TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Joseph DeFrancesco, Interim Public Works Director
Gilbert Gamboa, City Engineer
Pernilla Brandt, Consultant Project Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute all Agreements and Documents for the Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvement Project Funded Through the State of California Department of Transportation Local Assistance Program (No Budget Impact) (Interim Public Works Director DeFrancesco).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 26-0055
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 26-0055 authorizing the City Manager and/or her designee to execute all agreements and documents for the Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvement Project, funded through the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Local Assistance Program.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Sufficient funds of approximately $1.8 million are currently available for the Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvement Project. The Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvement Project budget consists of $1.0 million within the Grants Fund and $750,000 within the Measure R Fund. The Grants Fund portion is anticipated to be fully offset by a $1.0 million reimbursement from Caltrans. The federal grant requires an 11.47 percent local matching contribution from the City, which is fully met by the Measure R Funds associated with the project. A Project Budget and Expenditures Summary is attached.
BACKGROUND:
On January 14, 2014, the City Council approved the installation of a Class II bike lane on the eastbound side of Rosecrans Avenue between Highland Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard. The City Council directed staff to coordinate with the City of El Segundo regarding the feasibility of implementing a corresponding westbound bicycle lane along the north side of Rosecrans Avenue.
The initiative involves developing bike lane enhancements along Rosecrans Avenue, including a Class I separated bicycle path segment and related improvements for bikeway connectivity aimed at bridging a current gap in the regional bicycle network.
Rosecrans Avenue is identified as a major east-west arterial roadway in the City’s General Plan and is included in both the 2005 Citywide Bikeway Plan and the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan as a planned bicycle corridor. The corridor serves regional bicycle commuters, recreational cyclists, and local users traveling between Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, and the regional Marvin Braude Bike Trail.
Following City Council direction, the cities of Manhattan Beach and El Segundo, along with Chevron U.S.A., Inc. (Chevron), conducted a series of coordination meetings to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a westbound bike lane connection along Rosecrans Avenue. Through these discussions, it was determined that the project could be implemented through a partnership between the two cities and Chevron, including the use of a bike path easement adjacent to the Chevron refinery property near Sepulveda Boulevard.
On August 4, 2015, the City Council approved a Cooperative Agreement with the City of El Segundo for the construction of the westbound Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvement Project. Under the agreement, the City of Manhattan Beach was designated as the lead agency responsible for project administration, design, environmental clearance, and construction implementation.
As part of the project development effort, Chevron granted a public easement in 2015 to accommodate approximately 220 feet of the bikeway alignment behind the existing sidewalk near Sepulveda Boulevard. The easement allows for the construction of a Class I separated bicycle path within the parkway area to provide a safe bicycle connection through the constrained “pinch point” segment of the corridor.
In Fiscal Year 2023, the City was awarded approximately $1.0 million in federal Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending (CPF/CDS) funds through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to implement the project. The federal funding will be used for final design, environmental clearance, and construction activities associated with the project.
The project is currently in the final stages of preliminary engineering. The final design, along with environmental documentation and construction cost estimates, is being finalized in collaboration with Caltrans and in accordance with federal funding requirements. Upon completion of these efforts, the project will advance toward final authorization and construction implementation.
DISCUSSION:
As the project advances toward final approval and implementation, staff is completing the remaining federal and State authorization requirements for the CPF/CDS funding program and the Caltrans Local Assistance Program delivery process.
Caltrans requires the City to designate an authorized representative to execute all agreements, certifications, assurances, claims, environmental documents, funding documents, and other project-related materials necessary for the administration of federal transportation funds and implementation of the project.
Staff is requesting that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager and/or her designee to execute all documents required by Caltrans related to the administration, environmental clearance, design approval, funding authorization, and construction delivery of the Rosecrans Avenue Bike Lane Improvement Project. Approval of the resolution will allow staff to continue advancing the project toward final authorization and construction.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The proposed bike lane improvements have been the subject of coordination and outreach efforts between the cities of Manhattan Beach and El Segundo since the project’s initial development in 2015. Previous City Council meetings related to the project were publicly noticed, including mailed notifications to adjacent residents and property owners along the Rosecrans Avenue corridor.
The City also coordinated with community stakeholders and bicycle advocacy organizations on the proposed bikeway improvements. As the project advances toward final environmental clearance and construction, additional public notifications and coordination will occur as necessary, in accordance with City procedures and Caltrans requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City Council’s consideration of an Agreement with Caltrans has been determined to be exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the common sense exemption (formerly the “general rule”) that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question can have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA, as is the case with this item.
The project will undergo environmental review in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Based on the scope of work, the project is anticipated to qualify for a Categorical Exemption under CEQA and a Categorical Exclusion under NEPA as a bicycle and pedestrian facility improvement project.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 26-0055
2. Cooperation Agreement - City of Manhattan Beach and El Segundo
3. Location Map - Rosecrans Ave Bike Lane Improvements Project
4. Budget and Expenditures Summary