Title
a. Approve submittal of a grant application under the Department of Transportation’s National Infrastructure Investments, Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, to request funding for the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project;
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP), or designee, to act as the agent for the County in processing all documentation to secure these funds; and
c. Direct PWFP to return to the Board for approval prior to acceptance of any grant award(s).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve submittal of a grant application under the Department of Transportation’s National Infrastructure Investments, Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, to request funding for the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project;
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP), or designee, to act as the agent for the County in processing all documentation to secure these funds; and
c. Direct PWFP to return to the Board for approval prior to acceptance of any grant award(s).
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Grant Program Background
On November 1, 2024 the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) published the Notice of Funding Opportunity announcing a total of $1.5 billion in available grant funding through its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) 2025 Grant Program for Round 1 and Round 2. The RAISE discretionary grants were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants and can be used to fund a wide variety of transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. The competitive Grant Program will fund surface transportation infrastructure projects that will improve safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation. The RAISE Grant Program review and selection process consists of Merit Criteria Review, Project Readiness Review, Economic Analysis, and Senior Review. The RAISE program announced that a portion of the $1.5 billion available for RAISE 2025 will be awarded during Round 1. RAISE 2025 Round 1 is strictly for applications that were submitted to the RAISE 2024 grant program and received a designation of Highly Rated/Project of Merit but were not selected for award. Grant applications for Round 2 are due at 11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time) January 30, 2025.
Grant Application
The County of Monterey Department of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) is preparing a grant application for the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project (Project): The Project is located just south of the City of Salinas, connecting Salinas to the Monterey Peninsula. The existing transportation network is strained with daily traffic congestion and backups. The Project consists of widening this vital regional route to accommodate both the existing travel demands and future growth. The Project will increase roadway capacity by widening approximately 2.1 miles of the existing two-lane Davis Road to four lanes between Blanco Road and Reservation Road. The improvements will include the construction of eight foot wide bicycle lanes (Class II bikeway) on each side of the road and provide an opportunity for rapid transit service. The Project also includes the replacement of the existing two-lane, low-level Davis Road Bridge (State Bridge No. 44C-0068) with a longer bridge that accommodates the 100-year flood level and meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) requirements. Through the subject application, the County is requesting approximately $24.5 million which is roughly 25% of the estimated $96.5 million total Project costs.
With the Board’s support, PWFP submitted an application for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 RAISE grant funding solicitation. The Project was not selected for the previous grant cycles. The application submitted in 2024 was designated a Project of Merit and advanced to the RAISE 2025 Round 1 grant cycle, however the application was not selected for funding. There is $150 million available for RAISE 2025 Round 2. PWFP staff is refining and bolstering the Project narrative to address the feedback received to make an even stronger application for the grant application for RAISE 2025 Round 2.
If the proposed grant application is selected to receive funding, staff will return to the Board for approval to accept the grant award. Programming Federal transportation funds will support construction jobs, enhance public safety, as well as provide needed improvements for economic development, business retention, quality of life, and mobility throughout the County.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Project has been included in transportation plans for the Monterey County’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Regional Transportation Plan, Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and Federal Transportation Plan (FTP). PWFP has submitted a Caltrans Letter of Support Request Intake Form to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Transportation Planning. The County is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), while Caltrans is the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
FINANCING:
If funding is awarded for the Project, PWFP will use the majority of the funding for the road widening component of the Project as it is currently only partially funded. The total Project cost estimate is $96.5 million. PWFP has secured $71.9 million in funding the Project, mainly through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Bridge Program (HBP). Due to the rural location, matching funds are not required for this grant program. Staff will also continue to work with TAMC to secure the additional funds (estimated at $9.4 million) programmed in the Regional Development Impact Fee (RDIF) Program for the Project. The availability of these funds are dependent on the programming assumption in TAMC’s Strategic Expenditure Plan for RDIF Program.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The Project will construct sustainable, physical infrastructure that improves the quality of life and safety for County residents and visitors. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives:
Economic Development
Administration
Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Janie Bettencourt, Management Analyst II, (831) 755-5184
Kyle Oyama, Project Manager II
Reviewed by: Enrique Saavedra, PE Chief of Public Works
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachment is on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Location Map