CC Minutes - 07/08/09 Work Session

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B. WORK SESSION: Surface Transportation Program – Urban Funding Rob Inerfeld, Transportation Planning Manager, reported that Lane Transit District (LTD) had received stimulus funds that the district was able to use to offset the deficit they faced, and so would not be applying for Surface Transportation Program – Urban (STP -U) funding in the current round. He reminded the council that the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), defined by the federal government as the metropolitan planning area, received approximately $2.5 million annually in STP -U funds. He stated that the funding would be allocated for the federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, which began October 1, 2010. He explained that the funds were distributed under the direction of the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC), on which Mayor Piercy and Mr. Zelenka sat as Eugene's representatives. Mr. Inerfeld briefly highlighted the information contained in the AIS. He said typically the MPC considered STP -U funds in three -year cycles, but because of uncertainty regarding future federal funding, and because the MPC wanted to look more broadly at the criteria used, it had decided to only look at FYI 0. He said the MPC would be reviewing a draft list of STP -U projects on the following day and was scheduled to make a decision on what projects would be funded on September 10. Mr. Inerfeld provided the staff proposal. He noted that STP -U funds were spent in three categories: pavement preservation, street improvements /modernization, and project development. He listed and outlined the three projects proposed to be included in the list for FYI 0: • Coburg Road pavement preservation, $800,000; • West Bank Path completion project development, $200,000; • West Bank Path extension, $1 million. He conveyed staff's feeling that these projects would compete well as they were regionally significant and multi - modal. Mayor Piercy asked what projects the other jurisdictions were putting forward. Mr. Inerfeld did not have the list before him, but he believed that Springfield was seeking funding for pavement preservation and slurry seal projects, Lane County was pursuing pavement preservation and traffic signal work, Willama- lane was seeking funding for the Quarry Creek Bridge, and LTD, though it was not requesting any funds at this time, would likely request funds in future years to offset operational costs. Ms. Ortiz asked where the pavement preservation project for Seneca Road to Roosevelt Boulevard fell in the queue of projects. City Engineer, Mark Schoening, replied that he did not recall the specifics. Mr. Inerfeld added that they did have a project for Seneca Road in design at present. Ms. Ortiz agreed that the bicycle path was a good project, but she felt the hazards posed by the current condition of Seneca Road to cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians warranted a greater degree of attention. She preferred to request to have that road completely paved. In response to a question from Mr. Poling, Mr. Inerfeld clarified that all of the agencies in the MPO could submit projects for a portion of the $1.65 million. He noted that the City of Coburg, like LTD, was not submitting funding requests at all. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 8, 2009 Page 6 Work Session