Agenda Information Sheet
DEPARTMENT: Transportation
ACM: John Cabrales
Date: February 14, 2017
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide a recommendation regarding an application to North Central Texas Council of Governments' Transportation Alternatives-Set Aside program for funding of active transportation and Safe Routes to School projects.
Body
BACKGROUND
In December 2016, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) opened a Call for Projects under the Transportation Alternatives - Set Aside (TA-Set Aside) program. This program is funded through the current federal transportation funding bill, FAST Act: Fixing America's Surface Transportation. NCTCOG has $23.4 million to award to the North Central Texas region. The Call for Projects has two categories - Active Transportation, which is customary bike and pedestrian infrastructure; and Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS), which is infrastructure tied to making walking and biking to schools safer. This is a reimbursement program, with local sponsors being reimbursed 80% (local agency must fund at least 20%). Applications are due Friday, February 24 at 5 p.m.
Staff identified candidate projects that would meet the most scoring criteria, which includes points for regional connectivity, mobility, safety, equity, implementation of a local plan, local network connectivity, and project readiness, among others. For Active Transportation, staff recommends the Sycamore-Welch Bike/Ped Connection, which provides a more direct connection from the Downtown Denton Transit Center to the University of North Texas. It will also link to existing bike infrastructure on Hickory Street, Mulberry Street, and Eagle Drive. Staff is proposing a sidepath on Sycamore, and a road diet of Welch. Additionally, the project will coordinate with traffic signal work planned for the intersection of Carroll Blvd and Sycamore.
For SRTS, staff consulted the existing City of Denton Safe Routes to School Plan. A k...
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