AGENDA INFORMATION SHEET
DEPARTMENT: Transportation
CM/ DCM/ ACM: Mario Canizares
DATE: September 19, 2017
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SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding the federal Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) and the City of Denton SRTS Plan.
Body
BACKGROUND
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a federal program begun in 2005 with the approved transportation bill Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The goal of the bill was to enable and encourage children to walk or bike to school, to make walking and biking to school more appealing, and to assist in the planning and construction of projects that increase safety in the vicinity of school. As a standalone program, $613 million was allocated for SRTS over five years (FY2005-2009) to state Departments of Transportation. The bill was extended for two more years at an additional $183 million per year for FY2010-2012.
In 2012 Congress passed the transportation bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). This bill moved the SRTS from a standalone program to the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), which included recreational trails and biking and walking projects. Instead of its own pot of money, SRSTS now competed against trail and active transportation projects for funding. A little over $800 million was allocated each year for FY2013 and FY 2014, to be divided between three programs - SRTS, recreational trails, and biking and walking projects.
A new transportation bill was approved in 2015 for five years, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). This bill preserved funding for SRTS projects, while changing the program name from TAP to Transportation Alternatives-Set Aside (TA-Set Aside). SRTS projects would still compete with other bike and walking projects, however states could decide to have one Call for Projects for everything, or separate out SRTS with its own pot of money.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) opened a Call for Projects in late 2016 under the FAST Act, covering FY2016-2019. The NCTCOG was allocated $23 million for the region and chose to separate out funding between bike and walking projects and SRTS projects so they would not be competing against each other. The City submitted two SRTS projects and were selected for both. These projects include sidewalks near Lee and Ginnings Elementary Schools.
In 2010, the City, in coordination with Denton Independent School District (DISD), created a Safe Routes to School Plan. The Plan assesses each school within DISD, noting the existing sidewalks and crosswalks at each school and then providing a list of needed sidewalks and crosswalks. This Plan was never formally adopted by the City, and funding was never allocated to implement it.
Construction of new sidewalks is funded through $2 million from the 2014 Bond Election for miscellaneous sidewalks. A draft list of projects was developed by staff that prioritized needs by ADA requirements, proximity to schools (including universities), pedestrian safety, high activity centers, visible footpaths, and known missing links. Citizen requests are also included in the list. Staff is undertaking a new point system to assign rankings to each project, and will reassess the list each quarter with any new requests.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (Council, Boards, Commissions)
City of Denton Safe Routes to School Plan created in August 2010.
FISCAL INFORMATION
$2M in funding from 2014 Bond Election for miscellaneous sidewalks.
Funded two SRTS projects through federal program, Transportation Alternatives-Set Aside; estimated total cost to be $952,888 with City share to be $190,577.
STRATEGIC PLAN RELATIONSHIP
The City of Denton’s Strategic Plan is an action-oriented road map that will help the City achieve its vision. The foundation for the plan is the five long-term Key Focus Areas (KFA): Organizational Excellence; Public Infrastructure; Economic Development; Safe, Livable, and Family-Friendly Community; and Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship. While individual items may support multiple KFAs, this specific City Council agenda item contributes most directly to the following KFA and goal:
Related Key Focus Area: Public Infrastructure
Related Goal: 5.5 Provide alternative modes of transportation
EXHIBITS
1. City of Denton Safe Routes to School Plan
Respectfully submitted:
Mark Nelson
Director of Transportation
Prepared by:
Julie Anderson
Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator