City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 2, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution for a Competitive Grant Application to the Virginia Department of Transportation for Primary Extension Improvement Program Funding. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
ISSUE: City Council consideration of a resolution for a competitive grant application to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for funding in the amount of $1 million for the resurfacing of primary route extensions.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Adopt the attached resolution (Attachment 1) to apply for a Primary Extension Improvement Program funding allocation of $1 million from VDOT for the resurfacing of City-maintained primary route extensions; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to submit this resolution and enter into any agreements with the State that may be required to receive these funds should the requested allocation be approved.
BACKGROUND: The 2014 General Assembly modified Section 33.1-23.1 of the Code of Virginia so that Primary Extensions maintained by municipalities could receive a portion of maintenance funds previously available only to Interstates and Primary Roads. Primary Extensions are routes maintained by municipalities that carry a primary route number for continuity; in Alexandria, examples include Duke Street (Route 236) and Van Dorn Street (Route 401), each of which have received prior-year funding through this program.
Because VDOT estimates that approximately 55% of primary road pavements in Northern Virginia localities are deficient, these grant funds are available to such routes with a critical condition index (CCI) of less than 60. This VDOT-specific score is consistent with the City’s Pavement Condition Index which was developed as part of a citywide survey in 2013. The new funding is also intended to supplement (not supplant) the current level of funding by localities. No match is required.
Primary Extension Improvement Program funding is intended to provide funds for immediately needed improvements or to supplement funding for existing projects. The maximum award per locality for this program is $1 million and the amount available statewide in FY 2017 is $5.2 million. Because VDOT expects to receive more applications than available funding, the agency will likely use a formula to determine award amounts resulting in awards of less than $1 million per applicant. Additionally, VDOT has indicated it plans to rate applications giving the most weight to the critical condition index (CCI) of each street followed by traffic volume. Streets currently proposed by the City which meet VDOT requirements are all major arterials/primaries which require significant investment (more than $100,000 each) to resurface.
In March 2015, Council approved an application for the VDOT FY 2016 Primary Extension Improvement Program in the amount of $940,000 for the resurfacing of a section of Duke Street as well as sections of North and South Van Dorn Street. The grant application was approved by VDOT in June of 2015 and the work will be completed later this year. The City uses Primary Extension Improvement Program funding to supplement VDOT Revenue Sharing funding.
DISCUSSION: In FY 2012, VDOT completed a pavement management inventory in which a condition assessment was performed on primary extension routes statewide, including those in Alexandria. This system, much like the citywide pavement condition index (PCI) performed by T&ES in 2013, resulted in a condition index score assigned to each route.
T&ES staff compared the VDOT CCI scores with the City’s proposed three-year paving schedule from the FY 2016 to FY 2025 approved Capital Improvement Program which are based on PCI scoring. Because VDOT requires Primary Extension Improvement Program funding be undertaken within six months of allocation, Alexandria primary extensions already on the City’s FY 2017 to FY 2018 list with a CCI of less than 60 are the best candidates for these funds.
Staff has therefore identified the following streets in the proposed FY 2017 to FY 2018 paving schedule as candidates for potential VDOT Primary Extension Improvement Program funding:
• Patrick St. (SR 1) from Slaters Lane to Franklin St. (VDOT CCI of 33, City PCI of 40, Estimated resurfacing cost of $500,000)
• Seminary Rd. (SR 420) from Howard St. west to the City Limit with Fairfax County (VDOT CCI of 33, City PCI of 38, Estimated resurfacing cost of $500,000)
FISCAL IMPACT: The application reflects a request for $1 million in State revenues to supplement the City’s CIP funding for major street resurfacing. The existing FY 2016 to
FY 2025 Capital Improvement Program includes a planned amount of $5,300,000 in FY 2017 which would be dedicated to this project. Receiving this additional $1 million in VDOT funding would allow the acceleration of other streets within the proposed 3-year paving schedule. The decisions about which streets to accelerate will be made based on objective PCI rankings once the City learns of the amount of a Primary Extension Funding award, if any.
ATTACHMENT: Resolution
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, AICP, Director, Transportation and Environmental Services
Morgan Routt, Budget Director, Office of Management and Budget
Jeffrey DuVal, Deputy Director, Transportation and Environmental Services
Jeremy Hassan, P.E., Division Chief, Transportation and Environmental Services