REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Transportation Development Act/Transportation Fund for Clean Air Funding Recommendations (Chan)
Report
BACKGROUND
Transportation Development Act
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission administers the Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA) program that is funded by a quarter-cent State sales tax. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is designated to administer the program in Santa Clara County. VTA allocates TDA funds for competitively selected projects and distributes the funds to jurisdictions based on population.
This program is limited to funding for the design and construction of improvements for bicycle or pedestrian projects. This includes bicycle lanes, signage, wheelchair ramps, crosswalk or pedestrian-scale lighting, and sidewalks.
The VTA is anticipated to release a Call-for-Projects in early 2025 for the FY 2025/26 funding cycle. In previous funding cycles, the TDA program consisted of two categories: (1) an amount reserved for projects in the 2013 VTA Bicycle Expenditure Program (BEP) and (2) an amount guaranteed for each local agency. The guaranteed FY 2025/26 amount for Santa Clara is approximately $191,000, similar to FY 2024/25.
Transportation Fund for Clean Air
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District oversees the Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grant program that is funded by a four dollar surcharge on motor vehicles registered in the Bay Area. The Santa Clara VTA is designated to administer part of the program funds to local agencies in Santa Clara County. Approximately $1 million in grant funds are anticipated to be available for the Bay Area region to award to local agencies for FY 2025/26.
Eligible uses for this grant include reducing motor vehicle emissions through things such as zero emission vehicles, bicycle projects, ridesharing programs, transit programs, and traffic signal timing. The VTA has released the Call-for-Projects for the FY 2025/26 funding cycle.
DISCUSSION
Transportation Development Act
The VTA is anticipated to release the TDA program Call-for-Projects in early 2025 for the FY 2025/26 funding cycle. VTA has not published the TDA category 1 competitive grant program details yet. Staff will continue to track this to identify opportunities to fund city bike and pedestrian projects. For TDA category 2, staff recommends to “bank” the guaranteed funds of approximately $191,000 for FY 2025/26 and apply to use the funds during a future funding cycle to implement a larger bike and/or pedestrian project.
Transportation Fund for Clear Air
On November 12, 2024, City Council adopted resolutions to accept the Benton Street Bikeway Study and selected preferred bikeway design concepts for the project.
The preferred Benton Street bikeway design includes Class IIB (i.e., buffered bike lanes) on Benton Street from Dunford Way to Maryann Drive and a bike boulevard on Benton Street from Maryann Drive to Lincoln Avenue. Funds from the Santana West Settlement Agreement with the City of San Jose has been programmed for the design and construction of the 2.7-mile segment of the Benton Street Bikeway. Staff recommends applying for FY 2025/26 TFCA grant funds to supplement construction funding for the Benton Street Bikeway Project.
BPAC is encouraged to discuss these potential projects and provide comments on TFCA and TDA funding priorities.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Approve staff recommendation to “bank” the guaranteed fund in FY 2025/26 TDA funding cycle.
2. Approve staff recommendation to apply for the FY 2025/26 TFCA funding cycle for the construction of the Benton Street Bikeway Project.
Staff
Written by: Steve Chan, Transportation Manager, Public Works
Approved by: Michael Liw, Assistant Director/City Engineer, Public Works