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Leon County
Board of County Commissioners Cover Sheet for Agenda #29 December 14, 2021 |
| To: | Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board |
| From: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
| Title: | Annual Sidewalk Program Implementation Status Report |
| Review and Approval: | Vincent S. Long, County Administrator |
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Department/Division Review and Approval: |
Alan Rosenzweig, Deputy County Administrator Ken Morris, Assistant County Administrator Brent Pell, Director, Public Works |
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Lead Staff/ Project Team: |
Charles Wu, Director, Engineering Services Tim Barden, Administrative Services Manager |
Statement of Issue:
Pursuant to Board Policy No. 13-1, “Sidewalk Eligibility and Criteria for Implementation,” this item provides the Board an annual status report on the County’s sidewalk program activities and seeks Board direction on the addition of new sidewalk segments. This item also seeks Board authorization to utilize County funds to construct a Safe Routes to School sidewalk on Woodville Highway which is located on Florida Department of Transportation right-of-way.
Fiscal Impact:
This item has a fiscal impact. Leon County currently funds sidewalk construction from half of the County’s share of the five-cent gas tax and the Blueprint sales tax. Due to COVID-19 and subsequent budget balancing strategies for FY 2021, sidewalk funding from the gas tax was suspended in FY 2021. However, gas tax funding was restored in FY 2022 and a total of $2.54 million is included in the FY 2022 Capital Improvement Program for the Sidewalk Program.
Staff Recommendation:
Option #1: Accept the FY 2021 annual status report on the Sidewalk Program implementation (Attachment #1).
Option #2: Direct staff to include the following sidewalks in the Approved Sidewalk List for community enhancements:
Option #3: Direct staff to proceed with the construction of the Woodville Highway (Natural Bridge Road to Hickory Lane) Safe Routes to School sidewalk project for an estimated cost of $170,000.
Report and Discussion
Background:
Pursuant to Board Policy No. 13-1, “Sidewalk Eligibility and Criteria for Implementation,” this item provides the Board an annual status report on the County’s sidewalk program activities (Attachment #1) and seeks Board direction on the addition of new sidewalk segments. This item also seeks Board authorization to utilize County funds to construct a Safe Routes to School sidewalk on Woodville Highway which is located on Florida Department of Transportation right-of-way.
This status report provides an update on the County’s Sidewalk Program activities during FY 2021, which advances the following FY2017-FY2021 Strategic Initiative and 5-Year Target:
This particular Strategic Initiative aligns with the Board’s Quality of Life Strategic Priorities:
Prior to implementation of the Sidewalk Program in FY 2016, the only local roads eligible for sidewalks were Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS). The County did not have a program to fund other important sidewalk projects. SRTS is a federal initiative aimed primarily at removing impediments to elementary and middle school children being able to walk or ride their bike to school. The current SRTS project list was adopted by the Board based on a 2014 countywide SRTS study conducted by CRTPA. In developing this list of SRTS projects, the CRTPA worked with each school and Parent Teacher Organizations to identify improvements needed to enable children to walk or bike to school. The study area was two miles for all schools, but for elementary schools the practical walking area is closer to a mile or less. This study produced a list of new sidewalks, with an associated cost of approximately $11 million for those sidewalk segments located in the unincorporated area of Leon County.
While the Board acknowledged that SRTS sidewalks were of the highest priority, the Board also recognized that other sidewalks throughout the County provided a significant benefit which warranted funding consideration. As a result, during the April 28, 2015 Budget Workshop, and ratified at the May 12, 2015 meeting, the Board adopted the revised Policy No. 13-1, “Sidewalk Eligibility and Criteria for Implementation” (Attachment #2) and approved the SRTS and Community Sidewalk Enhancements Tier Prioritization List. Policy No. 13-1 provided for the new community sidewalk enhancement category; prioritization of projects into four tiers; and allocated funding for SRTS and Community Sidewalk Enhancements at 60% and 40%, respectively.
The County’s Sidewalk Program includes the two categories and funding allocations for the following reasons:
Following the April 2015 workshop, staff proceeded to complete the sidewalk projects that were prioritized prior to the new policy adoption. The following reflects the status of the remaining projects:
Analysis:
Beginning in FY 2016, staff began implementing the SRTS and Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects consistent with the methodology identified in Policy No. 13-1. To date, 40% of the funding ($2.3 million) has been spent towards SRTS and the other 60% ($3.3 million) to the Community Sidewalk Enhancements. Additional funds are leveraged from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) through a grant program for SRTS projects. It is also worth noting that the majority of SRTS projects are much shorter in length than the Community Sidewalk Enhancements projects, thus requiring less funding to construct. Since the Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects have longer distances, they require more right-of-way acquisitions resulting in increased costs.
The order by which construction occurs on specific projects is dictated by physical, design/permitting, and funding constraints while also attempting to adhere to the 60/40 funding allocation for SRTS and Community Enhancement projects. To address the revenue shortfall in FY 2021 due to COVID-19, a reduction in the sidewalk capital projects was implemented. Reductions extended the overall implementation timeline for the priority list for one year. The following reflects the current status of sidewalk projects. Additional information on each project can be found in the Status Report provided as Attachment #1.
