Title
Approval of a Resolution Authorizing Federal Highway Administration Grant Funding for Fones Road Project Construction
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute all documents necessary to accept the Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), Transportation Alternatives (TA), and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) Grants from the Federal Highway administration (FHWA) for Fones Road Improvement Project construction.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute all documents necessary to accept the Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), Transportation Alternatives (TA), and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) Grants from the Federal Highway administration (FHWA) for Fones Road Improvement Project construction.
Staff Contact:
Jim Rioux, Project Manager, Public Works Engineering, 360.753.8484
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
On June 18, 2019, City Council accepted a Surface Transportation Program (STP) grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for design of the Fones Road Improvement Project.
During 2020, Public Works Transportation applied for several grants to fund project construction. On July 20, 2020, Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) awarded the City three FHWA grants for project construction. On November 23, 2021, the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) awarded a fourth grant for project construction. On July 10, 2023, TRPC awarded the City a fifth grant for construction. The total amount that the City will receive from FHWA and TIB grants is $5,098,172. A breakdown of individual grant amounts is shown on the table below.
The City Council previously approved the TIB grant on June 7, 2022.
Olympia’s Municipal Code Section 3.16.020(C) states that “… any contract, agreement, or other document with a cost over $350,000 shall be presented to the City Council for approval prior to execution by the City Manager.”
Grant Agency Program Amount
FHWA Surface Transportation Program (STP) $2,040,118.00
FHWA Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) $463,875.00
FHWA Transportation Alternatives (TA) $383,775.00
FHWA Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) $210,404.00
TIB Urban Arterial Program (UAP) $2,000,000.00
TOTAL $5,098,172.00
Climate Analysis:
This overall project will affect the City of Olympia’s Climate Mitigation Strategies as described below.
Strategy T1: Set land use policies that support increase urban density and efficient transportation networks and reduce urban sprawl. This project will make it easier for people living & working on Fones Road to access transit and walk or bike to destinations along the corridor, including the shopping center at the north end of it. The project will also make it easier for people to walk or bike to or from the regional trails network. The frontage improvements may stimulate new infill development, which would increase density.
Strategy T2: Increase efficiency of the transportation system. Adding a roundabout at the south driveway of Home Depot will increase the efficiency of how the intersection operates, plus it will slow traffic while maintaining its flow. Adding pedestrian and bicycle facilities between 18th Avenue and the trail crossing will make it easier for people to walk, bike, and get to transit on 18th Avenue and Pacific Avenue.
Strategy T4: Increase the use of public transit. All of Fones Rd is within a ten-minute walk of the transit lines on Pacific Avenue or 18th Avenue. Having a safe, off-street place to walk will make it easier for people to get to and from those bus stops.
Strategy T5: Increase use of active forms of travel (such as bicycling, walking). The new separated shared-use paths between the Woodland Trail crossing and 18th Avenue, plus the new configuration of the trail crossing, will make it safer and more inviting to walk or bike. So, too, will the decreased operating speed on Fones Road.
Strategy W1: Increase the efficiency of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. The water utility will rebuild the water main under the street, which will ensure its continued operation into the future. Improving stormwater facilities along this street contributes to the wastewater infrastructure.
The specific action recommended will not have an impact on the City’s Climate Mitigation Strategies. The recommendation will maintain the current status quo with regard to natural gas use. In the future the City should engage with Puget Sound Energy early in pre-design project planning to investigate opportunities to reduce the use of natural gas
Equity Analysis:
The people who live and work along Fones Rd will have a safer, more accessible, and complete street that will provide safe places to walk and bike, including to the bus stops on Pacific Avenue & 18th Avenue. The access management and new trail crossing will decrease the probability of traffic collisions resulting in serious or fatal injuries. The new lighting and landscaping will make Fones a safer, more attractive, and welcoming street. There is a higher percentage of BIPOC living adjacent to Fones Road, and they will benefit from having a safer, more complete street. Additionally, there is a large mobile home park along this street, which is likely a reservoir of low-cost housing for people with low or limited incomes.
Making Fones Rd a more attractive place could result in rent increases. It may also be a more attractive place to redevelop, which could lead to economic displacement, either of residents or businesses. National trends indicate that mobile home parks are especially vulnerable to these trends.
The big box stores and industrial uses on this corridor employ many people, and we are unable to gather reliable data about their demographics. However, retail employees are generally in a low-paid sector and making it easier for them to get to work without having to drive could help lift the cost burden of vehicle ownership for some.
This project will help rebalance several historic inequities: it will add walking paths and the first separated bike lanes in our region in a Census Tract that has been identified as Transportation Disadvantaged by the US Dept of Transportation. Adding a roundabout, crosswalks, and lowering the operating speed will make the street safer for everyone who uses it, and it will maintain the vehicle flow that keeps our regional economy flowing.
The specific action recommended does not appear to have any impact related to equity.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Completion of this project will have the following impacts on the community:
• The Fones Road Corridor will meet current and future vehicle capacity needs.
• Pedestrian and bicycle facilities will transform this corridor into a multi-modal facility, providing a safe transportation choice for people that walk, ride bicycles, or drive.
Financial Impact:
Estimated Project Costs
Engineering (Project Management, Consultants, Inspection, Publications and Advertising) $5,803,508.20
ROW Acquisition $1,442,962.00
Construction Contract $18,015,908.00
Award Contingency $1,601,509.80
Total $26,863,888.00
Project Funding
Surface Transportation Program (STP) - Design $1,176,803.00
Surface Transportation Program (STP) - Construction $2,040,118.00
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) $463,875.00
Transportation Alternatives (TA) $383,775.00
Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) $210,404.00
Urban Arterial Program (UAP) $2,000,000.00
Transportation Capital Funds $17,245,138.00
Drinking Water Capital Funds $3,066,027.00
Wastewater Capital Funds $277,748.00
Total $26,863,888.00
Options:
1. Moe to approve a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute all documents necessary to accept the Surface Transportation Program (STP), Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), Transportation Alternatives (TA), and Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) Grants from the Federal Highway administration (FHWA) for Fones Road Improvement Project construction. The project will proceed as planned.
2. Direct staff to make modifications to the proposed Resolution. The project will proceed as planned.
3. Do not approve the proposed Resolution. The City will not proceed with the project and return the grant funds.
Attachments:
Resolution
Revised Prospectus
Revised Local Agency Agreement
Local Agreement Supplement 001
Vicinity Map