TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, Interim City Manager
TITLE: Endorsement of proposed project funding applications to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization in a prioritized order.
Recommended Action
Endorsement of proposed project funding applications to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization in a prioritized order.
Background Information
Local agencies may submit transportation related projects for federal and state funding annually through the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The project applications are reviewed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), along with review and ranking by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), based upon certain criteria. The TAC prioritized list of project funding applications is presented to the MPO Board for approval. FDOT reviews the MPO Board approved prioritized listing of project fund applications, and based upon available funding, includes fundable projects in their draft Tentative Five Year Work Program. The Tentative Five Year Work Program is then presented to the MPO Board for approval before FDOT’s Work Program is adopted. Typically, projects that are approved for federal and/or state funding have the initial phase funded in the fifth year of the FDOT Work Program, with subsequent project phases added in future years.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which was signed into law on December 4, 2015, has prompted a change in the process for prioritization of projects for federal funding. The revised process uses categories for ranking of projects related to performance meaning the anticipated benefit. The revised priorities to be used in the ranking of projects for federal funding is being brought before the MPO Board for adoption in the coming months. Projects related to the various categories of state and federal funds, that are not currently funded in the FDOT Five Year Work Program, will be rated using the revised criteria.
Staff has prepared funding applications for the following projects in the City of North Port:
1. Price Boulevard Widening - Sumter Boulevard to North Port High School/Heron Creek Middle School: This project will reconstruct this segment from a two lane/two direction undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway with a raised center median, curb and gutter to be similar in cross-section to the segment of Price Boulevard to be widened between Sumter Boulevard and Toledo Blade Boulevard, within the existing right-of-way. Sidewalks, bicycle lanes and Sarasota County Area Transit stops will be included in the roadway. The existing bridge over the Myakkahatchee Creek will be replaced with a new four-lane bridge. The four-lane roadway will transition to the existing two-lane roadway, directly west of the driveways of the North Port High School and Heron Creek Middle School used by the buses at the west end of these properties. A traffic signal warrant study will be conducted for the Price Boulevard/Spring Haven Drive intersection during design and a traffic signal assembly added if warranted. A total amount of $27,750,000 from the Preliminary Design and Environmental phase through construction is being requested, reference Attachment Number 1.
2. Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes Extension - Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard: On February 24, 2014, the City Commission endorsed a project funding application through the MPO to construct five feet wide bicycle lanes on Biscayne Drive from Elyton Drive to Ponce de Leon Boulevard, reference Attachment Number 4. The project application was not funded; however,
sometime later FDOT realized leftover funds from other projects and is willing to allocate funds to this project. At this same time, data regarding bicycle accidents and fatalities ranked the State of Florida at, or near, the top of the fifty states, reference Attachment Number 5. The FDOT Secretary assigned the District One Secretary to lead an initiative to address this concern. Revised guidelines and design criteria for bicycle lanes were drafted and then adopted by FDOT, reference Attachment Number 6. Through coordination with FDOT, the Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes Project was revised to widen the bicycle lanes from five feet to the new seven feet wide “buffered” bicycle lanes, reference Attachment Number 7. The project limits were shortened to Glenallen Boulevard, from Ponce de Leon Boulevard, as well to account for the added cost of the wider bicycle lanes. The Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes Project from Elyton Drive to Glenallen Boulevard is in the FDOT FY18/FY22 Tentative Five Year Work Program, with design in FY17/18 and construction in FY19/20. The Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes project fund application extends the seven feet wide “buffered” bicycle lanes on Biscayne Drive from Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard. A total amount of $1,713,600 for the Preliminary Design and Environmental phase, through construction is being requested, reference Attachment Number 2.
3. Ponce de Leon Boulevard Bicycle Lanes - Biscayne Drive to Tropicaire Boulevard: This project adds seven feet wide buffered bicycle lanes along the existing vehicular travel lanes. The approximate six feet wide paved shoulders of the I-75 overpass bridge will be utilized as designated bicycle lanes. A total amount of $4,686,000 from the Preliminary Design and Environmental phase, through construction, is being requested, reference Attachment Number 3.
Staff’s recommended priority for endorsing these projects is in the order listed above.
Strategic Plan
Maintained/Upgraded/Expanded City Infrastructure
Financial Impact
NA
Procurement
NA
Attachments:
1. Price Boulevard Widening, Sumter Boulevard to North Port High School/Heron Creek Middle School Fund Application
2. Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes, Glenallen Boulevard to Ponce de Leon Boulevard Fund Application
3. Ponce de Leon Bicycle Lanes, Biscayne Drive to Tropicaire Boulevard Fund Application
4. Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes, Elyton Drive to Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Minutes from 2/24/14 meeting supporting Funding Application
5. Bicycle Safety Statistics Publications
6. FDOT 2106 Buffered Bike Lanes Design Training
7. Biscayne Drive Bicycle Lanes, Elyton Drive to Glenallen Boulevard, Funding Application
8. PowerPoint Presentation by Ms. Leigh Holt, Planning Manager, Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization - Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization Performance Measures and Project Priorities
9. PowerPoint Presentation by Ms. Juliana B. Bellia, Public Works Director - Project Funding Applications to the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization
Prepared by: Benjamin Newman, P.E. and Juliana B. Bellia
Department Director: Juliana B. Bellia