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HomeMy Public PortalAbout10 October 2, 1995 Special Commission MeetingNaty Kopenhaver RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1995 2:00 P.M. RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION 3560 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, SUITE 100 RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS 3. 1996 STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (STIP) Overview Staff is recommending that 1) the Commission consider and approve recommending the Rte 86 Stage 3 Construction Project ($40.132 million), and the Rte 604-215 Valley Way to University Avenue Stage 2 Roadway Construction Project ($43.878 million) to the CTC for programming in the first year FY 1996/97 of the 1996 STIP noting that the Rte 604-215 Roadway Project is currently under review for potential cost savings through "value engineering" and scope changes and, 2) the Commission receive the remaining information for consideration at the October llth Commission meeting following approval of the Measure A Project Sequencing List. AGENDA ITEM #3 RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION October 2, 1995 TO: Riverside County Transportation Commission FROM: Paul Blackwelder, Deputy Executive Director SUBJECT: 1996 STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM The California Transportation Commission is in the process of selection of highway and rail projects to be included in the FY 1996/97 - 2002/03 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Projects nominated for inclusion in the STIP are submitted to the CTC by Metropolitan Planning Organizations, County Transportation Commissions, and Caltrans. Projects proposed for inclusion from Riverside County are to be selected and proposed in priority order by RCTC in cooperation with Caltrans District 08. Projects submitted for inclusion in the first year of the STIP, FY 1996/97 are due to the CTC immediately. Projects for FY 1997/98 - 2002/03 are due to the CTC by November 1, 1995. Due to the current state/federal revenue shortfalls, and a general concern for delivery of the projects programmed, the CTC has requested the agencies submitting projects to review the scope and cost estimates of projects currently in the STIP to determine if there are potential savings through "value engineering". The CTC is also placing greater emphasis on the STIP as a document for assessing project delivery. They have asked the agencies submitting projects to review their project schedules so that funds are not requested for programming prior to the year in which the project will be ready to begin construction. Projects included in the 1995 Allocation Plan approved by the CTC are considered to be funded and need not be resubmitted to the CTC for the 1996 STIP unless they are being delayed or traded off for some other project. The projects included in the Allocation Plan for Riverside County are: Rte 86 Ave 58 to Ave 66 (Stage 2) Construction $ 20.253 million Rte 86 Construction Impacts Mitigation Plan $ 3.047 million Rte 86 Avenue 66 to Avenue 82 (Stage 3) R/W $ 7.934 million Rte 60 Valley Way to 60/91/I-215 IC (Stage 1) $ 9.836 million Bridge Structures Page 2 Yuma IC Rail Interchange Q I-15 R/W $ 3.607 million San Jacinto Branch Line Improvements $ 25.1 million - FIRST YEAR STIP PROPOSAL On Thursday, September 22nd and Monday, September 25th, we met with Caltrans District 08 staff to discuss the projects in the STIP, and develop recommendations for the Commission. With the emphasis on construction readiness there are only two projects in the current STIP for Riverside County which could be proposed to the CTC for funding in 1996/97. Route 86 Route 60/ I-215 Avenue 66 to Avenue 82 (Stage 3) Construction Valley Way to University Ave (Stage 2) Roadway $ 40.132 million $ 43.878 million Route 86 has been the highest priority project for Riverside County since the completion of upgrading I-215 to Freeway standards from Moreno Valley to Perris. Programming construction funding for Stage 3 - Avenue 66 to Avenue 82 is the fmal segment needed to provide an Expressway on the .new alignment to replace the existing dangerous two-lane highway in Riverside County. Caltrans is proposing to request funding for construction from the Interregional Road Program. In addition to providing a safer route for travel within Riverside County, Route 86 is also important for providing a safe route for significantly increasing truck and tourist traffic between California and Mexico expected as a result of the NAFTA Agreement. The CTC is placing a high priority on NAFTA related transportation improvements in this STIP cycle. The Route 60/I-215 project will add a lane in each direction from Valley Way through the 60/91/I-215 Interchange to University Avenue. This project is included in the Measure A Highway Program and is a combination of the second and third highest priority projects identified in the Measure A Project