Agenda Item Wording:
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Consider the Tulare six-lane and Paige Avenue Interchange Caltrans mitigation agreement - Approve Caltrans funding agreement for operation of the Mooney Avenue bus rapid transit segment of the Cross Valley Corridor project.
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Agenda Date: 07/20/2026
Prepared by:
Angelina Baker, Transit Manager, Angelina.Baker@visalia.gov <mailto:Angelina.Baker@visalia.gov>, (559)713-4591
John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, John.Lollis@visalia.gov, (559)713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a mitigation agreement with Caltrans to receive funding in the amount of $4,682,000 from the Tulare six-l and Paige Avenue Interchange project for of the Mooney Boulevard bus rapid transit (BRT) portion of the Cross Valley Corridor project.
Summary:
The Cross Valley Corridor project, which Visalia has been designated as the project lead, has many aspects to it with State grant funding that have already been awarded and future grant funding requests that are yet to be determined.
The Regional Express Transit Service Project is comprised of two (2) separate but intersecting express transit services in the region, including the Cross Valley Express (CVX) project connecting communities of Tulare and Kings Counties primarily along the State Route 198 corridor, and a complimentary bus rapid transit (BRT) system on the Mooney Boulevard (State Route 63) corridor between the Visalia and Tulare transit centers, with stops serving commercial retail destinations as well as the College of the Sequoias campus in Visalia.
Caltrans has initiated a draft mitigation funds agreement with the City of Visalia to fund part of the BRT operations as an environmental vehicle mile travelled (VMT) mitigation for the Tulare six-lane and Paige Avenue Interchange project. While the City and the Caltrans legal department are still fine-tuning the wording, City staff is asking Council to grant authorization to the City Manager to sign the final agreement once all edits have been agreed upon.
Background Discussion:
The Regional Express Transit Service project is comprised of two (2) separate but intersecting express transit services in the region, including the Cross Valley Express (CVX) project connecting communities of Tulare and Kings Counties primarily along the State Route 198 corridor, and a complimentary bus rapid transit (BRT) system on the Mooney Boulevard (State Route 63) corridor between the Visalia and Tulare transit centers, with stops serving commercial retail destinations as well as the College of the Sequoias campus in Visalia.
Based upon the 2024 operations plan, the CVX would operate eight (8) transit vehicles at 30-minute service frequencies for 16-18 hours per day over the approximate thirty (30) miles between the Hanford Amtrak Station and the City of Farmersville Transit Center via Visalia, including stops at the Hanford Transit Center, Visalia Industrial Park (2), College of the Sequoias, Kaweah Health Medical Center, and the Visalia Transit Center. Visalia Transit would serve as the primary transit provider, supported by the Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA) and Kings Area Regional Transit (KART).
The Mooney Boulevard BRT would operate along Mooney Boulevard with five (5) vehicles at 15-minute service frequencies for 16-18 hours per day over the approximate eleven (11) miles between the Tulare Transit Center and the Visalia Transit Center, including stops at Prosperity Avenue (Tulare), Visalia Parkway, Caldwell Avenue, Walnut Avenue, Tulare Avenue/College of the Sequoias (COS), and Kaweah Health Medical Center, intersecting with the CVX at COS, Kaweah Health and the Visalia Transit Center. Visalia Transit would serve as the primary transit provider, supported by TCRTA. It is also the goal that the BRT would begin operations in 2030/31, including the installation of six (6) new BRT transit stops, twenty (20) intersection traffic signal preemption systems, and necessary zero-emission vehicle EV-charging or hydrogen-fueling infrastructure. Given the significance of Mooney Boulevard as the regional commercial corridor, it will be imperative that the project not create additional congestion and/or interfere with commercial operations and development, and that the City maintain authority over the BRT routes, timing and operations.
There are currently several agreements being drafted and/or reviewed by legal counsel for future consideration in support of the Regional Express Transit Service Project, including a draft agreement between the City, Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) and TCRTA for “operations”, a draft cooperation agreement between the City and Caltrans for “capital development”, a draft agreement between the City and TCAG for “construction of capital improvements”, a draft agreement between the City and Caltrans to be the recipient of State Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant funds, and a draft agreement between the City and TCAG to be the recipient of State SB 125 transit funds.
Fiscal Impact including annual maintenance and operating costs:
TCAG has committed to finding all grant funding necessary to fund both the capital improvements and operations dollars for the Cross Valley Corridor project.
Staff is not requesting to appropriate funding at this time and will return to appropriate all grant money to operate the routes in FY 2030/31.
Prior Council Action:
November 3, 2025 (24-0492): Authorization for the City of Visalia to participate as the project lead and primary operator of the Regional Express Transit Service Project.
Alternatives: N/A
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to enter into a mitigation agreement with Caltrans to receive funding in the amount of $4,682,000 from the Tulare six-lane and Paige Avenue interchange improvement project for operations of the bus rapid transit (BRT) portion of on the Cross Valley Corridor project.
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Deadline for Action: 07/20/2026
Attachments:
Draft Caltrans Mitigation Agreement
City Council Agenda Staff Report (24-0492) - November 3, 2025
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
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