AGENDA DATE: 7/3/2019
TITLE:
Title
2019 Transportation Priorities Update
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Board review and approval of the 2019 update to the Albemarle County Transportation Priorities List
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Kamptner, Graham, Benish, McDermott
PRESENTER (S): Kevin McDermott
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Staff is presenting the Albemarle County Transportation Priorities List 2019 to the Board for approval. This list assists in directing staff resources and funding towards transportation projects over the next two-year grant and funding cycle. The ranked list is intended to provide guidance only and projects may be advanced in a different order based on opportunities and circumstances related to each project individually. Based on the Board’s guidance provided at the work session in April, staff has made some additional edits and clarifications to the final prioritized list of transportation projects and recommended grant applications for the fall application cycle or other appropriate funding sources.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Infrastructure Investment: Prioritize, plan, and invest in critical infrastructure that responds to past and future changes and improves the capacity to serve community needs
DISCUSSION: Based on the discussion at the work session in April, staff made some adjustments to the scoring of projects and added new projects to the scored list. Board members identified some additional projects that they would like to see scored and generally requested that projects, even if they had not been identified through typical planning processes, be included in the scoring if it appeared that there was consensus on the need for the project. This resulted in the scoring of an additional 29 projects to bring the total number to 89.
Project scores were adjusted based on comments and suggestions from Board members. Additional factors related to existing residential factors increased scores for some projects in the Land Use category. Under the Safety category, staff looked at potential emergency access deficiencies. If emergency access could be improved through a project in an area where current access was compromised, scores were increased. Related to bicycle routes, staff considered improved connectivity that could be achieved through linking multiple projects and increased scores in the Accessibility Factor and the Land Use Factor accordingly.
The attached report and materials provide the information for the Board’s consideration.
Based on the recommended Priority List, staff has developed a potential grant application and funding schedule considering projects ability to compete for grants, available funding, timing of need, and a general assessment of costs and benefits of each project. Staff is recommending the following:
Revenue Sharing Applications 2019
#5 - Berkmar to Lewis and Clark Connector
#26 - Old Lynchburg Road/Moore’s Creek Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements
#8 - Eastern Avenue South Connector
Transportation Alternative Application 2019
#12 - Tabor/High Street Sidewalks
SMART Scale Applications 2020
C-A MPO
#1 - Hydraulic/29 Improvements
Albemarle
#2 - Rt 250 East Widening
#6 - Fontaine Ave/29 Bypass Diverging Diamond
#7 - Old Lynchburg Rd/5th St Ext Intersection Improvements
#10 - Avon St Ext Improvements
Staff is requesting feedback from the Board on this proposed list of grant application projects and the schedule from the Board.
BUDGET IMPACT: The discussion today will have no direct impact on the County budget. However, it will be used to identify potential uses for funding that have previously been earmarked for use on transportation projects through the CIP Transportation Leveraging program. The recommendations for grant applications will come back to the Board for final approval prior to the application submission, at which time detailed budget impacts will be presented.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board approve the attached Albemarle County Transportation Priorities List (Attachment A). Staff is also requesting feedback from the Board on the proposed list of grant application projects and the schedule noted above. The recommendations for grant applications will come back to the Board for final approval prior to the application submission at which time detailed budget impacts will be presented
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Albemarle County Transportation Priorities Report