Sequencing List out for review by the cities and the county, and scheduled for approval at the Commission meeting on October 1lth. Staff is questioning the relatively high cost for roadway construction based on other median widening projects completed recently and will meet with Caltrans Staff during the next week to determine if "value engineering" can reduce this cost estimate and provide additional funds to be programmed for other high priority projects in Riverside County. Staff recommends the Commission propose both the Route 86 Stage 3 construction project and the Rte 60/I-215 Stage 2 Roadway construction project for inclusion in FY 1996/97 of the 1996 STIP due to the high priority of Rte 86 both to Riverside County and to the CTC priority for NAFTA related projects, and a combination of high priority and construction readiness for the Route 60/I-215 project. Page 3 STIP PROPOSAL FY 1997/98 - 2002/2003 The Commission will need to provide the CTC with a proposal for projects to be included in the remaining years of the 1996 STIP by November 1, 1995. While this decision should not be made until the Commission gives final approval to the MEASURE A HIGHWAY/RAIL PROJECT SEQUENCING LIST at the Commission meeting on October 1lth, the following information is provided to identify the issues which will need to be considered when the 1996 STIP proposal is developed and approved for submittal to the CTC prior to November 1, 1995. The projects for Riverside County contained in the current STIP which are not ready for construction and could not be considered for funding in FY 1996/97 are as follows: 60/91 /I-215 Interchange I-215 Rte 60 R/W for 2 Direct Connectors $ 88.190 million and Construction of the Rte 60 West to Rte 91 South Connector University Ave to 60/215 East Jct. $ 12.985 million Add 1 Lane each direction 60/215 East Jct. to Redlands Blvd $ 22.031 million Add 1 lane in each direction San Jacinto Branch Line $ 25.1 million The Draft Environmental Document for the 60/91/I-215 Interchange and the I-215 improvements from University Avenue to the 60/I-215 East Junction is being prepared by Caltrans District 08 with assistance from the Commission. Final approval of the EIS is scheduled for December 1997. Final Design for the project is scheduled to be completed in FY 1997/98. R/W acquisition can be programmed for FY 1999 and 2000, and construction can be programmed for FY 2000/2001. The EIS on the Rte 60 project from the 60/ I-215 East Junction to Redlands Blvd will be completed sooner and construction could begin by FY 1997/98. Funding for the San Jacinto Branch Line Improvementsvere programmed in the 1995 Allocation Plan. Construction funds for the 2nd Connector for the 60/91/I-215 have not been programmed in the current STIP. The scope for the I-215 project from University Avenue to the 60/I-215 East Junction as currently approved by FHWA calls for construction of one HOV lane in each direction; construction of a new interchange at Martin Luther King Blvd (Pennsylvania Avenue) to replace the existing El Cerrito Interchange; construction of a Truck Lane from University Avenue easterly to 60/I-215 East Junction; and construction of a Truck Bypass at the 60/I-215 east Junction. Rail Page 4 Construction of the Rte 60 west to Rte 91 south connector at the 60/91/I-215 Interchange is the highest priority project on the Draft Measure A Highway/Rail project Sequencing List. Construction of one additional lane in each direction on I-215 from University Ave to the 60/I- 215 East Junction and the Interchange at Martin Luther King Blvd are the fourth and fifth priority projects on the Sequencing List. Construction of one additional lane in each direction on Rte 60 from the 60/I-215 East Junction to Redlands Blvd is the thirteenth priority project on the Draft Project Sequencing List due to its very limited value for congestion relief prior to construction of the improvements identified in the Measure A Highway Program for I-215 and the 60/91 /I-215 Interchange; and for Rte 91 from Cridge Street to Mary Street. Improvements to the San Jacinto Branch Line is currently the last priority on the Draft Measure A Project Sequencing List and there are additional issues related to the ability of LTF funds to provide the operating subsidy that will be required to extending commuter rail along this line. 60/91/I-215 INTERCHANGE PROJECT Construction of the 1st Direct Connector - Rte 60 west to Rte 91 south - will also require construction of a new interchange and access for Spruce Street in the City of Riverside. Funds for this improvement were not considered in the current STIP Program. The estimated cost for the Spruce Street access improvements is $20 million. The Commission should consider requesting the CTC to reprogram $20 million in R/W funds for the 2nd Direct Connector - I-215 south to 60/I-215 east to be used for construction of the the Spruce Street improvements in conjunction with construction of the 1st Direct