Safe Route to Schools Projects
Based on the current budget projection and project progress, all SRTS Tier 1 projects are anticipated to be completed or under construction within the next three years with exception to the Blountstown Highway Sidewalk from Williams Landing Rd to existing sidewalk east of the Fort Braden School. The design for the Blountstown Highway Sidewalk is complete and now in the right-of-way acquisitions process. Because Blountstown Highway is a state road, staff will seek to leverage state funds by submitting an application for the SRTS grant in December 2022 to construct this project. If the grant is awarded in 2023, the construction of this sidewalk will be subject to the federal funding availability.
Pursuant to Policy No. 13-1, staff has also begun work on Tier 2 projects. The following list identifies the completed SRTS projects since 2018 and the Tiers 1-2 projects that have commenced:
Tier 1 Completed Projects:
Tier 1 Projects in progress:
Tier 2 Projects in progress:
Based on the actual time spent on the completed Tier 1 SRTS projects and projected funding availability, the SRTS Tier 2 and Tier 3 projects are anticipated to be completed in the next 14 years.
New FDOT Requirements for SRTS Grants
The current SRTS project list was developed based on a 2014 countywide SRTS study conducted by CRTPA. This was a one-time study, and CRTPA has indicated there are no plans for any updates. Thus, any future studies will be the responsibility of the County. In past years, the data collected in the 2014 study was used to apply for SRTS grants. In 2019, FDOT notified staff of changes to the process for applying for grants, now requiring a new labor-intensive study be conducted as part of the SRTS grant application for each school. The new study must include the following for each school:
The data collected for each school is valid for two years. If the grant is not awarded during that period, a new study must be conducted before resubmitting an application. Generally, the SRTS grant applications can be submitted in September through December each year. Considering the timing of funding availability if awarded, staff followed the new required process in 2020 and recommended Board approval of five SRTS projects from the Sidewalk Program Prioritization List for the 2020 SRTS grant application cycle. Four of the projects are Tier 2 and one project was approved by the Board prior to the adoption of the new sidewalk project list. The five projects approved by the Board were Woodville Highway between Natural Bridge Road and Hickory Lane; Canyon Creek Road between Old Woodville Highway and Shumard Drive; Shumard Drive between Canyon Creek Road and Bur Oak Drive; Westway Road between Crawfordville Road and Capital Circle SW; and Sherborne Road between Old Bainbridge Road and Rockingham Road.
In October 2020, staff presented these SRTS projects to the Leon County School District Advisory Council and received unanimous support for the grant application. Additionally, during the November 17, 2020 meeting the Board approved a Resolution in support of the projects to be included in the grant application. The grant applications were submitted to FDOT by the end of December 2020. The Canyon Creek Road Sidewalk between Old Woodville Highway and Shumard Drive was awarded the SRTS grant in 2021. The design funding for this project will be available in State FY 2025.
The Woodville Highway Sidewalk between Natural Bridge Road and Hickory Lane was a SRTS project in progress prior to the adoption of the Sidewalk Eligibility Criteria and Implementation policy. This project has been reviewed by FDOT with all permits secured. In order to avoid further delay the implementation of this project, staff recommends Board approval of the use of County funds to construct this project for FDOT’s maintenance upon construction completion and acceptance by FDOT.
With respect to sidewalk segments on FDOT roadways, the Sidewalk Policy provides that staff will prepare plans and acquire permits in order to be able to better position/leverage other funds for the sidewalk construction such as FDOT or Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grants, as the County’s leveraging efforts are more likely to be successful with “shovel ready” construction plans. However, once all the necessary permits have been obtained, the Board may choose to direct staff to proceed with the construction of the sidewalk on FDOT right-of-way.
Three SRTS projects on FDOT roadways are completed with design:
FDOT has indicated to staff that state funding for these segments is currently not available for FY 2022. Additionally, the Blountstown Highway projects cannot be submitted for a SRTS grant because additional right-of-way will be required for construction. One of the SRTS grant application eligibility criteria is to have sufficient right-of-way before submitting an application. The right-of-way acquisition process started in FY 2021 for the Blountstown Highway projects. Based on timing and funding availability after the necessary right-of-way has been acquired, these projects can be constructed with County funds or be submitted for a future SRTS grant application cycle.
As a separate agenda item in the December 14, 2021 Board meeting, staff requests the Board to adopt a resolution in support of the 2021 SRTS grant application to construct three Tier 2 sidewalk projects selected from the Board approved Sidewalk Program Prioritization List:
Community Sidewalk Enhancements Projects
The following list provides the completed Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects since 2019 along with the commenced projects:
Tier 1 Completed Project:
Tier 1 Projects in progress:
Added Tier 1 Projects approved by the Board in 2020:
Based on available funding, Community Sidewalk Enhancement Tier 1 projects are planned for construction through FY 2030. Staff anticipates completing the current list (all Tiers) of Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects within the next 30 years based on the present funding level. These projects typically have longer distances, more design/permitting issues and require more right-of-way acquisitions resulting in increased costs and construction timelines.
