, students, and school staff to identify safety measures that can be implemented to provide or improve safe and secure walking and biking access to school. Once the final plan is created, the Department can submit grant applications to the ATP to request funding for critical pedestrian infrastructure identified within the 21 schools’ boundaries.
On September 21, 2021 (Item No. 34), the Board approved Master Agreement No. 21-687 (State Agreement No. 08-5954S21) for terms and conditions applicable to County transportation projects receiving state funds.
On March 17, 2022, Caltrans announced the call-for-projects for ATP Cycle 6. On June 14, 2022 (Item No. 63), the Board approved and authorized the submission of a grant application for the Project. The application was successful and was awarded state ATP funds.
On February 6, 2024 (Item No. 41), the Board approved Agreement No. 24-124 accepting the ATP Cycle 6 grant funds awarded by Caltrans, in the amount of $500,000, to develop a Safe Routes to School Plan for 21 schools in the unincorporated San Bernardino County areas.
This action meets the County and the Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives of working cooperatively with Caltrans to ensure that the necessary agreements are executed in accordance with Caltrans guidelines to receive reimbursement for project expenditures.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 11, 2024; Finance (Jessica Trillo, Administrative Analyst, 387-4222) on November 25, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 2, 2024.