Connector. I-215 - UNIVERSITY AVE TO 60/I-215 EAST JUNCTION The $12.985 million currently programmed in the STIP for this project is not sufficient for R/W and construction. The current estimate for one additional lane in each direction and construction of the Martin Luther King Blvd Interchange to replace the El Cerrito Interchange is $45 million. Construction of a Truck Bypass at the 60/I-215 Interchange, while not identified in the Measure A program, but required by FHWA for approval of the I-215 project scope is estimated to cost an additional $10 million. The total estimated cost of the one additional lane in each direction and a Truck Bypass is $55 million. Construction of the Truck Lane and Truck Bypass in I-215 are currently the eleventh and twelfth priorities on the Draft Measure Project Sequencing List. Discussions with Caltrans District 08 staff and others regarding the congestion problem along I-215, and improving this segment to meet the intent of the Measure A has produced a potential revision to the staging of improvements for construction worth consideration. If a prime cause of congestion on this segment of I-215 is due to slow moving truck traffic up the grade and lane changes required at the 60/I-215 East Junction for trucks to continue along Rte 60 to the east, as we expect is the case and will research further with CECERT in the next few months, construction of 1 lane in each direction with the east bound lane providing a truck/slow moving vehicle only rather than a HOV as currently proposed may provide more congestion relief. If this is the case then the Commission should also consider if the Truck Bypass at the 60/I-215 East Junction should not be raised in priority from its current rating of priority 13. Page 5 If this proposal is considered and approved, the Commission will need to find an additional $42.1 million to supplement the $12.895 million currently programmed for the I-215 project in the existing STIP. This could be accomplished by "value engineering" and reprogramming funds from other projects. RCTC staff has already voiced its concern to Caltrans District 08 regarding the estimated cost for the project to add lanes on Rte 60 and I-215 from Valley Way to University Avenue. Our initial feeling is that somewhere in the range of $5 to $10 million might saved and made available for other projects through "value engineering" and tighter cost estimating of that project. Those savings could be requested to be reprogrammed for the I-215 Project from University Ave to the 60/I-215 East Junction. The remaining funds needed for the project could be made available by requesting reprogramming funds currently included in the STIP for the Rte 60 project from the 60/I-215 East Junction to Redlands Blvd and/or the San Jacinto Branch Line. In addition to determining which projects to propose for the seven year STIP, the Commission will also have to provide the CTC with a schedule of projects for delivery in years one through seven. CUTLINES 10% TO 25% As the Commission goes through the above exercise to select priorities and provide a schedule to the CTC within the current funding programmed in the STIP, the CTC is also requiring the Commission to identify projects that would be cut if they had to take 10% or 25% of the funds currently available. The CTC has discretion with regards to the 10% and 25% amounts, and the deletion of projects. The possible impact on Riverside County in the event we requested reprogramming of funds from the Rte. 60 and/or the San Jacinto Branch Line to the I-215 project, if a 10% cut was made by the CTC, it would impact our ability to construct a Truck Bypass at the Rte. 60 East Junction. If 25% is cut, this may eliminate the entire I-215 project from the STIP. Staff will be prepared, at the Commission Meeting on October 1lth, to present a specific proposal in coordination with Caltrans District 8. Discussion at this meeting will provide staff with the necessary sense of direction under consideration by the Commission. The basic choice that faces the Commission is the possible reprogramming of funds from either the Rte. 60 project in Moreno Valley or the San Jacinto Branch Line project, or both. Due to the current LTF shortage for rail and bus service operations, the San Jacinto Branch Line funds may be the logical first choice for reprogramming. RECOMMENDATION: 1. That the Commission consider and approve recommending the Rte 86 Stage 3 Construction Project ($ 40.132 million) and the Rte 60/I-215 Valley Way to University Avenue Stage 2 Roadway Construction Project ($43.878 million) to the CTC for programming in the first year FY 1996/97 of the 1996 STIP noting that the Rte 604-215 Page 6 Roadway project is currently under review for potential cost savings through "value engineering" and scope changes. 2. That the Commission receive the remaining information for consideration at the October 1lth Commission meeting following approval of the Measure A Project Sequencing List.