Agenda Item Wording:
title
Project List For Grant Funding - Authorization to submit a $25.7 million project list to Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) to be prioritized for upcoming SB125 funding which is transit related funding.
body
Deadline for Action: 12/15/2023 - TCAG ratification
Submitting Department: Administration - Transit Division
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Angelina DeRossett, Transit Manager, Angelina.DeRossett@Visalia.City
(559) 713-4591
Nick Mascia, Assistant City Manager, Nick.Mascia@Visalia.City, (559) 713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends authorization for Transit staff to submit a list of Capital Improvement projects to Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) to be considered and prioritized at the upcoming December 15th TCAG board meeting under SB125 funding.
Background Discussion:
In September of 2023 the state released information regarding new funding (SB125) that will be distributed to the local MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG). Tulare County has been allocated $56,000,000 that TCAG will use for priority transit capital improvements projects in the region. The funding will be distributed over a four (4) year funding period beginning in the calendar year 2024 (FY23-24). Staff was asked to work together with the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA) - the other Transit agency in our region, to develop a project list for transit priority projects. Visalia Transit staff worked to put together a list of projects to submit to TCAG for funding from the new SB125 monies for a total of $25,728,262 requested. Those projects are as follows:
|
Project Title |
Project Description |
Project cost |
Funds requested |
Funding Year requested |
|
Battery Electric Bus Replacements |
Replace 6 Fixed Route CNG buses with BEBs and purchase/install required chargers. |
$8,600,000 |
$8,600,000 |
CY2024 |
|
Battery Electric Bus Replacements |
Replace 5 Fixed Route CNG buses with BEBs and purchase/install required chargers. |
$7,500,000 |
$7,500,000 |
CY2025 |
|
Micro Transit Vehicles/Chargers |
Micro Transit Electric ADA Vanas (10), Electric Sedans (5), & Charging infrastructure (15) |
$9,628,262 |
$9,628,262 |
CY2027 |
|
|
Total |
$25,728,262 |
$25,728,262 |
|
Micro transit vehicles and chargers.
Upon approval of the MOU, Staff will implement a 3 year pilot project in which Visalia Transit will team with the TCRTA to provide a region wide micro transit service to Tulare County. That pilot program is at no cost to the City and through the pilot TCRTA will purchase their own vans and charging infrastructure. Following the completion of that pilot program in 2027, Transit will be using the data that’s collected to plan and implement a permanent micro transit service. This SB125 funding request will allow the City to purchase Visalia Transit (micro transit) vehicles and charging infrastructure to have the necessary components to operate our own micro transit program.
Battery Electric Bus purchase and charging infrastructure install.
This project aligns with Visalia Transit’s current fleet replacement plan, and Visalia Transit will ask for the monies to complete these vehicle replacements from the SB125 funding or other funding.
TCAG will also take the following projects for the TCRTA (Tulare County Regional Transit Authority) to their board for approval. This list is subject to change:
|
Project Title |
Project Description |
Funds requested |
|
Lindsay Transfer Center |
Cost increase to project |
$2,000,000 |
|
Exeter Transfer Center |
Exeter Transfer Center |
$5,000,000 |
|
Maintenance Facility Improvements |
Various |
$12,000,000 |
|
Porterville ZE Maintenance Facility |
Porterville ZE Maintenance Facility |
$10,000,000 |
|
On Demand ZE Vans |
Zero Emission Vans (19) |
$2,800,000 |
|
Bus Operations |
Cross Valley Corridor Bus Operations - 3 year pilot |
$7,000,000 |
|
|
Total |
$38,800,000 |
Fiscal Impact:
No fiscal impact at this time. Once approved by TCAG, Staff will return for the acceptance, appropriation and procurement.
Prior Council Action:
N/A
Other:
N/A
Alternatives:
Council could direct staff to seek funding from other sources, or could ask staff to prioritize other projects in the submission request to TCAG.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize Staff to submit the requested project list to TCAG to be prioritized for consideration with the upcoming SB125 funding.
end
Environmental Assessment Status:
N/A
CEQA Review:
N/A
Attachments:
None