City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 22, 2017
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the City of Alexandria’s Proposed Program of Transportation Projects for Submission to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for 70 Percent Regional Transportation Funding for FY 2018 to FY 2023.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of the City of Alexandria’s proposed program of transportation projects for submission to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for 70 percent regional transportation funding for FY 2018 to FY 2023.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Authorize application to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for 70% NVTA funding of $88,228,652 for the proposed projects; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to submit the proposed projects to the NVTA and enter into any necessary agreements with NVTA to accept the funds.
BACKGROUND: In April 2013, House Bill 2313 was signed into law, levying additional taxes and a fee in Planning Districts that meet population, motor vehicle registration, and transit ridership criteria. The additional revenues generated in Northern Virginia through these taxes and fees are deposited into a fund managed by the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA). Thirty (30) percent of the funds are distributed directly to member localities for use on transportation projects; the remaining seventy (70) percent of the funds are distributed by NVTA and used for regional transportation projects. Projects seeking NVTA 70% regional transportation funds must be included in NVTA’s long range transportation plan, TransAction, which was approved by the NVTA at their October 12, 2017 meeting. From FY 2014 to FY 2017, the City has been awarded a total of $76,450,000 in NVTA 70% regional funds:
• FY 2014 - $6,360,000
• FY 2015/2016 - $4,090,000
• FY 2017 - $66,000,000
DISCUSSION: On October 12, 2017, the NVTA formally requested applications seeking 70% regional transportation funding for their first six-year program, FY 2018 to FY 2023. It is anticipated that approximately $1.5 billion (based on revenue projections) will be made available within this six-year program for regional transportation projects. The City of Alexandria’s prioritized program of transportation projects is based on need. Priority has been endorsed and recommended by the Transportation Commission (Attachment 1), and is included in NVTA’s TransAction. Attachment 2 provides a detailed breakdown of each project funding request.
West End Transitway - Northern Segment (Priority 1) - This project is the first phase of the West End Transitway, a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) service providing high capacity, frequent transit service between Landmark Mall and the Pentagon. The service will connect major employment, residential, and transit hubs to the regional Metrorail system. The funding request will leverage Virginia SMART SCALE funds and planned to be requested FTA (Federal Transit Administration) grant funds.
Transit Signal Priority on Route 7 and Route 236 (Priority 2) - This project will install Transit Signal Priority (TSP) equipment on the traffic signals along Route 7 from Dawes Ave to Quaker Ln. and on Route 236 from S. Walker St. to Telegraph Rd. This project improves regional transportation since Metrobus routes on these two roadways provide service beyond Alexandria. The project will support tighter transit schedule adherence to encourage transit ridership and allow improved public safety response times.
DASH Technology Needs (Priority 3) - This project will provide funding for DASH to invest in technology to improve the operation and efficiency of service delivery. This project includes the procurement of Real-Time General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and Real-Time Short Message Service (SMS) software. Real-Time GTFS will allow DASH to provide real-time trip planning information to patrons and link such data with other transit agencies throughout the region. Real-Time SMS will allow riders to access real-time transit information via text messages.
DASH Fleet and Facility Expansion (Priority 4) - This project will provide for expansion of the DASH Fleet to provide additional service connecting Alexandria with major regional employment centers (Pentagon, Mark Center, NSF, USPTO) and transit systems (Metrorail, VRE). Staff is proposing this funding for FY 2020 in the requested six-year program pending input from the planned City/DASH transit vision study and identification of operating funds.
King Street Pedestrian/Bike Improvements/TSP/ITS (Priority 5) - Upper King Street west of Quaker Lane has a history of pedestrian fatalities due to high vehicle volumes and speeds. It is also a major connection between I-395 and central Alexandria. This project is a high priority project in the Transportation Master Plan and includes new sidewalks along the north and south sides of King Street and enhanced facilities to improve important pedestrian and bicycle access and connectivity, as well as provide the essential traffic infrastructure for future technology improvements.
Duke Street BRT (Priority 6) - This project will fund the NEPA process and design of the project. The Duke Street BRT project will provide high capacity transit service between the King Street Metro station and the to be redeveloped Landmark Mall site and the western City limit and will include dedicated and shared lanes, transit signal priority, full service BRT stations, and pedestrian / bicycle facilities.
FISCAL IMPACT: NVTA 70% capital funds do not have a local match requirement and are provided on a reimbursement basis. However, there will be operating costs associated with two of the projects: Priority 1 - West End Transitway and Priority 4 - DASH Fleet Expansion.
For the West End Transitway, the FY 2018 to FY 2023 Capital Improvement Program includes preliminary operating cost estimates, subject to refinement based on service patterns, span of service, and operator. The City has allocated $1M in both FY 2023 and FY 2024 CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation Air Quality) funds for operations and will allocate an additional $1M in FY 2025.
For the DASH Fleet Expansion project, there will be additional operating costs required to support new and expanded service, including the option for DASH to operate the West End Transitway. Staff is continuously exploring other potential funding sources to support transit operations.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Transportation Commission Recommendation Letter
Attachment 2: Detailed Six-Year Program Project Funding Request
Attachment 3: Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
Matt Melkerson, Acting Deputy Director, T&ES
Allan Fye, Division Chief, Transit Services Division
Steve Sindiong, Transit Capital Program Manager, Transit Services Division