AGENDA DATE: 4/1/2020
TITLE:
Title
Albemarle County Transportation Priorities Update
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Review of Albemarle County Transportation Priorities and potential grant applications for Smart Scale
ITEM TYPE: Consent Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Walker, Filardo, Benish, McDermott
PRESENTER (S): Kevin McDermott
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Choose an item.
BACKGROUND: This item is providing an update on the Albemarle County Transportation Priorities List, last approved in 2019, and a list of the proposed Smart Scale applications for submittal in 2020 to the Board. The Transportation Priorities 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 are typically advanced in a different order based on opportunities and circumstances related to each project individually. Based on this list, and previous Board direction, staff has developed a proposed list of Smart Scale Grant applications which are being considered for submittal in the 2020 application cycle. The purpose of this report is to provide information to the Board on the process and results of the Transportation Project Prioritization, provide updates on projects in the list that have had work done on them, and to review the potential projects for submittal in the 2020 Smart Scale Grant cycle.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Climate Action Planning, Revitalize Aging Urban Neighborhoods, Redevelop Rio/Route 29 Intersection Area
DISCUSSION: Attachment A is the 2019 Transportation Priorities Report for the Board’s review. No changes have been made to this report since Board approval in July of 2019 but it is being provided simply as a reminder of the basis for prioritization, the process by which these projects are prioritized, and the results of the process.
Attachment B is a list of those prioritized projects which have been advanced in some manner and an update on what has happened with each of them.
Based on the 2019 Transportation Priorities and these updates, staff is recommending the following projects for the 2020 Smart Scale Application period:
SMART Scale Applications 2020
C-A MPO/TJPDC
#1. Hydraulic/29 Improvements
#6. Fontaine Ave/29 Bypass Diverging Diamond
#35. US 29 Shared-Use Path - From Seminole Lane North to Carrsbrook Drive
#44. Shared-use Path on Route 20 (Scottsville Road) - From the City Line to College Dr
#74. Fray’s Mill/Burnley Station/US29 Intersection Improvements
#82. I-64/Exit 107 Crozet Park and Ride Lot
Albemarle
#2. Rt 250 East Widening
#7. Old Lynchburg Rd/5th St Ext Intersection Improvements
#15. Rt 20/Rt 53 Intersection improvements
#17. Rio Road/Belvedere Intersection
A further question regarding these applications that will need to be considered will be whether the County is interested in using any of the potential Transportation Leveraging funds as local match on these projects. This would be used to buy down the cost of the project thereby improving its score and potential for funding by the state. Once additional information on the costs of the projects is known staff will be providing recommendations related to that issue
Staff is planning to submit pre-applications for these projects in the Smart Scale system prior to the due date for pre-applications on April 3. Final decisions on applications will not be necessary until the full application deadline of August 3. Staff is scheduled to return to the Board for final decisions on June 17.
BUDGET IMPACT: Acceptance of this report will have no direct impact on the County budget. However, it should be reviewed in consideration of 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 review this Executive Summary and attached Albemarle County Transportation Priorities List (Attachment A) and Albemarle County Transportation Projects Update (Attachment B). If Board members have questions or comments pleae reach out to Staff contacts. 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
Attachment B: Albemarle County Transportation Priorities Project Update