Posting Language
Title
Approve an ordinance authorizing negotiation and execution of a grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration to accept $10,456,068 from the 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program for safer transportation routes; amending the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Transportation and Public Works Department Special Revenue Fund (Ordinance No. 20240814-007) to accept and appropriate $10,456,068 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program and amending the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Transportation and Public Works Department Capital Budget (Ordinance No. 20240814-007) to transfer in and appropriate $10,456,068 in grant funds to implement safety countermeasures at a citywide scale to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes, especially those involving pedestrians. Funding: $10,456,068 is available from the U.S. Department of Transportation. A City funding match of $2,614,017 is required and is available in the Transportation and Public Works Department’s Capital Budget and through staff time in the Transportation and Public Works Department’s Operating Budget.
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Lead Department
Transportation and Public Works Department
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $10,456,068 is available from the U.S. Department of Transportation. A City funding match of $2,614,017 is required and is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Transportation and Public Works Department's Capital Budget and through staff time funded in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Transportation and Public Works Department's Operating Budget.
Prior Council Action:
May 5, 2024 - Resolution No. 20240502-059, authorizing the submittal of an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Fiscal Year 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All discretionary grant program was approved on an 11-0 vote.
For More Information:
Richard Mendoza, Director, 512-974-2488; Anna Martin, Assistant Director, 512-974-7105; Joel Meyer, Transportation Safety Officer, 512-974-7189; Gilda Powers, Quality Consultant, 512-974-7092.
Additional Backup Information:
On September 5, 2024, the United States Department of Transportation announced that the City of Austin received an award for its application to the fiscal year 2024 Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program. The City’s 2024 SS4A award provides almost $10.5 million in federal funds to install pedestrian crossing improvements at nearly 50 locations and more fully develop the City's Living Streets Program, which seeks to follow resident-led requests for making their local street more comfortable to gather, walk and play. As part of this award, the City is required to contribute about $2.6 million in local matching funds. Local matching funds are available from the 2018 and 2020 mobility bonds, as well as in-kind contributions provided by the Operating Budget.
The grant will fund the implementation of proven safety countermeasures at a systemic, citywide scale to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes, especially those involving pedestrians. Crossing treatments will include a combination of rectangular rapid flashing beacons, pedestrian crossing islands, curb extensions and pedestrian hybrid beacons, as well as one critically needed grade-separated crossing of I-35 at Little Walnut Creek. The grant also includes a demonstration project on local, neighborhood streets that will test soft road closures using quick-build, cost-effective and temporary traffic calming and placemaking methods.
Transportation and Public Works Department (TPW) staff are currently conducting preliminary analysis to identify priority locations. The grant will help TPW address the highest priority crossing gaps based on the Council-adopted Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan, including those on the Vision Zero High Injury Network, with a focus on improving safety in historically underserved communities.
This grant award is the City’s third from the SS4A grant program. Transportation and Public Works received the first SS4A award for Fiscal Year 2022 in the amount of $22,866,400, and a second SS4A award in Fiscal Year 2023 in the amount of $288,000 for developing ADA transition plans for pedestrian crossings and urban trails.
The total project amount is $13,070,085. The City will receive $10,456,068 and will contribute the required 20% match with a combination of capital funds and in-kind contribution with equipment and staff time for the study period of two years.