REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 12, 2023
FROM
BRENDON BIGGS, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Measure “I” Five-Year Capital Project Needs Analysis - Project List
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution approving the Measure “I” Five-Year Capital Project Needs Analysis - Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29, Valley Major Streets, Valley Freeway Interchange, and the Victor Valley Major Local Highways Programs, identified in Exhibit A attached to the Resolution.
(Presenter: Brendon Biggs, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
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 total cost of projects listed in the Measure “I” Five-Year Capital Project Needs Analysis (CPNA) Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29 is $78,879,000, which includes 4% escalation cost on projects that are in progress, and of this amount, $30,284,500 is the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Public Share contribution; and $16,310,500 will be funded by the federal Highway Bridge Program funds assigned to the County for the Rock Springs Road Bridge Project. The remaining balance of $32,284,000 is comprised of $15,144,600 for the unfunded portion, funding to be determined, for the Rock Springs Road Bridge Project, and $17,139,400 is the Regional Transportation Development Mitigation Program developer fair-share contribution. The developer fair-share contribution is anticipated to be funded through development impact fees collected by the County, and/or a loan of local funds in anticipation of reimbursement from future collected regional fees.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Adoption of the recommended Resolution approves the annual update to the Measure “I” Five-Year CPNA Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29 and authorizes the County to submit the CPNA Project Lists 2024-25 through 2028-29 to the SBCTA for the allocation of Public Share funds (attached to the Resolution as Exhibit A).
The County receives Measure “I” funds in two ways:
1. Local Street Pass-Through funds - SBCTA receives the Measure “I” revenues and disburses this revenue to the County and the cities. The Department of Public Works (Department) administers the funds allocated to the County. The Measure “I” Local Street Pass-Through funds must be spent only in the subarea in which the revenue was collected. These funds can be used flexibly for any eligible transportation purpose determined to be a local priority, in a manner like the Gas Tax revenues. The County is required to adopt a resolution annually that identifies the Pass-Through funds named as the “Capital Improvement Plan” (Plan). The last annual Measure “I” Local Street Pass-Through Five-Year Plan Project List was approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on August 8, 2023 (Item No. 47).
2. Measure “I” Public Share funds - These funds are spent on major streets, interchanges and highways listed in the SBCTA Nexus Study. The SBCTA Nexus Study identifies transportation improvement projects needed on regional roadways to accommodate increased traffic generated from new developments. These funds are administered by SBCTA and require a fair-share contribution from new development in the form of development impact fees (also known as the Local Share). The County is required under Measure “I” policies to adopt a resolution identifying a list of capital projects from the SBCTA Nexus Study on which these developer and public share funds will be spent in the next five years. The Project List for this program is the CPNA. Last year’s Measure “I” CPNA was approved by the Board on October 25, 2022 (Item No. 72).
The Measure “I” Five-Year CPNA Project List identifies County Nexus Study projects eligible for Public Share reimbursement under the Measure “I” Valley Major Streets, Valley Freeway Interchanges, and the Victor Valley Major Local Highways Programs, consistent with the SBCTA’s Nexus Study and the County’s Regional Transportation Development Mitigation Plan originally approved by the Board on December 5, 2006 (Item No. 57). The CPNA Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29 updates the previously approved CPNA Project List with any project cost revisions, addition of new project(s), or removal of projects.
The subject Measure “I” CPNA Project List is comprised of projects in which the County is the lead agency for some or all phases and are anticipated to begin construction during the 2024-25 through 2028-29 period. The Project List is required to be updated annually and submitted to the SBCTA to support its decisions to appropriate and allocate Measure “I” funding to local jurisdictions. Submission of the CPNA Project List to the SBCTA also provides a means for the County to assure availability of its allocation of Measure “I” public share funds for County Nexus Study projects through 2028-29.
The Department prioritizes projects for inclusion in the CPNA based on needs-analysis, project readiness, and availability of funding. All projects in the CPNA were identified and included as part of the SBCTA 2009 Nexus Study and the County’s 2006 Regional Development Mitigation Plan but added to the CPNA at different times based on the availability of public and local funds and project readiness.
The CPNA Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29 updates the previous year’s CPNA Project List by: (a) including projects that are incorporated in both the SBCTA’s Nexus Study and the County’s Regional Transportation Development Mitigation Plan that are scheduled to be underway by 2028-29; (b) updating project costs and allocations; and (c) removing projects that are complete and/or fully reimbursed by the public share. The 2024-25 through 2028-29 CPNA Project List updates are as follows:
Valley Major Streets Program:
• San Bernardino Avenue Widening Project, from Cherry Avenue east to Fontana City limits, Fontana area (Second District). The project is in the final design phase and is anticipated to move to the right-of-way phase in 2023-24. Right-of-Way activities are expected to last approximately two years. Construction is projected to commence in 2026-27. The estimated total project cost is $15.6 million.
• Cherry Avenue, from Merrill Avenue to Whittram Avenue, Fontana area (Second District) Grade Separation over the Burlington Norther Santa Fe railroad line, the project remains on hold status because of insufficient fees collected in the County’s Regional Transportation Development Mitigation Program - Fontana Sphere of Influence account. There is no change to the project cost estimate of $11.0 million.
• State Street (Interim) Widening Project, from Adams Street north to Darby Street, Muscoy area (Fifth District). An amendment to the CPNA 2023-24 through 2027-28 Project List, which added this project to the CPNA Project List, was approved by the Board on June 27, 2023 (Item No. 90). The project widens the west side of State Street by one lane, installs sidewalks and American with Disabilities Act curb ramps from Adams Street north to Darby Street. The project is in the design phase and construction anticipated completion is fall 2026. The estimated total cost for the interim project is $4.0 million.
Valley Freeway Interchange Program:
• There are no projects assigned to the County as a lead agency in this program.
Victor Valley Major Local Highways Program:
• Ranchero Road, from 0.15 mile east of Mariposa Road to Seventh Avenue, Widening Project, Hesperia area (First District). County was the lead agency for the project’s right-of-way phase. The right-of-way activities are complete, and the public share contribution has been fully reimbursed; therefore, the right-of-way component of the project is removed from the CPNA Project List for 2024-25 through 2028-29.
• Rock Springs Road Bridge No. 54C-670, over the Mojave River, Bridge Replacement Project, Apple Valley area (First District). The project is in the design and right-of way phases. The right-of-way acquisition is scheduled to commence in 2023-24 and will take approximately for one year to complete. Because the project still has an unfunded amount of $15.1 million needed to construct the four-lane project, the Department of Public Works staff are moving forward with the plans to construct two lanes of the four-lane bridge replacement and construct curb and gutters. The Department will continue to evaluate grant funding opportunities to construct the remaining two lanes. The estimated total cost for the two-lane bridge replacement project is $27.4 million.
• Phelan Road Widening Project, from State Route 138 to Los Banos Avenue, Phelan area (First District) is in the development phase. The total estimated cost for the project development and design phase is $6.6 million; this phase of the project is anticipated to last through 2026-27, and the right-of-way phase is expected to commence in 2025-26 at an estimated cost of $2.5 million.
This item meets the County and the Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives by updating the Measure “I” 2024-25 through 2028-29 CPNA Project List and submitting the CPNA Project List to the SBCTA for the allocation of the SBCTA Public Share funds.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 15, 2023; Finance (Carl Lofton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5404) on August 25, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 27, 2023.