District: District 7
Contact: District 7 Public Affairs
Phone: (213) 897-3656
LOS ANGELES — Caltrans announced today that the first round of Local Partnership Program grants funded through the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1) have been awarded to local and regional agencies with voter-approved transportation fees or taxes in place. During this week's California Transportation Commission (CTC) meeting, 57 projects submitted by 32 agencies around the state received $173.4 million to fund transportation improvements.
"These grants will act as matching funds for local entities that have already chosen to make their own extra investments in transportation. Through SB 1, local agencies can have the funding to do their part in helping us rebuild California’s transportation infrastructure."
The projects approved today are for the formulaic portion of the LPP and cover the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years. All agencies that have not already used their formula funding can still nominate projects through June 2019 for the remaining $26.6 million available.
This round of LPP funding focuses on diverse and important transportation projects throughout the state.
Local examples include:
District 7 Local Partnership Program Grants February 2018
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
- West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor Project
Proposed $23.94 million for preliminary design and engineering of light rail transit line that would extend approximately 20 miles from southeast Los Angeles County to downtown Los Angeles. The line would offer service through nine cities, including Bell, Cudahy, Downey, Huntington Park, South Gate and Vernon, providing transit service that would increase mobility and connectivity, reduce travel times on local and regional transportation networks; and accommodate future employment and population growth. - Green Line Extension (Cities of Redondo beach and Torrance)
$19.75 million to continue environmental study and preliminary engineering of a light rail transit line extension from the city of Redondo Beach to the city of Torrance. The project would provide direct connections to regional destinations, improving accessibility to alternate modes of transportation for residents and communities in the South Bay area. - Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station Mezzanine Improvements
The $14.81 million project will construct an expanded mezzanine at the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station, including two new staircases and an elevator to serve transfers between the Metro Blue and Green Lines. The mezzanine expansion will safely accommodate transfer volumes and passengers waiting for the next train as well as adequately serve a future expansion of the rail system.
The Local Partnership Program (LPP) was created by SB 1 to provide counties, cities and regional transportation agencies that have passed sales tax measures, developer fees or other imposed transportation fees with additional support for local projects from the State. The LPP creates a continuous appropriation of $200 million annually to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation, sound walls and other transportation improvement projects. These funds are distributed through a 50% statewide competitive component and a 50% formula component.
Other projects approved statewide include:
Statewide Local Partnership Program Projects Approved February 2018
- Orange County Transportation Authority
Caltrans — I-5 Improvement Project from State Route 73 to Oso Parkway: $18.24 million. Extending from the cities of Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills, this project adds one general purpose lane in each direction, auxiliary lanes where needed, as well as the reconstruction of interchanges at Avery Parkway. This project will directly enhance mobility and maximize the productivity of the local transportation system. - Sonoma County Transportation Authority
City of Santa Rosa – Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closures along Piner Road and Dutton Avenue: $100,000 for plan, specifications and estimates and $473,000 in funding for construction. The project will close a gap in a Class II bicycle lane and will rehabilitate pavement where the lanes will be installed. Additionally, the project will close a gap in a sidewalk and install additional sidewalk and ADA curb ramps. - Fresno County Transportation Authority
City of Clovis-Willow Avenue Street Improvements Project: $1.04 million for Right of Way and $3.5 million for construction. This project will entail a large reconstruction of Willow Avenue from Shepherd to Copper Avenues. Work includes constructing additional lanes, median landscape and irrigation, concrete curbs and gutters, sidewalk, traffic signal, striping and signage.
More information on the Local Partnership Program can be found on the California Transportation Commission's SB 1 Local Partnership Program web page.
In addition to the LPP awards Caltrans also submitted to the CTC the proposed 2018 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP). The 2018 SHOPP is a four-year program of projects covering Fiscal Years 2018-19 through 2021-2022 that includes projects for pavement, bridge, culverts and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) included in the performance requirements of SB 1. The 2018 SHOPP also includes the important safety, emergency repair and permanent damage restoration projects as well as other "fix-it-first" projects on the State Highway System.
The total for the 2018 SHOPP is about $18 billion worth of projects over the next four years. This is compared to $10 billion in the 2016 SHOPP. The additional funding for 2018 can be attributed in large part due to additional funding from SB 1.
For a complete overview of SB 1 programs including a project map, visit RebuildingCA.ca.gov.