Partner Agency Coordination
Staff works closely with partner agencies, including the City of Tallahassee, Blueprint, and Florida Department of Transportation for coordination and joint funding opportunities for sidewalk projects. For example, the Gearhart Road sidewalk from Mission Road to Capital Circle Northwest was jointly funded with the City for the segment inside the City limits from CSX Railroad to Capital Circle Northwest.
The Magnolia Drive Trail from Meridian Street to Pontiac Drive was jointly funded by Blueprint, FDOT, City of Tallahassee, and Leon County. Blueprint staff worked with Big Bend Cares Inc. and completed the trail along Magnolia Drive from Adams Street to Monroe Street. Currently, the Magnolia Drive Trail from Monroe Street to Pontiac Drive is under construction and funded by Blueprint and City of Tallahassee while managed by Leon County. The Magnolia Drive Trail segments from Pontiac Drive to Diamond Street and from Diamond Street to Apalachee Parkway are under design and right-of-way acquisition.
As part of the Northeast Connector Corridor (Bannerman Road Improvements), two sidewalk projects are under design by the Blueprint consultant. One is along Tekesta Drive from Bannerman Road to Deerlake Road, and the other one is along Bull Headley Road from Chadwick Way to the Bull Headley Landing Park. Both Tekesta Drive and Bull Headley Road are County maintained roads and Public Works staff has been involved in design review for safety and future maintenance.
Blueprint’s sidewalk project on Bull Headley Road, in conjunction with the County’s planned sidewalk project, will provide safe pedestrian access on Bull Headley Road from the Landing to Manor House Drive.
Blueprint has an ongoing feasibility study of a sidewalk or trail along Maclay Road from east of Bobbin Brook Circle to Maclay Boulevard, as part of the Market District Placemaking-Pedestrian Safety and Connectivity project. After the Blueprint IA Board approval of the recommended option in the feasibility study, it is anticipated to start the design work in 2022. The County has completed a preliminary engineering study for a Tier 1 Community Sidewalk Enhancement project along Maclay Road from Meridian Road to the east of Bobbin Brook Circle. Staff has been coordinating with Blueprint to seek funding opportunities for this project.
Consideration of Additions to the Approved List
Policy No. 13-1 requires that additions to the approved sidewalk list are to be presented to the Board for its consideration. The proposed new sidewalk segments must meet at least one of the required policy criteria. Each year, the public submits requests through Commissioners and directly to Public Works. The requests submitted by the public this year were evaluated based on the criteria, and are recommended to be included in the approved Community Sidewalk Enhancement Project List. It is important to note that the current list of Community Sidewalk Enhancement Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects are anticipated to begin construction no later than FY 2030 and FY 2036, respectively. Based on funding availability, it could be FY 2037 or later before Tier 3 projects begin.
In consideration of this status report, the Board may also wish to propose segments to be evaluated based on the established evaluation criteria.
The current list of sidewalk projects exceeds the life of the Blueprint sales tax which expires in FY 2040. Based on projected revenues from County gas taxes and a share of Blueprint sales taxes through 2040, it may take an estimated 30 years to implement all the approved Community Enhancement sidewalk projects.
Future Revisions to Sidewalk Policy
In preparing this annual status report and measuring the progress of the County’s Sidewalk Program, staff identified the need to soon revisit and revise certain provisions of the Sidewalk Eligibility Criteria and Implementation Policy.
The Sidewalk Eligibility Criteria and Implementation policy calls for 60% of total County sidewalk funds be allocated to SRTS projects and 40% be allocated to Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects. The intent of this requirement at the time of the policy adoption was to accelerate the implementation of the SRTS sidewalk projects. After the review of the updated cost estimates, actual expenses, and updated project list as we near completion of the SRTS Tier 1 projects, it is evident that retaining the 60%/40% funding allocation for SRTS and Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects will require all Tier 2 and Tier 3 SRTS projects be prioritized over the Tier 1 Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects. A revision to the current funding allocation providing greater flexibility for both categories will be needed so that the policy does not require all SRTS projects to be completed in order to make progress on the Tier 1 Community Sidewalk Enhancement projects.
The current SRTS sidewalk projects were approved by the Board in 2015 based on the list adopted by the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency after a Countywide School Safety Study. This list has not been updated since the initial adoption. Staff recommends a revision to the policy to all new SRTS projects to be added upon Board approval if the proposed sidewalk is within a two-mile radius of a school. The two-mile radius is based on the School Board’s threshold for providing transportation services to students. This proposed revision will also provide additional opportunities for the County to leverage state grants funds for SRTS sidewalk projects.
Staff will prepare a policy revision item and bring it back for Board consideration during a future budget development cycle.
Options:
Recommendation:
Options #1, #2 a., b., and c., and #3
Attachments: