Item 6: ODOT STIP Funding Priorities 2015-18

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: Oregon Department of Transportation State Transportation Improvement Program Funding 2015-2018 Meeting Date: November 13, 2012 Agenda Item Number: 6 Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Rob Inerfeld www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5343 ISSUE STATEMENT The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) allocates both state and federal transportation funding for projects across the state. ODOT targets funds both to its own projects on state facilities as well as to other agencies and local governments. In a significant change from past practices, ODOT is consolidating most of its discretionary funding programs into the process for creating a 2015-2018 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) and Lane Area Commission on Transportation (Lane ACT) will prioritize the projects that are applied for within the Eugene-Springfield area (MPC) and all of Lane County (Lane ACT). The City is applying for several projects and there are also other projects within Eugene for which ODOT and Lane Transit District (LTD) will be submitting applications. Staff seeks the council’s approval of a recommended priority list for all of the project applications within Eugene. BACKGROUND The federal government requires ODOT to develop a new STIP every other year. The STIP incorporates funds programmed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) as well as other ODOT funding programs. Traditionally, ODOT has mostly used its STIP public process to program modernization funding. ODOT has had other discretionary grant programs to which the City has successfully applied for funding in the past. These include the Bicycle and Pedestrian grant program, Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Flexible Funding. All of these programs are being consolidated into the development of the 2015-2018 STIP. Transportation funding programs not affected by this process include Connect Oregon, Transportation and Growth Management and Surface Transportation Program - Urban (STP-U). The new STIP funding program is called Enhance. An overview of the program is provided as an attachment (Introduction to Enhance and Fix-It for the 2015-2018 STIP). It is expected that out of the approximately $227 million in funding available for the Enhance program, approximately $56 million will be programmed within ODOT Region 2 of which Lane County is one of four areas. There is no specific amount set aside for Lane County but it will likely be between $15 and $20 million. ODOT will hold back 20 percent of the total Enhance funding to be allocated to projects for which applications are submitted but not set as priorities by the Area Commissions on Transportation. S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M121113\11-13-12 6-STIP Funding Priorities.doc