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Consent-Community Services # 22.
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| Board of Supervisors Meeting |
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| Subject |
| Approve Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Woodland formalizing the transfer of $539,000 in funding and administrative responsibility from the City of Woodland to Yolo County to implement the Caltrans Active Transportation Program grant for FY2015-16 and 2016-17. (No general fund impact) (Echiburu) |
| Recommended Action |
- Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Woodland formalizing the transfer of $539,000 in funding and administrative responsibility from the City of Woodland to Yolo County to implement the Caltrans Active Transportation Program grant for FY 2015-16 and 2016-17.
- Authorize the Department of Planning, Public Works, and Environmental Services (PPWES) to provide administrative oversight for the funds received for the grant. Authorize the Department of Health Services to implement the grant work plan and deliver the scope of services described in the grant application materials.
- Authorize the PPWES Director and/or his/her designee to sign any additional forms or documents necessary to receive and administer the grant.
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| Strategic Plan Goal(s) |
Collaborate to maximize success
Enhance and sustain the safety net
Preserve and ensure safe and crime free communities |
| Reason for Recommended Action/Background |
On September 27, 2014, the City of Woodland was awarded Caltrans Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant funding for a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Project in the amount of $539,000 for the period July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017 (Caltrans ID #0105). The goal of the project is to increase the number of youth in the Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD) who safely walk and bike to school. The SRTS project will involve the 11 elementary and middle schools in the WJUSD. A planned outcome of this program is to create a culture of walking and biking to school in Woodland by ensuring parents and schools have the resources and ability to continue SRTS activities beyond the duration of the grant.
In March 2015, the City of Woodland requested and agreed to relinquish all funding and responsibility to Yolo County. The Department of Planning, Public Works and Environmental Services regularly administers state and federal transportation funds received by the County under Master Agreement 03-5922R (Yolo County Agreement 07-14) with Caltrans and can provide administrative oversight for the funds to be received from Caltrans, and advise the Department of Health Services to ensure procedures for the use of the grant funds are followed.
The Department of Health Services will be responsible for implementing the work plan, delivering the services described in the application, project reporting, and ensuring that only eligible items are included in cost accounting for the project, in accordance with Caltrans requirements for the use of state and federal transportation funds.
The Woodland City Council will be considering this MOU at their April 7, 2015 meeting. If both jurisdictions approve the MOU, Caltrans will present the change of project sponsorship to the California Transportation Commission for final approval.
This project will improve the physical activity of Woodland school-aged youth in several ways. The project will augment bicycle and pedestrian safety awareness programs already being offered in schools through promotional activities and reinforcement items (bike helmets, bike reflectors, etc.), and will highlight the safe walking/biking routes around schools through national bike to school day/bike month and walk to school day/walking month activities.
The increase in youth who walk and bike to school through this project will reduce childhood obesity risks, increase childhood physical and mental health, reduce pedestrian and cyclist collisions, and reduce vehicular congestion. Woodland's geography and population density make it potentially feasible for many students to walk or bike as a form of transportation within town, yet only about 5% of all residents (adults and children) report biking or cycling as a method of commuting to work or school.
Students will learn safe walking and bicycling practices that will reduce behaviors that result in pedestrian, or cyclist collisions. Students will receive preferred routes maps that take advantage of existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Students will learn how to walk and ride along routes, and how to safely cross using crossing facilities.
Increasing the number of students walking or biking, thus reducing the number of students who will be dropped off or picked up by automobile, will reduce morning and afternoon vehicular congestion around schools. If the project team is able to change the mode share from family only passenger vehicle trips to a non-motorized mode by 5%, nearly 700 passenger vehicle trips will be avoided per day in the City of Woodland. Reducing these vehicular trips will decrease congestion at peak hours, and make walking and cycling conditions safer around the project schools.
With the funding provided by Caltrans this is an optimal time to work with district leadership in bringing SRTS programs to life throughout the WJUSD. There is support from district leadership to do so, as well as school and parent interest. The infrastructure improvements completed by the City of Woodland in December 2013 that included driver speed feedback signs, signing and striping improvements surrounding schools, intersections improvements, crossing improvements, and the installation of a new traffic signal within blocks of a Woodland elementary school will help support environmental changes needed to encourage active transportation around schools.
Similar programs have demonstrated success. One year after the implementation of a similar program in the City of West Sacramento, in partnership with the Washington Unified School District and WALKSacramento, elementary and K-8 schools in the City of West Sacramento, non-motorized travel mode significantly increased. Similar outcomes are anticipated for this program in Woodland.
The Department of Health Services plans to issue a Request for Proposals for a Consultant to assist in implementing this program and will request approval of that agreement from the Board of Supervisors. |
| Collaborations (including Board advisory groups and external partner agencies) |
County Counsel approved the MOU as to form.
Department of Health Services
City of Woodland
Woodland Joint Unified School District |
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| Fiscal Impact |
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| Source of Funds for this Expenditure |
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Explanation (Expenditure and/or Revenue) |
| Further explanation as needed: |
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will allow the County to receive $539,000 from Caltrans to be utilized by the Health Services obesity prevention programs. There is no required match of local funds to receive this money. The amount will be included in the requested budget for FY 15/16.
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